News for 07-30-07

07-30-07 - UN inspectors check key Iran nuclear site


07-30-07 - Analysis: Cheney favors attack on Iran ** a well-informed source tells United Press International that according to senior U.S. intelligence officials, President Bush has definitely decided not to strike any of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons production facilities this year. The sources say the officials stressed the words "this year," meaning in 2007. That, however, does not rule out the possibility of military intervention in 2008, right until January 2009, when Bush's term in the White House comes to an end.


07-30-07 - Iran criticizes U.S., Saudis arms deal


07-30-07 - US arms package will not destabilise Middle East: Rice A multi-billion dollar US arms package for Middle East allies aimed at containing Iran's influence will not destabilise the region, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.


07-30-07 - Iran says U.S. is too stretched to attack it ** Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has told a German magazine that the United States has too many problems in Iraq to become involved in armed conflict with Iran.


07-30-07 - US envoy accuses Saudis on Iraq The US ambassador at the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, has accused Saudi Arabia of undermining efforts to stabilise Iraq.


07-30-07 - US soldier pleads not guilty to rape, murder of Iraqi girl A US soldier pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the murder of her family, officials said.


07-30-07 - Merkel party warns US arms for Gulf could set off 'powder keg'


07-30-07 - Novak: Bush considering secret military action in Turkey The Bush administration is considering covert military activity by U.S. Special Forces to help Turkish troops quash Kurdish guerilla fighters, who are believed to be using northern Iraq as safe-haven, according to the syndicated columnist.


07-30-07 - Americans Reject Aggressive Foreign Policy 54 per cent of respondents think the U.S. will be safer from terrorism in the long run if it stays out of other countries? affairs in the Middle East, up five points since October. 'They're over HERE because WE'RE over THERE' - Patrick J. Buchanan.


07-30-07 - Israel to grant West Bank entry to Iraqi Palestinians Israel has recently agreed to allow a group of 41 Iraqi refugees of Palestinian origin to enter the West Bank and reunite with relatives there, as a goodwill gesture to the government of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad.



07-30-07 - Heritage: Economic Blowback from Bombing Iran Will be Easily Managed ** Let me guess: it will be a "cakewalk".


07-30-07 - Out of right field, conservatives gush over Clinton


07-30-07 - US credit woes ripple across globe Hey I know - let's attack Iran. Perfect!


07-30-07 - Clinton Woos the Outsourcers that Workers Fear


07-30-07 - Exclusive: ?Possible Attack On The U.S. Within Ninety Days Mr. Aviv knows of that which he speaks. He is a former Israeli Counterterrorism Intelligence Officer and has also served as a special consultant to the U.S. Congress on issues of terrorism and security.


07-30-07 - Rice, Gates trip signals united front The Secretaries of State and Defense set out for the Middle East to make a case for US initiatives.


07-30-07 - Reports: Iran to buy jets from Russia Israel is looking into reports that Russia plans to sell 250 advanced long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter jets to Iran in an unprecedented billion-dollar deal.


07-30-07 - Funding added for U.S.-Israel missile system "In light of Iran's open hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, I consider increasing the effectiveness of the Arrow system to be essential to our defense," said Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), who requested the additional funding.


07-30-07 - Golan residents call for talks with Syria The Peace with Syria movement held a conference Monday evening at Kibbutz Gadot with the participation of hundreds of Golan Heights residents.


07-30-07 - Syria calls upon Palestinian parties to return to dialogue


07-30-07 - Iran's Khamenei says U.S. and Israel are main foes Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the United States and Israel were his country's main enemies, just days after U.S.-Iranian talks about Iraq's security.


07-30-07 - Arabs skeptical of U.S. conference idea The Arab League expressed reluctance Monday in backing a U.S.-proposed conference to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying any talks should cover all Arab-Israeli conflicts, including those involving Syria.


07-30-07 - Christian Group Warns U.S. Against Pressuring Israel on Peace Deal "Would somebody else, another country, coming in to America say, 'You need to give up Florida'? I live in Southern California, 'You need to give up San Diego to Mexico.' That's not going to happen. Why should we do that with Israel?" Stephens asked. Because Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Shebaa Farms, the Golan Heights do not belong to Israel. They are Israel-OCCUPIED territory.

News for 07-29-07

07-29-07 - Third of Iraqis 'need urgent aid' It warned the continuing violence was masking a humanitarian crisis that had grown worse since the invasion in 2003.


07-29-07 - Stage-managed nuclear tour reveals why Iran won't be the first to blink The Independent and five other journalists from Britain, France, Germany and the US - whose governments will decide whether there can be a peaceful solution to the crisis with Iran - were invited to Iran by the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with a promise of unprecedented access to the country's most senior officials and it's most sensitive nuclear plants


07-29-07 - Report: Four PKK leaders killed in Iraq blast


07-29-07 - U.S. Air Force Prepares for War in Cyberspace "This is a significant development," said Amit Yoran, former White House cybersecurity czar. "Historically cyber warfare remained in the very classified arenas of government." A note on Amit Yoran


07-29-07 - A Blurry Line Between Propaganda and News


07-29-07 - Free speech violated, man says "I feel my First Amendment rights were violated," said Ferguson, a 30-year-old Munster resident who said he was peacefully handing out pamphlets outlining Paul's anti-war, anti-tax presidential platform.


07-29-07 - Siege camp militants kill Lebanese soldier


07-29-07 - Arms deal to Arab nations opposed Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and Robert Wexler, D-Fla., said Saturday that they will introduce a joint resolution of disapproval to block the deals when Congress is formally notified. They have seven Democratic co-sponsors. Note to the minions of Israel on Capitol Hill: Israel gave its blessing for this deal. We had to pretty much buy it out of them.


07-29-07 - Bush to Urge Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia, Gulf States The military assistance agreements would provide $30 billion in new U.S. aid to Israel and $13 billion to Egypt over a decade, Goodrich-Hinton said.


07-29-07 - Lebanese troops advance into camp The Lebanese army has said its troops have moved deeper into a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli to try to oust Islamist fighters remaining there.


07-29-07 - Israel says U.S. aid to Saudi military is understandable ** "We understand the need of the United States to support the Arab moderate states and there is a need for a united front between the U.S. and us regarding Iran," Olmert told a weekly Cabinet meeting. The rare agreement reflects shared U.S. and Israeli concern with the potential threat of an Iran with nuclear weapons. Israel doesn't dare complain. It knows that we are arming the Saudis and others for our upcoming attack on Iran.


07-29-07 - Why my landlord is expecting the worst In a truly pitiful remark, the UN Secretary-General stated last month: "I regret to have to report that, despite a number of attempts by UN senior officials to obtain information regarding the firing data of cluster munitions utilised (sic) during last summer's conflict, Israel has yet to provide this critical data." To which my reaction is: why not ask Washington for the information? Surely a UN official could take the Amtrak out of New York and pick up the figures from the Pentagon?




07-29-07 - Armageddon ? Bring It On ** According to the Jewish Blumenthal, the typical CUFI member apparently believes "God" wants Bush to do what Lieberman and the Likudniks are urging him to do ? nuke Tehran ? to trigger an all-out nuke war to bring on Armageddon ? the final climatic battle, waged here on the planet Earth, between God and Satan.

News for 07-28-07

07-28-07 - UN inspectors to visit Iran in August for framework talks A group of UN atomic watchdog inspectors will visit Iran early next month to discuss a framework for future inspections of nuclear sites, the ISNA news agency reported on Saturday.


07-28-07 - Bush calls for new phone, email tapping powers US President George W Bush has called for Congress to revise a US security law in order to ease restrictions on the government's secret communications surveillance of terrorism suspects.


07-28-07 - US ?dirty bomber? is a trial for CIA the long-awaited court appearance of Jose Padilla, a US citizen once known as America?s ?dirty bomber?, has turned out to be missing a crucial ingredient - evidence that he actually did anything wrong.


07-28-07 - U.S. Outfitting B-2's with Monster Bunker Buster Bombs - Iran May Be Target ** Experts have noted that a U.S. or Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear program could be difficult due to the large number of installations - some of which are buried deep underground in hardened bunkers.


07-28-07 - Outsourcing Intelligence: Author R.J. Hillhouse on How Key National Security Projects Are Contracted to Private Firms what I found is, as you said, private corporations have completely penetrated the intelligence apparatus of the United States. It?s impossible -- even in the response to me by the Director of National Intelligence that was published in the Washington Post, they admitted that without private corporations they would be unable to function.


