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JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians throwing rocks after Muslim prayers at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Friday. It was not immediately clear what set off the confrontation at the shrine sacred to both Jews and Muslims. However, there have been heightened tensions in recent days, with rumors circulating among Palestinian activists that far right Israelis are trying to gain entry to Muslim-controlled areas at the site. The rumors were false, according to Israeli police. Violence has repeatedly erupted in the past at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits atop the remains of the two biblical Jewish temples. It is the most sacred site in Judaism and is Islam’s third-holiest site. The shrine looms large in the rival narratives of Israelis and Palestinians, and any perceived attempt to change the delicate division of control there quickly sets off protests. Friday’s incident began after Muslim noon prayers. Hundreds of worshippers emerging from the two mosques in the walled compound staged a demonstration protesting the rumored plans by far right activists to enter the shrine. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said hundreds of worshippers threw rocks at police, who fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd. Najeh Bkeirat, a Muslim official at the scene, said demonstrators began throwing stones after police tried to stop their march. Rosenfeld said 11 officers were lightly hurt by rocks. Bkeirat said about 30 Palestinians were treated at the scene for light injuries from tear gas inhalation and scuffles. Rosenfeld said no tear gas was fired and that four Palestinians were arrested.

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Israeli Police Clash with Palestinians at ‘Dome of the Rock’

While Americans have been bombarded with Republican debates, most would argue that they haven’t been bombarded with, well, substance. Lackluster questions, vocal crowds, and candidates allowing moderators to set the premise of discussions have made the debates devolve into bickering and one-liners. The question of national security is at the forefront of Americans’ minds because of increased tensions with Iran, high gas prices, and the growing scandal of “Fast & Furious.” Speaking of “Fast & Furious,” one of the biggest disappointments of the debate this week was that there wasn’t a single question concerning that program. Considering the debate was held in Arizona, where the program originated, one would think that CNN would have wanted to include that in the topics of the evening. Unfortunately, the candidates didn’t think to bring it up, either, in any of the foreign policy discussions. Each of the candidates had their headline moment in the debate, but the true star of the debate seemed to be the media . As Joel Pollak pointed out , CNN’s John King had multiple moments of manipulation during the debate. King turned an audience question about Iran to a question of how to deal with Israel: Then King made the bold assumption that Americans don’t care about what’s going on in the world “until they have to.” But the candidates did bring some content to the table in the area of foreign policy in what could be the last GOP debate. BreitbartTV collected some of the highlights, and we will list them here for your convenience to compare and contrast the candidates’ viewpoints. Dr. Ron Paul : Senator Rick Santorum : Governor Mitt Romney: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich:

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Foreign Policy Highlights of the GOP Debate

