Headlines for 02-28-08

US send warships to eastern Med


Unprotected among brothers: Palestinians in the Arab World


Bolton Endorses McCain


U.S. Terror Watch List Surpasses 900,000 Names, ACLU Estimates - UPDATED


U.S. sends warship off Lebanon coast Signaling impatience with Syria, the United States has sent its USS Cole warship off the coast of Lebanon in a show of support amid Beirut's political crisis, U.S. officials said on Thursday.


Top prosecutor in AIPAC case quits


German Jewish leader urges Merkel to back Israel's stance on Iran


U.S. pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain McCain's support for the Iraq war and fierce criticism of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won praise from Hagee, who has brought thousands of evangelical Christians to Washington to lobby on Israel's behalf.


Again: The Natives Are Gettin Restless Over U.S. Policy Towards Israel It's about time.

Headlines for 02-27-08

Russia may support Iran sanctions Russia has said that it may support a new set of UN sanctions against Iran if it does not stop work that may lead to the creation of nuclear weapons.


Turkey attacks Kurds; US calls for halt


UN vote on new Iran sanctions put off to next week: diplomat


Oil hits $102 for the first time


ElBaradei is quietly managing to disarm Iran The point that Mr ElBaradei?s critics miss is that he is judiciously achieving the goals that they seemingly desire ? the disarmament of the Islamic Republic.


Did prosecutor get all White House mail? Even though White House computer technicians hunted high and low, an entire week's worth of e-mail from Cheney's office was missing. The week was Sept. 30, 2003, to Oct. 6, 2003, the opening days of the Justice Department's probe into whether anyone at the White House leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.


Israeli PM welcomes 'firm' Japan stance on Iran


Israeli PM say Iran can be stopped from getting nuclear capacity


Iran just months from having nukes: Israel Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he believes that there are no more than a few months before Iran develops a nuclear weapons capacity.


PM: Iran nukes not inevitable; Russia: We may back sanctions Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday it was not inevitable that Iran would produce a nuclear bomb, while Russia warned Iran that it may sanctions against the Islamic Republic if it does not stop uranium enrichment.


Clueless Candidates Make Osama's Day by Michael Scheuer What the new president will find is that three decades of U.S. intervention in other peoples' wars ? in this case the Arab-Israeli conflict ? has locked us in Iraq because leaving would undermine Israel's security.


Gas Prices Soar, Posing a Threat to Family Budget Gasoline prices, which for months lagged behind the big run-up in the price of oil, are suddenly rising quickly, with some experts saying they could approach $4 a gallon by spring.....These costs could worsen the nation?s economic woes, piling a fresh energy shock on top of the turmoil in credit and housing.


Most Muslims 'desire democracy' The largest survey to date of Muslims worldwide suggests the vast majority want Western democracy and freedoms, but do not want them to be imposed.

Headlines for 02-26-08

Iran says opposition group lies on nukes Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said Monday that an Iranian opposition group is feeding fabricated evidence to Washington that purports to show the Tehran government tried to produce nuclear weapons.


Nuclear program no threat: Iranian ambassador


France, Gulf states begin war games France, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have begun joint military drills in the shadow of the crisis over neighboring Iran's nuclear program.


Khamenei hails Iran 'nuclear win'


Iraq condemns Turkey military incursion Iraq's government has demanded Turkish troops leave its northern region immediately, saying the offensive launched against Kurdish rebels last week violates Iraq's sovereignty


British watchdog orders gov't to release Iraq war documents


Iran to sign gas deal with China on Wednesday


McCain Further Distances from '100 Year' Remark, Says 'War Will Be Over Soon'


Neocons Fine-Tune Iran Angle


Jewish Dems, GOPers trade Nader barbs Republican and Democratic Jews traded barbs over Ralph Nader's characterization of Barack Obama's Israel policy.


McCain lobbyist advocated for Israeli MIAs The lobbyist at the center of impropriety allegations targeting John McCain once advocated for Israelis missing in action.


Iran and North Korea a threat to Asia stability: Olmert


Syrian defends Hezbollah The Bush administration ignored concerns by Syria five years ago that invading Iraq would further destabilize the Middle East, and briefly reached out to the nation in the fall to ensure its participation in a peace conference, a top Syrian diplomat said Monday......"It's incredible: Israel occupies Lebanon. (Hezbollah fights) against Israel in their own Lebanon, and you consider them terrorists!"


The Clinton Years Revisited - Philip Giraldi


Slain militant was organizer in 2006 war The 2006 war came after Hezbollah fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. Israel retaliated with a massive bombardment, then ground incursions, in a 34-day war that devastated south Lebanon.

Notice in the paragraph reflecting casualties of that war, the Associated Press does not break down the civilian/militant kill ratio like it did for Israel. That would be because most of the 1000+ Lebanese that were killed by the Israelis were civilians.


Iran must pay for '92 bombing A U.S. judge ordered Iran to pay $33 million to the family of a U.S.-born Israeli diplomat killed in a 1992 bombing. Why was this tried in the US?

Headlines for 02-25-08

Iran reinforces Iraq border after Turkish attack Iranian forces have also often clashed in Iraqi border areas with rebels from the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an offshoot of the PKK and which analysts say has bases in northeastern Iraq from where they operate against Iran.


Israeli PM calls for new sanctions against Iran


Missile shield talks with Poland, Czech on track-US


In Japan, Israeli PM calls for action on Iran


EU condemns 'uncivilised' Iranian comments on Israel: statement The European Union condemned "in the strongest terms" Monday remarks by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials about Israel, after the killing of a top Hezbollah commander.


'Terrorism is the lousiest shortcut to failure' There was great brutality committed against the Palestinians ... which led me to say what I said. I clarified and, as a matter of fact. I apologized for the tone, not for the principle.


Hezbollah and the 'Unknown Knowns' the internal disunity and open hostility ? notwithstanding the political impasse over the future of the country?s parliamentary and governmental organisation -- all point at the readiness of Lebanon to descend into chaos. This is good news for Israel and the Bush administration. A civil war could achieve what Israel?s botched, illegal war of 2006 could not.

Headlines for 02-24-08

Iran blames US for lack of nuke response Most of the material shown to Iran by the IAEA on alleged attempts to make nuclear arms came from Washington, though some was provided by U.S. allies, diplomats told The Associated Press....."All of a sudden, the Americans notice this thing is going to be closed," he told the AP, alluding to the investigation. "So ... suddenly ... they have additional and new documents ? these dirty games should be stopped immediately."


Iran says work plan closed, U.S. intelligence fake Iran said on Sunday it had cleared up all past outstanding issues over its nuclear program with the United Nations nuclear watchdog and accused the United States of providing intelligence that was fake.


US urges short Turkish campaign


White House says phone wiretaps back on "for now"


Israel and Hizballah on High Alert the Hizballah commander said that the Shi'ite fighters will be on the offensive in the next war, hinting at taking the battle into Israel itself. "We weren't expecting the last war and we fought only to defend our land, but next time you will see a very different kind of fighting," he said.



Watchdog: Israel's cluster bombs argue for ban Israel's use of cluster bombs in the 2006 Lebanon war makes the case for banning the weapon worldwide, a human rights watchdog said.

