News for 02-27-07

02-27-07 - Cheney Safe After Homicide Bombing at U.S. Base in Afghanistan, 23 Killed A homicide bomber attacked the entrance to the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan on Tuesday during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, killing up to 23 people and wounding 20


02-27-07 - US military chief "categorically" denies plans for Iran air strikes **


02-27-07 - Iran won't halt atomic work, snubs big powers "Suspending uranium enrichment is an illegal and illegitimate demand ... and it will never happen,"


02-27-07 - U.S., Iran and Syria may talk face to face about Iraq The United States and its adversaries in Iran and Syria may for the first time since the Iraq war began meet face to face at a conference next month to discuss the situation in Iraq.



02-27-07 - Iran training Iraqis in Iran, Lebanon: top U.S. spy McConnell's comments were the latest in a series of assertions by U.S. military and intelligence officials that Iran is behind the appearance of EFPS in Iraq, where the weapons have been able to pierce some of the heaviest U.S. armor.


02-27-07 - U.S. Says Raid in Iraq Supports Claim on Iran But critics assert that nearly all the bomb components could have been produced in Iraq or somewhere else in the region. Even if the evidence were to establish that Iran is the source, they add, that does not necessarily mean that the Iranian leadership is responsible


02-27-07 - Iraq official says Iran has stopped meddling


02-27-07 - Rice says Bush will not abide by legislation to limit Iraq war


02-27-07 - How the war on terror made the world a more terrifying place New figures show dramatic rise in terror attacks worldwide since the invasion of Iraq


02-27-07 - Al-Qaeda the 'worst threat' to US Michael McConnell told a congressional panel the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah also posed a grave threat. He also said Iran and North Korea were of most concern to the US because there was a risk they could spread weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).


02-27-07 - Iraqi police report children killed in blast Amid conflicting reports over what happened in the volatile western city, the US military said its soldiers had carried out a controlled explosion in Ramadi, also near a football field, that slightly wounded 30 people, including nine children.


02-27-07 - Baker: U.S. must change as events change Baker said, "we cannot be, even if we wanted to be, the policeman for the world.'



02-27-07 - China military modernization aimed at parity with US: intel chief


02-27-07 - Libby trial reveals fabricate- and-smear cycle Whatever the jury decides, Fitzgerald has amply demonstrated that Cheney directed Libby to destroy Wilson's credibility, partly by leaking that his wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was a CIA operative who had suggested Wilson was well qualified to investigate the claims in Niger


02-27-07 - New York: Targeted By Tehran? Increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran have revived New York Police Department concerns that Iranian agents may already have targeted the city for terror attacks


02-27-07 - Republican senator urges US to deal with Iran, avoid war Hagel, whose criticisms of American foreign policy in the Middle East have ruffled the Bush administration, also backed greater US involvement on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.


02-27-07 - Judge dismisses juror from Libby case


02-27-07 - Political problems mount for Ahmadinejad


02-27-07 - Talking Points for the Next War


02-27-07 - Russia offers Hamas leader help to lift embargo Russia told Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Tuesday it would try to influence Western powers into lifting an aid embargo on the Palestinian administration but urged the Islamist movement to recognize Israel.... Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman, also in Moscow on a visit, rejected any possibility of lifting the embargo or recognizing the planned new Palestinian government at this stage.


02-27-07 - Hezbollah warns U.S. against Iran attack Sheik Naim Kassem suggested his pro-Iranian group would not get involved if the U.S. attacks Iran, but he raised the possibility that Israel might attack Lebanon as part of such an assault ? in which case, he said, Hezbollah would "definitely" respond.


02-27-07 - Arab League chief blasts Iran policy The 22-member nation group's Secretary-General Amr Mousa Tuesday blasted what he called "double standards" in the West's dealing with Iran's nuclear program, even if it was not military, while "there is definitely an Israeli nuclear military program."


02-27-07 - UN envoy takes Israel to task over Lebanon overflights "The question of Israeli overflights has been raised forcefully in our meetings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem,"


02-27-07 - Senators Eye Curbs on Cluster Bombs, Widening Matter beyond Israel?s Use "For Jewish-American activists who are active because of their concerns about Israel, they are, generally speaking, not going to want to see additional restrictions placed on Israel's use of U.S. weaponry,".... The director of Human Rights Watch?s arms division, Steve Goose, said the first Feinstein-Leahy push failed "primarily because it was depicted as an anti-Israel amendment." Advocates of the new bill have begun outreach to Jewish-American groups to tamp down any misperceptions that the measure targets Israel, he added.


02-27-07 - America's Alliance With bin Laden We can thank Scooter Libby and the vice president of the United States for having blinded American intelligence to Iranian WMD programs ? Valerie Plame was reportedly the CIA's resident expert on Iranian WMD, and her outfit, Brewster-Jennings "consulting," was the U.S. government's regional eyes and ears on nuclear proliferation issues. I guess that's why we have to depend on the Israelis.


02-27-07 - From May 2006: George Washington Had It Right He warned against foreign influence, calling it a poison to republican government. While he was no doubt thinking of the French, his advice applies to Israel. No foreign country should be allowed to influence American policy because that country will always seek to influence policy to favor its interests, not ours. If we followed Washington's advice, the only thing we would be sending to the Middle East would be oil tankers and tourists.




02-27-07 - Peretz warns Hamas over Gaza weapons Defense minister says IDF may have to act against terror groups in Gaza; also sends warning to Hizbullah


02-27-07 - Palestinian terror suspect offers insight into years spent in CIA custody


02-27-07 - Widespread Demands for Pollard's Release American Jewish organizations have organized a massive nationwide campaign to call the White House every afternoon for the next two months and request/demand freedom for Pollard.....The Zionist Organization of America "welcomes" the recent statements by former CIA director James Woolsey and former top US. Middle East negotiator Dennis Ross in favor of clemency for Pollard, and reiterated its own call for his release.



02-27-07 - HAMILTON: Why are we afraid to talk? One of the most troubling developments in American foreign policy is an increasing reluctance to pursue diplomacy. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our current approach toward Iran and Syria.


02-27-07 - As Jewish groups huddle, quagmire in Iraq undermines resolve on Iran The Boston JCRC proposal called for Jewish and non-Jewish groups to form a "Stop Iran" coalition that would launch political, economic and educational initiatives against the Iranian nuclear threat, including a mass demonstration in Washington and a divestment campaign.....Hagel said Bush's policy of not engaging Iran until it comes clean on its nuclear program was not adequate. "By refusing to engage with Iran, we are perpetuating dangerous geopolitical unpredictabilities," he said. "Our refusal to recognize Iran's influence does not decrease its influence but increases it." He added, "We must be clear that the United States does not seek regime change in Iran." Such talk is in clear contradiction to policies promoted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the lobbying powerhouse, which backs Bush's tough posture and advocates only the narrowest engagement with Iran.


02-27-07 - Germantown Man Accused of Terror Ties A Palestinian man living with his family in a quiet Germantown cove is in government custody after he's accused of having ties to terrorists


02-27-07 - Palestine Native Sentenced To Seven Years The leader of a small mosque in Rome, Ga., has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison after confessing to aiding the Islamic militant group Hamas


02-27-07 - Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon Authorities have confiscated 31 sets of highly sophisticated explosive devices near a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon, police said Tuesday.

News for 02-26-07

02-26-07 - Russia 'worried' about talk of possible attack on Iran ** the New Yorker magazine reported Sunday that the United States is stepping up covert operations in Iran in a new strategy that risks sparking an "open confrontation" and benefits Sunni radicals.


02-26-07 - World powers to work on resolution on Iran


02-26-07 - US finds 'Iran-made' arms in Iraq But Maj Siegrist said: "I don't think there's any way this can be tied to a government."


02-26-07 - Collision Course With Iran Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich ** The White House is now selectively leaking intelligence to set the stage for a military attack on Iran.


