The US inches ever closer to attacking Iran

Saturday, December 31, 2005

News for 12-30-05

12-30-05 - Justice Dept. Probing Domestic Spying Leak


12-30-05 - Russian nuclear agency head to visit Iran in February Sergei Kirienko will "visit the reactor at Bushehr that is being built by Russian specialists and will also hold talks with the directors of the Iranian nuclear programme,"


12-30-05 - Assad threatened Hariri: Khaddam


12-30-05 - 2006: The Year of Revelation? There are indications, too, that the neocons are simply becoming unhinged. Those "weapons of mass destruction" that somehow went missing in Iraq, are, you see, carefully hidden away in Damascus and/or Tehran. Or at least that's the latest War Party line in the Bizarro World fantasy-land of the neoconservatives


12-30-05 - Rights group slams Jordan's expulsion of Syrian workers "More than a thousand Syrian workers have been expelled from Jordan in recent weeks. They were all summoned by judicial authorities who demanded their immediate and simultaneous departure,"


12-30-05 - Flashback Sept. 2004: Pentagon leaks might link Israel and Chalabi


12-30-05 - Nuclear Clouds Gather "What all this highlights is the potential for a dangerous conflict in the Middle East,"


12-30-05 - Millions of Syrians sign anti-US petition The petition rejected "everything that is mentioned in the two reports" because they lack "objectivity and impartiality in order to serve the United States and Israel's greed, which threatens peace and international security."


12-30-05 - AJC Launches International Campaign to Stop a Nuclear Iran


12-30-05 - Washington poised for revelations from top lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a Republican activist for 20 years and a generous donor to President George W. Bush's election and reelection campaigns, is accused of fraud in a criminal trial due to begin in Miami, Florida, on January 9.

He was found to have given money to radical settlers in the Occupied Territories.

Friday, December 30, 2005

News for 12-29-05

12-29-05 - Let's Stop a US/Israeli War on Iran* The peace movements of the entire world should be in crisis mode right now, working non-stop to prevent the U.S. and Israel from starting a war against Iran.


12-29-05 - Sharaa underlines Syria's cooperation with new UN investigator to Hariri murder Syria's Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa said on Wednesday that Syria has underlined she will cooperate to the largest extent with the UN Investigation on the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri and its new head.



12-29-05 - Europeans criticize U.S. sanctions as potential risk to Iran talks EU officials said an increase in U.S. pressure on Iran could complicate the diplomatic efforts of the Union, which is trying to end the nuclear standoff with Iran while also acting as a mediator between Tehran and Washington.


12-29-05 - Iran, Russia to discuss uranium enrichment: diplomat in a sudden change of tone, a senior official said on Wednesday Tehran would "seriously and enthusiastically" study the Russian plan.


12-29-05 - Group Claims Rocket Strike on Israel Al-Qaida in Iraq said Thursday that it fired a barrage of rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel this week, in a rare claim by the group of a direct attack against the Jewish state. The statement, on an Islamic Web forum where al-Qaida in Iraq often posts statement, could not be independently verified.



12-29-05 - Pentagon Shakes Up Emergency Hierarchy


12-29-05 - Israel army chief rules out early strike on Iran Halutz however said he did not believe Iran would actually complete manufacturing a bomb "before the start of the next decade."


12-29-05 - Farkash: "Hezbollah is using weapons Syria purchased from Russia"


12-29-05 - Arab MK: Syria will hasten Palestinian J'lem


12-29-05 - Palestinians in Iraq Pay the Cost of Being 'Saddam's People' Hussein made world headlines by promising a house and $25,000 to each Palestinian family in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that had a member killed while attacking Israel


12-29-05 - The Two Faces of Hezbollah "Hezbollah is Hezbollah," he says, "there's no change in its definition. It's a political, religious party created as a reaction to Israel's invasion [of Lebanon] in 1982. Politically it's represented in both cabinet and parliament, and considered by all to be a legitimate party. But if you're against Israel, the U.S. administration labels you as they want."

Thursday, December 29, 2005

News for 12-28-05

12-28-05 - Newspaper: Killers of Lebanese editor threaten to kill new chief of U.N. probe on Hariri


12-28-05 - Lebanon Condemns Rocket Attack on Israel "These acts _ the firing of rockets and the Israeli raids and air violations _ are eventually aimed at undermining stability in Lebanon and distracting attention from efforts to continue internal dialogue on major issues,"


12-28-05 - Iran sounds positive note on Russian atomic plan Iran said on Wednesday it would "seriously and enthusiastically" study a Russian proposal aimed at reducing international fears about its nuclear programme, the ISNA students news agency reported.


12-28-05 - Israeli planes attack in Lebanon


12-28-05 - Terrorism cases in US may be reopened after wiretap scandal


12-28-05 - Locked in Limbo Along with employment restrictions, there are also legal codes that prevent Palestinian children from attending Lebanese schools. With their concentration in these refugee ghettos, most Palestinians here live in limbo, caught between the dream of returning to their Palestinian homeland and the nightmare of their current status as non-citizens. Strange how our government doesn't give one rat's about these people, and bringing 'democracy' to them.


12-28-05 - Guide tracks US reps' votes on Israel The decision to include legislator's voting records on Israel in the Christian Voter's Guide was arranged at the urging of the Knesset's increasingly-influential 'Christian Allies Caucus,' and comes at a time of increasing cooperation between Israel and Christian supporters of Israel worldwide, a goal the cross-party parliamentary lobby works to further.



12-28-05 - Syria wants new rules for cooperation on UN probe


12-28-05 - Top Jewish group 'terror' apology Washington said it would freeze any assets of the charity in the US and banned US nationals from having any dealings with the organisation.
The Charity Commission, the UK watchdog, froze the charity's accounts and launched an investigation. It later cleared Interpal, saying Washington had not been able to substantiate the claim.
The US Treasury has however kept Interpal on its list of suspected organisations, a situation that continues to infuriate many British Muslims. Ever wonder why politics in Britain (our best ally) are so profoundly different than they are here? Is there an AIPAC in Britain?


12-28-05 - Israelis Born in Iraq Plan Visit to Area Now the Mosul Jewry Heritage Center in the Israeli port city of Haifa is organizing tours to northern Iraq, where Kurds, traditionally friendly to Jews, are in control, said Aharon Efroni, chairman of the center


12-28-05 - Nuking Iran With the UN's Blessing As for how it will all get started, there is room for speculation. One possibility is that Israel will pull the trigger, with a surprise (conventional) bombing of Bushehr and other facilities, which could "force" the U.S. to join in to protect Israel and U.S. forces in Iraq from Iranian retaliation. Recent statements by Israeli officials hint at this possibility,

News for 12-28-05

12-28-05 - Newspaper: Killers of Lebanese editor threaten to kill new chief of U.N. probe on Hariri


12-28-05 - Lebanon Condemns Rocket Attack on Israel "These acts _ the firing of rockets and the Israeli raids and air violations _ are eventually aimed at undermining stability in Lebanon and distracting attention from efforts to continue internal dialogue on major issues,"


12-28-05 - Iran sounds positive note on Russian atomic plan Iran said on Wednesday it would "seriously and enthusiastically" study a Russian proposal aimed at reducing international fears about its nuclear programme, the ISNA students news agency reported.


12-28-05 - Israeli planes attack in Lebanon


12-28-05 - Terrorism cases in US may be reopened after wiretap scandal


12-28-05 - Locked in Limbo Along with employment restrictions, there are also legal codes that prevent Palestinian children from attending Lebanese schools. With their concentration in these refugee ghettos, most Palestinians here live in limbo, caught between the dream of returning to their Palestinian homeland and the nightmare of their current status as non-citizens. Strange how our government doesn't give one rat's about these people, and bringing 'democracy' to them.


12-28-05 - Guide tracks US reps' votes on Israel The decision to include legislator's voting records on Israel in the Christian Voter's Guide was arranged at the urging of the Knesset's increasingly-influential 'Christian Allies Caucus,' and comes at a time of increasing cooperation between Israel and Christian supporters of Israel worldwide, a goal the cross-party parliamentary lobby works to further.



