Headlines for 10-01-08 - 12-28-08

I'm back in the ring to take another swing.A Stand For Justice

Russia ratchets up US tensions with arms sales to Iran and Venezuela


Iran sees US choppers near its frontiers Iran's military says U.S. helicopters have been flying too close to its border with Iraq and may even have crossed the frontier.


Russia's Medvedev: Attack on Iran will endanger entire world


Russia says U.S. fuelling tension with Syria attack Russia accused the United States of fuelling dangerous tension in the Middle East on Monday after Syria said that U.S. helicopters had attacked a farm near the border with Iraq.


Documents linking Iran to nuclear weapons push may have been fabricated The documents in question were acquired by U.S. intelligence in 2004 from a still unknown source Say, I bet we can guess who that 'unknown source' is.


US confronts possibility of long, deep recession


Five ex-secretaries of state urge talks with Iran The wide-ranging, 90-minute session in a packed auditorium at The George Washington University, produced exceptional unity among Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Warren Christopher, Henry A. Kissinger and James A. Baker III.


Dick Cheney's fantasy world By Scott Ritter The vice-president should re-check both his history and his facts. Just prior to President Bush's decision to invade Iraq, the UN had teams of weapons inspectors operating inside Iraq, blanketing the totality of Iraq's industrial infrastructure. They found no evidence of either retained WMD, or efforts undertaken by Iraq to reconstitute a WMD manufacturing capability.


Colin Powell endorses Obama


Army looks for outside help to reduce suicides


Panel Congress was misled on Iraq uranium issue


Iran Resolution Shelved in Rare Defeat for 'Israel Lobby' In a significant and highly unusual defeat for the so-called 'Israel Lobby', the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives has decided to shelve a long-pending, albeit non-binding, resolution that called for President George W. Bush to launch what critics called a blockade against Iran.


McCain's neocon warmonger by Patrick J. Buchanan Scheunemann is the neocon agent in place in McCain's camp. The neocons got their war with Iraq. They are pushing for war on Iran. And they are now baiting the Russian Bear.



How the Recession Could End the Iraq War A year ago, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of funding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from 2001-2017 to be around $2 trillion, or more ? factoring in some $705 billion in interest payments in recognition of the fact that the war is being funded with borrowed money.


Muslim soldier fought for America and his faith On Sunday, Powell said that Khan's sacrifice and service had swayed him to discuss the way that Muslims have been portrayed in the presidential campaign, and the contention that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is a Muslim. Obama "is a Christian," Powell said. "He has always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, 'What if he is?' Is there something wrong with being Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That is not America."



Iran wants to undermine US-Iraq troops deal Pentagon


New, Controversial FBI Guidelines Go Into Effect "It appears that with these guidelines, the attorney general is once again giving the FBI broad new powers to conduct surveillance and use other intrusive investigative techniques on Americans without requiring any indication of wrongdoing or any approval even from FBI supervisors,"


Iran leader offers Obama landmark congratulations


Iran - an attack is still possible What happened between Passover and Rosh Hashanah? The U.S. administration made it clear to Israel that it objects to an attack on Iran. The possibility that the United States itself will attack Iran appears to be negligible, in light of the severe economic crisis and American military entanglement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.


Intel says Iran plans secret nuclear experiments


Iraq Condemns US Raid on Syrian Village The operation on Sunday, in which US helicopters landed 24 special forces troops in Sukkariyeh, five miles inside Syria near the border town of Abu Kamal, was carried out by the CIA according to US officials in Washington


US Task Force Found Few Iranian Arms in Iraq The caches that included Iranian weapons thus represented just 2 percent of all caches found. That means Iranian-made weapons were a fraction of one percent of the total weapons found in Shi'a militia caches during that period.


Ahmadinejad warns of response if Iran attacked


Tehran could make 60 nuclear bombs in two years, says US expert In an interview with AKI, Sokolski raised the alarm about Iran's intentions, claiming that it would have sufficient plutonium after the opening of the Bushehr plant to construct from 30 to 60 bombs. More about Sokolski here.


America's Superpower Status Threatened by Financial Crisis


Attack on Iran Off the Table It is a curious twist, but to their great credit our senior military officers, Admiral William Fallon, who quit rather than let himself be on the receiving end of an order to attack Iran, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, fought and continue to fight a rear-guard action against the dreams and plans of "the crazies" in the White House to attack Iran......From the Israeli press we know that Mullen went so far as to warn his Israeli counterparts not to even think about another incident like the one on June 8, 1967, when Israeli jets and torpedo boats deliberately did their utmost to sink the intelligence collector, USS Liberty, off the Sinai coast. For Mullen a gutsy move. The Israelis know that Mullen knows that that attack was deliberate-not some sort of unfortunate mistake.



Bunker-busting bombs added to U.S. arsenal The bomb and spy plane seem aimed at Iran's efforts to build nuclear weapons, says John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org


Bush America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon Transportation Minister and Kadima MK Shaul Mofaz also gave a speech at the Saban Center Friday, where he said a nuclear Iran is not an option and Israel won't allow a second Holocaust


EuCom deploys radar, troops to Israel U.S. European Command has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent U.S. military presence on Israeli soil.