07-28-07 - Hillary's Late Hit by Patrick J. Buchanan As for Ahmadinejad, he is not the supreme leader of Iran, and his nation has not launched a war since the Revolution of 1979. With no atomic weapons, no ICBMs, no air force to challenge ours, no navy, an economy 2 percent of ours and its oil reserves running out, Iran is scarcely an existential threat to the United States.


07-28-07 - Christian Group Warns: Iran Wants to Hit Israel First, U.S. Next ** several Jewish organizations in the United States hold that U.S. officials must do everything in their power to persuade the international community to pressure Iran to stop its nuclear ambitions......"If diplomatic options, economic sanctions could work they could only work if there is a threat of another alternative," said Abe Foxman, head of the Anti-Defamation League. The Israeli lobby makes sure that Israel's problems become OUR problems.


07-28-07 - Lebanese troops kill 8 Islamic militants


07-28-07 - Bush's Real Agenda in Palestine one must not lose sight of the regional context. The Israeli lobby and its neo- conservative allies in the US administration and in the media are eager for a military showdown with Iran, which would weaken Syria's political standing in any future negotiation with Israel in regards to the occupied Golan Heights, and which would obliterate the military strength of Hizbullah, proven to be the toughest enemy Israel has ever faced in its decades-long conflict with the Arabs.



07-28-07 - Israel likely to devise missiles for India Pakistan's cruise missiles that can hit hundreds of miles inside India prompted New Delhi to accept an Israeli plan to develop a cruise missile interceptor.


07-28-07 - France fears new war in Lebanon The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, has warned that Lebanon faces the danger of renewed war if there is not a resumption of political dialogue.


07-28-07 - 'We blocked US plans' - Hezbollah "This war aimed to impose a new Middle East, broken up into confessional and ethnic mini-states, serving the interests of the United States and Israel,"


07-28-07 - Resentment stirs in Hizbollah faithful the official did not expect a war soon, saying that it would take both the Israelis and the movement at least two to three years to be ready to fight.

News for 07-27-07

07-27-07 - US angry over Saudi role in Iraq The US administration is deeply frustrated with Saudi Arabia over its role in Iraq, accusing the Saudis of trying to undermine the Baghdad government and failing to stem the flow of volunteers joining the insurgency there, the New York Times reported on Friday.


07-27-07 - Russia's Gorbachev says U.S. is sowing world disorder Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev criticized the United States, and current President George W. Bush in particular, on Friday for sowing disorder across the world by seeking to build an empire.


07-27-07 - Dozens of Afghan civilians die in air raids: residents Dozens of civilians, including women and children, have been killed in two foreign air strikes in southern Afghanistan, residents and a local member of parliament said on Friday.


07-27-07 - US plays down talk of tension with Saudis According to the Times, the Saudis view Iraq's Shiite prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, as an agent of Iran and appear to have stepped up efforts to weaken his government, providing funding for Sunni groups.


07-27-07 - Rice, Gates face uphill battle to convince Saudis U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates travel to the Middle East next week seeking Arab support to stabilize Iraq but they may face an uphill battle from Saudi Arabia.


07-27-07 - Arm chair generals help shape surge in Iraq The emergence of AEI as a power player on Iraq belies the notion that neo-conservatives are on the decline in Washington. AEI brags an impressive roster of neo-con thinkers. Former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, an Iraq war architect, arrived at AIE this summer, joining such prominent conservatives as John Bolton, David Frum and Michael Ledeen.


07-27-07 - Oil price climbs on rising demand


07-27-07 - Bid to punish Bush aides may fail


07-27-07 - Fred Thompson, Neocon The neoconservatives are not riding high these days. Not so.


07-27-07 - Soldiers die in Lebanese clashes


07-27-07 - Neoconservatism Is Dead It is not, not when the Bush administration is still taking its cues from neocon outfits such as the AEI, as one example.


07-27-07 - Israel urges 'damaging' Iran sanctions Israel is anxious that the international community has "taken its eye off the ball" in the effort to ratchet up economic and diplomatic pressure on the Islamic Republic, while the nuclear program speeds relentlessly ahead, The Jerusalem Post has been told.


07-27-07 - Bush signs ports bill with boycott clause A bill increasing scrutiny over foreign purchases of American ports signed by President Bush includes a provision targeting the Arab boycott of Israel.


07-27-07 - US to fund defense systems for Israel The new system would be used in addition to Israel's existing sophisticated 'Arrow' system, a project the US continues to fund.
On Thursday the House Appropriations Committee voted to give Israel an additional $70 million in defense aid beyond the $80 million requested by the administration.
Are our men in Iraq being given the best equipment there is? Why are we continuing to fund Israel defense projects when their economy is booming and ours continues to tank? Outrageous.


07-27-07 - Senate approves increased funding for non-profits A significant portion of $50 million allocated for 2005 and 2006 went to Jewish institutions. In the past, federal funds have been used by non-profits for security enhancements, such as concrete barriers.



07-27-07 - Miliband says UK needs U.S. alliance to secure goals Miliband denied suggestions by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, reported by Britain's Guardian newspaper on Thursday, that London had expanded links with the Palestinian Islamist group.


07-27-07 - U.S. plans big arms sale to Saudi Arabia: report ** the proposal for advanced weapons for Saudi Arabia has stoked concern in Israel and among its U.S. backers, the Times said......Senior officials, including State Department and Pentagon officials who outlined the deals' terms, told the Times they thought the Bush administration had resolved those concerns, partly by offering Israel more than $30 billion in military aid over the next 10 years, which would be a significant increase over recent levels.....The Times said officials described the plan as intended to bolster Gulf countries' militaries in a bid to contain Iran's growing strength in the region, as well as to demonstrate Washington's commitment to its Arab allies.




07-27-07 - U.S. to expand aid in Mideast The comprehensive regional aid-and-weapons package is meant to compensate Israel for the sale of U.S. weapons to countries Israel considers potential enemies. But those sales are nonetheless certain to draw opposition from pro-Israeli organizations and human rights organizations.


07-27-07 - Obama would talk up Israel with Iran "If I sit down with a leader of Iran, I will send them a strong message that Israel is our friend and that we will assist in their security and that we don?t find nuclear weapons acceptable," Obama said in a conference call Thursday.

News for 07-26-07

07-26-07 - Iranian minister says sanctions are ineffective


07-26-07 - US Treasury's Levey says Iran sanctions bearing fruit The US Treasury's mounting financial sanctions against Iranian companies tied to alleged nuclear activities, proliferation and terror funding are bearing fruit, the Treasury's top anti-terrorism official, Stuart Levey, said Thursday.


07-26-07 - U.S. says Iran training Green Zone bombers Making the case for war.


07-26-07 - Report: Security Issues Plague DHS Facilities Well now that's comforting.


07-26-07 - TSA: Terrorists May Be Conducting Preattack Security Probes In a new intelligence bulletin obtained by NBC News, the Transportation Security Administration is warning law-enforcement and airport officials that terrorists "may be" conducting "preattack security probes" at U.S. airports.


07-26-07 - Bush Line Distorts Iran?s Real Interest in Iraq ** Symptomatic of the toughening attitude in Congress toward Iran was the 97-0 vote in the Senate last week for a resolution drafted by its leading proponent of war against Iran, Sen. Joe Lieberman, stating that ?the murder of members of the United States Armed Forces by a foreign government or its agents is an intolerable act of hostility against the United States.?


07-26-07 - Adviser Sees Rudy As Tough On Saudis Podhoretz is a proponent of immediate military strikes against Iran to eliminate or set back that country?s nuclear program, and he said Giuliani felt the same way. ?He has already said that the military option has to remain active,? said Podhoretz.


07-26-07 - Congress on collision course with Bush over wiretapping inquiry "We ask that you immediately appoint an independent special counsel from outside the Department of Justice to determine whether Attorney General Gonzales may have misled Congress or perjured himself in testimony before Congress," a group of four senators wrote in a letter to the solicitor general, the administration's top lawyer.


07-26-07 - U.S. Kills Plans to Build Embassy in Hezbollah Area of Beirut U.S. officials say the proposed embassy site is just a few hundred yards from the scene of fierce fighting last summer between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.