02-26-07 - Cheney Defends Iraq War, Attacks Critics Answering growing criticism in the U.S. and Australia, he defended the Iraq war as a "remarkable achievement" in one speech, and dismissed suggestions his influence in Washington is waning.


02-26-07 - Bachmann seeks to clarify remarks on Iran and partition of Iraq Rep. Michele Bachmann, who claimed in a recent interview to know of an Iranian plan to partition Iraq and turn half of it into a "terrorist haven" to launch attacks in the Middle East, said Friday that she was "sorry if my words have been misconstrued."


02-26-07 - Perle: Bush Failed by his Own People Surprising words from the man critics of the White House have dubbed "the Prince of Darkness" - a leading neo-conservative who was one of the key proponents of the 2002 invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein......Perle: We just don't have the best and the brightest. I think Colin Powell was a disaster. He never liked the president's policies. He did almost nothing to get them implemented Sounds like Powell fought these neocon policies tooth and nail. Powell is still one of the good guys. Read on for the rest of Perle's backpedal and spin.


02-26-07 - Iran says 'space rocket' was for study


02-26-07 - Hamas leader hails Russian efforts over aid embargo


02-26-07 - Fear Stupid Acts I hope President George Bush will not be so stupid as to allow the Israelis to push him into an attack on Iran. Based on his past performance, however, I'm not sure what he will do.


02-26-07 - Saudis' cutbacks raise oil concerns Oil prices are up and the world's biggest producer has been cutting back ? a recipe for those prices to keep on climbing.


02-26-07 - Dems' Me-Too Iran Talk ** Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., told the AIPAC annual convention at the end of January, "In dealing with this threat ... no option can be taken off the table." Former senator John Edwards was even more vehement in a speech on Iran last month at the Herzliya Conference in Israel. "To ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons, we need to keep all options on the table," he said, and then repeated the point for emphasis. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., appearing on "60 Minutes" recently, declared, "I think we should keep all options on the table."



02-26-07 - Why Have So Many U.S. Attorneys Been Fired? It Looks a Lot Like Politics The Bush administration cleared the way for these personnel changes by slipping a little-noticed provision into the Patriot Act last year that allows the president to appoint interim U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period without Senate confirmation.


02-26-07 - Poverty gap in US has widened under Bush


02-26-07 - U.S. War with Iran would be Navy, Air Force show: Analysts **


02-26-07 - Secret report: Terror threat worst since 9/11 The terrorist threat facing Britain from home-grown al-Qaeda agents is higher than at any time since the September 11 attacks in 2001, secret intelligence documents reveal.


02-26-07 - In Iran, religious delegation urges building bridges, deeper dialogue with US


02-26-07 - AIPAC Demands "Action" on Iran **


02-26-07 - Israel to hold nationwide nuclear attack drill Israel suspects is Iran is aiming to develop an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists its programme is for civilian energy purposes


02-26-07 - Pax Christi official: U.S. needs diplomats who know religion, Iran


02-26-07 - Preemption option: a must for Israel Why the CSM has saw fit to publish and feature prominently on its front page not one but two pieces of propaganda that fall in line with the 'attack Iran' camp is a mystery to me.


02-26-07 - U.S. Vows To Force-feed Inmate On Strike Former Professor Sami al-Arian, 49, began his strike Jan. 21 and has had only water since to protest demands he testify about Virginia Muslim charities allegedly financing terrorist organizations.


02-26-07 - GOP drops candidate over Jewish remarks "I personally see Israel going into Iran and Syria in the next couple of months... It's mainly because of the Jewish faction inside the Democratic Party. Most Jewish people are Democrats, and they bring that wealth. My opinion is, if Israel would go into Iran, Democrats will follow that cause."



02-26-07 - In e-mail age, some still swear by pigeons The most common users of the 3,000-year-old method of communication are Palestinian refugees


02-26-07 - From July 2005: The American hand in Iran On February 11, a promoter of the IFF, Worldnetdaily.com, announced that Corsi had helped Republican Senator Paul Santorum write the Iran Freedom and Support Act of 2005 Corsi is a neocon.


02-26-07 - Hizbullah builds new line of defense

News for 02-25-07

02-25-07 - US Generals ?Will Quit? If Bush Orders Iran Attack ** Tension in the Gulf region has raised fears that an attack on Iran is becoming increasingly likely before President George Bush leaves office. The Sunday Times has learnt that up to five generals and admirals are willing to resign rather than approve what they consider would be a reckless attack. Thank you for speaking up! Iran has not threatened us (in the absence of any threats we've made), Iran has not attacked us, nor does Iran have nuclear weapons with which to attack us. Mefears there will be a terror attack on US interests that will be blamed on Iran which was described in Giraldi's now famous Deep Background column that you can read here.


02-25-07 - Vets on the Street Already, nearly 200,000 veterans?many from the Vietnam War?sleep on the streets every night, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs


02-25-07 - U.N. calls U.S. data on Iran's nuclear aims unreliable ** Tips about supposed secret weapons sites and documents with missile designs haven't panned out, diplomats say.


02-25-07 - Iran says fires first rocket into space


02-25-07 - New US covert operations helping Sunni Muslim radicals ** Hersh also reports, citing unnamed sources, that the US Defense Department recently formed a special planning group to plan possible attacks on Iran "that can be implemented, upon orders from the president, within 24 hours."


02-25-07 - U.S. developing contingency plan to bomb Iran: report **


02-25-07 - Delegates will seek consensus on how to put more pressure on Tehran.


02-25-07 - UK doubles naval presence in Persian Gulf ** Cdre Winstanley said there was a message for Iran in the expansion of the coalition fleet in the waters of the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and Arabian Sea.


02-25-07 - US aircraft carrier has no plans to 'intimidate Iran' ** However, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in January that reinforcing the US naval presence in the oil-rich region was a message to Iran, which has defied the international community over its nuclear drive.


02-25-07 - Ahmadinejad says 'no brakes' on Iran nuclear drive President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday defied Western threats to impose more sanctions over Iran's contested nuclear programme, comparing its atomic drive to a "train with no brakes."


02-25-07 - THE REDIRECTION by SEYMOUR M. HERSH ** The Administration is now examining a wave of new intelligence on Iran?s weapons programs. Current and former American officials told me that the intelligence, which came from Israeli agents operating in Iran, includes a claim that Iran has developed a three-stage solid-fuelled intercontinental missile capable of delivering several small warheads?each with limited accuracy?inside Europe. The validity of this human intelligence is still being debated......Patrick Clawson, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, depicted the Saudis? coöperation with the White House as a significant breakthrough. ?The Saudis understand that if they want the Administration to make a more generous political offer to the Palestinians they have to persuade the Arab states to make a more generous offer to the Israelis,? Well well well. IF you read on you will discover the influence of the Saudis in all of this. The same ones that are effectively gouging the price of oil which has at times caused Americans to assume the position. Mama no like.


02-25-07 - White House Rehearses for a Domestic Attack The White House is staging a high-level exercise Saturday to test responses to the prospect of a massive domestic terrorist attack involving IEDs (improvised explosive devices)?the same deadly roadside bombs that have been used by insurgents against the U.S. military in Iraq. Really now.


02-25-07 - Gates Names Panel To Review Walter Reed Problems


02-25-07 - Iran's Ahmadinejad talks to US Christians The trip by the US Christians comes after US religious leaders met Ahmadinejad during his visit to New York in September to address the UN General Assembly.


02-25-07 - US renews offer of talks with Iran


02-25-07 - British troops face Iraq abuse allegations The allegations reportedly involve claims that soldiers kicked and stoned a 14-year-old boy at gunpoint, and laughed as they loaded bodies of dead insurgents into a Land Rover, before realising they were just boys.