Israel warns Obama against dialogue with Iran Asked if she supported any US dialogue with Iran, Ms Livni replied: "The answer is no."



Former US admiral says to Israel Don't fear Iran "They are not nearly as strong as their rhetoric indicates," Fallon said of Iran....He also dismissed Iran's calls to destroy Israel as nothing more than rhetoric.


Syria goes on defensive as IAEA prepares to release nuclear report "It's not highly enriched uranium. It could have come from so many different ways," ElBaradei told reporters in Dubai.


Syria "safe haven" for terrorists against Iraq - U.S. The United States criticised Syria at a security conference on Sunday for "giving safe haven to terrorists" attacking Iraq, weeks after a U.S. raid on Syria it said was targeting al Qaeda militants, delegates said.


Fearing attack, Iran militia holds massive defense drill An Iranian militia held civil defense drills on Sunday to prepare for any air strikes and the military said it could close a waterway crucial for world oil supplies if Iran was attacked.


Iran says Israeli partners in war to be punished Chairman of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Hejazi said that Iran would punish Israel's assistants in the war against the country


Israel Asked US for Green Light to Bomb Nuclear Sites in Iran Bush's decision to refuse to offer any support for a strike on Iran appeared to be based on two factors, the sources said. One was US concern over Iran's likely retaliation, which would probably include a wave of attacks on US military and other personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as on shipping in the Persian Gulf. Wow. Did our interests actually prevail? Course, it isn't over yet. Bush is still in office.


IAEA chief ElBaradei: Let Syria have nuclear aid Syria's bid for aid in planning a nuclear power plant poses no bomb-making risk and a Western move to block the project threatens to discredit the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA's director said in remarks released on Tuesday.



Obama to offer Israel nuclear umbrella report the Haaretz daily said Washington would pledge under the proposed "nuclear umbrella" to respond to any Iranian nuclear strike against Israel with a U.S. retaliation in kind.



Candidate Biden U.S., Israel Joined at the Hip America's security is directly tied to Israel's, said U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) last Friday during a stop in Philadelphia. ....."Israel is our ally. If Israel did not exist, we'd have to invent it for our own national security." Abject bullshit.


Warning signs of an Israeli strike on Iran Some key decision makers in Israel fear that unless they attack Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities in the next few months, while George W Bush is still president, there will not be another period when they can rely on the United States as being anywhere near as supportive in the aftermath of a unilateral attack.


Syria asks U.N. council to prevent new U.S. attacks


Syria Hardens Stance On U.S. After Raid, Demands Closure Of U.S. Cultural Center, School; Embassy Closing For Damascus Protests Syria hardened its stance against the U.S. on Wednesday, threatening to cut off cooperation on Iraqi border security while demanding America apologize and promise not to repeat a deadly cross-border raid into its territory.


A Nuclear Umbrella by Philip Giraldi The Israeli left-of-center newspaper Haaretz is reporting that the Obama administration will offer Israel a ?nuclear umbrella? which will consist of a strategic agreement whereby Washington will carry out a devastating nuclear attack on Iran if the Mullahs use a nuclear weapon to attack Israel.


US officer warns Israel not to hit Iran "But it would not be the right thing to do, it will open up another front and this is not going to help the situation in the region, Iraq or Afghanistan," said the officer. "A diplomatic solution is the only logical answer."


US lawmakers approve tougher sanctions on Iran The top Republican on the committee, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, said she supported the bill, but it did not go far enough. "This weak legislation will send a message to our enemies of a weakened U.S. position on the issue of Iran," she said.


Ahmadinejad accepts Israel's right to exist the story wasn't picked up by the world's media.


Zbigniew Brzezinski: Israel's push for Iran strike may hurt U.S. ties Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former national security adviser to Jimmy Carter, said in an interview with Haaretz over the weekend that Israel will do harm to its relations with the United States if it insists on lobbying Washington for an American military strike on Iran.


U.S. spies on Israel nukes, govt official history The United States routinely spies on Israel to try to gather information on its assumed atomic arsenal and secret government deliberations, a new official history of Israel's intelligence services says.


The Usual Suspects by Philip Giraldi The report itself was written by Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute. Task force members included Dennis Ross of the Washington Institute on Near East Policy and Kenneth Weinstein, who heads the Hudson Institute, both regarded as strongly pro-Israeli


The Partys Over By Patrick J. Buchanan John McCain is going to cut taxes, expand the military, move NATO into Georgia and Ukraine, confront Russia and force Iran to stop enriching uranium or "bomb, bomb, bomb," with Joe Lieberman as wartime consigliere.


IAEA irked at "premature" Syria nuclear disclosures The U.N. nuclear watchdog criticized on Tuesday diplomatic disclosures that it had found uranium traces at a Syrian site under investigation, saying this was an effort to prejudge the agency's conclusions.