Headlines for 02-23-08

The three trillion dollar war Most Americans have yet to feel these costs. The price in blood has been paid by our voluntary military and by hired contractors. The price in treasure has, in a sense, been financed entirely by borrowing. Taxes have not been raised to pay for it - in fact, taxes on the rich have actually fallen. Whose war is it?


Iran vows reprisals against any new UN sanctions


Iran says more sanctions won't halt nuclear plan


Nukes and Rumors of Nukes


Christian Zionists stand firm as friends to Israel Hagee uses biblical references to threaten Iran for its anti-Israel posturing as easily as he talks about the love of Jesus, and he leads a fierce opposition to Israel forfeiting so much as one more grain of sand to Palestinians.


Presidential Primaries 2008 / McCain's unconditional support for Israel likely to draw Jewish voters


Yes, There Is a Guerrilla War Against Zionism in the U.S. What Should Jewish Institutions Do? When Congressman Berman went into fits of denial that there is an Israel lobby, after saying that he joined the Foreign Affairs Committee because he cared about Israel, this was not honest.



We must get out of the Middle East no matter what, CIA vet says To make his case against foreign entanglements, Scheuer quotes America's Founding Fathers, the U.S. Constitution and the man he considers our greatest president, George Washington: "[A] passionate attachment of one Nation for another produces a variety of evils," Washington once wrote. It creates "the illusion of an imaginary common interest [...] and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and Wars of the latter."

Headlines for 02-22-08

'Very strong case' for new Iran sanctions: Rice


ANALYSIS-Russian energy ties with Iran send U.S. a message As the United States warns the world away from business with Tehran, Moscow's tightening ties to Iran's energy sector underline Russia's differences with Washington over Iranian nuclear plans and Kosovo's independence.


The new invasion of Iraq A new crisis has exploded in Iraq after Turkish troops, supported by attack planes and Cobra helicopters, yesterday launched a major ground offensive into Iraqi Kurdistan.


'Dozens dead' in Turkish assault Turkey's army says its ground offensive in northern Iraq has left five soldiers and dozens of Kurdish rebels dead.


US will back new Iran sanctions US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said there is a "very strong case" for a third round of sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme.


Iran nuclear plans of 'serious concern': UN body But the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said Iran had increased cooperation with UN inspectors in the past few months.


IAEA report bolsters case for new Iran sanctions: US diplomats


New US info on Iran nuclear program For the second time in recent weeks, Washington has given the U.N. nuclear watchdog information on what it says were Tehran's attempts to make atomic weapons, but much of it is of doubtful value, diplomats said Thursday.


State official: Act against Tehran before it's too late Ynet learns Israel intends to demand UN Security Council assemble to debate third round of sanctions against Islamic Republic after release of IAEA report.


Iranians spar with Israel at UN


Israel to vanish, says Hezbollah Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has told thousands of supporters at a rally in Lebanon that the disappearance of Israel is inevitable.


New U.S. administration won't mean new Mideast policy All the candidates loudly support the security of Israel, which regards Iran's nuclear capacity as a strategic threat. To cede ground to Iran in Iraq could harm Israeli interests, justifying the candidates' eventually backtracking on withdrawal.



Snake Oil Sellers of the Christian Right? The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs came under heavy criticism earlier this month from Muslim and religious freedom advocacy groups after it invited to a conference three self-professed "former terrorists" with strong links to the Christian right. How many 'ex-terrorists' get to enter the United States (as opposed to being jailed/deported), let alone get to tour the place, giving speeches on campuses nationwide? They are shilling for the Israeli lobby.


Israel's Olmert to talk business and Iran in Tokyo


Hezbollah vows to avenge Moughniyah's killing


Hezbollah accuses Israel of seeking war


Iraq, Israel and WMD dossier

Headlines for 02-21-08

Iran,Iraq to reactivate parts of border deal-paper


New Iran sanctions to be presented to Security Council Key European powers on Thursday formally introduced an amended draft resolution in the UN Security Council spelling out new sanctions against Iran over its dogged refusal to suspend sensitive nuclear fuel work.


Iran urges UN to condemn Israel Iran urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to condemn Israel's recent warning that it had not ruled out using military force against the country's nuclear program.


Richard Perle Claims We?ve ?Already Won? The Iraq War But It?s Also ?Far From Over? Exploring the question ?Iraq: What if we win?? in the latest issue of The American Interest, neoconservative Iraq war architect Richard Perle offers a series of false, incoherent, contradictory and misleading statements in an effort to not only, again, distance himself from the disastrous Iraq war policy he helped create but also to tout the war?s successes.



Ron Paul Update


Jaw-Jaw In Order to War-War? It?s worth noting that Gerecht, like other neo-cons including several of his AEI colleagues, appears to have given up hope of an attack before the end of Bush?s term and now believes that it will up to his successor to decide what to do about Tehran?s nuclear program


What is Michael Rubin Talking About? one would think that Rubin could come up with better evidence that McConnell was backing away from the Iran NIE than what he actually presented.


US steps up sanctions on Syria over Lebanese crisis


Israel's New Plan to Attack Lebanon "There are a lot of [Israeli] military and cabinet people just dying for a second round with Lebanon. If given the opportunity they'll take it," i.e. attack Lebanon again, not in spite of "but because of" the perception that their '06 attack failed.


What would it take to launch a war with Iran? Johns says a struggle is under way in Washington, D.C. Those opposed to an attack include Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff. Those wanting an attack, he says, are the deputy national-security adviser for global democracy strategy, Elliott Abrams; Vice President Dick Cheney, "and the hard-line Israel lobby."


Image Is Everything In New Terror Game Could it be that they were trying to push Hezbollah into the kind of response that Hassan Nasrallah actually gave? My thought exactly.

Headlines for 02-20-08

Nuclear watchdog has enough info on Iran: Larijani


Exiled opposition group says Iran still developing nuclear warheads


Iran says atomic drive brings powers "to their knees"


U.S. fueling Iranian petroleum? Two congressmen want to know if U.S. contributions to the World Bank are helping develop Iranian petroleum resources.


UN watchdog coy on Iran nuclear weapons claims


Ahmadinejad in new attack on 'savage animal' Israel


How Labour used the law to keep criticism of Israel secret The document reveals how the Foreign Office successfully fought to keep secret any mention of Israel contained on the first draft of the controversial, now discredited Iraq weapons dossier. At the heart of it was nervousness at the top of government about any mention of Israel's nuclear arsenal in an official paper accusing Iraq of flouting the UN's authority on weapons of mass destruction.



Closed hearing and a secret ruling: how the word Israel was deleted When a researcher first applied to the Foreign Office for the release of the draft dossier, it turned the request down. The ministry then failed to conduct the required internal appeal against its decision. Its next move was to try to persuade the information commissioner, Richard Thomas, that the document - including the word "Israel" - was exempt under section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act, concerning free and frank discussion.


Oil prices race to record highs on supply worries


?Nuke Mom? Charged With Smuggling She is believed to be working for and with Asher Karni, owner of Top Cape Technology company in South Africa.


Israel sure of its military strength - Olmert Israel's armed forces are ready for a new war, should one erupt, Ehud Olmert said.


