Headlines for 12-30-07

Iran nuclear plant to start in summer 2008


France to halt links with Syria Links will be restored only when France has proof that Syria is not blocking progress towards installing a consensus president in Lebanon, Mr Sarkozy said.


OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS BY THE SURVIVORS OF THE USS LIBERTY it. The power the Israeli Lobby has over you is only slightly less sickening than what is your willingness to bow to their every damned demand. You are as guilty of murdering my shipmates as the Israelis are.


Mubarak, Sarkozy urge Syria to help solve Lebanon's crisis Both leaders agree to mobilize the necessary political and economic support for the Palestinian National Authority to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people and to provide the proper atmosphere for serious negotiations to achieve their aspirations to set up an independent state, Mubarak said


US Congressmen secure Syria pledge to free dissidents Specter also sounded an upbeat note about the prospects for movement on the peace process between Syria and Israel which has been frozen since 2000, saying it was now generally accepted that Israel would have to return the Golan Heights which it seized in 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981.


Assad ready for peace? After meeting Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) told The Associated Press he believes Assad is ready to discuss peace with Israel. U.S. Rep Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) also attended the meeting.


Israel may get 'super-cannon' ISRAEL is trying to buy a super rapid-fire cannon from America to protect strategic installations from primitive Palestinian rockets.

Headlines for 12-29-07

Khamenei warns of 'enemy plots' ahead of Iran vote


Ron Paul excluded from Fox News forum


Vermont town seeks Bush, Cheney arrests


Syria tells US senator it values dialogue Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said that Damascus values dialogue with Washington in a meeting with visiting US Senator Arlen Specter on Saturday, official media reported.


Bin Laden says U.S. seeks to exploit Iraqi oil The militant leader also vowed in a recording posted on an Islamist Web site on Saturday to expand jihad to liberate all Palestinian land "from the (Mediterranean) sea to the (Jordan) river" and said his group will never recognize Israel.




Shell delays decision on Iran project again Royal Dutch Shell has again delayed a decision on whether to press ahead with controversial investments in Iran, as Europe's largest oil and gas company weighs up the increasing costs of the project and political opposition in the United States.


U.S. court overturns $156 million award in terror case The decision is the latest setback for U.S. government efforts to implicate U.S. Muslim charities in funding Islamic terrorism.


Syria sees no peace before Israel quits Golan Heights


Balance of Power Is Continuing to Shift From the US the US military "surge" in Iraq, coupled with the growing expectations that America is not going to attack Iran in 2008 and that the Israeli-Palestinian peace will continue to "process," will allow the Bush Administration will sit out most of next year without igniting a major explosion in the region that could put even more downward pressure on the US geo-strategic position and bring about a massive increase in energy prices, unless that is, Israel decides to attack Iran.


Brownsville Muslims pray for Bhutto, victims of attack ?(Terrorists) are opportunists and hypocrites. They are criminals, they are not clerics. When the terrorists attacked America they were not fighting for Islam, they are fighting for themselves,?


Bhutto killing sets off alarms in Israel over Pakistan's nukes "If the government fell into extremist hands, the bomb also falls into the hands of extremists," Rosen told JTA "You don?t need to worry about a nuclear Iran; you have a nuclear Pakistan in the hands of extremists."

Headlines for 12-28-07

"Failed state" Pakistan raises nuclear threat Pakistan, not Iran, has nukes NOW.


Russia denies selling new air defence system to Iran "The question of selling Iran an S-300 anti-air missile system... is not on the agenda, is not being discussed and is not being talked currently about with the Iranian side," the Federal Service for Military Cooperation said in a statement.


Turkey ready to stage new raids against PKK in northern Iraq Turkey said Friday it would continue its military operations against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, after several attacks this month against members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).


Iran gets 2nd Russian fuel shipment Iran received the second shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia on Friday for a power plant being constructed in the southern Iranian town of Bushehr, the official news agency IRNA reported.


France could provide Egypt with nuclear help: Sarkozy


Kucinich: Candidates Must Answer for Their Foreign Policy Stands on Pakistan and the Middle East They have failed to offer substantive approaches to address continuing tensions and hostilities among Israelis, Palestinians, and the Lebanese people."


9,000 refugee children from Nahr El Bared camp return to school because of 'Dubai Cares' Most of the children from the heavily damaged Nahr El Bared camp in Lebanon have already been able to return to school thanks to a donation of US$ 1.277 million made by Dubai Cares


Foreign Ministry plans to drop Syria from 'radical axis' list

Headlines for 12-27-07

Gates Led Realist Resurgence in 2007 To the great frustration of neoconservatives, in particular, both men have spoken out publicly during the past year against the possibility of war with Iran in what sometimes appeared to be a deliberate, Gates-backed effort against the overheated rhetoric of the hawks.


Jonah Goldberg Takes on Ron Paul


Paul: 'We're getting ready to bomb Iran' ** Despite a recent National Intelligence Estimate finding that Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program, libertarian-leaning GOP presidential contender Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) says there is still "a great possibility" of US military action against the country.


No proof Iranian gov't behind IEDs: Afghan diplomat On Tuesday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay alleged that many IEDs in Afghanistan have come from Iran.


US to expand mily presence in Pakistan


Saudi arms sale may spark Bush-Congress battle A plan to sell Saudi Arabia highly accurate Boeing Co bomb-guidance kits is roiling Israel's backers in the Congress, setting up a potential clash with President George W. Bush.


Syria says Israel's aura of invincibility is long gone


Mubarak gives Israel message from Assad Egypt passed Israel a peacemaking message from Bashar Assad.


AMIA prosecutor in Israel to discuss terrorism Iran was connected to two terrorist attacks in Argentina, their prosecutor asserted during a visit to Israel.


We Are All Prisoners Now All Americans should note the ominous implications of the inability of Homeland Security to distinguish an American citizen from a terrorist.


Report: Turkey using drones in N. Iraq with help of Israeli crews


Ron Paul insists: 'Israel encourages Americans to go into Iran' ** Russert showed him a quote of something he said on CNN: "Israel is dependent on us, you know, for economic means. We send them these billions of dollars and then they depend on us. They say, well, you know, we don't like Iran. You go fight our battles. You bomb Iran for us. And they become dependent on us."

Headlines for 12-26-07

Iran insists on border deal with Iraq


US concerned by Russian sale of air defense systems to Iran


Panel would target homegrown terror The National Commission on the Prevention of Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism is the brainchild of Sen. Joe Lieberman,


Iran ready to restore diplomatic ties with Egypt: Ahmedinejad Iran is willing to resume full diplomatic ties with Cairo if Egypt expresses its readiness, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday.


Turkish jets in fresh Iraq strike


Turkey praises US help as jets bomb northern Iraq


CIA Torture and other War Crimes - Philip Giraldi


New York Times Retracts Smear Against Ron Paul


Report: NIEs have value, with limits Pro-Israelis still trying to debunk the NIE.


Iranian Jewish leader calls immigration of 40 Jews to Israel a 'misinformation campaign'


Israel, Saudis, Egypt buy most U.S. arms Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are consistently among the top five purchasers of U.S. arms.


U.S. senators talk Israeli-Syria peace


Russia offers Iran missile defense The S-300 is similar to the United States' Patriot missile defense system which can stop incoming missiles and warplanes. We arm Israel and Russia arms Iran. So is it basically a US-Russian proxy war?