02-25-07 - Report: 3 Gulf states agree to IAF overflights en route to Iran ** According to the report, a diplomat from one of the gulf states visiting Washington on Saturday said the three states, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have told the United States that they would not object to Israel using their airspace, despite their fear of an Iranian response. Coincidentally, Cheney is in Oman today.


02-25-07 - Americans unaware of Iraqi death toll


02-25-07 - Saudi king invites Syrian president to next month's Arab summit Saudi Arabia's king has invited Syrian President Bashar Assad to next month's Arab summit ? a move that could help improve strained relations between the two countries, Syria's official news agency, SANA, reported Sunday.


02-25-07 - Arab League refutes Israeli reports on using Arab airspace against Iran **


02-25-07 - JCPA, Hillel plenum draws 800 Delegates will close the session on Tuesday with lobbying on Capitol Hill. Among the policies they will advocate are sanctions against Iran and Sudan



02-25-07 - Edwards: Israel not a threat to world peace Columnist Peter Bart reports that Edwards told a Hollywood fundraiser last month that the possibility that Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities is perhaps the greatest short-term threat to world peace.


02-25-07 - Post 9/11, Islam flourishes among blacks


02-25-07 - Jordan queen urges Muslims to reject extremism Jordan's Queen Rania on Sunday said Muslims must recognise that much of the terror in recent years has been committed in the name of Islam if they want to be taken seriously by the West.


02-25-07 - Hezbollah construction firm -- charity or terror group? "Is it terrorism to help people rebuild their homes, destroyed by American-made Israeli bombs in the course of a war sponsored by the United States?"


02-25-07 - Transcripts lack key quotes in terrorism case In recent court filings, defense lawyers disclosed striking discrepancies between an official summary and the verbatim transcripts of an FBI wiretapped conversation in 1996 involving Holy Land officials.


02-25-07 - PBS and students to discuss Islamic and American relations The meeting will coincide with a six-part PBS film series produced by WETA ?TV, the PBS affiliate in Washington, D.C. The series is titled, ?America at a Crossroads,? and explores the American experience in the War on Terror in Iraq. One of the film clips which will be shown at the meeting is called, ?The Case for War: In Defense of Freedom? and will discuss the reasons and objectives of an aggressive foreign policy in Iraq. Perle is featured extensively in this segment.

News for 02-24-07

02-24-07 - Iran ready for anything in nuclear dispute ** "We do not see America in a position to impose another crisis on its tax-payers ... by starting another war in the Middle East," Mottaki said.


02-24-07 - Iranian envoy blasts U.S., U.K., Israel Iran's deputy U.N. ambassador Mehdi Danesh Yazdi told the U.N. Security Council Friday that his country has an "inalienable right" to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and would not "give in to the pressures emanating from groundless and unsubstantiated allegations and ulterior political motives."


02-24-07 - Iran kills 17 rebels close to Turkey border


02-24-07 - Israel denies seeking US go-ahead for Iran strike **


02-24-07 - Dick Cheney: Iran Not Making Nukes


02-24-07 - Dark Clouds Over the White House Patrick J. Fitzgerald lets the cat out of the bag


02-24-07 - Sen. Sununu speaks on Iraq; Bush policy on war; upcoming election Sununu did not dispute corruption exists in both Israeli and Palestinian governments, but made clear: "Corruption is horrible, but that doesn't mean that two parties can't come to an agreement on things like borders and security and have that agreement hold."


02-24-07 - US rejects ban on cluster bombs

News for 02-23-07

02-23-07 - Told to wait, a Marine dies


02-23-07 - American armada prepares to take on Iran ** The addition of a second aircraft carrier to its strike groups has fuelled the belief that America is gearing up for a fight with Iran. Not since the Iraq war in 2003 has America amassed so much fire power around the Gulf.


02-23-07 - Israel seeks all clear for Iran air strike ** Israel is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq as part of a plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.....A senior Israeli defence official said negotiations were now underway between the two countries for the US-led coalition in Iraq to provide an "air corridor" in the event of the Israeli government deciding on unilateral military action to prevent Teheran developing nuclear weapons.


02-23-07 - Iran faces new sanctions over nuclear expansion ** some UN diplomats are not hopeful that Iran can be persuaded to give up its nuclear programme. One said that there was "a 60 per cent chance" of military strikes on Iran.


02-23-07 - Straying From the Script the briefing wound up raising new questions about whether the Bush administration is hyping intelligence about Iran in much the same way it did about Saddam Hussein?s regime in Iraq four years ago


02-23-07 - Cheney criticizes China's arms buildup


02-23-07 - Rice says Europe, Russia want Iran talks


02-23-07 - US keeps 'all options' open concerning Iran: Cheney **


02-23-07 - Cheney hints at Iran strike ** He has endorsed Republican senator John McCain's proposition that the only thing worse than a military confrontation with Iran would be a nuclear-armed Iran.....The visiting Vice-President said that he had no doubt Iran was striving to enrich uranium to the point where they could make nuclear weapons. And I have no doubts that Cheney is planning for an Iran attack (and has been doing so since at least Aug. 2005).


02-23-07 - Blair in talks with Bush to site US defence shield in Britain The siting of the weapons in Europe has led to a hostile reaction from Russia, causing fears of a new Cold War.


02-23-07 - Iran leader vows nuclear defiance Permanent UN Security Council members and Germany will meet on Monday to discuss further sanctions against Iran.


02-23-07 - Any U.S. strike might not destroy Iran nuclear sites **


02-23-07 - Rice Faces Formidable White House Foe Abrams' personal influence over Bush could not possibly match Rice's, but his bureaucratic skills and political connections -- notably to the so-called "Israel Lobby" of pro-Likud Jewish organisations and the Christian Right -- give him considerable clout. According to various sources, Abrams has been working systematically to undermine any prospect for serious negotiations designed to give substance to Rice's hopes -- and increasingly impatient demands by Saudi King Abdullah -- of offering the Palestinians a "political horizon" for a final settlement.....Abrams was an early protégé of Richard Perle, whom he first met, along with other prominent pro-Likud hard-liners, such as Feith, former U.N. Amb. Jeane Kirpatrick, and Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, while working in the offices of Washington State Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson....Badly damaged by his felony conviction for lying to Congress about his role in the Iran-Contra affair, Abrams, like many neo-cons, left government service under the decidedly "realist" administration of President George H.W. Bush
'felony conviction for lying to Congress'? Why is this man back in the US government? Because he's a darling of the neocons/AIPACers. Read the entire article.


02-23-07 - Speculation Rages: Is Iran Bush's Next Target? ** "I still believe, at the end of the day, that he will bomb the Iranian (nuclear) facilities," said Joshua Muravchik, a neoconservative scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank with close ties to the Bush administration. Muravchik, who favors military action, sees Bush's current focus on diplomacy as a prelude to attack


02-23-07 - Democrats Seek to Repeal 2002 War Authorization


02-23-07 - Tougher sanctions against Iran are on the table


02-23-07 - No False Choices: Chuck Hagel's Foreign Policy Roadmap Bush should take advantage of Powell's loyalty and the respect that Powell still commands globally and make him the Middle East arm-twister. Elliot Abrams, who is not a productive player when it comes to moving a new stable equilibrium forward in the Middle East, would be trumped by Powell's status and engagement. Here here. Bring back Powell! Read on for Hagel's opinion about military action against Iran.


02-23-07 - India bans atomic exports to Iran


02-23-07 - Iran-Bashing Fails to Get Far "This involves turning the confrontation between Muslim countries and Israel and the U.S. into one in which Arabs and Muslims fight against each other," Abu al-Hadid told IPS. "Unfortunately, some are helping the U.S. create animosity between the regional actors, and the primary struggle -- for the liberation of occupied Arab land -- is being forgotten."


02-23-07 - Kurds deny deal to allow Palestinians safe haven


02-23-07 - Analysis: U.S. nixes Israel-Syria talks It is laughable the notion that the US directs Israeli policy and not the other way around.