U.S. approves sale to Israel of 25 F-35 fighter jets The Israeli embassy in Washington bent over backwards to have the deal approved by the current Congress, and a critical development in the legislation was achieved this weekend.



Syria suggests Israeli bombs may be source of uranium traces Syria's foreign minister suggested Wednesday that Israeli bombs may be the source of uranium traces that diplomats at the U.N. nuclear agency said were found at a suspected nuclear site


Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apologized to an Arab-American group on Thursday for comments disparaging Arabs made by his father.



U.S. to sell IAF smart bombs for heavily fortified target Despite reservations in Washington regarding a possible Israeli strike on Iran, the American administration will supply Israel with sophisticated weapons for heavily fortified targets, the U.S. administration announced.



Defense establishment paper: Golan for Syria peace, plan for Iran strike A defense establishment paper recommends making contingency plans to attack Iran, reaching an agreement with Syria that includes leaving the Golan Heights and preventing new elections in the Palestinian Authority, even if this means a confrontation with the United States.


Olmert-Bush Talks on PA May be Window Dressing for Striking Iran The announced agenda is negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, but a possible attack on Iran's nuclear site may be the main topic of the summit.


U.S. report Hezbollah fought Israel better than any Arab army The authors give a high grade to Hezbollah's performance in the 2006 war, describing it as more effective than that of any Arab army that confronted Israel in the Jewish state's history, and that Hezbollah militants wounded more Israelis per fighter than any previous Arab effort.


'Iran will have nukes within two years' "It's a matter of a couple [of] years, one to two years, not more than that, until Iran is capable of coming out with nuclear capability," Ya'alon told a gathering of North American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.


This is Change? 20 Hawks, Clintonites and Neocons to Watch for in Obama's White House


Report: Obama views 'have serious implications for Israel' The Begin-Sadat Center cited Obama's plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and reconcile with Iran and Syria in concluding that the forthcoming Obama administration was likely to clash with the next Israeli government.


CIA chief says strike on Syria was collaboration with 'foreign partner' Israel has never given an account of the strike or formally confirmed that it took place and some Israeli officials have quietly voiced dismay at U.S. disclosures about the strike.


Who Originated the 'Nuclear Umbrella for Israel' Proposal That would be Charles Krauthammer


AIPAC's Man in the Obama Camp - by Philip Giraldi This link may have moved.


Under section entitled 'Howard Kohr' the public debate over the role of the pro-Israel lobby in shaping American policy has had virtually no visible adverse effect on Aipac. Membership continues to grow, as do revenues, and its access to Capitol Hill seems unimpeded. This year the group succeeded in pushing tough anti-Iran legislation through Congress, winning final confirmation just last month.


Abu Nidal, notorious Palestinian mercenary, 'was a US spy' By Robert Fisk


Neo-cons still preparing for Iran attack A familiar coalition of hawks, hardliners and neo-cons expects Obama's proposed talks with Iran to fail - and they're already proposing an escalating set of measures instead. Some are meant to occur alongside any future talks. These include steps to enhance coordination with Israel, tougher sanctions against Iran, and a region-wide military buildup of US strike forces, including the prepositioning of military supplies within striking distance of that country.


Why Israel will hit Iran soon There are essentially only three time periods to consider: (1) after the new president takes office, (2) after the U.S. election but before the new president is inaugurated, and (3) before the election.


The Making of Recent U.S. Middle East Policies The right wing of Israeli politics, the neoconservatives in the U.S. who strongly support Israel, and the aging Israel lobby in the United States all have worked together, and are still doing so, to bring about more wars, regime changes, and instability, specifically the fragmentation of any Middle Eastern states that might ever conceivably threaten Israel. Bill and Kathleen Christison are both former CIA.


U.S. Jews laud Obama pick of Rahm Emanuel for chief of staff "Emanuel has deep Jewish roots and strong ties to the Jewish community. Emanuel, the son of an Israeli immigrant, has a proven commitment to Israel's security and served as civilian volunteer on an Israeli military base during the Persian Gulf War of 1991,"


Carter meets with political leader of Hamas in Syria The five-hour meeting ended late Sunday and covered several issues, including Cpl. Gilad Shalit -- an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since June 2006, the official said.


Conned Again In "Hail to the Chief of Staff," Alexander Cockburn describes Emanuel as "a super-Likudnik hawk," who as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006 "made great efforts to knock out antiwar Democratic candidates."


Condoleezza Rice Urges U.N. To Address Iran Threat To Israel Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday she would ask the U.N. Security Council to take up the matter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel. For which nation does Condi work?


Debate Flares Over Israel's Access to American Secrets In his latest book, published in October by DoubleDay, Bamford writes that the largest American telecommunications companies cooperated with the NSA in the ?warrantless eavesdropping program by allowing the agency to tap its phone lines and fiber-optic cables.? To do so, he writes, the telecom giants resorted to the assistance of at least two high-tech firms, Narus and Verint, founded in Israel and with alleged ties to its intelligence services.


