New Questions About How Obama Got Into Harvard

Sep. 25, 2012 5:00pm Mytheos Holt

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According to a newspaper column released in 1979 by Vernon Jarrett, father-in-law of Obama confidente Valerie Jarrett, President Barack Obama might owe his success to a very controversial benefactor.

Early Obama critics will remember the particularly bizarre case of Percy Sutton, a leading African-American Civil Rights leader and entrepreneur who, while being interviewed on a New York area news program, dropped something of a bomb. Specifically, Sutton claimed that then-candidate Obama had earned his admission to Harvard thanks to the intervention of a mysterious lawyer named Khalid al-Mansour, who Sutton fingered as working for one of the wealthiest men on earth. According to Sutton, Mansour had asked him to write a letter of recommendation for Obama, and was in the process of “raising money” for Obama, though what this money could be for, he didn’t specify.

Khalid Al-Mansour (Photo Credit: African Leadership Academy)

The story, coming as it did from the then-octogenarian Sutton, and lacking any other evidence to substantiate it, was dismissed by Politico’s Ben Smith in a lengthy piece around the same time. Mansour, for his part, studiously denied that he had ever met Obama, let alone that he had interceded on his behalf at Harvard, or that he had raised money for Obama. Considering that Obama graduated with over $40,000 in student debt, the “raising money” accusation was dismissed, and with it, the rest of the story. Subsequent information after the death of Sutton that revealed that he had suffered from dementia seemed to drive a stake through the heart of the story.

Which is a good thing for Obama, considering that if the connection had existed, it could have easily done permanent damage to his campaign. Why? Because along with his position advising Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulazziz, the former Black Panther al-Mansour (originally known as Donald Warden) has made some public statements which, if linked to Obama, would have devastating repercussions. Here is al-Mansour talking about Jews:

And here he is discussing Christianity:

Needless to say, it was fortunate in the extreme for Obama that there was no “there” there.

But now, thanks to some unexpected information, the story is back in the news, and this time, Mansour’s disavowals may be less easy to take. Reporter Frank Miele of Montana’s Daily InterLake newspaper unearthed the following 1979-era newspaper column by Jarrett discussing a plan by several influential African-American businessmen with ties to the Arab world to funnel their cash toward promising young African-American students. Among those businessmen was Mansour himself.

The hitch? Mansour himself is quoted in the article. “The first indications of Arab help to American blacks may be announced in December,” he is quoted as saying.

Now, as this column was written 9 years before Obama’s admission to Harvard Law School, it’s scarcely demonstrative proof of any involvement by Mansour with Obama’s education, if indeed such involvement ever occurred.

However, the reaction of Mansour himself to the revelation of the column, as recorded by Ben Smith, may spark more suspicion than his original inclusion:

Jarrett writes that Mansour approached Ortiz with “a proposed special aid program.” Mansour is quoted saying, “The idea was fully endorsed by Ortiz and other OPEC administrators.”

Mansour, who lives in San Antonio, said the story was “definitely not true.”

“It’s not true, it’s not accurate,” Mansour said. He said that he had represented OPEC in a lawsuit in Los Angeles, but that this was the extent of his involvement with the organization.

As for the column, “I’ve never heard of it. I have no idea what the motivation of Mr. Jarrett was.”

Mansour said that he “absolutely not” had had anything to do with Obama’s education.

Now, in order for Mansour’s denial to be true, Jarrett would have had to make up his direct quote out of whole cloth. Given Jarrett’s status as a columnist and community leader, this may strike many as unlikely, which raises the question of whether there really is something Mansour is hiding, and if so, why he’s hiding it. Is he simply seeking to terminate all references to a connection that didn’t exist, however distant those references might be?

And if so, then why is Mansour allowing other outlets to include his connection to Obama in his biography, as though that connection is settled fact? That’s certainly the case in this press release from the Jamaican University of Technology (emphasis added):

Renowned global speaker, Muslim Lawyer, black nationalist and author, Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al-Mansour is scheduled to deliver the UTech Distinguished Lecture on Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 5:30 pm at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel. He will speak on the intriguing topic: “World Opportunities for Wealthcreation – WOW!”

Al-Mansour who made news in 2008 when it was revealed that he had  been a patron of Barack Obama and had recommended him for admission to Harvard Law School in 1998, is co-founder of the International law firm of Al-Waleed, Al-Talal and Al-Mansour and Special Advisor to Saudi Arabian Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulazziz.

Al-Mansour has delivered lectures across the globe on issues related to globalization; international economics in the 21^st century; Islamic economics; The Caribbean and Latin America in Transition and Peace in the Middle East.  He holds several professional and board memberships on various international electronic, housing, banking and financial companies and has received a number of prestigious honors and citations including “Who’s Who in the World (National Social Register, USA), Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in the West, International Who’s Who of the Arab World and World’s Who in Finance and Industry.

TheBlaze reached out to the Jamaican University of Technology about this press release to find out whether Mansour had okayed the language. No response has been forthcoming, so it’s possible that Mansour was unaware of this descriptor. However, virtually the same language was used to introduce Mansour when he appeared on the National and International Roundtable Podcast. Listen below:

Mansour’s bio, as used on the show:

Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al-Mansour who made news in 2008 when it was revealed that he had been a patron of Barack Obama and had recommended him for admission to Harvard Law School in 1998, is co-founder of the International law firm of Al-Waleed, Al-Talal and Al-Mansour and Special Advisor to Saudi Arabian Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulazziz.

Now, Mansour does not appear to have been on the air when this bio was read, but presumably could have asked that the part about Obama be edited out. The wording is also ambiguous – it “was revealed” that he was a patron of Obama’s, but at no point does the host say that this is necessarily true, simply that the press “revealed” it. It is also possible that Mansour is using this supposed “revelation” to heighten his own profile, while knowing perfectly well that it’s not true, and denying it whenever the question gets raised seriously.

In any case, regardless of whether Mansour himself was one of Obama’s “patrons,” his inconsistent approach to information linking him to the President raises questions.

Egypt issued arrest warrants for the American pastor Terry Jones and seven Copts

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Pastor Terry Jones

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• Sentenced to an Egyptian Coptic insulted Islam and Morsi
• Pastor Terry Jones and Morris Sadek on the watch lists for Egypt
• Germany refuses to enter Terry Jones and Paris because of the movie pretending to prevent offending

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09/18/2012

Attorney General issued in Egypt Tuesday issued arrest warrants for seven Egyptian Copts, in addition to the American pastor in Florida Terry Jones, and referred them to trial in connection with the anti-Islam film that sparked violent protests in several Muslim countries.