02-23-07 - 46 nations push for cluster bomb treaty Some key arms makers - including the U.S., Russia, Israel and China - snubbed the conference


02-23-07 - The British government must take this new opportunity to end its shameful opposition to a ban on cluster bombs According to the police report, Kamaleddine Mohammad was gathering wood near the Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp outside Tyre in Lebanon last month when he stepped on an unexploded submunition from a cluster bomb. Mohammad was yet another victim of Israel's cluster bombing campaign at the end of last summer's war between Israel and Hizbollah. He is one of the tens of thousands of civilians killed or injured by cluster munitions in war zones throughout the world in recent decades.


02-23-07 - What else can Israel ask of President Bush? On Friday, when Rice was en route to the region, Olmert and Bush spoke on the phone. It is not clear who called whom, and what exactly was said, but Olmert announced after the conversation that Bush is in line with him about insisting on "the Quartet's conditions" for the Palestinian government: recognize Israel, renounce terror and honor previous Palestinian-Israeli agreements........Some believe that since Bush is the best thing to ever happen to Israel, it is important to exploit the remainder of his term to upgrade relations. GFY. The first thing that comes to mind after having read this article. America has done quite enough, thanks.


02-23-07 - British U-turn brings global ban on deadly cluster bombs a step closer


02-23-07 - Victory of Iraq war isn't for U.S., but Iran The neocons are apparently gone from Washington, but there are still some of them around, writing memos and influencing policy. The memos for the deployment of another 21,500 troops to Iraq came from William Kristol and Robert Kagan, lesser lights than I. Lewis Libby and Douglas Feith and Paul Wolfowitz, but still neocons. Despite all the mistakes the neocons have made in understanding the importance of religion in that part of the world, the President is still apparently willing to listen to them. Now he is doing all he can to prepare the public for a war with Iran.



02-23-07 - Shell, Repsol, Total, Defy U.S. to Seek Iran Deals


02-23-07 - Savage on Sawyer: a "lying whore" who "in essence, is agreeing that the Holocaust didn't occur" Despite his best efforts to portray himself as a Conservative - Savage is a part of the Israeli lobby. He is the epitome of a neocon (former granola-munching liberal-cum-conservative).


02-23-07 - Old Europe and the Mullahs by Philip Giraldi ** AIPAC's formulation that the option of force "must remain on the table" when dealing with Iran has been repeated like a mantra by numerous politicians and government officials, not too surprisingly as AIPAC writes the briefings and position papers that many Congressmen unfortunately rely on


02-23-07 - UN envoy to visit Lebanon to assess August truce A UN envoy is to visit Lebanon next week to assess compliance with an August truce resolution that ended last summer's war between Israel and Shiite militant group Hezbollah.


02-23-07 - Dems call on GOP to drop Indianapolis pol ..."My opinion is, if Israel would go into Iran, Democrats will follow that cause. I really do believe that."


02-23-07 - Romney issues pension challenge, again Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney challenged New York?s governor and U.S. senators to divest state pension funds from Iran ? though it?s not clear they?re in fact invested there.


02-23-07 - Wolfowitz May Bring Bank Back to Iraq In a previous statement, Edwards argued that "Wolfowitz's apparent determination to use the World Bank to further questionable American military goals in the Middle East is a fundamental distortion of the Bank's mission, a violation of its founding Articles of Agreement, and a reckless waste of donor resources." Now we know why Wolfowitz was given that position.


02-23-07 - Hizbullah rep says no talks on hostage swap There are currently no negotiations for prisoner exchange between Israel and Hizbullah, Lebanese Hizbullah parliamentarian Hasan Haballah says. Haballah warns group may launch civil revolt in Lebanon if ?doors closed in our face?


02-23-07 - Three out of four Israelis would like to be part of EU Seventy-six per cent of Israelis cited foreign policy as a priority, which suggests that the widespread perception of Tony Blair as a friend of Israel may have influenced Britain's 80 per cent approval as the Israelis' favourite European country And that would be because under Blair, Britain has gone along with the Bush administration's neocon-driven foreign policies.


02-23-07 - ACLU asks NY federal court to strike down US terrorism policy It said an entry in the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual says that the provision is directed at those who have voiced "irresponsible expressions of opinion."


02-23-07 - War drills occupy French sailors amid Lebanon lull Amid the drills, Israeli warplanes continue to overfly UN peacekeeping ships, a practice French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie criticised last October as "dangerous".

News for 02-22-07

02-22-07 - The Revolution America has lost a lot of respect and admiration in the world, particularly during the current administration. On this day, George Washington's birthday, let us remember what it is all about; liberty and justice for all. This series was broadcast by the History Channel the week of July 4, 2006. It is a powerful piece that I highly recommend every American watch. Being patriotic is more than just displaying a flag on your car or house. It means paying attention to what is going on in this country and having the gumption to speak up when you see something going on that is not just.
What did all of our soldiers die for both then and now, NAFTA, RIAA, AIPAC, oil? No. They died so that you and I could have the basic freedoms and rights put forth by our founding fathers. Don't let their extraordinary efforts and sacrifice be all for naught. Make sure that the liberties they fought for remain in place and be prepared to stand up for justice.


02-22-07 - Russia warns U.S. on Iran moves ** Russia's foreign minister Wednesday warned the United States not to take military action against Iran.


02-22-07 - UN to press Iran on nuclear talks


02-22-07 - British officials fear US will attack Iran ** Senior British government officials fear that US President George W. Bush will attack Iran before his final term in office ends in a little less than two years time, a newspaper reported in an early Friday edition.


02-22-07 - UN talks to review Iran defiance Permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany will meet in London on Monday to discuss further sanctions against Iran, a US official has said.


02-22-07 - US Iran intelligence 'is incorrect' ** most of the tip-offs about supposed secret weapons sites provided by the CIA and other US intelligence agencies have led to dead ends when investigated by IAEA inspectors, according to informed sources in Vienna. Read the bit about the laptop and the data that's in, of all languages, ENGLISH. Comical.


02-22-07 - Second US carrier arrives off Iran **


02-22-07 - Our Very Own War Criminals the leading warmonger, William Kristol, has been provided with a column in Time Magazine in order to spread his poison to a larger audience. There is only one thing to do. Boycott Time, the Fox news programs in which he appears, and, of course, the Weekly Standard which he edits. Please inform your friends. Boycotts, alas, bring results. The neocons have been doing it for years. Let?s give them some of their own medicine back.
Ooo Taki. Now you're talking!


02-22-07 - Secretive force at center of tensions between U.S., Iran "It's like taking the CIA, special forces and the State Department and rolling them all into one," said the U.S. official. Ahmm, yes, it is quite like that now isn't it? Not quite the meaning that the official intended, but it works.


02-22-07 - US soldier jailed for Iraq murder Sgt Paul Cortez admitted four murders, rape and conspiracy to rape.


02-22-07 - Is This America?


02-22-07 - Cheney's Obsession? Libby Trial Offered Rare Glimpse of Power, Raised Questions About Vice President's Role


02-22-07 - Libby jury told to consider 'life experiences' on memory The judge instructed jurors in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to consider their "life experiences" and "the capacity of human beings to remember things they said and were told" at a later time. The JUDGE said this?


02-22-07 - Perjury Libby hearing casts cloud over Cheney an acquittal would also carry risks for Mr Fitz­gerald. It could lead to criticism that he prosecuted what turned out to be a trivial case. It could also underline that he failed to prosecute anyone for the initial crime he was appointed to investigate: who it was who leaked the name of Ms Plame Even if Fitzgerald fails to get a conviction in the Libby case, America still wins. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you haven't been paying attention.


02-22-07 - FM: Hamas political leader to visit Russia


02-22-07 - Washington planning UN arms embargo against Iran In recent weeks, Israel has carried out a diplomatic campaign against the transfer of weapons to terrorist organizations, in an effort to establish this concept as part of a new international norm. Imagine.


