Headlines for 03-18-08

Cheney again links Iraq invasion to 9/11 attacks as bombing victims are buried This month, an exhaustive Pentagon-sponsored review of more than 600,000 Iraqi documents captured during the 2003 U.S. invasion found no evidence that Saddam's regime had any operational links with the al Qaida terrorist network.


Afghanistan air raid 'kills civilians'


After Iraq, Cheney in Oman for Iran-focused talks


Iraq murder charge for US marine A US marine has been charged with murdering an unarmed detainee in Iraq, the US military said.


Cheney vows to finish job in Iraq Speaking to US troops at Balad air base north of Baghdad, Mr Cheney said the US had "no intention of abandoning our friends or allowing this country of 170,000 sq km to become a staging ground for further attacks against Americans". They didn't attack us in the first place, moron!


US Treasury warns economy faces decline Hey I know: let's attack Iran!


McCain says U.S. pullout from Iraq would boost Iran


Cheney to Troops: Mideast Needs Freedom Rallying troops after an overnight stay at an air base, Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday that as long as freedom is suppressed in the Mideast, the region will remain a place of "stagnation, resentment and violence ready for export." The supreme irony of that statement being that because of our support of Israel (which isn't going to change any time soon), Israel has been allowed to deny the Palestinians freedom for decades. Cheney's hypocrisy is not lost on the world. The world laughs their collective asses off at the neocon notion of 'freedom' in the Middle East.


No missile agreement for Russia, US despite a high-level meeting between the two countries, the American missile shield plan remains a point of tension.


Situation of Palestinians on Iraq-Syria border continues to deteriorate The situation of more than 2,700 Palestinians who have been stranded and are living in inhumane conditions in two border camps at the Iraq-Syrian border continues to deteriorate


Ex-diplomat: Syria talks could resume soon after U.S. elections "Damascus will only consider discussing such issues as a way to reducing its international isolation and that means getting American concessions," Liel said. "You need the Americans, and the Americans say we're not coming," he added. "Because the Syrians want the Americans in the room, this, in practice, prevents talks."


McCain rep to Jews: Christian right a 'serious problem' And Eagleburger believes that those people who might want to "cut and run" from Iraq now are endangering Israel. If you?re worried about Israel, he said, "just think" about the consequences of leaving Iraq, essentially making Iran stronger. As I predicted many times in the past, in this election Israel might find itself in the middle of the American internal debate over the Middle East. The McCain camp is definitely going to use Israel as a way of convincing people that leaving Iraq prematurely is going to have grave results. We went in to Iraq - and we will remain in Iraq - for the security of ISRAEL. Note the source.


Intelligence experts called to testify for ex-AIPAC duo


Jordan's king meets McCain, stresses "effective" US Mideast role Also attending the meeting with the king were Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.


Israelis look ahead to post-Bush White House "I think Bush gave us a sense of security during very difficult times. On the Iraqi issue he turned out to be wrong, but under the circumstances I think he was the best man for the job and was good for Israel,"....."The issue is not what the candidates think about Israel. The issue is what the candidate thinks about a nuclear Iran, about Iraq, terrorism and radical Islamism," In other words, will America continue to do Israel's bidding in the Middle East (and beyond)?


McCain warns of increasing Iranian influence Closing a week-long congressional delegation to the region that included a time in Iraq, McCain expressed concern over a large cache of explosives found in Iraq and alluded that they may have been sent from Iran.




Switzerland rejects US, Jewish criticism of Iranian gas deal Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey on Tuesday brushed aside US and Jewish criticism of a multibillion-dollar gas deal she helped clinch with Iran, saying the Alpine republic does not need permission from the United States to advance its strategic interests....."Switzerland is an independent country that has its own strategic interests to defend," Calmy-Rey told reporters.
Ahh, the bitter irony in such a statement.


The Circus Comes to Town Even more importantly, Democrats here must use these weeks to press Clinton and Obama on Iran and its drive for nuclear weapons. There is simply no other issue on which so many lives will hang during the next four years as this one. We know that both favor diplomacy (as does Republican candidate Sen. John McCain and the State of Israel) to persuade the Iranians to drop their push for nukes. But if, as seems likely, Tehran gets the bomb during the next administration, we must know if these leaders are afraid to do whatever it takes, including pre-emptive strikes, to see to it that the mullahs and their genocidal frontman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad don't have the power to unleash mass murder on Israel or any other country. Note the source. These Israel-supporters want to ask of the candidates for the AMERICAN presidency? will you attack Iran for Israel?


McCain visits Israel 'worried' about Iran, Hamas


McCain cites Iran's nuclear threat while in Israel US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain Tuesday expressed concern about Iran's possible nuclear armament during his two-day visit to Israel.


Israeli warship enters Lebanese waters: army An Israeli warship briefly entered Lebanese waters on Monday but was intercepted by an Italian ship operating as part of the UN peacekeeping force, the army said on Tuesday. How long before the Israeli warships too open fire on UN peacekeepers?


Obama: Pastor's views on Israel 'distorted' Wright has blamed U.S. foreign policy and support for Israel for the anti-Americanism that culminated in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Wright was absolutely correct - his view backed by the findings of the 911 commission. But Americans aren't to know that - which is why the LA Times and Kentucky Herald Leader were the only ones to report on this story.