07-26-07 - Iraq refugee summit offers help


07-26-07 - LA evangelical leader: Iran confrontation 'inevitable' he said he was "very gratified" when President George W. Bush was elected, given his unwavering commitment to Israel's interests and in his antiterror policies


07-26-07 - Lebanon: Refugees again "How long must the Palestinian people endure tragedy? How many times do we have to be displaced?" The speaker is Abu Hisham, sitting in Beddawi camp surrounded by his children and grandchildren.


07-26-07 - Syria threatened to fight in Lebanon war-Hezbollah


07-26-07 - Gag lifted on arrest of Israeli allegedly recruited by Hezbollah The Shin Bet security service on Tuesday lifted a gag order on the June arrest of a woman who allegedly admitted during questioning that she had been recruited by the Hezbollah.


07-26-07 - Panel to probe alleged IDF war crimes in Second Lebanon War Gal-On said serious accusations made by human rights organizations, who reported that the IDF committed war crimes and harmed the civilian population of Lebanon, strengthened her conviction that these claims must be probed.


07-26-07 - Lebanese army 'tightens noose' on Islamists in camp Two soldiers were killed late Thursday by a shell fired by Islamists inside the camp, bringing the troop toll to 122. This figure included a soldier whose body was was recovered earlier from the camp. Two soldiers were also wounded.


07-26-07 - U.S. candidates see Iran nuclear threat All were asked by the Israel Project to discuss their views and endorse a petition signed on-line by more than 75,000 people telling the United Nations Security Council "Iran must be stopped now -- before it develops a nuclear bomb." Jump for your masters. Bark like a dog.


07-26-07 - Delay: US and Israel must enjoy second coming That evangelical support for Israel is largely based on "End Times" theology is largely irrelevant to the Israeli politicians who share the goal of expanding settlements into the West Bank and a military strike on Iran, but it is anything but irrelevant to the rank-and-file members and even one former House Majority Leader.

News for 07-25-07

07-25-07 - Iran 'ready for more Iraq talks' Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran would consider meeting the US at deputy foreign minister level, if the US suggested it.


07-25-07 - Iran says it will never stop nuclear activities "Iran will never abandon its peaceful (nuclear) work. Our nuclear work is legal and why should we stop it?"


07-25-07 - US envoy blasts Iran after Iraq talks At a second meeting with his Iranian counterpart in two months, the US ambassador blasted Tehran on Tuesday for arming and training Shiite militias but agreed to set up a security subcommittee with Iran and Iraq to carry forward work on stabilizing the country.


07-25-07 - Syria intervenes to cancel Iraq rebels meetings Syria's secular government, which has been reinforcing links with Iran, took steps last year to improve ties with Iraq. Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi is expected to visit Damascus next month.



07-25-07 - House Passes Lee Bill to Ban Permanent Bases in Iraq


07-25-07 - Bipartisan Committee Denounces Illegal Spying Program Today a bipartisan coalition of political leaders, policy experts, and legal scholars condemned the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program as illegal, and called on Congress to complete its investigation of the program before considering any changes to the law governing electronic surveillance.


07-25-07 - CIA misled Britain over rendition plan The CIA misled British intelligence chiefs over the arrest and treatment of terrorist suspects who were the subjects of rendition to Guantanamo Bay, an Intelligence and Security Committee report to the Prime Minister warned.


07-25-07 - Iran fist-in-glove with Iraqi rebels: America builds its case **


07-25-07 - Iran nuke plant delayed The completion of Iran?s first atomic power plant will be delayed by more than a year, to the fall of 2008, a Russian nuclear subcontractor said.


07-25-07 - World Bank urged to stop Iran funds A dozen members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter urging the new World Bank president to stop funding for Iran.


07-25-07 - US missile defence system set for UK


07-25-07 - U.S. soldiers cheer on young boys celebrating outside their combat outpost in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad


07-25-07 - Ron Paul teams up with Dem candidate to end war As the host mentioned, the Texas Congressman has co-sponsored a bill with another presidential contender, Democrat Dennis Kucinich, that would repeal President Bush's authority to use force in Iraq within the next sixth months. Besides Kucinich, 18 other Democrats have signed on.


07-25-07 - Bush In Free Fall At what point will President Bush finally grasp the enormous disaster that the neoconservatives, from Vice President Dick Cheney on down, have visited upon his presidency? Evidently never.


07-25-07 - House Panel Cites Bush Aides for Contempt of Congress The House Judiciary Committee voted contempt of Congress citations Wednesday against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and President Bush?s former legal counselor, Harriet Miers.


07-25-07 - National Intelligence Estimate lacks supporting evidence, possibly politicized, intelligence officials say "As regards to the Hezbollah 'threat,'" the official added, "they just threw that in. "Nobody in CIA talks to Hezbollah, and they're living off their assessments from back in the 80s, which they really never got right anyway." Whose War?.


07-25-07 - Scott Horton Interviews Philip Giraldi: MP3 Former CIA counter-terrorism officer and Antiwar.com columnist Philip Giraldi debunks the War Party's claims that Iran backs al Qaeda, explains U.S. support for the terrorist groups Mujahadeen-e-Khalq and Jundullah against Iran, and the two most likely circumstances in which Cheney will use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against them. Philip Giraldi = one of the good guys. I strongly encourage you to listen to this interview.


07-25-07 - Obama, Clinton feud on talks with Assad and other despots The Obama-Clinton contretemps comes as the pro-Israel lobby has made isolating Iran its signature issue and after Republicans attacked U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in April for meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad.


07-25-07 - Hezbollah leader suggests Israel may be behind attacks on U.N. peacekeepers "It will be very embarrassing for the Israelis, especially if they are thinking in the next war to launch a large-scale land invasion (of south Lebanon), to have UNIFIL troops there," Nasrallah said.


07-25-07 - America puts Israel's enemies on trial


07-25-07 - Lebanese army steps up shelling of Islamists


07-25-07 - U.N. peacekeeper killed in Lebanon A French peacekeeper working on a U.N. demining team was killed Wednesday when an unexploded shell from last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah blew up as he was trying to clear it, a U.N. official said.


07-25-07 - Re-Targeting Syria, the "Ho Chi Minh Trail of Terrorists?" former Bush speech-writer and Christian rightist Michael Gerson complains that the administration?s military reaction to alleged subversion in Iraq by Iran and Syria has been "muted" but concedes that attacking Iran could be problematic. "Syria, however, is what one former administration official calls ?lower-hanging fruit,?"


07-25-07 - Few Muslims 'back suicide bombs' However, 70% of Palestinians interviewed said they believed such attacks were sometimes justifiable. ......The survey also suggests that as countries and families grow richer, optimism increases, as well as support for ruling governments.

News for 07-24-07

07-24-07 - Auditors Can't Find Veterans Affairs Computer Equipment Worth $6.4 Million More than a quarter of the computer equipment at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington could not be found by investigators, government auditors reported Tuesday.


07-24-07 - US military drafts plan to keep troops in Iraq until mid-2009


07-24-07 - US, Iran, Iraq to set up security committee The United States, Iran and Iraq have agreed to set up a security sub-committee to continue talks on how to restore stability in Iraq.


07-24-07 - Iran nuclear negotiators heading to Russia for talks: diplomat Iranian negotiators Javad Vaeidi and Mohammad Saeedi were "flying from Vienna to Russia to persuade the Russians to finish building the Bushehr nuclear (power) reactor," said a diplomat who asked not to be named due to the confidential nature of the information.


07-24-07 - IAEA to revisit Iran atom site in transparency push Iran agreed on Tuesday to let inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog revisit its heavy-water reactor site early next week in a U.N. push for more transparency in Iran's disputed nuclear program.


07-24-07 - Iran's growing presence in Iraq


07-24-07 - $100 Oil Price May Be Months Away, Say CIBC, Goldman ** Oil prices could triple in three months to more than $200 a barrel, given the right circumstances, according to Matthew Simmons, chairman of Simmons & Co., a Houston investment bank. We can guess what they are prepping us for and why. Iran is next.


07-24-07 - Will Bush Invade Pakistan?


