AO Weekly News Update for 8-3-8
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The A-O Weekly News Round Up
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For
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8-10-8
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Late Breaking
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Hurricane Threat for Houston, Texas
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Storm Forms In Gulf Near New Orleans
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More stories are posting - in progress. Hit refresh in a few minutes for more stories.
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It's Party Time in Tehran
Surprise Iran-Syria Summit
Syria's President Assad made a surprise visit to Tehran on Saturday, August 2 to officially discuss the strength of the Iranian-Syrian alliance. The real reason for the Summit is in part a chance to celebrate the joint diplomatic strategies both nations have forged to thwart Western initiatives to halt Iran's nuclear program and to split the two nations apart. The Summit will also provide Syrian President Assad and President Ahmadinejad with the opportunity to set new strategies for the future.
The A-O Intelligence Digest reports on this summit and its significance in various diplomatic initiatiives and what it may mean for the prospects of war. For more details on the summit itself, read various mainstream media reports - LINK HERE. and also another LINK 2.
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Living in LaLa Land
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Israeli PM Made A Fool By Syria
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Still Thinks Syria Will Abandon Iran For Peace
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Israel's Prime Minister Olmert is apparently living in a state of denial. Olmert announced as the week ended that he still believes that Syria's President Assad will abandon ties with Syria in favor of peace with Israel. However, at the week's end, not only did President Assad state otherwise, Assad headed to Iran for a top-level summit meeting, apparently to celebrate with Iran the dynamic duo's diplomatic victories in buying time for Iran's nuclear program to produce nuclear weapons. More on Olmert's delusion - LINK HERE.
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Israel's Olmert:
2008 Peace Deal Fades
Israel's Prime Minister Olmert stated this week that the prospects for a full and complete peace agreement in 2008 are fading and will not likely be achieved this year. Jerusalem remains a stumbling block in peace talks. For more details, LINK HERE.
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Olmert Announces Resignation
Israel's Prime Minister Olmert announced Wednesday that he will resign as the Kadima Party leader and as Prime Minister once the Kadima Party's Primary has chosen a new party leader. Olmert said he would wait and give the new leader a chance to form a new government. More details, LINK HERE.
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Olmert To Create Palestinian Nation
In the Next Two Months
Before He Leaves Office
According to WND sources, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert is determined to reach a deal with Palestinians on a new nation of Palestine before he leaves office next month. WND says Olmert told members of the Palestinian Authority that he inteds to accelerate negotiations in the remaining time that he has to reach a deal on paper outlining a Palestian state before he leaves office in September. Olmert's "goal is to reach an agreement on paper." More details on this story from WND, LINK HERE.
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Hezbollah Ready To Strike Israel
Hezbollah's senior commander in southern Lebanon said in a rare interview that Hizbollah was far stronger now than when it fought the Israeli army in a conflict in 2006. Hezbollah has significantly built up its military arsenal on the Israeli border and is ready to respond with force to any provocation according to the British newspaper, The Telegraph.
Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, who leads Hizbollah's forces on Lebanon's border with Israel - the crucial battlefront of any future war, was speaking in the port city of Tyre. "The resistance is now stronger than before and this keeps the option of war awake. If we were weak, Israel would not hesitate to start another war," he said. "We are stronger than before and when Hizbollah is strong, our strength stops Israel from starting a new war... We don't seek war, but we must be ready." More details, LINK HERE.
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Lebanese Gov't Backs Right
For Hezbollah To Attack Israel
Lebanon's new national unity government agreed to a policy statement on Friday which political sources said recognized Hezbollah's right to use all possible means to liberate land they say is occupied by Israel.
The statement, agreed at the 14th meeting of a ministerial committee set up to draft it, will be presented to parliament next week for a vote of confidence.
All major parties are represented in parliament, including the U.S.-backed majority coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition, and the confidence vote is seen as a formality.
"The ministerial statement is drafted and forwarded to the cabinet with the agreement of all its members," Information Minister Tareq Mitri said after the meeting.
The cabinet, in which Hezbollah and its allies hold effective veto power, is expected to approve the draft on Monday before passing it to parliament.
The government was formed on July 11, in line with a Qatar-brokered deal in May which ended an 18-month political crisis that drove Lebanon to the brink of civil war.
The policy statement had been delayed by bickering over the role of Hezbollah's guerrilla army, which fought a 34-day war against Israel in 2006.
Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and his majority coalition initially wanted to exclude mentioning Hezbollah's right to regain Lebanese land by force and defer the subject to a national dialogue to be chaired by President Michel Suleiman.
Hezbollah's weapons became an even more divisive issue after the group used its military muscle to defeat its political foes in street fighting in Beirut and other areas in early May.
The policy statement recognises the right of Lebanon, its government, people and resistance to use all means possible to regain Lebanese sovereignty over Shebaa Farms and nearby Israeli-held parts of Ghajjar village.
