Leg 2 (Ogier crash) - 2014 WRC Rally Sweden - Best-of-RallyLive.com

Δημοσιεύθηκε στις 7 Φεβ 2014

Watch our review from the second leg of Rally Sweden including the crash of Sébastien Ogier on onboard camera.

US adds 4 Qods Force operatives to terrorism list for supporting terrorism in Afghanistan

US adds 4 Qods Force operatives to terrorism list for supporting terrorism in Afghanistan
By BILL ROGGIOFebruary 7, 2014





The US Treasury Department added to its list of global terrorists today three Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force officers and one "associate" who are involved in the "use of terrorism and intelligence operations as tools of influence against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan."

The designations of the Iranian Qods Force officers were among a series of sanctions by Treasury today that targeted "a diverse set of entities and individuals located around the world for evading U.S. sanctions against Iran, aiding Iranian nuclear and missile proliferation, and supporting terrorism." In addition to the four Qods Force officers and facilitators, the US also added an Islamic Jihad Union facilitator based in Iran who supports "Qaeda's Iran-based network" and its leader, Yasin al Suri. [See LWJ report, Treasury Department identifies another Iran-based facilitator for al Qaeda.]

The designation of the four Qods Force operatives "underscores Tehran's use of terrorism and intelligence operations as tools of influence against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," Treasury stated in its press release.

The Qods Force officers were identified as Sayyed Kamal Musavi, Alireza Hemmati, Akbar Seyed Alhosseini, and Mahmud Afkhami Rashidi. While not directly stated, the four men are likely members of the Qods Force's Ansar Corps, the command that is assigned to direct operations in Afghanistan. In August 2010, the Ansar Corps was identified by Treasury as supporting Iranian operations in Afghanistan .

Musavi is described as an "Afghan associate" who served as a "facilitator and operational planner" to help Qods Force "plan and execute attacks in Afghanistan." He is currently held in custody, presumably by the International Security Assistance Force. The date and location of his arrest was not disclosed.

"Musavi assisted the IRGC-QF [Qods Force] in conducting surveillance and planning terrorist attacks in Afghanistan in 2010 prior to his arrest," Treasury stated. "Musavi operated in Kabul and was part of an attack cell targeting an Afghan official and was apprehended with associates, who were at the time carrying large quantities of explosives and detonators."

Hemmati was described as "an IRGC-QF chief for Afghanistan-focused operations conducted by the IRGC-QF, who provided key logistics support" for and "worked closely with" Musavi.

"Hemmati worked closely with Musavi while Musavi plotted attacks in Afghanistan, having sent supplies from Iran to Musavi and arranged travel documents for him," Treasury stated. "Hemmati is pressing for Musavi's release from detention."

Alhosseini is identified as "a key IRGC-QF officer who oversees the group's activities in Afghanistan" and who once served as Qods Force's "chief" of its Herat office. He provided "travel documents and logistics" for other Qods Force officers, including Musavi.

Rashidi is "a high-ranking IRGC-QF official within the elite IRGC-QF operations unit working in Afghanistan" who was designated for his attempts to influence "Afghan politicians who are sympathetic to Iran to strengthen the Iranian power base in Kabul." Iranian officials are known to bribe Afghan politicians. In 2010, Afghan and Western officials accused Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan of supplying President Hamid Karzai with "cash by the bagful," according to The New York Times.

Other Qods Force officers designated for supporting the Taliban

The US has previously designated other Qods Force officers, including General Hossein Musavi, Colonel Hasan Mortezavi, and General Gholamreza Baghbani, for aiding the Taliban.

General Musavi is the commander of Qods Force's Ansar Corps, "whose responsibilities include IRGC-QF activities in Afghanistan," Treasury stated in the Aug. 3, 2010 designation. "As Ansar Corps Commander, Musavi has provided financial and material support to the Taliban."

Colonel Mortezavi, who was designated the same day as General Musavi, was described as a senior Qods Force officer who "provides financial and material support to the Taliban."

