{"id":354799,"date":"2010-02-23T13:17:53","date_gmt":"2010-02-23T18:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"tag:blogs.rj.org,2010:\/rac\/\/2.2492"},"modified":"2010-02-23T13:47:14","modified_gmt":"2010-02-23T18:47:14","slug":"daily-alert-mideast-news-and-views","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/354799","title":{"rendered":"Daily Alert: Mideast News and Views"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>        I&#8217;ve always been an international news-enthusiast (some may say junkie &#8211; when cleaning up my childhood room a few months ago, I found articles clipped from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/\"><i>New York Times<\/i><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/home-page\">Wall Street Journal<\/a> that had fascinated me over the years). I have continued to enjoy keeping my finger on the pulse of the world, especially the Middle East. <\/p>\n<p>Navigating the morass of information available both in print and on the internet can be daunting, but I am a firm believer in synthesizing multiple perspectives and sources. Toward this aim, I subscribe to the <a href=\"http:\/\/\/\"><b>Daily Alert<\/b><\/a>, distributed by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.conferenceofpresidents.org\/index.asp\">Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.<br \/><\/a><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cstoogood%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conferenceofpresidents.org\/index.asp\"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"country-region\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"PlaceName\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"PlaceType\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"City\"><\/o:smarttagtype><\/a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n <w:WordDocument>\n  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>\n  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>\n  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>\n  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>\n  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>\n  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>\n  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>\n  <w:Compatibility>\n   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>\n   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>\n   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>\n   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>\n   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>\n  <\/w:Compatibility>\n  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel>\n <\/w:WordDocument>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\">\n <\/w:LatentStyles>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object \nclassid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=\"ieooui\"><\/object>\n\n\n<style>\nst1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }\n<\/style>\n\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<style>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n @font-face\n\t{font-family:Wingdings;\n\tpanose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;\n\tmso-font-charset:2;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Verdana;\n\tpanose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:swiss;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\n p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\n\tmargin:0in;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";}\na:link, span.MsoHyperlink\n\t{color:blue;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\na:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed\n\t{color:purple;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\np\n\t{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;\n\tmargin-right:0in;\n\tmso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;\n\tmargin-left:0in;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:8.5in 11.0in;\n\tmargin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;\n\tmso-header-margin:.5in;\n\tmso-footer-margin:.5in;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n \/* List Definitions *\/\n @list l0\n\t{mso-list-id:1545750813;\n\tmso-list-template-ids:1424777220;}\n@list l0:level1\n\t{mso-level-number-format:bullet;\n\tmso-level-text:\uf0b7;\n\tmso-level-tab-stop:.5in;\n\tmso-level-number-position:left;\n\ttext-indent:-.25in;\n\tmso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;\n\tfont-family:Symbol;}\nol\n\t{margin-bottom:0in;}\nul\n\t{margin-bottom:0in;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n\n<style>\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\n table.MsoNormalTable\n\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\n\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\n\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\n\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\n\tmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\n\tmso-para-margin:0in;\n\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:10.0pt;\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\n\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\n\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p>\n        The Conference of Presidents is a central coordinating body for the American Jewish community, representing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.conferenceofpresidents.org\/content.asp?id=55\">52 national Jewish agencies<\/a> from across political and religious spectra, including the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.urj.org\/\">Union for Reform Judaism<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Arriving at my inbox around 7am EST each morning, the Daily Alert is a digest compiled from a broad range of respected news sources. To all those interested in keeping abreast with the latest on Israel, <a href=\"http:\/\/action.rac.org\/t\/4234\/p\/dia\/action\/public\/?action_KEY=1127\">Iran<\/a>, and issues of importance to the world Jewish community, I recommend <a href=\"http:\/\/list-dailyalert.org\/daily-sub.html\">subscribing to the Daily Alert<\/a>. Below are some of the headlines and news summaries from today&#8217;s Daily Alert &#8211; I highly recommend signing up. And if you want to talk Mideast news and politics, drop me an <a href=\"mailto:lpiper-goldberg@rac.org\">email<\/a>!<span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy;\"><br \/><o:p><br \/><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<h1>\n<font color=\"#000099\" face=\"Arial, Verdana\"><br \/>\n<i><b>\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dailyalert.org\/\">DAILY ALERT<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/font><\/h1>\n<p><font color=\"#804000\" size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\"><\/p>\n<p><!