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April 22, 2010
Times That Try Men's Souls
Two Katyusha rockets were fired Thursday morning at the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat (story here). Meanwhile, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard is starting large-scale war games today (codenamed "The Great Prophet") in the Persian Gulf and Straits of Hormuz, while announcing that it will also be testing "new weapons" (story here).
In addition, a newly-released Pentagon report states that Iran is increasing its paramilitary Quds force operatives in Venezuela (no less), while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq (story here). And Syria has "allegedly" (Arabic for you betcha) been transferring SCUD missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
So what are America's leaders doing?
Well, our Secretary of State is celebrating the return of a new U.S. ambassador to Syria, and advancing those wonderful U.S.-Syria ties, "despite deeply disturbing reports of [Syria's] moves to aid the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in neighboring Lebanon" (see article below). And our President is on his way to Wall Street, to address the troops there on those on life-threatening Derivatives.
In the immortal words of Thomas Paine, these are the times that try men's souls. Better yet, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, i.e., "Stupid is, as stupid does."
Haaretz.com | April 22, 2010
Clinton: U.S. To Advance Syria Ties Despite Reported Hezbollah SCUD Deal
U.S. Secretary of State says benefits of sending a U.S. ambassador to Damascus outweigh the costs.
By The Associated Press
The Obama administration is still committed to improving relations with Syria, despite "deeply disturbing" reports of its moves to aid the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in neighboring Lebanon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday.
Clinton, speaking at a news conference before the opening of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in this Baltic capital, said the administration has concluded that the benefits of sending a U.S. ambassador to Damascus - after a five-year absence - outweigh the costs.
She said the presence of an ambassador gives Washington a better insight into what is happening in Damascus.
"We have a long list of areas that we have discussed with the Syrians and we intend to continue pushing our concerns, and we think having an ambassador there adds to the ability to convey that message strongly and hopefully influence behavior in Syria," she said.
"The larger question as to what the United States will do with respect to Syria is one we've spent a lot of time considering and debating inside the administration," she said. "Where we are as of today is that we believe it is important to continue the process to return an ambassador; this is not some kind of reward for the Syrians and the actions they take that are deeply disturbing."
Some U.S. senators are threatening to hold up the confirmation of the administration's choice for U.S. ambassador to Syria - career diplomat Robert Ford - because of unconfirmed reports that Syria was transferring Scud missiles to the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Clinton did not confirm the reports. Without mentioning Scuds or Iran, which many believe is the source of the missiles, she described the situation in a way that strongly suggested that the U.S. does not believe Scuds have been transferred to Hezbollah yet.
Clinton referred to "these stories that do suggest there has been some transfer of weapons technology into Syria with the potential purpose of then later transferring it to Hezbollah inside Syria". Pressed to say whether she meant that the Scuds in Syria had originated in Iran, she replied, "I just said that we have expressed our concern about that."
Israel, which regards Hezbollah as a major threat, has accused Syria of providing the group with Scuds. A Scud has a far longer range and can carry a much bigger warhead than the rockets Hezbollah has used in the past, and could reach anywhere in Israel from Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon. Syria has denied the charge, as has Lebanon's Western-backed prime minister.
Original article here.
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Notable Quotables
"Mr. Netanyahu is one of the most media-savvy politicians on the planet. On Friday he appeared live via video link on 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' taking the host’s alternately sardonic and serious line of questioning with gazelle-like alacrity."
~ Anthony Grant, jourrnalist who has written for many major newspapers and worked in television at Paris and Tel Aviv, interviewing former PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, at the outset of Mr. Netanyahu's new book (more here).
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