Israel's weapons - a diplomatic no-go area Israel, unlike Saddam Hussein's Iraq, never signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the 1970 agreement which allows countries to develop civilian nuclear power in exchange for forgoing weapons. These are supposed to be the preserve of the five permanent members of the UN security council. In recent years India, Pakistan and North Korea have swelled the ranks of the weapons states, but unlike them Israel has never come out of the nuclear closet


The FO's case to the information tribunal I believe that if these comments were released into the public domain, this would seriously damage our bilateral relations with Israel. In my view, Israel will, in seeing these comments believe that the FCO has firstly, compared the Israeli regime to that of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and secondly, suggested that Israel has flouted the authority of the United Nations in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Although the author of the marginal notes is unknown, I believe that the Israeli government would consider it likely that they would have been written by a senior figure. The assumption could, and I believe would, easily be made that these marginal notes represent the views of the FCO in relation to Israel.


Hidden words The word "Israel" was written in the margins of the draft document by an unknown - but presumably senior - hand. It referred to a sentence which said of Saddam's Iraq: "No other country has flouted the UN's authority so brazenly in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction." The implied meaning of the margin note was well articulated by a senior Foreign Office official, Neil Wigan, in trying to argue for its suppression - that "the person who wrote it believes that Israel has flouted the UN authority similar to that of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein".


MKs to fan out globally to warn of Iran threat Israel's stepped-up lobbying effort is in part a response to the release by the United States late last year of a new National Intelligence Estimate, which claimed that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program.

Headlines for 02-19-08

ROUNDUP: Iran no threat to region, says UAE premier


Iraq Veteran Update: Given Benefits Due to Media Coverage


Israel, US discuss W. Bank NATO troops The United States is reviewing the feasibility of deploying a NATO force in the West Bank as a way to ease IDF security concerns and facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from the area within the coming years, defense officials have told The Jerusalem Post.


Risks from lapsed wiretap law are disputed President Bush had pledged to veto any bill that merely extended the temporary law without resolving the matter of immunity for telecommunications firms that helped the government with its secret eavesdropping program after 9/11.


No solution in sight for Palestinian refugees stranded at border


Israel complains to UN over Iranian general's remarks

Headlines for 02-18-08

Hometown hero feels forgotten Welch was discharged in November 2007. He says he hasn't received a single paycheck from the Army since then and he's struggling to make ends meet.


Britain Releases Secret File From Before Iraq War


Iranian VP meets with IAEA officials Iran's vice president answered questions about his country's suspect nuclear past Monday in talks with International Atomic Energy Agency officials looking for signs of a secret weapons program, senior diplomats said Monday.


China concerned by U.S. satellite missile plan China is concerned by U.S. plans to shoot down an ailing spy satellite and is considering what "preventative measures" to take, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.


Iran not afraid of US turning nuclear data to IAEA, says spokesman Iran is not concerned at the decision by the United States to turn over classified nuclear data to the UN nuclear watchdog, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said Sunday.


Iran predicts Hezbollah will destroy Israel


Iran guards predict Israel demise Iran's Revolutionary Guards leader has predicted the imminent destruction of Israel by fighters from the Lebanese movement Hezbollah.


What Do We Stand For? If Americans have any honor, how can they betray their Founding Fathers, who gave them liberty, by tolerating a government that claims immunity to law and the Constitution and is erecting a police state in their midst? I strongly urge you to buy and watch this series from the History Channel and when you are done, pass it around to your friends and family. Realize just how far this nation has come from what it was supposed to be about, and how hard our forefathers and our men fought for the ideals upon which this country was founded. Most importantly, do something about it. 'Why me?' Why not you. Get off your duff, and stand up for justice.


U.S. urged to spend more on missile defense system The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee urged a delegation of U.S. congressmen yesterday to increase American funding for development of the Magic Wand system for defense against medium-range rockets and missiles.......Much of the talks were devoted to the new U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, which asserted that Tehran had halted its nuclear weapons program.


Saboteurs may have cut Mideast telecom cables: UN agency Five undersea cables were damaged in late January and early February leading to disruption to Internet and telephone services in parts of the Middle East and south Asia.


Israel readies Patriot missiles in north Israel has deployed U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles near the northern city of Haifa in case of an attack by Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas in response to the killing of the group's top commander, security officials said Monday.


U.S. says not part of Hezbollah hit The United States denied involvement in last week's assassination of Hezbollah's terrorist chief.


Report: North Korea provided technological assistance to Syria to build nuclear reactor Report: North Korea provided technological assistance to Syria to build nuclear reactor


Israel fears Hezbollah may launch attacks with bomb-laden drone Israeli defense establishment is concerned about that Hezbollah may use an explosives-laden unmanned aerial vehicle to attack northern or central Israel in retaliation for last week's assassination of its military chief Imad Mughniyah, local daily Ha'aretz reported on Sunday.

Headlines for 02-17-08

U.S. says Iran-backed groups using secret arms stores


France backs sanctions on Iran: Kouchner "We are united (within the international community) for sanctions on Iran, but we support the start of discussions," Kouchner told reporters after talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres.


Sibel Edmonds? Story Makes the MSM! Even with the heavy editing, the DMN version of Giraldi?s American Conservative article should be enough to get the main point across.


McConnell: Hezbollah threat 'serious'


Barak: Iran, Syria could help avenge Mugniyah


'Mossad killed Imad Mughniyeh' Someone is aiming to pick a fight.


Human Rights Watch: Israel breaches law with cluster bomb use Israel breached international law when it bombed southern Lebanon with cluster weapons during its campaign against Hezbollah in 2006, Human Rights Watch said Sunday.


'Hizbullah has a few thousand fighters' Defense officials expressed skepticism over the reports, saying Hizbullah had only several thousand fighters in total.


Israel kills terror chief with headrest bomb


Syria: Assassination ruined hopes of peace Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Thursday said that Syria will "prove beyond any doubt" who is responsible for the assassination of Hizbullah arch-terrorist and operations officer Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus.


'UNIFIL complained of Israeli violations of Lebanese territories'


50,000 Hezbollah men said deployed along border with Israel

Headlines for 02-16-08

Russia: US satellite shot a weapons test Russia said Saturday that U.S. military plans to shoot down a damaged spy satellite may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system.


Iran pleads case before anti-money laundering watchdog: US Iran argued its case last month before an anti-money laundering watchdog that is urging Tehran to close loopholes in its financial system and limit terrorist financing, a US official said Friday.


Early troop will bring genocide - McCain REPUBLICAN frontrunner John McCain drew sharp distinctions with his Democratic White House rivals over Iraq, saying an untimely US withdrawal would bring about genocide.


US air strikes kill Iraqi family in Kirkuk


Syria denies joint Iran investigation Syria denied Iranian claims that the two countries would conduct a joint investigation into the assassination of a top Hezbollah commander, the Syrian state news agency reported.


Syria 'to name Mughniyeh killer' Syria has said it will soon present "irrefutable" proof of who was behind the killing of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in the capital, Damascus.


Army intervenes in Beirut clashes The Lebanese army intervenes to break up clashes between rival political factions in Beirut.

Headlines for 02-15-08

Real ID Act a Real Intrusion On Rights, Privacy By BOB BARR If, as proposed in the law, a person must have a Real ID Act-compliant card in order to access a federal building, access any regulated or interstate mode of transportation, or obtain any federal benefit, then we have surrendered to the federal government (that is, federal bureaucrats) the power to deny citizens all manner of activities guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.


How the spooks took over the news For the first time in human history, there is a concerted strategy to manipulate global perception. And the mass media are operating as its compliant assistants, failing both to resist it and to expose it. So then, given this article, is it a stretch to believe that the Osama videos and tapes are also fakes planted by Western intelligence agencies?