About 2000 Palestinian Refugees to Settle in S. Early Next Year UNHCR is exerting efforts to arrange necessary funds for resettlement of 2000 Palestinian refugees in Sudan by the beginning of the next year. These refugees are currently staying on common borders between Iraq and Syria


The Benefits of Palestinian Economic Collapse By Daniel Pipes


Olmert said awaiting Syrian signal about talks


Poll: More Saudis like U.S. Forty percent expressed a favorable opinion of the United States, up from 11 percent in May 2006. At the same time, 50 percent have an unfavorable opinion, down from 89 percent.

Headlines for 12-25-07

Iraq Kurds warn Turkey over raids The bombing targeted safe and secure areas and innocent people,"


Turk Iraq raids 'killed hundreds' Turkish forces have killed hundreds of Kurdish rebels and struck more than 200 targets in northern Iraq in the past 10 days, the Turkish military has said.


Iran and Russia meet to discuss defense cooperation


US institute: Israel could survive nuclear war ** Even if Iran gained the means and knowledge to create nuclear weapons, according to the report it would still be limited to 100 kiloton weapons, which can cause a far smaller radius of destruction than the 1 megaton bombs Israel allegedly possesses. .......The report cites Israel's Arrow missile defense system as an obstacle facing a possible Iranian strike and says that it could shoot down most of the missiles. Israel, on the other hand, would be capable of hitting most of the Iranian cities with pinpoint accuracy due to the high resolution satellite imagery systems at its disposal.


Idea of McCain-Lieberman ticket is the buzz at Orthodox parley "Do you believe we're facing an existential threat to the state of Israel and the United States from Islamo-Nazi terror?" he asked with rhetorical flourish at one point during the session at the O.U. event. "Or do you believe, as the Democrats do, that President Bush is more of a threat to world peace than the Iranian mullahs?" Across the board, Medved insisted, the Republican candidates are more solidly pro-Israel and ready to take on Iran than any of the Democrats. "



Iranian Jews immigrate to Israel The new immigrants were offered $10,000 each by Zionist charities to make the move, officials said. More than 200 Iranians have immigrated to Israel in 2007, up from 65 the year before.

Headlines for 12-24-07

Iran wants talks with US ambassador


Iran's first home-built nuclear plant ready in 9 years: MP


Bush backs Turkish strikes on Kurdish rebels: Anatolia


Bush Seeks to Restore Tattered U.S. Image With Heavy '08 Travel Democrats long have criticized Bush's doctrine of pre- emptive war to prevent terrorist attacks and the rhetoric he used to confront adversaries such as Iran. Some of the president's fellow Republicans have started to call for a reversal as well.




Iran to tender 19 nuclear plants: report


Monroe Doctrine Under Siege by Iranians Remember when Ronald Reagan warned more than 20 years ago that Soviet- and Cuban-backed revolutionaries were just "two days' driving time from Harlingen, Texas?" Well, the folks at Commentary, now under the editorship of John Podhoretz, are busy raising a similar specter, only it's Iran this time.


Report: Iran Would Suffer Up to 20 Million Casualties in Nuclear War With Israel ** The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also estimates that between 200,000 and 800,000 Israelis would be killed, the Jerusalem Post reported.......It estimates that a nuclear war would last approximately three weeks and ultimately end with the annihilation of Iran, based on Israel's alleged possession of sophisticated and powerful nuclear weapons. So you see, it is difficult to imagine that Iran would ever even think of using its nuclear weapons that it is purportedly developing (according to Israel) against that nation.


Smearing Ron Paul


Ron Paul vs. the Dirty Tricksters


A Wise Man Looks at the World The thing is, is the government willing to at least listen to some of these grievances? When Mrs. Rice says publicly, Israel must continue to bombard Lebanon--it never happened since the UN has been created...that the Security Council says, Go on. Israel planted these fragmentation bombs after the ceasefire. These fragmentation bombs are from America. It's allowed by the Americans. So, people don't believe anything the Americans say, and it's not bias.


ADL Lists Top Issues Affecting Jews in 2007 ? Restarting the Peace Process
? The Iranian Nuclear Threat


They Do Not Exist, And That Is Official With the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, many Palestinians fled their homeland to Lebanon. Today, there are approximately 400,000 refugees living in the 'Land of the Cedars', some with no documentation, and not registered with either the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) or the Lebanese authorities.



Hatred, discrimination have no place in Islam: Al-Mahri Saying he hopes peace and prosperity will reign in the Muslim and Christian worlds Shiite leader Sayed Mohammed Baqer Al-Mahri was recently quoted as saying Islam not only respects all heavenly religions but also the Prophets including Prophet Jesus Christ.....He added the Palestinian Muslims and Christians in the Holy Land share a common culture and beliefs.


Israel Upholds Use of Cluster Bombs Israeli military prosecutors have decided not to take any legal action over Israel's use of cluster bombs during last year's war in Lebanon, the army said Monday, closing an investigation into a practice that has drawn heavy criticism from the U.N. and international human rights groups. Israel exonerates itself again.

Headlines for 12-23-07

Soldiers seek families for Iraqi orphans Having overcome great obstacles to adopt an Iraqi orphan with cerebral palsy, Scott Southworth is spearheading an effort to find families to care for another 21 disabled children from that unhappy land.


U.S. praises Iran curbs on Sadr militia in Iraq


Anti-war groups target Bush on Iran ** Major anti-Iraq war groups have made preventing war with Iran a priority for next year


Israel preparing public for war


Syria says US 'torpedoing' Lebanon deal: report "At the moment when Syria and France were searching for a way forward on Lebanon, the US scurried to send two envoys to Lebanon --- Elliott Abrams and David Welch -- known for their partiality to Israel, with the aim of torpedoing an accord between the different factions in Lebanon,"


N.J. to disinvest from Iran Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to sign the bill, initiated in New Jersey by NORPAC, a pro-Israel political action committee

Headlines for 12-22-07

No progress on American missing in Iran: wife The wife of a ex-FBI agent missing in Iran since March said on Saturday she received no new information about his fate during a pre-Christmas trip to the Islamic republic to search for her husband.


Iraq children 'paying high price'


Turkey in fresh Iraq air strikes


U.S. Envoy Says Iran Could Revive Halted Nuclear Arms Program


It's Common Sense, Not Pacifism We should go to war only in self-defense. I don't believe the American people wish to adopt Iraq and Afghanistan as permanent wards of the taxpayers. I don't believe they want to keep burying sons and daughters whose deaths don't make America safer. That's not pacifism. It's common sense.



Gates warns of Al Qaeda shift


Iranian ex-president attacks hardliners A popular former president has resumed his attacks against hardline Iranian clerics threatening to disqualify reformists from upcoming elections.


US 'risks running out of funds' for Iraq, Afghanistan wars


Justifying the Iraq War: Why the NIE Is Wrong


Russia seeks role in Israel-Syria talks Turkey has also played this role in recent months. But while the Turks are believed to have better personal contacts with the Syrians, the Russians - because of their arms sales to Syria and their overall status as a world power - are believed to have much more leverage with Damascus.


