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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- Israel Senses Bluffing in Iran's Threats of Retaliation - Ethan Bronner
Israeli intelligence estimates, backed by academic studies, have cast doubt on the widespread assumption that a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would set off a catastrophic set of events like a regional conflagration, widespread acts of terrorism and sky-high oil prices. The estimates, which have been largely adopted by the country's most senior officials, conclude that the threat of Iranian retaliation is partly bluff.
Conversations with top Israeli security officials suggested: since Israel has been demanding the new sanctions, including an oil embargo and seizure of Iran's Central Bank assets, it will give the sanctions some months to work; the sanctions are viewed here as probably insufficient; a military attack remains a very real option; and post-attack situations are considered less perilous than one in which Iran has nuclear weapons.
(New York Times)
- U.S.: "Premature" to Use Military Force Against Iran - Yochi J. Dreazen and Kevin Baron
The current U.S.-led push to force Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions through steadily increasing economic and diplomatic pressure is beginning to show results and it would be "premature" to resort to military force, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview on Thursday. Dempsey said he'd delivered a similar message to Israel's top leadership during a visit there last week.
Israeli leaders see an Iranian nuclear weapon as a direct threat to their survival, and believe Iran may be just months away from having enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb. Dempsey said he and the Israelis each argued their positions "aggressively," but conceded that the two close allies simply see the threat - and potentially how soon to act against it - very differently.
"We have to acknowledge that they...see that threat differently than we do. It's existential to them," he said. "My intervention with them was not to try to persuade them to my thinking or allow them to persuade me to theirs, but rather to acknowledge the complexity and commit to seeking creative solutions, not simple solutions."
"We are determined to prevent them [Iran] from acquiring that weapon, but that doesn't mean dropping bombs necessarily," he said. "I personally believe that we should be in the business of deterring as the first priority." (National Journal)
- Free Syrian Army Units in Damascus Suburbs - Michael Weiss
The new focal point for the revolution in Syria is Damascus itself. Rebels, composed of both army defectors and armed civilians, claim to be operating openly in Harasta, Hamowriya, Su'ban, Madaya and Ghouta, kidnapping regime personnel and taking the fight directly to Assad's army divisions and intelligence bureaus.
I spoke via Skype to an anti-regime activist from Midan who said: "A few days ago, security forces started attacking the demonstrators and shooting them. Suddenly several Free Syrian Army (FSA) units appeared and started shooting back." "The FSA ranks are increasing as there are defectors daily. We believe the regime could last for two more months. Damascus suburbs are filled with the FSA units which control many areas."
The writer is Communications Director of the Henry Jackson Society.
(Telegraph-UK)
See also Free Syrian Army in Douma
With the help of local activists, BBC News Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen managed to get into Douma, 15 minutes drive from the center of Damascus.
He discovered that the center of the town is in the hands of the Free Syrian Army.
(BBC News)
See also Outside Syria's Capital, Suburbs Look Like War Zone - Mariam Karouny
When Arab League observers headed to the suburbs of Damascus Thursday, Syrian security refused to accompany them to most areas because they are no longer in control there. At the police hospital in Harasta, the staff said most of rural Damascus was not controlled by the government forces and gunmen were kidnapping and killing those affiliated with the government in those areas.
(Reuters)
See also Dozens Killed in Syrian City of Homs (AP-Washington Post)
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Top news, commentary, analysis, official documents, and reference materials on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Stay informed on the most serious threat facing the Jewish people.
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