07-24-07 - Bush Aide: Military Could Go Into Pakistan


07-24-07 - Saudi Arabia backs out of Arab peace initiative Saudi king gets cold feet over suspicions of Iran and fears of terror attacks sponsored by al-Qaeda, Israeli official says


07-24-07 - Oil prices slide on Iran remarks Oil prices fell by more than $1 a barrel on Tuesday amid suggestions from Iran that it may be prepared to increase supply to the market


07-24-07 - Alarm at US right to highly personal data Highly sensitive information about the religious beliefs, political opinions and even the sex life of Britons travelling to the United States is to be made available to US authorities when the European Commission agrees to a new system of checking passengers.


07-24-07 - Halliburton Income More Than Doubles


07-24-07 - Patrick Fitzgerald Hits Air-Waves In Chicago - Photos Some rare candid photos of the Special Prosecutor. Unfortunately the contents of his briefs have not been revealed. Get your mind out of the gutter! I meant with respect to the next case!


07-24-07 - From Jan. 2007: Iranian Jews Reject Outside Calls To Leave ** In recent months, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Israeli officials and some American Jewish communal leaders have urged Iranian Jews to leave. But so far, despite generally being allowed to travel to Israel and emigrate abroad, Iranian Jews have stayed put. This goes along with the recent story of pro-Israeli/Israeli(?) officials offering Iranian Jews cold hard cash to lure them out of Iran and into Israel. The question: why? What's the rush? Impending attack?


07-24-07 - Murdoch, Son Differ Sharply Over Israel The elder "Murdoch was at one point putting the traditional very right-wing view on Israel and the Middle East peace process and James said that he was ?talking f? nonsense.'


07-24-07 - Hunter: 'Postage stamp' Israel should not give up 'one inch' of territory On May 20, Hunter, a California Republican, voiced his position during a meeting with Christian Zionists in Alexandria, Va


07-24-07 - Commentary: Intelligent intelligence CSIS' Transnational Threats Project, which this writer directs, recruited 15 experts on Islamist extremism in Europe from the Middle East (including Israel), North Africa, Europe, the United States and Canada, and networked them 24/7 with a state-of-the-art, electronic collaborative software tool. They were known as TIN members -- for Trusted Information Network.



07-24-07 - US Treasury moves against Hezbollah 'support network'


07-24-07 - New army deaths at Lebanon camp


07-24-07 - Nasrallah: We squashed Greater Israel plan Speaking to al-Jazeera, Nasrallah said his organization had weapons capable of reaching every corner of Israel.


07-24-07 - Anger mounts as more soldiers fall in Lebanon battle camp "There is not a single house where there is no soldier," explained 42-year-old Zeina Sufain, who lost her 19-year-old son Firas on May 22. "There is no work here. Even for those who go to school," she said.



07-24-07 - U.N. Council asked to address Syrian arms smuggling The United States, Britain and France want U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to pursue ways to stop weapons flowing into Lebanon over the Syrian border, according to a draft U.N. statement on Tuesday.


07-24-07 - Hezbollah says prisoner-swap talks with Israel still underway The head of Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah said on Tuesday that UN-mediated talks with Israel over an exchange of prisoners were continuing, but he would not provide details.


07-24-07 - David Wurmser Leaving White House Employment David Wurmser, one of the Vice President's most dedicated neoconservative spear-carriers, is leaving the administration to start a risk assessment consulting firm.

News for 07-23-07

07-23-07 - Veterans sue U.S. over "shameful failures" in care "Because of those failures, hundreds of thousands of men and women who have suffered grievous injuries fighting in the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are being abandoned,"


07-23-07 - Brown refuses to rule out military action against Iran ** Thus will Britain again be dragged into the mess with us.


07-23-07 - Just What the Founders Feared: An Imperial President Goes to War The nation is heading toward a constitutional showdown over the Iraq war. Congress is moving closer to passing a bill to limit or end the war, but President Bush insists Congress doesn?t have the power to do it.


07-23-07 - Baghdad brings US and Iran together in bid to end violence Iranian and American officials meet in Baghdad today to discuss Iraqi security but wide differences are expected to prevent the real dialogue which may be essential to end the war in Iraq.


07-23-07 - Iran and IAEA to hold talks Iran will hold talks with the UN atomic watchdog Tuesday in Vienna over its nuclear programme, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday.


07-23-07 - Ahead of Talks Between US and Iran, The Economist Warns Against Conflict ** After the false intelligence that led America into Iraq, and the mayhem that followed, it may seem extraordinary to contemplate attacking yet another and much bigger Muslim country


07-23-07 - JORDAN-SYRIA: Deputy UNHCR head wraps up two-country tour Johnstone praised government policy towards the estimated 1.5 million refugees, but expressed concern for the 1,400 Palestinians stranded in makeshift desert camps on the Syrian-Iraqi border.



07-23-07 - In Lebanon, the UN and Hizbullah make unlikely bedfellows


07-23-07 - Israeli president calls on world to unite against Iran Israeli President Shimon Peres called on the world in an interview Tuesday to form a united front against Iran that would force the Islamic republic to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons.


07-23-07 - Hague likely to host Lebanon court on Hariri death The United Nations has asked the Netherlands to host a special court to try the suspected killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Monday


07-23-07 - Hezbollah says didn't confirm Israeli captives alive


07-23-07 - 11 Lebanese soldiers wounded in clashes with Islamists

News for 07-22-07

07-22-07 - MPs criticise map used in Iran crisis A British map of the northern Gulf where Iran seized 15 naval personnel in March was not as accurate as it should have been and Britain was fortunate Iran did not contest it, a review into the crisis said on Sunday.


07-22-07 - More Iran sanctions not before September: diplomats


07-22-07 - Iran smuggling missiles to Iraq: US The US military says its troops have found Chinese-made missiles it believes were smuggled into Iraq by groups in Iran to arm insurgents fighting American-led forces.


07-22-07 - DeFazio Asks, But He?s Denied Access ?I just can?t believe they?re going to deny a member of Congress the right of reviewing how they plan to conduct the government of the United States after a significant terrorist attack,?


07-22-07 - Senate Tells Bush Not to Pardon Libby In the heat of a partisan spat, Democrats forced a vote on a nonbinding measure to instruct President Bush not to pardon former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. But there's no record of the 47-49 vote in the daily record of congressional proceedings ? or anywhere else.


07-22-07 - Bush's Next War of Aggression unlike an invasion of Iran, an invasion of Pakistan ? resulting in Musharraf being killed or deposed ? could easily result in nukes being used, not all of them ours.


07-22-07 - USS Liberty survivor assails former Navy lawyer's view Cristol seeks to discredit our eyewitness accounts by maligning our motives and falsely claiming Arab financing and influence.....The false accounts of our opponents illustrate once again why we survivors have sought for 40 years to have a full, complete, open investigation where we can testify under oath.


07-22-07 - Iran: No secret arms deal with Syria Iran's foreign ministry spokesman on Sunday dismissed as a "media game" recent reports of a secret arms deal with Syria allegedly made in return for an agreement that Damascus would not hold peace talks with Israel


07-22-07 - Three Lebanese soldiers killed by die-hard camp militants Three Lebanese soldiers were killed Sunday in sporadic gunfire between the army and Islamist militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp.


07-22-07 - Israel: Hezbollah hiding arms among civilians Hezbollah is hiding rockets in southern Lebanon among civilians to avoid detection by Israel and U.N. troops, the Israeli army said.

News for 07-21-07

07-21-07 - British banks fight US over Iran embargo A mounting US crackdown on foreign companies and banks doing business with Iran is provoking serious opposition in the UK and Europe, where diplomats are warning that the action could lead to a new trade war.


07-21-07 - Pakistan objects to US strikes PAKISTAN said it could not accept "indiscriminate action" on its territory by US forces without first being informed that there was an al-Qaeda or terrorist target there.


07-21-07 - Watchdog group: Government awards contracts despite firms? misconduct


07-21-07 - Bush puts CIA prisons under Geneva Conventions Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John Rockefeller of West Virginia said intelligence officials should tell the panel how Bush's order "will translate into actual conduct by the CIA" and the Justice Department must provide a legal analysis.


07-21-07 - This Is How Empires End by Patrick J. Buchanan Any who have visited this last outpost of Christendom in the Holy Land before Gen. Allenby marched into Jerusalem in 1917 cannot ? on reading of the massive U.S. embassy rising in Baghdad ? but think of Acre.


