Iran Military Forum

In a world that is dominated by Cowboy diplomacy (do as Israel says, or become devastated by wars), that might be one of few options that Iran has.

i always think of that .... the last 10 years have been superb for iran in that regard ... Now u have a brotherly Shiite iraq , Lebanon , Houthis in Yemen , Northern Alliance Govt. in Afghanistan , Armenia is ur friend ,  Assad is siting in Suriye , relations with former SSR''s Turkmenistan and Tajikstan are great ... There is strong support in Bahrain which sooner or later will be liberated ... Pakistan is coming closer and is in very weak position right now .... what else does Iran need .... if a semi Joint military and a full scale regional cooperation organization can be formed on frame of  PGCC or EU-Union ... then no one would even dare to touch this region again ... there will be unparallelled resources , strong talent will emerge from these lands of the great civilization ... Routes and approaches between the two worlds will be in our hands ... look at united China , EU , former USSR , USA .. these r all unions ... look at their progress ...

hey full stops r  fun ... see that ...

India pitches for more constructive role in SCO

India on Thursday pitched for a "larger and more constructive role" in the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a full member and underlined that the grouping is "a promising alternative regional platform" to help stabilise Afghanistan.

"As we have emphasised at various SCO fora, India would be happy to play a larger, wider and more constructive role in the SCO as a full member, as and when the organisation finalises the expansion modalities," external affairs minister SM Krishna said at the 12th SCO summit at the Great Hall of People in Beijing.

India, along with Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia, currently enjoy the status of observer at the SCO. 

The SCO comprises Russia and China, the two regional giants and permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the energy-rich Central Asian states, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

"We welcome the general trajectory of the SCO towards expansion and redefinition of its role. We feel a wider and more representative SCO will be able to deal more effectively with the common challenges of security and development in our region," he said.

Underlining India's proactive participation in  multifarious SCO activities as an observer, Krishna said: "India, on its part, has been participating constructively at all SCO meetings open to the Observers. By doing so, we have shown our strong willingness to be meaningfully associated with this grouping."

Krishna stressed that India is already engaged with the SCO member states in areas such as information technology, management and entrepreneurship development.

"We will be happy to share with SCO countries our unique experience in specific areas of economic endeavour, such as banking,capital markets, micro-finance, small and medium enterprises."

Given elaborate procedures and rigorous criteria, India's admission into the SCO could take up to two years after the SCO members unanimously decide to open the doors for new members. India is now eyeing 2014 as the target for getting inside the SCO tent.

Alluding to India's cooperation with Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), the SCO's premier counter-terror body, Krishna also called for greater regional cooperation in combating terrorism, a core focus of the SCO.

"India is a long-standing victim of terrorism emanating from our region and believes that there is need for stronger resolve and firmer efforts in tackling this scourge," he said.

Describing Afghanistan as the "most important security challenge" Krishna underscored that the SCO "provides a promising alternative regional platform to discuss the rapidly changing Afghan situation".

"The economic development projects of the SCO can be a meaningful additional effort for Afghanistan's reconstruction," he said.

The SCO's future role in Afghanistan got an added boost with Afghanistan upgraded as an observer at the SCO summit.

India has pledged over $2 billion for reconstruction and developmental activities in Afghanistan.

"This is a reflection of our commitment to the prosperity of the Afghan people. We will be unwavering in our support to this cause," he said.

The explosive mix of Muslim militant networks and narcotics trade in the region that directly impinges on the stability of Afghanistan is a major factor driving India's desire to seek an upgrade in the SCO.

Given the geographical contiguity of all SCO states with Afghanistan and their collective efforts to counter terrorism, the SCO could be an effective regional platform to stabilise Afghanistan in the run-up to the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition troops from that country.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/China/India-pitches-for-more-constructive-role-in-SCO/Article1-867183.aspx

Putin can eat shit.. i dont trust that guy!

You can't buy glory and Russia has been screwed over by the west. Many russians support Irans stance on world affairs. Putin is one of them.  I actually like his personality, its macho. 'Former KGB' president of Russia. Intimidating no? lol

Russian news agencies are reporting that Russia has opposed Iran’s full membership at Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) until the country remains under UN Security Council sanctions. Iran now has an observer status at SCO. President Ahmadinejad is attending the SCO summit in Beijing and Iran has pushed hard for full membership at SCO, a move that has apparently faced the Russian opposition.

Meanwhile, the SCO has issued a statement denouncing as “unacceptable” the use of force against Iran over its nuclear program.


source: uskowi.blogspot.com

Iran needs Russia and China as allies because Russia and China hold veto power in UN Security Council.

If UN intervention resolution against Iran is proposed by other UN members like US and European Union veto power by Russia and China can stop it.

Membership in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is must have for Iran.

How are you going to have two rivals like Pakistan and India in the SAME organization? What happens if they go to war with one another? What is the point of India in the SCO when China and India are engaging in a arms race? China wants more influence and power in Asia and that is causing tensions with India.

So what good is this organization as a counterweight to NATO when such problems exist?

Perhaps SCO countries want Russian and Chinese veto power in UN Security Council.