General Gholamreza Baghbani, the head of Qods Force's branch in the Iranian city of Zahedan, was added to the US' list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers on March 7, 2012 for supporting heroin and opium smuggling in Iran and Afghanistan "as part of a broader scheme to support terrorism." The Iranian general supported the drug smugglers in order to arm the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Seven months later, on Nov. 16, 2012, the US added Mullah Naim Barich, the Taliban's leader for the southern Afghan province of Helmand, to the list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers. While the designation did not directly link Barich to Baghbani, the Taliban commander was involved in smuggling heroin to Iran.

In the past, Taliban commanders based in western Afghanistan have stated that they have received weapons, cash, and training from Iranian forces. Taliban commanders and units train inside Iran to conduct attacks against NATO and Afghan forces. In addition, al Qaeda operatives are also known to receive support from the Ansar Corps; Mashad is a transit point for al Qaeda operatives en route to Afghanistan.

US commanders, including Generals David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal, have accused Iran of directly supporting the Taliban.

ISAF has targeted Iran's network in the past

ISAF targeted Iranian-supported Taliban commanders in at least 14 raids in the provinces of Farah, Nimroz, Herat, Ghor, Kandahar, and Kunduz between June 2009 and February 2011, according to Coalition press releases compiled by The Long War Journal. In one such raid, on Dec. 18, 2010 in the Zhari district in Kandahar province, ISAF said it captured a Qods Force officer, but later retracted the claim.

In early February 2011, ISAF inexplicably stopped reporting on raids against Iranian-supported Taliban and al Qaeda commanders. When The Long War Journal inquired about the sudden halt in reports on Qods Force-linked commanders in the Afghan west, ISAF claimed it does not discuss issues related to Iran.

"As policy, IJC [ISAF Joint Command] does not discuss Iran," Lieutenant Commander Katie Kendrick, an ISAF Public Affairs Officer, told The Long War Journal in February 2011, despite the fact that ISAF had indeed mentioned the Qods Force in its press releases as well as in followup inquiries. Further inquiries to ISAF about the sudden change in policy on discussing Iran's links to terror activities in Afghanistan have gone unanswered.

Despite ISAF's refusal to discuss Iranian operations in Afghanistan, Qods Force continues its activities in the country.

Amateur video: Sarajevo protesters pelt cops with missiles as violent cl...

Protesters clashed with police on the streets of Sarajevo on February 7. A series of demonstrations that began over factory closures in Tuzla spread to other Bosnian towns and cities, becoming increasingly violent. Footage from Sarajevo shows riot police being driven back as they are pelted with missiles.

Sicilia - Salvataggio di immigrati (06.02.14)

Curiosity Sees Earth and Moon From Mars | Video

The Mars Science Laboratory captured imagery of the brightest object in its twilight sky, Earth and its orbiting Moon. The rover's Mast Camera imaged them on January 31st, 2014, its 529th day on the Red Planet.

The Golden Ticket!!

Cyclops is a trademark of OceanGate Inc.

CYCLOPS SUBMERSIBLE

In May 2013, OceanGate announced the launch of Project Cyclops, a collaboration with the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Lab to build a revolutionary new manned submersible. With a depth range of 3000 meters (9840 feet), Cyclopswill usher in a new era of increased access to the deep ocean for commercial exploration and research ventures.

Use mouse to click, hold and drag over image to rotate.

Scheduled to debut commercially in 2016, Cyclops will allow up to five crew members -- a pilot and four passengers -- to travel to the oceans’ depths for a myriad of tasks and operations, including environmental assessments, inspection, equipment testing, mapping, data collection and overall subsea operations. Featuring a large 180-degree viewing dome for collaborative observation, state-of-the-art building materials, and a lightweight design, Cyclops is designed to be the most advanced and mobile deep-sea manned submersible in the world.

Project Cyclops was born out of OceanGate’s appreciation for the complexity of subsea environments and the need for a diverse set of tools and technology to address operational requirements below 500 meters. Through strategic partnerships, OceanGate has been able to apply recent advances in material science and technology from other industries to meet the challenges faced in exploration. With the majority of the ocean's seabed still unexplored, and as commercial and scientific entities continue to expand initiatives to access potential resources from the ocean seabed, OceanGate recognizes there is an unanswered demand for a practical subsea vessel capable of frequently accessing these resources. This unique vision led to the conclusion that a new type of manned submersible was needed to enable a giant step in harnessing these subsea opportunities.