12-28-05 - Syria wants new rules for cooperation on UN probe


12-28-05 - Top Jewish group 'terror' apology Washington said it would freeze any assets of the charity in the US and banned US nationals from having any dealings with the organisation.
The Charity Commission, the UK watchdog, froze the charity's accounts and launched an investigation. It later cleared Interpal, saying Washington had not been able to substantiate the claim.
The US Treasury has however kept Interpal on its list of suspected organisations, a situation that continues to infuriate many British Muslims. Ever wonder why politics in Britain (our best ally) are so profoundly different than they are here? Is there an AIPAC in Britain?


12-28-05 - Israelis Born in Iraq Plan Visit to Area Now the Mosul Jewry Heritage Center in the Israeli port city of Haifa is organizing tours to northern Iraq, where Kurds, traditionally friendly to Jews, are in control, said Aharon Efroni, chairman of the center


12-28-05 - Nuking Iran With the UN's Blessing As for how it will all get started, there is room for speculation. One possibility is that Israel will pull the trigger, with a surprise (conventional) bombing of Bushehr and other facilities, which could "force" the U.S. to join in to protect Israel and U.S. forces in Iraq from Iranian retaliation. Recent statements by Israeli officials hint at this possibility,

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

News for 12-27-05

12-27-05 - US sanctions nine firms for Iran arms-related deals


12-27-05 - Lebanon detains Syrian suspect in Tueni's killing


12-27-05 - Question the PATRIOT Act Now ? Before It's Too Late by Rep. Ron Paul The rule of law is worthless if we ignore it whenever crises occur If only more of our representatives would be so honest and so full of integrity.


12-27-05 - Israeli jets hit militant base in Lebanon


12-27-05 - US embassy close to admitting Syria rendition flight


12-27-05 - Iran could have bomb in two years: Israeli intelligence "One or two years from now at the latest, Iran will have the fissionable material to make a nuclear bomb. From then on, producing the bomb is just a straightforward technical process," Two years? Not so long ago they said six months.


12-27-05 - Three rockets fired from Lebanon hit Israel


12-27-05 - Democracy and Iran tension to test Russia's G8 lead


12-27-05 - Mossad warns of Iranian atomic arsenal


12-27-05 - Patriot Gifts Under

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

News for 12-26-05

12-26-05 - Iran says does not need permission for nuclear work


12-26-05 - No Date Is Set for Troop Withdrawal From Iraq


12-26-05 - Christian communities in Syria celebrate the Christmas


12-26-05 - "Israel is the reason behind Iraq war"


12-26-05 - 'Democracy,' Iraqi-Style


12-26-05 - How Stands the Empire? by Patrick J. Buchanan


12-26-05 - Israel's War Deadline Iran in the Crosshairs All top Israeli officials have pronounced the end of March, 2006, as the deadline for launching a military assault on Iran. The thinking behind this date is to heighten the pressure on the US to force the sanctions issue in the Security Council. The tactic is to blackmail Washington with the "war or else" threat, into pressuring Europe (namely Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia) into approving sanctions.


12-26-05 - Report: Shin Bet sets up 'Chinese unit' An academic paper submitted by a senior Shin Bet official studying at Derby University revealed that Israel?s internal intelligence agency has launched a unit specializing in China.


12-26-05 - U.S. national menorah lit The U.S. homeland security secretary helped light the National Menorah in Washington. So it's only the Christmas symbols that can't be displayed on govt property?


12-26-05 - Israel, Arab World Engage in Hidden Trade Experts say the camouflaged trade, with just a small portion receiving publicity, has been going on for years between Israel and its officially hostile Arab neighbors.

Monday, December 26, 2005

News for 12-25-05

12-25-05 - Christmas appeal for release of Iraq hostages


12-25-05 - US general admits Iraqis want troops out


12-25-05 - Russia deploys new nuclear missiles THE chief of Russia's strategic forces attended the deployment of a new set of state-of-the art intercontinental ballistic missiles today, boasting of their capability to penetrate any prospective missile defence


12-25-05 - Powell: 'Nothing Wrong' With Eavesdropping "My own judgment is that it didn't seem to me, anyway, that it would have been that hard to go get the warrants. And even in the case of an emergency, you go and do it."


12-25-05 - Iran rejects Russian nuclear offer Iran rejected an offer from Russia for the Islamic republic to conduct uranium enrichment activities on its soil, foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.


12-25-05 - More Americans growing weary of civil liberties sacrifices


12-25-05 - Arab League chief denies deal to clear Syria over Hariri murder


12-25-05 - Pro-Israel Group Criticizes White House Policy on Iran the news releases mark the first major criticism of the Bush White House Because everything that Bush has done thus far has been done in accordance with their agenda.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

News for 12-24-05

Saturday, December 24, 2005

News for 12-23-05

12-23-05 - Daschle: Congress Didn't OK Spying Authority


12-23-05 - Families of four foreign hostages in Iraq issue joint appeal


12-23-05 - U.S. Resurfaces Opposition to International Court


12-23-05 - Iranian official proposes int'l committee to clarify Holocaust


12-23-05 - Showdown over Iran atom drive looms despite new talks


12-23-05 - UN reaches budget deal clearing way for reforms Neil also insisted there was no linkage in the deal between implementing reforms and U.N. funding for the second half of 2006. The additional funding would depend on Annan's recommendation, he said.
But Bolton insisted the linkage, though not in writing, would be clear if reforms were not enacted and U.N. funding ran out.



12-23-05 - Syria "terrorising" Arab regimes: Lebanese Druze leader


12-23-05 - Iran sees 'diplomatic victory' in nuclear talks


12-23-05 - FBI Talks to Muslim High School Student about "PLO" Initials on His Notebook "the agents asked the student to recount an incident that had occurred two years earlier in a math class. He told the agents that his teacher had reprimanded him for having scrawled the letters ?PLO' on his binder. The teacher said that anyone who supported the PLO was a terrorist."


12-23-05 - Congress gives Israel defense money The allocation, $150 million more than the White House request, passed the House of Representatives Thursday as part of the Defense Appropriations Bill. The measure passed the Senate Wednesday. The earmark includes $133 million for the Arrow Anti-Ballistic Missile System, $37.4 million for the LITENING Targeting and Navigation Pod, $22 million for Reactive Armor tiles for Bradley fighting vehicles and $17 million for the ITALD aircraft decoy system.



12-23-05 - Report: IDF doctor says Dirani rape claim backed by evidence Channel 1 television on Wednesday reported than Israel Defense Forces doctor who examined kidnapped Lebanese guerrilla leader Mustafa Dirani found physical evidence to back his charge that he was raped.


Friday, December 23, 2005

News for 12-22-05

12-22-05 - House OKs Five-Week Patriot Act Extension


12-22-05 - Rumsfeld vague on Iraq deployment cuts


12-22-05 - US lawsuit could dent global war-contractor boom


12-22-05 - US raises pressure on UN to change Bolton, an outspoken critic of the UN, has suggested adopting an interim three-month budget that would keep the pressure on for a package of changes. True to Bolton's Israel-first agenda, some of the changes involve doing away with Palestinian Human Rights Committees, as well as others devoted to Palestinian issues.


12-22-05 - US judge resigns over Bush's domestic spying authorization: report


12-22-05 - Group meets to discuss North African Jews A group that is pushing for restitution for Jews who fled Arab countries wants to preserve Jewish sites in the Muslim world.


12-22-05 - UK seals $90b jet fighter deal with Saudi Arabia


12-22-05 - Israel trusts in BMD against Iran threat Israeli military commanders are confident their multi-arrayed anti-ballistic missile defense system can shoot down any nuclear-armed Iranian missiles aimed at their country.


12-22-05 - US halts Arabic magazine meant to boost US image the efforts have been hampered because many Arabs strenuously object to U.S. foreign policies, particularly over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iraq war.



12-22-05 - Egypt Opposition Leader Denies Holocaust

Thursday, December 22, 2005

News for 12-21-05

12-21-05 - Iran wants Saddam tried for gassing Iranians


12-21-05 - Ukrainian Cruise Missiles Transported Via Russia to Iran ? Israel


12-21-05 - Russia to take Syria's side if conflict with U.S. arises - Russian MPs Russia will take Syria's side if charges against Syrian officials with involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri cause a conflict between the United States and Syria, two Russian parliamentary members said Tuesday.


