The head of the CIA flew off to Tel Aviv to convince the Israelis not to attack Iran without consulting Washington first, this is surely the story that will never die!
Interesting though, check out the link below it's in The Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6289593.ece
Friday, 15 May 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Just so Humiliating! Was this guy really the President of a country?
I pulled this off Y net, the man really is an embarrassment to the country at best and a rapist at worst:
The trial of former President Moshe Katsav, indicted on charges of sexual offenses, opened Thursday at the Tel Aviv District Court.
The first stage of the official legal proceedings began with the official reading of the indictment against the former president, and him entering a plea of "Not guilty" on all counts. His attorney Zion Amir said, "We will file our response within 30 days," and stressed, "We completely deny all charges, and this will not change."
The three-judge panel presiding over the case, comprised of the honorable George Karra, Miriam Sokolov and Judith Shevach, announced that the trial will resume on September 1, with opening arguments.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse before the trial, Katsav said, "I am here for a long trial to fight for my innocence."
Katsav outside of courtroom (Photo: Yaron Brener)
The former president added, "Here I won't be sentenced without being seen, without being heard, and without having all the material of the investigation read... We are heading out on a long and difficult battle to clear my name. God willing, I will remain innocent."
"A year ago, I decided to pass on a plea bargain, a plea bargain that was defined by the Supreme Court president as a light and minor one. I did this to fight for my innocence. I am here today by choice, and I am heading out on a long, difficult journey to fight for my innocence," he said.
"The State Prosecutor's Office has been saying for two years that they have doubts, that there is a good chance for a full acquittal… Five prosecution officials have said the case should be closed," he added.
The former president was indicted on two counts of rape and forceful indecent act against complainant A. of the Tourism Ministry, and two counts of sexual harassment against complainants H. and L. of the Office of the President.
The indictment also included a charge of obstruction of justice and witness tampering in L.'s case.
For full coverage of the Katsav case click here
'Katsav to prison, and now!'
Dozens of demonstrators from the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel protested outside the courthouse as Katsav and his bodyguards entered.
Protest outside the courthouse (Photo: Yaron Brener)
The protesters wore t-shirts saying "We are all complainant A." and shouted "Katsav to prison, and now!".
Dorit Avramovitch, of the campaign to have Katsav tried, said, "For us, there aren't that many options when there are more than 10 complainants that don't know each other and they all give the same story."
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Avramovitch added, "We believe them, and don't doubt their testimonies. We hope for a speedy trial and that the rapist serves time in jail.
"Most of the public has no doubt that he is guilty, and it is clear to all that this is no coincidence, but a pattern of action, and we are here, along with women who have suffered from sexual assault themselves, to demonstrate solidarity, and to stress that the man is guilty of sexual harassment."
Aviad Glickman and Roi Mandel contributed to this report
The trial of former President Moshe Katsav, indicted on charges of sexual offenses, opened Thursday at the Tel Aviv District Court.
The first stage of the official legal proceedings began with the official reading of the indictment against the former president, and him entering a plea of "Not guilty" on all counts. His attorney Zion Amir said, "We will file our response within 30 days," and stressed, "We completely deny all charges, and this will not change."
The three-judge panel presiding over the case, comprised of the honorable George Karra, Miriam Sokolov and Judith Shevach, announced that the trial will resume on September 1, with opening arguments.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse before the trial, Katsav said, "I am here for a long trial to fight for my innocence."
Katsav outside of courtroom (Photo: Yaron Brener)
The former president added, "Here I won't be sentenced without being seen, without being heard, and without having all the material of the investigation read... We are heading out on a long and difficult battle to clear my name. God willing, I will remain innocent."
"A year ago, I decided to pass on a plea bargain, a plea bargain that was defined by the Supreme Court president as a light and minor one. I did this to fight for my innocence. I am here today by choice, and I am heading out on a long, difficult journey to fight for my innocence," he said.
"The State Prosecutor's Office has been saying for two years that they have doubts, that there is a good chance for a full acquittal… Five prosecution officials have said the case should be closed," he added.
The former president was indicted on two counts of rape and forceful indecent act against complainant A. of the Tourism Ministry, and two counts of sexual harassment against complainants H. and L. of the Office of the President.
The indictment also included a charge of obstruction of justice and witness tampering in L.'s case.
For full coverage of the Katsav case click here
'Katsav to prison, and now!'
Dozens of demonstrators from the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel protested outside the courthouse as Katsav and his bodyguards entered.
Protest outside the courthouse (Photo: Yaron Brener)
The protesters wore t-shirts saying "We are all complainant A." and shouted "Katsav to prison, and now!".
Dorit Avramovitch, of the campaign to have Katsav tried, said, "For us, there aren't that many options when there are more than 10 complainants that don't know each other and they all give the same story."
Advertisement
Avramovitch added, "We believe them, and don't doubt their testimonies. We hope for a speedy trial and that the rapist serves time in jail.
"Most of the public has no doubt that he is guilty, and it is clear to all that this is no coincidence, but a pattern of action, and we are here, along with women who have suffered from sexual assault themselves, to demonstrate solidarity, and to stress that the man is guilty of sexual harassment."
Aviad Glickman and Roi Mandel contributed to this report
A Nuclear Iran? So what!
