Analyst says Trump won’t cancel Iranian nuclear deal but may renew sanctions.

Analyst says Trump won’t cancel Iranian nuclear deal but may renew sanctions. (Tass).

US president-elect, Donald Trump, will not cancel the deal concluded over the Iranian nuclear program when he takes office, but he may resume sanctions against Tehran, the science doyen of the Institute of US and Canada Studies, Sergey Rogov, said on Tuesday.

"Trump described the deal with Iran as the worst-ever in history. He claimed that Tehran might resume its nuclear program and that the terms of the agreement did not prohibit it from working on missile technologies," Rogov recalled. "No country in the world makes inter-continental ballistic missiles without nuclear warheads."

Trump may find it rather hard to sever the deal, Rogov believes.

"Neither Russia, nor China, nor the three European countries concerned will agree to abrogating the agreement without sufficient reasons," he said. "If the next US president will eventually dare take such a step, the Congress will be the first to laud it. But the relations with both Europe and China will turn for the worse."

Rogov sees another likely scenario - prolongation of the anti-Iranian sanctions by another ten years.

"This is most likely to happen," he speculates. "Congress may do this job for the White House and the deal will be disrupted in this way."

The question arises, therefore, Rogov said why Tehran should observe the terms of the agreement. "Elections in Iran are due soon. If (the current president, Hassan) Rouhani loses, there will emerge a chance to provoke Iran into quitting the agreement," he said. "This tactic may work," Rogov believes. "This is precisely the tactic Trump is likely to follow, bearing in mind that it will enjoy bipartisan support in Congress." Read the full story here.

@IsraelMatzav Yes but US Can reintroduce sanctions on foreign banks. :) https://t.co/bsXuRz0cEp

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) November 9, 2016

Video - Saudi Political Analyst Dahham Al-‘Anzi: 'Saudi Arabia Has Obtained Nuclear Bomb. Test May Be Held Soon'.

Saudi political analyst Dahham Al-‘Anzi spoke on Russia Today Arabic TV channel on February 15 and claimed that Saudi Arabia has obtained a nuclear bomb. Al-‘Anzi said that the Saudis have acquired the bomb two years ago and that a nuclear test is expected soon. “The superpowers know about this,” he added.

'Sanctions that Benefit' - Iranian MPs Visit Belgian Gas Transmission Firm.

'Sanctions that Benefit' - Iranian MPs Visit Belgian Gas Transmission Firm. (Fars).

Iranian lawmakers of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) who are also members of the Iran-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group visited the Fluxys Belgium company which is a gas transmission operator in Europe.

The Iranian chairman of the group, Abbasali Mansouri, is heading the five-member delegation visiting Belgium on the invitation of the Belgian chairman of the group, Dirk Van der Maelen, member of the Chamber of Representatives or the lower house of the Federal Parliament.

During their stay, the Iranian MPs are scheduled to meet their counterparts as well as speakers of the Belgian legislative chambers, foreign minister, and deputy foreign minister.

Promotion of parliamentary relations, facilitation of trade and economic ties, cooperation in energy fields, and exchanging views on regional and international developments are on the agenda of visit.

Related: 

 2014 - February 22 :  Belgium foreign affairs minister (in search of cheap natural gas) to meet Iranian counterpart in Tehran.

Simon Wiesenthal Center Slams ‘Despicable’ NY Times Claim That Netanyahu Speech Asks Dems to Choose Between Obama and Israel.

Simon Wiesenthal Center Slams ‘Despicable’ NY Times Claim That Netanyahu Speech Asks Dems to Choose Between Obama and Israel. (Algemeiner).

Major Jewish human rights group the Simon Wiesenthal Center expressed disgust at the New York Times on Wednesday for claiming that the debate over Iran’s nuclear program boils down to a question of loyalty to either President Obama or Israel.

“It’s despicable. On every level it’s an insidious editorial comment and beyond that, it’s also 1,000 percent wrong,” Associate Dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper told The Algemeiner a day after Netanyahu addressed Congress on the Iranian nuclear threat. “It’s not just Israel that is in the cross-hairs of a nuclearized Iran.”