12-21-05 - Iranians, Europeans Agree to More Talks


12-21-05 - Donors Underwrite DeLay's Deluxe Lifestyle


12-21-05 - Investigator: Killings in Lebanon Linked


12-21-05 - Syria said mulling plan to cede Shaba Farms to Lebanon If the Shaba Farms are considered Lebanese territory, Israel will be asked to withdraw from the region. Failure to do so will provide Hezbollah with justification to act in South Lebanon and call the Israeli occupation ongoing.


12-21-05 - Syria says too early to discuss borders with Lebanon


12-21-05 - Lebanon questions US demand to hand over hijacker


12-21-05 - MI head Ze'evi warns of northern border escalation Making his final appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Ze'evi said the risk of the northern border heating up stems from Iranian-Syrian influence on Hezbollah to initiate action against Israel.


12-21-05 - Senate imposes budget cuts - barely - that trim Medicaid and student loans Vice President Cheney cast deciding vote, but Democrats force delays that will cause GOP to take up the bill in '06.



12-21-05 - Rice: Talk of Israeli strike on Iran ?unhelpful?


12-21-05 - IDF: Iranian threat on Israel substantial IDF Intelligence Chief says Iran's threat on Israel growing due to U.S.'s deep involvement in Iraq


12-21-05 - Republicans fear lobbyist's plea bargain Abramoff was also found to be giving money to extremist Israeli settler groups.


12-21-05 - Poll: Most U.S. Jews oppose Iraq war, have never visited Israel This poll is further evidence of a concerted effort by the pro-Israeli groups to back away from their support of the Iraq war in light of the current political climate. This poll may have been valid if they had done it in the run-up to the Iraq war, and not after the fact.


12-21-05 - Israel's special forces at the "highest stage of readiness"


12-21-05 - U.S. Terror Victims' Families Sue Italy The families of three Americans killed in Palestinian suicide bombings have accused the Italian government of siding with Iran in a legal battle to collect damages from the Islamic regime's assets in Italy More legislation in US Congress to be passed in light of these recent events, news at six.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

News for 12-20-05

12-20-05 - U.S. Warns Turkey Of Air Strike On Iran And Syria Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible US air operation against Iran and Syria


12-20-05 - Exiles say Iran uses tunnels to hide atomic work And we all know how much we can trust those exiles...


12-20-05 - 150 Pounds of Explosives Missing in N.M


12-20-05 - Bill Would Allow Arrests For No Reason In Public Place The lengthy piece of legislation would let police arrest people in public places who will not give their names, address and birth dates, even if they are not doing anything wrong


12-20-05 - The Forgotten Anthrax Attacks of 2001 Sept. 11, 2002, rolled around amid weeks of ceremonies and rites, interviews with survivors, and memorial articles galore, while TV shows and books poured out. But where were the survivor interviews with those victimized by the anthrax killer(s)? Where were the books, the dramas, the movies, the TV shows?


12-20-05 - EU-Iran nuclear dialogue to resume but hopes dim


12-20-05 - Dr. Germ and Mrs. Anthrax among group released by US Reuters reports that the two women were also released following the US failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. While both admitted to working on these programs in the past, they had told US authorities that the weapons had been destroyed long before the US invasion.


12-20-05 - Congress pushes back, hard, against Bush


12-20-05 - Lawmaker Wants Bush and Cheney Censured Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., called Tuesday for Congress to censure President Bush and Vice President Cheney, saying they misled lawmakers on the decision to go to war in Iraq.


12-20-05 - Syria says will work with new investigator


12-20-05 - Mixed results in legal fight against terrorism "What's the most remarkable fact is that we have yet to see any al Qaeda terror cell uncovered in the United States," The Feds are too busy hunting down Israel's enemies in the U.S., it would seem.


12-20-05 - Germany frees jailed Hizbollah man wanted by US At his trial, he confessed to helping stage the 17-day hijacking to help win the release of 700 Lebanese detainees held by Israel


12-20-05 - Report: Russian Official Worried Over Bases


12-20-05 - Bush Says Faulty Iraq Data Makes Case Against Iran Tougher


12-20-05 - Elite US soldiers jailed for Iraqi prisoner abuses


12-20-05 - Who Are the War Criminals? Naming Names If we look at the neoconservatives as a parasitic infestation, we can see that the American body politic is reacting as any healthy organism would: it is rejecting the invaders and expelling them


12-20-05 - N.Korea says to build light-water nuclear reactors But neocons save their bellicosity for enemies of Israel (Syria, Iran).


12-20-05 - Bush tells Sharon: Exercise and watch what you eat U.S. President George W. Bush advised Israel's hefty Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday to watch what he eats and get more exercise after wishing him speedy recovery from a mild stroke 'Don't die on me yet oh weighty wonder, who will replace you as my puppeteer?'


12-20-05 - MI chief: Int'l pressure delayed Iran's nuclear bid by two years


12-20-05 - Senate passes Iran condemnation More legislation for Israel. We are now up to a resolution a week.


12-20-05 - Ze'evi: US-Iran diplomatic process 'stuck in the mud' He warned that Iran posed a substantial threat to Israel's security, and that the United States was "stuck in the mud" in dealing with the situation.


12-20-05 - Foxman: Spielberg's 'Munich' treats Israel fairly Moreover, he said, the film "shows with respect and understanding ... the need to respond to terrorism." In that sense, he added, the movie could even be seen as a defense of America's actions in Iraq

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

News for 12-19-05

12-19-05 - Diplomats say Iran laying groundwork for uranium enrichment


12-19-05 - Lebanon shuts special border crossing with Syria The move comes amid tension between the two neighbours following the murder in Lebanon on Monday of prominent anti-Syrian journalist Gibran Tueni.


12-19-05 - Iran president bans Western music


12-19-05 - Anti-Syrian Lebanese brace against Damascus 'terrorism'


12-19-05 - Gulf summit raps Israel, not Iran on nuclear issue


12-19-05 - Little optimism ahead of EU-Iran nuclear talks


12-19-05 - Gulf Arab leaders talk tough on Iran and Syria


12-19-05 - European-Israeli honeymoon this change also stems from - perhaps mainly from ? the fact that European governments now face the same terrorist threats and violence at home and abroad. This has caused them for the first time to feel some solidarity with Israel.


12-19-05 - Holocaust II and the neocon conspiracy


12-19-05 - German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit Israel next month German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to visit Israel next month, the government said Sunday, on a trip meant in part to signal solidarity following recent anti-Israel outbursts by the president of Iran.

Monday, December 19, 2005

News for 12-18-05

12-18-05 - Lawmakers Demand Domestic Spying Probe


12-18-05 - Is Lebanon Heading for Catastrophe? All this suggests that a new phase of the 'struggle for Lebanon' is taking place, which bears a marked resemblance to the crisis of the early 1980s when, following Israel's invasion of 1982, a concerted attempt was made to remove Syrian influence from Lebanon and substitute that of Israel and the United States. Syria fought back and the attempt failed.


12-18-05 - Powell: U.S. Will Stay in Iraq for Years


12-18-05 - Iran cannot be trusted with nuclear technology: Rice


12-18-05 - Iran tells West to be tolerant of Holocaust views


12-18-05 - Lebanon to complain to UN of Israeli land, sea, air space violations It would be the second such complaint in just over a month. Israel is quite bold now that Syria is out of Lebanon.


12-18-05 - Families of Jordanian prisoners protest


12-18-05 - Bush pressed on Saudi aid Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) authored language in this year?s Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that prevents the united States from sending money to Saudi Arabia unless the president can ascertain that the country has cooperated in the war against terror. Last year, the president waived the ban.
Weiner is staunchly pro-Israel.


12-18-05 - Remarks by the Vice President at a Rally for the Troops They've made clear, as well, their ultimate ambition: to acquire weapons of mass destruction, to destroy Israel, to intimidate all Western countries, to cause mass death in the United States Israel cited again as the reason why we are in 'war on terror'.


12-18-05 - Germany to ask UN to censure Iran over president's Israel remarks

Sunday, December 18, 2005

News for 12-17-05

12-17-05 - Iran law threatens to block nuclear inspections The new law obliges the government to "stop voluntary and non-legally binding measures and implement its scientific, research and executive programmes" if the Iranian case is taken up in the Security Council.


