Mideast News Spotlight for 9-20-9
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The A-O Report's
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Mideast News Spotlight
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For 9-20-9
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UN Secret Report Says
Iran Can Make Nuke Bomb Now
The UN's nuclear watchdog agency the IAEA has a secret annex to its report for the UN on Iran's nuclear program.The secret annex spills the beans on Iran's nuclear program, while the public report ignores the annex conclusions. The agency's secret report was leaked to the media this past week indicating that Iran has the capability to make a nuclear weapon. More details, LINK HERE. Additional details LINK HERE - Even more details, LINK HERE.
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Iran Advancing in Building
Medium Range Missiles
The National Security Advisor to President Obama, James L. Jones says that for now, Iran is concentrating on building "medium range" ballistici missiles. He notes that Iran has made greater progress on medium-range missile development than previously thought or anticipated. He says that Iran's medium range missiles could strike Western Europe and the Middle East using nuclear warheads. Jones' comments come as President Obama announced plans to scap a missile shield for eastern Europe and replace it with a different shield approach located closer to Iran.
For more on Jones' remarks, LINK HERE.
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Russian President Warns:
Israeli Attack on Iran Would Be:
"Worst Thing That Can Be Imagined"
According to a Reuters' news article, Israel has reportedly confided to Russian President Medvedev that Israel will not attack Iran. This revelation was made by the Russian leader in an interview with CNN on Sunday (9-20-9) The Russian leader told CNN that such an attack would be "the worst thing that can be imagined."
Medevedev reported that the Israeli pledge was made by Israel's President Shimon Peres when the two leaders met back in August. After that meeting, Peres told the media that Medvedev had promised to reconsider selling the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft defense systems to Iran.
During the CNN interview, Medvedev stated: "When he visited me in Sochi, Israeli President Peres said something important for us all: 'Israel does not plan to launch any strikes on Iran, we are a peaceful country and we will not do this'."
The Russian President went on to add:
"An attack would lead to "a humanitarian disaster, a vast number of refugees, Iran's wish to take revenge and not only upon Israel, to be honest, but upon other countries as well."
"But my Israeli colleagues told me that they were not planning to act in this way and I trust them."
Later in the CNN interview, Medvedev responded to a query about selling the S-300 air defense systems to Iran. Medvedev responded by saying that Russia has the right to sell defensive weapons to Iran. He also noted that sanctions are often ineffective and that there should be no sanctions imposed on Iran except as a last resort. Instead he believed that the changes for a new treaty to reduce strategic offensive weapons by the end of the year are "quite high" as President Obama is leading the effort at the UN this coming week.
For complete details on the Russian leader's remarks, LINK HERE.
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Iranian Nuclear-Weapon Program
Still Suspended,
U.S. Intel Agencies Assert
U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Iran's formal effort to design and build a nuclear weapon has remained suspended since 2003, but that Tehran is keeping open the option of reviving the program, Newsweek reported yesterday
This news comes amid conflicting reports from a secret IAEA annexed report indicating that Iran's nuclear weapons program is not only alive but now capable of producing a nuclear weapon and could complete a bomb within 2 months should it so desire. French intelligence now also confirms similarly. More details on the official US Intel stance, LINK HERE.
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Think Tank Warns:
Israel Will Attack Nuclear Iran
A well-respected international think-tank is warning that Israeli will attack a nuclear Iran at some point in the future. This think tank has a pretty good track record on predictions. More details, LINK HERE.
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Israel's Defense Chief Says
A Nuclear Iran Can't Destroy Israel
A nuclear-armed Iran would not be capable of destroying Israel, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday in remarks that departed from long-running Israeli arguments about the threat posed by its foe.
"Right now, Iran does not have a bomb. Even if it did, this would not make it a threat to Israel's existence. Israel can lay waste to Iran," Barak said in a transcript of a newspaper interview obtained by Reuters before publication Friday.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly sounded alarms over Iran's atomic ambitions, pointing at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's calls for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map" and support for Islamist guerrilla groups arrayed along Israel's borders.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a right-winger who brought the centre-left Barak into his coalition government, said he saw "eye to eye" with the Defence minister -- signalling a possible change in Israel's official rhetoric as world powers prepare to revive diplomatic engagement with Iran next month. More on Ehud Barak's remarks, LINK HERE. We'll also be providing further analysis in our next edition of The A-O Intelligence Digest.
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Iran Prez Predicts
Israel Won't Last Long
Denies Holocaust
It's becoming a regular routine for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to predict the demise of Israel and deny the Holocaust. This past week, amid a new flurry of speculation about war between Israel and Iran, President Ahmadinejad reiterated his prediction of Israel's impending demise and rejecting the history of the Holocaust.
The Iranian leader projects the notion of supreme confidence that Israel's demise is near. Such thinking rests upon a religious conviction that Islam's Allah will intervene with a 'messiah' to destroy Israel and reclaim the Holy Land for Islam. Ahmadinejad has also previously stated his belief that Iran will be the leading nation used by Allah to reclaim Palestine for Islam. For the Iranian leader, it's a dogmatic doctrine of Islamic prophecy in the Shiite sect of Islam.
His comments were made amid new reports that Iran is now in a position to build or may be building its first nuclear bomb as well as President Obama's announcement to cancel a missile shield for Europe and establish a missile shield closer to iran. It also comes as Iran and the West agree to meet on October 1 for "talks" on regional issues, though the Iranian leaders says it will not discuss halting its nuclear program. The agreement to talk, seemingly meets the G-20 demand that Iran begin talks on its nuclear program or face extremely harsh economic sanctions.
Next week, world leaders will gather for the annual conclave of the international community at the UN in New York. On the agenda will be a special hearing on nuclear disarmament with President Obama hosting the special discussion. The last part of September will be a jammed with international diplomacy that could set the stage for a Mideast peace conference or a military clash between Israel and Iran.
For the full story on Ahmadinejad's comments about Israel, LINK HERE.
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Wall Street Journal Says:
Obama Pushing Israel Towards War
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French Prez Says Iran
Working To Build Nukes
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Israeli Lawmaker Says:
Selling S-300's To Iran
Could Trigger Israeli Strike
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Iran & Venezuela May Become
Nuclear Weapons Partners
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has offered to host an Iranian nuclear plant in his country as a back up in case Iran's facilities are destroyed by military action.
Chavez is also looking to become a member of the nuclear weapons club and is building up his own military force with new purchases from Russia and China. For more on the Chavez offer to Iran, LINK HERE.
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Int'l Mideast Peace Summit in Doubt
Israel Rejects Preconditions
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Obama To Host Talks
With Netanyahu & Abbas
President Obama will hold a joint meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday just ahead of the UN General Assembly's annual convocation where world leaders will meet to discuss various issues. More on this 3-way summit, LINK HERE.
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Iraq Finds Cache of Iranian-made Rockets
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Protests Erupt Again in Tehran
More Clashes With Police
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