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Even a month ago, few believed that Syria would make a definitive switch over to Iran in the current struggle over reshaping the Middle East. We had it from well-placed Syrian sources that the leadership in Damascus, debating the wisdom of throwing in its lot with the Khomeinists in Tehran, might end up joining the new Arab bloc of moderate states.
By Amir Taheri
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Posted 21/2/2007 @ 18:30:7 GMTThe U.S. Tries Quiet Diplomacy on IranNow that Iran has officially missed the UN Security Council deadline for stopping its uranium enrichment work, Western leaders have decided on a deliberately muted response. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in meetings in Berlin Wednesday with European, Russian and United Nations diplomats, is sticking to the agenda — easing Israeli-Palestinian tensions, and keeping her remarks low-key. Her European counterparts also hope to pass the day without a drama over Tehran's defiance. The reason is purely tactical." We don't need a war of rhetoric," says a European diplomat. more By Time Magazine

Posted 21/2/2007 @ 12:56:35 GMTIran's Iraq Meddling, Pointing the FingerThe confusion among the White House, Pentagon and our military in Baghdad last week over the presence of Iranian weapons in Iraq - and whom to finger for sending them there - was, let's just say, a bit awkward for the administration. more By New York Post

Posted 21/2/2007 @ 12:43:39 GMTAmid Tensions With Iran, U.S. Carriers Arrive in GulfAn American aircraft carrier battle group led by the USS John C. Stennis arrived in the Persian Gulf region as part of a buildup of forces amid heightened tension with Iran. more By New York Sun

Posted 21/2/2007 @ 12:27:31 GMTIran to Create Women-only IslandIran is seeking to create a paradise for female tourists by turning an island on a northwestern lake into a male-free zone, the press reported on Wednesday. All public transport, restaurants and facilities on the island — on the gigantic Oroumiyeh lake close to the Turkish border — will be staffed only by women, officials said. more By AFP

Posted 21/2/2007 @ 12:25:13 GMTUnworthy Heirs to CyrusSadly, the legacy of one of the world's greatest civilizations is in peril, as vandals control the territory once ruled by giants. more By American Thinker

Posted 21/2/2007 @ 12:14:18 GMTUS Fifth Fleet Chief Fears 'Miscalculation' by Iran Could Spark WarMANAMA, Bahrain -- The outgoing commander of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet has expressed concern that a 'miscalculation' by Iran in its nuclear standoff with the West could spark another armed conflict in the Gulf region. more By Forbes

Posted 21/2/2007 @ 12:7:29 GMTIt all Comes Down to Control Noam Chomsky is a noted linguist, author and foreign policy expert. On February 9, Michael Shank interviewed him on the latest developments in US policy toward Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Venezuela. more By Foreign Policy In Focus