02-22-07 - Quartet has no plans to boycott to Palestinian government - Lavrov


02-22-07 - Cheney hails Australia over Iraq


02-22-07 - Israel gripped by Syria war fears A reported Syrian troop build-up near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights has fuelled speculation in Israel about a future conflict, more than three decades after the two enemies last went to war.


02-22-07 - Capitol rally for captives Families of three captive Israeli soldiers will join Congress members and Jewish community leaders in a Washington rally.


02-22-07 - Israelis favor U.S. The United States tops the list of Israelis? favorite foreign countries, a poll found. Small wonder.


02-22-07 - Iraq is 'worst disaster' for US policy The current administration mistakenly believes it can bring peace by unilateral action, she said.
It has also failed to engage sufficiently in a search for peace between Palestinians and Israel and failed to adequately support Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, she said.



02-22-07 - Albright says next president must 'restore goodness of American power' Carter and Albright appeared on The Carter Center stage together for what the former president had indicated would be a debate on his controversial book "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid."


02-22-07 - In Utah, former Israeli leader warns of spread of nuclear weapons More students in America get Hasbara-ized.


02-22-07 - Russia becomes USA's closest partner in non-proliferation of nuclear weapons


02-22-07 - Evangelist tells students: Shun Muslims


02-22-07 - Public awareness important in terrorism fight, official says Nadav Morag, formerly Israel's senior director for domestic policy, had a nontraditional tip on Wednesday for representatives of public and corporate security agencies concerned about possible terrorism. "Tell the public what you're doing," said Morag, now a faculty member at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Monterey, Calif.
Read that again.


02-22-07 - 'There will be another war in the summer' Many in the south suspect Israel is trying to create a buffer zone along the border on Lebanese land allegedly captured during the summer war and the UN is assisting them. That suspicion has furthered the popular perception that the UN forces are in south Lebanon to protect Israel from Hizbullah.



02-22-07 - Is Washington Being Sidelined on the Middle East? In a way, the change demonstrates an erosion of U.S. influence in the Middle East, which is a direct result of the implementation of the neoconservative agenda that has led to the disastrous political and military situation in Iraq.


02-22-07 - Washington notes: Iran embargo, Quartet statement, AIPAC trial Last week, a Foreign Ministry delegation headed by the deputy director for strategic affairs, Miriam Ziv, presented data on the arms transfers to Hezbollah to senior officials in the German Foreign Ministry. The Germans expressed some reservations about the validity of the data.


02-22-07 - Escalating Threats of U.S. Attacks Against Iran ** Israeli rhetoric against Iran is largely paralleling U.S. claims; unlike the run-up to the Iraq War, Israel and the pro-Israeli lobbies in the U.S. are pressing hard for an attack on Iran, and any Israeli involvement would significantly undercut Congressional opposition.....The U.S. is more isolated now than at any time since the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War; no U.S. allies except Israel are supporting calls for a U.S. attack on Iran.
That's because US allies know this time around who is behind this second cry of 'wolf!'. They are not amused.


02-22-07 - The myth of Muslim support for terror


02-22-07 - Mediaeval Muslims made stunning math breakthrough


02-22-07 - Defense in ex-AIPAC staffers' case can cite U.S.-Israel ties, judge rules Ellis adds: "U.S. State Department and other U.S. government officials likely are able to testify as to whether the governments of the United States and Israel routinely used AIPAC as a diplomatic 'back channel.' " .....Of the two other U.S. government officials cited in the indictment as sharing information with Rosen and Weissman, David Satterfield has since been promoted to the post of top State Department adviser on Iraq issues, and Ken Pollack, formerly a national security councillor, is now research director at the Saban Center think tank. Apparently there are no plans to charge Satterfield or Pollack.....Ellis also ruled that defense lawyers may present exculpatory evidence of the close Israel-U.S. relationship, and of AIPAC's role in nurturing that relationship. He said he would allow, even encourage, testimony showing that the AIPAC-U.S.-Israel triangle benefits all three parties. ....Ellis' latest ruling means that defense lawyers can "put on evidence that AIPAC serves as a back channel" between the United States and Israel, a source close to the defense said. "Evidence of the policy cooperation between the United States and Israel is relevant." Thank you judge, you have just proved my case for me :) AIPAC, you see, drives American foreign policy in the region (to our detriment).


02-22-07 - Polls show anti-American feelings at all time high in Muslim countries "Muslims cannot accept the US policy of supporting Israel and its occupation of Arab and Muslim territories," he said, adding that Arabs could also not understand Washington's opposition to Iran's nuclear program while Israel's was ignored.


02-22-07 - The final punch Evidently, Israel is a prime cheerleader for war, and most likely Israeli agents are working overtime to provide the needed case for war; at least we know, through news reports that Israeli agents are actively involved in Iraq and there is a possibility that they have penetrated the Iranian domain as well, through the northern Kurdish areas


02-22-07 - Iranian students torch flags at nuclear rally The students also condemned construction work by Israel near Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound which sparked violent Palestinian protests and angered Muslims across the world.


02-22-07 - 'Solve it or quit' Lebanese campaigners tell politicians

News for 02-21-07

02-21-07 - US probes troops' neglect claims Washington has ordered a review of the way wounded US soldiers are cared for at military hospitals, following highly critical reports in the US media.


02-21-07 - Iran Sends Mixed Signals Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Western nations Tuesday to stop their own enrichment programs if they wanted his country to stop its own and return to negotiations.


02-21-07 - Officials: Iranian patrol boats probe Iraqi waters **


02-21-07 - US soldier admits murdering girl


02-21-07 - A top aide to Bush heads to Moscow after Putin criticism The trip by the adviser, Stephen Hadley, was planned weeks ago. But it now comes in the context of the harsh Russian words about the antimissile plan, the earlier stinging denunciation of U.S. policy by President Vladimir Putin, and the underlying Russian suggestion that a hidden American agenda is designed to expand its influence in Eastern Europe.




02-21-07 - Scooter Libby and World War III **


02-21-07 - Russia, U.S. at odds on Palestinians before meeting Russia called on Wednesday for an easing of pressure on the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority but the United States said an aid embargo must remain in place until the Palestinians meet conditions set out by western powers.


02-21-07 - Two 'Gators' deploy from Norfolk in two different directions ** The 1,000 sailors of the Saipan had just six weeks to get ready. The Captain said they're needed in the Arabian Gulf, where they could remain for four to six months.


02-21-07 - Rice slams Russian general over comments "I think everyone understands that with a growing Iranian missile threat, which is quite pronounced, that there need to be ways to deal with that problem,"


02-21-07 - US Navy denies reports of offensive military build-up in Gulf **


02-21-07 - Death toll from Iran bomb blast rises to 13 Zahedan, a dusty and restive border city, is the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province which borders both Afghanistan and Pakistan and has been the centre of low-level unrest over the past months.


02-21-07 - Olmert calls for tougher Iran sanctions

02-21-07 - US wants tougher Iran sanctions Hey, where did I just hear that?...


02-21-07 - Viewpoint: Iranians speak out Four Iranians inside Iran respond to questions about their country's nuclear programme - and their president's handling of international concern surrounding it.


02-21-07 - States begin criticizing Iraq policy, too


02-21-07 - Why US is now turning to diplomacy After success with Libya and North Korea, the US is bringing its multilateral approach to Iran.


02-21-07 - Cheney: Thanks for Cutting and Running Vice President Dick Cheney, keeping as far from federal prosecutors as possible these days, arrived in Japan Wednesday to officially thank that country for supporting the Bush-Cheney administration's invasion and occupation of Iraq.