-- CHANGE DATE DAILY --><\/p>\n<p><b>Tuesday, February 23, 2010<\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy;\"><o:p><br \/><\/o:p><\/span><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cstoogood%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"country-region\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"PlaceName\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"PlaceType\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"City\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"State\"><\/o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n <w:WordDocument>\n  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>\n  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>\n  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>\n  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>\n  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>\n  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>\n  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>\n  <w:Compatibility>\n   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>\n   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>\n   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>\n   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>\n   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>\n  <\/w:Compatibility>\n  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel>\n <\/w:WordDocument>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\">\n <\/w:LatentStyles>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object \nclassid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=\"ieooui\"><\/object>\n\n\n<style>\nst1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }\n<\/style>\n\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<style>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n @font-face\n\t{font-family:Wingdings;\n\tpanose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;\n\tmso-font-charset:2;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Verdana;\n\tpanose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:swiss;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\n p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\n\tmargin:0in;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";}\na:link, span.MsoHyperlink\n\t{color:blue;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\na:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed\n\t{color:purple;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\np\n\t{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;\n\tmargin-right:0in;\n\tmso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;\n\tmargin-left:0in;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:8.5in 11.0in;\n\tmargin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;\n\tmso-header-margin:.5in;\n\tmso-footer-margin:.5in;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n \/* List Definitions *\/\n @list l0\n\t{mso-list-id:1801532803;\n\tmso-list-template-ids:1580731998;}\n@list l0:level1\n\t{mso-level-number-format:bullet;\n\tmso-level-text:\uf0b7;\n\tmso-level-tab-stop:.5in;\n\tmso-level-number-position:left;\n\ttext-indent:-.25in;\n\tmso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;\n\tfont-family:Symbol;}\nol\n\t{margin-bottom:0in;}\nul\n\t{margin-bottom:0in;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n\n<style>\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\n table.MsoNormalTable\n\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\n\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\n\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\n\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\n\tmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\n\tmso-para-margin:0in;\n\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:10.0pt;\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\n\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\n\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2010\/02\/22\/AR2010022200899.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">Iran to Build Enrichment Sites Inside Mountains<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"> &#8211; Ali Akbar Dareini<br \/>\n<st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><br \/>\nsaid Monday it plans to build two new uranium enrichment facilities deep inside<br \/>\nmountains to protect them from attack. Iranian Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi<br \/>\nsaid <st1:city u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:city w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Tehran<\/st1:place><\/st1:city><\/st1:place><\/st1:city> intends to use<br \/>\nits more advanced centrifuges at the new sites, which will be able to enrich<br \/>\nuranium much faster than the old ones. This means <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\ncould amass more material in a shorter space of time that could be turned into<br \/>\nthe fissile core of missiles.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; Salehi said the new enrichment sites will be equal to that of<br \/>\nNatanz in terms of production capacity but smaller in geographical size. More<br \/>\nthan 8,600 centrifuges have been set up in Natanz, but only about 3,800 are<br \/>\nactively enriching uranium, according to the International Atomic Energy<br \/>\nAgency. The facility will eventually house 54,000 centrifuges. (<i>AP-Washington<br \/>\nPost<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><u1:p><\/u1:p><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; See also <b><a href=\"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/s\/afp\/20100222\/wl_mideast_afp\/irannuclearpoliticsus_20100222210449\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">U.S.: Iran Plan Is Further Evidence It Rejects<br \/>\nEngagement<\/span><\/a><\/b><br \/>\nThe U.S. said Monday that Iran&#8217;s plan to build two new uranium enrichment<br \/>\nplants is &#8220;further evidence&#8221; it rejects engagement with the<br \/>\ninternational community. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley added that<br \/>\nthe <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">U.S.<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\nand other powers were reviewing Iranian targets for sanctions and <st1:state u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:state w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Washington<\/st1:place><\/st1:state><\/st1:place><\/st1:state><br \/>\nwould offer specific proposals to the UN in the coming weeks. President Obama&#8217;s<br \/>\nadministration has increasingly turned its attention to sanctions after its<br \/>\nfirst-year bid to engage <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\nin talks over its nuclear program yielded nothing concrete. <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">U.S.