Commentary: Israel of the Caucasus

ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE, in UPI, here

"...Israel began selling arms to Georgia seven years ago. U.S. grants facilitated these purchases. From Israel came former minister and former Tel Aviv Mayor Roni Milo, representing Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT), and his brother Shlomo, former director general of Military Industries. Israeli UAV spy drones, made by Elbit Maarahot Systems, conducted recon flights over southern Russia, as well as into nearby Iran.
In a secret agreement between Israel and Georgia, two military airfields in southern Georgia had been earmarked for the use of Israeli fighter-bombers in the event of pre-emptive attacks against Iranian nuclear installations. This would sharply reduce the distance Israeli fighter-bombers would have to fly to hit targets in Iran. And to reach Georgian airstrips, the Israeli air force would fly over Turkey. .."

Saudi Arabia in Lebanon: (Part II) "The Key to the Salafis & the enigma of the 'feud' with Syria...

Al Akhbar, here

Egypt hand delivers an invitation to Hezbollah's leadership to visit Cairo

Al Akhbar (Egypt) via Agencies & Tayyar, here

Dutch Paper: U.S. Will Attack Iran in Weeks

Dutch intelligence services: (inhale) AIVD Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst (exhale) ...Newsmax, here

"Good sources have declared to the Telegraaf that the AIVD Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst has been operating in Iran for the last few years with the purpose of the infiltration and sabotage of the weapons industry of the Iranian republic.

"The operations are said to have been 'very successful' but have recently been put to a halt because of American plans for an air attack. Information regarding the AIVD operation has been shared with the CIA in recent years, according to the sources.

"Iran is believed to be working towards an atomic bomb and refuses to comply to Western demands to stop enriching uranium. In June Israeli vice president Shaul Mofaz made the statement that an Israeli attack is inevitable if Iran continues its quest for atomic weapons."

Bashar Assad [interview- France 3]:

Play interview here

Gallup Daily: Obama Hits 50% for First Time

Khaled Mesha'l to visit Amman, on a 'State Visit'?

From the good folks at WINEP, here

".....For Palestinians, many believe the talks might serve as an opportunity to convince Hamas to retreat from its bloody coup in Gaza. Hamas leaders, on the other hand, are seeking Jordanian recognition of their movement, something that would greatly enhance its standing among Palestinians. As a quid pro quo, Hamas leaders are willing to pledge not to interfere in the activities of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood...

Jordan will likely focus more on security issues than the political agenda favored by Hamas. From the vantage point of Jordanian intelligence, the first priority is to quarantine the group's influence in the Muslim Brotherhood, a compromise Hamas is expected to grant. This concession, however, might pave the way for a more foreboding development: an official state visit to Amman by Hamas's leader, Khaled Mashal."

Hamas leader Meshal 'leaves Syria for Sudan' ?

In Haaretz, here

"Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai reported ...Israeli sources believe that the move signals a serious desire on Syria's part to advance the negotiations. Hamas denied the report. A Damascus-based Hamas official denied the report, saying "media reports that Hamas' politburo chief, Khaled Meshal, and other members will move to Sudan are false." He spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity..."

Saudi Arabia’s inflation rate to a 30-year high in July...

In ArabNews, here

"...Ilyas Khan, a Pakistani national and resident of Saudi Arabia for nearly 20 years, said, “I never heard of inflation for many years as things were very cheap here, including food and rent. But suddenly for the last two years everybody is talking about inflation. I am really feeling the pinch now as I am with my family here.”

Saudi Arabia in Lebanon: Offense to limit damages...

In Al Akhbar, here

حين تسأل أكثر عما تسعى إليه السعودية، لماذا الخروج عن الحصرية المعطاة لسعد وراثة بعدما كانت ملك يمين رفيق الحريري؟ من هو الذي قرر انتزاع هذه الحصرية من الشاب؟ الكل يقول إن فشل الشاب وتياره في معارك بيروت حسم الأمور باتجاه فك الحصرية عن الشارع السني، وحصرية التمثيل السعودي في لبنان من أيدي تيار المستقبل، الذي أعطي ما لم يعطَ لأحد في لبنان. أضف أن واقع الصراعات السعودية الداخلية حالياً، وتعدد الأجنحة في المملكة ساهم في تفكيك سيطرة المستقبل والتوجه نحو تعديد التمثيل وتوزيع المصالح.
كان لتيار المستقبل، ولآل الحريري إلى زمن قريب، نفوذ محلي لا يقاس. امتلكوا فئة من السياسيين التي تمثل عملياً كل الطوائف، ولكن مرجعيتها سنّية في المقام الأول. حصلوا على رئاسة الوزراء لأغلب الأعوام التي تلت الحرب الأهلية. راكموا نفوذاً شعبياً على خلفية مقتل رفيق الحريري والعداء لسوريا، ولكن كل ذلك أهدر خلال أعوام قليلة، وخسروا أيضاً أقنية اتصال واسعة بناها الحريري الأب مع كل من سوريا وإيران، إضافة الى شبكة العلاقات الدولية، وكل ذلك أهدر وذهب هباءً.

Biden camp: "report that he told Israeli officials behind closed doors that Israel 'will have to reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran', is false..."

ABC's PoliticalPunch, here

"...Biden spox David Wade said the unsourced report is simply false.

"This is a lie peddled by partisan opponents of Senators Obama and Biden," said Wade, "and we will not tolerate anyone questioning Senator Biden’s 35-year record of standing up for the security of Israel. Joe Biden’s first trip as a Senator was to Israel, he has worked with every Israeli leader from Golda Meir to Prime Minister Olmert, and he takes a back seat to no one when it comes to protecting the relationship between Israel and the US."

Damascus 'mini-summit': Syria, France, Turkey & Qatar to meet on Thursday ...

in Al Jazeera, here

Zionist Nationalist Myth Of Enforced Exile: Israel deliberately forgets its history

An Israeli historian suggests the diaspora was the consequence, not of the expulsion of the Hebrews from Palestine, but of proselytising across north Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East, by Schlomo Sand, in Le Monde Diplomatique.