12-17-05 - U.N. investigator says Syria behind Hariri murder


12-17-05 - White House never told of pre-Iraq war intelligence doubts: Powell "What really upset me more than anything else was that there were people in the intelligence community that had doubts about some of this sourcing, but those doubts never surfaced to us,"


12-17-05 - Scooter Libby, Neocon Martyr


12-17-05 - China bids to revive mega Iran energy deal If signed, the China-Iran deal would not only mark China's biggest deal ever with Iran but may also yield political benefits for the Islamic republic far sooner than commercial ones, as Iran is courting China's favor on the UN Security Council.


12-17-05 - Iran, Syria standoff with West focus of Gulf summit


12-17-05 - U.S., Europe step up planning on Iran


12-17-05 - Bush Raps Senators Over Patriot Act


12-17-05 - Gulf Arabs warn against regional nuclear arms race


12-17-05 - Israeli cluster bombs found in southern Lebanon


12-17-05 - Former Head of the Intelligence Branch of the Israel Defense Forces and Chief of Staff Charged in U.S. Court with War Crimes for Shelling of U.N. Compound Pro-Israeli influence in America will likely see to it that this gets thrown out, despite all of the newfound 'concern' for the Lebanese in the Bush admin


12-17-05 - Bush Says Iraq War Is Good for Israel Senator John Warner of Virginia, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently argued in an interview with MSNBC that a premature American pullout would "put Israel in a very tenuous and vulnerable position." And a GOP activist, Bruce Blakeman, told the Forward that Israel's security has always played a key role in the president's thinking on Iraq. Pro-Israeli groups are now backpeddling away from their critical support of the Iraq war.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

News for 12-16-05

12-16-05 - Shocked Lawmakers Demand Spy Program Probe


12-16-05 - Pentagon admits keeping database on US civilians deemed suspicious The database is made up of unverified reports of suspicious activities filed by "concerned citizens" and Defense Department personnel as well as by law enforcement, intelligence, security and counterintelligence organizations,


12-16-05 - Senate Rejects Extension of Patriot Act The Senate on Friday refused to reauthorize major portions of the USA Patriot Act after critics complained they infringed too much on Americans' privacy and liberty "They that would trade a little liberty for security deserve neither liberty nor security" - Ben Franklin


12-16-05 - Bush 'backed spying on Americans'


12-16-05 - Nuclear Deployment for an Attack on Iran *


12-16-05 - UN extends Hariri killing inquiry


12-16-05 - EU Protests Russian-Iran Missile Deal


12-16-05 - Syria 'boosts accuracy' of Scud D Quoting unidentified "Western missile experts", Zeev Schiff, military analyst of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, has reported that this evaluation was based on an examination of fragments of an errant Syrian 'Scud D' that broke up over the Turkish province of Hatay, which borders northern Syria, on 27 May 2005.



12-16-05 - Six Syria critics on 'hit list'


12-16-05 - Iran vows "destructive" response to any Israeli attack


12-16-05 - Syria welcomes UN resolution on Hariri murder probe


12-16-05 - Israeli navy fires at Lebanese fishermen


12-16-05 - EU Threatens Sanctions Over Holocaust Flap Denying the Holocaust - in which 6 million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis - is a crime in several European nations.


12-16-05 - Harvard Urged To Return $20M Gift Representative Anthony D. Weiner (D-N.Y.), wrote a letter to University President Lawrence H. Summers on Tuesday urging him to return the recent $20 million gift for Islamic Studies given by Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud. You had to know this was coming, and from the usual corners. Weiner couldn't be any more of an Israeli shill if he tried.


12-16-05 - Influential congresswoman faults Bush on Iran Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is an Israel-firster, judging by the amount of legislation she proposes to our Congress on behalf of Israel.


12-16-05 - Most Israelis oppose strike against Iran: poll


12-16-05 - Bolton: Israel treated unequally at U.N. ?I want to make it clear that we are not finished with the issue,? he said. The only issue John Bolton has dealt with to date at the UN is Israel. John Bolton = ISRAEL'S new ambaassador to the UN.


12-16-05 - Iran Could Be Sanctioned for Riling Israel


12-16-05 - Abramoff ex-partner pleads guilty in Florida case


12-16-05 - Growing al-Qaida threat to Jordan worries Israel


12-16-05 - Al-Arian acquitted of terror; experts ponder why The American Jewish Committee urged the government to retry Al-Arian and his remaining co-defendant


12-16-05 - Egypt's Muslim Brothers brand Israel a 'cancer'

Friday, December 16, 2005

News for 12-15-05

12-15-05 - Bush: Saddam ouster was correct, despite bad info


12-15-05 - EU Grows Impatient With Iran Over Nukes


12-15-05 - Failed Iran-EU nuclear talks could get Russian to back hardline


12-15-05 - UN struggles to complete text on Lebanon murders


12-15-05 - UN Mulls Resolution to Expand Hariri Probe


12-15-05 - Congress Expects Up to $1B Wartime Request The Pentagon is in the early stages of drafting a wartime request for up to $100 billion more for Iraq and Afghanistan, lawmakers say, a figure that would push spending related to the wars toward a staggering half-trillion dollars.


12-15-05 - Lebanese Shout Insults at Syria


12-15-05 - Probe of Ex-Lebanon PM's Death Extended U.S. Ambassador John Bolton praised the resolution, which was adopted unanimously, saying "the United States believes it sends a strong signal to Syria that we still require full and unconditional compliance." ...Under pressure from Moscow, Beijing and Algiers, the co-sponsors backed away from their original resolution that would have immediately expanded the investigation to include a series of other terrorist attacks


12-15-05 - Syria's cooperation with UN probe improved -Mehlis


12-15-05 - American victims of Beirut blast to seek redress in Europe American victims of the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut said on Thursday they were planning to take legal action against Iran through European courts following a similar case that has already resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets held in a Rome bank account.


12-15-05 - Film relives horror of Lebanese camp massacres Several mention that Israeli army officers conferred with the militia's leaders in Beirut on the eve of the massacres. Unlike massacres in some other conflicts, the perpetrators of Sabra and Shatila have not been brought to justice.



12-15-05 - Malaysian: U.S. Scheming on Iran, Syria Malaysia's former prime minister accused the U.S. Thursday of scheming to invade Iran and Syria, and said the Iranian president's recent statements against Israel are providing Washington the excuse.


12-15-05 - Pentagon accused of spying on Americans ?It means that they?re actually collecting information about who?s at those protests, the descriptions of vehicles at those protests,? says Arkin. ?On the domestic level, this is unprecedented,? he says. ?I think it's the beginning of enormous problems and enormous mischief for the military.?


12-15-05 - Jewish charity never got Abramoff gift The gift was reported in 2002, the newspaper reported. Abramoff faces a multitude of investigations, some of them checking allegations that he laundered political gifts through charities.



12-15-05 - Search goes on for missing Christian peace workers


12-15-05 - Hamas says will step up attacks if Israel hits Iran


12-15-05 - Israel Fears It Is Zarqawi's Next Target


12-15-05 - Busharon The Israelis have also obliged recently, providing legal advice to the U.S. State Department on how to justify assassinations. Israeli military trainers have passed on the lessons of Jenin and Nablus to the Marines in Falluja. Lest you think the Israelis stingy, they don't limit their largesse to the federal government. They are now spreading their anti-terrorism gospel to every town and city police chief in the U.S. Charleston, South Carolina breathes easier, thanks to the knowledge gleaned from Israel by their Sheriff Cannon (I did not make that up), who is in charge of port security there.


12-15-05 - Saddam's WMD Moved to Syria, An Israeli Says Saddam Hussein moved his chemical weapons to Syria six weeks before the war started, Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom says. The BS-o-meter just broke.


12-15-05 - Hawke urges US to address Palestinian statehood Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke on Thursday said that the fight against terrorism will not succeed unless the United States leads efforts to create a viable Palestinian state.


12-15-05 - Civil Rights Groups Question FBI Interrogation of Muslim Student A pair of area civil rights groups are angry after discovering a Muslim Elk Grove high school student was taken out of class and questioned by FBI agents over a doodle on his binder two years ago


12-15-05 - The Mid-East's beleaguered Christians Though they have made few converts in the Middle East, the evangelical churches are an influential part of President Bush's political constituency in the United States.