<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region> officials say <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>&#8216;s<br \/>\nbehavior shows it does not want to cooperate with the world community. (<i>AFP<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.defense.gov\/news\/newsarticle.aspx?id=58046\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">Gen. Mullen: Iran Concerns Middle Eastern Neighbors<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"> &#8211; Donna Miles<br \/>\nJust back from a trip to the Middle East, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint<br \/>\nChiefs of Staff, on Monday cited widespread concern about Iran&#8217;s nuclear<br \/>\nprogram, but emphasized the importance of diplomatic and economic pressure,<br \/>\nrather than military action, to stem it. Mullen cited concern about <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region> as an overarching<br \/>\ntheme during his recent visit to <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Egypt<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Israel<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Jordan<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Saudi Arabia<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">United Arab Emirates<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<br \/>\nAll share the <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">U.S.<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\nbelief that <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>&#8216;s<br \/>\nnuclear program is headed on a path to achieve weaponization &#8211; a pursuit Mullen<br \/>\nsaid further destabilizes the region.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; &#8220;Like us, it isn&#8217;t just a nuclear-capable Iranian military<br \/>\nour friends worry about,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s an <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\nwith hegemonic ambitions and a desire to dominate its neighbors. This outcome<br \/>\ndrives many of the national security decisions our partners there are making,<br \/>\nand I believe we must be mindful of that as we look to the future, post-Iraq<br \/>\nand post-Afghanistan.&#8221;&nbsp; (<i>American Forces Press Service-U.S.<br \/>\nDefense Department<\/i>) <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/haaretz.com\/hasen\/spages\/1151695.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">Archaeologist<br \/>\nFinds Jerusalem Wall Matching Biblical Story<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"> &#8211; Nir Hasson<br \/>\nA team of Israeli archaeologists has announced the discovery of a massive wall<br \/>\nthey say dates to the 10th century BCE in <st1:city u2:st=\"on\"><st1:city w:st=\"on\">Jerusalem<\/st1:city><\/st1:city>&#8216;s<br \/>\n<st1:placename u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placename w:st=\"on\">Ophel<\/st1:placename><\/st1:placename><br \/>\n<st1:placetype u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placetype w:st=\"on\">Park<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:placetype><br \/>\non the slope between the <st1:placetype u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placetype w:st=\"on\">Temple<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:placetype><br \/>\n<st1:placename u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placename w:st=\"on\">Mount<\/st1:placename><\/st1:placename><br \/>\nand the <st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placetype u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:placetype w:st=\"on\">village<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place> of <st1:placename u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placename w:st=\"on\">Silwan<\/st1:placename><\/st1:placename><\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>. The<br \/>\ndig director, Dr. Eilat Mazar, dates the wall according to potshards found<br \/>\nnearby to the period of King Solomon and the major period of construction in <st1:city u2:st=\"on\"><st1:city w:st=\"on\">Jerusalem<\/st1:city><\/st1:city> in the <st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placename u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:placename w:st=\"on\">First<\/st1:placename><\/st1:place> <st1:placetype u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placetype w:st=\"on\">Temple<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:placetype><\/st1:placename><\/st1:place><br \/>\nperiod, as described in the Bible. The dig is a joint project by the <st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placename u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:placename w:st=\"on\">Hebrew<\/st1:placename><\/st1:place> <st1:placetype u2:st=\"on\"><st1:placetype w:st=\"on\">University<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:placetype><\/st1:placename><\/st1:place>,<br \/>\nthe Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; Along with the wall, which is 10 meters high and 70 meters long,<br \/>\nother structures were found, including a monumental gatehouse and a tower.<br \/>\n&#8220;This is the first time a structure has been found that could conform to<br \/>\ndescriptions of King Solomon&#8217;s construction in <st1:city u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:city w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Jerusalem<\/st1:place><\/st1:city><\/st1:place><\/st1:city>,&#8221;<br \/>\nMazar says. (<i>Ha&#8217;aretz<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; See also <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mfa.gov.il\/MFA\/Israel+beyond+politics\/Jerusalem_wall_10th_century_BCE_22-Feb-2010.htm\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">Tenth Century BCE Jerusalem City Wall Uncovered<\/span><\/a><\/b><br \/>\n(<i>Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs<\/i>)<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; See also <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?pid=5005141&amp;id=269975322570\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">Photos of the Wall<\/span><\/a><\/b> (<i>Hebrew<br \/>\nUniversity of Jerusalem-Facebook<\/i>) <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.koreatimes.co.kr\/www\/news\/opinon\/2010\/02\/160_61152.