US 'surge' likely to end with more troops in Iraq than before: general


US officials met Iranian aides in secret


The Lost Kristol Tapes


FBI asks terror squads for threat data The FBI said Thursday it has put its domestic terror squads on the alert for any threats against synagogues and other potential Jewish targets in the United States following the killing of a Hezbollah commander.


Syria says will prove who killed Hezbollah leader


Iranian foreign minister meets with heads of Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Syria


Hizbullah joins hunt for Mughniyeh's killers


The War Party Targets Obama The Lobby went after Paul, and with a vengeance, launching a campaign that climaxed in a classic smear job in The New Republic ? where else? ? which accused the good-natured Paul of being the second coming of Adolf Hitler. It isn't hard to imagine that the same circles have it in for Obama.


As protests rage, Jewish leaders lobby in Georgia Georgia, a state of less than 5 million, might seem an unlikely player on the stage of great-power politics. But on issues of importance to Israel and the United States, Georgia occupies a key position, and it is being courted aggressively.


McCain Touts Stance on Israel Asked last year about Iran's nuclear ambitions, he jokingly sang the words "Bomb, bomb, bomb. Bomb, bomb Iran" to the tune of the Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann" - this despite the opposition of most Americans to another Middle East war and growing Democratic support for engagement with the mullahs......"Senator McCain has a deeper record on Israel than Senators Clinton and Obama," said Scheunemann, noting that the Arizonan had met every Israeli prime minister since Menachem Begin and backed Israel during the 2006 Lebanon war. The Democrats, Scheunemann said, "are advocating policies that would endanger Israel's security, such as a precipitous retreat from Iraq or opening talks with Iran." Notice to this pro-Israeli, 'opening talks with Iran' is anti-Israel. But is it in the best interests of THIS country - the country for which McCain seeks the presidency? Never a consideration.


Quake shakes Mideast, causes injuries in Lebanon A Lebanese man and two Palestinians were injured in Tyre when a balcony fell on top of them, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.


Rice and Livni discuss Gaza, Iran in Washington talks: israeli official


Syria 'directly responsible' for situation in Lebanon: US official "I would describe the situation as one of continuing blockage and the continued eruption of violence in Lebanon ... We regard Syria as directly responsible for this situation," said David Satterfield


'Jewish' MSNBC plaint led to Libby conviction Levine, who was once employed by Matthews, did not believe the fast-talking host was deliberately targeting Jews, but faulted him for constantly citing Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Libby, then a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Headlines for 02-14-08

Iran postpones Iraq talks with US


Rice heatedly defends her integrity on Iraq claims At a congressional hearing, Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, questioned Rice about a report from the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity that accuses Bush administration officials of making 935 false statements about Iraq, which the United States invaded in March 2003.




Russia may target US missile hosts: Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin has again warned his country could target its neighbours if they host the United States' missile shield.


US intel links Iran with nuke bomb bid One of the diplomats said Washington also gave the IAEA permission to confront Iran with at least some of the information in an attempt to pry details out of the Islamic republic as part of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's attempts to investigate Iran's suspicious nuclear past. Making the case for war. 'Diplomats'.


Iran feeding uranium gas into centrifuges: diplomat a Western diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.


VA chief addresses veteran suicides


All Iranian nuclear questions must be answered: France


Russia to double Bushehr personnel: official Russia's nuclear constructor Atomstroiexport will nearly double its staff on the construction site of the Bushehr nuclear station Russia is building for Iran, the company's president said late Thursday.


Venezuela-Iran oil deal raises concern Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, raised questions about whether the deal violates the Iran Sanctions Act Ros-Lehtinen has replaced Lantos as Israel's top agent on Capitol Hill.


Former CIA official: Mossad behind Mugniyah killing While Israel has formally refuted allegations it was involved in the assassination of Hizbullah 'operations officer' Imad Mugniyah in Damascus on Tuesday, former CIA official Bruce Riedel says all signs seem to indicate the Mossad was behind the killing. Israelis are expert at these things. The world knows it, which is why some question similar car bombings in the region.


Hizbullah leader vows to wage 'open war' on Israel This assassination was likely committed to achieve such a retaliation on the part of Hezbollah which Israel would then seize upon as a possible pretext for war - which might then widen to include Syria and Iran.


Israel on high alert after Hezbollah threat "If the Zionists want war, then they shall have it," Mr Nasrallah said.
"If you want an open war, then let it be an open war."
I think Israel is trying to provoke the war she has been waiting for, by involving Syria in this too. Beware. And these guys have responded just the way Israel had hoped to boot.


Army engineers examining Gaza tunnels The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with the Egyptians to stop smuggling through tunnels spanning the Egypt-Gaza Strip border.



Al-Qaida leader in Iraq threatens Israel, vows to 'liberate' Palestine in new audiotape The purported leader of al-Qaida's umbrella in Iraq called in a new posting on a militant Web site on Thursday for attacks on Israel and the liberation of Palestine, proposing that Iraq's territory be a «launching pad» to seize Jerusalem.



Bush expands Syria sanctions The order derives from the Syrian Accountability Act, passed in 2003 after heavy lobbying by pro-Israel groups.


Israel cheers, goes on alert after Hezbollah leader killed The consensus among Israeli commentators was that the Mossad likely was behind the assassination, though some suggested the United States might have been involved as part of a goodwill gesture by Olmert toward President Bush.


Beirut divided in mourning for fallen leaders It was a perfect opportunity for split-screen coverage: a sea of national Cedar flags on one side; acres of Hizbullah's yellow banner, with its logo of a defiantly raised Kalashnikov rifle, on the other. Someone seeks to divide and conquer them. Note the timing of this incident as well (anniversary of Hariri's death). Was it meant to see to it that the Hezbollites clash with the pro-Hariri's?...


Sarkozy attacks Iran for its stance on Israel "I won't shake hands with people who refuse to recognise Israel," Sarkozy declared.


Denmark stirs Mideast anger over Mohammed cartoon Interesting timing on that one too.


U.S. learns from Israel-Hezbollah war


Syria threatens war lawsuit against US Syria plans to sue the U.S. for supplying arms to Israel that later killed Syrians in its 2006 war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, the Syrian foreign minister said Thursday, a day after Washington announced new sanctions against Damascus.


Damascus in shock over killing "This means that the war on Iran has become a reality more than ever before. It is a dangerous security penetration in Syria,"

Headlines for 02-13-08

IAEA denies internal row over Iran, condemns "hype" A senior official close to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed ElBaradei accused unnamed Western powers of using the same "hype" tactics employed against Iraq before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to justify imposing further sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.


Russia criticises Iran's defiance "We don't approve of Iran's permanent demonstration of its intentions to develop its rocket sector and continue to enrich uranium," Mr Lavrov said.


US troops must stay in Iraq beyond 2008: Gates, Rice


U.S. official: No hostile Russian intent against U.S. The United States does not believe Russia has hostile intentions toward it, a senior U.S. defense official said on Wednesday, downplaying concern about a Russian bomber mission near a U.S. aircraft carrier.


Senator Calls Error Unprecedented The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Tuesday the loading of nuclear-tipped missiles on a B-52 bomber at a U.S. air base last August was an unprecedented and significant security failure.