The issue remains largely symbolic because the eight defendants, including one woman, believed to be outside Egypt is not likely to be heading to face the charges. But it seems that the aim of the Attorney General step is the absorption of some of the popular anger at least, raised by the film.

In addition to Pastor Jones, was issued the arrest warrant against Nicholas Basile, Nicholas man who is believed to be the owner of the film "innocence of Muslims" and that he was interrogated by federal authorities in California Saturday before heading for he and his family to an undisclosed location, as well as Morris Sadek, a Coptic governor residing in the United States . While not immediately identify the relationship of the other defendants.

It is noteworthy that Pastor Jones had aroused the attention of the world when it was announced in July 2010 on social sites intention to commemorate the attacks on the United States on September 11 / September 2001 by organizing what he called "International Day for the burning of the Koran." Despite the appeal of the U.S. government to abandon the idea Jones, at the time led to his violent demonstrations in a number of Muslim countries.

Pastor Jones: I realize that the film insulting

In an interview with Cecilie Hillary from the radio "Voice of America" ​​spoke Pastor the U.S. for his role in the dissemination of the film, which he considered Muslims as offensive to their religion went out hundreds of them in demonstrations punctuated by violence in several countries aimed at building American embassies and Western or even American schools have been vandalized or looted property.

In response to a question about his relationship with the film, said that "the film's director is contact us several weeks ago, he wanted to visit us here in Gainesville (Florida) to show us the film, he wanted to promote the film and give our consent it, for he wants to get our full support for the film. "

He added that the person "who is known as Sam Basil is certainly not his real name," spoke to him several times and sent him a copy of the "innocence of Muslims" to see them.

He said he did not reveal his name or his identity for fear of his life, adding, "I realize that inevitably feel scared and he's hiding somewhere, has said that the only people who talk to them or trust them and who receives phone calls from them, we are."

In response to a question about the reason for not responding to the appeals of a number of senior military and political officials including the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) David Petraeus, and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and even President Barack Obama himself, to cancel his plans to burn the Koran and other similar activities, he said, "I did not ignore them completely, I received a phone call from (chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) General (Martin) Dempsey, who asked me not to show the film, I told him we we will preface (trailer), inevitably I'll look at that demand."

When asked Jones for remarks in which he said that the film is not intended to insult Muslims, said he was "aware that the movie insults Muslims," ​​and he did not do "only a repetition of what was asked to Product saying about that particular point," but he said: "I totally agree on that The film, in my opinion, outrageous, without a doubt. "

As for the possibility of re-examining what calls it, in light of the fall of the victims of the Americans, said the pastor's controversial "I understand that all of these things (the loss of American lives) tragic, and of course agree with that a hundred percent, as well as the killing of U.S. Ambassador .. It is terrible and we to feel very angry because it offended us directly. "

He Reverend regret to the family of the U.S. ambassador in Libya late Cristafr Stevens and three Americans who were killed with him in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and said, "I am very very sorry for what happened, sorry because Islam again, use whatever excuse to promote violence."

Egyptian law and contempt of religions

For his part, said Dr. Ayman Salama Professor of International Law and a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Relations, The Code of Criminal Procedure Egyptian stipulates that any Egyptian, even if it is outside the region, threatening the peace, security and inciting subversion and contempt of religion, must be brought in front of the Egyptian judiciary to conduct the trial, It also may not be tried in absentia.

He added safety in an interview with "Radio Sawa" that the Attorney General also issued a request to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) request including the issuance of red notices "and are the most notes different that can be issued by Interpol, to arrest those in the United States and handed over to the Egyptian authorities ".

Terms posting comments on the site: commitment to the virtue of dialogue and etiquette of debate and do not use words profanity, racism and considered as abrasion of modesty and stop human dignity and stay away from incitement to violence or hatred. Ideas expressed in the comments reflect those of the authors only and not the opinion of "Network Middle East to send" for the text full terms please visit the page rules and policies to comment on the site

Read more: http://www.alhurra.com/content/egypt-arrest-terry-jones-american-coptic/211947.html#ixzz2lgsRhTsj

Post titleKEEP WORRY IN OBAMA YOUR TIME FOR JAIL IS COME IN SOON

After the arrest of the leaders of each "group" .. U.S. newspaper: Obama administration overestimated the strength of "Brotherhood" in Egypt

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1-11-2013 | 23:20

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Magazine said "Komentara" The U.S. administration of President Barack Obama risked relations with the United States the largest Arab country when it overestimated the strength of the "Brotherhood" in Egypt.

And re-mind - in a comment on its website entitled "defeat the Brotherhood is not impossible - to last summer, when the intervention of the army in Egypt to resolve the conflict between the demonstrations strength of tens of millions of citizens on one side, and the Government of the" Brotherhood "from the other side, in the words of magazine.

And spotted a magazine warning critics of this intervention and the time for the leaders of the army of the consequences of the exclusion of the Islamic Party from the government, and monitored as well as calls to cut off U.S. aid to Egypt as punishment for the Army, who was sacked Morsi, and warnings that any attempt to get rid of the "Brotherhood" rather than invited to participate in the next government will backfire, it has re-organization "Brotherhood" secret work quickly and then it would be impossible to eliminate him.

They pointed to the magazine that they were the owners of this opinion warn that Islamists would then be content with once the presence, but will work to change the identity of Egypt to be a second Algeria, where Islamists reject army dispute his authority in which Sagerv the country into a spiral of bloody conflict.

But after three months of these predictions and warnings, turned out to be exaggerated, according to "Komentara" that drew to enable the authorities in Egypt to arrest all the leaders of the group almost arresting Essam el-Erian on Wednesday, and suggested the magazine to be the Egyptian army satisfied after the arrest of another symbols of the group - which was seeking to extend its influence to Egypt - without much resistance from the part, despite the existing capacities are confidential.

The magazine said the U.S. there are two things that can conclusion is making progress, the first error of those who have long warned that the group "Brotherhood" is impossible to defeat .. Adding that if the conflict is not settled yet, and if the group was not uttered after the last breath, but it has become clear, at least at the moment - that the Brotherhood does not have the makings of force to threaten the army.