“For anymore - before, during or after this speech - to reduce this to some personal grudge match between [the] Israeli Prime Minister and President Obama is just doing everybody a disservice and is not dealing with the facts,” he added. “It is just a political mindset that wants to narrow the field of discussion.”

The New York Times article alleged that for Democrats, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech on Tuesday “sought to impress upon them the likelihood that they will eventually need to make an awkward, painful choice between the president of their country and their loyalty to the Jewish state.” Hmmm....Unless the Dems think that Obama is the Democratic party? Read the full story here.

Former Egypt IAEA Delegate: "Arab Nuclear Weapons Are Crucial To Creating Strategic Balance In Region"

Former Egypt IAEA Delegate: "Arab Nuclear Weapons Are Crucial To Creating Strategic Balance In Region" (MEMRI).

In a November 18, 2014 article in the London-based Arab daily Al-Hayat, Egyptian former MP Dr. Mustafa Al-Fiqi, who was the chairman of the Egyptian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee during the Mubarak era and also served as Egypt's delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the late 90s, called on Arab countries to launch a major nuclear program in order to restore strategic balance to the region.

According to him, Arabs cannot remain besieged by Israeli and Iranian nuclear might, which are like a sword at their necks. Al-Fiqi stressed that in the current age, force is the best way to achieve deterrence, restore rights, and achieve justice, and therefore Arab nuclear power was an inevitable necessity.

He added that the U.S., the West, and Israel are attempting to thwart any Arab attempt to develop nuclear weapons, hinting that they were behind the assassination of Arab nuclear scientists in recent years.

It should be mentioned that already in 2002, Al-Fiqi published a series of articles calling on Arabs to attain nuclear weapons to create a strategic balance vis-à-vis Israel.

The following are excerpts from the article:

Force Is The Path To Justice; Nuclear Weapons Will Give The Arab Nation Value And Status.

"In recent decades there have been stories and studies regarding the Arabs' nuclear capabilities and their future chances in light of the current regional and international situation. I am among those who believe that nuclear capabilities are not just a deterrent but also an expression of patriotism and of the homeland's international prestige... 

"Therefore, I am not surprised by the repeated claims by Arab writer Jihad Al-Khazen [former editor and current columnist for Al-Hayat] that it is important for some Arab countries to launch a large-scale nuclear program,[3] because it is time to do so in light of the Israeli nuclear arsenal, which includes over 200 nuclear warheads... We [repeatedly] raise this issue because we believe that nuclear weapons – regardless of the risks, cost, and difficulties they entail – will give the [Arab] nation value and status at a time when it is facing unprecedented foreign and domestic threats.

"Second, use of peaceful nuclear energy – from producing electricity, to desalinating sea water, as well as dozens of [other] vital activities that are crucial to modern societies – has become a need that cannot be ignored... The difference between peaceful nuclear energy and the manufacture of nuclear weapons is no longer great. Nuclear technology is within almost everyone's reach and is no longer a secret reserved solely for members of the nuclear club. 

During my work over the years as Egypt's delegate to the IAEA, I discovered that technological applications derived from this energy are infinitely more numerous than strategic or military ones. Therefore, the Western ban on nuclear programs is nothing but a ban on progress and development, and on the opening of promising new horizons for the future in very many countries that suffer from energy shortages..."

The Purpose Of Iran's Nuclear Program Is Military; Arab Nuclear Weapons Will Be A Nightmare For The West And Israel.

"We have all followed the developments in Iran's nuclear dossier and their transition to the stage of uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel production. I am among those who believe that Iran's goal is first and foremost military-strategic, and it is hard to forbid Iran from pursuing it when the West has enabled the existence of a nuclear arsenal in 'Israel.'

The Arabs cannot be like beggars at the table of nasty skinflints, besieged by two nuclear programs that constitute a deterrent, even in terms of morale, and which are like a sword held to the neck of the [Arabs’] future.

"Several years ago, I was surprised when an American official asked to meet me during his visit to Cairo due to an article I had written regarding the need for an Arab nuclear program. When he visited my office, he brought with him an English translation of this article. That is when I realized that Arab nuclear weapons are a nightmare for the West, and even more so for Israel.