12-15-05 - Israel Troubled by Bush's Priorities The Israelis and their supporters in the U.S. fear that Washington's need for Tehran's cooperation in stabilizing Iraq and thus permitting most U.S. forces there to withdraw over the next year has weakened the administration's leverage to push for stronger action against Iran on the nuclear issue, even as it continues to insist that Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapons capability is "unacceptable."


12-15-05 - Russia Blasts Iranian Remarks on Holocaust, Israel


12-15-05 - Former Israel Chief of Staff sued in U.S Courts


12-15-05 - Former IDF chief sued in U.S. court for his role in Kafr Kana shelling Ya'alon is currently in Washington D.C. as a research fellow at the Washington Institute. He is scheduled to give a lecture on lessons learned during the war against terror at a conference on Thursday night.


Thursday, December 15, 2005

News for 12-14-05

12-14-05 - Bush takes blame for Iraq war on bad intelligence


12-14-05 - US counts on Iraqis to rebuff Iran 'meddling'


12-14-05 - Bush says Iran a 'real threat'


12-14-05 - US wants to work with EU on broader Iran agenda The United States and Europe should advance an agenda for Iran in 2006 that includes more funding for civil society groups and other initiatives to reach out to the Iranian people, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.


12-14-05 - Iran dismisses idea of US security guarantees


12-14-05 - US' Rice says Iran is a problem that must be dealt with Iran has become a problem for Middle East stability on several fronts that the international community will have to address, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.



12-14-05 - UK rejects independent inquiry into July 7 bombs The Home Office said an independent probe could prejudice continuing investigations into the attack and that the government had to focus first on thwarting future threats


12-14-05 - New document suggests Pentagon spying on peace activists


12-14-05 - Lieberman's 'War Cabinet' Forget partisan loyalties: the neocons are loyal to one thing and one thing only


12-14-05 - 100,000 gather for funeral of murdered editor in Beirut Game theory: divide peoples of nation-states and keep them at brink of civil war so that they are less of a threat. See this happen in Iraq, Palestine, now Lebanon and possibly Syria.


12-14-05 - Posters call for race riots Inflammatory posters calling for New Zealanders to show "white power" and riot Australian-style are being pasted up at Wellington railway stations.



12-14-05 - Bush can settle CIA leak riddle, Novak says


12-14-05 - Syrians defiant as accusations mount


12-14-05 - Bush: Don?t blame Israel for Iraq Days ago, Bush himself cited Israel's security as the reason for the push for democracy in the ME.



12-14-05 - Documentary explores Iraq-Nazi link "Saddam and the Third Reich," which will first be broadcast Sunday on the History Channel, will be repeated throughout the Saddam Hussein trial.


12-14-05 - Iranian President Calls Holocaust a 'Myth'


12-14-05 - Preach Peace, Sami; Get Truthful, Tribune and Prosecutors Much more important: Is it just a little bit possible that if some of the oceans of money and time you federal hot-shots wasted chasing Al-Arian had been spent looking for real terrorists, maybe 9/11 wouldn't have happened? My sentiments exactly.


12-14-05 - Al-Arian's Near Total Acquittal Raises More Questions Than It Answers Evidence that the prosecution and media persecution of Al-Arian was an Israeli operation from the get-go continues to mount. In reporting the verdict, the Jerusalem Post wrote, "Israel has played a major role in the prosecution, providing countless documents regarding the conduct of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad... ."


12-14-05 - Hannity?s Hypocrisy: Criticizing Colleges For Taking Money From Saudi Prince Who Funds Fox


12-14-05 - President of European Jewish Congress Calls for Sanctions Against Iran

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

News for 12-13-05

12-13-05 - U.N. Considers Expansion of Hariri Probe Mehlis' statements apparently did not persuade diplomats on the 15-nation council to seek sanctions against Damascus. Instead, the council was considering two Lebanese requests: to widen the probe into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's death to include other political killings; and to form an international tribunal that would try suspects in his death



12-13-05 - US wants UN to increase pressure on Syria And bears * in the woods, news at six.


12-13-05 - Syria on the offensive over UN report "Syria has new testimony, which has not been made public, that refutes the Detlev Mehlis report," Fayez Sayegh told AFP


12-13-05 - Syria denies U.N. charge of slow cooperation To avert a showdown with the world body, Syria has allowed U.N. investigators to question five officials in Vienna


12-13-05 - UN: Hariri probe could take years if Syria stalls U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Washington was still working out its response to sanctions but called Syria's cooperation "grudging at best" and carried out at the "lowest common denominator to see what they can get away with." "Syria is not going to get away with obstructing this investigation and it is not going to get away with the consequences,"



12-13-05 - Murder polarizes Lebanon The crisis is pitting Lebanon's Shiites, who remain deeply suspicious of Western influence in internal affairs, against other sects who seek international support against the alleged destabilizing tactics of Syria.


12-13-05 - State Dept. Rules Out Guarantee on Iran


12-13-05 - ACLU Opposes Patriot Act Provision The American Civil Liberties Union raised objections yesterday to a little-noticed provision of the latest version of the USA Patriot Act bill, arguing that it would give the Secret Service wider latitude to charge protesters accused of disrupting major events including political conventions and the Olympics.


12-13-05 - Iran could have nuke bombs in three years - Israeli army


12-13-05 - An 11th-hour drive to amend Patriot Act Within the Senate, a bipartisan group of lawmakers looking to tighten privacy protections wants to put off the vote for three months. (Parts of the Patriot Act are set to expire this month.) If these concerns aren't met, some, including Sens. Russell Feingold (D) of Wisconsin and Larry Craig (R) of Idaho, threaten to filibuster the bill. "This coalition on the conservative side and the progressive side in support of civil liberties is one of the best things that has happened since 9/11 in protecting our rights,"


12-13-05 - Police look for answers in text messages "You are getting text messages from people you don't even know," he said. "The next day I would ring the number and it was disconnected. [I have] no idea where it came from. I don't know where they're getting my number."


12-13-05 - Police seek to stop third night of Sydney unrest Racial violence erupted at Sydney's Cronulla Beach on Sunday when some 5,000 people, some yelling racist chants, attacked youths of Middle Eastern background. Police said white supremacists incited it.


12-13-05 - Australian Unrest Spreads to Other Cities The racial unrest that broke out in Sydney's beachside suburbs over the weekend has spread to two other large Australian cities, where people of Middle Eastern descent were assaulted by whites


12-13-05 - Israelis Grow Troubled by Bush Priorities In spite of their gradual decline in influence in the Bush administration since the Iraq invasion, neo-conservatives have been lobbying hard for the past two years for a policy of "regime change" in Syria....In the past year, neo-conservatives have also argued that overthrowing the Baathist regime in Syria would add momentum to U.S. efforts to spread democracy in the region,


12-13-05 - Suppose Israel were to give up nuclear weapons President Kennedy dispatched inspectors to the Dimona generating plant in Israel's south, and he cautioned Israel against developing atomic weapons. Anticipating the 1962 visit of American inspectors, Israel reportedly constructed a fake wall at Dimona to conceal its weapons production. Since then, no U.S. administration has effectively pressured Israel to either halt its program or to submit to inspections under the International Atomic Energy Agency



12-13-05 - Saudi Prince Gives Millions to Harvard and Georgetown


12-13-05 - Italian court orders Iran asset freeze A court in Italy has ordered the freezing of an Iranian government account held in a Rome bank in what lawyers say represents an unprecedented legal victory for three US families seeking compensation from Iran for its alleged support of Palestinian suicide bombings that killed their relatives. Meanwhile, Palestinian and American victims of Israeli violence get no justice or redress.


12-13-05 - Iran leader says Palestinian struggle must go on


12-13-05 - Jewish group meets with Berlusconi Anti-Defamation League officials met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to discuss how to fight anti-Semitism and terrorism.
Italian court orders Iran asset freeze

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

News for 12-12-05

12-12-05 - Syria Eyed in Death of Lebanese Editor A previously unknown group claimed responsibility, but suspicion quickly settled on Syria Imagine, an anti-Syrian Lebanese journalist gets car-bombed on the very day that the UN report on the Hariri assassination is to be delivered, what a coincidence! Either the Syrians are REALLY REALLY stupid, and want further action taken against them by the US, OR they are being set up.