The magazine asserted that if democracy is not among the options currently on the scene in Egypt, but the state did not slip in contrast to the chaos, as well as the quagmire of civil war.

The second thing that is my understanding, the magazine that the group "Brotherhood" unpopular had suspected leaders of a number of Americans, including, unfortunately, many in the administration of President Obama.

But what happened to the opinion of the magazine that during the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 if not then entity in Egypt comparable to the group "Brotherhood" in the organization, which reported him as well as her friends in Turkey and the Gaza Strip, which has strengthened its forces and its people to win the election that followed against the secular parties or Liberal Nada were not equivalent to the group.

It seems that the year in which the group spent in power, and its work in public after the password for the first time in its history, has weakened their forces so that it no longer able to impose a threat against the new regime, which came on the ruins of its system in Egypt.

The magazine added to these reasons, the progress made by the group during its rule of the enmity of tens of millions of ordinary Egyptians who came out to protest against the policies of their leaders in the management of the country.

She said that the group attempts to use the progress made by the authority to change the identity of Egypt, and to ensure that they will not be confronted, raised the ire of the Egyptian public opinion against it.

On the U.S., the magazine confirmed the miscalculation of America on the largest Arab countries, warning of the consequences of Egypt out of orbit American astronomer.

Morsi detention in a building belonging to the army and Obama calls to speed up the election of a civilian government

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Members of the military police in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court in Cairo, archives

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03/07/2013 22:40 Last Updated

Chancellor led Adli Mansour head of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt on Thursday sworn in before the court to be president for a transitional Egypt the day after the dismissal of the army of President Mohamed Morsi.

Mansour stressed in a speech after taking the oath on the need "not to come back to worship an idol nor an idol nor president ... and I would not leave the field until all the rebels renewed the spirit of the revolution in the future days."

Mansour considered that "what has been the greatest in the thirtieth of June is to unite the Egyptian people under one banner," calling at the same time that "the renewed spirit of the field in the hearts of all Egyptians"

Mansour said, "We look forward to parliamentary elections popular will is a fake."

This comes the day after the Egyptian army, the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Morsi belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood movement and Morsi described as a coup against the legitimate while he considered the army to implement the will of the people.

Morsi arrest

He was a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood has announced that Morsi was arrested on Wednesday evening with his team in a building belonging to the army.

The official said the Muslim Brotherhood Jihad Haddad told AFP that Mursi and all the presidential team are in the club house arrest in the Republican Guard, adding that his father, who is considered the right hand of Mercy is also detained.

The newspaper Al-Ahram Egyptian government in its edition of Thursday that Egyptian security forces ordered the arrest of 300 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which belongs to the ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

An official at the Ministry of the Interior that the search is on for "members of the Muslim Brotherhood," after the issuance of arrest warrants against them, but did not give further details.

The Egyptian security source announced that security forces arrested on Wednesday night, President of the Freedom and Justice Party (Muslim Brotherhood) Saad Katatni and deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Rashad Bayoumi.

The army ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim and announced the president takes the Supreme Constitutional Court to temporarily run the country until the holding of early presidential elections that sparked euphoria among the hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gathered in the streets.

Obama calls to speed up the election of the new civilian government

For his part, called on President Barack Obama to make quick elections for a new civilian government in Egypt, expressing "deep concern", hours after the military overthrow of dictator Mohamed Morsi.

Obama announced that he would ask the relevant ministries and agencies studied the "consequences" of legitimacy to the new situation for the U.S. aid to be paid annually to Egypt, which under U.S. law can not be paid to the country was a military coup. The Egyptian army, which had close ties with the Pentagon, the amount of 1.3 billion dollars this year.

Obama said in a statement after a meeting with Mscar in the White House National Security "I now call on the military government to return all the Egyptian authorities to quickly and responsibly to a democratically elected civilian government through a process of open and transparent."

"During this period, the anxious, ask the army to ensure that protection is available for all Egyptians and Egyptian especially the right to assemble peacefully and the right to fair trial and independent civilian courts" and called on "all parties to avoid violence and to circumvent in order to return permanently to democracy in Egypt."

He explained that "the United States continues to believe strongly that the best base for lasting stability in Egypt is based on a democratic political system and the participation of all segments of political parties."

U.S. law prohibits aid to the country was a military coup

This has warned the head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey Wednesday the Egyptian army of the consequences if they are considered isolated for President Mohamed Morsi, a coup d'etat.

Dempsey told CNN. Said. Said, "It's their country anyway, and they will find their way., But there will be consequences if mishandled it .. there are laws that govern how we deal with these types of situations."

According to Dempsey's remarks to the laws that bind the United States to cut off aid when being the overthrow of a democratically elected government by coup or decree.

Amr Moussa: now begin negotiations on forming a new government

For his part, Moussa said one of the opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted on Wednesday that consultations on the formation of a new government in Egypt to start now.

Moussa said in remarks to reporters Wednesday night that the consultations began to implement the plan, announced by Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fattah As according to which "the suspension of work by the constitution" and "the formation of a committee to review the proposed constitutional amendments" and form a government of "national competencies strong and capable of enjoying all powers to manage the current stage. "

Egyptian army singles Mursi and announce early presidential elections

For the second time in less than two and half years, succeeded Tahrir Square and crowds of demonstrators in the fields of Cairo and other Egyptian cities to change the political landscape.

Despite the presence of supporters in other fields of President Mohamed Morsi, who became the former now, it has announced the Egyptian army through a televised message seen by the whole world to end the rule of Mercy, and the disruption of the constitution and the prime Supreme Constitutional Court to take over management of the country, and work on forming a technocrat government until parliamentary elections and presidential elections.

View the speech and Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who declared that Morsi is no longer president of Egypt:



Egyptian fields responded to the announcement by the Minister of Defense to launch fireworks and the launch of a festive atmosphere noisy borne global TV screens directly, but on the other hand covered the grief and feelings of frustration and rejection Almaadah fields of Mercy.

He also accused the leading figures in the Muslim Brotherhood army to carry out a military coup on the "legitimacy enjoyed by Morsi democratically elected president."

View the video of Mohammed Mursi, a reply to the army's decision disqualified from power:


Mercy is no longer president of Egypt

Said Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a statement read on Wednesday evening that Mohamed Morsi is no longer president, announcing the suspension of a temporary constitution and the appointment of the President of the Supreme Court as interim president of the country.