There Is A Secret Ban On Any Arab Attempt To Attain Nuclear Weapons.

Hmmm..........The 'Obama legacy' An ME Filled with Nutcases armed with Nukes. Read the full story here.

Iran: Final Deal Should Take Place in One Stage, Remove All Sanctions.

Iran: Final Deal Should Take Place in One Stage, Remove All Sanctions. (Fars).

Iran rejected the possibility of clinching a two-phased nuclear agreement with the world powers, and said any final deal should include the removal of all sanctions.

"Any agreement should be made in one single stage and it should include all details and generalities.

All Iranian officials underscore this issue and the negotiating sides should also pay serious attention to this fact," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Wednesday.

She said beside technical issues, one of the serious subjects in the new round of talks being held in Montreux, Switzerland, is the removal of sanctions against Iran as any final deal with the world powers should include a total lifting of embargos.

Afkham underscored that the Iranian nation will stand firm against the excessive demands raised by the western states during the nuclear talks, and said, "Excessive demands cannot block Iran's path to its goals." Hmmmm.....They don't want the signing of the Documents to take place on the USS Missouri surrender deck? Read the full story here.

Video - Fleischer: Pres Obama distanced himself from Israel.

'Nightmare Scenario': 'One Iranian nuke could obliterate Israel’s heartland.'

A scenario Netanyahu hasn’t spelled out: One Iranian nuke could obliterate Israel’s heartland.(Debka).

When Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu speaks out against Iran becoming a pre-nuclear state he is warning that Iran could at any time cross the line agreed in diplomacy with the US and build a bomb whenever it chooses.

He has never spelled out the mechanics of this threat to Israel’s survival. 

The last DEBKA Weekly revealed in detail one potential scenario that, given Israel’s small size, would call for no more than one nuke to destroy its heartland and inflict at least an estimated million casualties. 

This nuclear bomb or device would be dropped from an Iran Air civilian airliner on a regular run from Larnaca over the Mediterranean about 100 km from the Israeli coast.

After the plane disappeared, the delayed action mechanism would detonate the bomb and set off a tsunami. Giant waves would swamp the densely populated Tel Aviv conurbation and its satellites. 

This 1,500 square kilometer area is home to some 3.7 million people, nearly half of the country’s entire population, its military and banking centers, hi-tech industry and the stock exchange.

The cost in lives would be cataclysmic – at least a million dead.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary rulers make no secret of their plans for Israel. On Feb. 26, the second day of Iran’s 2015 war games, a senior Revolutionary Guards officer declared that Iran had the ability to wipe the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv off the face of the earth.

In projecting this scenario, Israel’s defense chiefs have no doubt set up defenses and a second-strike capacity in a mountainous area outside the range of a tsunami and far from Israel’s shores. 

Israel is also on guard on both of its northern borders against the hostile Iranian military presence encroaching from Syria and Lebanon. Read the full story here.

Iranian nuclear negotiators preserve Arak reactor.

Iranian nuclear negotiators preserve Arak reactor. (TAZ).

Former deputy director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Saidi has praised the country’s nuclear negotiators for their thorough discussions over the Arak nuclear facilities, Iran ’s ISNA news agency reported March 3.

“The negotiators acted in a very thorough and calculated way to preserve the structure of the Arak reactor,” Saidi said.

If the Group P5+1 offer to build Iran a light-water 40-MW research reactor and do build and deliver it too us, then we will be able to make decisions about the Arak reactor, he added.

Saidi’s remarks came in response to controversy by the P5+1 states (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany ) raising doubts about the peacefulness of Iran 's activities at the Arak heavy-water reactor.

The Arak reactor produces a certain and considerable amount of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for the country, he said, adding that the reactor was built in a way to provide enough output to meet the demand for the whole Middle East area as well.

The six world powers seek to re-engineer Arak from a model that produces enough plutonium for several nuclear weapons a year to a less proliferation-prone model.

The Arak heavy water reactor if operating optimally would produce about nine kilograms of plutonium annually or enough for about two nuclear weapons each year.

