12/04/2006 Middle East Live Daily Thread

Middle East Live Daily Thread ^ | 12/04/2006 | La Enchiladita

[La Enchiladita]

All Flags above link to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook page for the respective country.  This is a great research tool.

---

Harretz		YNET	Al Bawaba	jpost	Yahoo News	Google News
blogsearch		Iran Focus	Michelle Malkin	Israpundit	eNewsWires	CNN
Beirut Times		The Daily Star	Laura Mansfield	BBC ME	Times of London	LGF
Council on Foreign Rel.		UNSC Resolutions	CounterTerrorismBlog	Israel National News	Pajamas Media

---

This is a very unique Team Thread!  New Team Members are always welcome!  We have some of the most talented and intelligent
members with our thread, and we all respect each other's viewpoints. At times it may be difficult to keep up, as we often scoop stories before the MSM and are often known to beat Drudge.  We just ask that you have fun, and learn.  If you don't know, you better ask!  Someone here can find the answer.

***Note:  If you would like to be added to the Ping list, please Freepmail me !

 

Before posting on this Forum, please note that we recognize OPSEC Guidelines and the need to protect our Troops.  The latest OPSEC is by DoD Directive 5205.02, "DoD Operations Security (OPSEC) Program", 3/6/2006.  See links for more info.

[Bahbah]

Here is Carolyn Glick's take on the Saudi involvement.

Olmert's Saudi friends
Jerusalem Post ^ | Dec. 4, 2006 | Caroline Glick


Our World: Olmert's Saudi friends

---

Caroline Glick, THE JERUSALEM POST Dec. 4, 2006

---

The world has gone mad. As Lebanon teeters on the brink of Iranian and Syrian instigated collapse, senior American and British political officials urge President George W. Bush to hand Iraq over to Iran and Syria.

As the Palestinians push forward with their Iranian-sponsored, Arab supported jihad, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert responds by announcing his intention to release thousands of terrorists from prison and throw thousands of Israelis out of their homes while giving their lands to Hamas.

While Saturday found the Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh meeting in Teheran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and applauding his plan to annihilate Israel, Olmert decided Sunday that, in the interest of peace with the Palestinians he would forbid the IDF from attacking terrorists positions in Gaza even if doing so would prevent imminent rocket attacks against the Negev.

And now, according to Britain's Sunday Times, Saudi Arabia is becoming the "principal peace broker" between Israel and the Palestinians.

Reportedly since meeting in Amman in September with the former Saudi ambassador to the US, Saudi Prince Bandar, Olmert has been seriously considering embracing the so-called Saudi peace plan from 2002. Senior Israeli officials told the Times that the plan, which would establish a Palestinian state, "could lead to a formal peace deal between Israel and seven Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the Emirates, Morocco and Tunisia."

IT WOULD really be terrific if Israel could have peace with Saudi Arabia and the rest of those Arab countries. A true peace with Saudi Arabia would mean an end to the illegal Arab economic boycott of Israel and their boycott of companies that do business with Israel.

Peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia would mean that the Saudis would stop financing Islamic terror groups dedicated to killing Jews in Israel and around the world.

Since having peaceful relations with Israel would presuppose Saudi acceptance of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, obviously a Saudi peace with Israel would mean an end to Saudi financing of mosques, schools and media organs throughout the world which indoctrinate hundreds of millions of people to believe that Jews are dogs and pigs and vermin and must be annihilated.

Peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel would mean an end to Saudi pressure on Europeans to criminalize Israel and marginalize the Jewish communities in their countries in exchange for a stable oil supply.

The calls by professors who teach in Saudi-financed US and European universities to boycott Israeli academics and end the US alliance with Israel would be muted if Saudi Arabia was at peace with Israel. Similarly, former US officials employed by the Saudis would stop calling American Jews traitors for supporting the US-Israel alliance.

So if there were a possibility that the Times report that "The Saudi Arabian government is emerging as a key player in talks to broker a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement," were true, it would be a true cause for a celebration in Israel.

BUT OF course, like the view that the turmoil in Lebanon is an internal Lebanese affair; and the view that a US retreat from Iraq could be anything other than a strategic victory for the global jihad, the belief that the Saudis are interested in brokering peace with Israel is a complete fabrication. Indeed the "deal" that the Saudis are "brokering" is nothing less than a blueprint for Israel's destruction.

Link to FR thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1748329/posts

[La Enchiladita]

?????

[La Enchiladita]

Knock me OVER with a feather...

[La Enchiladita]

Olmert promised the Palestinians their own state last week in a conciliatory speech that he was said to have written himself. Condoleezza Rice, the American secretary of state, praised the speech and her officials welcomed it as a promising sign that “a regional peace dialogue may be resumed”.