"Every Israeli knows that he or she is the direct and exclusive descendant of a Jewish people which has existed
since it received the Torah (1) in Sinai. According to this myth, the Jews escaped from Egypt and settled in the Promised Land, where they built the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon, which subsequently split into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. They experienced two exiles: after the destruction of the first temple, in the 6th century BC, and of the second temple, in 70 AD.
Two thousand years of wandering brought the Jews to Yemen, Morocco, Spain, Germany, Poland and deep into Russia. But, the story goes, they always managed to preserve blood links between their scattered communities. Their uniqueness was never compromised.
At the end of the 19th century conditions began to favour their return to their ancient homeland. If it had not been for the Nazi genocide, millions of Jews would have fulfilled the dream of 20 centuries and repopulated Eretz Israel, the biblical land of Israel. Palestine, a virgin land, had been waiting for its original inhabitants to return and awaken it. It belonged to the Jews, rather than to an Arab minority that had no history and had arrived there by chance. The wars in which the wandering people reconquered their land were just; the violent opposition of the local population was criminal.
This interpretation of Jewish history was developed as talented, imaginative historians built on surviving fragments
of Jewish and Christian religious memory to construct a continuous genealogy for the Jewish people. Judaism's
abundant historiography encompasses many differentapproaches.
But none have ever questioned the basic concepts developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Discoveries that might threaten this picture of a linear past were marginalised. The national imperative rejected and contradiction of or deviation from the dominant story. University departments exclusively devoted to "the history of the Jewish people", as distinct from those teaching what is known in Israel as general history, made a significant contribution to this selective vision. The debate on what constitutes Jewishness has obvious legal implications, but historians ignored it: as far as they are concerned, any descendant of the people forced into exile 2,000 years ago is a Jew. (read more, here)

"...Palin has aligned herself with a leading anti-Israel voice in American politics..."

In ABC's PoliticalPunch, here

"....Buchanan of course has a long history of quite questionable comments, particularly about Jews.

Rep. Bob Wexler, D-Florida, took the AP report, and said "John McCain's decision to select a vice presidential running mate that endorsed Pat Buchanan for president in 2000 is a direct affront to all Jewish Americans. Pat Buchanan is a Nazi sympathizer with a uniquely atrocious record on Israel, even going as far as to denounce bringing former Nazi soldiers to justice and praising Adolf Hitler for his 'great courage.' At a time when standing up for Israel's right to self-defense has never been more critical, John McCain has failed his first test of leadership and judgment by selecting a running mate who has aligned herself with a leading anti-Israel voice in American politics. It is frightening that John McCain would select someone one heartbeat away from the presidency who supported a man who embodies vitriolic anti-Israel sentiments."

Ann Coulter's Anti-Muslim Name Calling...

In the WaPo, here

"....The fact that Obama, like Coulter, is a Christian isn't the point. Coulter's attempts to disparage Obama and Islam offend Democrats and Muslims. They should also offend Christians and all "fair and balanced" people of faith, including John Sydney McCain III ..."

PRECISELY!

It is these TWO daggers thrown at Obama that makes him dear to our household! Regardless, (1) my THREE children are Arab-Americans with 'exotic' sounding names like Hussein, and (2) we are MUSLIMS! It may not make much difference to idiots like Coulter (and that women who battled Chris Matthews, who looked exactly like her ...) but it goes to the heart of America, and what it represents.

St. Sarkis-Bakhos Church, 730AD Ehden, Lebanon

Photo by HERGE.

Cindy McCain: "...Palin understands ... because Alaska is near Russia!"

Matt Yglesias.

Olmert to Abbas after meeting with Kuntar: You're not supposed to meet killers

YNetnews, here

Bush: “Let me just say from the outset that I don’t consider Bolton credible,”

"The Final Days", in the NYTimes, here, via Matt Yglesias.

Bush had brought Bolton into the top ranks of his administration, fought for Senate confirmation and, when lawmakers balked, defied critics to give the hawkish aide a recess appointment. “I spent political capital for him,” Bush said, and look what he got in return. The president went on to defend his North Korea decision, saying his “action for action” approach held out the most hope of getting rid of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons...."

Of course Bush is right, Bolton isn’t a credible thinker on national security issues. But Bolton is also right — the inherent unworkability of the Bush doctrine has persuaded Bush to substantially abandon it in the waning days of his administration. But before Bush subscribed to the “Bush doctrine” it was John McCain’s doctrine, and he shows no sign of having left the true faith. (MY)

US intelligence fears the Kremlin will supply the S-300 system to Tehran if Washington pushes Nato membership for Georgia and Ukraine...

In the Telegraph, here

"...That would make it a "game-changer", greatly improving Iranian defences against any air strike on its nuclear sites, according to Pentagon adviser Dan Goure. "This is a system that scares every Western air force," he said.

Senior US intelligence operatives believe that Russia is planning to use a stand-off over the S-300 to create a foreign policy showdown that would test the mettle of a new US president. ..."

Dmitry Medvedev with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during their bilateral meeting in Dushanbe on August 28, 2008 Photo: AFP/GETTY

Jumblatt 'preferred' an Army Commander with whom he had 'affinity'...

In Al Balad, here

وشــــرح الــنــائــب فــــؤاد السعد تحفظات وزراﺀ "اللقاﺀ الديمقراطي" على تعيين جــان قهوجي قائدا للجيش، وكشف ان النائب وليد جنبلاط على عــلاقــة وثيقة بأحد ضباط الجيش الذين كانت أسماؤهم مطروحة للقيادة وكان يفضله على قهوجي.

Assad-Sarkozy: A rapprochement that combines security concerns with Diplomacy & personal affinity...

Al Balad, here

Agreement on US withdrawal from Iraq said to be in peril as Maliki ousts negotiators

In the LATimes, here

"...The shake-up comes just four months before the expiration of the United Nations mandate that authorizes the U.S. troop presence in Iraq.Maliki's confidant defended the shake-up, saying the prime minister needs those closest to him to lead the talks because they have the authority to make decisions that the original team did not possess..."

Whaddaya know: "Pro-Israel" pollsters say Americans ready to back Attack on Iran if Diplomacy fails

In CQ, here

The Front Against Iran Is Unraveling ......

In the Forward, here

"....The likelihood that Israel and the United States would at some point soon agree on the necessity of one or both preemptively attacking Iran has decreased even further due to the dramatic events this month in the Caucasus. The United States — and indeed, the entire Western alliance — may now feel obliged to soften their approach to Iran as their security concerns focus increasingly on Russia....

......In parallel, tensions between the West and Russia may in any event render it impossible for the United Nations Security Council to agree on tightening economic and other sanctions against Iran. Russia’s increasingly obvious ambition to reassert its superpower status, meanwhile, is already bringing it into closer military ties with hostile countries like Syria and Iran...."

The "Right" offers some comments on Palin ...

Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly, here

"...I've been genuinely curious to see how Republicans respond to yesterday's Sarah Palin announcement. I don't mean campaign surrogates or Fox News personalities, who don't have a choice; I mean more traditional Republican voices who actually have to consider this decision on the merits (or lack thereof).

* Charles Krauthammer: "The Palin selection completely undercuts the argument about Obama's inexperience and readiness to lead.... To gratuitously undercut the remarkably successful 'Is he ready to lead' line of attack seems near suicidal."

* Noah Millman, presenting a defense for Palin: "I realize, of course, that she's totally unqualified to be President at this point in time. If McCain were to die in February 2009, I hope Palin would have the good sense to appoint someone who is more ready to be President to be her Vice President, on the understanding that she would then resign and be appointed Vice President by her successor."

* Ramesh Ponnuru called it "tokenism," adding, "Can anyone say with a straight face that Palin would have gotten picked if she were a man?"

* David Frum: "The longer I think about it, the less well this selection sits with me. And I increasingly doubt that it will prove good politics. ... But maybe (and at least as likely) it will reinforce a theme that I'd be pounding home if I were the Obama campaign: that it's John McCain for all his white hair who represents the risky choice, while it is Barack Obama who offers cautious, steady, predictable governance.... If it were your decision, and you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?"

* Kathryn Jean Lopez: "As much as I loathe Obama-Biden, I can't in good conscience vote for a McCain-Palin ticket. Palin has absolutely no experience in foreign affairs. Considering both McCain's advanced age and the state of the world today, it is essential that the veep be exceedingly qualified to assume the office of president. I simply don't have any confidence in Palin's ability to deal effectively with Iran, Russia, China, etc." [Update: Lopez was quoting an email, not expressing her actual views. My apologies.]

* Mark Halperin: "On the face of it, McCain has failed the ultimate test that any presidential candidate must face in picking a running mate: selecting someone who is unambiguously qualified to be president."

Why CIA Veterans Are Scared of McCain

Laura Rosen in MoJo, here

"....These critics point especially to the McCain campaign's top national security adviser Randy Scheunemann—who ran a front group promoting war with Iraq and the fabrications of controversial Iraqi exile politician Ahmad Chalabi, the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, and who has lobbied for aggressive NATO expansion. Scheunemann's record, they argue, encapsulates everything wrong with the past eight years of Bush leadership on intelligence issues, from a penchant for foreign policy freelancing and secret contacts with unreliable fabricators, to neoconservatives' disdain for the perceived bureaucratic timidity of the CIA and State Department, to their avowed hostility for diplomacy with adversaries. If McCain wins, "the military has won," says one former senior CIA officer. "We will no longer have a civilian intelligence arm. Yes, we will have analysts. But we won't have any real civilian intelligence capability."

Palin, bringing 'energy' to the ticket, praised Obama on the issue?

In Politico, here

“I am pleased to see Senator Obama acknowledge the huge potential Alaska’s natural gas reserves represent in terms of clean energy and sound jobs,” Palin says in the release. “The steps taken by the Alaska State Legislature this past week demonstrate that we are ready, willing and able to supply the energy our nation needs.”

Former Aipac Head Leads Push for American-Syrian Rapprochement

In the Forward, here "....Dine is currently serving as the head of an American-Syrian working group set up early last year by the organization Search for Common Ground. It comprises eight high-level figures from each country, including former American ambassadors and advisers to the Syrian regime..........After holding two meetings in Syria over the past year, the group organized a visit to the United States in late July for three of its Syrian members, during which they met with lawmakers, think-tankers and media outlets in Washington, Houston and Los Angeles."

Why was Cheney's guy in Georgia before the war?

In the LATimes, here, via War&Piece.

"What was a top national security aide to Vice President Dick Cheney doing in Georgia shortly before Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's troops engaged in what became a disastrous fight with South Ossetian rebels -- and then Russian troops? ... Joseph R. Wood, Cheney's deputy assistant for national security affairs, was in Georgia shortly before the war began. But, the vice president's office says, he was there as part of a team setting up the vice president's just-announced visit to Georgia. ..." Do aides really do advance for a trip three weeks ahead? Cheney's headed to Georgia next week...."

(photos: from the Georgian Ministry of Defense)

Palinmania»

...it's Palin for McCain's VP...

All things considerd, if you’re going to get involved in an abuse of power scandal, one that involves an attempt to fire a state trooper who “had been involved in a divorce and child custody battle with Palin’s sister, Molly McCann” and who “was briefly suspended for ten days for threatening to kill McCann’s (and Palin’s) father, tasering his 11-year-old stepson, and violating game laws” doesn’t seem like the worst possible way to go. Certainly by the standards of Alaska GOP corruption it’s kind of small potatoes.

But of course the weird thing about the Alaska Republican Party is that while they send these endlessly re-elected legislators to DC to push for hard-right legislation, pork, and various forms of sleaze they’re running a government based on a weird form of socialism in one giant swathe of sub-arctic wasteland. Normal governors don’t get involved in controversies about state-owned dairy farms and the like (I believe it was Mikhail Gorbachev who moved to privatize the agricultural sector) and there’s no other state whose oil tax revenues are big enough to just cut the entire population welfare checks. It’s a bit hard to know how you shift from that into non-fantasyland world of federal policymaking. (Matt Yglesias)

Iran agrees Nigeria nuclear deal ...

In the BBC, here

.....and Iraq Signs Oil Deal With China Worth Up to $3 Billion

in the NYTimes, here

Muqtada Sadr extends militia truce,.. 'indefinitely'...

In BBC, here

"I Get It!"

"...I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you...."

Haaretz: "...Obama-Biden team bodes badly for Israeli foreign policy..."

Yossi Melman in Haaretz, here

"...Biden's moderate attitude toward Iran did not start this past year or with the George W. Bush's arrival in the White House eight years ago. Ten years ago Biden was already recommending to the foreign minister of the Czech Republic that he prohibit (American-funded) propaganda broadcasts against Iran from the territory of his country and explained this would encourage "dialogue" with the clerics and improve relations with them...."

De-Baathification committee's director, arrested by the U.S. military after returning from Beirut...

CNN, here, via War&Piece.

"...The man taken into custody is Ali al-Lami, the de-Baathification committee's director general for follow-up and execution, according to Ahmed Chalabi, the head of the committee. Chalabi said al-Lami was detained at Baghdad International Airport by coalition forces, with the help of a foreign security company, after returning from Beirut, Lebanon."

