Khamenei accuses U.S. of using internet to defeat Iran

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday accused the United States of trying to use the Internet as a tool to defeat the Islamic Republic.
Speaking in the northern city of Amol in Mazandaran Province, Khamenei also said that Washington had been planning to orchestrate “riots” in Iran, referring to the widespread protests that followed last June’s disputed presidential election.
“The Americans say that they have allocated a 45 million dollar budget to defeat the Islamic Republic of Iran through the Internet, and this shows the peak of the enemy’s frustration,” he said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. Washington TV

ET409: Lebanon searches for victims of Ethiopian jet crash

Lebanese and international search teams scoured the Mediterranean coast on Tuesday for the victims and missing flight recorders of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed into the sea

Mitri: ET409 was the focus of Lebanon cabinet meeting

Lebanon’s Information Minister Tarek Mitri briefed the media on the results of the cabinet meeting that was held today at the Baabda palace
-The Meeting focused on Ethiopian Airline ET409 that crashed yesterday and began with a minute of silence for the victims. President Michel Suleiman offered condolences to all victims’ families in Lebanon and in Ethiopia.
-PM Saad Hariri said the investigations and search continue and we should wait for the results of the investigations before jumping into conclusions about the causes of the crash.
-President Suleiman warned against Israeli threats and voiced the necessity to be prepared for any aggression
-The president also praised Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh for uncovering a cell that was smuggling counterfeit medicines ( Plavix) from China.

Crashed ET409: Aridi says lets wait for the boxes

Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Aridi said “nothing new with regards to the crashed Ethiopian airliner flight ET409 and all the information that we know has already been made public ” adding that “today is the beginning of the serious search by the two U.S. vessels and a private company and they have given themselves 24 hours to get the job done . They may finish the job earlier or they may ask for extra time.”
Aridi stressed that “before the black boxes are found all the talk and speculation is useless , noting that ” all the Lebanese ministries have done an exceptional job in their serious efforts to identify the reasons for the plane crash disaster”. Aridi said this is a big catastrophe for the country and we should focus on the relatives of the victims and missing persons instead of wasting time speculating ”

Israel: Druze MK Said Naffaa stripped of his immunity

Israel’s Knesset House Committee Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected an appeal by Druze MK Said Naffaa for immunity in the face of an indictment that charges him with visiting Syria, an enemy state, and meeting with Palestinian militant organizations, according to Israeli media
In a 9-2 vote by the Knesset Committee on Tuesday MK Naffaa was stripped of his immunity. MK Naffaa accused the government institutions of racism and exploiting the Druze community.
“I was not surprised by the decision,” Naffaa said. “This is indicative of the discrimination and political persecution faced by Arab Knesset members.” He told AFP.
Naffaa vowed to continue to fight the charges. “This is only the first stage of what will be a long battle,” he added.
MK Naffaa, who is a Druze Palestinian Arab , was charged in December with visiting Syria without permission and meeting with militant organizations.The lawmaker had organized a visit of 300 Druze religious leaders to Syria in September 2007.
MK Nafaa reportedly met with Talal Naji, deputy secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Al Qaeda,Taliban allies of convenience, says Bin Ladin’s son

Al Qaeda and the Taliban are only allies of convenience and “do not love one another,” according to a son of Osama bin Laden, who grew up partly in a group of al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.
The ties between the two groups are of intense interest because international forces are contemplating talks with the Afghan Taliban to forge a political settlement in Afghanistan and foment a rift between the group and al Qaeda. Reuters

France moves toward partial ban of Muslim veil

French lawmakers Tuesday recommended a partial ban on any veils that cover the face — including the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women.
The ban on the “voile integrale” — which literally means “total veil” — would apply in public places like hospitals and schools, and on public transport, a French parliamentary commission announced.
It would also apply to anyone who attempts to receive public services, but it would not apply to people wearing the burqa on the street, the commission said.
The commission stopped short of recommending a full ban because not all of the 32 commission members could agree on it. CNN

ET409: conflicting reports about the wreckage

There were many conflicting reports Tuesday about whether the wreckage of Ethiopian airline flight ET409 which crashed in the Mediterranean sea off Lebanon coast Monday was found or not.

Future News television said the plane had been located on the sea-bed and that work is underway to lift the wreckage
However Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ghazi Aridi denied on Tuesday that the wreckage ET409 has been located. He said that the authorities have determined the general area where the fuselage should be, adding that teams have been searching the area since 9 a.m. and that they will continue for 24 hours more.
Aridi also said that search teams are still looking for the 2 black boxes [ airplane’s flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR)]

Lebanon cabinet is meeting in Baabda

The Lebanese cabinet started its previously scheduled meeting at Baabda Palace and it is being chaired by President Michel Suleiman. Suleiman and PM Saad Hariri met earlier in Baabda to discuss the latest on ET 409 Ethiopian airline crash.

A Minute of silence was held for the passengers of Ethiopian airline ET409, before the meeting started .

Hezbollah cell: Egypt prosecutor demands death sentence

The prosecution in a trial of 26 alleged Hezbollah members charged with planning attacks in Egypt demanded the death sentence on Tuesday, a judicial source said.
The prosecutor made the request during a hearing at the emergency state security court trying the high-profile case, which has damaged relations between Egypt and Hezbollah.
He called for “the harshest sentence against the defendants,” the judicial source said. The trial will resume on February 20.