This story is from Associated Foreign Press (AFP) and was released today:
Iran very close to getting nuclear arms: Israel
1 day ago
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Iran is very close to acquiring nuclear weapons, the head of Israel's military intelligence was reported as telling a powerful parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
"Iran is at the moment very close to getting a military nuclear arsenal," Amos Yadlin told parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee, adding that "Iran can manage to stabilise its military nuclear programme by 2010."
"The Iranian strategy was not to get the international community against it, but to discreetly continue nuclear armament without crossing red lines," he was quoted by Israeli media as saying.
Yadlin also excluded the possibility of war in the region in the coming year. Israeli officials have said several times that they were keeping all options on the table in dealing with Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
On March 25, Yadlin told the same committee that Iran will have the capacity to build a nuclear bomb within a year but is not rushing into production.
Israel, widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its atomic programme is purely for peaceful purposes.
Israel considers the Islamic Republic to be its main enemy due to numerous statements by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Jewish state should be "wiped off the map."
The issue of Iran and nuclear weapons has and will continue to dominate much of the media coverage of the middle east.
Iran arms and trains Hezbollah and uses the group as a stooge for both taking control of Lebanon and for launching attacks on Israel in the North, it also has been insinuating itself into the Sunni Muslim organisation Hamas by arming it with rockets for launching against Israel from Gaza. The longer range Grad rockets are an example of Iranian support.
But does a nuclear Iran pose more of a threat than an Iran without Nukes? I ask this question bearing in mind that Iran already has biological and chemical weapons which have the capability to destroy the population of Israel.
If the rhetoric coming out of Tehran is to be believed then these weapons should have been launched against Israel years ago. Clearly they have not.
So would a nuclear armed Iran launch on Israel? This is the question that has been haunting the Israeli establishment, indeed all Israelis and many policy makers the world over. In my humble opinion....no
I think that what we are heading for in the region is another cold war, a mini cold war if you like between two, regional rather than global, superpowers.
Once Iran detonates its first nuclear weapon it is inevitable that Israel will have a public weapons test and officially join the nuclear weapons club, the doctrine of Mutually Assurred Destruction would apply.
This could potentially have a stabilising effect on the Middle East since any stray Hezbollah or Hamas rocket could have the potential to spark nuclear conflict.
If Tehran hates Israel so much why no conventional war? Why no missile attacks? Or commando raids or attacks against Israeli shipping using the Red Sea?
So far Iran has attacked Israel by proxy and there would seem to be nothing to suggest that a nuclear armed Iran would act any differently, don't forget the nuclear genie has been out of the bottle for well over sixty years it is neither possible nor realistic to for the nuclear nations to be able to keep the rest of the world without these technologies forever...at some point we are going to have to learn to live with nuclear proliferation whether we like it or not
Iran very close to getting nuclear arms: Israel
1 day ago
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Iran is very close to acquiring nuclear weapons, the head of Israel's military intelligence was reported as telling a powerful parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
"Iran is at the moment very close to getting a military nuclear arsenal," Amos Yadlin told parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee, adding that "Iran can manage to stabilise its military nuclear programme by 2010."
"The Iranian strategy was not to get the international community against it, but to discreetly continue nuclear armament without crossing red lines," he was quoted by Israeli media as saying.
Yadlin also excluded the possibility of war in the region in the coming year. Israeli officials have said several times that they were keeping all options on the table in dealing with Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
On March 25, Yadlin told the same committee that Iran will have the capacity to build a nuclear bomb within a year but is not rushing into production.
Israel, widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its atomic programme is purely for peaceful purposes.
Israel considers the Islamic Republic to be its main enemy due to numerous statements by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Jewish state should be "wiped off the map."
The issue of Iran and nuclear weapons has and will continue to dominate much of the media coverage of the middle east.
Iran arms and trains Hezbollah and uses the group as a stooge for both taking control of Lebanon and for launching attacks on Israel in the North, it also has been insinuating itself into the Sunni Muslim organisation Hamas by arming it with rockets for launching against Israel from Gaza. The longer range Grad rockets are an example of Iranian support.
But does a nuclear Iran pose more of a threat than an Iran without Nukes? I ask this question bearing in mind that Iran already has biological and chemical weapons which have the capability to destroy the population of Israel.
If the rhetoric coming out of Tehran is to be believed then these weapons should have been launched against Israel years ago. Clearly they have not.
So would a nuclear armed Iran launch on Israel? This is the question that has been haunting the Israeli establishment, indeed all Israelis and many policy makers the world over. In my humble opinion....no
I think that what we are heading for in the region is another cold war, a mini cold war if you like between two, regional rather than global, superpowers.
Once Iran detonates its first nuclear weapon it is inevitable that Israel will have a public weapons test and officially join the nuclear weapons club, the doctrine of Mutually Assurred Destruction would apply.
This could potentially have a stabilising effect on the Middle East since any stray Hezbollah or Hamas rocket could have the potential to spark nuclear conflict.
If Tehran hates Israel so much why no conventional war? Why no missile attacks? Or commando raids or attacks against Israeli shipping using the Red Sea?
So far Iran has attacked Israel by proxy and there would seem to be nothing to suggest that a nuclear armed Iran would act any differently, don't forget the nuclear genie has been out of the bottle for well over sixty years it is neither possible nor realistic to for the nuclear nations to be able to keep the rest of the world without these technologies forever...at some point we are going to have to learn to live with nuclear proliferation whether we like it or not
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
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