Ahem.... *cough, cough*

[Txsleuth]

Once again Caroline Glick is right...

Thanks for posting that article...

Ooopsy Bolton on with Pres. Bush.

[Uncle Ike]

From the "Stories that refuse to be ignored out of existence.." file:

" Probe 'threat' to British firms
BBC ^ | 12/4/06 | Robert Preston


Posted on 12/04/2006 3:03:34 PM CST by kiriath_jearim"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1748350/posts

" Top British defence and manufacturing firms have written to the government to warn that billions of pounds could be lost in contracts with Saudi Arabia.

The Defence Industries Council says the UK stands to lose out as a result of a breakdown in Saudi-British relations.

The DIC's letter is the latest twist in the row over an inquiry into bribes allegedly paid in the huge Al-Yamamah arms deal won by BAE Systems.

Saudi Arabia's government and BAE deny any wrongdoing.

The council - which represents the UK's biggest defence businesses - warns that the impact of the deterioration of relations with Saudi Arabia goes much wider than the possible loss to BAE of a £10bn contract to supply Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

It says the threat extends to the UK industrial base and to British security.

And it goes on to say that billions in orders, which the UK would have been in a strong position to win, are now in danger of going to other countries.

The companies urge that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), whose inquiry has now gone on for two and a half years, should make up its mind whether or not to bring prosecutions.

By this time, the letter argues, the SFO should be in a position to judge the likelihood of whether a case can be brought.

The letter was signed by Sir John Rose on behalf of the Defence Industries Council.

It was sent to Alistair Darling, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and copied to other members of the Cabinet. "

[Txsleuth]

DANG....all it was, was a shake hands, "thank you for your service" thingy between Pres. Bush and John Bolton.

THAT sure was different than the statement the White House put out this morning...

I was SO hoping that Pres. Bush would offer Mr. Bolton a different job in the administration that would not require senate confirmation.

Okay gang....WHO do we want to replace him??

[La Enchiladita]

Bush holds talks with Iraqi Shia cleric
By Guy Dinmore in Washington

Published: December 4 2006 18:10 | Last updated: December 4 2006 18:10

The Bush administration on Monday held discussions with a powerful Iraqi Shia cleric and militia leader in what analysts saw as an effort to shore up Baghdad’s coalition government and counter Iraqi concerns that the US would bow to growing domestic pressure for an early withdrawal of troops.

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), met Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, ahead of talks scheduled later with President George W. Bush.

Although White House officials portrayed the meetings as part of a normal process of consultation with Iraqi politicians, Mr Hakim’s rare visit to Washington fuelled the perception of an administration that is seeking a new direction in Iraq while tacitly admitting it is not winning the war.

Asked on Monday whether Iraqis were worse off now than under Saddam Hussein – as asserted by Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, in a BBC interview – the White House spokesman, Tony Snow, replied: “You will have to ask the Iraqi people.”

Mr Hakim vies with Moqtada al-Sadr, a radical cleric and militia leader, for the mantle of Iraq’s most powerful Shia politician. Their family feud is generational. The US accuses both their militias of involvement in sectarian violence against the Sunni Arab minority.

(continued at link...)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/92edb278-83c1-11db-9e95-0000779e2340.html




Comments, please...

[La Enchiladita]

[Uncle Ike]

" "Serious Fraud Office (SFO)"

I don't know why that cracks me up everytime I see it (LOL) "

Hmmm... if it cracks you up -- then......

This might be a case for the "UN-Serious Fraud Office"

or not.....

[Walleye_Walter]

Hey There Dita, Thanks for the flip this morning, great job!!!!

"However, the reality that we must go to war with Iran cannot be denied much longer. The Axis of Evil has not changed and neither should we "

The point I was trying to make this morning is that it might be better to wait until Lebanon implodes (with Syrian and Iranian involvement) and then we can rally a coalition to support us against both Syria and Iran.

I think the one thing "W" has learned is that he must have a major coalition backing him, not just a UN resolution, and I think Rice, Cheney and Bush are currently working on putting such a coalition together.

I totally agree that Iran will have to be dealt with, just on our timetable, not theirs.

[Uncle Ike]

" Comments, please... "

A not-overly subtle "message" to Maliki: "You're not irreplaceable"

Nothing like publicly interviewing a replacement to light the proverbial fire under an underachiever....

[La Enchiladita]

I guess there's a reason the FT is printed on pink paper, eh?

[La Enchiladita]

Click this link to see an aerial/satellite view of the SoCal fire...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1748255/posts?page=30#30

[Bahbah]

Rats, I had to go out and missed Bolton, but there's Brit. Looking forward to his interview with the President.

[Bahbah]

WHO do we want to replace him??

Don Rumsfeld :)