Headlines for 06-07-08

The Spy Who Loves Us by Philip Giraldi The brunt of Israel's treachery is revealed by former CIA counterterrorism official Philip Giraldi. Kudos!


US issues threat to Iraq's $50bn foreign reserves in military deal The US is holding hostage some $50bn (£25bn) of Iraq's money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement seen by many Iraqis as prolonging the US occupation indefinitely, according to information leaked to The Independent.


Accused 9/11 mastermind must now protect US secrets the United States is asking Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to safeguard some of its national security secrets. That's part of the rules Mohammed must follow after being granted the right to represent himself before a military tribunal that could hand him the death penalty.



Oil hits $139 as jobless figures stun US Already jittery oil markets were sent into spasm by remarks from Israel's transport minister that an attack on Iranian nuclear sites looked "unavoidable". Any attack on the country would threaten supplies from the whole region.


Report: Olmert to urge U.S. attack on Iran


Iraq PM in Iran talks amid debate over US pact Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived in Tehran on Saturday for talks with Iranian leaders, amid controversy over a mooted deal with Washington on a long-term US troop presence in Iraq.


Olmert aides: Progress made with U.S. on forging common view on Iran Olmert did not elaborate on what, if any, Israeli-U.S. plans had been created for curbing the Iranian nuclear program. But his aides said he had cemented the sale by the United States of advanced F-35 warplanes to Israel, as well as bilateral cooperation on missile-defense systems.


Daniel Pipes: If Obama Wins, Bush Will Attack Iran in November


Intelligence [sic] Committee Report


Israeli threat to attack Iran over nuclear weapons Mofaz is Israel's transport minister, but he is also a former chief of staff, privy to secret defence planning as a member of the security cabinet, and leads regular strategic talks with the US


US says it will emphasize diplomacy with Iran The White House on Friday reiterated it would focus on diplomacy to persuade Iran to renounce sensitive nuclear activities after an Israeli official said force was the only option left.


West is 'resigned' to Iran bomb: Israeli minister Ben-Eliezer insisted he was not advocating a preventive military strike on Iran but said "Iran should know the price it will have to pay when it begins to think concretely about attacking Israel."


Oil price soars as US woes mount


Preventing the next war? In the first half of 2008, newspaper front pages and television news have begun repeating a message about a Middle Eastern country that has not attacked the United States but which allegedly "poses a grave threat," "may build nuclear weapons" and "must be prevented from making war on its neighbors." In


Iran protests to UN over Israel attack warning


Israel ponders implications for Jewish state of Obama presidency Some in government quarters are concerned that Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, might be soft on Iran, pressure Israel to make concessions on the Palestinian track and even change the tenor of the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States.....The consensus was that because support for Israel is so strong in both Congress and American public opinion, no president would take a radically different tack.


Analysis: Growing talk of Iran attack One scenario being discussed by Israeli analysts is that there could be an attack, by Israel or by the Americans, after the US election in November and before the new president is inaugurated in January, with the tacit consent of the incoming president. That might be easier if it is Senator Obama's Republican rival John McCain.


Water crucial to Golan talks The rain and snow that falls on the Golan, added to natural spring-water, ultimately provides Israel with about one-third of its fresh water.


Middle East Pop Quiz by Charley Reese On behalf of which country has the U.S. vetoed the largest number of U.N. Security Council resolutions?


Obama Capitulates - to the Israel lobby The U.S. would almost certainly be drawn into the conflict if Israel carried out its threat, and Olmert knows that


US looks to increase Israeli deterrence US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman said he was open to removing the restriction on F-22 sales to boost Israeli deterrence and indicated that aid to the Palestinians could be affected by a Hamas-Fatah deal, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post Thursday.




Commentary: AIPAC and liege fealty Israel is the largest recipient of direct economic and military U.S. aid since the creation of the Jewish state 60 years ago. It also receives its annual aid from the United States at the beginning of the fiscal year so that it can earn interest. Other foreign aid recipients get aid in quarterly installments......Bellicose anti-Iran statements at the AIPAC convention got the biggest hand. Neocon kingpin Richard Perle made another pitch to put Iran next on the terrorist regime hit list.


Ledeen: It?s 1938-1941, Hitler is Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, Khomeinists, Wahabis, Etc.