Iran says that the Arak reactor does not produce weapons-grade plutonium and has agreed to suspend the installation activity at the reactor based on the Geneva nuclear deal.

Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said Aug. 27 that the country had started redesigning of the core of Arak heavy-water reactor (IR-40).

"The Iranian experts are reviewing the equipment of the reactor to prevent nuclear sabotage, and are redesigning the core of the reactor as well," Salehi said. Hmmm........How long to re engineer it back to the original?

Full transcript of Netanyahu’s address to Congress

Full transcript of Netanyahu’s address to Congress. (WAPO).

So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is your enemy.

(APPLAUSE)

The difference is that ISIS is armed with butcher knives, captured weapons and YouTube, whereas Iran could soon be armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs. We must always remember -- I'll say it one more time -- the greatest dangers facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but lose the war. We can't let that happen. Read the full transcript here.

Pres Obama gets 3 Pinocchios for claiming Iran’s nuclear program has been ‘halted’ & its nuclear stockpile ‘reduced'.

Pres Obama gets 3 Pinocchios for claiming Iran’s nuclear program has been ‘halted’ and its nuclear stockpile ‘reduced'. (Wapo).

“Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we’ve halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material.”

–President Obama, State of the Union address, Jan. 20, 2015

This was a bold statement by the president regarding the interim “Joint Plan of Action” governing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear ambitions. In defending the talks against efforts in Congress to pass a sanctions package if the talks fail, the president made two key points: one, progress on Iran’s nuclear program has been “halted” and two, Iran’s stockpile of nuclear material has been “reduced.”

We realize that White House speechwriters probably don’t want to be bothered with technical issues in such a high-profile speech but here’s a case where some further wordsmithing was needed. This isn’t the first time. A year ago, in the 2014 State of the Union, The Fact Checker handed out Pinocchios when the president claimed that the inspections allowed under the agreement were “unprecedented.” That’s way too sweeping a statement.

So has progress been halted and the amount of nuclear material reduced?

The Facts

The Iran portfolio is highly contentious and progress in the talks — which have been repeatedly extended — is certainly open to interpretation. We should also note that Iran has steadfastly denied it has nuclear-weapons ambitions.

For the purposes of this fact check, we will rely on the definition of “nuclear material” by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which includes low enriched uranium (less than 20 percent, generally 3.5 percent enriched), highly enriched uranium and so forth. (This graphic helps explain why 20-percent enriched is so much closer to nuclear-weapons material than 3.5 percent.)

The administration, in its official statements, portrays the agreement as a success.

Words have consequences, especially in a State of the Union address. The president could have claimed that “we’ve slowed the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of the most dangerous nuclear material.” But instead he choose to make sweeping claims for which there is little basis. Thus he earns Three Pinocchios. Read the full story here.

Dick Cheney: “Rarely has a US president [Obama] been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many.” Ain’t it so!#tcot #NetanyahuSpeech

— Janie Johnson (@jjauthor) March 3, 2015

US President Barack Obama's remarks unacceptable - Iran's FM.

US President Barack Obama's remarks unacceptable - Iran's FM. (Taz).

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has dismissed US President Barack Obama's recent comments on Iran as unacceptable, stressing that Tehran will not give in to excessive demands by the other side in the nuclear negotiations, Iran’s Press TV reported March 3.

On March 2, Obama said Iran should agree to freeze sensitive nuclear activity for at least 10 years, if it seeks a comprehensive final deal over its nuclear program.

He defended the talks for an interim nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic, but said the odds are against the negotiations with Iran ending in an agreement.

The US president also criticized a plan by lawmakers in the Senate to impose additional sanctions on Iran if no deal is reached by July 1.

“It is clear that Mr. Obama’s comments are meant to win the US public opinion and counter the propaganda campaign by the Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and that of other radical parties opposed to the negotiations [over Tehran’s nuclear energy program],” Zarif told reporters March 3, describing the American president’s latest remarks on Iran as “unacceptable.”

“The remarks by Mr. Obama clearly point to the fact that the US, which has over the past decades, either directly or indirectly threatened the Islamic Republic of Iran and imposed many cruel and illegal sanctions [against the country], has come to the conclusion that the policy of threats and sanctions is a failed policy,” Zarif added.