Sisi added in a televised speech that the military leaders reached an agreement with opposition leaders and clerics ensures "building a strong Egyptian society does not exclude anyone from the people of the country."

He pointed out that the agreement includes a suspension of work on a temporary basis by the constitution and the holding of presidential elections, will take over as head of the Supreme Court president, in addition to the formation of a higher committee for national reconciliation credible.

He also appealed to Egyptians Sisi commitment Bslmah demonstrations and renounce violence.

Was attended by representative of the opposition, Mohamed ElBaradei, and Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb and Coptic Pope Twadharos announcement "map of the future" that have been agreed with the army after the expiry of the deadline given by President Mohamed Morsi, "to achieve the demands of the people."

This bunch of tweets that came as replies directly act on the army to isolate Mursi and disable the constitution:

Mixed reactions

Responses varied Alaval internal Egyptian and international at the fact that the Egyptian army to isolate Morsi. The first reaction has been issued for Morsi same description as the actions taken by the military coup, and said in a tweet on his account on the official site Twitter that "military action is rejected by a complete reversal of all the free Egyptians."

But the Secretary-General of the Salafi Nour Party time Jalal said in a press statement that his party supported the decisions of the army "which was compelled to stop the bloodshed Egyptian."

While expressing opposition Liberal Mohamed ElBaradei hoped to be a road map unveiled by the army, "a new start for the January 25 revolution in January 2011," and added that "the plan that ousted Mohamed Morsi met the basic demands of the people to conduct early presidential elections."

In the United States, has been the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives Ed Royce expressed the hope that "opens the departure of Morsi from power the door to a better future for Egypt," calling on the army and the Egyptian political forces for dialogue in order to "build democratic institutions and elections in a peaceful manner" .

The official described the U.S. isolated Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, that he was "an obstacle in the way of a constitutional democracy that wants to achieve all Egyptians," and accused him that he was "trying to hold on to power for the benefit of the Muslim Brotherhood."

Agreement on early elections (18:29 GMT)

The plan includes a short transition period, followed by presidential elections, reported the Middle East News Agency official. The army said it would announce details of the "map" at 9:30 GMT.

The Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a meeting lasted for several hours with ElBaradei and the good and the second Twadharos to discuss "the future of the map" political army said it will be announced after the end of the deadline set by the Mursi.

Morsi and prevent a number of leaders of the Brotherhood of travel and the army deployed in the streets (17:36 GMT)

A security source said the authorities had issued a decree banning President Mohamed Morsi, and some of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood from traveling abroad.

The Associated Press quoted the French source said that "all of the defendants in the case to escape from the prison of Wadi Natrun in 2011, including President Mohamed Morsi, and a number of leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were put on lists of people banned from traveling by decision of a senior security".

The resolution also includes a general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie, his deputy Khairat Al-Shater and leaders Essam el-Erian, Mohamed El-Beltagy.

Hundreds of thousands in Tahrir

Hundreds of thousands continued to rally in Tahrir Square in central Cairo awaiting a statement due to be issued by the General Command of the Egyptian armed forces after meetings with Egyptian leaders.

This live broadcast from the site of the event in Tahrir Square:



Heavy deployment of army

Meanwhile, severe tension on the situation in the country, while the army is deployed in a number of streets of Egyptian cities.

And a number of Twitter users pictures show the movements of the army in Cairo and its environs:

The army forces re-deploy its forces in Cairo protests, especially in places. The news agency quoted the Middle East, a military source as saying that "forces deployed heavily in the fields of editing and Federal Palace (presidential) in Heliopolis and fourth field Adawiya in Nasr City and Renaissance Square near the University of Cairo."

The source added that "the goal is to achieve the maximum insurance for the demonstrators in this critical stage of the political history of Egypt."

And showed a video posted on YouTube military personnel deployed near Cairo University:


Said Essam Haddad adviser to President Mohamed Morsi Wednesday that "what is happening now is a military coup."

The mourning on his account in Facebook "for Egypt and for the historical truth Let's call what is happening now by his real name: he was a military coup."

The mourning "At the moment I write these lines, I am well aware that it may be the last time where I could write on this page."

U.S. concern

She and the U.S. State Department expressed deep concern about the developments in Egypt, and called on President Mohamed Morsi to seek to respond to the concerns of the Egyptian people.

The ministry said in a statement issued Wednesday that a peaceful political solution is the best choice in Egypt.

Mercy continues to defy the army amid concern and anticipation in Egypt (15:30 GMT)

Continued Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, challenge the armed forces, warning that "it is wrong aligned to any party in the street", and minutes after the end of the deadline set by the army for political opponents to reach a solution to the deepening crisis.

Mursi said in a statement published in the presidential calculated on Facebook that "the roadmap out of the crisis should be based on legitimacy," stressing that "the scenario that some are trying to impose is rejected by the people."

Morsi stressed again that "exceeded the constitutional legitimacy of democratic practice threatens to deviate from the right track and threatens the freedom of expression experienced by Egypt after the revolution," stressing that "legitimacy is the only guarantor of stability and resistance to violence and thuggery and lawlessness."

"The vision of the presidency to such procedures stems from the formation of a coalition government compromise runs the upcoming parliamentary elections, and the formation of an independent committee for constitutional amendments to be presented to parliament next."

He added that the presidency carries the bulk of the responsibility for a number of political parties that have already boycotted all calls for dialogue and consensus and the last of the initiative, which covers everything demanded by the street diversity and prevent being sucked the country into a scenario strife politician who does not wish for any Egyptian to his homeland lover.

He said that "in order to spare the lives of the Egyptians, calling for presidential and national political forces all to convey to the national interest above all other interests."
He concluded by saying that "from the mistakes that can not be accepted - As the president of all Egyptians - are to be aligned to the party or the reduction of the scene in one party as fairness requires listening to the voice of the masses in all fields."

Encounters of the Army

This comes as a spokesman for the Egyptian armed forces to military leaders held meetings with "political forces" in Egypt and will issue a statement after its end, which increased state of anxiety and suspense, which controls the Egyptian street, which is still divided between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi.

The agency said the French press that the Minister of Defense and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Gen. Abdel Fattah meetings with each of Mohamed ElBaradei spokesman for the Egyptian opposition and Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb and Coptic Pope Twadharos second and representatives of the party of freedom and justice light the Salafi movement and rebellion.