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com . City of Homs in Syria braces for bloody assault Terrorism drops in Iraq, as Al-Qaeda in Iraq moves to Syria International Red Cross negotiates with Syria for cease fire Tumultuous Greek bailout meeting continues long into the night Egypt to help with Gaza power shortages City of Homs in Syria braces for bloody assault Syrian Army tanks at entrance to Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, preparing for assault (AFP) Syria’s city of Homs has been a center of resistance to the regime of president Bashar al-Assad for months, but now the regime is massing tanks and troops outside the Baba Amr neighborhood, the the major opposition stronghold, apparently in preparation for a major bloody assault. According to a human rights activist, “The human loss is going to be huge if they retake Baba Amr.” Daily Star (Beirut) Terrorism drops in Iraq, as Al-Qaeda in Iraq moves to Syria Last week, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper told Congress that Syria’s opposition was being infiltrated by militants from Al-Qaeda in Iraq. That statement has been indirectly confirmed by Iraq officials, who say that terrorist violence in Iraq has dropped sharply, as Al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists leave Iraq for Syria. This is particularly true in Ninewah province, which borders Syria, and its capital city, Mosul. According to a provincial security officer, “Violence is down in Mosul, maybe one or two operations per day, sometimes none. … I can say that violence is down more than 50 percent since autumn of 2011, and much more than that if compared with an earlier date, like autumn of 2010.” McClatchy International Red Cross negotiates with Syria for cease fire The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been conducting “bilateral and confidential” negotiations with the regime of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad to “[explore] several possibilities for delivering urgently needed humanitarian aid” in contested areas in Syria.” This would mean a “cessation of fighting” for two hours a day and “facilitating access for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the ICRC.” Irish Times Tumultuous Greek bailout meeting continues long into the night IMF chief Christine Lagarde looks down her nose at Greece PM Lucas Papademos on Monday in Brussels (AFP) At this writing on Monday evening (early morning in Brussels), the Eurogroup — eurozone finance ministers — are locked in tumultuous negotiations on approval of a new bailout for Greece. According to the “Kick the Can Theory” that I proposed last year, the ministers will not make any firm decision unless absolutely necessary, but will agree to the minimum necessary to kick the can down the road. Thus, some sort of bailout has to be agreed now, or there won’t be time to avoid a “disorderly default” on Greece debt on March 20. The Eurogroup has presented Greece with a 40-page list of austerity demands, many of which are previous commitments that Greece never fulfilled. These demands include privatizations of lucrative refineries, the gas monopoly, the gaming monopoly, etc., that have been prevented by powerful labor unions. Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager is demanding that Greece accept permanent oversight by the troika — the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund: “When you look at the derailments in Greece, which have occurred several times now, it’s probably necessary that there’s some kind of permanent presence of the troika in Athens. Not every three months, but more permanent.” Life is becoming desperately bad for many Greeks, and further austerity demands will make things worse. Nobody in Athens or Brussels believes that any problems will be solved with this bailout, that the crisis in Greece won’t continue, or that lives of Greek people will get anything but much worse. The can is being kicked down the road again, and everyone dreads where that road is leading Europe. Al-Jazeera Egypt to help with Gaza power shortages In a reversal from a policy adopted by Egypt’s deposed leader Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has agreed to supply electricity to Gaza to help end the territory’s frequent blackouts. Mubarak had sided with Israel in enforcing a Gaza blockade that led to fuel shortages. However, since taking over last year, Egypt’s new rulers have eased Gaza’s isolation. Egypt plans to gradually increase the Gaza power supply, both by sending more power from Egypt and by repairing the power plant, and to hook up Gaza to the regional grid. AP

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21-Feb-12 World View: Tumultuous Greek Bailout Meeting Continues Long Into the Night

When President Bush stated the case for pre-emptive war, he was roundly denounced.  That denunciation became full-scale blowback when we failed to find massive rooms full of WMDs in Iraq (although there were clearly WMDs in Iraq in some quantity).  Here was Bush’s basic justification for the war in Iraq: “if we let up, we’ll be attacked … I can assure you [the terrorists], who would like to attack us again, have got plenty of patience and persistence. And the question is, will we?” We have our answer now.  And it’s no.  We didn’t have the patience; we elected Barack Obama president of the United States because we didn’t have the patience.  We didn’t have the intestinal fortitude.  And now Islamists all over the Middle East have been emboldened.  And, just as President Bush predicted, we’re going to have to fight them over here now. That fact became eminently clear yesterday , with Israeli and American officials announcing that they had raised their security levels to fight Iranian terror around the globe.  In New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, security presence surrounding Israeli sites is up.  It’s also up at non-Israeli Jewish sites around the country.  And while anti-Semites may not believe it, Jewish Americans are still Americans – which means that American citizens are being threatened on American soil. This is what happens when you hand Islamists moral victories.  President Obama pulled precipitously out of Iraq, turning it into an Iranian proxy state-in-progress.  He backed the Libyan uprising, turning Libya from a horrific dictatorship that did not threaten us into an Islamist state that does threaten our interests.  He supported the Egyptian revolution, which replaced an American ally with an American enemy focused on blackmailing the United States for money by threatening to break off the Egyptian treaty with Israel. So now we’re fighting them over here.  Whether or not you agreed with the war in Iraq, the fact is that threats to the American homeland decreased exponentially while we were fighting it.  Now that it’s over, the threat of worldwide terrorism is up once more.  And it’s much harder to defend against a terrorist attack than to kill a terrorist on the battlefield.