Iran has capacity to produce nuclear arms: US intelligence Thomas Fingar, deputy US director of national intelligence for analysis, told a Congressional hearing that the Islamic republic "continues to develop" capabilities that could be swiftly adopted for production of nuclear weapons.


Warmth for Americans in Once Hostile Tehran Generally speaking, Iranians like Americans ? not just American products, which remain very popular, but Americans. That is not entirely new: Iranians on an individual level have long expressed a desire to restore relations between the countries. But the sentiment seems much more out in the open now.


The Monster That Wouldn't Die If and when the Democrats take the White House, you can bet your bottom dollar the neocons will have some kind of presence, whether it's in the form of a few mid-level bureaucrats placed in sensitive positions or in top spots close to President Hillary or Obama


Bush widens Syria sanctions


Senate Approves Terror Surveillance Bill


Bush admits telecoms spied


Presidents Conference goes to Georgia Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Presidents Conference, cited Georgia?s history of tolerance, pro-Israel stance and strategic importance both as an alternate route for Central Asian gas and its proximity to Iran as the key reasons for visiting.


Hezbollah to hold mass funeral for slain commander


US lauds death of Hezbollah leader


Israeli minister hails killing of Hezbollah leader


Turkey no platform for Israeli strikes -official


Israel accused of Hezbollah leader's killing Moughniyah, 45, was killed late on Tuesday. He had been on a list of foreigners Israel wanted to kill or apprehend and the United States had offered a $5 million (2.5 million pound) reward for his capture.


Mughnieh murder 'Zionist gangsterism': Hamas


Lebanon braces for mass rally to mark Hariri killing Lebanon braced on Wednesday for a mass rally by backers of the Western-backed government to commemorate the third anniversary of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri's murder amid mounting street clashes with the opposition


Car bomb ends life of Hizbullah chief wanted for string of kidnappings and mass murders Did any other non-Middle Eastern countries 'laud' this killing besides the US and Israel? It is doubtful that the CIA did it. IT is quite remarkable how Israeli forces can (still) so easily assassinate in Lebanon and Syria. Makes you wonder (about recent similar bombings going back a few years in the region).

Headlines for 02-12-08

US confirms upcoming talks with Iran on Iraq


U.S. military weighing if Russia in Cold War pose


Israel sure Iran seeking nuclear arms: Olmert Asked if Israel would consider using military force in dealing with Iran, Olmert cited US President George W. Bush's refusal to rule out force in dealing with Iran's defiance to halt sensitive nuclear work Whose war is this?


Israel urges international action against an Iranian nuclear threat Israel, which is widely believed to have built hundreds of atomic warheads, has said it considers a nuclear Iran a threat to its existence. Yes, that makes perfect sense. (NOT).


John McCain and the Neocon Resurgence by Philip Giraldi The neocons and McCain do not disguise their belief that Iran must be dealt with by military means because diplomacy has failed. Indeed, one might well regard de-fanging Iran as their principal foreign policy objective, one that they share with the White House and the Israeli government.


Bomb destroys car in Damascus


God vs. Elliott Abrams Abrams has a consistent record, both in and out of government, of opposing any meaningful Israeli concessions to the Palestinians that might end Israel's 40-year occupation of the West Bank and lead to the birth of a viable Palestinian state.....
In the Project for the New American Century's policy tome Present Dangers, he asserted, "Strengthening Israel, our major ally in the region, should be the central core of U.S. Middle East policy, and we should not permit the establishment of a Palestinian state that does not explicitly uphold U.S. policy in the region."


Merkel, Olmert offer Iran stances At a news conference Tuesday in Berlin following their official meetings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made their different approaches clear: In pressuring the Islamic regime, Merkel looks to sanctions and diplomacy, while Olmert says all options are open.


Valerie Plame Wilson Describes Sibel Edmonds Disclosures as 'Stunning'

Headlines for 02-11-08

Ahmadinejad scorns West, domestic critics on nuclear drive


Disagreements could delay Iran nuclear report: diplomats


Russian bombers intercepted near US Navy ship The bombers, flying south of Japan, were detected turning toward the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its accompanying ships. Four US F/A-18 fighters were launched to intercept the Russian aircraft, the official said.


US sniper jailed for Iraqi murder
The Iraqi man had stumbled across a group of hiding snipers
A US army sniper has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for murder without premeditation after he killed an Iraqi civilian and planted evidence on him.


Blair went to war on a lie, law lords told


A scary way to further erode our liberties By BOB BARR


McCain's rapprochement with the right? by Patrick J. Buchanan There is another consideration. McCain has said he will stay in Iraq another 100 years if necessary, that Russia should be thrown out of the G-8, that he will do whatever it takes to halt Iran's nuclear enrichment program. He has told us: "There's going to be other wars. ... I'm sorry to tell you, there's going to be other wars. We will never surrender, but there will be other wars."


Barak: U.S. unlikely to attack Iran nuclear installations


Report: Mubarak says continued US presence in Iraq to attract terrorists, threaten region That defiance stepped up after U.S. moved last year to put conditions on the US$2 billion in aid, including US$1.3 billion in military assistance, that Washington gives annually to Egypt, the second largest recipient of U.S. aid after Israel.


US wants death penalty for 9/11 accused The Pentagon has charged the alleged planner of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, along with five others, with murder and conspiracy, and asked that they be executed if convicted.


The Hawks' Last Hurrah? Podhoretz, for his part, agreed: "Unless Bush realizes or fulfills my fading hope of air strikes, it is undoubtedly up to Israel to prevent" Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.


Lebanon charges 19 soldiers over protest shootings A Lebanese judge charged three army officers and 16 soldiers on Monday over the killing of opposition protesters last month in some of Beirut's deadliest street violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.


Refugee stories - A boy's journey from Baghdad to Damascus Then, when Thaer began to receive death threats from a Shia militia, he decided that living in the desert was safer than being a Palestinian in Baghdad.

Headlines for 02-10-08

Iran's Ahmadinejad may visit Baghdad by late March


5th cable cut fuels allegations of isolating Iran


Bush Administration Appeals Patriot Act Ruling The Bush administration on Friday appealed a federal court decision declaring as unconstitutional a central provision of the Patriot Act, which Congress quickly adopted after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.


Neo-Cons and Bolton Flock to McCain Standard


No need to wait for Russia or China Certainly, the report published by the American intelligence community has tied President George W. Bush's hands and seriously narrowed his prospects of ordering an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. The question is: What should Israel do? Fight its own battles?


Iran high on the agenda for Olmert's Berlin talks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert plans to use a visit to Germany beginning on Sunday to lobby for tougher measures to force Iran to curb a nuclear programme he has called a threat to Israel's existence.


Ayatollah's advice startles conservatives A statement from Fadlallah's office said he opposed a man "using any sort of violence against a woman, even in the form of insults and harsh words."....He was among the first religious leaders in the Middle East to condemn the Sept. 11 attacks......But Fadlallah remains a staunch critic of Israel, once describing the Jewish state as "a conglomerate of people who come from all parts of the world to live in Palestine on the ruins of another people."


