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16 Pages Price 5000 Rials 33rd year NO.11199 Monday JULY 18 2011 Tir 27 1390 Shaban 16 1432

Ali Daei named Rah Ahan coach

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U.S. is real enemy of Pakistans unity: Leader

Political Desk preme
TEHRAN SuLeader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that the real enemies of the Pakistani people and their national unity are Western countries, headed by the Unites States. The Leader made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari late on Saturday. Pointing to the religious and cultural anities between Iran and Pakistan, the Leader praised the Pakistani people as a great nation with a long history of resistance. The Pakistani people believe in Islam, and Iran will be pleased with the countrys progress, the Leader stated. The only way that the Pakistani people have to deal with the current problems of their country is to hold fast to Islam and its instructions, he noted. The Leader also expressed hope that God would help rid the Pakistani people of the evil plans of their enemies. Contd. on P. 2

By sta & agencies

Egypt ministers resign in cabinet shufe

Tehran, Beijing ink $4b in infrastructure projects

Iran and China on Saturday signed a series of agreements worth $4 billion for infrastructure projects as part of a broader bid to boost trade volume between the two nations. The bilateral agreements span cooperation in water, mining, energy and industrial sectors. As part of a $500 million deal, China agreed to provide Iran with 60 energy recovery incinerators, which are to be installed within a year in major cities and in Irans northern tourism hub along the Caspian Sea. China also pledged to boosts its imports of Iranian mineral products. China is now the leading economic partner of Iran and there are plans for increasing last years trade volume of $30 billion to $100 billion in the future, Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh said. The agreements were signed during a visit by He Guoqiang, a senior executive of the Chinese Communist Party, who headed a delegation visiting Iran. Bilateral trade will reach $40 billion this year, the Chinese ambassador to Tehran told IRNA. China and Iran have become major economic partners in recent years, partly thanks to the withdrawal of Western companies in line with sanctions against the Islamic republic over its contentious nuclear drive. Iran seeks to triple China trade to $100 billion Irans President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for a quick increase in trade with China to $100 billion a year, IRNA reported. He made the remarks during a visit with He Guoqiang, a senior executive of the Chinese Communist Party here on Saturday. Current trade between the two countries is worth about $30 billion. (Source: Agencies)

Millions celebrated the 15th of Shaban in Iran

Egypts ministers of trade, finance and foreign affairs have resigned as part of a broad cabinet shuffle aimed at appeasing protesters. According to Al Jazeera, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who leads a caretaker cabinet formed after Hosni Mubarak stepped down in February, has accepted their resignations. Deputy Prime Minister, Yehya el-Gamal resigned last week. Contd. on P. 15

COMMENTS
Hassan Hanizadeh:

Yemen and the return of the dictator

Lamis Andoni:

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How the Arab world lost southern 5 Sudan

Worshippers gather at Jamkaran Mosque outside of Qom.

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B Ardeshir Pashang

AP

TEHRAN (Press TV) Millions in Iran on Sunday celebrated the 15th of Shaban which is the birthday of Imam Mahdi, the twelfth and the last Imam of Shia Muslims. Every year streets and villages across Iran are illuminated on the fteenth of the month of Shaaban in the lunar calendar. Additionally special ceremonies are held in Irans most religious cities Mashad, and Qom.

Based on Shia faith the twelfth Imam lives among his people but remains unknown until the day he reappears as a savior of mankind, filling the world with his blessings. According to the belief of Shias and some Sunnis Imam Mahdi is hidden by God and will unite all Muslims at the time of his reappearance.

During the night of the occasion the believers gathered outside their homes. They lled the streets celebrating the event while seeking forgiveness and repenting to God, praying that their hidden Imam will rid the world of error, injustice and tyranny. The 15th of Shaban is also marked in other countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