12-12-05 - Beirut car bomb kills MP Tueni and three others


12-12-05 - Diplomats seek clues on hostages Diplomats in Iraq are trying to discover the fate of British hostage Norman Kember and his three colleagues.


12-12-05 - New evidence implicates Syria in Hariri death: UN "That is not cooperation," the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, told reporters, after reading sections of the report. "That is obstruction of justice by the government of Syria." He said no decision had been made on further action in the council. Neocon Bolton gets to decide these matters?


12-12-05 - Poll: Most Iraqis Oppose Troops' Presence


12-12-05 - Syria says Lebanon blast aimed at damaging Damascus "Syria is pained over the bombings and assassinations that target the security of Lebanon," the statement on SANA said, describing allegations that Damascus had a role in the attacks as a further attempt to strain Syrian-Lebanese relations.


12-12-05 - The Syrian Gambit Unravels The utter absurdity of UN Security Council resolution 1363 ? which calls on Syria to cooperate fully with an international commission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri or face possible "further action" ? can be easily seen if we imagine that the UN had taken a similar interest in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Picture Lyndon Baines Johnson and top members of the U.S. government being called in by a United Nations "prosecutor" for questioning. It's interesting that the same American "conservatives" who waste no opportunity to show their disdain for the UN and would have risen in armed revolt if the UN had intervened in the Kennedy affair, are now upholding the UN's authority to "investigate" the murder of Hariri and pin it on Syria.


12-12-05 - ElBaradei Urges Iran Security Guarantee


12-12-05 - Battle brews over a bigger military role


12-12-05 - Bush admits Israel is the reason why we are 'spreading democracy' in the Middle East "Israel's long-term survival depends upon the spread of democracy in the Middle East."
Bush confirms what I know to be true: we are in the Middle East, under the pretext of spreading democracy, for the benefit of Israel.


12-12-05 - Republican Jews to show war support


12-12-05 - A war and its fearsome consequences: How the world has changed post-Iraq President Bush said yesterday that 'the year 2005 will be a turning point in the history of freedom'. But since the start of the war the days have been littered with unintended consequences.


12-12-05 - Pro-Israelis love Bolton He's the best friend they could have. Too bad he doesn't appear to be working for America, eh?


12-12-05 - A dust storm over the Holocaust Mohamed ElBaradei, acknowledged during an address at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London last week that most of the issues on the Iran nuclear file have been resolved and "after three years, we need to bring this to a close". He expressed the hope that the IAEA's Iran file could be "concluded by next year".


12-12-05 - Defense Min. official: No plan to attack Iran 'at the moment'


12-12-05 - Iranian president sticks by anti-Israel comments


12-12-05 - Reporter's presence at interrogation session cited in terrorism case Judith Miller- she's everywhere neocons want to be


12-12-05 - 290,000 Israelis Eligible to Vote in Iraqi Elections According to Hamida Al-Husseini, who is in charge of absentee ballots in the coming elections, even Iraqi Jews holding Israeli citizenship can vote

Monday, December 12, 2005

Where was the concern for the Lebanese when Israel was slaughtering thousands of them?

Where was the bellicose bluster of the neocons then, mm?

Thousands of Lebanese civilians were killed by Israeli forces in the eighties.

Bush admits Israel is the reason why we are 'spreading democracy' in the Middle East

Excerpt from speech given 12-12-05, full text follows below.


"If you‘re a supporter of Israel , I would strongly urge you to help other countries become democracies. Israel‘s long-term survival depends upon the spread of democracy in the Middle East".



Source

Oddly, a Google News search for this quote brings up only THREE websites,none of which are American.

Why is that, you figure?






Text of Bush Speech on Iraq, Part Two
Staff and agencies
12 December, 2005





54 minutes ago

Text of President Bush ‘s speech Monday on Iraq , as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions:

BUSH: The terrorists know that democracy is their enemy. And they will continue fighting freedom‘s progress with all the hateful determination they can muster.

When the new Iraqi government takes office next year, Iraqis will have the only constitutional democracy in the Arab world, and Americans will have a partner for peace and moderation in the Middle East.

In a 1998 fatwa, Osama bin Laden argued that the suffering of the Iraqi people was justification for his declaration of war on America. Now bin Laden and al-Qaida are the direct cause of the Iraqi people‘s suffering.

A free Iraq‘s not going to be a quiet Iraq. It‘ll be a nation full of passionate debate and vigorous political activity. It‘ll be a nation that continues to face some level of violence.

We‘ve done this kind of work before. We must have confidence in our cause.

In the Cold War, free nations defeated communism and helped our former Warsaw Pact adversaries become strong democracies. And today nations of Central and Eastern Europe are allies in the war on terror.

And the advance of freedom in the Middle East requires freedom in Iraq. By helping Iraqis build a lasting democracy, we will spread the hope of liberty across a troubled region. We‘ll gain new allies in the cause of freedom.

Not far from here, where we gather today, is a symbol of freedom familiar to all Americans: the Liberty Bell. When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public, the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration and a witness said, It rang as if it meant something.

Thank you for letting me come.

Thank you. Sit down, please.

I‘ve got a little extra time on my hands, so I thought I might answer some questions.

QUESTION: Since the inception of the Iraq war, I‘d like to know the approximate total of the Iraqis who have been killed. And by Iraqis, I include civilians, military, police, insurgents, translators...

BUSH: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis.

We‘ve lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

BUSH: I‘ll repeat the question. If I don‘t like it, I‘ll make it up.

QUESTION: Central to your policy in Iraq is the role of the Iraqis.

QUESTION: And we hear wildly different tales about how the Iraqis are doing in their own area of defense.

Could you give us your perspective on how they‘re doing, how well their military training is going, what your view of their capability is to do the tasks that you want them to do, and clear up some of the wildly different impressions that we hear about?

BUSH: No, I appreciate that.

When we first began training — our strategy all along has been to train Iraqis so they could take the fight, and succeed in what we‘re trying to do, which is a democracy: a democracy which will serve as an example for others, a democracy which will join us in the fight on terror, a democracy which will help us prevent other countries from becoming safe haven for terrorists who still want to kill us. That was our objective. And all along, we wanted the Iraqis to be able to take the fight.

When we first got going, we said,

We‘ll train an army that will be able to deal with external threats and a civil defense corps that will be able to deal with internal threats.‘

And the problem with that strategy was that the internal threats were a heck of a lot more severe than the external threats and the civilian corps we trained was not properly trained and equipped.

So we adjusted. We trained everybody for the army, recognizing that the army is going to have to not only take the fight to the enemy — or the new army, take the fight to the enemy, but when we clear enemies out of places like Mosul, that there has to be an Iraqi army presence to earn the confidence of the people.

When the war first got going, we‘d move into Mosul, clear out an enemy, leave and the enemy would return. And so the Iraqi people had no confidence in the future.

They didn‘t dare, for example, tell coalition forces or Iraqi forces the names of those who were killing their citizens because they didn‘t have the confidence that there would be a force to protect them.

And so we began the process of clearing out and holding with more and more trained Iraqi forces, and now the Iraqi forces are helping to rebuild these cities.

Democracy‘s only going to succeed if people say,

My life is going to be better.‘ I mean, it‘s no different than a campaign here, you know,

Vote for me. I want to help improve your life.‘

And that‘s what — and so the strategy has been to — let me just say, we adjusted our strategy. And there‘s about 200,000-plus capable units.

Now, not all of them are ready to take the fight to the enemy. In order to have a division or a battalion ready to fight, you got to be able to communicate, you got to be able to move, you got to be able to have logistical supplies. But more and more the Iraqis are in the lead in the fight, and more and more Iraqis are being trained so they can hold the positions once we clear.

We haven‘t completed the job of training the Iraqis. But what is beginning to happen is, is that you‘re beginning to see our troops step back from the fight.

I don‘t know if you realized, we had some 90 bases in Iraq.

And I think we‘ve closed about 40 — or turned over; closed or turned over 40 of those bases to the Iraqis.

In other words, our profile is beginning to move back as the Iraqis get trained up, so that we can continue working on training and also help them chase down Zarqawi and his buddies.