'Children of Jihad' Author Hits at Misconceptions about Middle-East I remember one of them put his hand on my shoulder and said, "We don't care that you're Jewish, we don't care you're American. We hate the American government and we hate the Israeli government, but Jewish people and American people have done nothing to us." ......What I hope and one of the main reasons I wrote "Children of Jihad" was because on paper as a young American Jew, I'm probably the last person that should be able to get along with people from different backgrounds in the Middle East. And the reality is, I found that youth culture there was more similar to me than it was different. Everyone should read this in its entirety. He speaketh the truth. Most of the folks int the Middle East,particularly the youth, are NOT masked jihadis hell bent on killing us. Fact.


Iran Polls Better Than US in Saudi Arabia 57 percent of respondents said they opposed the development by Iran of nuclear weapons. Thirty-eight percent said they would favor the US and other countries taking military action to prevent the Iranians from obtaining such a weapon, compared to 27 percent who said the US should accept a nuclear-armed Iran.

Headlines for 12-21-07

US envoy urges Iran to own up to nuclear weapons programme


Rice: U.S. open to Iran, Syria talks if they change policy


US hits at Chinese oil deal with Iran


No More Slam Dunks by Philip Giraldi ** An alarmed Israel, where the report?s conclusions have been rejected by both politicians and media, is considering taking unilateral action against the principle Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz. If Israel were to attack Iran, it would need Washington?s help, and U.S. forces would almost certainly be involved in any Iranian retaliation......Both the Iraq NIE and the 2005 NIE on Iran suffered from White House staffers, mostly neoconservatives from Vice President Cheney?s office, participating in the review process. To deal with the problem of such political pressure, Director of Central Intelligence Michael Hayden and DNI Mike McConnell isolated analysts from policymakers and also took steps to deal with the groupthink problem. The efforts of these guys who refused to be cowed by the neoconservatives can not be overstated. God bless 'em.


Zogby: Ron Paul Will Surprise You


Outgoing senior FM official calls for military pact with Washington ** Signing a defense pact with the U.S. would mean that Washington would treat any attack on Israel as an attack on the U.S. and would act to protect Israel or retaliate against the assailant. However, such a pact could also limit Israel because it would require the Americans' approval for any military act Israel would consider.
Oh bullsh#t. The sovereignty of this nation, the national security of this nation has been utterly compromised by foreign elements. Israel seeks to make ITS problems OUR problems to the detriment of THIS nation.


U.S. needs to engage Tehran, not order it around


Antiwar.com's Man of the Year: Thomas Fingar Antiwar.com chooses Thomas Fingar, the principal author of the recently-issued National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. As the Guardian put it: "Almost single-handedly he has stopped ? or, at the very least, postponed ? any U.S. military action against Iran."......Fingar has apparently been fighting the War Party ? notably, John Bolton ? in the corridors of power, and his recent victory in the NIE matter marks a turning point in the fight to re-take American foreign policy from the neoconservatives who hijacked it so effectively after 9/11.


Hariri court to be based in former Dutch intelligence HQ: official


Bush proposal threatens Lebanon stability: Hezbollah Hezbollah said on Friday a proposal by U.S. President George W. Bush for Lebanon's Western-backed governing coalition to elect a new president unilaterally was a threat to the country's stability.


Bolton back on JINSA board JINSA, which promotes security ties between Israel and the United States and other U.S. allies, shares Bolton's outspoken criticism of Bush administration overtures to North Korea and what he says is the slow pace of U.S. efforts to confront Iran.



Rabbis join clerical call for Iran talks A number of rabbis have joined Christian and Muslim clerics in signing a plea for direct U.S.-Iran talks.


Congress must stand up to Israel If we get a new president next year we can hope that person has the courage to assert our sovereignty and require the State of Israel to honor the U.N. Security Council resolutions and return the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinian people. It is in the interest of all of us. Amen.


Project to lure Jews out of Iran proves unsuccessful "If there is an attack by either the United States or Israel on Iran, it seems clear to me that even the Iranian Jews know it would be too late at that point for them to get out or not be persecuted," Eckstein said. "In my opinion, they are playing a very dangerous game of not committing to come out to Israel.".......For the past 25 years, the IFCJ has given millions of dollars solicited from evangelical Christians in the United States to help Jews immigrate to Israel from the former Soviet Union, India, Argentina and the United States. Some evangelicals believe that the return of Jews to Israel will hasten Christ's second coming.


What Will Israel Do? ** "I came back from a trip to Israel in November convinced that Israel would attack Iran," Bruce Riedel, a former career CIA official and senior adviser to three U.S. presidents--including Bush--on Middle East and South Asian issues, told me Thursday, citing conversations he had with Mossad and defense officials. "And that was before the NIE. This makes it even more likely. Israel is not going to allow its nuclear monopoly to be threatened." .........One reason for Bush's abruptly announced nine-day visit to the region in mid-January is to deal with the fallout from the NIE, which includes not only the possibility that Israel will act unilaterally but also that Bush's prized Annapolis peace process will stall.

Headlines for 12-20-07

Iranians hope Ahmadinejad hajj will help Arab ties


Powers fail to reach deal on Iran sanctions


Iran reactor 'to open late 2008'


Regime-change fears drive Iran's vice crackdown analysts say that what appeared to be just another cleanup when it began last spring is proving to be a strategic effort to protect the regime from "vulnerabilities" that could be exploited by archenemies such as the United States.....on the Internet, Iran's security services have become familiar with American regime-change neoconservatives such as Michael Ledeen, who has argued that with US support, "we could liberate Iran in less than a year."


More women report sex assaults in Iraq A woman who claims she was raped by a fellow employee while working for a U.S. contractor in Iraq told House lawmakers Wednesday that her case is far from unique.


Paul shaping up as spoiler in GOP race It wasn't long ago that Rep. Ron Paul was an anti-war asterisk in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Then his campaign raised a record $6 million in a single day.


U.S. commanders angered to learn of bombing flight U.S. military commanders in Iraq didn't know Turkey was sending warplanes to bomb in northern Iraq until the planes had already crossed the border, said defense and diplomatic officials, who were angered about being left in the dark.



Iraq rock band breaks ground with first Arabic single The Iraqi rockers, who are in their mid- to late-20s, moved to Britain after the invasion to fine-tune their music knowledge.


Syria says working for end to Lebanon crisis Syria is working to help resolve Lebanon's presidential crisis, the foreign minister said on Thursday, responding to reports that France's patience was wearing thin with Damascus over a stalled presidential election.


Judge: U.S. rightly excluded scholar he was excluded on the grounds that he aided a terrorist group by making charitable contributions from 1998 to 2002.....The United States did not outlaw contributions to the group until 2003.



'Bad for the Jews' Take a look at the agendas of some of the most influential Jewish organizations, like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Anti-Defamation League, the Zionist Organization of America and the American Jewish Committee itself; each has historically associated itself with the hawkish side of the debate--and some have done so even when Israel took the more dovish side (the Jewish equivalent of being holier than the Pope).


Israel's supporters should push for talks with Iran The release of the NIE report should prompt more than silence from Jerusalem, however. It should prompt a re-thinking of Israel?s -- and the pro-Israel community in America?s -- approach toward Iran


Bush 'loses patience' with Syria "The reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq, and he destabilises Lebanon."


Report: Cluster bomb left over from war kills man in S. Lebanon The bomb went off as Mohammad Hamzeh was collecting firewood in the town of Zibqine near the southern port city of Tyre. According to the National News Agency, Hamzeh was instantly killed.

Headlines for 12-19-07

Ex-CIA man predicts U.S. war with Iran ** Those who hope to prevent a military conflict in Iran should make their voices heard, he said......He cited the close American relationship with Israel, which he said considers Iran a threat, as a driving force behind a potential strike.