"Wrong on Russia"

Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett, in the Nation, here

"...But, in reality, today’s Russia is not a resurgent imperial power. In the post-Cold War period, it was Washington, not Moscow, which started the game of acting outside the United Nations Security Council to pursue coercive regime change in problem states and redraw the borders of nominally sovereign countries. In Russian eyes, America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq, including arresting and presiding over the execution of its deposed President, undermined Washington’s standing to criticize others for taking military action in response to perceived threats. And American unilateralism in the Balkans, along with planned deployments of missile defense systems in Eastern Europe and support for “color revolutions” in former Soviet republics, trampled clearly stated Russian redlines...."

"Amman Warms to Hamas"

...and WINEP is none too happy. Levitt & Schenker, here

"....Talking with Hamas may temporarily deflect some of the intense domestic pressure in the kingdom, and also presents Amman with the opportunity of reengaging Hamas and Israel, a role that until now had been the sole preserve of Cairo. A less optimistic explanation for Jordan's tactical change is a tacit recognition that Hamas's rule in Gaza -- and potentially in the West Bank -- is a long-term problem. Regardless of the reason, Jordan's involvement will likely tempt Saudi Arabia to press once again for a Palestinian national unity government, a development that would regrettably constitute yet another step on Hamas's road toward international recognition...."

Ron Suskind: "...CIA's Murray discovered that [the Lebanese Journo] had made off with Sabri's $200,000..."

NOT very hard to guess who's the Lebanese journo is!...In Ron Suskind's book (pages 179-182)

"Along the way, [Naji Sabri] had also established a relationship with French intelligence as a paid spy. Though there were surface tensions between the United States and France in those prewar years, the countries' intelligence agencies maintained a good working relationship. CIA's Paris station chief, Bill Murray, was one of the more experienced field bosses in the clandestine service, having run five stations across a thirty-year career...Back in Washignton, Bush, Cheney, and Rice were briefed on the development, and agreed that Sabri seemed very promising indeed. Langley concurred, and coughed up an initial payment for the high-ranking Iraqi: $200,000...Direct contact was too dangerous. Arrangements were made for Sabri to meet with an intermediary--a Lebanese journalist trusted by both sides--while in New York. The intermediary would pose questions on behalf of CIA and then follow up with Murray. The plan went off smoothly: Sabri passed along what he knew, Murray debriefed the journalist in a New York hotel, and for his adress to the General Assembly, Sabri even wore a specific type of suit requested by Murray as a good-faith signal...(p. 179-180) In January, Murray discovered that the Lebanese intermediary had made off with Sabri's $200,000..."(p. 182).

McCain: "...Not just four more years - but four more years like Bush's first term..."

Andrew Sullivan, here via War&Piece.

"...John McCain is making it quite clear what his foreign policy will be like: tilting sharply away from the greater realism of Bush's second term toward the abstract moralism, fear-mongering and aggression of the first. Not just four more years - but four more years like Bush's first term..."

Charlie Wilson': "We can avoid spending so much on our military --and put so many of our soldiers in harm's way --by investing more in saving lives."

In the WaPo, here

"....While I have always believed in and fought for a strong defense, I know that we cannot rely on the military alone to keep us secure. As the situations in Afghanistan and Georgia suggest, our future threats are likely to come from states that cannot meet the basic needs of their people. We can avoid the need to spend so much on our military -- and put so many of our soldiers in harm's way -- simply by investing more in saving lives, creating stable societies and building economic opportunity. This strategy won't resolve the conflict in Georgia today, but it could help America prevent similar crises in the future.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates was spot-on when he said last month, "The Foreign Service is not the Foreign Legion, and the U.S. military should never be mistaken for a Peace Corps with guns." We've got to get this right..."

US military 'secretly' hands over militants to the intelligence services of Saudi Arabia, Egypt ....

In the NYTimes, here

"...Many of these militants are initially held, without notification to the Red Cross, sometimes for weeks at a time, in secret at a camp in Iraq and another in Afghanistan run by American Special Operations forces, the military officials said...

Christoph Wilcke, who researches the prison systems of Middle Eastern countries for Human Rights Watch, said that international organizations had very little information about the treatment of detainees in the prisons run by the Saudi intelligence service, in part because the Red Cross had never been allowed to operate inside the country..."

Jamil Assayyed sues Detlev Mehlis

AFP, here

Russian Diplomat: Russia to up naval presence in Syrian ports

Reuters, here

Ryan Crocker: "...Iran ..simply does not carry anything remotely like that weight, not internationally, not even regionally”

in the Irish Times, here via Matt Yglesias.

"...So is there a New Cold War, comparable to that with the former Soviet Union, between the US and Iran?

“I don’t think so,” says Crocker, formulating his answer as a putdown to Tehran. “The Soviet Union was a formidable force at its height, with a massive nuclear arsenal. It had half of Europe locked up in its grasp. Iran simply does not carry anything remotely like that weight, not internationally, not even regionally.”

Tonight, Biden is expected to deliver a frontal assault on McCain...

CQ, here

Bush administration's reluctance leaves Sarkozy as 'lone sponsor' of direct Syrian-Israeli talks...

David Ignatius in the WaPo, here

"...The Syrians would like to see a clear signal from the Bush administration that it supports the peace process and that the United States is prepared to join the French as "godfather" of the talks. But Syrian officials are pessimistic and say they doubt that the administration, which has sought to isolate and punish Syria, will change its policy in the few months it has left.....The Syrians have received private assurances through Turkish mediators that Israel will indeed withdraw as part of an overall peace deal, and that disputes about borders, water rights and other technical issues can be resolved through formulas explored in U.S.-backed negotiations during the 1990s....."

Talabani: U.S. sought troop presence to 2015 ... but we said no

Reuters, here

"It was a U.S. proposal for the date which is 2015, and an Iraqi one which is 2010, then we agreed to make it 2011. Iraq has the right, if necessary, to extend the presence of these troops," Talabani said in an interview with al-Hurra television, a transcript of which was posted on his party's website on Wednesday..."