Members of Israeli spy ring 'related to 9/11 hijacker' Two men arrested for running an Israeli spy ring in the Bekaa Valley are relatives of a suicide hijacker who piloted a plane in the September 11, 2001, attacks, a security source told The Daily Star on Sunday Now that's interesting.


Of Import: How Israel helps eavesdrop on US citizens Virtually all US voice and data communications and much from the rest of the world can be remotely accessed by these companies in Israel, which Bamford describes as "the eavesdropping capital of the world." America, sit up and take notice. I've got this latest book by Bamford, and I've yet to read it. Bamford is usually pretty thorough.


IAEA chief baffled over lack of Syria nuclear info The chief U.N. nuclear inspector said his agency's Syria probe has been hampered because key satellite images of an alleged nuclear reactor bombed by Israel are inexplicably unavailable on the market.


Rahm Emanuel's father: An Israeli terrorist? It was described as "terrorist" at the time by Britain. Mr Emanuel's appointment could reassure Israel that Mr Obama will continue America's close alliance.


Iranian leader says he opposes Israel, not Israelis "We are opposed to the idea that the people who live there should be thrown into the sea or be burnt," he said. "We believe that all the people who live there, the Jews, Muslims and Christians, should take part in a free referendum and choose their government,"


Bipartisanship and Threats of War Toward Iran Two former Senators -- conservative Democrat Chuck Robb and conservative Republican Dan Coats (that's what "bipartisan" means) -- have a jointly authored Op-Ed in The Washington Post today decreeing what the U.S. must do towards Iran. The essence: Iran must be prevented, using any means necessary, from not only obtaining nuclear weapons, but also denied even "the ability to quickly assemble a nuclear weapon," which means "the complete cessation of enrichment activities inside Iran," even for civilian purposes.


Peres U.S. has no choice but to save world from Ahmadinejad The United States has no choice but to save the world by stopping Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President Shimon Peres told Israel Radio on Thursday. Really now.


Five Convicted in Terrorism Financing Trial The group was accused of funneling millions of dollars to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an Islamist organization the government declared to be a terrorist group in 1995.


Israel slams fresh Arab move to isolate it at IAEA Israel on Monday condemned the renewed Iranian-backed Arab effort to isolate it at a UN atomic watchdog assembly. Arab League states prepared to table a resolution called "Israel's nuclear capabilities" urging all Middle East states not to test or develop atom bombs and not to stand in the way of a regional nuclear-free zone.


Israeli officials US sends radar to Israel The officials say the new radar was flown into Israel last week along with some 120 American crewmen and has been set up at the Nevatim air base in the Negev desert.


Israelis Wary of a US Radar Base in the Negev The radar will allow the U.S. to keep a close watch on anything moving in Israeli skies, "even a bee", says one top Israeli official who asked not to be identified


Joel Brinkley: Evidence grows that Israel is preparing to attack Iran Would Washington support an Israeli attack? Recently, the administration has given clear signals that it would not. But then, why did the Pentagon announce last month that it planned to sell Israel 1,000 new GBU-39 bunker-busting bombs? They are small weapons that can be dropped from the wings of the fighter jets in Israel's air force.


Retired American Generals Enter Israeli Politics Against Livni The two generals have been in close contact with hawkish policymakers and opinion leaders in Israel, and have visited the country several times. Their last trip was in the fall of 2006, after the Lebanon war, on a group visit by TV military analysts sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.


Military intelligence Iran halfway to first nuclear bomb Iran is halfway to a nuclear bomb, and Hizbullah, Hamas and Syria are using this period of relative calm to significantly rearm, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, the Military Intelligence's head of research, told the cabinet Sunday during a particularly gloomy briefing on the threats facing the country.


Israel expects U.S.-Iran talks under Obama


Obama Camp Rejects Jackson's Claim That He Would Diminish 'Zionist' Influence Barack Obama's campaign stepped in quickly Tuesday to distance itself from a claim by the Rev. Jesse Jackson that "Zionists" would lose clout under an Obama administration.


Obama threatens dire consequences if Iran doesn't change its ways


Obama's Neocon in Residence - by Philip Giraldi Ross is a commentator for Fox News and the Ziegler distinguished fellow at WINEP, which he helped found in the 1980s. He is also chairman of the Jerusalem- based Jewish People Policy Planning Institute. He would only be a spear-carrier in the latest neocon absurdity if it weren't for the fact that he is a major player in the Obama campaign as Obama's top adviser on the Middle East and a key link to AIPAC. Ross reportedly has been helping the Obama campaign formulate positions that AIPAC would be comfortable with.


Olmert to head to Russia for talks on missiles sale to Iran The Israeli military establishment is becoming increasingly concerned over talks between Russia and Iran about the sale of S-300 antiaircraft missiles to Tehran. The deployment of these missiles would pose a major obstacle to any Israel Air Force operation against Iranian nuclear
facilities.