These guys are very tough and they‘re cold-blooded killers. The enemy‘s got one weapon. See, they can‘t defeat us militarily. What they can do is that they can and will kill innocent people in the hopes of trying to get the United States of America to leave the battlefield early.

The only way we can lose is if we lose our nerve. And they know that. And they‘ve stated that publicly.

But the training is going much better than it was in the first year. And we‘ve just got more to do and we need to do it, because a free Iraq, again, will be an important ally in this war.

This is a global struggle we‘re in. This isn‘t an enemy that is isolated: kind of, an angry group of people.

These are people that have got a totalitarian vision. They‘ve got designs and ambitions. They‘ve laid our their strategy and they explained their tactics. And we‘ve got to listen to them and take them seriously.

And part of their tactics is to create vacuums so that their hateful ideology flows in.

Listen, the attack of September the 11th was a part of a broad strategy to get us to retreat from the world.

And people say, He‘s making it up, that they want to want to establish a totalitarian empire that stretches from Spain to Indonesia. I‘m telling you what they said, not me. This is what Zawahiri has said, the number two man in al-Qaida.

It seems like, to me, we need to take it seriously when the enemy says something.

Kind of getting off subject here.

QUESTION: Mr. President, I‘m a proud U.S. citizen, naturalized, and a card-carrying Republican. I voted for you both times.

I grew up in India, a Sunni. In fact, the president of the Republic of India is a Sunni. And I think it‘s a great testimony to this nation, the vision of which was laid out within a half a mile of here, that somebody like me can be in a position of leadership and be successfully engaged in contributing to the current and future economic well-being of this nation.

Mr. President, I support your efforts in Iraq, but I‘d like to know, what are we going to do in the broader battle in creating a favorable image and reaching out to people across the world, so that people like me all over the world can be passionate supporters of the United States?

BUSH: I appreciate that.

First of all, success will help the image of the United States.

Look, I recognize we got an image issue, particularly when you got Arabic television stations that are constantly just pounding America, you know, saying, America is fighting Islam. Americans can‘t stand Muslims. This is a war against a religion.

And we‘ve got to, obviously, do a better job of reminding people that ours is not a nation that rejects religion; ours is a nation that accepts people of all faith, and that the great strength of America is the capacity for people to worship freely.

It‘s difficult. I mean, their propaganda machine is pretty darn intense. And so we‘re constantly sending out messages. We‘re constantly trying to reassure people. But we‘re also acting.

And that‘s what‘s important for our citizens to realize. Our position in the world is such that I don‘t think we can retreat. I think we have a duty and an obligation to use our vast influence to help.

BUSH: I cite two examples of where I think American image in the Muslim world will be improved.

One is the tsunami. When the tsunamis hit, it was the United States military, through the USS Abraham Lincoln, that provided the logistical organization necessary to save a lot of lives.

We moved. A lot of people, kind of, sat around and discussed; not us. We saw a problem and we moved.

Same in Pakistan. The earthquake in Pakistan is devastating. The United States of America was first on the scene. Got a lot of kids flying choppers all around that country providing help and aid.

And so I guess what I‘m saying to you is that a proper use of influence that helps improve people‘s lives is the best way to change the image of our country and to defeat the propaganda.

Having said all that, a lot of people want to come to America. You know, the image may be bad, but given a change, All of you who want to come to America raise your hand, there‘s a lot wanting to come. That‘s another issue, which is immigration reform.

But thank you for that.

Once thing America must never do is lose our capacity to take people from all walks of life and help them become an American first and foremost. That‘s what distinguishes us from other cultures and other nations. You can come from wherever you are and I can come from Texas, and we both share the same deal: We‘re Americans first and foremost.

I happen to be a Methodist, you‘re a Sunni.

QUESTION: Mr. President, I would like to know why it is that you and others in your administration keep linking 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq when no respected journalists or Middle Eastern expert confirmed that such a link existed.

BUSH: What did she — I missed the question. Sorry.

I beg your pardon. I didn‘t hear you. Seriously.

QUESTION: I would like to know why you and others in your administration invoke 9/11 as justification for the invasion of Iraq when no respected journalists or other Middle Eastern experts confirm that such a link existed.

BUSH: Oh, I appreciate that.

9/11 changed my look on foreign policy. I mean, it said that oceans no longer protect us; that we can‘t take threats for granted; that if we see a threat, we‘ve got to deal with it. It doesn‘t have to be militarily necessarily but we got to deal with it. We can‘t just hope for the best anymore.

So the first decision I made, as you know, was to deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan because they were harboring terrorists. This is where the terrorists plan and plotted.

And the second decision — which was a very difficult decision for me, by the way, and it‘s one that I didn‘t take lightly — was that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He is a declared enemy of the United States. He had used weapons of mass destruction. The entire world thought he had weapons of mass destruction. The United Nations had declared in more than 10 — I can‘t remember the exact number of resolutions — that disclose or disarm or face serious consequences.

I mean, there was a serious international effort to say to Saddam Hussein:

You‘re a threat.‘ And the 9/11 attacks accentuated that threat, as far as I‘m concerned.

And so we gave Saddam Hussein the chance to disclose or disarm. And he refused.

And I made a tough decision. And knowing what I know today, I‘d make the decision again. Removing Saddam Hussein makes this world a better place and America a safer country.

Last question. I‘ve actually got something to do. You‘re paying me all this money; I‘d better get back to work.

QUESTION: Mr. President, I‘m a supporter of yours.

BUSH: Oops, that, kind of, prejudices your question.

QUESTION: Well, I have a question for you. Do you feel that since invading Iraq, the threat of terrorism on U.S. soil has been reduced significantly?

BUSH: I think it‘s been reduced. I don‘t think we‘re safe.

What‘ll really give me confidence to say that we‘re safe is when I can tell the American people we‘ve got the capacity to know exactly where the enemy is moving.

In other words, this is a different kind of war. These people hide. They‘re patient and they‘re sophisticated. And that‘s why our intelligence-gathering is really important.

You know, occasionally they come out and want to fight like they‘re doing in Iraq.

This guy Zarqawi has sworn his allegiance to bin Laden. He‘s declared his intentions.

But there‘s a lot of them who lurk and hide. And what we‘ve really got to do is continue to hone our intelligence-gathering to make sure that we can, as best as possible, understand their intents and watch their movements.

This requires international cooperation. I will tell you, the international cooperation when it comes to sharing intelligence is good.

It requires us being able to cut off their money. They move money around. It turns out they can‘t launch attacks without money. And so we‘re doing the best we can to work with others to find out where their money‘s moving, and that way it‘ll give us a chance to find out where they are.

The long run in this war is going to require a change of governments in parts of the world. And this is why it‘s very important for me to continue to remind the American people about what‘s taken place in history.

One of my favorite stories is to tell people about — or go by is to tell people about my relationship with Koizumi — Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. He‘s an interesting guy. He likes Elvis, for example, which is interesting.

And he‘s a friend. He‘s also a friend when it comes to peace. He‘s a reliable, steady ally when it comes to dealing with North Korea .

North Korea is a country that has declared boldly they‘ve got nuclear weapons. They counterfeit our money. And they‘re starving their people to death.

And it‘s good to have an ally that understands human rights and the condition of the human being are vital for this world and world peace.

And yet 60 years ago, my dad fought against the Japanese. Many of your relatives did as well. They were the sworn enemy of the United States.

I find it amazing. I don‘t know if you find it amazing. I find it amazing that I sit down with this guy, strategizing about how to make the world a more peaceful place when my dad and others fought them.

And so what happened? Now, 60 years seems like along time, particularly if you‘re 59 like me.

But it‘s not all that long in history, when you think about it. And what happened was, a Japanese-style democracy emerged.

Democracies yield the peace. That‘s what history has shown us.

That‘s why I tried to say in my peroration in this speech. That‘s a long word. I‘m doing it for Senator Specter.

Just showing off, Senator. Just trying to look good in front of the folks here at home.

But it‘s an accurate portrayal of what has happened. Democracy healed the peace.

So the fundamental question is, do we have the confidence and universal values to help change a troubled part of the world?

If you‘re a supporter of Israel , I would strongly urge you to help other countries become democracies. Israel‘s long-term survival depends upon the spread of democracy in the Middle East.