02-21-07 - The Libby-Cheney Connection If Libby is found guilty, investigators are likely to probe further to determine if Libby devised what they consider a cover story in an effort to shield Cheney


02-21-07 - Trial Spotlights Cheney?s Power as an Infighter


02-21-07 - Anti-American Feelings Soar as Muslim Society is Radicalised by War on Terror This poll skirted the Israel factor which is absolutely a key part of the animosity towards America.


02-21-07 - Your assistance is greatly appreciated. To those of you who were able to respond to my appeal for support,
Thank you. This has been a slow month for donations. I need to post this
notice again in the hope that others may respond. A great newsletter. Please support the cause.


02-21-07 - Great rebuttal by CNN anchor against a Israel Spokeswomen Israel cares not for the lives of Arabs - be they civilian or otherwise. Never has. Recall that AFTER the incident in question of the video clip, that Israel fired 1 million cluster bomblets into Lebanese civilian areas knowing that a ceasefire was to be implemented in 3 days. The same Israeli spokeswoman can be seen during the last few minutes in this clip on this British news website trying to spin Israel's attack on Beit Hanoun which killed many civilians including children. It's pitiful.


02-21-07 - Lebanese army fire at Israeli planes The Israeli planes had "violated Lebanese sovereignty, posing a challenge to U.N. Resolution 1701," the spokesman said, referring to the Security Council resolution that ended Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon last August. What do you suppose Israel would do if the Lebanese (or any other nation in the region), routinely and in defiance of international law, flew over the country?


02-21-07 - Lantos calls for end to Jackson-Vanik It was imposed because of the Soviet Union?s emigration and human rights policies toward Jews.



02-21-07 - Hezbollah slams assets freeze A Hezbollah statement faxed to The Associated Press said the measure against Jihad al-Bina came because the company is "rebuilding areas destroyed by the brutal Zionist aggression last summer which occurred with a clear political, military and financial American support."


02-21-07 - As Democrats flex their muscles, groups array against Bush agenda Another area promising tension with the Bush administration is its drive to revive the Israel-Palestinian peace process. Pro-Israel and Jewish Democrats, backed by the pro-Israel lobby, often drive congressional Middle East policy, and they already have made clear their skepticism about Rice?s efforts. Note the source.

News for 02-20-07

02-20-07 - Pentagon dismisses report of Iran attack plan as "ludicrous" ** The Pentagon has dismissed as "ludicrous" a BBC report that the US military has drawn up detailed contingency plans for air strikes against Iran.


02-20-07 - Tehran dismisses threat of force **


02-20-07 - Iran summons Pakistan envoy over bomb blasts


02-20-07 - Tehran defies UN nuclear deadline Iran has rejected the United Nations' demands for the country to suspend its uranium enrichment before a deadline set for today, ensuring a further escalation of diplomatic tension with the West over its contested nuclear programme.


02-20-07 - Libby Prosecutors, Defense Wrap Up Closing Arguments ''He made a gamble. He lied,'' prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said during a full day of arguments by both sides in Washington. ''Don't you think the FBI and the grand jury and the American people are entitled to straight answers?''


02-20-07 - New tensions over Iran's nuclear plans ** A new element emerging over the last couple of weeks is the linkage the US is making between Iran and events inside Iraq. It has publicised its contention that Iran is behind sophisticated technology that is being used by some Shia groups against US and British forces in Iraq. The timing of this claim, rejected by Iran, is significant, because it ties in with expiry of the Security Council demand on 21 February. It adds a new component into the equation



02-20-07 - Shame on the Washington Post, Again Just days before the perjury/obstruction trial of former White House aide I. Lewis ?Scooter? Libby goes to the jury, the Washington Post?s Outlook section published a bizarre front-page article by right-wing legal expert Victoria Toensing suggesting that the prosecutor and one of the chief victims in the case should be put on trial.

Then it's official: it's time to BOYCOTT the Washington Post. From this day forward, there won't be any more links to articles by the Washington Post.


02-20-07 - WaPo Gives Platform For a Partisan to Mischaracterize the Libby Trial ... Again Why is she being given this platform yet again? In a word - neocons. They have many friends in the MSM. One of their own may soon be convicted of a crime. This is their last-ditch effort to exonerate by way of the typical smear campaign that they seem to enjoy.


02-20-07 - 'Rogue' Shi'ite militias using Iranian bombs The evidence presented at a briefing in Baghdad last week further confuses an enemy landscape in which death is as likely to come at the hands of government-allied Shi'ite militias as from disgruntled former Ba'athist extremists and their al Qaeda allies.



02-20-07 - Iran nears industrial N-fuel production Mr ElBaradei added that US and British intelligence estimates said that Iran was still five to 10 years away from developing a nuclear bomb and warned against "hype" over Tehran's nuclear progress.


02-20-07 - Not Good News ** Although the devices were not IED?s like those found in Iraq, the explosions were in the area a group sponsored by the United States may be operating. The area in Iran is Sistan-Baluchestan near the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sy Hersh and a number of other reporters have said this is the area in which the MEK (or the mouthful name Mujahedin-e Khalq) have been operating.


02-20-07 - Chris Wallace smashes Feith's Iraq Qaeda claim During this morning's edition of Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace follows up on an interview with Douglas Feith which aired the previous week and points to a Weekly Standard article from November 2003 in order to debunk Feith's claim that he never connected Iraq with al Qaeda.


02-20-07 - The Defendant Isn?t the Only Player With a Personal Stake in the Libby Verdict As lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr. make their final argument to the jury on Tuesday, they face the daunting task of raising sufficient doubts about the government?s assertion that Mr. Libby lied to a grand jury and federal investigators.


02-20-07 - Bush Continues to Serve Osama


02-20-07 - Law Restricting Guantanamo Appeals Upheld An appeals court on Tuesday upheld the part of a tough anti-terrorism law signed by President George W. Bush that took away the rights of Guantanamo prisoners to challenge their detention before U.S. federal judges.


02-20-07 - George Will and the Conservatism We Lost The neocons would prefer to ignore Ron. Here is a Republican congressman from George W. Bush's state who routinely denounces the big-spending, big-government -creating policies of his President, and is a staunch opponent of the Iraq war. Ron's devotion to principle - the priniciples conservatives used to uphold, albeit only in theory - shows up the "official" conservative leadership as fraudulent. So why is Will writing about Ron?




02-20-07 - Visiting Kyl says he saw Iran arms in Iraq He spoke to the Associated Press from Israel.


02-20-07 - From April 2006: Tehran insider tells of US black ops


02-20-07 - Australia sanctions Iran over uranium enrichment


02-20-07 - US soldier pleads guilty to Iraq gang rape, murders


02-20-07 - Syria Rejects Limited Talks With U.S. Syria on Tuesday rejected a U.S. proposal to have Washington's top diplomat here discuss the Iraqi refugee crisis with Damascus, saying it would only talk with the U.S. if the two countries spoke about all regional issues.


02-20-07 - Soldier gives girl a fighting chance


02-20-07 - Barak visits; speaks on geopolitics "Forming strategic partnerships with Syria and Iran would be a serious mistake, because I believe that would mean partnering with the enemy."



02-20-07 - Spanish peacekeepers have another scuffle in South Lebanese youths threw stones at Spanish troops from the UN peacekeeping forces during an evening patrol in the village of Debbine over the weekend, while Hizbullah unveiled a monument along the Southern border of an armored personnel carrier with two fake rockets pointed toward Israel.


02-20-07 - Inaugural meeting of Congressional, Knesset allied caucuses The meeting was co-hosted by Congressmen Dave Weldon of Florida and Eliot Engel of New York; the two are also the founders of the CIAC, a bipartisan group of legislators dedicated to defending Israel's right to exist in peace and promoting Judeo-Christian values.


