World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (September 13, 2011)

The Washington Post reported that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he intends to grant a “unilateral pardon” to two Americans who have been jailed on charges of espionage for two years and release them this week. The Americans, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, were arrested along with another American while they were hiking along the Iran-Iraq border two years ago. In August, they were sentenced to eight years in prison. The other American, Sarah Shroud, was released in September 2010. Asked if the release would definitely happen this week, Ahmadinejad said: “I hope so. I hope I will do that.” The president’s decisions are subject to review by clerical authorities in the Islamic republic.

The Iranian information agency Press TV published the article headlined “Russia supports Palestinian UN bid.” It says that Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin says Moscow supports the Palestinian bid for the creation of an independent state at the UN General Assembly. Churkin said on Monday that Russia would vote in favor of the Palestinian bid despite strong opposition to the idea from Israel and the United States. He, however, said that his country was not pushing the Palestinians to submit their candidacy at the United Nations but would support the proposal if it came up for a vote.

“Turkey F-16s can now hit Israel targets” is the other article published by the same agency. The new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) -- an identification system designed for command and control -- developed by Turkey's Military Electronics Industry (ASELSAN) will replace the US version of the system that was being run on the fighter jets so far. The US system identified all Israeli targets as a 'friend,' thus preventing the Turkish fighter jets from firing at them automatically, even if the Turkish pilots were ordered to fire at them. The new system, however, will allow Turkey to define its enemies itself.

Press TV reported also that Iran will launch its first petrochemical park with the cooperation of a French company by the end of the current Iranian year (started March 21). Hassan-Ali Pakravan head of Iran's Jam Petrochemical Complex said the butane-1 unit of the complex, which has had 90-percent physical progress, will come on stream in February.