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Iran Aggression Vindicates Bush Doctrine

I was born to a Jewish mother and father. My mother’s maiden name was Goldberg, and her parents, my grandparents, Yetta and Louis, emigrated to the United States from Poland and Lithuania. The grandparents on my father’s side, Freda and Isadore Klayman, hail from the Ukraine. All of my grandparents fled their native countries to escape anti-Semitic persecution and build a new life in the land of liberty and freedom, the United States. It’s an American story. When I was a young boy, I worked during school vacations in my father’s and grandfather’s meat packing plant in Philadelphia, which is where we all lived. At lunch, Isadore would take me out to lunch to the nearby Horn and Hardart’s restaurant, where over my usual meal of a chopped hamburger steak and baked beans, “Izzy” would educate me about my religious roots and his deep personal relationship with God. Izzy told me how when my father was away in the Far East as a soldier during World War II, that as he was lying near death in the hospital after a series of nervous breakdowns, God spoke to him and saved his life so he could build a successful business and care for his family. My grandfather, although Jewish to the core, had a personal relationship with God more akin to an evangelical preacher than the more formal relationship most fellow Jews enjoy. So it came to pass that I asked him one day if he believed in Jesus Christ. And, his answer caught me by surprise. “Grandson, God can do anything he wants. If he wanted to make Jesus his son, then he could have done so.” Indeed, in his heart, Izzy believed in Jesus. When he had passed through Ellis Island from the Ukraine as a young boy, the immigration officer asked him for his birthday. Since it was not unusual that Jews from this part of the world did not know their birthday – Izzy being one of them – he told the man that he would choose Dec. 25, Jesus’ birthday, adding, “If it’s good enough for Christ, its good enough for me!” Izzy was a great man, my hero. But more importantly, he planted in me the seed that would eventually grow into my becoming a full-fledged Jewish Christian. As I grew older, I too was fortunate, as I have written about before , to have God “speak” to me directly through his son Jesus. The first time occurred during the height of the Clinton scandals, just after my grandmother, Yetta, had died. I was going through a difficult personal and professional period in my life. On my grandfather’s and not coincidentally Jesus’ birthday, Christmas Day, the King of Kings came to me as I was standing tall and about ready to pray in a church, “My Mother of Victory,” in Georgetown, with my two young children, Isabelle and Lance. Jesus comforted me and told me that he exists and I could fully accept him into my life. The second time occurred about a year-and-a-half ago, again during a down period when I had almost died in a car wreck and was feeling thoroughly disgusted by our corrupt legal system. Again, Jesus came to me, saying that I should look forward and not back, be the revolutionary that He wants me to be. Even if I would pay a price for it (indeed, Jesus was the ultimate revolutionary and He paid the ultimate price), I should do so in His name. These conversations with the Lord were not in words, but thoughts, and I knew each time that the “thoughts” were coming from Him. They so uplifted me and infected my entire body with warm, loving emotion, coming out of the blue, that I knew who was communicating with me. My faith in Jesus and God was no longer based on reason or learning. I had, like my grandfather before me, experienced God’s hand “first hand.” With all of the trials and tribulations I had gone through over the years, fighting for justice and freedom in my own way and having scored a number of successes, Jesus’ coming to me when I needed him most was the greatest success; in fact, it was the greatest gift. Today, I have much more than just a deep pride that I am both a Jew and a Christian. Indeed, we are really one people – in my mind there is no distinction. Marty Goetz, a friend who was also born Jewish and became a gifted messianic gospel singer, puts it best in one of his songs: Jesus, in Hebrew, Yeshua, “was the greatest Jew there ever was!” Israel is the home of the greatest Jew there ever was, and perhaps that is just one reason I have come to so love this land. With the world and our nation coming apart at the seams, the Holy Land remains the place where it all began and, if we are not vigilant, where it will end. Over the last days, I have been watching the famous movie, “Exodus,” with actor Paul Newman. It depicts the beautiful story of how modern-day Israel came to exist, how our people, following the horrors of the Holocaust, fought their way back and returned to their promised land, with great sacrifice in “blood, sweat and tears.” It shows how Jews will never again be put in a vulnerable situation where they could cease to exist as a nation. With the guidance, intervention and divinity of the “greatest Jew there ever was,” this will not happen. The lyrics to the theme song in “Exodus,” written by my friend, actor and singer Pat Boone, say it all with great emotion: “This land, this land I love is mine.” But we as humans, being the revolutionaries Jesus wants us to be, must do all that we can to save our promised land. We cannot allow our President, Barack Hussein Obama – with his now not too latent anti-Semitic and pro-Muslim policies and actions implemented by the equally ethically compromised Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State – to join with radical Islamists to destroy our land of Israel. That “We the People” must ourselves do whatever we can to preserve the Jewish state is beyond question. Not just our “mullah in chief,” but nearly all of our political “leaders” have been nearly indifferent to the looming threat from Iran, which, now, due to Democrat and Republican inaction and stupidity – Iran, not Iraq, should have been our military focus – likely possesses the nuclear capability to do what not even Hitler could not have accomplished. For if the land of Israel ever ceased to exist – this land we love and which brought us Jesus – then we, too, will perish! With the help of our Lord and Savior, I for one will do all I can to not let this happen! You, too, should join with the greatest Jew there ever was to save our land – the promised land to both Jews and Christians. We are one people under God, and, in addition to the United States, the land of Israel is ours!