Continued U.S. presence undermines Iraqs political unity

ll U.S. troops must leave Iraq by the end of December 2011. This is perhaps the most important section in the bilateral security pact that was signed more than two years ago between Iraq and the United States. However, contrary to what has been promised, the U.S. is now trying to maintain its military presence in Iraq, and even some ocials such as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Jerey James, have warned that if U.S. troops are withdrawn in the near future, the country again will be plunged into the ames of insecurity. This has caused dierent reactions among the main Iraqi ethnic and religious groups, namely Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds. In other words, the fragile political unity in Mesopotamia (Iraq) is now heavily overshadowed by the idea of extending the presence of U.S. troops. Stances of dierent Iraqi groups Iraq is comprised of three main ethno-religious groups: the Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds. However, the recent elections have shown that the diversity of opinions in the country is far beyond these three categories. The position of these major groups can be summarized as follows: Shia Arabs: The coalition government led by Prime Minister Nouri alMaliki has the highest representation in the parliament, and supporters of the group are regarded as the most powerful ethnic group in the Iraqi population. The opposition accuses Maliki of having secret ties with U.S. ocials and attempting to extend the U.S. military presence in the country, but the government is ocially urging U.S. troops to leave the Iraqi soil based on the bilateral security pact. Contd. on P. 15

Future belongs to our countries, Ahmadinejad tells China

Political Desk P r e s i d e n t
TEHRAN Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the future belongs to emerging countries like Iran and China. Today we should join hands and move in line with the progress of our nations because future belongs to our nations, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with He Guoqiang, a member of the standing committee of Chinas Communist Party. The meeting came on the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between Iran and China. The president also said a new chapter has been opened in Tehrans relations with Beijing. Today, after the passage of 40 years a new horizon has been opened in relations between the two countries and this will bring about positive changes to the benet of the two nations and other nations in the regions, Ahmadinejad noted. The president added Iran sees no limit in expanding ties with China and eorts should be made to increase international cooperation between the two countries. By eliminating hurdles Iran and China can achieve common goals including raising the level of their trade exchanges to 100 billion dollars per year, Ahmadinejad added. He also called for cooperation in energy and technical fields including space technology. He Guoqiang also said China has strategic view toward its relations with Tehran.

LATEST NEWS
Jordanians protest govt. brutality
Dozens of Jordanians protest the governments recent brutality against the journalists, who were trying to cover anti-regime rallies. The protesters, who consisted of journalists and human rights activists, staged a sit-in in the capital, Amman, on Sunday, Xinhua reported. They voiced outrage at the police brutality against scores of journalists during anti-government demonstrations on Friday. At least ten people were injured during the crackdown with witnesses saying that some of the assaulted journalists had suered bruises and fractures. The Jordan Press Association, who joined the expression of objection, said it would le lawsuits against those involved in the assault. Tareq Momani, the associations president said that the reporters were only doing their job. (Source: Press TV)

Tunisian police fire in air to disperse rioters

TUNIS (Reuters) Tunisian police red into the air to disperse rioters in the capital early on Sunday, and were attacked by crowds throwing petrol bombs in another city, in the most violent clashes yet involving Islamists. The rioting is the starkest sign to date of the friction between Tunisias secular establishment and Islamists who have been growing more assertive since the countrys autocratic leader was ousted in a revolution six months ago. Sundays violence was sparked by an incident on Friday when police, trying to break up an anti-government demonstration in the center of Tunis, red tear gas inside a mosque. In the Intilaka district in the west of Tunis, about 200 youths -- many of them with the beards typical of Islamists -- set re to a police station. Police responded by shooting into the air and using tear gas, while a police helicopter hovered over the district, according to a Reuters reporter who witnessed the clashes. The clashes continued until about 3:00 a.m. local time. People in the crowd chanted Allahu Akbar! or God is greatest! They also shouted You attacked Islam! and We are not afraid of your police! In the town of Menzel Bourguiba, about 70 km (45 miles) north of Tunis, four police ocers were wounded in clashes with rioters, a police source told Reuters. Terrible night Angry youths threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the police before heading to a police station to set it on re, said the police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It was a terrible night ... We dont know what caused it but it is clear that among them (the rioters) there were lots of people with beards, said the source. Tunisians overthrew autocratic leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in a revolution in January that electried the Arab world and inspired uprisings in Egypt and elsewhere. Since then the caretaker authorities, who say they are committed to dismantling Ben Alis repressive rule, have lifted a ban on Islamist parties and released hundreds of their followers from prison. But the Islamists resurgence has led to friction with the countrys establishment and some people, who believe the Islamists are becoming too powerful and could undermine the countrys secular values. Anti-government activists not linked to the Islamists called for further demonstrations for later on Sunday in Tunis, and the provincial cities of Gafsa and Gassrine. The secular opposition activists say the caretaker government has not made a clear break with Ben Alis rule and that it is back-tracking on commitments to build a democratic system. This is our opportunity to renew the revolution, wrote one person on a Facebook page used by opposition activists. It is time for the revolution to succeed.