Mehr Vision|No.7|January 2017 Point-Blank Shot at Peace Page 2 |No. 7| January 2017 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Contents Who benefits from assassination of Russian Ambassador? 3 Beyond assassination of Russian amb.; west implicated 5 Salafis, ISIL probably behind Karlov assassination 6 ISA real threat to JCPOA 8 US attempt to ‘bilateralize’ multilateral intl. accords doomed to failure 9 Israel ties not in favor of Azerbaijan Republic 12 Aoun presidency, another rebalancing step in region 13 Riyadh awarded UNHRC seat for bombing region 14 The devil’s advocates in region 16 Politics Article 99 of UN Charter and Ban Ki-Moon’s Beleaguered Legacy in ME 19 3 Persian Gulf islands inseparable parts of Iran 21 Pakistan seeking peaceful solution to Kashmir dispute 22 Media war most common Cold War tool to defeat enemies 25 Clear testament to Tehran-Moscow deep ties 27 Iran, China deepening military ties 28 Iran-ASEAN ties flourishing 30 New chapter of ties between Iran, Vietnam 31 Iran, Belgium ties at a new turning point 32 Tehran, Bangkok set for ‘New Page’ in ties 34 Slovenia after fostering ties with Iran 35 Tehran, Caracas eye boosted ties in future 37 Mehr Vision Achievement of Zarif’s Lebanon, east Europe tour 38 Iran Foreign Relations Iran Foreign Managing Director: Ali Asgari Iran expanding cooperation with emerging economies 40 Editorial Board: JCPOA serves Iran’s interest as oil supplier 43 Seyed Amir Hassan Dehghani, Mohammad Ghaderi, HamidReza JCPOA key for import of hybrid vehicles, reducing air pollution 44 Gholamzadeh Global oil giants return to Iran 46 Report: Germany’s Hermes in Iran 48 Editorial Coordinator: Saudi Arabia OPEC spoiler by reneging on vows 50 Marjohn Sheikhi Economy Corruption, cronyism and flawed supervision: banes of banking system 51 Contributors: Mina Ahmadi, Maryam Azish, Tehran Short filmfest. brings together diverse perspectives 54 Somayeh Khomarbaghi, Lachin Rezaian, Islamic music has still long way to go: Danish Muslim singer 56 Marjohn Sheikhi, Parnaz Talebi, Maryam Khormbaghi,Hossein Azari, ‘Lucerail’ seeks to evoke feelings not pose questions 58 Mohammad Ghaderi, Kamran Ghaderi Rayagada authorities flawed: Narges Kalbasi 59 Culture Azar, Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh, To celebrate Hafiz is to celebrate love, humanity 61 Samad Habibi, Javad Heirannia, Ali Kavoosi, Abbas Torabi, Peyman Yazdani, Mehdi Zolfaghari Prospects of IoT to transform modern life 63 Art Director: Mahboubeh Azizi US rigged system set Trump up for failure 66 Trump ‘to learn how Washington works with lobbies’ 69 Phone: +98-21-43051350 Email: [email protected] With wiser counsel, Trump’s views on Iran to temper for better ties 70 Trump cannot unilaterally renegotiate JCPOA 72 Address: No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Dossier Trump to offer Taipei to Beijing ‘on silver platter’ 73 Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran Mehr Vision welcomes contributions by News in Vision 74 readers which can be sent via email. Cover Story Page 3 |No. 7| January 2017 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Who benefits from assassination of Russian Ambassador? By: Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh Assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was a shock on Monday night the news of which went quickly viral on the web and social networks. The video of Officer Mevlut Mert -Al tintas who gunned down the ambassa- dor in cold blood and then began shout- ing out was extraordinarily confusing as the assailant was a special force supposed to protect the diplomat and now he was crying out for long seconds without anyone interrupting him. What people across the world were watching was totally different from any imagina- tion and previous instances of a terrorist attack; it was showing a shocking reality of him. When his country was about to The answer can be all the way around that in world of politics and in the vola- face a coup a few months ago, it was Iran in the United States and its allies who tile region of Middle East, you cannot and Russia who warned him and actually support so-called moderate fighters easily trust or believe whatever you see helped him to bring the coup to a failed against legitimate government of Assad. or whatever things seem out there. This, attempt. Yet he followed his insincere On Monday August 8, former CIA chief however, has always been the case about policy again and played a dangerous Michael Morell appeared on Charlie international politics, but the heinous game on Aleppo. Rose’s program where he made contro- assassination of a diplomat by a special After the failed coup attempt, Erdogan versial remarks. Here is the