Turkey raid an 'attack on sovereignty', Iraq says


Iran starts second stage of maritime war games in Gulf waters


Iranian released from US custody in Iraq


Bush's bid to punish Iranian banks stalls The Bush administration's new policy of penalizing Iranian banks is facing a critical challenge as financial institutions in Russia, China and much of the Middle East decline to cut ties, analysts and diplomats say.


Turkey says U.S. intelligence led to Iraq raids


Saudis biggest group of al Qaeda Iraq fighters: study Given that, why aren't the neocons calling for an attack on THAT nation, mm?


Neocons Won't Let Facts Stand in the Way of Iran 'Threat'


Russia and Poland to Discuss U.S. Missile Shield


Russia wants more clarity on U.S. anti-missile plan Russia wants more concrete reasons from Washington as to why it plans to build an anti-missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.


Senate Approves $70 Billion To Continue Wars The US House of Representatives was expected to vote Wednesday on a Senate-approved budget bill for 2008 that includes 70 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan


Putin hopes U.S. had no hidden agenda in Iran nuclear report ** Putin said it is theoretically possible that the report was published to "divert Iran's attention from preparations for military action," which would be a "grave mistake."



US warrantless wiretapping predates 9/11


Iraq's other Kurdish rebel group the PJAK continues to operate against Iran from the Iraqi side of the border, and the Iranian government alleges it does so with American financial support.


Senate OKs terror accountability bill The bill particularly targets Iran, which has yet to pay the $2.7 billion in damages awarded to families of the 241 servicemen killed in a 1983 attack by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah on a U.S. Marines barrack in Beirut.



Europeans protest Austria-Iran deal European activists are protesting a planned deal between an Austrian energy company and Iran.


Paul rakes in millions despite low polling among GOP


Bush to make first presidential visit to Israel Bush will find a receptive audience in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states over his concerns about Iran's increasing dominance in the region. Bush insists that Iran remains a potential threat to world peace in spite of a US intelligence analysis that it had stopped a nuclear weapons programme in 2003.


Kristol, Krauthammer Are Out of Time


Foreigners head to Syria to learn Arabic Syrians point to the young foreigners in the capital as proof that their country ? which is under U.S. sanctions and on its list of state supporters of terrorism ? is not the closed, anti-American rogue nation often depicted in Western media.


Sarkozy demands Syrian action on Lebanon: report


Mideast peace in 2008 unlikely due to U.S. vote: Assad Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said achieving Middle East peace in 2008 looked unrealistic because the United States would be preoccupied with the presidential election.


Palestinian refugees from Iraq stranded in desert camp Many have known no home outside Baghdad ? they're the offspring of parents who settled in Iraq in 1948 after being driven from Haifa as when Israel became an independent nation


Mazuz: Int'l law not broken in Kfar Kana Israel exonerates itself from blame for another war crime.


Israel tests advanced Patriot Israel tested an advanced version of the U.S.-supplied Patriot missile.


Israel worried about Hamas hajjis Israel believes that hundreds of Palestinians who left on the pretext of a pilgrimage will receive military training in Iran.


Congress approves extra anti-terror funds Jewish groups have received a lion?s share of the funds since the program was instituted by the Department of Homeland Security in 2005. Last year they received 251 of the 308 grants awarded.


The Wages of Intervention Turkish-Syrian-Iranian rapprochement has provoked the wrath of the Israel lobby in Washington, and this was a key factor in getting the Armenian genocide resolution through Congress, which further alienated Ankara.



Assad: We rejected nukes in '01 The Syrian president said in an interview published Wednesday that in 2001, his regime was approached by Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan's atomic architect, who offered in a letter to sell Damascus nuclear missiles. "We do not know if the letter was authentic or if it was an Israeli trap,"



Assassination Jars Nascent US Détente With Syria it seems that Washington's move toward détente with Damascus is being strained again, and as usual, the latest flashpoint is Lebanon, or rather, the assassination of a political figure in Lebanon. Awful strange, that.

Headlines for 12-18-07

Pentagon report to accuse Iran of fueling Iraq strife: media A Pentagon report to be released Tuesday will accuse Iran of continuing to funnel weapons and technology to fighters in neighboring Iraq even as it cites lower violence overall, US media said. Cheney and the neocons had to cook up something, in light of the NIE findings.


Wife of missing American arrives in Iran


Iran sees Bushehr plant at full capacity in one year: official Iran expects its first nuclear power plant will produce electricity at full capacity in around a year after passing a "critical stage" with the delivery of fuel from Russia, a top official said on Tuesday.


Did Bush Get New Iran Intel Last Winter?


Turkey: Another Ally Lost by Philip Giraldi Giraldi reveals the Israel factor with respect to US-Turkey relations.


FCC votes to ease media ownership restrictions The Federal Communications Commission voted on Tuesday to loosen media ownership restrictions in the 20 biggest U.S. cities, despite objections from consumer groups and a threat by some senators to revoke the action.


Bush: Iran still a threat "We need to take their threats seriously about what they have said about one of our allies, Israel," Bush said during a speech Monday in Fredericksburg, Va. "And therefore my attitude hasn't changed toward Iran."


LEBANON: Palestinians Brave a Hazardous Profession An unprecedented hundreds of thousands of cluster bombs were scattered throughout south Lebanon's rural towns, agricultural fields and valleys by Israel in the final days of last year's summer conflict. There have been 26 fatalities since the conflict's end, and 196 wounded.


Lebanon's turmoil worries Israel as Iran, Syria make power plays


Recruiting begins for anti-Iran coalition Jewish umbrella groups have asked constituents to recruit non-Jewish supporters to an anti-Iran coalition.


Evidence of extremism in mosques 'fabricated' A rightwing thinktank which claimed to have uncovered extremist literature on sale at dozens of British mosques was last night accused of basing a report on fabricated evidence


Gov't official: No 'smoking gun' on Iran Israel does not have "smoking gun" intelligence that will force an American reassessment of its National Intelligence Estimate that Iran halted its nuclear weapons plan in 2003, a government official told The Jerusalem Post Monday. ......The official said it was clear that the Americans pretty much know what Israel knows about the Iranian nuclear program and that the difference is not over the facts but rather over their interpretation.

Headlines for 12-17-07

Iran vows to continue uranium enrichment program Iran says it is still planning to expand its controversial uranium enrichment program, amid news it has just received its first shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia.


Russia makes 1st nuke shipment to Iran Russia has made its first shipment of nuclear fuel to an Iranian nuclear power plant at the center of the international tensions over Tehran's atomic program, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.


US denies backing Turkey PKK raid The US has denied it gave permission for Turkish aircraft to carry out air strikes against Kurdish PKK separatist rebels in northern Iraq on Sunday.


Russia ignores West's Iran fears


Bush supports Russia sending enriched uranium to Iran


U.S. urges Iran to freeze atomic work after Russian nuclear deliveries


Iran says to discuss Iraq "terrorist groups" with US


U.S., Israel meet to discuss Iran U.S. officials told JTA that John Rood, the assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation, flew to Israel for the negotiations Sunday night. Rood is meeting with Foreign Ministry Director Aharon Abramowitz, as well as officials from the Israeli defense ministry, the Mossad and the Foreign Ministry?s Strategic Affairs Department, according to Ha'aretz......Israeli officials told Ha'aretz that they plan to give Rood their most up-to-date information about Iran?s nuclear program


Iran to Azerbaijan: Show proof for claims of spying on Israel Tehran on Sunday demanded that Azerbaijan provide evidence to back up the convictions of more than a dozen people found guilty of passing information about Western interests to Iranian intelligence.


