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Welcome to the real world
      By Yoel Marcus Haaretz  1-11-07

They say America is a single-issue country. For Israel, that is a luxury. Israel must fend off nuclear threats while paving the way for peace, operate an efficient government while squabbling over seats, fight the "wars of the Jews" while stamping out corruption, and never forget, throughout it all, that we've got a country here to think of.

Welcome to the real world.

MI chief: Al-Qaeda operatives flocking to Lebanon
      By Miri Chason Yediot Aharonot 1-9-07

Military Intelligence Chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin said Tuesday that the al-Qaeda terror organization is seeking to widen its base in the Middle East by dispatching hundreds of operative to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.  "Dozens, if not hundreds, of al-Qaeda operatives arrived in Lebanon. These operatives are trained and have terror knowledge. According to estimates, the organization's number 2, Ayman al-Zwahiri, gave orders to operatives to spread in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt," he told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Wake up. 24 is the Real World

British jury sees footage of suicide bomber suspect
      By Michael Holden The Washington Post Reuters January 16, 2007; 8:35 AM

LONDON (Reuters) - A British court was shown dramatic footage on Tuesday that prosecutors said showed a would-be suicide bomber trying to detonate his bomb on a London underground train packed with terrified passengers.  Jurors at the trial of six men accused of failed attacks on London's transport system in July 2005, two weeks after bombings that killed 52 people and wounded about 700, watched in silence as the closed circuit television footage was played in court.

Chicago Jury currently in Deliberations
Hamas case prosecutor tells of recorded telephone calls
      By Azam Ahmed and Rudolph Bush  Chicago Tribune January 10, 2007

Among the documents were minutes of meetings between Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian officials, as well as minutes of high-level meetings between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Agents also recovered address books and records of millions of dollars sent to Hamas cells and operatives via money transfers, which prosecutors allege Ashqar was instrumental in facilitating.

Miss. grad student headed terrorist group, prosecutor says
      By Mike Robinson AP Legal Affairs Writer January 9, 2007

Federal agents found that Ashqar spoke on his telephone 568 times in several years with Mousa Abu Marzook, an alleged top Hamas leader who also is charged in the case and is a fugitive believed to be living in Damascus, Syria.
 

Abu Marzuk: ‘Olmert’s Egypt visit delayed Shalit talks’
      By Ali Waked  Yediot Aharonot 1-13-07

Musa Abu Marzuk, the deputy of Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal in Damascus, said Saturday that progress was being made in Egypts’ mediation attempts regarding kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit until Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s visit to the country.

Wikipedia:   Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook
is a senior member of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. He is believed to have fled from or to Syria in September 2004.  Marzook was listed as a Specially Designated Terrorist by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1995, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist with the aliases Dr. Musa Abu-Marzuq; Sa'id Abu-Marzuq; Abu-'Umar; Mousa Mohamed Abou Marzook; Musa Abu Marzouk; Musa Abu Marzuk.

PA security foils Hamas assassinations
      By Khaled Abu Toameh Jerusalem Post Jan 15, 2007 

The Palestinian Authority security forces have foiled an attempt by Hamas to assassinate senior PA leaders in the Gaza Strip, including PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah legislator Muhammed Dahlan, Palestinian security sources said Monday. The sources said the security forces discovered over the past few days a number of underground tunnels in the northern Gaza Strip that were dug along major roads used by PA and Fatah leaders. Some of the tunnels were also discovered beneath the homes of top Fatah officials in the same area, the sources said.

Real World, Real Talk

Expert: Clash over Iran nukes inevitable
      By Etgar Lefkovits Jerusalem Post Jan. 9, 2007

Although a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program is preferable, a clash between the West and the Islamic Republic on the issue in the coming years is inevitable, an Israeli expert on Iranian affairs said Tuesday. . . . He noted that Iran's main goal was to create a united Islamic Empire or a 'new Islam', which would unite both Shi'ites and Sunnis under one Pan-Islamic ideology and with one spiritual vision.

Busting Arab-Israel peace-making myths
      By David Makovsky Jerusalem Post Jan. 15, 2007

As Condoleezza Rice visits the region, she should dispel some of the mythology that exists in the Arab world on Middle East peacemaking. …[for example:] 5. Everything in the Middle East is linked to the Arab-Israel conflict.

Saudis Endorse New U.S. Strategy for Iraq
      By Thom Shanker New York Times Jan 16, 2007

“We agree fully with the goals set by the new strategy, which in our view are the goals that — if implemented would solve the problems that face Iraq,” said Prince Saud al-Faisal, the foreign minister. . . . the prince declined to be drawn into a discussion of potential Saudi actions in the event that Iraq slides into full-blown sectarian civil war. “Why speculate on such dire consequences? Why not speculate on the positive side?” he said, urging unity among Iraq’s Shiites, Sunni Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, the main groups in its population. “I cannot for the life of me concede that a country like that would commit suicide, given the goodwill and the desire of all to help in this.”

Please Say This . . .
(Advice on the State of the Union. No charge.)
      by David Gelernter The Weekly Standard 01/22/2007, Volume 012, Issue 18

I have spelled out good reasons for Americans to be impatient with our war, good reasons for us to ask more of our Iraqi allies, good reasons to change our own plans. We must fight this war the best and smartest way we can. But realism is a two-way street. So now let me tell you why I am optimistic and why I know we will win; and then let me show you the big picture.