02-20-07 - Dems' Disdain For Palestine For years these witnesses have obstructed Palestinian national aspirations, and they were at it again on February 14. In well over two hours of testimony the threesome said not one word about Israel?s expanding settlements, the devastating economic circumstances gripping Palestinians in Gaza or the illegal barrier steadily being erected inside the West Bank. When challenged after the hearing on the lack of diverse voices, staffers erupted in a fury rooted in hubris. They have the power. Those concerned with Palestinian rights do not, so back off.


02-20-07 - A Man of Mystery After Novak first told Hohlt that he was working on a hot story about ex-ambassador Joe Wilson, Hohlt says he e-mailed Rove to expect a phone call from Novak. Then Hohlt began pressing Novak to learn the juicy details


02-20-07 - Lebanon asks UN to extend mandate of probe into Hariri death


02-20-07 - Robert Fisk: Lebanon will be first victim of Iran crisis **


02-20-07 - Treasury puts freeze on Lebanese firm The Treasury Department acted Tuesday to freeze all U.S. assets owned by Jihad al-Bina, a Lebanese construction company it said is owned and operated by Hezbollah.

News for 02-19-07

02-19-07 - US 'Iran attack plans' revealed ** BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the trigger for such an attack reportedly includes any confirmation that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon - which it denies.


02-19-07 - Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility "We've done our duty. We fought the war. We came home wounded. Fine. But whoever the people are back here who are supposed to give us the easy transition should be doing it,"


02-19-07 - Wounded and waiting


02-19-07 - Iraq says borders with Iran and Syria to re-open


02-19-07 - Iran launches war games with missile tests


02-19-07 - Russia delays Iran atom plant work as tensions rise Russia will delay the building of Iran's first nuclear power plant as Tehran is behind with payments, a Russian atomic industry source said, as pressure grew on Tehran to curb its disputed nuclear activity.....Atomstroiexport, the Russian state company in charge of the Bushehr work, said U.N. sanctions against Iran were also contributing to the delays because of a trading ban on certain atomic equipment.


02-19-07 - Bush links terror war to independence war President George W. Bush linked the U.S.-led war on terrorism on Monday to the country's struggle for independence led by George Washington more than 200 hundred years ago. That's an insult to Washington et al. This is a great series on the revolution that was broadcast last July 4th on the History Channel. Watch it sometime, and note how far afield we have come from the vision that the founding fathers had for this country. How sad it is too. George Washington is rolling in his grave over the behavior of our legislators (who majorically answer to corporate and foreign interests more than they do to us), and the fact that the (neoconservative) policies of this presidential administration, which has been much more pro-Israel than any other in the history of this nation (to the detriment of the citizens herein), endanger American interests. Washington addressed the perils of foreign influence in his farewell address. A wise and insightful man he was. Unfortunately, there aren't too many politicians these days with his honesty, integrity and courage.


02-19-07 - Iran, Russia in nuclear plant row Iran has rejected claims by Russian officials that it has failed to meet payments for work on the Bushehr nuclear plant in southern Iran.


02-19-07 - Missiles could reach Europe if Kremlin wanted: general Russia's military is capable of firing missiles at Poland and the Czech Republic if they agreed to host a U.S. missile shield, Russia's Strategic Forces commander said, but added it was for the Kremlin to decide.


02-19-07 - Snow: Politicians Warning Of Iran War ?May Be Trying To Protect Iran?


02-19-07 - Making Martial Law Easier A disturbing recent phenomenon in Washington is that laws that strike to the heart of American democracy have been passed in the dead of night. So it was with a provision quietly tucked into the enormous defense budget bill at the Bush administration?s behest that makes it easier for a president to override local control of law enforcement and declare martial law. The provision, signed into law in October, weakens two obscure but important bulwarks of liberty....these new presidential powers were slipped into the law without hearings or public debate


02-19-07 - Iran hangs man for attack on bus


02-19-07 - Romney: Iran Is 'Suicidal' Nation


02-19-07 - Italian-US relations hit new low after protests Italian pacifists and Left-wingers staged a 50,000-strong protest yesterday against the presence of a new large-scale US air force base.


02-19-07 - Once George Bush has got hold of a bad idea he just can't let it go "It is absolutely parallel," Philip Giraldi, a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist, told Vanity Fair magazine. "They're using the same dance steps - demonise the bad guys, the pretext of diplomacy, keep out of negotiations, use proxies. It is Iraq redux."


02-19-07 - The big question: Is the new round of diplomacy likely to bring Middle East Peace any closer? What's Condi up to? Good question. Whatever you think about the underlying strategic goals of a battered US administration - from fomenting a multi-national Sunni coalition against a perceived Shia threat, to extricating itself from Iraq without national humiliation - it is obviously trying to shore up support from the friendlier Arab regimes. And to do that Dr Rice needs to show some sign of trying for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
She's trying to appease Europe to get them on board for future action against Iran, my guess.


02-19-07 - Sam Brownback Along with right-wingers like Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), SEC Chair and former Rep. Christopher Cox (R-CA), and former Sen. Rick Santorum, Brownback has aggressively pushed anti-Iran resolutions.


02-19-07 - American Foreign Policy Council In late January 2007, the AFPC launched a media blitz regarding Iran. According to the council's website, the week-long advertising campaign "was aimed at educating the U.S. public about the Iranian nuclear threat. The campaign consisted of two 30-second spots that began running Tuesday on CNN, MSNBC, Headline News, and the Fox News Channel in Washington, DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia."


02-19-07 - 'Iran center of US-Israeli talks' In the past, the joint Knesset-Congress-Senate committee helped make hundreds of millions of dollars available for Israel's missile defense shield, Arrow, which is produced in cooperation Boeing in the US.
In addition, according to Steinitz, the committee has in the past prevented arms sales to Arab states that would have threatened Israel's unique edge in the region; it also initiated the Iran nuclear sanctions law, which makes it illegal for governments to provide arms or aid Iran's nuclear program, the Knesset member said. Where is Washington when you need him? More from Steinitz here. And here.


02-19-07 - Syria relaxes restrictions on Iraq refugees


02-19-07 - Burns: US, Israel agree on Iran policy he told the Post the US administration was having "very good discussions" with Israel right now over a confluence of interests regarding Iran. Whose war?


02-19-07 - Congress' Liability in a Nuclear Strike on Iran


02-19-07 - Palestinians hail security plan despite arrests


02-19-07 - Oil prices fall on warmer weather Oil prices have fallen below $59 a barrel amid expectations of warmer weather in the United States.


02-19-07 - A CNN host who loves Israel Pro-Israel critics of the media, and particularly of CNN, should check out "The Glenn Beck Program" to give their high blood pressure a respite..... Beck, an admitted former alcoholic and drug addict, is now a devout Christian who believes in an Armageddon in which millions will die Strange, because I was just thinking the other day - we really don't have enough pro-Israeli commentators in the media. Ahhm.


02-19-07 - Spreading democracy is no quick fix, but it's our noble duty Blessed with freedom, Americans ought to give voice to the voiceless, stand in solidarity with freedom fighters everywhere, and help provide the tools for others to build open societies with accountable governments. As Ronald Reagan said, "Freedom is not just for the lucky few, but the right of all mankind." BS. It is not 'our duty' to spread democracy. If people of the nations of this world want it, then they have every right to fight for it like we did. To impose it at the barrel of a gun defeats the purpose. Ask the Palestinians about our notion of 'freedom' (that Israel imposes on them on our watch).


02-19-07 - Time to take Iran seriously The Washington Times editors propagandize?


02-19-07 - Norway conference aims for 2008 cluster bomb ban The advocacy group for those maimed by weapons calculates 184 civilian casualties, a third of them children, were caused by cluster bombs after Israel's attacks on Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon last year


02-19-07 - Hezbollah seen expanding arsenal Hezbollah aims to stockpile more weapons than it had before last year?s war with Israel, a top Israeli intelligence analyst said.

News for 02-18-07

02-18-07 - Iran denies lodging radical Iraqi cleric Iran has for the first time formally denied claims by Iraqi and US officials that radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is in the Islamic republic, the ISNA news agency reports.