07-21-07 - Iran attack could be 2nd Holocaust, Gingrich warns Former US House speaker, who is considering running for presidency on Republican ticket, warns that if Iran acquires nukes, Israel and US would be under severe threat; 'Firing one or more bombs at Israel could be a second Holocaust for the Jewish people,' Gingrich says Message to Newt: America and Israel = 2 separate countries.


07-21-07 - Israel's Olmert rejects Syria conditions for talks Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Syria was setting an "impossible threshold" for peace talks by demanding Israel commit to withdraw fully from the occupied Golan Heights before negotiations resume.


07-21-07 - 'NYT': Ron Paul for President -- Of the 'Wackos'?

News for 07-20-07

07-20-07 - US Marine escapes jail for Iraqi civilian murder plot Awad, a 52-year-old father of 11, was taken from his home in a late-night raid by eight US servicemen and killed before the Marines involved covered up the incident to make it look as if Awad was an insurgent planting a bomb.


07-20-07 - 'Iranian-linked militant' among dozens captured in Iraq raids The US military said on Friday its forces had captured an alleged Iranian-linked militant who transported deadly bombs into Iraq from Iran......"The captured terrorist is suspected of facilitating the transport of weapons and personnel from Iran into Iraq," a statement said.....The military said the detainee, who was captured in the town of Kharnabat near the restive city of Baquba northeast of Baghdad, has connections with "senior leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force." How many of the foreign militants in Iraq are from the House of Saud, mewonders? Probably many many more than there are of those from Iran. Hey, I know - let's attack Iran!


07-20-07 - Russia says has not "slammed the door" on arms pact


07-20-07 - Turkish PM threatens to invade northern Iraq


07-20-07 - Ahmadinejad says Iran fully supports Palestinian resistance


07-20-07 - AP misrepresented newly released NIE judgment on Al Qaeda's use of "contacts and capabilities" in Iraq


07-20-07 - FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats "It's quite possible the FBI knows about vulnerabilities that have not been disclosed to the rest of the world," says Thompson. "If they had discovered one, they would not have disclosed it, and that would be a great way to get stuff on people's computer. Then I guess they can bug whoever they want."


07-20-07 - 4 die as Iran's Revolutionary Guard clashes with bandits Members of the elite Revolutionary Guard have clashed with "foreign-guided" bandits in southeastern Iran, killing four of them and suffering several casualties, state-run television reported yesterday


07-20-07 - Russia 'has seen no proof' in Litvinenko case Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he has seen no proof from Britain to support claims that former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi poisoned dissident Alexander Litvinenko.


07-20-07 - Giuliani names Podhoretz, Kramer as advisers Rudy Giuliani named top Jewish neo-conservatives as foreign policy advisers.


07-20-07 - Fitzgerald Deserves Top U.S. Law Post, Comey Says (Update3) Patrick Fitzgerald won the convictions of four Osama bin Laden associates in May 2001. In March, he got Lewis ''Scooter'' Libby. Last week, he nailed Conrad Black.....''I wouldn't want him as an attorney general if I were a Republican because his prosecutorial mentality may go a bit too far,'' Fitzgerald evidently will go after corrupt politicians (among others) of both parties. Being a Republican (which this webmistress happens to be, proudly so) has got nothing to do with it. Now the neocons, on the other hand, should be quivering in their astronaut diapers - another matter entirely. Now put down your shiny new scooter, Fitz, and get back to work.


07-20-07 - Idiots on the March by Charley Reese ** Idiots in Israel, along with those American idiots in the punditocracy who can't see where they are going because their vision is blocked by Israeli backsides, are trying to pressure our idiots in the White House to commit an act of insanity. In a nutshell, yes.


07-20-07 - US Affairs: Bush Doctrine revisited On Tuesday, Deputy National Security Adviser Elliot Abrams held a conference call with Jewish officials and reassured them that there was nothing in the speech that meant policy toward Israel would be changing or that Israel would find itself under extra pressure to make concessions


07-20-07 - Perilous times for Iraq Palestinians "We're just waiting for death," said Ziad Nassir, a 35-year-old barber who has lived in Iraq for 16 years. "The only question is how we'll die."


07-20-07 - GOP hopefuls blast Bush on Mideast Two likely Republican presidential candidates told a Christian audience that Bush administration policies endangered Israel


07-20-07 - Texas governor plans divestment from Iran Texas Gov. Rick Perry wants to divest the state's pension funds from Iran after meeting with Israeli officials.



07-20-07 - Strong backing in House for U.N. panel slam A U.S. House of Representatives resolution slamming the U.N. Human Rights Council for targeting Israel has dozens of co-sponsors. Not a matter for the US Congress.


07-20-07 - Petition to stop the Iranian nuclear threat sent to world leaders Thursday?s conference was sponsored by The Israel Project and featured U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) Jon Porter (R-Nev.), Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and TIP Founder and President Jennifer Laszlo.



07-20-07 - U.S. Islamic charities feel post 9/11 heat Islamic activists say charities that donate to Palestinian causes have been singled out. "Any charity that decides to provide aid to Palestine is either shut down or intensely scrutinized," "Cui bono ? Who benefits? ? is a question that must ever be asked about Middle Eastern terror." - Patrick J. Buchanan.


07-20-07 - INTERVIEW - No swift return for Palestinians to battered camp Many of the 32,000 Palestinian refugees who have fled fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants will need temporary homes while their devastated camp is rebuilt, a U.N. official said on Friday.


07-20-07 - Ahmadinejad warns: Enemies will be 'burned' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced his support for Lebanon's militant Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah during an official state visit to Syria, warning 'enemies of the region' to abandon hostile plans or risk being 'burned'.


07-20-07 - Israel slams Iran-Syria alliance Any withdrawal from the Golan, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981, would see the Jewish state "find itself without peace and without the Golan," Eitan said. Not theirs to keep in the first place.


07-20-07 - Abrams reassures Jewish leaders Elliott Abrams, the deputy national security adviser who is often the last word on Israel-related issues, spoke Thursday in a conference call with the Jewish leaders, a number of participants said.

News for 07-19-07

07-19-07 - Iran shows new scholars' footage


07-19-07 - Another Step Toward War with Iran ** Iranian influence in Iraq is now becoming the accepted reason among American political elites as to why US forces are failing. The Lieberman amendment also claims that Iran is providing a safe-haven for al Qaeda fighters, even though the group is allegedly blowing up Iraqi Shias daily.


07-19-07 - No Evidence of Iran?s role in violence and instability in Iraq ? confirms British Foreign Minister


07-19-07 - Gates shows hurt over war deaths The moment came as he described writing notes to the families of soldiers who had died in the conflict, calling them "our country's sons and daughters".


07-19-07 - Plame lawsuit dismissed in CIA leak case


07-19-07 - Vets' Disability Pay Is Widely Disparate


07-19-07 - RAF scrambles to intercept Russian bombers RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian strategic bombers heading for British airspace yesterday, as the spirit of the Cold War returned to the North Atlantic once again.




07-19-07 - Ahmadinejad mocks Israel, praises Lebanon during Syria visit Iran's President Mamoud Ahmadinejad mocked Israel and called for Lebanese unity during meetings in Damascus Thursday with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.


07-19-07 - Can't Find Osama? Attack Iran Instead by Philip Giraldi ** The neoconservative architects of the Pentagon assault on Iraq that has turned that country into a failed state and a magnet for terrorism have left for greener pastures, but not a one has admitted to error or been publicly admonished. Several, including Vice President Dick Cheney and the National Security Council's Elliot Abrams, are still in positions of power, advocating a new war as part of a larger conflict that will go on indefinitely, everywhere. Former CIA official Philip Giraldi breaks it down for you.


07-19-07 - A Wake-up Call ** As even diehard Republican Patrick J. Buchanan observed on July 17, with three US aircraft carrier battle groups in congested waters off Iran, another Tonkin Gulf incident could easily be engineered to set us at war with Iran. If Bush?s intentions were merely to bomb a nuclear reactor, he would not need three carrier strike forces. Lately, the administration has switched to blaming Iran for the war in Iraq. The US Senate has already lined up behind the latest lie with a 97-0 vote to condemn Iran.



07-19-07 - Jordanian FM: Peace with Palestinians before Syria


07-19-07 - AIPAC panel lobbies on Iran About 100 members of AIPAC's executive committee meeting in Washington this week pushed bills that would tighten existing sanctions, as well as enable state and local governments to divest from Iran.