Mofaz chides Olmert over Lebanon war The Second Lebanon War marked the first time Israel failed to win a major military campaign, a senior Cabinet minister said


Using the Internet as a weapon Commentary: Internet interruption in the Middle East looks fishy


AIPAC's mystifying behavior A message to Gordon's office this week requesting his comments on AIPAC's actions went unanswered. Ron Dermer, who as Israel's economic minister at the Washington embassy works on the issue with AIPAC, provided three general explanations for AIPAC's actions. AIPAC must be forced to register as an agent of a foreign entity. For, that is exactly what it is.

Headlines for 02-09-08

AP Poll: Leaving Iraq will help economy The heck with Congress' big stimulus bill. The way to get the country out of recession ? and most people think we're in one ? is to get the country out of Iraq, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll.


Pakistan is now the central front in America's war on terror Rightly so.


War demands strain US military readiness A classified Pentagon assessment concludes that long battlefield tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with persistent terrorist activity and other threats, have prevented the U.S. military from improving its ability to respond to any new crisis, The Associated Press has learned.


U.S. sees no need for more Iranian nuclear plants The United States sees no need "at all" for Iran to build additional nuclear power plants, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told Reuters Friday.


Ambassador: Iran's rocket test not for military purposes


Ron Paul Scales Back, Shifts Focus to Congressional Race Ron Paul says he?s still in the presidential race but is moving to scale back his staff and shift focus to his own re-election campaign for his Texas congressional seat.


Ron Paul Rules Out 3rd Party Run, Scales Down Campaign Bummer.


Another Act of War Within weeks of the disclosure by the Syrians of the seemingly unprovoked bombing, neo-crazy media sycophants at the New York Times and the Washington Post were "reporting" that U.S. and Israeli officials had concluded that the North Koreans were constructing at the site a weapons-grade plutonium-producing nuclear reactor ? similar to the one constructed for the Koreans by the Soviets at Yongbyon.

Headlines for 02-08-08

No need for more Iranian nuclear plants: US US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns says he sees no need "at all" for Iran to build additional nuclear power plants.


Iran to hold Iraq talks with US


US sees attacks by Iranian-backed groups up in Iraq


US Needs No 'Permission Slips,' Bush Tells CPAC Removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq was the right decision when it was made and remains the correct call to this day, President Bush told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday. Instead of taking cues from international agencies and self-described peace activists, the administration put America's national security needs first in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the president told the conference in Washington, D.C. Uh huh. But, Saddam had nothing to do with 911 or Al Qaeda. Go figure.


Spies' Battleground Turns Virtual "Unfortunately, what started out as a benign environment where people would congregate to share information or explore fantasy worlds is now offering the opportunity for religious/political extremists to recruit, rehearse, transfer money, and ultimately engage in information warfare or worse with impunity."


Berlin rally to protest Iran performance Protest organizers said he should be criticizing the anti-Israel statements and Holocaust denial of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and standing up for the rights of oppressed women and homosexuals in Iran.


Clinton wins tacit support of Israeli establishment


What did Israel bomb in Syria? by Seymour M. Hersh The former U.S. senior intelligence official told me that, as he understood it, America's involvement in the Israeli raid dated back months earlier, and was linked to the Administration's planning for a possible air war against Iran. Last summer, the Defense Intelligence Agency came to believe that Syria was installing a new Russian-supplied radar-and-air-defense system that was similar to the radar complexes in Iran. Entering Syrian airspace would trigger those defenses and expose them to Israeli and American exploitation, yielding valuable information about their capabilities. Vice-President Dick Cheney supported the idea of overflights, the former senior intelligence official said, because "it would stick it to Syria and show that we're serious about Iran.".....There is evidence that the preëmptive raid on Syria was also meant as a warning about?and a model for?a preëmptive attack on Iran


The Cable-Cutter Mystery Given the context in which these cable cuts are occurring ? heightened tensions in the region, and not only with Iran ? I think it is probable that they are deliberate, and that the diversion of internet traffic for purposes of eavesdropping is clearly the intent.

Headlines for 02-07-08

Mullen: US troops are tired It is long past time to bring them home.


Order given to fire on Iranian speedboat, but it turned away: Mullen


Angelina Jolie calls for aid to refugees on Iraq visit UN goodwill ambassador and Hollywood megastar Angelina Jolie visited Iraq on a humanitarian mission on Thursday and met top officials to demand help for people displaced by the war.


American Jewish leader: Don't rule out Bush on Iran US President George W. Bush is committed to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program even as he enters his last year of office, a senior American Jewish leader said Wednesday.


Iraq?s Tragic Future By Scott Ritter This situation is troublesome in the extreme. The collective refusal of any constituent in this complicated mix of political players to confront Bush on Iraq virtually guarantees that it will be the Bush administration, and not its successor, that will dictate the first year (or more) of policy in Iraq for the next president. It also ensures that the debacle that is the Bush administration?s overarching Middle East policy of regional transformation and regime change in not only Iraq but Iran and Syria will continue to go unchallenged.


U.S. heading to war in Iran, says former inspector The White House is using outright fabrications and exaggerations to persuade the American public that Iran has an active nuclear weapons program, Ritter and Peck claimed. The ultimate goal, they said, is overthrow of Iran?s Islamic theocracy.


Analyze This: Why 'maverick' McCain is likely to follow consensus when it comes to Israel policy For many on the Right, especially the so-called Jewish neo-conservatives, a US administration that dedicates itself too fervently, and involves itself too directly in a negotiating process between Israel and the Palestinians, is bound to end up pressuring Jerusalem to make concessions on such matters as West Bank settlements and tough security measures that impact on the general Palestinian population. This is the path the current Republican administration has followed in recent months, and one that fits less with the neo-conservative outlook evident in the early years of the Bush White House, and more with the mainstream of US policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict over the past two decades.



One Internet cut explained, but four others still a mystery


Lebanon's Hariri blasts Syria and Iran, calls for mass rally


Syria says Golan Heights the key to peace with Israel


Top Spies To Be Called in Aipac Trial The use of these witnesses appears to be part of an unexpected strategy on behalf of the prosecution ? to show that the former lobbyists not only broke the law but also exposed America to a real national security threat More power to 'em (prosecution).


Cable Cutting Mayhem: 5th Undersea Internet Cable Cut The fifth cable which has been cut was a major undersea link to Iran and caused initial panic that the country had been entirely cut off from the internet, this was since proved false however their were widespread outages and those able to access internet services through alternative routing had services slow to a crawl.




A Silly Pretext No Arab or Islamic country armed even with the smallest of atomic bombs will be ready to hit Israel. And that, is because Israel is a small country interwoven and surrounded by Palestinian and Arab nations.


India to Pay a Price For Launching Israeli Spy Satellite Besides the much-touted "strategic partnership" with the US, India has also developed a close political and military relationship with Israel, with which it established full diplomatic relations only in 1992. This has entailed a huge shift away from India's traditional support for the cause of Palestinian nationhood.


UN officer reported Israeli war crimes before deadly bombing: widow A United Nations military observer sent e-mails home to Canada reporting that Israel was bombing schools and waging "a campaign of terror against the Lebanese people" shortly before he was killed by an Israeli bomb in Lebanon, said his widow. Israel has committed war crimes against US military and our government let them get away with it.

Headlines for 02-06-08

Russia says Iran rocket raises nuclear suspicions


IAEA chief warns against military action to solve Iranian nuclear issue


Ahmadinejad withdrawing nuclear proposal Iran's president says he is withdrawing a proposal made in 2005 for an international consortium to enrich uranium ? the fuel for both nuclear bombs and power plants ? inside his country.