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The Land of Israel Is Ours to Defend

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com . Iran’s supreme leader responds to threats of Israeli attack 200 people reported killed in Homs Syria on eve of U.N. vote Debka: West, Turkey, Arabs infiltrate Syria to topple Assad Monday euro meeting cancelled as Greece bailout talks fail Iran’s supreme leader responds to threats of Israeli attack Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Thursday’s statement by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that he believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June has drawn a sharp reaction from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: “You see every now and then in this way they say that all options are on the table. That means even the option of war. This is how they make these threats against us. “Well, these kinds of threats are detrimental to the U.S. The war itself will be 10 times as detrimental to the U.S. The Zionist regime is really the cancerous tumor of this region and it needs to be removed and will be removed.” There have been several cycles of escalating rhetoric between Iran on the one hand and Israel and the U.S. on the other. Whether this leads to war remains to be seen. CNN 200 people reported killed in Homs Syria on eve of U.N. vote More than 200 people were reported kills in Homs, Syria, on Thursday, as the United Nations Security Council, tries to reach agreement on a resolution condemning the violence in Syria. Russia, which sells arms to Syria and has a naval base in Syria, has indicated that it will veto any proposed resolution that actually says anything. Guardian Debka: West, Turkey, Arabs infiltrate Syria to topple Assad According to Debka’s subscriber-only newsletter (sent to me by a subscriber), the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar are currently in the midst of a clandestine operation to topple president Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Their intelligence agencies are pitching different groups of generals in Syria’s army, many of whom are reached through their ethnic, tribal, religious, clan or class affiliations. ” The pitch is simple: It is past time to stop the cruel butchery devastating Syria before the country slides into civil war or breaks up into warring cantons. The only way to halt the bloodbath is for the army to march on Damascus, evict the Assad family regime and install a military government to hold the reins for the transition to civilian rule and national elections They are reached through diverse channels: Targeted officers are surprised by calls to their unlisted private phone numbers or their command centers through military communications networks. Some are reached by email; others find undercover couriers turning up on their doorsteps at home.” The objective is to spearhead a military coup. “This stratagem is seen by our military and intelligence sources as more analogous to the American covert tactic for toppling Saddam Hussein in 2003 than the anti-Qaddafi operation five months ago. The CIA prepared the way for the US invasion of Iraq by subverting the Iraqi generals and colonels responsible for the defense of Baghdad to make sure they abstained from resisting the invasion. American agents worked through those officers’ expatriate relatives living in the US and Iraqi officers recruited before the war.” According to the report, both Syria and Iran are fully aware of this plan, and are preparing for military action. Debka Soooooo, let’s keep score: A covert attack on Syria, a possible Israeli attack on Iran, utter chaos in Egypt and Yemen. What does that add up to? Monday euro meeting cancelled as Greece bailout talks fail I’ve been getting a headache listening to various European officials these last two weeks saying that a final deal on the next Greek bailout was “nearly complete” or “one step away” or “a couple of days away” or “almost in hand.” These same statements were repeated day after day, and now over two weeks have slipped by, and there’s no deal. A major stumbling block is the recent realization that the old €130 billion bailout amount is too little, and at least €15 billion more are needed. The Netherlands and Germany don’t want to pay any more, the investors don’t want to lose any more, and the European Central Bank (ECB) still doesn’t want to lose anything. Meanwhile, Greece’s unions don’t want any layoffs or salary reductions or even a reduction in the minimum wage. So all these negotiators have apparently been in a room this past two weeks arguing about the same things over and over. The meetings are continuing into the weekend, but the EU has scrapped a planned Monday meeting of the eurozone finance ministers, to give the negotiators “a few more days” to come up with a deal. Irish Times