07-19-07 - Google's neocon publicist Valleywag points out that Google's spokesman, Australian Rob Shilkin, penned several pieces four years ago praising the Iraq war. From personal experience via my Neocon Watch newsgroup at Google, I can tell you that someone at Google does not take too kindly to anti-Neocon sentiment.


07-19-07 - Saudis at foreign battles embarrass homeland Lebanese officials say dozens of Saudis are among militants of the Fatah al-Islam militant group which has been battling the army for two months in a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon.


07-19-07 - Spy Towers on the US Border Boeing has enlisted the aid of Elbit Systems, Israel's major defense contractor, to construct high-tech surveillance along the border of the U.S. and Mexico. So far, the high-tech fiasco is not working and Arizona residents are organizing a lawsuit to halt government spying on U.S. citizens. Just what we need.


07-19-07 - Lebanese army shells militants cornered in camp


07-19-07 - Israel's envoy to U.S.: Free world is under attack by Iran Hegee also had harsh words for former president Jimmy Carter, whose recent book comparing Israel?s policies in the West Bank with Apartheid has stirred bitter controversy in the United States and abroad. "Israel has an enemy in America called Jimmy Carter," he said, calling on the former president to "disclose how much money the Carter Center receives from anti-Israel sources in the Middle East."


07-19-07 - Christian Zionists: Ahmadinejad is new Hitler Christians United for Israel call on US to attack Iran immediately, move US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem as sign of support

News for 07-18-07

07-18-07 - Marine guilty of plotting to murder Iraqi civilian A US Marine was on Wednesday found guilty of kidnapping and conspiring to murder an Iraqi civilian killed during a late-night raid outside Baghdad last year.


07-18-07 - UN welcomes 'positive' Iran moves The head of the UN's atomic energy agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, has welcomed Iran's decision to allow inspections of its heavy water reactor at Arak.


07-18-07 - US draws new Iraq-Al Qaeda link The US military on Wednesday added new grist to the Bush administration's claims that the Al Qaeda that American forces are battling in Iraq is an extension of the group that was behind the 9/11 attacks.


07-18-07 - Hagel Says There is Only a Political Solution to the Iraq Problem Hagel=one of the good guys.


07-18-07 - Republicans block Senate's Iraq withdrawal plan Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a personal appearance on Capitol Hill as the vote approached, shuttling between meetings with law-makers, in an apparent bid to bolster the Republican vote. So much for the Iraq Study Group's recommendations.


07-18-07 - 'Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me:' Fitzgerald goes on air Patrick Fitzgerald, the Chicago-based U.S. attorney, will make an appearance on Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!, the Chicago-based Saturday comical hour on National Public Radio. While Fitzgerald plays tiddly winks on NPR, the neocons have gotten away with one of the biggest deceptions this country has ever seen (Iraq). And they're doing it again - only this time, Iran is the target. Too bad Fitz can't bring them to justice (before it's too late).


07-18-07 - How Murdoch had a hotline to the PM in the run-up to Iraq war In 2003, Mr Blair phoned the owner of The Times and The Sun on 11 and 13 March, and on 19 March, the day before Britain and the United States invaded Iraq. The war was strongly supported by Murdoch-owned newspapers around the world.


07-18-07 - New life for Iraq Study Group's plan?


07-18-07 - Cheney's office implies it has executive privilege of its own Weeks after claiming that it was not a part of the executive branch, the Office of Vice President Dick Cheney appears to be readying an independent assertion of executive privilege.


07-18-07 - Rep. condemned for Hitler comparison Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) called on Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to reprimand Ellison.


07-18-07 - US troop levels in Iraq unsustainable after mid-2008: Powell Powell, a retired four-star general who was President George W. Bush's top diplomat from 2001 to 2005, and was the military's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff during 1989-1993, also called on Washington to find a way to talk with the powerful Palestinian group Hamas, despite its alleged terror links. Bring back Powell. The neocons may have duped him into giving that speech, but Powell's credibility remains intact, at least to me it does.


07-18-07 - Militants say ready to talk to end Lebanon fighting The Islamist militant group battling Lebanese troops at a Palestinian refugee camp said on Wednesday it was willing to resume talks to end the fighting, a move that came after it lost ground in a two-month-old battle.


07-18-07 - Judge dismisses all charges in Chinca's Market case In dismissing multiple counts of attempted receiving stolen property Tuesday, the judge said testimony in the case suggested the real focus of the investigation was not about cigarettes, but the store owner's "connection to his Palestinian homeland, his practice of the Muslim religion, and relationship with other Middle Eastern shopkeepers in Butte County. Thus does the FBI continue to do the bidding of the Israeli lobby.


07-18-07 - Syrian envoy to UN: Israel fabricating evidence against us Bashar Ja'afari told Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Syria protests the fact that the UN "adopted the fabricated claims that it received by Israeli intelligence sources." Why not? The US does.


07-18-07 - McCain supports war in speech to evangelical supporters John McCain told Christian evangelical supporters of Israel that withdrawing troops from Iraq now would be "one of the most catastrophic and consequential disasters for this nation." .....McCain said backing the Democratic-sponsored measure and withdrawing would be to "declare defeat and allow al-Qaida to obtain victory." Staying and stabilizing Iraq could help ensure the safety of Israel and the Middle East, he said, winning loud applause. As to the first part of the excerpt: which nation? Clearly he has Israel confused with the one he was elected to represent: America.


07-18-07 - ?Not One Inch? Still Alive And Well The group also heard emotional calls to action on Iran; Hagee has openly called for pre-emptive war to end that country?s nuclear program.


07-18-07 - Our soldiers pay the price In 1948 America cast the deciding vote in the U.N. permanent Security Council to partition the nation of Palestine to create a homeland for the Jews spread around the world. We will be paying for that mistake forever, for being staunch supporters of Israel.


07-18-07 - U.N. envoy says arms smuggling threatens Lebanon peace Syria's ambassador Bashar Ja'afari denied Syria was funnelling weapons over the border. He accused Israel of violating the resolution through overflights which he said provided intelligence on the alleged smuggling.


07-18-07 - 5 dead in fighting in Lebanon Four Lebanese soldiers were killed as Lebanese troops battled militants Wednesday inside a northern Palestinian refugee camp, a senior military official said. A teenager was later killed by a militant rocket.


07-18-07 - US skeptical about French fence-mending trip to Syria The United States expressed skepticism Wednesday over France's decision to send a top diplomat for talks with Syria, Washington's arch enemy.


07-18-07 - This flurry of Middle East activity is the product of a very real threat: Iran ** As the Guardian reported this week, the notion of military action to prevent a nuclear Iran is under serious consideration in the White House - with Bush apparently leaning towards Dick Cheney's view that it may be necessary to use force before they leave office in January 2009. The flock of US presidential candidates are all at pains not to rule out military action and so, strikingly, was David Miliband in his first interview as foreign secretary.


07-18-07 - Sun editor wants Black columns The editor of the New York Sun invited media mogul Conrad Black, now a convicted felon, to write for the newspaper from prison. One Israel-supporter(neocon, same thing) washes the back of another. How charming.

News for 07-17-07

07-17-07 - Tonkin Gulf II and the Guns of August? by Patrick J. Buchanan ** As Congress prepares for its August recess, the probability of U.S. air strikes on Iran rises with each week. A third carrier, the USS Enterprise, and its battle group is joining the Nimitz and Stennis in the largest concentration of U.S. naval power ever off the coast of Iran. And Tonkin Gulf II may have already occurred.



07-17-07 - Help lags for homeless female veterans


07-17-07 - US 'appalled' as Iran shows US-Iranians on TV The United States said Tuesday it was "appalled" at the treatment of four US-Iranians detained in Tehran after Iranian television aired footage of two academics ahead of their alleged "confessions."


07-17-07 - Most GOP Military Donations for President Went to Ron Paul Ron Paul - a hero on Capitol Hill. Gotta love him.


07-17-07 - Russia ridicules expulsion of diplomats and promises a 'targeted' retaliation


07-17-07 - US wants fresh Iran talks on Iraq "We think that given the situation in Iraq and given Iran's continued behaviour that is leading to further instability in Iraq, that it would be appropriate to have another face-to-face meeting... ," Mr McCormack told reporters. Iran now behind sectarian violence.