Intelligence Chief Cites Qaeda Threat to U.S. Al Qaeda is gaining in strength from its refuge in Pakistan and is steadily improving its ability to recruit, train and position operatives capable of carrying out attacks inside the United States, the director of national intelligence told a Senate panel on Tuesday.


Powell?s UN Fiasco: Fresh and Festering


Ron Paul Stands Out Among Republicans as a Man of Change


'Message' candidate doesn't plan to drop out The 72-year-old doctor-turned-politician says he has no plans to quit no matter how everything shakes out today after the Super Tuesday votes are counted.


Iran annoyed with India's launch of Israeli spy satellite Iran has expressed its concern over India's helping Israel launch a spy satellite and has asked New Delhi to refrain from allowing other countries to launch spying operations from its territory, officials said Tuesday.


A pre-election attack on Iran remains a possibility


Demand answers about the Liberty incident More recently, reporter John Crewdson, in the Chicago Tribune, reported that the National Security Agency intercepts of the Israeli pilots? communications during the attack left no doubt that Israel knew that it was attacking an American ship. Crewdson, relying on recently declassified NSA records and interviews with people with first-hand knowledge of the intercepts, tells a story that backs up the survivors? long-dismissed claims.

Headlines for 02-05-08

US troops kill three, including woman, in Iraq raid


US threat to Iran lessens despite Tehran defiance: think tank There is no near-term prospect of US strikes on Iran even though Tehran is making progress with a new generation of nuclear centrifuges, said the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).


Accept Iran's Regional Role, Says French Envoy In a sharp departure from U.S. policy, a leading French diplomat has called on the international coalition sponsoring UN sanctions against Iran to support a larger Iranian role in the Middle East.


U.S. sees Russia, China, OPEC financial threat The United States is worried that Russia, China and OPEC oil-producing countries could use their growing financial clout to advance political goals, the top U.S. spy chief told Congress on Tuesday. Like we have?......


Prince: US ignored UK advice on Iraq In a rare airing of political opinion by a senior member of the British royal family, the prince said the invasion and its aftermath had created a "healthy skepticism" in Britain about what was said in Washington and led many to ask, "Why didn't anyone listen to what was said and the advice that was given?"




Bush threatens veto in surveillance laws


Iran will have nuclear weapon in three years: Mossad Israel's Mossad spy agency estimates Iran will develop a nuclear weapon within three years and continue to provide rockets to regional armed groups, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.


In about turn, U.S. says Iran may be able to make nukes by 2009 Speaking two months after an American intelligence report cast doubt on Tehran's nuclear ambitions, National Intelligence Director John Michael McConnell made his remarks during an appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee to present an annual report on threats to the U.S. Geez. I wonder why. Say, who is it that keeps trying to convince our government that Iran is still a threat?..


Israelis Want Next US President to Deal With Iran Israel also is concerned about Iraq -- and a "haphazard [U.S. troop] withdrawal that would strengthen militants and radicals in the Middle East," Gilboa said.


With Rudy out, Jewish Republicans and neocons ponder what's next His departure seems to have left Republican Jews rudderless, particularly since so many of his advisers were prominent Jews. They included Frum and a slate of neoconservative foreign policy specialists, among them Martin Kramer, Norman Podhoretz, Michael Rubin and Daniel Pipes.


Kristol fuels the speculation on McCain-Lieberman ticket Kristol told the pro-Israel crowd that Lieberman, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, was Sen. John McCain's preferred running mate, according to one attendee.


GOP Jews slam Obama on Muslim summit The statement continued: "Nowhere in the Paris Match article does Senator Obama affirm Israel's right to exist. Nor does he condemn the repeated terrorist strikes against Israel -- the only stable democracy in the region. Further in his interview, Senator Obama said he wanted to listen to the 'concerns' of these nations. For many, their biggest concern is Israel's existence."

Headlines for 02-04-08

Rise in Iran-made bombs in Baghdad district -US Washington has accused Tehran of supplying Shi'ite militias in Iraq with sophisticated weapons, including armour-piercing roadside bombs known as explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), to attack U.S. troops. Tehran denies the allegation


US admits killing Iraqi civilians The US military has admitted accidentally killing nine Iraqi civilians, including a child, during raids south of Baghdad.


US plan for Afghan troop surge A panel of more than 20 experts convened by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has also urged the administration to get tough with Pakistan.


Turkish army says kills 10 PKK Kurdish rebels Turkish troops killed 10 separatist Kurdish guerrillas on Sunday in clashes in Bingol province, in the southeast, army officials said.


U.S. labels Iran's rocket tests as "unfortunate" Perino made the remarks after Iran launched its first home-built space research center and fired a rocket designed to send its first home-made research satellite into orbit.


Progress towards resolving Iran inquiry--ElBaradei The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Sunday he was making progress in finishing an inquiry into Iran's nuclear past ahead of his next report awaited by those powers mulling new sanctions.


Clinton Gets Most Lobbyist Money, McCain Most Help Democrat Hillary Clinton has raised more money from lobbyists than any other presidential candidate while Republican John McCain has more of them assisting his campaign.


The CIA operation that should have prevented the Iraq war From the end of 2002 the US spy agency had sources inside Iraq's weapons plants telling them clearly what the whole world now knows -- that Saddam had ended efforts to produce weapons of mass destruction.


Leaked Classified Documents Show Bush Authorized US Troops In Iran And Syria American military forces in Iraq were authorized to pursue former members of Saddam Hussein?s government and terrorists across Iraq?s borders into Iran and Syria, according to a classified 2005 document that has been made public by an independent Web site.


FBI wants palm prints, eye scans, tattoo mapping


McCain backs long-term US presence in Iraq


Sibel Edmonds Must Be Heard by Philip Giraldi Many of the officials involved are apparently the same neoconservatives who cooked the books to enable the rush to war against Iraq and who are continuing to urge more wars in the Middle East, most notably against Iran and Syria. Several of them are close allies of leading Republican presidential candidate John McCain.


The Great Betrayal by Patrick J. Buchanan Where Bush has lately cleansed his administration of neocons, McCain offers the last best hope for a neocon return and restoration and more wars in the Middle East. And if, as seems probable, Bibi Netanyahu again becomes prime minister of Israel, he and a President McCain will find a pretext for war on Iran.


Bush budget launches new Israel aid The Bush administration increased the amount partly as compensation to Israel for a planned $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its Arab neighbors. The administration defends the overall package as necessary to contain Iranian hegemony and to spur Israel and moderate Arab nations to support Israeli-Palestinian peace.


McCain is Now the Neo-Con Candidate


The Madness of John McCain


Why Were the 9/11 Tapes Destroyed?


Paul draws big Denver crowd The crowd for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul was so large it surprised his own organizers.


Lebanon to lodge UN complaint against Israel for border shooting Lebanon's government decided Monday to lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council against Israel for a cross-border shooting incident that killed one Lebanese man and wounded another.


French envoy condemns Iran statements A French ambassador summoned by Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned recent comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implying Israel would be destroyed, a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday.


