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.