Rice: UN sanctions on Iran 'not enough'
      By Jerusalem Post and AP Jan. 14, 2007

"The United Nations Security Council resolution will help. It sends a strong message to Iran that the world is united against the path that they have embarked on," Rice said, but she added that sanctions alone were still not enough. Later in the interview, Rice defended Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision not to engage in dialogue with the Syrians, despite the latter's recent peace overtures. "There is no indication that the Syrians have anything but disruptive plans for the Middle East," she said.

Boneless Wonders
Meet the spineless members of Congress.
      by William Kristol The Weekly Standard 01/22/2007, Volume 012, Issue 18

Say you're an average congressman. How do you react to President Bush's Iraq speech? You suspect, deep down, that he's probably doing more or less what he needs to do. We can't just click our heels and get out of Iraq--the consequences would be disastrous. And the current strategy isn't working. You have said so yourself. Last fall you called for replacing Rumsfeld. You've complained that there weren't enough troops. What's more, you've heard good things about General David Petraeus from colleagues with military expertise. So now Bush has fired Rumsfeld, put Petraeus in command, and sent in more troops. Maybe this new approach deserves a chance to work?

But, hey . . . look at those polls! And those op-ed pages! You didn't come to Washington to support an unpopular president conducting an unpopular war.

Courting Allies 

China, Israel agree on Iran sanctions
      By Associated Press Jerusalem Post  Jan. 10, 2007

China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has strong trade ties with Iran and has been leery about imposing punitive measures, but it supported the UN resolution that orders all countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs. It also froze Iranian assets of 10 key companies and 12 individuals related to those programs.

Arab Group Signals Iran To Avoid Meddling in Iraq
      By Glenn Kessler Washington Post January 17, 2007; Page A13

"Nine foreign ministers are meeting in Kuwait precisely to prevent Iraq from slipping into civil war," said Kuwait's foreign minister, Mohammed al-Sabah, at a news conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The statement was also joined by five other Gulf Arab states – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates – and Egypt and Jordan.. . . "There are concerns about whether the Maliki government is prepared to take an even-handed, nonsectarian path here. There is no doubt about that," Rice said, referring to the Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "After all the years of deep grievance in the region, within Iraq, it's not surprising that that's the case. But everyone wants to give this a chance. That's the position of people in the region."

Ahmadinejad: Israel won't dare attack us
In interview with Spanish newspaper during visit to South America, Iranian president says, 'They are aware of Iran's strength. I believe they won't do such a stupid thing.' He reiterates Israel will vanish 'like Soviet Union,' doubts Holocaust
      By Dudi Cohen Yediot Aharonot 1-17-07

Ahmadinejad was asked in the interview whether he wants to see Israel destroyed, but failed to provide a direct answer. He referred in his answer to things he said in the past about Israel being wiped off the map "like the Soviet Union was wiped off the map."   "Where is the Soviet Union? It vanished," the president said. "We are not interested in war, we are only trying to solve the problem called the Zionist regime, which is the source of hatred."

Deputy defense minister: We'll mull Barghouti's release
     By Hanan Greenberg Yediot Aharonot 1-14-07

Is the defense establishment set to revise its stance regarding the release of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti? During a lecture Sunday, Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said that there would come a time when this issue would have to be looked into. . . . "Hamas is trying to create a situation of distress, despair and diplomatic dead-end, in a bid to draw the public in the direction of the terrorist stance. We need to work in the exact opposite direction, and find the moderate elements in order to act against Hamas' strategy," Sneh said.

Keeping it in Perspective
How Much Moral Bankruptcy; How Much Political Hardball?

Israel president may face rape, sex harassment charges after police probe
      By Joshua Pantesco The Jurist Legal News & Research 1-16-06 

The … the police have recommended charges against every prime minister investigated over the last 10 years, though none were ever brought to trial.

Sources reject allegations against PM
      By Amir Mizroch Jerusalem Post   Jan. 14, 2007

Two of the main allegations against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert regarding the tender for the state's controlling interest in Bank Leumi are false and were deliberately leaked to the media in an attempt to harm Olmert, sources close to the bidders told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend. . . . The sources added that since the Bank Leumi tender was conducted out in the open, with so many officials involved, it would have been virtually impossible for Olmert to secretly influence the Finance Ministry's decision one way or the other.

Are you talkin’ to me?

Hamas’ Haniyeh: Rice brings 'perilous vision' to Middle East
      By Gil Hoffman Jerusalem Post and AP Jan 15, 2007

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Monday accused US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of bringing a "perilous vision" to the region, shortly after she announced plans to join an Israeli-Palestinian summit in the coming weeks.

Hizbullah: Climax by month's end
Organization's MP: Soon we will only be satisfied by early elections
     By Yaakov Lappin Yediot Aharonot 1-14-07

The vow of an escalation in the coming days in Beirut protests represent yet another attempt by Hizbullah to create sufficient momentum to bring down the Siniora government, which has so far withstood the repeated attempts on its political life.  According to the Daily Star, Lebanese Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, said a storm was heading in the direction of Lebanon, and he warned that the crisis will "only get bigger and much worse." Berri said he hoped "this time someone will listen in time," the report added.  President Emile Lahoud, who is backed by the Syrians, and is viewed by his opponents as a puppet of Damascus, said that the Siniora government "no longer exists," and dismissed all cabinet decisions as "null and void," the Star added.