It is also possible that China, India and Pakistan want peace deal between themselves by being members of SCO.

Iran Looks To China And Russia For Military Support

Thursday, 14 June 2012
Article: Oilprice.com
Iran Looks To China And Russia For Military Support As Pressure From The West Increases

Beset by rising rhetoric about a possible Israeli attack against its nuclear facilities, Iran is seeking full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an additional layer of international diplomatic "life insurance." On 12 November 2011 Iranian Supreme National Security Council's Secretary Assistant Ali Bageri said that Iran is seeking full membership in the SCO, upgrading its current observer status, telling journalists in Moscow, "We have already submitted a relevant application."

Now, Iran has gotten an endorsement from the SCO about the unacceptability of force - sort of.

The leaders of SCO members China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan said in a joint statement signed at the end of a two-day summit on 7 June that "any attempts to solve the Iranian problem with force are unacceptable and could lead to unpredictable circumstances."

Pretty impressive accomplishment, given that Iran currently only has "observer" status at the SCO.

The SCO, founded in Shanghai in 2001, currently consists of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan while Iran, India, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status. Decisions on SCO membership and observer status are made with the consensus of all member countries.

Iran first submitted an official application for SCO observer status on 25 February 2005. In March 2008 Iran then applied for upgrading its status to formally joining the organization.

Three years ago Moscow was much cooler to Tehran's application. Russian Foreign Ministry Department for Information and Mass Media Deputy Director Andrei Krivtsov commented, "We do not accept any new members of SCO, as no country is seeking to extend the organization for the sake of extension itself. Any talk about an early admittance of Iran to SCO has no grounds."

Iran now has a powerful ally in Russia, which earlier on 6 November 2011 hosted an SCO meeting in Saint Petersburg. The Russian government pushed for both Iran and India being allowed to join SCO. Then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, "Russia would welcome the positive review of applications to join our organization in one form or another from any interested nation." NATO member Turkey also has "dialogue partner" status and has also requested full membership.

The ultimate purpose of the SCO remains a contentious issue between Russia and China however, as while Russia apparently hopes to build the SCO into a counterbalance against NATO, China views the SCO as primarily an economic union, where Beijing's booming economy clearly gives it an edge over Russia in dealing with the SCO's "junior members."

Iran sees full SCO membership as a most valuable asset in its efforts to prevent encirclement by NATO and other U.S.-led entities, a position that Moscow can well understand. In July 2011 Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi during an interview with the Russian media described Iran as the "most significant neighbour" of Russia for standing in the way of the U.S.-led Western encirclement strategy.

Even without SCO membership however, Iran has brought the Russian Federation on board as opposing a military strike on Iran, as on 8 November 2011 Russian Federation Foreign Ministry Lavrov commented, "there is no military solution to the Iranian nuclear problem as there is no military solution to any other problem in the modern world."

China is currently Iran's largest oil export mark, and has steadfastly rejected sanctions. China continues to invest in an Iran steadily drained of Western investment and Iran is the fourth-largest recipient of Chinese non-bond investment, which a military strike would put at risk. Iranian SCO membership would place the Sino-Iranian relationship in a position to undermine U.S. attempts to isolate Iran.

Iran has another card up its sleeve for seeking military partners, the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The CSTO was established after the collapse of the USSR in December 1991 by a number of former Soviet republics. When Iran began seeking SCO membership it received a warmer welcome from CSTO, as on 18 May 2007 CSTO General Secretary Nikolai Bordyuzha said, "CSTO is an open organization. If Iran applies in accordance with our charter, we will consider the application."

Iranian CSTO membership would strengthen its military alliances, as Article 4 of CSTO's charter states, "In case an act of aggression is committed against any of the Member States all the others Member States will provide it with necessary assistance, including military one, as well as provide support with the means at their disposal in exercise of the right to collective defence in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter."

Bolstering Iranian hopes, on 13 April 2011 Bordyuzha, while not mentioning Iran specifically, said that the CSTO is considering expanding the grouping.
Iran's interest in joining the SCO and CSTO is lacking a crucial element - time. Neither Moscow nor Beijing are known for making snap decisions, with the result that Tehran may soon find itself overtaken by events. That said, having Russia and China in your corner arguing against military action is no small consideration, either in Tel Aviv or Washington.

So, where does the West go from here?

Did the SCO indicate that it would engage in conflict for Iran?

No.

But Iran's interest in CSTO and SCO are hardly a minor policy wonk exercise, as between Russia, Kazakhstan (both non-OPEC producers) and Iran, the trio account for nearly 20 percent of the world's oil output, which could be offlined to the global community should it embark on "reckless adventureism," to use a piquant Soviet term.

The phrase, "any attempts to solve the Iranian problem with force are unacceptable and could lead to unpredictable circumstances" was signed off by SCO members China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan should therefore factor into the considerations of those beating the drums for a military strike against Iran. Hardly insignificant, as the SCO statement was signed by all members.

Something for both Washington and Tel Aviv hawks to consider.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1206/S00384/iran-looks-to-china-and-russia-for-military-support.htm