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4-Feb-12 World View: Threats of War in Iran and Syria

Iran has been working on its nuclear weapons program for years. The west has been trying to convince Iran to back off its nuclear intentions for years. Through diplomatic efforts and through increasingly severe sanctions, the west has been trying to make its point. But defiant Iran is not getting the point and is refusing to stop its nuclear program. Now Washington and Europe are trying to up the stakes with the EU move to impose an oil embargo and sanctions on Iran’s central bank. With the new sanctions in place, no EU member state can sign a contract to import crude oil or refined petroleum from Iran. In addition, the EU has introduced a range of financial restrictions, including freezing assets held in Europe by the Iranian Central Bank. Israel has been calling for such measures for more than two years. Even now with the new embargo it will take another 6 months for it to be fully enforced. Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday that by the time the embargo will be enforced Iran will possess a nuclear bomb. Iran is likely to turn to other countries to cover up for the loss of sales of almost 600,000 barrels of oil per day to the EU, 24% of its total exports. In anticipation the US is now looking at Africa to help increase the pressure on Iran. US diplomats and lobbyists are stepping up pressure to reduce African commercial ties to Iran as part of a growing global push to squeeze Tehran.  The US is talking to its allies in Africa in Uganda, in South Africa, in Angola and more to join the embargo and cut ties with Iran. Now, African countries that once were viewed as distant from the conflict with Iran are getting drawn into the sanctions effort. President Obama said in regard to EU’s sanctions that it “demonstrate once more the unity of the international community in addressing the serious threat presented by Iran’s nuclear program”. The rise of Islam across the Arab world is a blessing and a curse for Iran. As an Islamic regime it welcomes the rise of Islam. In the quest for Islamic global domination Iran is putting aside the differences between its Shiite version of Islam and Egypt’s Sunni’s version. But on the other hand an Islamic regime in Egypt is a threat to Iran’s leadership position in the region. While the west is constantly offering a way out for Iran through talks and negotiation, Iran is not likely to choose that option. The question is will Iran take severe action as a result of these sanctions, one that could escalate the situation dramatically? The radical Islamic regime in Iran armed with one nuclear weapon is a threat to the whole world. Iran has become a martyrdom-obsessed state run by religious fanatics bent on spreading Shiite Islam throughout the world. The religious belief in Iran calls for chaos before the arrival of the hidden Imam, also known as the 12 th Imam. Difficult as it may be for Western leaders to comprehend, Ahmedinejad believes he is on a messianic mission to create the apocalyptic chaos necessary to lay the foundations for the Coming of the 12th Imam or Mahdi and the establishment of a global Islamic caliphate. A nuclear weapon will serve this purpose. This threat can be contained only if the world works together to do it. From the US to Europe and Africa, from Uganda to China, for these economic sanctions to work they must cripple the Iranian economy and bring the end of the fanatical Ayatollahs regime. Let’s hope it’s not too late.

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Severe Sanctions on Iran: Too Little, Too Late?