Iran’s top diplomat further emphasized that neither threats nor sanctions could dent the country’s determination to develop peaceful nuclear technology.

Iran will not give in to excessive demands and irrational approaches by the opposite side, he stressed.

NCRI's revelation of new nuclear site a major blow to Iranian regime’s efforts in obtaining nukes.

NCRI's revelation of new nuclear site a major blow to Iranian regime’s efforts in acquiring nuclear bomb. (NCRI).

Interview with Mr. Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chairman of NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Q: The Iranian Resistance has had many revelations about the Iranian regime's nuclear activities. What is the significance of the recent revelation of the Iranian Resistance about the top secret site of Lavisan-3?

Mohammad Mohaddessin: The revelation of the Lavisan-3 site, as is evident from the reactions of the regime, was a huge blow to the Iranian regime's efforts to obtain the nuclear bomb. This site was kept secret for more than a decade and they were working on excessive enrichment experiments, with advanced centrifuges.

The project on the one hand showed the level of secrecy and deception of the regime and on the other hand, its disclosure was a turning point in exposing the deception and secrecy. The parallel project to enrich uranium not only violates the Non-Proliferation Treaty and UN Security Council resolutions, but it was also is in full and continuous violation of the Geneva Agreement of December 2013 and the joint action plan that the regime signed with the P5+1 countries.

At the press conference in Washington DC by the National Council of Resistance of Iran Representative Office, the Iranian Resistance emphasized that the IAEA and the P5+1 countries, especially the US government, must act immediately to inspect the site.

Once again, I am warning that no opportunity should be provided to the Iranian regime to clean up its criminal footprint to clean up the traces of its illegal nuclear activities in Lavisan-3, like it had done in the case of Lavizan Shian.

Lavizan Shian was revealed in March 2003 by the Iranian Resistance and the IAEA went to inspect the site in June 2004, i.e. 14 to 15 months later, and the regime had destroyed all its facilities. It had changed the soil. It had replaced 4 meters of soil to eliminate any traces, but traces were still found.

It should also be noted that this revelation is very important for another reason too. The western countries in the midst of negotiation with the regime, while seeking a kind of compromise and coming to terms with the regime, are reluctant to face these things.

That is why the Iranian Resistance doubly and urgently saw this as a nationalistic and patriotic necessity and a necessity for the peace and security of the region and the world and for the Iranian nation, to reveal this secret project as soon as possible.

Q: Mr Mohaddessin, isn’t the reaction of the regime due to the fact that the regime's deception in the negotiations has been revealed?

Mohammad Mohaddessin: You mentioned a very important point. Let me go back to Rouhani’s statements in his book titled “National Security and Nuclear Diplomacy”. He said in his book that everything was going well regarding the nuclear activities but in August 2002, with the PMOI’s revelation, everything was messed up, and he presented statistics and figures there that is for 2002 which demonstrates that if it was not for the PMOI’s revelation, and if the PMOI did not reveal the Natanz and Arak sites, the regime would have reached bomb making capacity years ago and it was PMOI's revelation that created that crisis
.
Now, it is again facing the same crisis and the same problem. Because the Iranian Resistance has revealed a secret and parallel enrichment project, that technically puts the regime in a difficult situation, and from a political and international aspect ties the hands of those who wanted to give unwarranted concessions to the regime. Hmmm...........To anyone with half a brain it's obvious they're tring to obtaoin nuclear weapons, invisible fatwa....included.Read the full story here.

Saudi Columnist: Netanyahu Is right in Addressing Congress About Iran Deal, despite the Obama admin's anger and fury."

Saudi Columnist: "I am very glad of Netanyahu's firm stance and decision to speak against the nuclear agreement despite the Obama admin's anger and fury." (Memri).