Only military action can stop Iran, experts tell European Jews In attendance at the seminar - which the EJC organized with the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya - were experts such as Ian Anthony from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Uzi Arad from the IDC, and Alfred Pijpers from the Netherlands Institute of International Relations.



Palin 'Only Flag in My Office' Is Israeli


Lieberman: 'I Worry About' Whether Obama Has 'The Right Stuff To Bomb Iran' Asked if Obama had "the right stuff to bomb Iran if it came to that level," Lieberman replied, "I worry about that":


Report: Iranian Officials Recommend Preemptive Strike Against Israel Top officials in Iran are proposing a preemptive strike against Israel to avoid an assault on its nuclear reactors, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported Wednesday.


Israel's 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card - by Philip Giraldi The case of Ben-Ami Kadish is in some ways even more intriguing than that of the two AIPAC staffers. Kadish was arrested in New Jersey on April 22, 2008. A Department of Justice press release described how he was charged with "conspiracy to disclose to the government of Israel documents related to the national defense of the United States and ? that he participated in a conspiracy to act as an agent of the government of Israel."


Surging for Hillary by Philip Giraldi Brooks understandably regards Hillary?s support of Kyl-Lieberman as well as every other piece of anti-Iran legislation as ?pragmatic.? He also shared her enthusiastic support of war against Iraq. Nor is he disturbed that Ross was so pro-Israel in his lean during Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at Camp David that he was even criticized by a colleague Aaron Miller. Rahm?s tilt on the Middle East is also well documented, close to AIPAC, and presumably a comfortable fit for Brooks


After years of Bush, Arabs see hope in Obama heaviest on most Arabs' minds is the question of how strongly Obama will push the peace process with Israel.


Former Bush press secretary backs Obama Scott McClellan, a former White House spokesman who criticized President George W. Bush in a tell-all memoir, said Thursday he plans to vote for Barack Obama.


Palin Foreign Policy 101 by Philip Giraldi Palin?s ban on Iran obtaining nuclear energy is a straight Neocon/AIPAC formulation, arguing that Tehran should never be able to master the nuclear fuel cycle because being able to enrich uranium is in and of itself the capability to produce a weapon somewhere down the road.


Israeli Air Force 'Ready for Iran's Nuclear Sites' Speculation of a U.S.-approved Israeli strike on Iran, fueled by an Israeli attack in Syria last year and by reports of long-range bombing exercises this summer, has faded as the Bush administration prepares to hand over power to President-elect Barack Obama.


Former Aipac Lobbyists Are Said To Be Hopeful of a New Review of Their Case Sources on the defense team have speculated that a possible Obama nominee to head the justice system could be more receptive to pleas to dismiss the case. Really now.


Is Obama Clinton deja vu? by Philip Giraldi The FBI will find it very hard to learn what Emanuel?s ties to Israel were then and are now. Harman was investigated by the FBI in 2006 when she reportedly offered to intercede on behalf of the two AIPAC officials whose trial is still dragging on in Alexandria and there have been some suggestions that the investigation is still open


Diplomats Syria passes 1st test of nuclear probe Diplomats say partial results of samples from a Syrian site bombed by Israel show nothing to back up U.S. assertions that the target was a secret nuclear reactor.


Diplomats: No evidence Syria site bombed by IAF was nuclear reactor Diplomats say partial results of samples from a Syrian site bombed by Israel last September show nothing to back up U.S. assertions that the target was a secret nuclear reactor.


Iran is a threat, but the West can't afford to have Israel bomb it - yet As the Israeli media reported yesterday, the plans for an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities have reached the stage where Jerusalem has presented the Bush administration with an inventory of the military equipment it needs to ensure the mission is a success.


Palin promises to work with Israel's ambassador


Some Israelis feel an urgency to attack Iran U.S. officials fear that an attack would trigger violent repercussions, most notably a wider regional conflict that would inevitably force the entry of American troops. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he does not intend to get involved in another war when he has his hands full with Iraq and Afghanistan.


More 'Conservative' Praise for Obama by Philip Giraldi If it is the latter, it would also mean that war with Iran is a virtual certainty. I think it is the latter, that Obama will continue Washington?s unquestioning support for Israel, but I hope I will be proven wrong



Palin Questions Obama's Support Of Israel - From The Road


U.S. Radar in Israel What's it For, Really (Updated) Danger Room from Wired.com the system in Israel is quite similar to the radar that the U.S. wanted so badly to install in the Czech Republic earlier this year, as part of its larger missile defense shield


Ben White Israel seems wedded to brute force in the Middle East


Palin Warns Of 'Second Holocaust' Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said Friday that if Iran develops nuclear weapons it could lead to a second Holocaust.


When It Comes to Palestine and Israel, the US Simply Doesn't Get It by Robert Fisk Israelis deserve security. But where were the promises of security for Palestinians? Or the sympathy which Americans would immediately grant any other occupied people?


Defeating McCain Ending Not Only Neocon Policies, but Also Tactics I guess we all spoke too soon on this one, seeing as how Obama has filled up his administration with neocons/Israel-firsters.