exact tran- force security officer was a blatant and began cleansing all entities and organiza- script of his words: brazen reminder of it. tions and detained or fired anyone con- Mike Morell: So you don’t want to de- Ankara and Moscow agreed to form nected in one way or the other to Gulen stroy those things, right. You don’t want an investigative committee to go after movement. Therefore, it can be said that to destroy those things. So here’s what I perpetrators of the assassination. The in- the security and military forces in Turkey, think you want to do. I think you want to quiries and inspections of the committee and particularly Special Forces, are all covertly, not openly but covertly, but you might shed more light on the event in fu- loyal to the ruling government and pres- certainly want them to know, you want ture; but for now it is better to review the ident which can lead to the conclusion to covertly tell the moderate opposition situation in the Middle East and between that the government has been behind that you’re supporting to go after -- this is the countries involved in Syria to have a this assassination. a big deal -- to go after the Russians and better image of it and find out whose in- Another way to interpret it is as one the Iranians who are on the ground. They terest are served with this act of terror. of Turkish officials said on Monday after got to pay a price for what they’re do- In fact, Turkish President Recep Tayyip the murder did, connecting him to Gulen ing. Just like we made the Russians pay a Erdogan must be the first person to take movement. But it would translate into price in Afghanistan for what they’re do- lessons from his turned-terrorist officer the bittering fact that despite all arrests ing. We have to make them pay a price. and reconsider whom to trust. It is no and expulsions and pressures, Gulen still We have to make them... secret anymore that Erdogan has taken has loyalists as close to the high-ranking Charlie Rose: By supporting the Mu- wrong stances on Syrian crisis in various officials as Mevlut Mert Altintas. The two jahedin. cases and that he has been trying to en- conclusions can be good reminders to Mike Morell: Yes. We have to make hance his own power in the country and Erdogan to still be careful in its domestic them to want to go home. We have to his country’s in region regardless of the politics which he has long tried to make make them want to have a deal, right, so other players and stakeholders. Once sid- as totalitarian as possible. that’s number one. ing with Arabs and US and once turning Yet Turkey and its president don’t Charlie Rose: Now, how do we do that? toward Russia and another time imped- seem to have any interests by killing Rus- Mike Morell: We ask the moderate ing peace process are changing policies sian ambassador to Ankara. opposition -- we give the moderate op- » Cover Story Page 4 |No. 7| January 2017 MEHR NEWSAGENCY position weapons. party documents to weaken them and sent. Will the public know it? Charlie Rose: What is it they want that help Trump win the elections in US. Just Joe Biden: Hope not. they don’t have? a couple of months after Morell, Vice It was in mid-October; only seven Mike Morell: You know, Dave Petrae- President Joe Biden talked to Meet The weeks before President Obama speak- us could tell you exactly what they want. Press to be asked about what Washing- ing to NPR on last Friday again turning to You know, I’m not a military guy. ton intends to do to respond to alleged retaliation to Russian alleged hackings. Charlie Rose: In Afghanistan, it was hackings by Russia. The US president said he is waiting for a military. Chuck Todd: Alright. Final question. final report he has ordered into a range Mike Morell: Right. But I’d give them When-- I talked with Ambassador, former of Russian hacking attacks, but promised the things that they need to both go after Russian Ambassador Mike McFaul. there would be a response. the Assad government, but also to have Joe Biden: Yeah. “I think there is no doubt that when the Iranians and the Russians pay a little Chuck Todd: And-- we talked about any foreign government tries to im- price. When we were in Iraq, the Iranians the idea that every once-- you, you got- pact the integrity of our elections … we were giving weapons to the Shi’a militia ta respond when you, when they’re need to take action,” Obama said. “And who were killing American soldiers, right. hacking. You gotta do something. He we will – at a time and place of our own The Iranians were making us pay a price. described it as a high hard one. Maybe choosing,” he said to the radio host and We need to make the Iranians pay a price just, you know, sort of like in baseball.