07-17-07 - U.S. says Iran knows its weapons reaching Taliban Making the case for war.


07-17-07 - US Senate locked in Iraq battle Senators are due to vote on three major amendments to a defence funding bill, one of which would require withdrawal of US troops by the end of April 2008.


07-17-07 - Googlers applaud GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul


07-17-07 - Turkish PM defends gas deal with Iran Erdogan was speaking a day after Washington criticised the agreement signed last week after talks between Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler and Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh.


07-17-07 - Haniya rejected Iran's involvement in Gaza attacks On Monday, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniya denied PA President Mahmoud Abbas?s allegations that Iran, Syria, and Qatar had a hand in the recent Gaza Strip attacks.


07-17-07 - Notes From a Beach Blanket The AIPAC spy scandal: now this is one case that seems to have been dropped into a bottomless pit, but no, it has merely been delayed by the Scooter Libby-esque tactics of the defense team.


07-17-07 - Did the UN Cave to Israel?


07-17-07 - Bishara attends Lebanon 'victory' parley Azmi Bishara, a former Knesset member who resigned and fled Israel this year after it emerged that he could be prosecuted for illicit communications with Hezbollah, attended an anniversary conference in Beirut this week marking a year since the war between the Lebanese militia and Israel.


07-17-07 - Pro-Israel Christians to push Iran sanctions Speakers at the group's second national conference include the group's founder, Pastor John Hagee, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, a probable candidate for the Republican nomination for the presidency.


07-17-07 - Lebanese soldier killed as commandos close in on Islamists A Lebanese soldier was killed on Tuesday in clashes with Islamist fighters as the army closed in on the extremists' positions in a bombed-out refugee camp, a military spokesman said.


07-17-07 - Bush, Ban to discuss Darfur, pressure on Iran


07-17-07 - Italian minister says isolating Hamas may help al Qaeda The West's policy of isolating Hamas could backfire and push the militant Palestinian group into the arms of al Qaeda, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said.


07-17-07 - Lebanese army makes new gains in Palestinian camp Lebanese troops seized more territory inside a Palestinian refugee camp in pitched battles on Tuesday against al Qaeda-inspired militants, security sources said.


07-17-07 - Assad: Golan guarantee before talks Bashar Assad conditioned new peace talks with Israel on a guaranteed return of the Golan Heights to Syria.

News for 07-16-07

07-16-07 - Iran to air statements by detained US-Iranians Iran will on Wednesday broadcast apparent confessions by two US-Iranian academics detained since May on charges of harming national security in cases that have raised tensions with Washington.


07-16-07 - Why US sees Al Qaeda as a growing threat Washington's intelligence and security agencies say they've watched with increasing frustration in recent months as Al Qaeda's central leadership has reestablished core functions in Pakistan's tribal areas Pakistan HAS NUKES. NOW. Hey I know - let's attack Iran. Brilliant!


07-16-07 - General Pace: Another Troop Buildup Possible


07-16-07 - Britain expels Russian diplomats as row over Litvinenko murder grows


07-16-07 - Iran TV shows detained Americans


07-16-07 - Cheney pushes Bush to act on Iran ** The balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favour of military action before President George Bush leaves office in 18 months, the Guardian has learned......"The red line is not in Iran. The red line is in Israel. If Israel is adamant it will attack, the US will have to take decisive action," Mr Cronin said. "The choices are: tell Israel no, let Israel do the job, or do the job yourself."


07-16-07 - On Heels Of Senate?s Iran Vote, Brownback Declared I?m Ready To Strike Iran ** On Wednesday, the Senate voted 97-0 to pass a resolution sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to censure Iran ?for what it said was complicity in the killing of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.? The resolution required the Bush administration to regularly report to Congress on Iran?s role in Iraq.


07-16-07 - U.N. chief offers to help start Israel-Syria talks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered on Monday to facilitate any future peace talks between Israel and Syria, which the United States has shunned.


07-16-07 - Report: Israel not ready for missile strikes ** The report also critcized a recent decision by the military to collect gas masks issued to Israelis during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as it would slow the public's response to any unconventional missile offensive by countries such as Iran or Syria. Based on related issues being reported dealing with war preparations in the past few weeks, Israel is quite clearly preparing for some sort of attack.


07-16-07 - Iran battles US, Israel... in computer game Iran on Monday launched a computer game with a strong political message that mixes the standoff over its nuclear programme, the mystery of missing diplomats in Lebanon and its hatred of Israel.


07-16-07 - In coordinated moves, U.S. and Israel launch peace push ** In a meeting Monday in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to accelerate peace talks.
Several hours later, in a clearly coordinated move, President Bush issued a major policy statement in Washington, calling for a regional peace conference to help the parties "move forward on a successful path toward a Palestinian state.".....It has been a long time since the key players have shown such determination to move ahead. I will reiterate my strong belief that these moves made by Israel and thusly the US are part of the Attack Iran campaign.


07-16-07 - Most Christians support Israel AND Palestine, oppose Iran war: NCC leaders As Pastor John Hagee prepares for his annual Christians United for Israel (CUFI) gathering this week in Washington, D.C., two leaders of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) are reminding observers that most Christians do not share CUFI's stated goals......Pastor Hagee's efforts are the latest in a century old apocalyptic movement that began in earnest in the 19th century. Sometimes called Christian Zionism because of its uncritical support for the State of Israel, it is based on a literal reading of Biblical apocalyptic texts.


07-16-07 - Bomb hits Lebanon UN peacekeepers A UN spokeswoman said no casualties were reported and the organisation was investigating the attack.


07-16-07 - Four more Lebanese soldiers die in battle for camp Lebanese troops pushed deeper into a Palestinian refugee camp on Monday, seeking to finish an eight-week confrontation with al Qaeda-inspired militants during which at least 225 people have been killed.


07-16-07 - Bush launches peace bid with Middle East talks This comes on the same day a report at the Guardian articulates that Cheney is pushing for action on Iran. Not a coincidence. The efforts toward Middle East peace are part of an attempt to get Arabs and Europe on board for action on Iran (very similar to the runup to the Iraq war).


07-16-07 - Jury selection starts in Hamas case Lawyers began quizzing potential jurors Monday in the trial of leaders of a Muslim charity accused of funneling millions of dollars to the militant group Hamas.


07-16-07 - France warns Israel over possible attempt to kidnap Hizbullah members According to the report, the warning was issued after French intelligence received information saying Mossad was planning to attack Hizbullah and Amal (Lebanese Resistance Detachments) representatives at the conference


07-16-07 - 'IDF preparing for all-out war'** When conflict breaks out with Syria, he said, Israel will face a challenge, because the Syrians "will be willing to take military and civilian hits but will strive to harm the Israeli home front in order to gain future achievements in a political process and to further split Israeli society.

News for 07-15-07

07-15-07 - Most foreign insurgents in Iraq are Saudis: report Most foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from Saudi Arabia, despite attempts by US officials to portray Syria and Iran as the main culprits of violence, a US newspaper reported Sunday.


07-15-07 - Hadley Says Bush Won't Budge on Reassessing Iraq Plan (Update1)


07-15-07 - U.S. is building database on Iraqis


07-15-07 - Don't Delay: US Out of Iraq Now by Rep. Ron Paul ** We have no guarantee the new strategy demanded by this legislation would not actually expand our military activities to Iran and Syria and beyond. I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation and put forth an effective strategy to end the war in Iraq and to bring our troops home.



07-15-07 - Bush to offer new support for Palestinians: Hadley President George W. Bush is expected to outline Monday new US support for the beleaguered Palestinian government, a senior White House official said Sunday.


07-15-07 - The Politico?s Brazen Lies About Ron Paul Neocons, the Israeli lobby, fear Paul's rising stardom because Paul dares to put America's interests first. All of the other candidates have made the customary kowtow to AIPAC, and threaten Iran with military action in obeisance to the lobby.


07-15-07 - More NeoCrazy Media Sycophancy Russia and China, as well as France and the United Kingdom, will "provide immediate assistance" to Iran if it "is a victim of an act, or an object of a threat of, aggression in which nuclear weapons are used."


07-15-07 - Lebanon army advances into camp, 100th soldier dies Lebanese troops advanced for the first time on Sunday into a Palestinian refugee camp as they battled al Qaeda-inspired militants, and two soldiers were killed raising the military death toll to 100.