I fully recognize that some say it‘s impossible; maybe only a certain kind of people can accept democracy. I reject that. I don‘t agree with that.

I believe the desire to be free is universal. That‘s what I believe. And if you believe that, then you got to act on it.

That doesn‘t mean militarily. But that means using the influence of the United States to work with others to help freedom spread.

And that‘s what you‘re seeing in Iraq.

And it‘s hard. It‘s hard for a country that has come from dictatorship two and a half years ago to become a democracy. It is hard work.

There‘s a lot of resentment and anger and bitterness. But I believe it‘s going to happen.

And the only way it won‘t happen is if we leave, if we lose our nerve, if we allow the terrorists to achieve their objective.

The only way we can lose this is for us to say to the terrorists:

Maybe you aren‘t dangerous, after all. You know, by leaving, oh, maybe that you‘ll become hospitable, you know, decent citizens of the world.

That‘s not reality.

And my job as the president is to see the world the way it is, not the way we hope it is.

I again want to thank you for giving me the chance to come and deliver this speech. I‘m grateful for your interests.

May God bless you all and may God continue to bless America.

END

News for 12-11-05

12-11-05 - New Hariri report 'blames Syria' The chief UN investigator has indicated it will confirm the findings of the first extensive report, but it will also include more concrete evidence.




12-11-05 - UN chief investigator delivers Hariri probe report to Annan


12-11-05 - Assad to punish any Syrian "proven" guilty on Hariri


12-11-05 - Iran Offers U.S. Share in Nuclear Plants


12-11-05 - Bush Says Congress Needs to Act Quickly to Extend Patriot Act U.S. President George W. Bush called on Congress to quickly renew the USA Patriot Act, saying that the law's expiration at the end of this month might lead to terrorist violence


12-11-05 - French spy service warned US about bogus Niger uranium claim: ex-official


12-11-05 - Bush urges Syria to release prisoners


12-11-05 - Israel accuses EU of breaching international terror law Israel has accused the European Union of breaching international laws against terrorism by maintaining contact with the radical Islamist groups Hamas and Hizbollah, in a sign of new tension between Israel and Europe. Pot, this is the kettle calling


12-11-05 - Israel denies Iran attack plans


12-11-05 - Racial tensions spark Sydney beach violence The France riots, in reverse.


12-11-05 - Germany warns of fallout over Iranian leader's anti-Israel remarks


12-11-05 - Israel may strike Iran


12-11-05 - Reaction to remarks on Israel surprises Iran


12-11-05 - Al-Arian retrial? Prosecutors in tough spot Federal Public Defender R. Fletcher Peacock, whose office represented Fariz, said any retrial would be a waste of tax money. But Bob Leventhal, a former prosecutor, says the government doesn't give up so easily

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Israel may strike Iran

Two articles -

Report: Israel prepares to strike Iran


Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran






Israeli Aides Warn U.S. Not To Drop Ball on Iran

This view, according to a senior official with a major Jewish organization, is shared by many in the Jewish community. "Frankly, as I hear from many Israeli officials: America picked the wrong adversary to fight in the Gulf, and the war against Iraq is now restraining it from leading a diplomatic campaign - let alone a military one - on Iran," the Jewish communal official said.

Forward

The audacity.





Keep the aforementioned in mind when you read this article from back in August -


August 1, 2005 Issue
Copyright © 2005 The American Conservative



Deep Background



In Washington it is hardly a secret that the same people in and around the administration who brought you Iraq are preparing to do the same for Iran. The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option. As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing—that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack—but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections.

* * *

Philip Giraldi


Is this Iran crisis for real?
Patrick J. Buchanan

http://www.theamericancause.org/a-pjb-050815-iran.htm

If the council then rejects sanctions, but America and her NATO allies impose them, the world will be divided between Russia-China-Iran on one side and the United States and its backers on the other. It would be interesting to see how many U.S. allies are willing to support sanctions on the third-largest oil producer on earth when oil is running at $65 a barrel



China, Russia Conduct Military Exercises



Israel wants us to attack Iran for them.

Iran to be nuclear capable in three years: Israel spy chief



Four Day War


The Iran/Israel conflagration, a history


Day One: Wednesday

In a pre-dawn raid, undisclosed numbers of Israeli warplanes, taking off from military airbases in the Negev, destroy Iran’s main nuclear facility at Bushehr. Israel’s armed forces have released no details, but it is believed the planes flew over parts of Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, refueling in mid-air before reaching their target. Military analysts speculate that the planes must have refueled somewhere over Iraq.

During the one-hour raid, Iran claims to have shot down “several” Israeli fighters. Television images show pilots being lynched by furious mobs before Iranian authorities could reach them. The after-effects of the raid shake the Arab and Islamic world. Millions take to the streets demanding immediate action against Israel.

In planning the attack, Israel weighed the threats of Arab and Muslim reaction. The only other nuclear threat, and a possible danger to Israel, is Pakistan. Israel considered striking Pakistan’s nuclear sites, too, but Indian intelligence reports that Pakistan lacks long-distance delivery for its warheads. Bombay is the farthest they can reach. Additional reassurance from American intelligence convinced Israel that as long as Musharraf remains in power, Pakistan does not represent an imminent threat. The decision was made not to hit Pakistan.

Day Two: Thursday

Believing that Israel would never undertake such actions without U.S. approval, or at least a tacit nod from the American administration, Iran retaliates. Thousands of Revolutionary Guards are dispatched across the border into Iraq with orders to inflict as many casualties on American troops as possible. Fierce clashes erupt between coalition forces and Iranians. Within hours, more than 400 U.S. troops are killed, and many more wounded in heavy fighting. Iranian sleeper agents, who have infiltrated Iraq since the downfall of Saddam, urge Iraqi Shi’ites into action. They cut major highways and harass coalition troops, preventing reinforcements from reaching units under attack. Several helicopters are shot down.

Tehran orders the Lebanese Shi’ite movement, Hezbollah, into action against northern Israel. Hezbollah launches scores of rockets and mortars against kibbutzim, towns, and settlements. Israel retaliates. Casualties are high on both sides of the frontier. Tension in the Middle East reaches a boiling point. In Washington, the Cabinet convenes in an emergency session.

Massive demonstrations erupt all over the Arab and Islamic world. Crowds of gigantic proportions take to the streets, ransacking Israeli embassies in Cairo, Amman, and Ankara. American embassies in a number of other cities are burned. With police overwhelmed, the military is called in. Armies open fire, killing hundreds, adding to the outrage.

Day Three: Friday

Following Friday prayers across the Islamic world, crowds incited by fiery sermons in mosques from Casablanca to Karachi take to the streets in the worst protests yet. Government buildings are ransacked, and clashes with security forces result in greater casualties. Martial law is declared, and curfew imposed, but this fails to prevent further mayhem and rioting. Islamist groups call for the overthrow of governments and for immediate military action against Israel.

In Saudi Arabia, Islamist militants engage in open gun battles with security forces in several cities. The whereabouts of the Saudi royal family are unknown. In Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, and a dozen other countries, crowds continue to run amok, demanding war on Israel.

Day Four: Saturday

A longstanding plan to overthrow Musharraf is carried out by senior Pakistani army officers loyal to the Islamic fundamentalists and with close ties to bin Laden. The coup is carried out in utmost secrecy.

Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI—a long-time supporter of the fundamentalists—in agreement with the plotters, takes control of the country’s nuclear arsenal and its codes. Within hours, and before news of the coup leaks out, Pakistan, now run by pro-bin Laden fundamentalists, loads two nuclear weapons aboard executive Lear jets that take off from a remote military airfield, headed for Tel Aviv and Ashdod. Detouring and refueling in east Africa, they approach Israel from the south. The crafts identify themselves as South African. Their tail markings match the given identification.

The two planes with their deadly cargo are flown by suicide pilots who, armed with false flight plans and posing as business executives, follow the flight path given to them by Israeli air traffic control. At the last moment, however, the planes veer away from the airfield, soar into the sky and dive into the outskirts of the two cities, detonating their nuclear devices in the process.


The rest of this scenario can unfold in a number of ways. Take your pick; none are encouraging.


http://www.amconmag.com/2004_09_13/article.html