US Must Reevaluate Its Relationship With Israel by Scott Ritter ** In threatening the world with war because America opted for once to embrace fact instead of fiction, Israel, sadly, has become like a cornered beast, lashing out at any and all it perceives to threaten its security interests......The United States must redefine its national security priorities in the Middle East and position Israel accordingly. At the very least, American aid must be linked to Israeli behavior modification. The standards America applies to other nations around the world when it comes to receiving aid must likewise apply to Israel. Mr. Ritter speaketh my language. My kinda guy :)


Linkage of two conflicts key to peace in Mideast The long-running struggle between Israel and the Palestinian people "is the mother-of-all grievances" for many in the Muslim world ? and the United States' backing of Israel is the root cause of the antagonism that many in the Muslin world harbor for this country, Levy argues......Last month, Levy helped draft an open letter from a bipartisan group of U.S. foreign policy experts to President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It urged them to back a peace agreement that returns Israel to its 1967 borders and creates an independent Palestinian nation. It also called for Jerusalem, which both the Palestinians and Israelis claim, to serve as the capital of both states.


'Iranian threat not understood' Defense officials said recently that Gantz's new position would be of extreme importance for Israel in the coming years, ahead of possible military action against Iran and an American withdrawal from Iraq that could have potentially detrimental consequences for Israel.

Headlines for 12-16-07

Iran says no date fixed for atom plant completion Iran says no date has been fixed for completing its first nuclear power plant, but Russia is serious about finishing the long-delayed project.


U.S. boosts presence along Iranian border Containing Iran "is now clearly part of our mission,"


IAEA in full control of Iran's nuclear program: Russia


Russian general says Pentagon is seeking direct confrontation with Moscow Russia's top military officer on Saturday accused the United States of seeking direct confrontation with Moscow and warned again that U.S. plans to deploy missile defenses in Europe would destabilize the continent.


'US backed' Turkish raids on Iraq Turkey's air strikes against Kurdish rebels in Iraq on Sunday were approved by the United States in advance, the Turkish military has said.


Poland will listen to Moscow on missile shield


New UN sanctions against Iran 'rather improbable,' Ahmadinejad says


Ahmadinejad says nuclear report marked US U-turn on Iran "It is a clear U-turn. It is an evolution within the US administration. It marks a stepping back" on the part of the White House, Ahmadinejad told state television in an interview.


Iran to Let Missing US Man's Wife Visit


Iran may now be cooperating with U.S. in Iraq As violence continues to decline in Iraq, a debate is growing in Washington over whether Iran deserves a share of the credit......"There were people in the administration who explicitly questioned the assessments of these generals in Iraq who suggested Iran was being more constructive,"


Iraq demands halt to Turkish air strikes in north


Is Bush Stopped in His Tracks on Iran? ** The tug of war between those within the administration who advocate as many as 1,000 air strikes on suspected Iranian nuclear facilities and those who oppose an attack will be the most dramatic battle of the final Bush years.


U.S. must work to restore image, credibility around the world By Sen. Carl Levin The unilateral policies of the Bush administration, the cockiness of some of its rhetoric, and the dramatic and vivid reports of our abusing prisoners have hurt us


Olmert muzzles Cabinet on Iran Ehud Olmert ordered his Cabinet ministers to keep quiet on Iran's nuclear program.


Lieberman set to endorse McCain Both were outspoken supporters of the idea of invading Iraq.


Israel plays down split with US on Iran The Israelis are also hoping to receive additional information from the U.S. report, which for the most part was classified, the officials said. .....The U.S. and Israel will hold additional formal meetings on the matter in coming weeks, the Israeli officials said. Israel will use these forums to try to persuade the Americans that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, and to present top secret Israeli intelligence material, the officials said.


Israel unveils new strategy on Iran There have been calls within the government to reveal at least part of the Israeli assessments of the Iranian programme, but these have been rebuffed by the intelligence community.


Israeli team in US to counter new Iran assessment: press


Paul campaign balloons as cash keeps rolling in flush with cash from an impressive online fundraising operation, the maverick Paul has upgraded his operation. He now crisscrosses the country on private charter jets. And avid supporters have even rented a blimp to spread the word about the "Ron Paul Revolution."


MCCAIN'S BOMB, BOMB IRAN HECKLER He then asked what the senator will do with Iran in light of the NIE report.


U.S. Bolton criticises Bush foreign policy - magazine "I am not as confident as the intelligence services that Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons programme."


Ron Paul raises millions in today's Boston Tea Party event


Israel rules out attacks by Hezbollah, Syria in 2008: report Israel's Aman military intelligence does not think that Syria or Lebanon's Hezbollah militia will carry out a largescale offensive against Israel in 2008, an Israeli daily said on Sunday.


It's time to stop the hypocrisy of U.S.- Saudi relationship Odds are the legislation proffered by Specter, Widen and Weiner will die on the vine, never making it out of committee; I'm afraid the Saudi lobby will win this battle easily. Indeed, similar legislation in recent years has gone nowhere, even when there was the hardest of evidence proving that the Saudi government was paying the families of suicide murderers and directly supporting Hamas. One reason for the past failure was the lack of a concerted, unified push by the legendary pro-Israel lobby.
Note the source.


Azerbaijan: 15 convicted of treason gave Iran information on Israel n a statement released Saturday, the National Security Ministry revealed new details about the group, which allegedly passed to Iranian agents details on Western embassies, companies, pipeline operations and employees operating in Azerbaijan in 2005-2006.
This just seems like it's bull and may be a precursor for other things to come.

Headlines for 12-15-07

Russia warns of US missile shield retaliation THE planned deployment of US interceptor missiles in Poland could trigger a missile strike by Russia if those missiles are ever used, the Russian army's chief of staff has warned.


Is World War III on hold? by Patrick J. Buchanan **


Midwest City Fights Back Against Iran War-Mongering**


No Prosecution for State Dept Official Accused of Sexual Assault The Department of Justice declined to prosecute a State Department employee who allegedly sexually assaulted a female Halliburton/KBR worker in Iraq, despite a recommendation from the State Department that he be charged, according to an internal document obtained by ABC News.


U.S. paid $32M for Iraqi base that wasn't built The U.S. military paid a Florida company nearly $32 million to build barracks and offices for Iraqi army units even though nothing was ever built, Pentagon investigators reported.


Israel: US report on Iran may spark war ** Israel will work to change the American intelligence agencies' view of Iran, said Dichter, a former chief of Israel's Shin Bet secret service agency


Russia says no forces build-up after CFE freeze


Israel fails to convince US of Iran's 'serious' nuclear threat


New Poll: Americans Don't Believe Iran Suspended Nuclear Program A new bipartisan poll (Word Document) commissioned by The Israel Project (TIP) LOL.


Jerusalem troubled by political deadlock gripping Lebanon Israel is becoming increasingly concerned with the deadlock in Lebanon over the election of a new president and the possibility that Hizbullah will gain a third of the seats in the cabinet, granting it the power to veto major government decisions That would explain this.