If it is so difficult to explain, it probably isn’t true. Barack Obama’s re-election campaign has produced a video over seven minutes long featuring praise for the president from Israeli leaders. The intent is to convince pro-Israel voters, and Jews in particular, to ignore the evidence of the past three years and support Obama once again. (Jewish voters are a small but significant factor in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Florida; thus far the most noteworthy Jewish contribution to the 2012 campaign has been a large donation by billionaire Sheldon Adelson to Republican Newt Gingrich’s Super PAC.) The video uses old and unrelated footage, including scenes from Obama’s visit to Israel during his 2008 presidential campaign (he has not visited since). Israeli leaders–including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu–are misleadingly depicted as if they are endorsing Obama’s re-election, when in fact they were addressing the media on other occasions. Israeli leaders are hardly wont to criticize any U.S. president. For example, Israeli ambassador Michael Oren was critical of candidate Obama during the 2008 campaign, noting numerous differences between Obama and his opponent: “[John] McCain’s priorities are unlikely to ruffle the U.S.-Israel relationship; Obama’s are liable to strain the alliance, especially if, as recent polls predict, Netanyahu and the Likud return to power.” Once appointed to represent Israel, Oren sought opportunities to praise Obama’s performance. That is what allies typically do–except Obama, who has repeatedly rebuked Israel and its leaders. Netanyahu finally responded, politely but firmly, in a media appearance at the White House that is not excerpted in the Obama campaign video, but etched in the memory of voters: Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz  tried to use Netanyahu’s visit to declare the Israel issue off the table in the 2012 elections–a sign that Democrats know how weak their candidate is on the issue. Republicans swiftly, and correctly, declined. The issue emerged in last fall’s historic special election in New York’s 9th congressional district, which was won by a Republican for the first time in nearly ninety years. Part of the problem Democrats face is that their own party’s think tanks and media machines are attempting to disrupt U.S. support for Israel –often using extreme, bigoted language. The Obama administration has been forced to distance itself from Democratic Party organizations like the Center for American Progress, whose anti-Israel views have provoked controversy . The Israel issue, traditionally one on which both parties have agreed, will continue to be a source of contention in 2012. Look for Republicans to produce their own videos soon. If not more effective, they are certainly likely to be shorter: they have a simpler story to tell.

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Obama Campaign Uses Old, Unrelated Footage in Attempt to Convince Voters He Is Pro-Israel

Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, recently visited Lebanon to probe recent Hezbollah claims that dozens of CIA assets were compromised in Lebanon. According to GeoStrategy Direct.com , “officials said Hezbollah exploited CIA mistakes to track and identify U.S. operatives in Lebanon. They said that paid Lebanese informants, including Hezbollah members, formed two espionage cells, which were later exposed by double agents. In June, Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah announced the arrest of three suspected CIA informants.” That was June. But later in November, Iran also claimed that at least a dozen CIA operatives were captured in the Persian state. Parviz Sorouri , a member of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, stated that “the US and Zionist regime’s espionage apparatuses were trying to damage Iran both from inside and outside with a heavy blow, using regional intelligence services.” This news comes during a time when U.S. citizen and combat veteran Amir Mirzaei Hekmati admitted working for the CIA while being held in Iranian custody—a claim likely made by false confessions based on Iranian torture. Politicians and the CIA all conclude that, indeed, assets were compromised in Lebanon; they were likely compromised in Iran as well. More interesting is the fact that at least one of those assets is likely talking to Iranian intelligence. The recent killing of nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan demonstrates this. Last week, the Commerce Deputy of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan , was assassinated. Iran’s propaganda machine immediately went to work claiming that the CIA, Mossad, and UK clandestine services took part in the killing.   Their propaganda was intended to hide an incredibly dreary reality. In today’s early morning hours, an e-mail was delivered from a source (name must remain undisclosed as his life would be placed in jeopardy if revealed) operating in the Middle East with deep infiltrated human intelligence (HUMINT) operations inside one of Iran’s greatest assets–Hezbollah. Within, it claimed that “the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) conducted the assassination of Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan”—not the CIA, Mossad, or any other foreign service. The insight continued stating that the “Iranians discovered that Roshan was linked to the network of the 12 CIA agents arrested in Iran and proceed with the rest of the arrests accordingly while diverting the media coverage through blaming the West.” If this were true, have more than twelve CIA assets been arrested in Iran? Could these additional assets include Amir Mirzaei Hekmati? A few key points must be covered before anyone takes such insight to heart. The source who provided this morning’s insight works extremely close with foreign intelligence assets in their own country. This comes from a government intelligence operator who is friends with the United States and Israel. With that, some questions need answers. Could those foreign assets have possibly dropped this newly discovered intelligence into the hands of the individual who delivered such message earlier this morning as an attempt to keep the international community at bay for the deliberate targeted killing of a nuclear scientist inside Iran? If so, it begs the question needed to determine still whether a foreign state has been involved in recent explosions and assassinations of Iranian nuclear assets. If a foreign asset is later found not involved in the assassinations of key Iranian nuclear scientists and the revelations presented this morning are actually true, will the international community slam the hammer on Iran for additional human rights violations? That is highly unlikely; however, will the international community warn the people of Iranian about the unprecedented risks working directly within the Iranian nuclear industry which stems not from foreign entities rather Iran itself? Could such a play re-spark an internal revolution as seen in 2009 with the Iranian Green Movement? Most importantly, the Director of National Intelligence, along with U.S. policy makers, must understand that source handling and tradecraft is utterly broken within the U.S. clandestine services. Having two cells of at least a dozen U.S. assets compromised in Lebanon and Iran is an utter failure and, truthfully, a disgrace within the U.S. Intelligence Community. Knowing this tragedy, which publicly includes a combat veteran Marine, who in the U.S. elite will determine enhanced tradecraft training for HUMINT operations must be brought back into the Intelligence Community similarly to the training conducted during the peak of the Cold War? Can such enhanced techniques be brought back to life during a time when the defense budget is about to be crippled? Lastly, in observing these blunders, will the United States be more determined in reducing an already broken HUMINT discipline moving to the more risk adverse technical intelligence disciplines, or will the United States realize that human intelligence is critical in detecting, defeating, and destroying today’s asymmetric threat? If they determine the latter, the U.S. needs a dramatic overhaul within its intelligence community. No matter who killed Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, be it the Iranians or a foreign service, flaws are now known within U.S. clandestine operations. U.S. assets have been compromised. At least one combat veteran’s life rests in the hands of the Iranians. Propaganda is being pushed from all sides of the house and no one knows the immanency of war with Iran. As Rambo once said, “peace is an accident, war is natural. Old men start it, young men fight it, everybody in the middle dies, and nobody tells the truth.” Kerry Patton, a combat service disabled veteran, is a senior analyst for WIKISTRAT and owner of IranWarMonitor.com .  He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, focusing on intelligence and security and interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban.  He is the author of Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies and the children’s book American Patriotism .  You can follow him on Facebook .