Cleaning Floors and Other Parables for Our Time by Philip Giraldi


Report: Israel believes Syria renewing its nuclear activity


'Attack Iran!' crowd new internet ad campaign The individual who runs the site out of Rockefeller Center in NYC, Henley MacIntyre, is also mentioned in this blog post. You may want to note the neocon/pro-Israel ties that are naturally involved when it comes to groups such as this that want to 'stop Iran'.

America has spoken

11-05-08 - Americans wholeheartedly and categorically rejected the policies of the Bush administration in an election of historical purportions - the vote heard around the world.

Let's hope Obama keeps the neocons and their disastrous policies at bay.

And fellow Republicans, Obama IS the better choice rather than McCain whose administration would have likely mirrored that of Bush.

11-02-08

A short post:

11-02-08 - James Bamford has a new book out that has Israel's amen corner all in a tizzy. Hmmm. Very interesting.



11-01-08 - Vote Palin/McCain if you want more of the same Bush administration (neocon) policy.

Headlines for 09-09-08

A Stand For Justice

Report: US-NATO Airstrikes Bring Higher Afghan Civilian Toll Ramped-up U.S. and NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan are causing an increased civilian death toll, raising concerns about the fallout from civilian deaths on the war effort against the Taliban insurgency, according to a major new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) released here Monday.


Russia Presses for Georgia Arms Embargo


Lawsuit to Ask That Cheney's Papers Be Made Public Months before the Bush administration ends, historians and open-government advocates are concerned that Vice President Cheney, who has long bristled at requirements to disclose his records, will destroy or withhold key documents that illustrate his role in forming U.S. policy for the past 7 1/2 years.


South Ossetia says finds 500 of 1,600 civilian dead "Preliminary information received by the investigation team by questioning neighbors and relatives showed that over 1,600 people died in South Ossetia as a result of the invasion by the Georgian army," Georgia is the nation to which we will soon send 1 billion dollars in aid money and the Israelis and our government are/were helping to arm and train the Georgian army.


Bush reshuffles war zone troops US President George W Bush has announced that about 8,000 US troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by February - with 4,500 being sent to Afghanistan


U.S. plans $7 billion missile-defense sale to UAE The Bush administration is planning to sell the United Arab Emirates an advanced U.S. missile defense system valued at up to $7 billion that could be used to defend against Iran, people who have attended briefings on the matter said on Monday.



Israel 'could kidnap Ahmadinejad' "A man like Ahmadinejad who threatens genocide has to be brought for trial in The Hague," seat of the international war crimes tribunal, Eitan said today. "And all options are open in terms of how he should be brought." See the write up on about the alleged threats to Israel Iran's president made.


Oil falls as Opec ministers meet Brent crude has fallen below $100 a barrel for the first time since April, as traders predict Opec will stick to current output levels.


Pentagon set on mission to rebuild Georgian military What the hell for? Try rebuilding AMERICA instead.


Saakashvili warns of more territorial conflicts involving Russia Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose country had a brief war with Russia last month, warned Sunday that Moscow could trigger more armed conflicts in the former Soviet territories.


Iran demands U.N. response to Israeli "threats"


Al Qaeda chief says Iran and US collaborating: report Al Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri has launched a vitriolic attack on Iran, using a video message broadcast by Al-Jazeera to accuse it of collaborating with Washington in Afghanistan and Iraq.


Israel attack on Lebanon depends on Iran, Syria: Hezbollah Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said any Israeli attack on Lebanon depended on the Iranian nuclear issue and the Israel-Syria talks, in an interview with Iran's state-run television on Monday.


Report: '60 Minutes' Cut Ahmadinejad's Statement, 'Solution Is Democracy' in Israel/Palestine


Ron Paul: US And Israel To Attack Iran... Ron Paul took the floor of Congress to tell it like it is. Why are oil prices so high? Many reasons but among them is the war talk coming from Bush and the Israeli government. Next week, Iran starts settling oil contracts in Euros instead of dollars. Right on. Must watch.


Jews to rally against Ahmadinejad "We're not going to be silent when someone threatens to destroy the United States and Israel," Hoenlein said. Oh I see. So now Iran has threatened to destroy Israel AND America? The tales grow taller on down the line.


Hizbullah chief warns against Gaza strike


Vying for Jewish votes, parties target VP picks Most recently, Biden and Obama refused to back a nonbinding amendment last year initiated by Sens. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) that would have urged President Bush to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist group. (The amendment passed, and Bush did so.) Biden and Obama objected to including attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, allegedly backed by Iran, as a rationale for the designation, fearing Bush could claim congressional backing if he attacked Iran.
Oh dear.


Lebanese cabinet calls for Israel to implement UN resolutions Specifically, he said Israel must withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory, referring to the disputed Shebaa Farms; end overflights of Lebanese airspace and turn over maps of mines and cluster bombs laid and dropped on Lebanese territory.