Israeli FM rules out peace talks with Syria due to Damascus' "current conduct"


Liquidation of Empire With just a year to go in his Presidency, it increasing appears that Bush-43?s chief legacy may be the liquidation of our empire, accumulated during the so-called American Century.

Headlines for 12-14-07

Iran reformists criticize Ahmadinejad's policies A coalition of Iranian reformists on Friday criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his hardline policies and said they were worsening a crisis with the international community.


Iran asked to postpone talks with US: State Department US and Iranian experts postponed a meeting to discuss Iraq's security at Iran's request but the two sides will arrange a new meeting, the US State Department said Thursday.


Egypt and Saudi Arabia make new overtures to Iran David Frum, a former speech writer for President George W. Bush, who is credited with coining the phrase "axis of evil," wrote in Canada's National Post this week that the NIE is a "foundational political fact that will make it politically impossible for the Bush Administration to launch a strike at Iran's nuclear facilities."
Frum, author described here.


House Judiciary Trio Calls for Impeach Cheney Hearings "The issues at hand are too serious to ignore, including credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors under our constitution. The charges against Vice President Cheney relate to his deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens."


Al-Qaida No2 attacks Annapolis peace conference Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has attacked last month's US-sponsored Middle East peace conference as a "betrayal" of Palestine.


Bush: Syria must release arrested opposition activists


Inside Track: From Freedom Fries to War Powers by Philip Giraldi Walter Jones has introduced legislation that would change the rules for the White House and would, among other things, make it more difficult to start a new war.


U.S. lawmakers vote to hold Bolten and Rove in contempt The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to hold two top aides to President George W. Bush in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate in its probe of fired federal prosecutors.


Israel, U.S. to meet to discuss differing assessments on Iran ** Until the release of the American report, the defense establishment believed Israel might find itself involved in a military conflict with Iran in the coming year if Bush decided to act against Tehran and Iran responded against Israeli targets as well The American intelligence community stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam. They stopped this nation from going into WWIII (at the behest of a foreign nation).


House approves nuclear fuel bank Lantos aimed the proposal at rogue nations like Iran that insist their plans are for civilian nuclear energy, and not nuclear weapons.



Ron Paul: Slings and Arrows, Left and Right "In the isolationist fashion of the nation's Pat Buchanans, he decries intervention in foreign nation's affairs and believes membership in the United Nations undermines U.S. sovereignty." Such a sentence, dripping with contempt for Paul's "no entangling alliances" keep-us-out-of-war stance, might easily have appeared in the Weekly Standard, or National Review.


Journalists probed for travel to 'enemy' states A top national security commentator, a popular blogger and a travel writer are under police investigation over reporting trips to Syria and Lebanon on behalf of their Israeli news outlets.


U.S. delays Saudi arms sale Pro-Israel sources said they expected the sale to be approved as early as January, albeit after close congressional review.


UN extends Golan force mandate for six months The Security Council on Friday extended for another six months the mandate of the UN force that has for more than 33 years monitored the ceasefire between Israel and Syria on the strategic Golan Heights.


Bill includes U.S.-Israel missile coordination Under the proposal, the secretary of defense must within six months present a plan to Congress a plan "to improve the coordination, interoperability, and integration of the U.S. National Ballistic Missile Defense System with Israel?s missile defense architecture," a statement from Kirk's office said Kirk up for the AIPAC asskisser of the year award. My condolences to his constituents.


McCain names Broxmeyer top Jewish adviser Broxmeyer, a New York property developer, is national chairman for JINSA, a group that promotes close Israel-U.S. security ties and that has been one of the most consistent supporters of the Bush administration's Iraq policy. Broxmeyer has taken the lead in promoting JINSA's exchange program for Israeli and U.S. law enforcement officials.


Bush reaffirms Lebanon tribunal President Bush slammed Syria and reaffirmed his support for a tribunal investigating assassinations in Lebanon Looks like Assad got too cozy with Washington for somebody's tastes in recent weeks. Hmm? Cui bono ? Who benefits? ? is a question that must ever be asked about Middle Eastern terror - Patrick J. Buchanan.


Bill pushes Iran to pay victims The legislation is based on an earlier stand-alone bill authored by two Jewish U.S. senators, Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). It is aimed particularly at Iran, which until now has successfully resisted dipping into U.S. assets to pay close to $2.7 billion in damages won in courts by families of the 241 servicemen killed in the 1983 Hezbollah attack on a U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut.


The man with the silver tongue At the RJC forum in October, declaring that he would act to stop a nuclear Iran, Romney even spelled out some of the measures a military confrontation with Iran might entail, going further than several other candidates in raising the possibility of taking that course of action.


Lebanon mourns slain army chief

Headlines for 12-13-07

Russia, Iran 'agree nuclear deal' Mr Shmatko said the controversial delivery of nuclear fuel, after which the plant could begin operating within six months, would go ahead, although he again did not say when.


US admits 'tactical differences' with Russia, China on Iran


Some Republicans question Iran finding on Wednesday, a senior intelligence official told reporters that intelligence analysts are aware of the political tumult surrounding the report but don't worry about the political repercussions of their judgments.....Analysts focus on making certain their reports are sound, logical and based on reliable information, he said.


US marine guilty of Iraq killing


US missile shield 'needed against Iran threat' Acting Undersecretary of State John Rood has met Russian diplomats in Budapest for a series of talks to allay Russian concerns about the radars and intercepting missiles Washington plans to place in the Czech Republic and Poland.


Iran, NKorea and Mideast top Rice agenda


Iran, IAEA wrap up latest nuclear talks: official


Iran kills Sunni rebels planning attacks: police


China urges 2-track approach on Iran China wants a two-track approach in trying to resolve the dispute with Iran over its nuclear program ? a revitalized diplomatic initiative along with a new U.N. resolution on sanctions, Beijing's U.N. ambassador said Thursday,


Iranian rockets handed over by Iraqis: US-led military Iraqi civil defence members have found 14 Iranian-made rockets and handed them to coalition forces, the US-led military said on Thursday.


Key Neocons Giving Up on Iran Attack? **


1 Acquitted in Sears Tower Plot One of seven defendants was acquitted Thursday of plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and wage war against the U.S., and a mistrial was declared for the remaining six after the federal jury deadlocked on them.


Neocons Down, Not Out the NIE represented a declaration of independence by professional U.S. intelligence analysts who had been bullied by the neocons over the past three decades and especially during the run-up to the war with Iraq.....Though Bush and the neocons again find themselves on the defensive, the political battle is far from over. The neocons retain extraordinary strength within the U.S. news media as well as in the leading Washington think tanks and inside many of the presidential campaigns


Iran tests long-range missile Iran has secretly tested a new long-range missile, Israel's intelligence services said.


US wants nuclear-free Middle East US ambassador Gregory Schulte told the Gulf Studies Centre on Wednesday that "Israel never signed the (nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty, so never violated the NPT."


Secret U.S. Intelligence Court Intends To Keep Wiretap Rulings Under Wraps A secret U.S. intelligence court has issued its third public ruling in 30 years, declaring that while it agrees on the benefits of making its rulings on warrantless wiretapping public, it will keep them secret.