In a March 2, 2015 article in the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, columnist Dr. Ahmad Al-Faraj supported Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to speak at the U.S. Congress against the upcoming deal with Iran. Al-Faraj said that Obama, "one of the worst American presidents," is working to sign a deal with Iran at the expense of America's longtime allies in the Gulf, and therefore Netanyahu's campaign against the deal is justified and serves the interests of the Gulf states.
The following are the main points of the article:

 "In a move unprecedented in U.S. political history, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received an invitation from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Republican John Boehner, to address both houses of Congress... Netanyahu will devote his speech to expressing his firm objection to the signing of an agreement between the Obama administration and Iran on the nuclear issue. He hopes to convince the Congress members that he is right, which could delay the agreement.

"President Obama and his administration are clearly furious. Not because Netanyahu is intervening in an important matter that Obama hopes will bring him personal glory, but because House Speaker [John Boehner] did not consult with Obama before inviting Netanyahu, and Obama considers this a breach of established protocol.

"This unprecedented tension between the Obama administration and Netanyahu is another in a long series of tense and unfriendly episodes between Obama and Netanyahu. But the tension has never before reached this level, as reflected in statements by National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who said that Netanyahu's conduct was unacceptable and even destructive...

"The Obama administration does not suffice with condemning Netanyahu's visit. Obama has announced that he will not meet with Netanyahu on the grounds that he does not meet with state leaders a short while before elections take place in their countries, [though] elections in Israel will take place weeks after the visit!! 

Likewise, American Vice President Joseph Biden, whose presence at Netanyahu's speech in Congress is expected by virtue of his constitutional role as Senate president, announced that he would be on a trip abroad [on the day of] Netanyahu's speech!! 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also said he would be in Switzerland meeting with the Iranians on the nuclear dossier and therefore would not be able to attend Netanyahu's speech!! 

 What angers the Obama administration even more is that Netanyahu refused an official request by several Democratic Congressmen to meet with him during [his] visit!!…

"I will conclude by saying the following: Since Obama is the godfather of the prefabricated revolutions in the Arab world, and since he is the ally of political Islam, [which is] the caring mother of [all] the terrorist organizations, and since he is working to sign an agreement with Iran that will come at the expense of the U.S.'s longtime allies in the Gulf, 

I am very glad of Netanyahu's firm stance and [his decision] to speak against the nuclear agreement at the American Congress despite the Obama administration's anger and fury. 

I believe that Netanyahu's conduct will serve our interests, the people of the Gulf, much more than the foolish behavior of one of the worst American presidents. Do you agree with me?"

Update: 

Now Editor-in-Chief of Al Arabiya English just published "President Obama, listen to Netanyahu on Iran." Ruminate on that

Video - Watch live right now as IAEA explains how Iran still stonewalling nuke investigation

Watch live right now as IAEA explains how Iran still stonewalling nuke investigation

U.N. nuclear watchdog says 'Obama's new BFF' Iran still withholding key information.

U.N. nuclear watchdog says 'Obama's new BFF' Iran still withholding key information. (Reuters).


The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said on Monday Iran had still not handed over key information to his staff, and his body's investigation into Tehran's atomic program could not continue indefinitely.

"Iran has yet to provide explanations that enable the agency to clarify two outstanding practical measures," chief Yukiya Amano told the body's Board of Governors in Vienna, echoing a report seen by Reuters last month.

The two measures relating to alleged explosives tests and other measures that might have been used for bomb research should have been addressed by Iran by last August.

"The Agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities," Amano said.

The Agency remains ready to accelerate the resolution of all outstanding issues, he added, but "this process cannot continue indefinitely".

Amano added that he remained seriously concerned about the nuclear activities of North Korea which quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1993. The IAEA has not had inspectors on the ground there since they were expelled by North Korea in 2009. Hmmmm.....Geesh i wonder why North Korea and Iran are BFF?

Iranian generals meet with North Korean nuclear chiefs, known as the "Mushroom Cloud Heads"

Hi there natsec journalists. Watch live right now as IAEA explains how #Iran still stonewalling nuke investigation: http://t.co/L3vMZ54svF

— Omri Ceren (@cerenomri) March 2, 2015

House speaker Boehner Says Demand for Participation in Netanyahu’s Congress Speech is Unprecedented.

House speaker Boehner Says Demand for Participation in Netanyahu’s Congress Speech is Unprecedented. (Algemeiner).

The office of House Speaker John Boehner revealed that demand for tickets to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming speech to a joint session of Congress is sky high.