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">Iran at History&#8217;s Fork in the Road<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"> &#8211; Richard N. Haass<br \/>\nOne future for <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\nwould be mostly an extension of what already exists, i.e., an <st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><br \/>\nrun by conservative clerics and an aggressive Revolutionary Guard. The<br \/>\nemergence of such a future would present the world with a stark choice: either<br \/>\nacquiesce to an <st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><br \/>\nthat possesses or could quickly assemble a nuclear device, or launch a<br \/>\npreventive military attack designed to destroy much of the Iranian nuclear<br \/>\nprogram.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; While a preventive strike would delay <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>&#8216;s<br \/>\nnuclear efforts, it would not stop the regime from rebuilding, and it might<br \/>\nalso create conditions that cause problems for the regime&#8217;s domestic opponents.<br \/>\nDespite these potential drawbacks, an armed attack on <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region>&#8216;s nuclear facilities<br \/>\nwill and should remain a distinct possibility given the enormous strategic<br \/>\ncosts of a nuclear-armed <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; If history is a guide, even strong sanctions may not be enough to<br \/>\npersuade <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>&#8216;s<br \/>\nrulers to negotiate constructively and accept meaningful constraints on their<br \/>\nnuclear activities. These considerations raise the prospect of trying to bring<br \/>\nabout an alternative future: an <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\nwith a political leadership that is more moderate at home and abroad, and that<br \/>\nforgoes developing a nuclear weapon or anything close to it. <i>The writer is<br \/>\npresident of the Council on Foreign Relations.<\/i> (<st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><i>Korea<\/i><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><i><br \/>\nTimes<\/i>) <br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><u1:p><\/u1:p><\/span><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/blogs-and-stories\/2010-02-21\/the-wrong-way-on-iran\/\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">The Best of the Bad Options on Iran<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"> &#8211; Leslie H. Gelb<br \/>\nNo one has a magic bullet for the <st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><br \/>\npuzzle. What can be done is to work very closely with our Arab friends in the<br \/>\nGulf to strengthen them in the face of increasing Iranian pressure. This would<br \/>\ninclude efforts to bolster the legitimacy of friendly regional governments plus<br \/>\nvery public upgrades of <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">U.S.<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\ncapabilities to defend them, as the Obama administration is doing with missile<br \/>\ndefenses. It also means proceeding with sanctions against the Revolutionary<br \/>\nGuard. It entails continuing to try to sabotage <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>&#8216;s<br \/>\nuranium-enrichment and other nuclear programs as well. Finally, it also means<br \/>\npreserving present negotiating proposals, but not pushing them. <i>The writer<br \/>\nis president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.<\/i> (<i>Daily Beast<\/i>)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424052748703315004575073682694222948.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\"><br \/><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424052748703315004575073682694222948.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext;\">The Case for Gasoline Sanctions on Iran<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\"> &#8211; Reuel Marc Gerecht and Mark<br \/>\nDubowitz (<i>Wall Street Journal<\/i>)<\/span><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Are gasoline sanctions against <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Iran<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><br \/>\n     a bad idea? The White House worries that without plentiful petrol,<br \/>\n     Iranians might grow angry and rally around the regime. <u1:p><\/u1:p><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Sanctions hitting the energy sector could also be<br \/>\n     viewed by <st1:city u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:city w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Tehran<\/st1:place><\/st1:city><\/st1:place><\/st1:city> as<br \/>\n     outright war. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could counter in <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Afghanistan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<br \/>\n     And to make these sanctions effective, <st1:state u2:st=\"on\"><st1:place u2:st=\"on\"><st1:state w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Washington<\/st1:place><\/st1:state><\/st1:place><\/st1:state><br \/>\n     might need to coerce our European allies, whose companies have the lion&#8217;s<br \/>\n     share of the gasoline import and import-related insurance business.<br \/>\n     (Without insurance, tankers never leave harbor.) <u1:p><\/u1:p><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\">For sanctions to be a game changer, they have to be<br \/>\n     crushing. And sanctions must complement the only thing that has so far<br \/>\n     rattled the regime: the pro-democracy Green Movement. Gasoline and<br \/>\n     insurance sanctions tied to the cause of democracy might &#8211; just possibly &#8211;<br \/>\n     work. <u1:p><\/u1:p><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Iranians who are fed up with theocracy are certainly<br \/>\n     not going to embrace it if Obama declares gasoline sanctions the midwife<br \/>\n     of representative government. If sanctions are waged in the name of the<br \/>\n     Iranian people, we are much more likely to see Western opinion remain<br \/>\n     solidly behind them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve always been an international news-enthusiast (some may say junkie &#8211; when cleaning up my childhood room a few months ago, I found articles clipped from New York Times and Wall Street Journal that had fascinated me over the years). I have continued to enjoy keeping my finger on the pulse of the world, especially [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4317,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-354799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4317"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354799\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=354799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=354799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}