Waterboarding Our Democracy When the CIA destroyed those prisoner interrogation videotapes, was it also destroying the truth about 9/11? After all, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, the basic narrative of what happened on that day-and the definition of the enemy in this war on terror that George W. Bush launched in response to the tragedy-comes from the CIA's account of what those prisoners told their torturers. The commission was never allowed to interview the prisoners, or speak with those who did, and was instead forced to rely on what the CIA was willing to relay.


Lawmaker: N. Korea halts work with Syria


US Jews Tilt Rightwards on Israel The very well-endowed Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), a group of mainly pro-Likud and neoconservative donors, is also likely to play a strong role in next year's election. Several RJC leaders helped found Freedom's Watch, a group that is expected to spend as much as 200 million dollars over the next year to promote Bush's "war on terror" and more hawkish policies directed against Iran and other perceived threats to Israel's security.


Syria hints at 'Israel's connection' in Lebanese general's killing Syria condemned the killing of a senior Lebanese army officer in a blast in eastern Beirut on Wednesday and hinted that Israel may have been behind the attack,


Jewish Chauvinism in Feith's, and Friedman's, Back Pages It would be hard to think of two men who played a more significant role in pushing the Iraq war than Feith and Friedman. Both at heart romantics about Israel, they both invoked Israel's security in justifying the disastrous invasion


North Korea may have aided Hezbollah: U.S. report The CRS document also cited a report by a prominent South Korean academic, Moon Chung-in, that the Mossad Israeli intelligence agency believed that "vital missile components" used by Hezbollah against Israel came from North Korea.


Iran condemns general's assassination IRAN has strongly condemned the killing of a top Lebanese army officer, and said Israel is the only one to benefit from unrest in Lebanon, state television has reported.


Bush balks at call for Syria info President Bush is threatening to veto an intelligence bill in part because it would require revelations about an Israeli strike on Syria......Ros-Lehtinen is close to the pro-Israel community and hopes to use the revelation to justify further sanctions on Syria. Ros-Lehtinen's pro-Israel activities on Capitol Hill are borderline if not all out treasonous. She is one of Israel's top two agents therein.


Men questioned over Lebanon blast Lebanese police are questioning several men after Wednesday's car bombing in Beirut which killed a general expected to become army chief, officials say.


No time to ease up on Iran Locals dubious about newly released arms data Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project, a District-based advocacy organization, questioned the believability of NIE conclusion, and termed it "one of the most damaging things that could have been done to Israel's security in recent memory." And strangely, it was one of the most beneficial things that could have been done to AMERICA's security in recent memory. Imagine.


U.N. envoy: NIE report hurts Zhalmay Khalilzad, in remarks Thursday to the Union for Reform Judaism biennial in San Diego, said the National Intelligence Estimate has made it more difficult for the United States to push for new and tougher sanctions against Iran.


Stone to make Ahmadinejad biopic? Oliver Stone wants to make a biopic about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to Iranian press reports.


Israel's German envoy: Stand up to Iran A tough stand against Iran is necessary, he told reporters, despite U.S. intelligence reports showing that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003.


Judge Drops Contempt Citation Against Al-Arian A federal judge has lifted a civil contempt citation against a Palestinian Arab activist and former professor, Sami Al-Arian, after prosecutors essentially relented in their effort to keep him behind bars for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Islamic charities in Northern Virginia......
However, the former professor will not be released immediately



Bush warns against Syrian interference in Lebanon


Assassination pulls Lebanese army into power game Damascus has discerned the hand of Israel in the death of a man whose car was blown up back in 1976 after he refused to join a pro-Israeli militia in his southern home village of Rmeish.


Audio: Gingrich: ?US Intelligence Report on Iran is Dishonest?

Headlines for 12-12-07

Data sought on veterans' suicide The parents of an Iraq war veteran who committed suicide and members of Congress on Wednesday questioned why there's not a comprehensive tracking system of suicide among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans


Only one thing unites Iraq: hatred of the US


Ahmadinejad invited to hajj in Saudi: Iran ambassador


Iraq praises Syrian cooperation in boosting security


After bomb, US troops work to save boy


Report on Iran may scupper future sanctions


Israel eyes hitting Iran **


Israeli official: U.S. is not doing enough on Iran nukes A senior Israeli official has fiercely criticized U.S. President George Bush's administration for the way it has dealt with the Iranian nuclear issue.


Sarkozy: Israel could attack Iran ** Israel is more likely to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities than the United States, Nicolas Sarkozy said.


Appeals court strikes down parts of anti-terrorism law The San Francisco-based panel said that the ban on "material support or resources" to designated terrorists could be used to prosecute those who train members of such groups on how to peacefully resolve ongoing disputes or how to lobby the United Nations for disaster relief.


Bush to name journalist as new US image-maker He is also the editor-in-chief of The American, a bimonthly business and economics magazine of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.


The Israel Lobby and the War Party Israel is sitting pretty, right now, openly threatening its patron and financier, the United States government, with taking the Iranian nuke matter into its own hands and launching an attack on suspected nuclear facilities ? leaving U.S. troops in Iraq to face the Iranians and their Iraqi allies.


New Poll Reveals How Unrepresentative Neocon Jewish Groups Are One of the defining traits of war-loving neoconservatives is that their unrelenting and exclusive fixation on the Middle East places them loudly at the center of any foreign policy debates. That tenacity - combined with their reckless exploitation of "anti-Israel" and anti-Semitism accusations as instruments in their political rhetoric and their corresponding, deceitful equation of their own views with being "pro-Israel" - often casts the appearance that they are some sort of spokespeople for the "pro-Israel" agenda or the Jewish viewpoint.


Halevy: Israel must be in on US-Iran talks Highlighting new indications that the US government will directly engage with Iran in the near future on all issues including its nuclear program, former Mossad head Efraim Halevy said Tuesday that Israel must ensure that it is a direct participant in such contacts. Otherwise, he warned, the future of the region will be determined in a forum from which Israel is excluded.....Asked why Iran would agree to any such direct contact with Israel, Halevy said that Israel should ensure that the US makes it a precondition.


Leaders condemn Lebanon car bomb Politicians in Lebanon have condemned a bomb attack which killed a general slated to become army chief.


U.S. reps want audit of refugee aid U.S. Congress members will push Condoleezza Rice for accountability on relief funds for Palestinian refugee camps.


Bringing Iran in from the cold ** One of the reasons the NIE is so politically sensitive is that it is really not about whether a nuclear Iran threatens America but about whether it threatens Israel. The Israel connection makes it extremely difficult for any U.S. politician to advocate anything other than a confrontational stance with Iran......it's the existential threat to Israel that has allowed Bush to play let's-make-war-on-Iraq all over again, with just as little resistance. It's no accident that Bush used the inflammatory expression "nuclear holocaust" when discussing Iran in August. At an October press conference, Bush was even more explicit. "We got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel," Bush said. "So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from hav[ing] the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."



Freedom Rider: Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Neocon in Black Face Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a neocon, albeit in black face, and she goes down the line in faithful agreement with all of their horrific beliefs. "I completely and utterly agree with John Bolton that talking to Iran is a sheer waste of time." When she was honored by the American Jewish Congress in 2006 she openly called for war against Iran


Israeli Charity Saving Iraqi Children One Heart at a Time


Lebanon blames Syria, Iran for deadly blast

Headlines for 12-11-07

Major powers fail to agree on Iran sanctions: U.S.