Israel's Olmert, ministers to discuss Iranian nukes Israeli Radio said government officials were concerned by reports that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power station was nearing completion.
Russia has already delivered nuclear fuel to Iran under a $1 billion contract to build the Bushehr plant, on the Gulf coast in southwest Iran, and Iranian officials say the reactor is likely to be started up soon.



Report: Israel's leading weapon company wins $260 mln missile deal from India The Israel Armament Development Authority (Rafael) has won a contract of 260 million U.S. dollars from India whose air force intends to buy 18 Spyder Low Level Quick Reaction Missiles, local daily Ha'aretz reported here Sunday.

Headlines for 09-07-08

A Stand For Justice

Iran to hold three-day war games: report The exercises will be held amid persistent speculation about a possible U.S. or Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West and Israel say are part of a clandestine bid to build atomic bombs, despite Tehran's denials.


Iran's Ahmadinejad holds talks with Chinese President


'CIA helped draw up dodgy Iraq war dossier for No 10'


Vladimir Putin set to bait US with nuclear aid for Tehran Russia is considering increasing its assistance to Iran?s nuclear programme in response to America?s calls for Nato expansion eastwards and the presence of US Navy vessels in the Black Sea delivering aid to Georgia.


Sarkozy: Israeli Attack Inevitable While the Republicans were nominating Sarah Palin ? who reportedly believes the Bush-Cheney war of aggression against Iraq was inevitable, part of "God's plan" ? French President Nicolas Sarkozy was in Damascus, warning the "leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar" that an Israeli attack on Iran also appears to be inevitable.


Iran rejects French warning it risks Israeli strike Iran dismissed on Saturday a warning by France's president that the Islamic Republic was taking a dangerous gamble over its nuclear program because one day its arch-foe Israel could strike.


Hezbollah chief says to keep arms to defend from Israel's attack


Iran Emerges as Wedge Issue for Jewish Voters As Democrats work to shore up support of Jewish voters, and Republicans do all they can to tear it down, Iran is emerging as a pivotal foreign policy issue in the presidential campaign, and an indirect test by many Jews of the candidates? full commitment to Israel?s security. Israel's security - not America's.


Cheney tells Peres: Russia supplies weapons to terrorists U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met with President Shimon Peres on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti forum on the edge of Italy's Lake Como on Saturday, telling the Israeli leader that Russia is selling arms to Damascus and Iran with the clear knowledge that they are being channeled to Hezbollah and terror groups in Iraq.


Report: UN to demand Israel pay Lebanon $1 billion in reparations The United Nations will require Israel to pay Lebanon nearly $1 billion for environmental damages caused during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on Saturday. GOOD! Serves them right for what they did to Lebanon. Unfortunately, it will more than likely be the already overburdened US taxpaying public that will foot the bill (as usual) via increased aid to Israel.

Headlines for 09-05-08

Iran calls Sarkozy nuclear claims 'baseless' Iran on Friday dismissed as baseless remarks by French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Tehran was pursuing its controversial nuclear programme for military purposes.


Letters from Langley by Philip Giraldi My sources are still insisting that the actual forgery took place in the Pentagon, more specifically in Doug Feith?s Office of Special Plans (OSP), in response to a request from Scooter Libby in the Vice President?s Office.


Iran nuclear program needs political, not military response: Peres Iran's nuclear program demands a political rather than a military response, Israeli President Shimon Peres said Friday, a day after his French counterpart warned Tehran risked a possible Israeli strike.


The Washington Post Does John McCain's Dirty Work But the Post story is actually something else altogether, a breathless account of - wait for it - how Ron Paul had help in writing The Revolution: A Manifesto. What a shock: a presidential candidate would have professional assistance in putting together a book.


The new gulf war: which state can spend its oil trillions faster? Thanks to the soaring oil price, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have money to burn - and they can't wait to spend it, as this week's dramatic acquisition of Manchester City shows. Michael Savage and Toby Green investigate where the money has gone


Israeli Arab convicted of spying for Hezbollah


Experts Helping Palin Brush Up on Foreign Policy Lieberman, who was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee but is now an independent, has helped introduce Palin to officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the leading pro-Israel lobby. In a meeting Tuesday, the day before she delivered her prime-time address at the Republican National Convention here, Palin assured the group of her strong support for Israel, of her desire to see the United States move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and of her opposition to Iran's aspirations to become a nuclear power, according to sources familiar with the meeting. Don't vote for Palin/McCain unless you want more of the same (Israel first!).


AIPAC Meets the Candidate Having already thrice denied denied any connection with Pat Buchanan, it was perhaps inevitable that Sarah Palin?s walk to Canossa would now entail passing through the gauntlet of The Lobby. On Tuesday she was accompanied by Joe Lieberman when she met with a group from AIPAC


Zealous for Zion In February 2006, televangelist John Hagee founded CUFI to "respond instantly to Washington with our concerns about Israel," telling reporters to "think of CUFI as a Christian version of AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee]."