The agency quoted a military source unnamed that the meeting will discuss the "road map" that will be announced by the army after the 48-hour deadline given by President Mohamed Morsi to achieve "the people's demands."

The agency said, quoting a source close to the army that the senior leaders in the Egyptian armed forces as well as holding a crisis meeting after he refused to President Mohamed Morsi, the deadline set by the army to intervene to resolve the current crisis.

The meeting comes before the expiry of the deadline set by the president of the Egyptian army at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon local time (14:30 GMT), "to meet the demands of the people" who descended millions Sunday to demand the departure of Mercy or it will be forced to intervene.

He was addicted to the official page of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on the social networking site Facebook has quoted Sisi that "Ashraf us to die from that terrorizes or threatens the Egyptian people, and swear to God that Naftda Egypt and its people, our blood against all terrorist or extremist or ignorant."

He Aladinm under the title last hours, "Long live Egypt and its people lived proud."

"Map of the future," the army

This comes while the newspaper Al-Ahram government on its website Wednesday that she "map of the future," announced the statement of the General Command of the Armed Forces, two days before, including the formation of a presidential council headed by the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court and the abolition of the constitution, and the formation of an interim government headed by one of the military leaders.

And exited the newspaper headline prominent red line "Today's dismissal or resignation," in referring to the fate of the Egyptian president, who finished in fourth and a half this afternoon deadline given to him by the army to intervene in the political life if the people's demands are not met.

The newspaper said that with the end of the 48-hour deadline set by the armed forces, it is expected one of two things, "either the President has announced his resignation announcement by himself or through his dismissal from the future map set by the armed forces."

The newspaper said that the future map includes four key points in the first of the next phase of transition, "the abolition of the constitution controversial and commissioning specialists a new constitution," taken the consent of Al-Azhar before the referendum, noting that "the demands of the spectra of different people will be placed in the account."

Includes a map, according to the newspaper, the formation of a presidential council of three members headed by Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional and two membership is not determined yet, which is demanded by the Egyptian opposition in the heart of them rebel movement, which called for Egyptians to recent mass demonstrations before.

The Presidential Council and the administration of the country during the transitional period ranging from 9 months to a year.

As for the government, the map include the formation of an interim government, the newspaper said it did not belong to any political currents headed by a military commander during the transitional period.

Include a road map to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections to be decided by the new constitution, whichever is first.

The newspaper said it throughout the transition period, the army will supervise the implementation of procedures to ensure complete impartiality.

The newspaper quoted its source that it will deal firmly with all those who resist these decisions, and put him under house arrest, in preparation for submission to the courts may be revolutionary.

She added that "the map of the future," preceded by full insurance of the country's armed forces everywhere, noting that all actors in the Muslim Brotherhood has become under the control of where they were a number of their leaders under house arrest, and resolutions were passed to prevent a large number of members of the group and its political arm Freedom and Justice Party of travel, as was the imposition of receivership funds to the group, she said.

The newspaper reported that the security forces have launched raids on the positions of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party, while the monitoring of all the sites that they contain weapons and ammunition.

Egyptian military source denies

In contrast, Reuters news agency quoted a military source as denying to the Egyptian Al-Ahram published on the details of political road map will oversee the implementation of the armed forces if all parties failed Wednesday to find a solution to the political crisis plaguing the country.

The source said he expected to be the next step to invite political figures and social and economic for a dialogue on the road map.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in Egypt (junta) has assumed the leadership of the transitional phase that followed the fall of the Mubarak regime in February 2011.

Dead after an attack on a demonstration in favor of Morsi

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health reported 16 deaths of the Egyptian people and injuring nearly 200 in an attack on a demonstration in support of the president of Mercy in the surrounding area at Cairo University in Giza Governorate, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A security source told AFP that "unknown protesters attacked the Islamists using firearms."

The attack came a few hours after the Egyptian president's speech in which he declared that he would stay in power, saying that "there is no substitute for the legitimacy", thus rejecting the demands brought by the continuing massive demonstrations in the streets of Egypt.

He warned Morsi, which entered its second year in power since the days of "bloodshed" If you do not respect this legitimacy.

Mursi said in a televised speech on Tuesday evening, "will keep the legitimacy of my life and without it I personally," adding, "If the price of maintaining the legitimacy my blood, I am ready to flesh."

He stressed that "legitimacy is the only guarantee for not bloodshed" and "the only guarantee for not committing violence and miss the opportunity to remnants of the former regime and the counter-revolution, which want to come back again."

Morsi warned that "violence and bloodshed trap if we signed it will not end."



"Rebellion" accuses Mercy "threatening people"

In a swift reaction to the speech Morsi accused him of rebellion as "threatened his people" after the word which he said that the alternative to respect the legitimacy "is bloodshed."

The leader of the rebellion Mohamed Abdel Aziz in a statement to the "Cairo and the people," the Egyptian private, "the head of threatening people," adding, "We consider that it is no longer president," to Egypt.

It is noteworthy that the rebellion had been launched to call for demonstrations Sunday in which millions and announced that it collected 22 million to sign the form demanding the withdrawal of confidence from the Egyptian president and presidential elections early. referendum on early presidential elections in Egypt In a striking development, said a member of the Islamic group Tariq Zomor the group allied with President Mohamed Morsi, you want to call a referendum on the conduct of early presidential elections to prevent bloodshed and to avoid a military coup. added that Morsi "can avoid this coup if he decides a referendum on early presidential elections because this would be in accordance with the Constitution and not according to the will of the armed forces" . said that "there are many parties messing with the security of Egypt and want to take advantage of the moment to blow sectarian conflicts and civil wars." was Zomor said "Radio Sawa" The armed forces have already begun a second phase transition.

Read more: http://www.alhurra.com/content/egypt-political-unrest-military-/226649.html#ixzz2lgoxxd4I

Obama arrested in Sayeda Zeinab!

Obama arrested in Sayeda Zeinab!

Fouad hopes

Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 - 17:19

Mohammed Talal decided prosecutor Sayeda Zeinab, headed by Abu Barakat Shaly chief prosecutor imprisonment each of the two registered risk someone of his fame, "Obama" and the other (p. M.) 4 days pending investigations on charges of possession of firearms and use them in the theft of a white passers-by duress.
The investigation revealed the prosecution for Section has received a communication from Mohammed. G. M. vendor that during the passing street by two unidentified infringement upon Hdodh weapon and they seized the sum of money estimated 9000 pounds and his mobile phone and they bolted him and wounded wound stab thigh and fled Harbin, but the people were able to the arrest of the accused is released report on the incident number 5217 and referred to the Prosecutor's Office, which issued its decision Advanced.