02-18-07 - Iran's elite guards to hold war games ** Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards will launch their second war games in a month on Monday, just days ahead of a U.N. deadline regarding Iran's nuclear program.


02-18-07 - The Forgotten Families Grandparents Raising Slain Soldiers' Children Are Denied A Government Benefit Intended to Sustain the Bereaved


02-18-07 - Lawmaker pleads with Rice to engage Syria A veteran Republican congressman pleaded on Friday for the United States to talk to Syria about easing the violence in Iraq and proposed former Secretary of State George Shultz as an envoy


02-18-07 - Iran flap exposes public skepticism of US intelligence, intentions President George W. Bush and his top aides had to admit by week's end that they did not know whether Iran's leaders knew that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was supplying Shiite militias with sophisticated bombs and training.


02-18-07 - Credibility, a Precious Trait ** The American people must be careful not to let this administration lead them into yet another war, this time with Iran, with the same kinds of deception it used to justify the Iraq War.


02-18-07 - Marine jailed over Iraqi murder Investigators said the soldiers dragged disabled Mr Awad from his home and killed him in Hamdaniya in April 2006.


02-18-07 - Iran bars Greenpeace ship from entering waters "Plans had been made to hold a press conference on board the group's ship the Rainbow Warrior in Bushehr, Iran, to present the results of research into different energy options for Iran which would allow it to meet its energy needs without recourse to nuclear power,"


02-18-07 - Iran's Khamenei says U.S. to lose in Mideast: TV


02-18-07 - Germany chides U.S. move on anti-missile shield "What the United States is doing can only be seen in Russia as a provocation," Kuhn said in an interview with the Saarbruecker Zeitung newspaper.


02-18-07 - Rice: World response to Iran not the same as Nazi appeasement Rice detailed the steps that Washington has taken to contain Iran


02-18-07 - Why Iran 'meddles' in Iraq Is Tehran's supposed involvement malign, or are its interests in the war legitimate?


02-18-07 - As Iraq divides into camps, a wave of resentment toward foreign Arabs Hit by violence from all sides, it is perhaps not surprising that many Shiite Muslim Arabs here have begun showing widespread suspicion of foreign Arabs, who are often from Sunni Muslim countries. Iraq's Shiite-led government is close to Iran, a non-Arab Shiite Muslim country.


02-18-07 - Documents show new secretive US prison program isolating Muslim, Middle Eastern prisoners the program appears to have been ordered and implemented by a senior official at the Department of Justice.


02-18-07 - US military planes criss-cross Europe using bogus call sign


02-18-07 - The Unwanted Refugees Of The Iraq War "I think the scale of the violence and the attacks on the Palestinian community make it absolutely unacceptable for them to return," sayd UNHCR's representative in Jordan, Robert Breen. No other Arab country has offered to take them in.


02-18-07 - Israeli Rightist Warns That Bush's Iraq Policy Could Hurt Effort To Combat Iran ** Despite tepid public support in America for another military venture in the Middle East, Eitam asserted that he sensed strong bipartisan support in Washington for using all available means to stop Iran?s nuclear program. Eitam noted that while American intelligence disagreed a year ago with Israel?s assessment that Iran was three to four years away from reaching a critical point, Washington now endorses Jerusalem?s estimates.....Eitam said that even if Israel were to carry out strikes on its own, it would need American support for refueling, as well as authorization to fly over Iraq and intelligence cooperation. "This is why I tell the Americans that they will be seen as being part of it anyway, which is why they should prepare accordingly,"



02-18-07 - From April 2006: America must take action against Iran: Israeli official


02-18-07 - American senators to visit Israel "We think that it is important that the members of the delegation feel the connection and understand Israel better. They are mostly non-Jewish and we want them to feel some obligation to the country," Obligation to the country? Which country were they elected to serve? is the question that should be asked here.


02-18-07 - Poll sees hope in West-Islam ties "Most people feel this is about political power and interests, not religion and culture," Neocons better dust off and trot out them there Mohammed cartoons again. Their propaganda efforts are not making the grade.


02-18-07 - Middle Eastern Reality Show Explores America

News for 02-17-07

02-17-07 - Photo exhibit bares wounds of U.S. troops in Iraq "It's important for the people of our country to understand the nature of the sacrifice being made. "These are mainly young people, mainly in their 20s, athletic, active people who have sustained a great loss and want to move on with their lives."



02-17-07 - Iran chases militants behind new bomb blast ** Local officials said the unrest bore suspicious hallmarks of involvement by the United States and Britain, reiterating previous allegations of Western trouble-making in the southeastern Sistuan-Baluchestan province.


02-17-07 - Top official: Iran needs nuclear fuel


02-17-07 - Report: Weapons used in attack in Zahedan, Iran come from U.S. ** Explosive devices and arsenals used in a terrorist attack in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan on Wednesday came from the United States, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Saturday.


02-17-07 - US Senate blocks vote on Iraq war The rare Saturday session followed a non-binding vote backing the resolution in the House of Representatives


02-17-07 - Field Day for Iranian Militarists as Standoff with US Continues


02-17-07 - New deadly chopper crash in Iran State radio reported that the helicopter involved in Saturday's crash was on its way to recover the wreckage of the chopper from the previous incident.


02-17-07 - Iranian Force, Focus of U.S., Still a Mystery


02-17-07 - US piles pressure on Iran as Rice flies into Baghdad


02-17-07 - US not seeking Iran showdown: Pentagon official ** "They seem to think that the removal of Saddam from power in Iraq and the absence of a regional counterweight provides them with the licence to expand their influence and presence throughout the Gulf."


02-17-07 - Auditors: Billions squandered in Iraq


02-17-07 - Rove Said to Have Received 2003 Iranian Proposal The revelation that Rove received a copy of the Iranian negotiating proposal within days of the receipt of the State Department makes it appear very unlikely that Rice was not immediately made aware of the document.


02-17-07 - Troop reduction in Iraq delayed after pressure from US Yielding to American pressure, Tony Blair will announce this week that a reduction of British troop levels in Iraq is to be delayed.


02-17-07 - Scrambling to Frame Iran


02-17-07 - Making Enemies - How Israel helped to create Hamas Indeed, according to former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Charles Freeman, Shin Bet?the Israeli counter-intelligence and internal security service?knowingly created Hamas: "Israel started Hamas. It was a project of Shin Bet, which had a feeling that they could use it to hem in the PLO."


02-17-07 - 14 nations accused of allowing CIA flights


02-17-07 - Iran: US Has Many Options


02-17-07 - Target Iran: The Truth About the White House's Plans for Regime Change by Scott Ritter


02-17-07 - Syria's Assad holds talks in Iran over Iraq Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed instability in Iraq and the crisis in Lebanon with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the start of a two-day visit to Iran on Saturday, the official IRNA news agency said.


02-17-07 - Israel's Bomb, Iran's Pursuit of the Bomb and U.S. War Preparations (Part Three) Israel's role in attempting to prod the U.S. to attack Iran has been considerable and is a major theme of Ritter's book.


02-17-07 - 'Made in Iran' isn't proof of complicity just as Bush is demanding that Iran stop providing weapons to Iraq, human rights groups are demanding that the United States cut off sales of cluster bombs to Israel. The reason: Since Israel's war with Hezbollah last summer, more than 30 Lebanese have been killed by previously unexploded "bomblets" that were dropped by Israel but manufactured in the United States.



02-17-07 - Saudis are not the solution, experts say Saudi leaders fear losing public legitimacy more than they fear Iran, said Schueftan. Therefore, even though solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would help them in their fight against Islamic extremism and Iran, they were unlikely to take the lead in bringing the Israelis and the Palestinians together, he said


02-17-07 - Explosion on Lebanese side of northern border No injuries reported, IDF estimates blast caused by old explosive device triggered by an animal