Lebanese block Israeli attempt to divert rain water Lebanese residents from the Southern village of Kfar Kila have thwarted an attempt by Israeli workers backed by Israeli troops to reopen a channel that would allow them to divert rain water form Lebanese territory into Israel, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported on Saturday


US anti-missile ship to dock in Haifa An American missile ship set to dock at Haifa Port on Monday is equipped with an anti-missile defense system that could be deployed in the region in the event of an Iranian missile attack against Israel.

Headlines for 02-03-08

Iran slams French plans for Gulf base


Insurgencies spread in Afghanistan and Pakistan In Afghanistan , U.S. and NATO forces are facing "a classic growing insurgency," Adm. Michael Mullen , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Friday.


Pentagon rejects report, says ready for WMD attack


Chinese banks cut business with Iranian banks- paper Chinese banks have cut back business with Iranian banks due to U.S. pressure over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying in comments published on Saturday.


Ties between White House, Sept 11 chief


Ron Paul Is Popular at the Super Bowl If the presidency were decided by the people posting signs in and around Phoenix during Super Bowl week, Ron Paul would win in a landslide.


Ralph Nader Launches Presidential Exploratory Committee to Mull ?08 Run


Repairs to start on undersea cable Tuesday


Lebanese man 'killed by Israelis' A Lebanese man has been shot dead and another wounded in south Lebanon by Israel forces, Lebanese security sources have said.


Ships did not cause Internet cable damage The transport ministry added that footage recorded by onshore video cameras of the location of the cables showed no maritime traffic in the area when the cables were damaged.


Middle East Internet Blackouts Spur Geopolitical Suspicions Most notably, Israel and Iraq are unaffected by the outage.


Sy Hersh confirms: Syrian facility bombed by Israel was not nuclear Hersh appeared on CNN's Late Edition on Sunday to discuss his upcoming article, "A Strike in the Dark," which will appear in the Feb. 11 issue of the New Yorker......Hersh's best guess as to the motivation of the bombing is that it was partly Israeli politics and partly "a message for the Iranians that we're coming."


Wall Street Journal Votes for Netanyahu It?s really all part of the same Netanyahu network: the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, the Shalem Center, Freedom?s Watch, and you can add the Middle East specialists at the American Enterprise Institute, Sharansky?s One Jerusalem, etc. etc.

Headlines for 02-02-08

Iranian FM: US should 'be honest' Iran's foreign minister on Saturday called the Bush administration cowardly for not saying it had made a mistake after a U.S. intelligence report concluded Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003.


Poland says it has agreed to US shield


Weapons Trader Allegedly Tied to China, Iran


US envoy: Iran gained from US invasions Iraqi leaders from the Shiite bloc that are now in power have said their ties with Iran's governing Shiite Persians will grow.


Safeguarding 'New-cue-lur' Secrets According to the Times, the Turks and Israelis had planted "moles" in practically every agency or institution involved in nuclear technology. The Turks and their American Turkish Council, Edmonds claimed, often acted as a "conduit," passing nuclear secrets to Pakistan?s Inter-Services Intelligence, and receiving cash payments in return.


Lebanon orders arrest of 11 soldiers over shootings A Lebanese judge ordered on Saturday the arrest of three army officers and eight soldiers over the killing of opposition protesters a week ago in some of Beirut's deadliest street violence since the 1975-90 civil war.


Canadian Inquiry Blames Israelis for Deaths in 2006 A Canadian military inquiry's report released Friday blames Israeli forces for the "tragic and preventable" deaths of a Canadian soldier and three other United Nations observers in Lebanon in July 2006.

Headlines for 02-01-08

The American Conservative: Paul for President This campaign sends a signal to both parties that a significant number of Americans value their country?s great Constitution, that many conservatives reject wiretaps, waterboarding, and senseless wars. There is far more realism in Paul?s analysis than can be found in those Republicans who believe that Washington?s policy of borrowing billions from China to pay for the occupation of a growing number of countries is desirable, much less sustainable.



Report: Military not ready for US attack


Bush: Don't show Iran US is 'paper tiger' US President George W. Bush on Thursday warned that a hasty pull-out from Iraq would ruin fragile progress there and convince extremists and Iran that the United States is a "paper tiger."


Domestic Spying Program Could Aid Terrorists, Experts Say Although the Bush administration calls it a vital weapon against terrorism, its domestic wiretapping effort could become a devastating tool for terrorists if hacked or penetrated from inside, according to a new article by a group of America?s top computer security experts


Tapped out nation by Patrick J. Buchanan


Bush prods Congress on eavesdropping law The president signed what Congress has given him so far ? a 15-day extension of the law that allows electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists. But he said Congress should urgently pass a permanent law, on his terms, to safeguard the country.


Protect America from the Protect America Act by Rep. Ron Paul The misnamed Protect America Act allows the US government to monitor telephone calls and other electronic communications of American citizens without a warrant. This clearly violates the Fourth Amendment


Obama: US should conduct direct talks with Syria and Iran


Iran: Sanctions violate UN Charter


Iran resolution hits snag at U.N.: French envoy Vimont did not mention countries by name but nonpermanent Council member South Africa has voiced discomfort over moving ahead fast on the resolution and Libya, Indonesia and Vietnam are also seen as spoilers.


DM: Iran's military does not threat any country "The United States is trying to introduce Iran as a threat to peace and security in the Middle East, yet our armed forces are not threatening any country in the region,"


"We Can't Afford to Let Them Spill the Beans" A dual Israeli-American national, Grossman has promoted the neocon agenda of forcing "regime change" in the Middle East. "[T]he time has come now," he declared on the eve of the Iraq invasion, "to make a stand against this kind of connection between weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. And we think Iraq is a place to make that stand first . . . the great threat today is the nexus between weapons of mass destruction and terrorism."


OPEC set to freeze oil output amid US recession fears OPEC ministers turned down calls for extra output on Thursday, voicing concern that the weak US economy may cause oil prices to drop further from recent historic peaks above 100 dollars. Greedy bastards.


Deadly Hubris A million Iraqis dead ? for what?


US diplomats sometimes go off-message The trouble began on Jan. 17, when Jay Lefkowitz, the special U.S. envoy for human rights in North Korea, delivered a speech at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think-tank in which he trashed the six-nation talks aimed at persuading the North Koreans to give up their nuclear weapons program.


Poll: Most U.S. Muslims reject attacks on civilians The poll also found that 75 percent of respondents agreed that "brokering a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would improve America's reputation in the Muslim world."


Deminers find new cluster bomb sites without Israeli data while Israel continues to ignore requests for data that would assist clearing the estimated one million unexploded bomblets, which continue to kill and maim civilians and decimate rural livelihoods. A single cluster bomb can disperse hundreds of bomblets.



Horowitz Returns to Meet Officials Horowitz said he wants to discuss his campus appearance on Oct. 24 ? a speech on ?Islamo-Fascism? that he ended prematurely due to repeated interruptions by outside protesters.



Defending Israel to the "End Times"


3 Antiwar.com Columnists Appointed to Advise Ron Paul Campaign This morning the Ron Paul campaign announced the appointment of three new policy advisors: Doug Bandow has been appointed policy advisor to the campaign, while Charles Peña and Philip Giraldi have been named as foreign policy advisors.


Palestinian refugees in Iraq call for unity Palestinian refugee in Iraq, facing repeated attacks, abductions and killings, voiced an appeal to the Palestinian people in Palestine and to all factions in order to save them and place their issue as a high priority. The refugees called on all Palestinian factions to end the internal tension and to unite