Bush demands Iran explain nuke program


Bombed If You Do, Bombed If You Don't by Rep. Ron Paul ** The latest National Intelligence Estimate has been greeted by a mixture of relief and alarm. As I have been saying all along, Iran indeed poses no quantifiable imminent nuclear threat to us or her neighbors. It is with much alarm, however, that we see the administration continue to ratchet up the war rhetoric as if nothing has changed.


Neocons Strike Back on Iran by Philip Giraldi ** Far from being relieved to learn that the United States is not seriously threatened and would not be fighting a second war in the Middle East, the neoconservatives who have been calling for an assault on Tehran lashed out, indicating that for many, agenda driven ideology trumps reality every time. The pundits who wanted a war last week still want one this week, NIE be damned.


Iran, Syria tighten borders Iran and Syria tightened border and airport controls to help stop Iraqi militants and arms from passing through, Iraq's national security adviser said.


Dissidents dispute Iran nuke report An Iranian dissident group is disputing U.S. intelligence that Iran shelved its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Mmm k.



Softening tone, Ahmadinejad calls U.S. intelligence report 'step forward'


Remarks by President Bush and President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano in Photo Opportunity finally, I'm -- have expressed and will continue to dialogue with the President about my deep concern about Iran. Iran is dangerous. Iran -- we believe Iran had a secret military weapons program. And Iran must explain to the world why they had a program. Iran has an obligation to explain to the IAEA why they hid this program from them. Iran is dangerous, and they'll be even more dangerous if they learn how to enrich uranium.


US sees Iran threat despite warm words President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday a key US intelligence report on Iran's nuclear programme could help end decades of enmity with the United States, but Washington shot back stating that the Islamic state remains a danger.


Iran's ex-president attacks Ahmadinejad in student speech


Iraq rejects permanent U.S. bases: adviser Iraq will never allow the United States to have permanent military bases on its soil, the government's national security adviser said, calling the issue a "red line" that cannot be crossed.


Assad pledges Syrian support for Iraq reconciliation


Pakistan warns of strong response to nukes grab Pakistan's military vowed a strong response to any international attempt to seize its atomic arsenal as the army successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile on Tuesday.


Will Liberty Succumb to Federalist Society Ideology? The US Supreme Court has taken up the issue whether the executive branch can detain people indefinitely merely by declaring them to be suspected terrorists or illegal enemy combatants. The case is a habeas corpus issue and, therefore, of the utmost importance. Without the protection of habeas corpus, government can lock away anyone on the basis of unsubstantiated charges as the Guantanamo detainees have been for nearly six years.


Olmert says Iran still dangerous Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has insisted Iran's nuclear programme remains dangerous, and called on world powers to prevent it acquiring atomic weapons 'wolf! WOLF!!'


White House Fought NIE Over an Old Charge ** By November 2006, the Central Intelligence Agency had already circulated an assessment within the intelligence community that rejected the covert weapons program thesis, as Hersh reported in late November. However, Vice President Dick Cheney and his aides were trying to exclude the CIA's assessment from the NIE, a senior intelligence official told Hersh. .......Another tactic used by Cheney was to cite a new claim by Israeli intelligence that its spies inside Iran had learned that Iran had developed and tested a trigger device for a nuclear bomb......The CIA did not regard the report as reliable, especially in the absence of details that would allow verification. But Cheney asked for the original raw Israeli intelligence report, according to Hersh ? the same thing Cheney and top Pentagon officials had done in constructing their case for the invasion of Iraq in 2002.


Bush pardons do not include Scooter Libby A pardon amounts to federal forgiveness for one's crime, while a commutation cuts short an existing prison term.


U.S. report on Iran forces Israel to alter strategy ** The Israeli dilemma is how to prove Iran is cheating without being accused of trying to push the United States into war. That is why the official strategy is to work quietly behind the scenes......The new Israeli strategy is based on four main elements:
· actively pushing for stiffer international sanctions on Iran, despite the U.S. report; · working quietly behind the scenes to convince others through Israel?s own intelligence material that Iran is intent on producing nuclear weapons; · refraining from arguing with the U.S. assessment in public, lest Israel be seen to be trying to push the United States into military action against Iran; · and Israel keeping open its own military options.......the scenario that would have had the United States "take care" of Iran in return for Israeli concessions to the Palestinians has been blown out of the water.



Israel keeps up pressure on Iran ** Israel and the US seem to be working off the same intelligence sources.
The Israeli view, therefore, represents a different assessment of the same data. "Only time will tell who is right," Mr Barak said.
Well we know who was WRONG about Iraq. That's why the NIE took a different view this time (rightly so), geniuses.


Victim: Gang-Rape Cover-Up by U.S., Halliburton/KBR Legal experts say Jones' alleged assailants will likely never face a judge and jury, due to an enormous loophole that has effectively left contractors in Iraq beyond the reach of United States law.


53 die in Turkey shipwreck Seven of the 85 people on board have been rescued and 25 were reported missing, officials said. Most passengers were of Palestinian, Somalian and Iraqi origin.


A Failure of Intelligence I believe we have the opposite problem -- namely, intelligence successes. By that I mean successful disinformation operations, black propaganda operations that have promoted falsehoods for decades in an extraordinarily successful series of attempts to mislead the American people and shape U.S. foreign policy to serve neo-conservative ideological ends.



Lebanese Hezbollah supporters protest electricity outage The protestors were chanting slogans denouncing the western-backed government of Premier Fouad Seniora and some figures from the anti- Syrian majority and called for electricity to their areas to be restored.


Syria sees long way to go before reclaiming Golan


Germany frees Iranian 'bargaining chips' Germany released two jailed Iranian agents whom Israel had wanted swapped for missing airman Ron Arad.


Sarkozy and Netanyahu Met on Monday French President Nicholas Sarkozy assured opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday that he would continue to do everything possible to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.


Critics of Israel lobby draw fire


Palestinian refugees demonstrate in northern Lebanon Palestinians went on strike in northern Lebanon Tuesday to protest the delay in efforts to reconstruct the devasated Nahr al-Bared camp,


Arab group: Israel committed war crimes during Lebanon war Arab Association for Human Rights says Israel violated international humanitarian law during Second Lebanon War by 'positioning temporary and permanent military outposts in close proximity to Arab communities'. IDF: decision on where to position these installations was based solely on operational considerations


Second Committee approves text calling on Member States, United Nations system to step up promotion of agricultural technology for development Noting that Israel had recently announced the building of 307 settlement housing units on Palestinian agricultural land in East Jerusalem, he said those units would add to the settlements already established on agricultural lands in the occupied Syrian Golan and Lebanon's Shab'aa Farms, which remained under continuing Israeli occupation. The Arab Group was convinced that Israel was neither interested in agriculture nor the peace process. It pretended to be concerned about agricultural technology and development everywhere but the occupied Arab lands where it continued to adopt policies that undermined all forms of agriculture.


US Public Diplomacy Chief Departs Amid Praise, Criticism Hughes quickly embarked on a tour of the Middle East. "I came home from my very first trip and asked to see the president," she said. She says she told Mr. Bush that making progress on the creation of a Palestinian state would be the single most important thing he could do for public diplomacy among Muslims worldwide.


Frank talk about the Israel lobby


Israel PM warns Iran can develop nuclear bomb by 2010 The NIE report last week said US allegations about Iran's atomic goals had been overblown for at least two years, but that Tehran could have the capability to make a nuclear weapon by 2015.


'Kite Runner' defies film stereotypes of Muslims