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The Alpha-Omega Report

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War Watch

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Geo-political & Diplomatic Developments

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Through February 7, 2010

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Editor's Note: This page deals with news stories concerning the geo-political and diplomatic developments in the Middle East as they relate to current military tension between Israel and her neighbors. We have separate pages dealing with military developments and news media analysis of the regional situation.

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday, February 7, ordered the Iranian nuclear program to begin high-grade uranium enrichment processing. The new higher grade processing could begin to stockpile uranium for weapons-grade material for nuclear weapons.

The go-ahead for high-grade production comes just after the Western powers turned down a last minute Iranian counter-compromise offer. The move to higher grade enrichment is a "red-line" which Israeli authorities have said Israel could not and would not tolerate. It remains to be seen what kind of response Israel will take to this latest Iranian move.

The Iranian move also violates 5 UN Security Council resolutions, but China and Russia continue to resist the call from America for a new round of punishing sanctions against Iran.

For more details, LINK HERE. Still more details, from the BBC, LINK HERE.

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Iran has announced its readiness to send abroad the bulk of its low-enriched uranium stocks in return for atomic fuel for its Tehran research reactor.

On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Tehran would welcome “honest” nuclear cooperation with other countries, indicating that Iran was prepared to participate in a nuclear swap.

More details, LINK HERE.

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Top Western diplomats and defense secretaries see Iran as exploiting the negotiating process to ward off new sanctions, while allowing its scientists to further develop highly enriched uranium, which can be used for nuclear weapons.

US and European officials at a gathering of the world’s top defense officials in Munich rejected statements from Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki late on Friday that Teheran was “approaching a final agreement.”

Mottaki attempted to revive a UN proposal in which Iran would swap enriched uranium for fuel rods to be used in its nuclear power plants, but with new Iranian conditions added to the plan.

German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said Iran’s tactics were a “transparent play for time.”

And German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he saw Teheran’s latest offer to settle the ongoing nuclear dispute as another sign of bad-faith bargaining. More details, LINK HERE.

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A-O Editor's Comment: This sudden shifting of positions by Iran may be due to Iranian fears of an impending Israeli war against Hezbolloah and Syria as tensions continue to simmer along Israel's northern border. It is also possible that the Iranian proposal is a diplomatic cover for launching a pre-emptive, sneak attack against Israel or it might just be a further continuation of its stalling tactics.

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U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut announced over the weekend that the world faces a tough choice between imposing sanctions on Iran to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program or else taking military action to put an end to Iran's nuclear ambititions.

Lieberman is the influential chairman of the Senate committee on homeland security. He was speaking a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that his country was ready to accept an international swap of uranium, but only under certain conditions.

"We have a choice here: to go to tough economic sanctions to make diplomacy work or we will face the prospect of military action against Iran," Lieberman told the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany over the weekend.

Top U.S. commanders are already working out how such a strike should be conducted, and although "no-one wants this to happen ... unless we together act strongly and do more than talk that is exactly what will happen," Lieberman said. More details, LINK HERE.

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British conservatives in the Tory party say they would support military action against Iran if the rogue state developed nuclear weapons, the shadow defence secretary has revealed. Full details, LINK HERE.

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Israel's Foreign Minister warned Syrian President Assad that if war breaks out between Israel and Syria, the Syrian leader will lose face and he along with his family will be forced out of power.

The Israeli Foreign Minister's remarks come one day after the Syrians warned that Israel was pushing the Middle East towards a new war.  More details, LINK HERE.

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Syrian President Assad said last week that Israel is not seriously interested in making peace with Syria because Israel's conduct is "leading the region into war." Assad's remarks came while meeting with Spain's Foreign Minister.

Just before meeting with the Spanish diplomat, Syria's Foreign Minister issued a strongly worded warning to Israel that a future war between Israel and Syrai would be a "comprehensive" clash that would "come to your cities," according to CBS News.

The Syrian remarks come just days after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that the stalled peace process with Syria could deteriorate into all-out war. Syria's Foreign Minister responded stating:

"Israel is indeed planting the seeds of war in the region, I would tell them stop playing the role of thugs in the Middle East. One day you threaten Gaza, next day you threaten Lebanon, later Iran and now Syria.

"Don't test, you Israelis, the determination of Syria. You know that war this time would move to your cities. Come to your senses and choose the road of peace. This path is clear."

"No doubt, if we assume that this war would erupt - and we should not exclude this possibility from an entity established on expansion - I would say it is going to be a comprehensive war, whether it starts in the south of Lebanon or from Syria."

For more details, LINK HERE.

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China's FM Urges Patience on Iran


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