Au Liban, « 2009 sera l’heure de vérité pour les chrétiens »

In La Croix, here

"...Le général Aoun (chrétien) a réussi à imposer sa grille de lecture et certaines de ses revendications au sein de l’opposition. Finalement, grâce à l’accord de Doha – qui est un accord de capitulation des Forces du 14 Mars (le bloc dirigé par Saad Hariri) face au Hezbollah chiite –, les chrétiens sont revenus au gouvernement. Les chiites n’ont pas acquis un rôle majeur au sein de la politique institutionnelle, ce qui est normal puisque leurs méthodes d’influence ne passent pas par là. Le Hezbollah est sur une ligne constante depuis la fin de la guerre de 2006 : la revendication d’une capacité d’obstruction pour l’opposition (2). Une stratégie qui a permis au Courant patriotique libre (CPL), le parti de Michel Aoun, dans le cadre de son alliance avec le parti chiite, de récupérer son quota de ministres, dont il avait été privé après les élections législatives de 2005, au moment de la formation du gouvernement qui a suivi. Doha a été un vecteur de montée en puissance du CPL et, à travers lui, d’un certain type d’affirmation chrétienne.
La nouvelle loi électorale – prévue dans l’accord – permet par ailleurs sur le long terme de libérer les chrétiens du jeu d’alliance auquel ils étaient soumis précédemment. Cette législation était le résultat de la stratégie syrienne qui avait réduit l’influence des chrétiens par toute une série de mesures : découpage des zones chrétiennes et annexion à des zones en majorité musulmanes, ce qui avait contraint les chrétiens à négocier avec des acteurs musulmans pour être élu ou à faire alliance avec la Syrie. L’accord de Doha a balayé ce système. Les chrétiens sont aujourd’hui plus autonomes par rapport aux musulmans. On estime à 40-45 le nombre des députés pouvant être élu uniquement par un électorat chrétien. Ce qui, en revanche, risque d’amplifier la confessionnalisation du jeu politique libanais..."

Russia: we are ready for a new cold war

In the Guardian, here

"...Declaring that if his decision meant a new cold war, then so be it, President Dmitri Medvedev signed a decree conferring Russian recognition on Georgia's two secessionist regions. The move flouted UN security council resolutions and dismissed western insistence during the crisis of the past three weeks on respecting Georgia's territorial integrity and international borders..."

Maliki: No American bases in Kurdistan...

In the RoadsToIraq, here, via MoonOfAlabama.

"...Kurdish sources told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Watan that Maliki refused to include Kurdistan among the U.S. military bases presence in the SOFA agreement, noted that Maliki used Iran and Turkey’s refusal to prevent the American from establishing and American base in Kurdistan. They also said that there is no American forces presence in Kurdistan since the fall of Saddam in 2003.

Maliki was also not very supportive for the presence of U.S. forces to join Iraqi Kurds forces to fight against the Turkish - Kurdish PKK on the Turkey’s border a year ago.

The sources conclusion is that Baghdad fears reflects Iran and Turkey fears of the growing relations between the Kurds and the U.S. and the future possibilities that the Kurds will announce the independent Kurdistan state..."

Lebanon: Migrant Domestic Workers Dying Every week from Suicides or in Botched Escapes

HRW, here

“These suicides are linked to the isolation and the difficult working conditions these workers face in Lebanon,” Houry said. “While the Lebanese authorities cannot guarantee these women happiness, they should guarantee them the right to move freely, to work in decent conditions, to communicate with their friends and families, and to earn a living wage.”

When fellow (but) STUPID Americans speak :"We're 'Clintons for McCain ...and Obama is a 'registered' Muslim..."

When idiots get the pulpit, this is what spews out! (Watch!) ...and this from CQ, here

"...But for Arab-Americans and Muslim Americans at the Democratic convention this week, the fact that Obama’s name is seen as a political dagger indicates just how far they have to go to achieve full acceptance as Americans...."

"...why the 21st century might prove difficult - even painful - for America..."

Fabius Maximus on Pat Lang and America, here

DE BORCHGRAVE: "Unwinnable insurgencies?"

Arnaud de Borchgrave in the WashingtonTimes, here, via SyriaComment.

"...There are lessons in all these defeats for NATO in Afghanistan. If NATO doesn't prevail and Taliban sneaks in by agreeing to a junior partnership in a broad-based coalition government, the geopolitical consequences would be incalculable. Yet Taliban is now maneuvering for a Vietnam-style Tet offensive, this time against Kabul.

The U.S. and NATO are fast approaching decision time to take the war to Taliban's safe bases in FATA, with or without Pakistan's consent. A larger aid package than the current $750 million for FATA's 3.5 million people would also have to be voted by the new U.S. Congress...."

"If Nouri Maliki and his advisors persist in this sectarian agenda, the country may spiral back into chaos...."

... so says Gen. Petraeus, Shawn Brimley and Colin Kahl in the LATimes, here

Iraqi leader 'insists' on deadline for troop pullout

From AP, here

"Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dug in his heels Monday on the future of the U.S. military in Iraq, insisting that all foreign soldiers leave the country by a specific date in 2011 and rejecting legal immunity for American troops...."

When Hamas and Jordan Talk

Rami Khouri in the METimes, here

"....Unlike Israeli and American officials who are mostly ignorant of trends in large swaths of the Arab world, the Jordanian monarchy, government and intelligence service have their ear to the ground and excellent insights into sentiments in their and surrounding societies....

This is not a purely bilateral or local matter. It suggests that both are looking out for their own best interests, by making preliminary moves to adjust to changing circumstances in the region. Also, when the director of intelligence does politics, it signals that whatever is going on is worth watching...."

Khalilzad, is facing angry questions from other senior Bush administration officials over unauthorized contacts with Asif Ali Zardari...

in the NYTImes, here “Can I ask what sort of ‘advice and help’ you are providing?” Mr. Boucher wrote in an angry e-mail message to Mr. Khalilzad. “What sort of channel is this? Governmental, private, personnel?”....The conduct by Mr. Khalilzad, who is Afghan by birth, has also raised hackles because of speculation that he might seek to succeed Hamid Karzai as president of Afghanistan ..."

Kouchner 'denies' that France is vying for a new Syrian 'role' in Lebanon .. and blames 'foreign visits & directives' for Tripoli events

In AnNahar, here

Jumblatt: "... Israel will fail if it aggresses Lebanon..."

In Al Hayat, here

Obama: "We've got to do that before Israel feels like its back is to the wall..."

In Haaretz, here

"My job as president would be to try to make sure that we are tightening the screws diplomatically on Iran, that we've mobilized the world community to go after Iran's program in a serious way, to get sanctions in place so that Iran starts making a difficult calculation," Obama said in response to a voter question at a campaign event in Iowa. "We've got to do that before Israel feels like its back is to the wall," he said. .."

Chuck Hagel will as Barack Obama's Secretary of State?