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Sources Claim Iran Killing Its Own Scientists, Not CIA or Mossad

For 4 decades America could count on Egypt as a reliable ally in managing Middle East affairs. For 4 decades American military aid guaranteed Egyptian government would stick by its western allies. Well that chapter in history is over and a new chapter begins. As Islamic movements grab power across the Middle East, the US can no longer count on Egypt as a reliable ally. When Mubarak`s regime began to sway in the wake of the events in Tunisia a year ago, the US had well-developed relations with the Egyptian military. When Mubarak resisted American suggestions to make concessions, regarding that as foreign interference, US leaders demanded he give up power. Within weeks protesters were back in the streets and this time the revolution became Islamic. Egypt:  allies no more… The Islamic parties, the Muslim Brotherhood together with the more radical Salafi Islamic movement, have won more than 60% of the votes in Egypt. They control the Parliament and will create an Islamic government. The Muslim Brotherhood which for years have been outlawed in Egypt as part of Mubarak’s attempt to stop radical Islam from taking over Egypt, has suddenly become very popular. Diplomats from all over the world are eager to connect with Egypt’s strongest political party. The US has quietly changed its policy about the brotherhood and Washington apparently accepts the Brotherhood’s claim that it wants an Egyptian government that will respect religious freedoms, free markets and international commitments, including Egypt’s treaty with Israel. But the US should listen carefully to what the Muslim Brotherhood is telling its own people, those that brought it to power. The deputy chief of the Muslim Brotherhood, Rashad alBayoumi, recently told the AlHayat newspaper of London that the Brotherhood is not required to recognize Israel, which he called an “occupying entity.” He won’t even meet with Israeli representatives. Islamism did not cause the Arab Spring. The region’s authoritarian governments had simply failed to deliver on their promises after a run of 40 years in power. But rather than bringing secular revolutionaries to power, the Arab Spring is producing flowers of a decidedly Islamist hue. The rise of Islamic movements in Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere threatens US’ short- and long-run goals, generating profound new challenges. As radical Islam takes root in the Middle East and Africa and the war against terror is shifting grounds, we need to enter this new chapter in history with open eyes. Military aid no longer guarantees cooperation. The US needs to choose its allies based on mutual interests and principles. Those that fight radical Islamic terror in the US, in Europe, in Israel and in Africa, need to do that together. Arab Spring has created a new reality – we need to accept that and move forward to ensure freedom remains intact.

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A New Chapter In Middle East History – A Time To Realign Allies