So high in fact that it has outpaced any joint meeting since he was elected speaker, with 10 times as many requests than there are seats available, Politico reported on Sunday.

Despite the controversy, only a relatively small number of lawmakers have pledged to boycott the speech. Included among them are four senators and a few dozen House members.

Others who will boycott the speech include Vice President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State John Kerry. Both say they have overseas engagements at the time of the address.Read the full story here.

Rabbi Boteach: 'God gave the US military power" that should be used to stop genocide.

Rabbi Boteach: 'God gave the US military power" that should be used to stop genocide.(JewishPress).

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach delivered a masterful response on CNN Sunday night to critics of his organization’s New York Times full-page advertisement that described National Security Adviser Susan Rice as “blind to genocide.”

The advertisement was a response to Rice’s statement that Netanyahu’s speech to Congress tomorrow is “destructive” for the relationship between the United States and Israel.

Major American Jewish organizations and the White House harshly criticized the advertisement with adjectives ranging from “outrageous” to “perverse.”

The advertisement hit a raw nerve, and Rabbi Boteach explained to CNN’s Poppy Harlow that the goal of the publicity was “to raise consciousness in Americans to the indiscriminate slaughter of innocents around the world.”

He clearly illustrated that the Iranian threat to destroy Israel is only one of several threats or realities of genocide that the United States has not tried to stop. The problem is not the details of a deal with Iran. The problem is the fact that the Obama administration is even talking with Iran.

We have to begin to intervene in genocide.

Rabbi Boteach added, “God gave us this military power…. That is our responsibility.”

As for the criticism of Jewish organizations, the ones who are armchair Zionists and carry the traditional torch of die-hard Diaspora Jews who want Israel to make them feel comfortable where they are, Rabbi Boteach said:

We don’t have our principles and convictions determined by popularity or by praise. We believe in the infinite human value and dignity of human life. We believe the United States has to intervene when it comes to genocide.

We believe Susan Rice should not be condemning the leader of a tiny little Middle East country, which is facing a nuclear threat from the foremost sponsor of terrorism around the world. She should not be saying on national TV that he has no right to speak out and [that] if he does he will harm the relationship with the United States. That is a form of bullying… It is unfair. This country believes in the freedom of speech.

The interview with Rabbi Boteach on CNN can be seen here. Read the full story here.

'Israel's Staunchest ally' Obama allegedly Threatened to Shoot Down IAF Iran Strike.

'Israel's Staunchest ally' Obama allegedly Threatened to Shoot Down IAF Iran Strike.. HT: Fortuna'sCorner.


On the eve of Israel Prime Minister’s speech to a joint session of Congress — regarding the Iran nuclear talks — reports surfaced in the Middle East over the weekend that allege “POTUS Obama stopped an impending Israeli military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities/infrastructure in 2014 — by threatening to shoot down Israeli jets before they could reach their targets.”

David Mccormack, writing on the March 2, 2015 website of London’s TheDailyMailOnline, says “the threat from POTUS Obama forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abort a planned attack on Iran,” according to the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida.

“The Netanyahu government [reportedly] made the decision to strike Iran [nuclear infrastructure] last year,after discovering that the U.S. and Iran were involved in secret talks over Iran’s nuclear program; and, were about to sign an agreement in that regard — behind Israel’s back,” Mr Mccormack wrote.

The Kuwaiti newspaper claimed “an unnamed Israeli minister, who has good ties with the U.S. administration revealed the attack plan to Secretary of State John Kerry; and, that POTUS Obama then threatened to shoot down Israeli jets…before they could reach their targets in Iran. 

According to the Kuwaiti newspaper article, “[PM] Netanyahu and his commanders agreed, after four nights of deliberations — to task the Israeli Chief-of-Staff Benny Gantz to prepare a qualitative operation against Iran’s nuclear program. In addition, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet, decided to whatever they could do to thwart a possible agreement between the White House and Iran — because such an agreement is allegedly a threat to Israel’s security.”