"...Joe Biden's selection as Vice President doubles the chances that Senator Chuck Hagel will be selected as Barack Obama's Secretary of State, ....". More from Steve Clemons, here

Maliki demands 'specifc deadline' for U.S. troop pullout

SPECIFIC.... as in "no security agreement between the United States and Iraq without an unconditional timetable for withdrawal". ... in McClatchy's, here

".....Maliki said that the
United States and Iraq had agreed that all foreign troops would be off Iraqi
soil by the end of 2011. "There is an agreement actually
reached, reached between the two parties on a fixed date, which is the end of
2011, to end any foreign presence on Iraqi soil," Maliki said.

But the White House disputed
Maliki's statement and made clear the two countries are still at odds over the
terms of a U.S. withdrawal...."

After a US-supported Ethiopian invasion, conditions may be ripe for Al Qaeda in Somalia

In the LATimes, here

Cheney to Visit Georgia and Ukraine

...and here Matt Yglesias comments that "...The McCain campaign is sensitive to accusations that he would continue the Bush administration’s policies, and is very eager to avoid giving the impression that he would do so, though as best one can tell there aren’t any areas of national policy in which he proposes to implement significantly different policies. But optics-wise, it seems, they’d rather keep Dick Cheney far away from the convention. And not DC far; Azerbaijan far..."

Salafi's Shahal to ANB (TV): "Hariri was all for the MOU with Hezbollah, but he later retracted his support..."

الشيخ حسن الشهال للANB

سعد الحريري كان موافق على وثيقة التفاهم بينهم وبين حزب الله لكنه تراجع فيما بعد

(Cherchez La Bandar)

“Going to war” is never an intention...It is rather the result of weak, shortsighted leaders entrapped by a series of mistakes...

Simon Jenkins in the SundayTimes, here

"...Is the world drifting towards a new global war? From this week the dominant super-power, America, will for three months pass through the valley of the shadow of democracy, a presidential election. This is always a moment of self-absorption and paranoia. Barack Obama and John McCain will not act as statesmen but as politicians. They will grandstand and look over their shoulders. Their eye will stray from the ball..........Any student of McCain or Obama, of Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, or of the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, might conclude that these are not people likely to go to war. They are surely the children of peace. Yet history shows that “going to war” is never an intention. It is rather the result of weak, shortsighted leaders entrapped by a series of mistakes. For the West’s leaders at present, mistake has become second nature"

Hassan Nasrallah promises 'destructive' retribution if Israel targets Lebanon

In Al Jazeera, here

"..US-Israeli Early-warning missile radar in the Negev ... sort of "parting gift from Washington to Jerusalem"..."

In Haaretz, here

"...The system will protect Israel's skies from missile attacks, but the flip side of the deal is that Israel's freedom of action against Iran or Syria will be significantly curtailed.
Israel will be required to obtain U.S. permission for any such operation, since it would endanger the lives of the U.S. personnel operating the system. The ground station itself would likely become the target of any reprisal attack by Iran or Syria..."

Iran's first Russian-built nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr will become operational by the end of 2008

In Hurriyet, here

"Russia is seriously committed to completing and running Bushehr power plant in the shortest possible time," Iran's PressTV quoted Alexander Sadovnikov as saying..."

CIA contra Suskind: Operation Squelch Congressional Investigation...

Laura Rosen in MoJo, here

"...The timing is interesting. Just this week, the House Judiciary committee moved forward with plans to investigate Suskind's claims, issuing letters to several of the participants named asking them to testify. As a reader friend suggests, whether Suskind got details in his account wrong or not, "there can be no doubt whatsoever that what motivated this statement by CIA echoed by Tenet's new statement is an effort to scare off and squelch Congress from pursuing its investigation."

Suskind has said in media appearances that he wants the officials involved to testify under oath. He has also posted the partial transcript of an interview with Rob Richer, a former top CIA official he cites as telling him about the White House order on Habbush. Richer has denied the account took place as Suskind reported it. But his denial is carefully worded. And as my reader friend notes, "Richer's comments on the record on Suskindresponse contradict the CIA's official response, insofar as he simply acknowledges as a fact Habbush's defection while CIA acts like it knows nothing about it and as far as it is concerned Habbush is still a wanted man."

Let's see if Operation Squelch Congressional Investigation succeeds."

......and here, the "CIA Statement" and George Tenet's (today's) Statement, here

US military opposes crackdown on 'Sahwas',... but may not be able to defend its Sunni allies from a largely Shia government and army

Patrick Cockburn in the Independent, here ".............Already the government has started moving against al-Sahwa, the Awakening Movement, fostered and paid by the US to eliminate al Qa’ida in Iraq. It has drawn up a list of 650 al-Sahwa members to be arrested. The US military opposes the move but may not be able to defend its Sunni allies from a largely Shia government and army ".....for the first time since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi government is confident that it can survive without US military support..."

Defense Secretary Gates Counts Down to End of Bush Administration

In USNWR's "Whispers", here

"Part of what got him through this difficult tenure, presiding over two wars, losing hundreds of brave men and women on his watch," says spokesman Geoff Morrell, "has been this expectation that come Jan. 20, 2009, he gets to return to the place he loves the most in the world." The clock is actually a little business-card size thing on a key chain that a friend back in the Seattle area gave Gates. "He refers to it quite often," says Morrell, "and likes to break it out to remind himself that his days are numbered and he's heading home."

"Sons if Iraq" returning to insurgency ...

LATimes, here

"...Amid fears that the Sunnis' treatment could rekindle Iraq's insurgency, the Americans are caught between their wish to support the fighters and their stronger ties to Maliki's government, which has challenged the Sunni paramilitaries in recent months as it grows increasingly confident about its fledgling army.
"We want to have our cake and eat it too, support Maliki and the Sons of Iraq. . . . Maliki wants to make that as hard for us as possible. He wants us to choose him," said Stephen Biddle, a Council on Foreign Relations defense expert who has served as an advisor on strategy to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq. "What it looks like we are getting is a Maliki government that won't behave itself and wants to crush the Sons of Iraq."

Joebama Obiden for 2008'...

Saudi Arabia wants "fairness in reporting on Israel..."

In the Jerusalem Post (Via AngryArab) here

"UK group tackles anti-Israel media bias: A new organization seeking to promote accurate and responsible media coverage of Israel in the UK is to be launched in London on Friday. By holding journalists accountable to the principles created by the industry, Just Journalism says it is aiming to promote responsible journalism and fairness in reporting on Israel...."