Cyclops is a trademark of OceanGate Inc.

Watch a video showing OceanGate's portable system to transport, launch and retrieve manned submersibles from a variety of ships.

Cyclops rotating from horizontal to a more streamlined vertical attitude to begin a deep dive.

http://oceangate.com/capabilities/cyclops.html

Is this the future of mountain biking?

Is this the future of mountain biking?

Bring your own uplift

With their flashy graphics, angular silhouettes, aggressive component choices, and 120-180mm of travel, Haibike had some of the most eye-catching bikes at last month’s Winter Bike PressCamp.  But it wasn’t the colours that had attendees talking; it was the motors.  Built around 250W Bosch electric drive systems (350W in the US), the bikes’ drivetrains amplify the rider’s pedaling input by 50-275%, making short work of uphills.

You got a motor on that thing?
Erm, yes.

With their jackshaft-enhanced four-bar suspension design and travel-appropriate component spec, the Pro-level Haibike models on show certainly looked the part.  The NDURO Pro shown here has a lustworthy SRAM XX1 drivetrain, Fox 36 Talas fork and Float X shock, and Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheelset.  Given that a motor and battery are thrown in, the £6,000/$8,600 price almost seems reasonable.

150mm Xduro AMT Pro 27.5

But who are they for?

The president of US distributor Currie Technologies, Larry Pizzi, was adamant that adding a motor to a bike does not a motorbike make.  The company sees e-bikes as a way for mountain bikers to share the sport they love with those who, for reasons of age, illness, or lack of time, cannot currently participate in the sport.  From his perspective, e-bikes give those riders the boost they need to join us on the trails.

Who wouldn’t want a Horst Link and XX1 drivetrain?

But are 5-8in motorised full-sussers really being targeted at the aged and infirm?

Lookin’ good, Grandpa!

While e-bikes up to a certain output are in many places lumped in with bicycles in terms of (lack of) licensing, on the trail things are a bit fuzzier.  Though e-bike output and speeds are capped in both Europe and the US, given the electronics and mountain bike communities’ propensity for tinkering there’s little reason to think that factory limits will stand.  After all, here in the States it’s difficult to find a motorbike with its factory emissions or noise controls in place.  Given the challenges in gaining and maintaining trail access, an informal poll of attendees found many conflicted about (or outright hostile to) the idea of e-bikes on non-motorised trails.

IMBA, for its part, has issued a position paperdrawing a firm line between muscle-powered and motorised vehicles, with e-bikes on the motorised side.  The organisation only supports “the use of e-Bikes anywhere that [it] could also support other motorised uses.”  In the UK, e-bikes limited to 250W and 15mph (such as those shown by Haibike) are currently legal on those public rights of way open to bicycles.

The people bringing e-bikes to market seem truly to believe that their efforts will introduce more riders to the sport while extending existing riders’ careers.  During our discussion with Pizzi, we found our impulse to limit e-bikes to motorised trails in the uncomfortable position of being portrayed as exclusionary and elitist.  His position was that that mountain biking would only benefit from broadening its self-image and broadening its user base.

While there may well be a ‘we were here first’ aspect to many mountain bikers’ negative reactions and a desire to defend the physical aspects of the sport, the discomfort among PressCamp attendees to calling anything with a motor of any type or output a “bicycle” suggests that off-road e-bikes will likely not be met with open arms.

While the debate is likely to continue for some time, from a technical perspective the Haibike range is impressive.  Some narrow bars aside, the e-models ride well and seem well suited to their intended use.  After all, it’s hard not to enjoy the feeling of having one’s effort multiplied by nearly a factor of four and the low positioning of the weighty Bosch battery and motor assemblies does wonders for the e-bikes’ handling.

But we found ourselves asking: are e-bikes a gateway drug for mountain biking or for motorbiking?

Haibike is distributed in the US by Currie Technologies and in the UK by Raleigh.