Saudi Arabia funds “Army of Islam” in Syria

November 20, 2013 Syrian rebel groups have been jockeying for further foreign funding by realigning their coalitions to meet objectives of their state sponsors.  An allegedly “moderate Islamist” group of Sunni brigades has formed to serve as Saudi Arabia’s rebel proxy fighting force.  It calls itself the Army of Islam, and its goal is to field 100,000 troops before next spring’s fighting season.
What follows is an excerpt from a longer analysis by ISN Security Watch appearing at OilPrice.com, a CNBC partner website (with a tip of the hat to “Peacelover” for sending this over to us) with details on this development:

Buying a Ready-Made Rebel Army

The prospect of building a rebel army outside Syria is poor. The only practical way to build one is to amalgamate and sponsor existing armed groups inside Syria—but that too is becoming more difficult as rebel alliances shift and proliferate.
Many of Syria’s rebel groups are positioning themselves to receive Saudi funding and weapons by declaring mergers and alliances. In fact, competition for external funding has long been a powerful driver of organizational dynamics within Syria’s armed rebellion. Not all of that support comes from government sources. It is already customary for private donors in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates to sponsor rebel groups of their choice, most often Salafists or jihadists, as the Facebook pages of these forces proudly attest.
Most prominent among the new groups receiving Saudi government funding is the Army of Islam, formed on September 29. It was founded by 43 rebel brigades and battalions in the Damascus region under the leadership of Zahran Alloush, commander of the local Islam Brigade (the backbone of the Army of Islam) and secretary general of the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front. Although the Army of Islam denied press reports of Saudi sponsorship, its stated aim of “uniting the efforts of all factions . . . and forming an official army” coincided precisely with the Saudi objective.
The formation of the Army of Islam closely followed the publication by the association of Muslim ulema in Syria of a proposal to unite Islamist rebel groups under a single Army of Muhammad, with a stated target of building up to a strength of 100,000 by March 2015 and 250,000 by March 2016. Although such an army would espouse a centrist and nonsectarian ideology, according to the proposal’s authors, it would nonetheless follow “the path of the Sunnah and Jama’ah,” unambiguously declaring its Sunni affiliation. Since then, the Army of Islam has discussed forming the all-encompassing Army of Muhammad with the “moderate Islamist” Tawhid and Suqour al-Sham Brigades…