What Israel Lost in the Georgia War

Toni Karon in TIME, here via WarinContext.

[Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is shown an Israeli Aircraft Industries pilotless drone during his visit to their factories in Lod, Israel

Israel Aircraft Industries / Getty]

A deal on missile defences angers Russia even though they may not work

In the Economist, here

"......Because they are scared of Russia. Within days of Russia’s invasion of Georgia, Poland had agreed to host ten American interceptors. Ukraine offered to link up its early-warning radars and contribute to surveillance in space. The Czech Republic had already agreed to host the missile-tracking radar.

“We have crossed the Rubicon,” said the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, as the deal was done. Russia said any country involved in America’s missile defences made itself a legitimate target for nuclear attack. Condoleezza Rice, the American secretary of state, who went to Poland to sign the deal this week, retorted that such threatening language “isn’t tolerable”..............cannot fend off Russia’s huge arsenal, but countries hosting them place themselves under America’s umbrella, in effect becoming part of the defence of its homeland...."

McCain Advisor: "If one of Senator Obama's advisers has been to Damascus, we just wonder how many have been to Tehran."

Eli Lake, in the NYSun, here

Levy: "..Israel would be making a terrible, even fatal, mistake if it attacked Iran..."

In Haaretz, here

"....The good news is - there are better options. For one, Israel should be leading, or at least contributing to, rather than retarding, a policy re-think on Iran. Instead, when the U.S. sends Under-Secretary of State William Burns to sit in on talks with Iran in Geneva or considers opening an interest section in Tehran, Israel takes umbrage. The same is true when our back-channel mediators with Syria, the Turks, host Iran's leaders.
Israel needs to encourage this direct hard-headed diplomatic engagement between its friends and Iran - contributing talking points of its ..........that Israel will support a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction in the context of regional peace, mutual recognition and security guarantees.
Beyond that, Israel should de-emphasize its unilateral military options and stress confidence in its own deterrence capacity vis-a-vis Iran..."

Israel Warns Against US, International Pressure for Palestinian

God forbid anyone should 'pressure' Israel .... may his offspring be damned to decades of refugee status, humiliation and despair! VOA, here

"I think that any attempt to try and bridge gaps that might be premature to reach, or to reach something that is not the comprehensive agreement that we want to reach can lead to doing it wrong just because of the pressure, the international pressure. This can lead to clashes. This can lead to misunderstandings. This can lead to violence as we faced after Camp David 2000 and the circumstances are in a way are similar," she said.

Iran gets around US bank sanctions

In the FT, here

"...Bank Mellat, Iran’s third largest state-owned bank, is getting around US-imposed sanctions by establishing links with small and medium-sized banks that have less US exposure than bigger lenders, its managing director said..."

US. Sees Much to Fear in a Hostile Russia

In the NYTimes, here

"....The list of ways a more hostile Russia could cause problems for the United States extends far beyond Syria and the mountains of Georgia. In addition to escalated arms sales to other anti-American states like Iran and Venezuela, policy makers and specialists in Washington envision a freeze on counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation cooperation, manipulation of oil and natural gas supplies, pressure against United States military bases in Central Asia and the collapse of efforts to extend cold war-era arms control treaties.

“It’s Iran, it’s the U.N, it’s all the counterterrorism and counternarcotics programs, Syria, Venezuela, Hamas — there are any number of issues over which they can be less cooperative than they’ve been,” said Angela E. Stent, who served as the top Russia officer at the United States government’s National Intelligence Council until 2006 and now directs Russian studies at Georgetown University. “And of course, energy.”

The outlook on a triple-superpower world...

Helena Cobban in the CSM, here

"....From the beginning of the crisis in Georgia, President Bush has recognized these facts. He has wisely refrained from doing anything there that might lead to a shooting war with Russia. That might not seem "right" to many Americans. But Georgia was certainly not blameless. Now Washington should work hard for a settlement – possibly a broad demilitarization – that can protect both Georgia's borders and minority rights.

But our strong concern over Georgia shouldn't distract Americans from doing some hard thinking about how to work with both Russia and China – and other governments – to address even bigger global challenges: nuclear proliferation (especially in Iran), violent transnational Islamism, and climate change – not to mention the continuing challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan....."

U.S. to Syria: Do not meddle in Russia-Georgia conflict

In Haaretz, here

"...Earlier Thursday, Assad backed Russia's military action against Georgia at talks with President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday

...According to Russian media, Assad offered to host the Russian missiles as a response to a deal signed by Washington and Warsaw this week to deploy elements of a U.S. missile defense system in Poland, which has aggravated Moscow's relations with the West. (Syria denied: Al Jazeera)
Assad's visit is likely to become an additional irritant for Washington. In the past, the United States has more than once warned Moscow against selling arms to its longstanding ally Syria....."

Wal, Street Journal: We are getting out of Iraq!

Yawn, yawn ..... yawn, in the WSJ, here

Sophisticated analysis says there is no single pathway to violent extremism

I figured this out long ago, when my son, upon his return from EVERY ski trip to Mont Tremblant, is asked the same off-the-shelve question: "Do You Know Ossama BL?" ....
In the Guardian, here

"Free & Sovereign Iraq!" (Reuters)

'Key' U.S. Iraq strategy in danger of collapse

Fadel, in McClatchy's, here

"We cannot stand them, and we detained many of them recently," said one senior Iraqi commander in Baghdad, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue. "Many of them were part of al Qaida despite the fact that many of them are helping us to fight al Qaida."

"...American leaders shouldn't make threats the country can't deliver or promises it isn't prepared to keep..."

Ignatius, in the WaPo, here

"....Let's put aside the fact that McCain's top foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, has in fact been a lobbyist for Georgia. In his own feisty comments in recent months, McCain encouraged Georgians to believe America would back them up in a crisis. That expectation was naive, and it was wrong to encourage it. It was especially wrong to give a volatile leader such as Saakashvili what he evidently imagined was an American blank check...."

Mubarak & Abdullah's Middle East. slipping out of their grip and into that of new mavericks, most notably, Syria's Assad...

In Haaretz, in case you missed it back 'then', here

".......Bashar Assad, who is half their age; Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is repositioning the former Ottoman Empire into power; and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is blazing like a menacing meteor over the Arab Middle East...."

"..The New US President must make clear to Maliki & co. that the era of unconditional support is over—or see security gains evaporate fast..."