Israel and the United Nations say Shebaa, occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, is Syrian while Damascus and Beirut, which never demarcated borders, say it is Lebanese.
The United Nations has recently backed renewed efforts to establish the identity of the territory.
Political sources said the statement renewed Lebanon's commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the 2006 war and refers the fate of Hezbollah's weapons to the drafting of a "national defence strategy" to be agreed at the national dialogue starting in the coming weeks.
The statement also adopted economic reforms agreed at an international aid conference held in Paris in 2007. LINK HERE.
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Hezbollah Has Legal Option For War
The new Lebanese unity government has given Hezbollah the legal right to go to war against Israel on behalf of Lebanon in an effort to retake Lebanese territory seized years ago by Israel.
A Senior Hezbollah commander hailed the Lebanese government's decision and said that Hezbollah is stronger than before the 2006 war and ready for a new war. The government's announcement is not yet fully legal. It must be voted on by the new Lebanese cabinet on Monday.
The document recognizes the right of Lebanon, its government, people and resistance to use all means possible to regain Lebanese sovereignty over Shebaa Farms and nearby Israeli-held parts of Ghajjar village. For more details, LINK HERE.
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Syrian President's Top Advisor Assassinated
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Deadline Passes For Iran's Nukes
Two weeks ago the EU and US gave Iran a 2 week deadline to come to terms on Iran's nuclear program and uranium enrichment. That deadline now approaches on Saturday, Aug 2. The Iranian Foreign Minister on Thursday denied that there was a deadline and that his country had already replied to the concessions offer made by the west. The reply was "no deal." Western leaders however gave a two-week period for Iranian leaders to respond and or reconsider, before the group pushes onward for new, harsher sanctions against Iran.
As the deadline approached, oil prices rose by $1 a barrel in a jittery oil market after taking a sustained nose dive for the past 3 weeks when Oil prices peaked at just under $150 a barrel on July 11. (7-11). Friday trading in oil had the price hovering just under $127 a barrel. For more details on the deadline and oil price reactions, LINK HERE. UPDATED STORY --- LINK HERE
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EU Goes Soft on Iran
Won't Hold To 2 Week Deadline
Secretary of State, Condi Rice gave Iran two weeks to respond to the offer to not to proceed with pushing for new, harsher sanctions in exchange for halting uranium enrichment. Rice gave the two week deadline on July 19, after Iran abruptly walked away from a Geneva negotiating conference in which the US sent a diplomatic observer. Iran's Foreign Minister has responded saying that Iran had already given its response at the talks. On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Ayatollah gave a sermon in which he announced that Iran would not halt its nuclear program nor freeze uranium enrichment production.
In the meantime, EU diplomats are responding by stating that there is no two-week deadline, emphasizing that the EU can be more patient in waiting for a few more days for an Iranian response. For more details, LINK HERE.
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Israel Ready To Attack Iran
Without USA's Permission
The Russian newspaper, Pravda - accuses Israel of finishing its preparations for war with Iran, without America's permission. The Pravda article also accuses the US of using Israel to play 'dirty tricks' on Russia. For the Pravda story, LINK HERE.
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Olmert's Successor:
Top 4 Candidates
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Who Will Succeed Olmert
And For How Long?
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Poll: Livni Leads Mofaz
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Poll: Livni Would Beat Netanyahu
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Obama Privately Tells Dems
Israel Will Likely Strike Iran
If Sanctions Fail
In a private briefing on Tuesday, the Democratic Party's Presidential Nominee briefed Congressional Democrats on the results of his one week trip overseas. According to ABC-News and a Congressional staffer who attended, Obama told Democrats that while no one in Israel told him, he picked up the feeling that "if the sanctions don't work (against Iran) Israel is going to strike Iran."
This week, Israel's Defense Minister, Ehud Barak met with Pentagon officials and Vice President Cheney. At the weekend, Israel's top intelligence chief returned to Washington for further briefings with US intelligence officials concerning Iran's nuclear program. It is clear now, that the entire Israeli government is alarmed at the US diplomatic efforts to compromise with Iran. Israeli leaders fear that the US will go soft on Iran and allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, which is a situation Israel simply cannot accept.
There are reports that many military leaders are near the point of panic in expectations of an Iranian nuclear weapon. For more on the ABC-News report about Obama's comments, LINK HERE.
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Obama Intend To Outlaw Guns
Reverse 2nd Amendment
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Cheney & Neo-cons Debated A
False-Flag Attack To Start WW4
Pulitzer-prize winning author, Seymour Hersh claims that Vice President Cheney and a group of neo-cons once discussed the idea of creating a "false-flag" incident in the Strait of Hormuz to trigger WW4 that would become a religious war to eradicate Islam. More on this story, including a video soundbite, LINK HERE.
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Islamic Leader Says...