“The sources added that Gen. Gantz and his commanders prepared the requested plan; and, that Israeli fighter jets trained for several weeks — in order to make sure the plan would work successfully. Israeli fighter jets reportedly even carried out mock flights in Iran’s airspace — after they had broken through the country’s air defenses.

Needless to say, these are sensational allegations; and, ordinarily I would not have even given this article and allegation any thought — but, not with this administration.

When it comes to this White House, one can’t trust, and must verify. With PM Netanyahu set to address a joint session of Congress tomorrow (Tuesday), these allegations — if there is any truth to them — could shed a whole new portrait of just how much dislike there is between the Obama administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. V/R, RCP Hmmmm..... I would not put it past his 'admin',  unless this is 'testing' the waters......'JUDGE ME BY WHERE MY HEART LIES''More here.

UPDATE: via Carl inJerusalem:  Former IDF chief of staff: There never was an order to strike Iran - the IDF nixed it

Donald Rumsfeld Blasts ‘Stunning’ White House Rhetoric on Netanyahu Speech.

Donald Rumsfeld Blasts ‘Stunning’ White House Rhetoric on Netanyahu Speech. (Matzav). By Boaz Bismuth.

Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s much-debated March 3 address to a joint session of Congress about the Iranian nuclear threat, former U.S. secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld said that the focus on protocol and the speech’s venue, rather than on the content of Netanyahu’s message, “plays into the hands” of the U.S.-Israel relationship’s opponents.

“I find it stunning to see the comments out of the White House on this issue,” Rumsfeld said in an interview with Israel Hayom, whose English-language content is distributed exclusively in the U.S. by JNS.org. “It is more than a distraction, it is unfortunate. It plays into the hands of those people who are not in favor of the relationship [between Israel and the U.S.], who are not in favor of Israel, or who are in favor of Iran, and the idea that people are saying what they are saying I find most unfortunate.”

The White House has opposed Netanyahu’s speech on the grounds that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) did not consult President Barack Obama in advance of his invitation of the prime minister. On Tuesday, National Security Adviser Susan Rice said Netanyahu’s acceptance of Boehner’s invitation “injected a degree of partisanship” that is “destructive to the fabric of the relationship” between the U.S. and Israel.

Rumsfeld told Israel Hayom that “the entire discussion on [Netanyahu's] visit, it seems to me, is a distraction from the important subject about Iran.”

“Here is a country that is supporting terrorism, has a pattern of being hostile not only toward the United States and Israel but toward many of the countries in your region,” Rumsfeld said.

“If the White House or the administration has a problem on an issue with a friend, normally they would work it out privately,” he said. “They would sit down and say, ‘Gee what about this, what about that, let’s work this out.’ In this case, it’s all public diplomacy.”

Susan Rice’s comments “reflect an imperfect understanding of our system of government and our constitution,” Rumsfeld said.

“Certainly, there’s a role for the Congress in foreign policy and national security affairs,” he said. “Iran is a critical issue and Israel is an important ally, and there is nothing inappropriate at all for the speaker to invite the prime minister or for the prime minister to come over.”

Both the White House and State Department recently confirmed that the U.S. has been withholding information from Israel concerning the nuclear talks with Iran, while also accusing Israel of “cherry-picking” to “distort” the public’s perception of the negotiations.

“I think the [Obama] administration is making a statement that they don’t want anything to intervene in their negotiations with Iran, and they are probably understandably apprehensive that Prime Minister Netanyahu will come and talk about this subject in a way that is not consistent with what their aspirations are for a deal with Iran,” Rumsfeld said.

“Therefore, they have said things that are undiplomatic and inconsistent with the relationship between our two countries and its importance… I’m really amazed at the rudeness, at the undiplomatic way this administration is handling this issue.”

Rumsfeld added, “[The Obama administration's attitude] is unfortunate because it damages, or appears to damage, the relationship with an important ally for the United States. I think it is exactly what the Iranians are happy to hear-it has to be encouraging for them.

But it is also unprofessional. I think the rest of the nations of the world look at the administration’s behavior in this matter and see the damage that has been done to one of our important relationships. It is not in any sense permanent damage because this administration is in its waning years, but I think that other countries will inevitably wonder how reliable an ally this administration is.”

JNS.ORG