Colin H. Kahl, John A. Nagl, Shawn Brimley in FP, here

"...Genuine reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites remains elusive. The “Sunni Awakening”—the Sunnis’ decision to cooperate with U.S. forces against AQI—ranks among the biggest reasons for the decline in violence in Iraq. But don’t be fooled: The awakening represents an accommodation with the United States, not the Shiites who dominate Iraq’s government. These security gains could dissolve if the Sunni “Sons of Iraq”—many of them former insurgents—are not integrated into official forces or gainfully employed, and if emerging tribal leaders don’t get an opportunity to share power at the local and national levels through elections......Iraq could easily backslide into mass violence. The surge was supposed to be about buying time to build Iraqi capacity and create breathing space for political accommodation. Yet, as Iraqi capacity and confidence have increased, Maliki and his allies seem less inclined to reach out to their adversaries. By emphasizing capacity over political will, the Bush administration has failed to force Iraqi leaders to make tough compromises. Instead, it too often conveys messages of unconditional support to the Iraqi government that undermine the behind-the-scenes cajoling of U.S. commanders and diplomats..."

Syria test fires series of long-range missiles?

In Haaretz, here

Al Maliki moves against the 'Awakenings'....

From AP, here

"...But Iraq's government is suspicious of such groups, fearing their decision to break with the insurgency was a short-term tactic to gain U.S. money and support. The government fears they will eventually turn their guns against Iraq's majority Shiites

Since the rise of the allied Sunni movement, America has spent some $200 million on salaries, equipment and training for the fighters, which now number nearly 100,000. The U.S. goal is for many of them to be integrated into the Iraqi army or police, providing the fighters with long-term incomes...."

"....The Tehran Timeline...."

From the Center for American Progress, here

"....What is the principal strategic outcome from the war in Iraq? According to the index’s experts, it’s not the end of Saddam’s dictatorship, a rise in militant Islam, or even a war-torn Iraq. Rather, almost half of the experts say that the most important outcome is the emergence of Iran as the most powerful country in the Middle East. Worse, three quarters of the experts believe that the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions is rising.

The U.S.-led war has not only benefited the United States’ chief regional nemesis, but the experts are no longer optimistic that Washington knows what to do about it. Their confidence that U.S. policies can adequately address the Iranian threat has never been lower. The experts give U.S. policy toward Tehran an average grade of just 2.8 on a 10-point scale, where 10 means the United States is doing the best possible job. More than 80 percent of the experts, including 69 percent of conservatives, believe that U.S. policy toward Iran is negatively affecting America’s national security goals. This appraisal represents the most critical view of U.S. policy toward Iran since the index began two years ago...."

Jumblatt: "Lebanon cannot be a springboard for targeting Syria..."

أدلى رئيس "اللقاء الديموقراطي" النائب وليد جنبلاط بموقفه الاسبوعي لجريدة "الانباء" الصادرة عن الحزب التقدمي الاشتراكي ومما جاء فيه: "نتطلع لأن تترجم النتائج التي توصلت إليها القمة اللبنانية - السورية من خلال إجراءات فعلية لا سيما على مستوى التبادل الديبلوماسي الذي جاء لينهي سنوات طويلة من الجدل، خصوصا أن في التاريخ الحديث المشترك بين البلدين، كان هناك عقدة من بعض كبار الاستقلاليين السوريين تجاه لبنان. لذلك، نأمل أن نكون قد طوينا هذا الملف نحو مرحلة جديدة مرتكزاتها الاساسية الاعتراف بإستقلال لبنان نهائيا وربط هذا الاعتراف بسلوك سوري جديد مغاير لما شهدته العقود الماضية من تدخل مستمر في الشؤون الداخلية وتابع :"في ما يتعلق بملف المفقودين، لا بد من التذكير أن المخابرات السورية كانت موجودة في لبنان وليس المخابرات اللبنانية كانت موجودة في سوريا. فإذا كان الجانب السوري يطالب بمفقودين من تنظيمات مسلحة أو جنود أو مدنيين، فهذا يمكن طرحه في إطار لجنة مشتركة فاعلة تضع جدولا بالأسماء وتعطى صلاحية زيارة السجون في البلدين بهدف جلاء ملابسات هذه القضية الانسانية بالدرجة الأولى واردف:" أما بالنسبة للمجلس الاعلى اللبناني - السوري، فإذا أردنا السير بمنطق تنقية العلاقات وفتح صفحة جديدة بين البلدين، فمن الافضل الاكتفاء بالعلاقات الديبلوماسية المنتظرة والتي تؤسس لمرحلة جديدة عوض الاستمرار وفق الاطر السابقة التي كانت تشوبها الكثير من العثرات. وغني عن القول أن ما جاء في إتفاق الطائف يفترض أن يسري على هذه العلاقات وقد جاء فيه ما حرفيته: "إن لبنان لا يسمح بأن يكون ممرا أو مستقرا لأي قوة أو دولة أو تنظيم يستهدف المساس بأمنه أو أمن سوريا، وإن سوريا الحريصة على أمن لبنان وإستقلاله ووحدته ووفاق أبنائه لا تسمح بأي عمل يهدد أمنه وإستقلاله وسيادته."".".

Rice: "...Always, Mr. President. We always fight for our friends...”

In the NYTimes, here

Within the Bush administration, “the fight between the hawks and the doves” erupted anew, said one administration official. In this case, the people he called the “hawks” —Mr. Cheney and the assistant secretary of state for Europe, Daniel Fried — argued for more American military aid for Georgia; the “doves” — Ms. Rice, Mr. Hadley, Mr. Burns — urged restraint..

....Ms. Rice traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia, in July, where, aides said, she privately told Mr. Saakashvili not to let Russia provoke him into a fight he could not win. But her public comments, delivered while standing next to Mr. Saakashvili during a news conference, were far stronger and more supportive.

And when she brought up NATO membership, mentioning that the Bush administration had pushed for it in Bucharest, Mr. Saakashvili jumped on the opportunity to get a public commitment that the administration would bring the matter up again with NATO before leaving office.

“So are you going — I understood you are going to give a tough fight for us in December,” he said.

Ms. Rice: “Always, Mr. President. We always fight for our friends.”

Former SLA soldiers protest neglect & "dogs-like" treatment in Israel

In YNEtnews, here

“I came here eight years ago with my husband and children, we were in the SLA, we had true peace with Israel. After the IDF pullout from Lebanon we didn’t know what to do, they neglected us. “We came to this country and we know that people receive all their rights here. For eight years they didn’t know how to absorb us like they should have; they divided us,” she said in sorrow. ..."