Prayers on Temple Mount Declare War
An Islamic leader in charge of Jerusalem's Temple Mount says that Jews and Christians who pray at the Temple Mount are effectively delcaring war. He stated that any non-Muslim "who seeks such an approach is really seeking a religous war." He claims the Temple Mount is an exclusively Muslim site and that Jews and Christians should not even want to pray there. More details, LINK HERE.
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North American Union Plan Dies
No Amero Coming
The mastermind behind the idea of Mexico, Canada and the US merging into an EU of North America now says that his brainchild idea is dead and blames both the left-wing and right-wing idealogues. More details, LINK HERE.
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Iran Prez Denies Bomb Building
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC-TV news anchor Brian Williams in a television interview that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons and that his country would respond positively to a new approach from the United States. The Iranian leader told the NBC-TV news anchor that he sees a "new behavior" by the United States but he wonders if the new behavior is rooted in a new approach. More details, LINK HERE.
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Iran Says Oil to $500
Iran's OPEC minister warns that if political tensions are not resolved, oil prices could reach the $500 level. Details, LINK HERE.
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Iran Snubbed by SCO
Didn't Consider Iran Membership
in Shanghai Cooperative Organization
Will Remain an Observer
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Oil Prices Drop Dramatically in July
Oil prices have dropped dramatically during July from the record prices of near $150 a barrel. Oil prices reached $122 on Tuesday on signs that gasoline demand has dropped by a third as Americans drive fewer miles. More details on oil trends. LINK HERE.
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US Terror Alert Levels May Rise
As the U.S. enters the election season, federal officials are stepping up counter-terror programs as concern mounts that Al Qaeda may try to mount a spectacular attack this fall during very high profile events.
Of particular concern to security experts - the two political conventions and of course the November elections, themselves as well as next year's Inaugural celebrations in Washington, D.C.
Another concern though that is not getting coverage is concern that should shooting start between Iran and Israel or the US, Iranian sleeper cells planted in the continental United States would spring into action and perhaps trigger major chaos around the nation.
ABC-TV News reports on concerns by the Department of Homeland Security. ABC reports that Homeland Security is quietly declaring a Period of Heightened Alert or POHA. In this period, DHS officials think terrorists will have a greater reason for launching a spectacular attack. The POHA time frame would run from now and continue for the next 12 months.
Perhaps this POHA accidentally coincides with other warnings issued by lawmakers and pundits alike who've noted that Al Qaeda has tested each of the last two presidents during their first year in office. In 1993, Clinton was tested by the first, failed attack on the World Trade Center. Obviously, 9-11 occured during Bush's first year in office. This factor and the possibility of a war involving Iran are probably the real motivating reasons for the DHS contemplating a POHA.
For more on this story, LINK HERE.
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Turkey Rocked by Terror Bomb
17 Killed - Blamed on Kurds
LINK
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UK Pushes for Big Brother Laws
Wants To Monitor Everything, Even All E-mails
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UFO Researcher Says...
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Aliens Have Bases On Earth
UFO researcher Timothy Good, a noted worldwide authority on UFOs because of his close government connections and ability to document and obtain government reports says that extraterrestrials have established bases on Earth.
The BBC provides coverage for this story, and is the second major UFO story in a week to grab mainstream media coverage, although the only TV News outlet to provide any UFO focus has been CNN's Larry King show. King has done several shows this year on the UFO issue by interviewing scientists, military officers, airline pilots, air traffic controllers and civilians along with various UFO video files. It would seem that there is a subtle move afoot to slowly bring the subject back into public consciousness. For more details on the latest BBC story, LINK HERE.
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Total Solar Eclipse
The sun, earth, and moon conducted another ritual dance of eclipse on August 1, 2008. The occult world (including Illuminists) place great value on such astronomical events, believing that such events hold great occult power that can be used to advance the goals of a New World Order. It remains to be seen if or how the Illuminists might try to use this latest eclipse sign for their globalist agenda. There is also a lunar eclipse coming on August 16. For more on the solar eclipse, itself, LINK HERE.
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Russia Moves To Make Food A Weapon
The Russian government is moving to take control of grain exports in an effort to use food as a diplomatic weapons, much like it uses natural gas exports to Europe. More details, LINK HERE.
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Wal-Mart Goes Republican?
The world's retail super-giant, Wal-Mart has been warning its management including thousands of store managers in the United States that if the Democrats win in November, Wal-Mart will face unionization problems that could damage the company. Wal-Mart executives have been holding meetings with store managers to explain how unions would harm Wal-Mart employees. The top-level meetings talk about how unions would harm employees by forcing high union dues but getting nothing in return plus the risk of strikes that would reduce their income and could reduce the number of jobs.
Wal-Mart is not the only company concerned about a new push for unionization in America. The Laundry company, Cintas Corp. is another large company already fighting attempts against unionization. LINK HERE.
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Son of Top Hamas Leader
Converts To Christianity
Hopes Father Will Convert
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