Sarah Palin: The Xena of the War Party Religion also played an important role in the choice of Palin: she's a member of a dispensationalist sect, within the Pentecostalist tradition, a "born again" Christian who believes in the Rapture and the centrality of Israel in world affairs.


Iran strike a costly attempt to buy time Aviv, now heading a security consultancy in New York called Interfor and sporting a large CIA badge in his lapel, was shown off to Australian gatherings this week by several Jewish groups, including the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, who seemed to take him and what he said at face value......"I believe that Israel is planning to act on these reactors before Bush leaves the White House," Mr Aviv said. "We've got to take a chance ? the next president of America may not allow it.".....He may or may not be speaking for anyone but himself, but his sponsorship suggests Australian opinion-makers were being warmed up for an Iran strike. Former Israeli MOSSAD is sporting a CIA badge?


Hezbollah says it shot helicopter The leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon has acknowledged that his group was responsible for the shooting down last week of a Lebanese army helicopter.


Resettlement of Palestinians to Iceland A total of 29 vulnerable Palestinian refugees stranded for the last two years in a makeshift camp in the desert on the Iraq-Syria border are set to leave Monday to begin a new life in Iceland. The group includes some of the most vulnerable refugee women, several of whom lost their husbands during the conflict in Iraq ? and their children. Given their vulnerability, UNHCR considers resettlement their only option and we appreciate Iceland's decision to accept them.

Headlines for 09-04-08

Army: soldier suicide rate may set record again


Two US troops charged for Iraqi detainee murder A US soldier and an officer have been charged with the murder of an Iraqi detainee and their first hearings will take place near executed dictator Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit next week, the US military said on Thursday.


Barak: East Jerusalem could be capital of Palestinian state He also said that there was still time for diplomacy to curb Iran's nuclear program but that Israel was serious about using "any option" if that failed.


Congress is about to pour lighter fluid on Iran According to the Jewish Daily Forward, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., offered an apology to a representative from the antiwar group Peace Action, saying, "I regret the fact that I did not read this resolution more carefully." He further told the Valley Advocate of Northampton, Mass., that he?s "all for stricter sanctions against Iran, but the blockade part goes too far. I?m going to call the sponsors and tell them I?m changing my vote." Don't be fooled by Israel-firsters like Wexler - this resolution IS an act of war. And based on the last paragraph of that article, AIPAC is literally dictating US foreign policy - to the detriment of AMERICANS. Our representatives on Capitol Hill are committing an act of treason to allow these agents of a foreign nation to dictate to them foreign policy directives that gravely threaten US interests.


Sarkozy warns Iran it risks Israeli attack French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Iran on Thursday it was taking a dangerous gamble in seeking to develop nuclear weapons because one day its arch-foe Israel could strike.


Biden, Palin take the lead as campaigns clash on Mideast The two vice-presidential candidates led the way Wednesday as the Obama and McCain campaigns worked to draw clear battle lines on Iran and Israel.


Palin links energy policies, Iran Sarah Palin tied the energy policies she favors to diminishing the Iranian threat.


Syria awaits Israeli response to peace proposals after talks postponed Syria today said a round of indirect talks with Israel had been postponed because of the resignation of the chief Israeli negotiator, as Damascus waited for a response to its latest proposals.


Evangelical faith drives Palin's pro-Israel view Sarah Palin displays an Israeli flag in her governor's office in Juneau, even though she has never been to the country, and attends Protestant evangelical churches that consider the preservation of the state of Israel a biblical imperative. Her faith makes her a favorite with the staunchly pro-Israel neoconservative elements in the Republican Party.
Well, now you know why she got the nomination.


Can we count on US? In the latter period, any Israeli policy, particularly in respect to the conflict with the Palestinians, was granted automatic support and acquiescence from the White House: Starting from the Rabin government?s Oslo process, through Netanyahu moves, Barak?s talks on a final-status agreement, Sharon?s path of siege and disengagement, and back to the current government?s attempts to secure a final-status agreement. This support and acquiescence came in addition to the international backing for Israel on the part of the American giant at global institutions. Note the source. 'Acquiescence' - you ain't kidding. Total obeisance, is more like it. The actual premise of this story is that America is no longer the superpower she once was, so Israel is looking for a new host to feed off of. This was actually a prediction I made way back in 2003 just before the attack on Iraq- that Israel would continue to use us as their whore for money and to attack nations on their behalf - and then kick us to the curb once our time has run out in terms of blood and treasure.


Biden: Israel's decisions must be made in Jerusalem, not D.C. The Delaware senator also attacked critics who have questioned his support of Israel saying, "I will take a back seat to no one, and again, no one in AIPAC or any other organization, in terms of questioning my support of the State of Israel." .....Biden also questioned the wisdom of a pre-emptive U.S.-led attack on Iran, at a time when the U.S. is "bogged-down in Iraq," adding that he has been "stunned by the incompetence" of the Bush administration in its handling of the war in Iraq. That last sentence from the excerpt is the only thing Biden's got going for him in terms of dealing with Israel and its lobby in the States (and their desire for the US to attack Iran).