h1 Iran sanctions eased without compensating its terror victims November 25, 2013 A deal has been reached to lift—according to different estimates—7, 8, or 20+ billion USD in sanctions against Iran in return for modest concessions on Iranian nuclear development. A portion of the billions of dollars in sanctions relief could have been earmarked to compensate the victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism instead of letting Tehran spend it as it pleases. If only the P5+1 had been willing to listen to one of the lawyers representing Iran’s victims: Iran Owes Terror Victims Billions of Dollars, Says Activist Lawyer The US talks with Iran about easing sanctions, but an Israeli activist lawyer says Obama overlooks the fact that Tehran owes American terror victims billions of dollars. By: Tzvi Ben-Gedalyahu Published: November 20th, 2013 Israeli activist lawyer Nitzana Darshan-Leitner: The US should make Iran pay off its debts to American relatives of terror victims before easing sanctions. An Israeli lawyer who has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims has asked Obama administration officials why they are discussing letting Iran off the hook on sanctions while it owes American relatives colossal sums of money. Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the Israel Law Center, has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims in lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organization as well as banks and other agencies that aid terrorists or act as a pipeline for funds for them. She wrote Under Secretary Wendy Sherman last month, “Iran must not be allowed under any circumstances to avoid making payment of reparations and due compensations to the families of those whose lives they have destroyed through terrorism…and through the terror organizations it supports: Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.” In a blog posted this past week on The Hill website based in Washington, Darshan-Leitner noted that Sherman did not respond, and she added, “As a result of lawsuits taken by American victims of terror in U.S. courts, the Iranian regime currently owes billions of dollars from decades of terrorist activity resulting in dozens of victims and severed families. This debt has yet to be recognized or paid by the Iranian government with no sign of an intention to do so.” She called on Congress to ensure that the U.S. government is working to keep the interests of the terror victims’ families on the table. Darshan-Leitner pointed out that when George W. Bush was President, he conditioned repealing of any sanctions against Libya on payment of reparations to the victims of Libyan terror. “This move resulted in the payment of $1.5 billion dollars to the victims’ families,” she wrote… Posted in Columns, essays, & pure opinion | Tagged Iran, sanctions | Leave a Comment » h1 Haqqani financier with deep Gulf ties killed November 24, 2013 The chief money man behind the Haqqani network, Nasiruddin Haqqani, has been shot dead. He has been under U.S. sanctions since 2010; at the time the Treasury Department said, “From at least 2005 to 2009, Nasiruddin Haqqani collected funds for the Haqqani Network, including during a 2008 fundraising trip to a Gulf state and during regular travel to the (UAE) in 2007. As of mid-2007, Haqqani reportedly received funding from ­donations from the Gulf region, drug trafficking, and payments from al-Qa’ida. In 2004, he traveled to Saudi Arabia with a Taliban associate to raise funds for the Taliban.” Nasiruddin Haqqani used to live next door to the headquarters of ISI, the Pakistani spy agency, with whom he collaborated. The BBC reports: … As the group’s main fundraiser, Nasiruddin frequently travelled to the oil-rich sheikhdoms of the Middle East to solicit donations. He represented the Haqqani network in last year’s efforts to set up a Taliban office in Doha for peace talks with the United States. He was also the group’s main contact person for pro-Taliban elements in Pakistan, as well as its representative with the Afghan Taliban. ‘Well-dressed networker’ Unlike his father and many of his brothers, Nasiruddin Haqqani and two of his uncles did not live in Miran Shah in North Waziristan. He chose to base himself near Islamabad, from where he made his many journeys abroad to secure funds. Some sources said he had major business interests in the Gulf, including a transport company. Nasiruddin is not thought to have been publicly photographed. Those who have met him describe a tall, educated, well-dressed man who travelled in expensive cars and networked an extensive list of contacts all the time. They say his appearance gave no clue to his militant connections. His code name was “the doctor”, possibly because of a degree that he had studied for. His death will be a major blow to the Haqqanis, who will need to find someone else to spearhead their efforts to secure financing… Shouldn’t be too hard for the ISI to anoint somebody else. Posted in News commentary | Tagged Haqqani network, ISI, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Taliban, terrorist financing, UAE | 1 Comment » h1 Bitcoin helps Iranian business evade sanctions November 22, 2013 U.S. president on Iranian sanctions Another loophole has materialized in Pres. Obama’s “toughest sanctions ever.” Not that it really matters when we’re offering $20 to $50 billion in sanctions relief anyway if Iran agrees to scale back on its nuclear program somewhat. By the way, if bitcoin can help businesses in Iran to skirt international sanctions, can’t bitcoin help Hezbollah as well? From CoinDesk on Nov. 5: Bitcoin helps Iranian shoe store overcome international trade sanctions Jon Southurst An interesting e-commerce site that went online just last week is accepting bitcoin only, because most overseas customers cannot pay with anything else. The business is Persian Shoes, an over 70-year-old business selling handmade footwear. It is located in Isfahan, the third-largest city in Iran. The owners are happy to ship anywhere, but paying them is a problem. Thanks to the vagaries of international diplomacy and the past few decades of history, the usual e-commerce channels are blocked. Trade sanctions against the entire country of Iran by the United Nations, United States, European Union and others mean Western Union and major credit card companies will not deal with Iranian businesses, even those in the fashion world. The only way to pay someone in Iran is with cash carried in your pocket – or some easily transferrable, mostly unregulated, digital currency. The bitcoin-only store sold four pairs of shoes in its first day of business. “To my standards it is a good sale!” said the CEO, Mor Roghani. The store’s success continued throughout its first week. “We have sold ten pairs of shoes so far using bitcoin. This is way above our expectations,” he added. Persian Shoes is currently operated by three brothers, who are keen to expand the business their father started. Roghani’s cousin, who lives in Australia, introduced them to bitcoin and helped them to set up the site. The site currently offers leather handbags, purses and shoes for women and seven varieties of shoes for men. Prices are all listed in USD and start around US $80. Its FAQ page explains bitcoin and guides new users to online services like Coinbase, Bitstamp and BitBargain, as well as LocalBitcoins. It also explains the trade situation: Our business is making and selling leather products. We like to sell our products across the world and the more customers the better. The problem is we operate in Iran and most payment systems either are not willing to serve us at all or impose a huge risk on our business. Before launching this website, our international sale has been limited to a few dedicated customers who knew about the quality of our products and were prepared to go through a lot of trouble to pay us! This of course, may sound incomprehensible for people who have all sorts of electronic payments at their disposal. However, before finding out about bitcoin, receiving our money was the number one obstacle in expanding our business. As well as international trade restrictions, exchanging bitcoin back into local currency (Iranian Rials) also faces knowledge and technical barriers. “Exchange is a bit tricky because bitcoin is not common yet. We are planing to hold onto some of the bitcoins and sell some at localbitcoins,” Roghani said. A lack of online shopping culture locally and poor internet connectivity hinders trade with other parts of Iran. Depending on your country of citizenship or residence, you may not actually be allowed to buy these shoes even with bitcoin. Just as Americans may not spend a weekend in Havana or enjoy real Cuban cigars, they are also forbidden to engage in any trade activity with businesses or individuals located in Iran. Despite this, Persian Shoes has taken orders from customers in the US and is waiting to see how smoothly the deliveries go before advertising the business more widely (update: all US orders have reached their destinations so far without problems.) A query sent to United States Customs and Border Protection (part of the Department of Homeland Security) asking specifically about private e-commerce transactions for items of clothing received the following response: “Unfortunately, sanctions against Iran prohibit this”…

Iran sanctions eased without compensating its terror victims

November 25, 2013

A deal has been reached to lift—according to different estimates—7, 8, or 20+ billion USD in sanctions against Iran in return for modest concessions on Iranian nuclear development.  A portion of the billions of dollars in sanctions relief could have been earmarked to compensate the victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism instead of letting Tehran spend it as it pleases.
If only the P5+1 had been willing to listen to one of the lawyers representing Iran’s victims:

Iran Owes Terror Victims Billions of Dollars, Says Activist Lawyer

The US talks with Iran about easing sanctions, but an Israeli activist lawyer says Obama overlooks the fact that Tehran owes American terror victims billions of dollars.

By: Tzvi Ben-Gedalyahu
Published: November 20th, 2013
Israeli activist lawyer Nitzana Darshan-Leitner: The US should make Iran pay off its debts to American relatives of terror victims before easing sanctions.
An Israeli lawyer who has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims has asked Obama administration officials why they are discussing letting Iran off the hook on sanctions while it owes American relatives colossal sums of money.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the Israel Law Center, has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims in lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organization as well as banks and other agencies that aid terrorists or act as a pipeline for funds for them.
She wrote Under Secretary Wendy Sherman last month, “Iran must not be allowed under any circumstances to avoid making payment of reparations and due compensations to the families of those whose lives they have destroyed through terrorism…and through the terror organizations it supports: Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.”
In a blog posted this past week on The Hill website based in Washington, Darshan-Leitner noted that Sherman did not respond, and she added, “As a result of lawsuits taken by American victims of terror in U.S. courts, the Iranian regime currently owes billions of dollars from decades of terrorist activity resulting in dozens of victims and severed families. This debt has yet to be recognized or paid by the Iranian government with no sign of an intention to do so.”
She called on Congress to ensure that the U.S. government is working to keep the interests of the terror victims’ families on the table.
Darshan-Leitner pointed out that when George W. Bush was President, he conditioned repealing of any sanctions against Libya on payment of reparations to the victims of Libyan terror. “This move resulted in the payment of $1.5 billion dollars to the victims’ families,” she wrote…

Posted in Columns, essays, & pure opinion | Tagged Iran, sanctions | Leave a Comment »