07-15-07 - Islamists fire rockets as Lebanese army pounds hideouts Islamist fighters on Sunday fired rockets from their holdout in a battered refugee camp in Lebanon where the army has been battling to crush them for eight weeks, police said.


07-15-07 - Kristol Gazing: The Media Pundit From the Right, Who Is Always Wrong


07-15-07 - Kidnapped Israeli troops 'alive' France's foreign minister says he has heard that two Israeli soldiers seized in a Hezbollah raid over the Lebanese border last year are still alive.


07-15-07 - Inside Track: Rudy?s New Foreign Policy Posse by Philip Giraldi ** Podhoretz has recently called on the United States to bomb Iran and he describes the current situation?pitting Washington against what he describes as "the Islamofascist threat"?as World War IV.


07-15-07 - Report: Iran has 600 targets for missile strike in Israel if attacked ** Iran's warning refers to talk in Israel and the United States of a possible military strike to prevent the Islamic republic from attaining nuclear capability. Various channels delivered the Iranian message, which also warns against an attack on Syria.


07-15-07 - USA TODAY prints falsehood, Refuses to run retraction W
e think USA TODAY owes it to these dead young servicemen,
to their sisters and mothers, and to the American public, to report this
incident accurately. The Israeli attack on the USS Liberty has profound
geopolitical significance. Readers need full, unfiltered information.

News for 07-14-07

07-14-07 - Soldier Gets Self Shot in Leg to Avoid Returning to Iraq A soldier who recently returned from Iraq has admitted he paid someone $500 to shoot him in the leg so he could avoid returning for another tour.


07-14-07 - S Korean ship 'sinks off Iran' Seyed Masih Momeni said the ship had been carrying iron to Iran from China.


07-14-07 - Air Force quietly building Iraq presence


07-14-07 - Russia pulls out of arms-control treaty Putin has in the past threatened to freeze his country's compliance with the treaty, accusing the United States and its NATO partners of undermining regional stability with U.S. plans for a missile defense system in former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe.


07-14-07 - US troops tell magazine about 'brutal side' of Iraq war only the Los Angeles Times daily had written about The Nation's issue, which on Saturday continued to go unreported by the country's main television stations and newspapers.


07-14-07 - Taliban leader promises bigger terrorist attacks


07-14-07 - US troops find Iranian rockets aimed at Iraq base


07-14-07 - Republicans press Bush over Iraq


07-14-07 - Neocon Bill Kristol expects Bush to attack Pakistan


07-14-07 - Is War With Iran Inevitable? ** hunker down, get ready for the coming storm ? prepare yourself for gas prices that will make it impossible to drive without taking out a bank loan ? and, most importantly, stay online. Because the first news of the Big War will be headlined right here on Antiwar.com ? along with a thorough debunking of the alleged "incident" that sparks it.


07-14-07 - France hosts Lebanon crisis talks Among the participants are also representatives from the opposition Shia group Hezbollah. Hezbollah sent its team despite complaints from French Jewish groups who have branded the group a terrorist organisation.



07-14-07 - A history with Iran There is also the continued blind support America has given to Israel in every step of their outrageous and self-destructive oppression of the Palestinian people. We have been bombing, interfering with and disrespecting the nations of the Middle East for 50 years.

News for 07-13-07

07-13-07 - US seizes 'Iranian-backed police militant'


07-13-07 - UN hails Iran nuclear agreement Tehran will allow inspectors into Arak heavy water plant and agree safeguards at its Natanz uranium enrichment plant, the UN nuclear watchdog said.


07-13-07 - White House, FBI Agents Race to Disrupt 'Summer of '07' Threat


07-13-07 - Bush Set To Block Assets of Iranian Quds Force The designation of the IRGC and Quds Force would mark the first time the finance related executive order process, reserved usually for foreign terrorist organizations, would be used against a branch of a foreign military.


07-13-07 - U.S. Soldier Tell Of Rape and Suicide of 15 Year Old Iraqi Girl What this son of a bitch talks about should be investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Disturbing.


07-13-07 - A Different 'Gut Feeling': Israel Attacking Iran ** It always pays to be suspicious when a U.S. official ramps up fear, but Homeland Security czar Michael Chertoff's "gut feeling" remark about an Al Qaeda attack on the U.S. this summer sparks a different suspicion ? and a similar sinking feeling: Israel is about to launch a unilateral strike on Iran. The August 2005 issue of the American Conservative featured this Deep Background column by former CIA official Philip Giraldi: "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." Cheney and the neocons have been looking for another 911-style attack to use as a pretext for an attack on Iran. Looks like they may just get one (like they did for the attack on Iraq). Israel's minions in the US, including Joe Lieberman, are already openly calling for an attack on Iran. Same with Bolton. Latest updates of this topic can be found here, compiled by yours truly.


07-13-07 - Ellison cites Reichstag burning in attacking Bush policies "It's almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that," Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said July 8, addressing a group of Minnesota atheists. "After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it, and it put the leader of that country in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted."


07-13-07 - Turkey: US arms end up in Kurdish hands Nabi Sensoy said that the United States is not doing enough to influence Kurdish politicians in key positions in the Iraqi government to crack down on the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, which has been fighting for an independent Kurdistan within Turkey for decades.


07-13-07 - Signing Statements Erode Constitutional Balance by Rep. Ron Paul these statements grant the president power not given by the Constitution, allowing him to usurp powers of the judicial branch. Finally, the idea of agencies refusing to enforce the law as enacted sets precedent for the type of run away administrative actions our constitution was expressly enacted in order to avoid.


07-13-07 - U.S., China clash on exports to Iran The United States and China disagree over whether some Chinese exports to Iran violate sanctions.


07-13-07 - Former Media Mogul Conrad Black Convicted of Mail Fraud, Obstruction of Justice Black is evidently a neocon-sympathizer.


07-13-07 - Israeli PM in secret visit to Jordan: reports According to the Maariv newspaper, the meeting on Wednesday concerned the possible resumption of negotiations between Israel and Syria, which have been suspended since 2000.


07-13-07 - IPF wants more carrots for Iran The bill, proposed by Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the Jewish chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, would further restrict presidential waivers on sanctions and would extend sanctions to countries and companies that deal with Iran's nuclear sector.


07-13-07 - Senators urge Rice on Hezbollah Ten U.S. senators urged Condoleezza Rice to work with the United Nations and Lebanon to end arms smuggling according to the terms that ended last summer's Israel-Hezbollah war. Not a matter for the US Congress.


07-13-07 - Iranian general's wife says Israel kidnapped him Israel is responsible for the disappearance of former Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Ali Reza Asgari, who has been missing since February, his wife Ziba Ahmadi said in an interview to Iranian news agency Mehr.


07-13-07 - Refugee crisis threatens Lebanon


07-13-07 - Dallas court agrees to protect Israeli officer's identity In May, Judge A. Joe Fish, a federal judge in Dallas, allowed measures that would conceal the identity of a member of the Shin Beth, Israel's security service, in the trial against five men alleged to have funneled funds raised by the Holy Land Foundation to Hamas


07-13-07 - Robert Fisk: TE Lawrence had it right about Iraq Has the US General David Petraeus read this? Has Bush? Have any of the tired American columnists whose anti-Arab bias is wobbling close to racism, bothered to study this wisdom? I remember how Daniel Pipes - one of the great illusionists of modern American journalism - announced in the summer of 2003 that what the Iraqis needed was (no smirking here, please), a "democratically minded strongman"......But wait, Pipes is at it again. The director of the "Middle East Forum" has been writing in Canada's National Post about "Palestine". His piece is filled with the usual bile. The neocons and thus the Bush administration have 'misunderestimated' those 'backward Arabs'. So too has Israel. They simply will not bend to someone else's will.


07-13-07 - Ackerman marks Goldwasser-Regev anniversary Not a matter for the US Congress.


07-13-07 - Red Crescent provides aid to Palestinians in Syrian


07-13-07 - Death toll climbs as camp battle heats up in north Lebanon Evacuation operations have been stalled since Wednesday when relief workers tried in vain to rescue the fighters' families -- about 45 children and 20 women -- who failed to turn up at an agreed meeting point just inside the camp.


07-13-07 - Conrad Black convicted on three charges A jury convicted the former owner of the Jerusalem Post of obstruction of justice and fraud.