Haqqani financier with deep Gulf ties killed

November 24, 2013

The chief money man behind the Haqqani network, Nasiruddin Haqqani, has been shot dead.  He has been under U.S. sanctions since 2010; at the time the Treasury Department said, “From at least 2005 to 2009, Nasiruddin Haqqani collected funds for the Haqqani Network, including during a 2008 fundraising trip to a Gulf state and during regular travel to the (UAE) in 2007. As of mid-2007, Haqqani reportedly received funding from ­donations from the Gulf region, drug trafficking, and payments from al-Qa’ida. In 2004, he traveled to Saudi Arabia with a Taliban associate to raise funds for the Taliban.”
Nasiruddin Haqqani used to live next door to the headquarters of ISI, the Pakistani spy agency, with whom he collaborated.
The BBC reports:

… As the group’s main fundraiser, Nasiruddin frequently travelled to the oil-rich sheikhdoms of the Middle East to solicit donations.
He represented the Haqqani network in last year’s efforts to set up a Taliban office in Doha for peace talks with the United States.
He was also the group’s main contact person for pro-Taliban elements in Pakistan, as well as its representative with the Afghan Taliban.
‘Well-dressed networker’
Unlike his father and many of his brothers, Nasiruddin Haqqani and two of his uncles did not live in Miran Shah in North Waziristan. He chose to base himself near Islamabad, from where he made his many journeys abroad to secure funds.
Some sources said he had major business interests in the Gulf, including a transport company.
Nasiruddin is not thought to have been publicly photographed.
Those who have met him describe a tall, educated, well-dressed man who travelled in expensive cars and networked an extensive list of contacts all the time.
They say his appearance gave no clue to his militant connections. His code name was “the doctor”, possibly because of a degree that he had studied for.
His death will be a major blow to the Haqqanis, who will need to find someone else to spearhead their efforts to secure financing…

Shouldn’t be too hard for the ISI to anoint somebody else.

Posted in News commentary | Tagged Haqqani network, ISI, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Taliban, terrorist financing, UAE | 1 Comment »

Bitcoin helps Iranian business evade sanctions

November 22, 2013
Another loophole has materialized in Pres. Obama’s “toughest sanctions ever.”  Not that it really matters when we’re offering $20 to $50 billion in sanctions relief anyway if Iran agrees to scale back on its nuclear program somewhat.
By the way, if bitcoin can help businesses in Iran to skirt international sanctions, can’t bitcoin help Hezbollah as well?
From CoinDesk on Nov. 5:

Bitcoin helps Iranian shoe store overcome international trade sanctions

Jon Southurst
An interesting e-commerce site that went online just last week is accepting bitcoin only, because most overseas customers cannot pay with anything else.
The business is Persian Shoes, an over 70-year-old business selling handmade footwear. It is located in Isfahan, the third-largest city in Iran.
The owners are happy to ship anywhere, but paying them is a problem. Thanks to the vagaries of international diplomacy and the past few decades of history, the usual e-commerce channels are blocked.
Trade sanctions against the entire country of Iran by the United Nations, United States, European Union and others mean Western Union and major credit card companies will not deal with Iranian businesses, even those in the fashion world.
The only way to pay someone in Iran is with cash carried in your pocket – or some easily transferrable, mostly unregulated, digital currency.
The bitcoin-only store sold four pairs of shoes in its first day of business. “To my standards it is a good sale!” said the CEO, Mor Roghani. The store’s success continued throughout its first week.
“We have sold ten pairs of shoes so far using bitcoin. This is way above our expectations,” he added.
Persian Shoes is currently operated by three brothers, who are keen to expand the business their father started. Roghani’s cousin, who lives in Australia, introduced them to bitcoin and helped them to set up the site.
The site currently offers leather handbags, purses and shoes for women and seven varieties of shoes for men. Prices are all listed in USD and start around US $80.
Its FAQ page explains bitcoin and guides new users to online services like Coinbase, Bitstamp and BitBargain, as well as LocalBitcoins. It also explains the trade situation:

Our business is making and selling leather products. We like to sell our products across the world and the more customers the better. The problem is we operate in Iran and most payment systems either are not willing to serve us at all or impose a huge risk on our business. Before launching this website, our international sale has been limited to a few dedicated customers who knew about the quality of our products and were prepared to go through a lot of trouble to pay us! This of course, may sound incomprehensible for people who have all sorts of electronic payments at their disposal. However, before finding out about bitcoin, receiving our money was the number one obstacle in expanding our business.

As well as international trade restrictions, exchanging bitcoin back into local currency (Iranian Rials) also faces knowledge and technical barriers.
“Exchange is a bit tricky because bitcoin is not common yet. We are planing to hold onto some of the bitcoins and sell some at localbitcoins,” Roghani said. A lack of online shopping culture locally and poor internet connectivity hinders trade with other parts of Iran.
Depending on your country of citizenship or residence, you may not actually be allowed to buy these shoes even with bitcoin. Just as Americans may not spend a weekend in Havana or enjoy real Cuban cigars, they are also forbidden to engage in any trade activity with businesses or individuals located in Iran.
Despite this, Persian Shoes has taken orders from customers in the US and is waiting to see how smoothly the deliveries go before advertising the business more widely (update: all US orders have reached their destinations so far without problems.)
A query sent to United States Customs and Border Protection (part of the Department of Homeland Security) asking specifically about private e-commerce transactions for items of clothing received the following response: “Unfortunately, sanctions against Iran prohibit this”…

House Speaker John Boehner shocked as family health deductible triples

Add to the list of the millions of Americans who are expected to receive a massive price increase from Obamacare: House Speaker John A. Boehner.
The Ohio Republican said he’s just learned from HealthCare.gov that his deductible will triple — and his new premium will be nearly twice the current price, Fox News reported.

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SPECIAL COVERAGE: Health Care Reform

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“So here’s the bottom line,” said a spokesman for Mr. Boehner on Fox News. “Before Obamacare, through the program for all federal employees, the Boehners’ monthly premiums totaled $433 with a $700 deductible.”
But under the new health care plan, costs soar.
“Now, the Boehners will pay around $800 per month, with deductibles somewhere near $2,000,” the spokesman said. “Of course, the speaker and Mrs. Boehner are fortunate enough to be able to afford these higher costs. They’re not asking anyone to feel sorry for them. We stress that.”
The speaker’s office gave out the information only in response to an inquiry from Fox News, “for the sake of transparency,” the spokesman said.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/25/john-boehner-shocked-family-health-deductible-trip/#ixzz2lfvmxr4D
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter