Clipmarks | merrie's 'israel' clips

The Balfour Declaration and the Mandate Under the League of Nations

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:00:10 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: ........The Jewish Connection To The Land......
We consider Palestine as part of Arab Syria, as it has never been separated from it at any time. We are connected with it by national, religious, linguistic, natural, economic, and geographical bonds."[10]

The purpose of post-World War I's League of Nations was to prepare those liberated from the Turks for independence. Once the indigenous populations demonstrated their ability to assume control, the mandates given to the war's victorious superpowers were supposed to be self-terminating. For the international community, justice for the Arabs meant guaranteeing their economic, civil, and religious rights. Awarding the Arabs any form of self-government within Palestine was precluded by British commitments to the Jews under the Balfour Declaration, which had been incorporated in the mandate of the League of Nations.[11]

Clip Source: globalpolitician.com

At this point in history, post-World War I, political pressure caused the international community to endorse the Jewish desire for national self-determination and acc epted that the Jewish people had a justifiable claim to return to their homeland. Significantly, in this recognition, the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate under the League of Nations make no mention of Palestinians as a separate and distinct people with their own national rights. The indigenous people were regarded as residents whose political identity was connected to the larger Arab nation.[9]

For the British, the matter was quite clear: Palestine was not a state but the name of a geographical area. This had been reinforced by the indigenous Arabs themselves.

When the First Congress of Muslim-Christian Associations met in Jerusalem in February 1919 to select Palestinian Arab representatives for the Paris Peace Conference, they adopted the following resolution:

Arthur Balfour
British Foreign Secretary

Tags: israel, league of nations, balfour declaration, palestinians

NBC Olympics Web Site Awards West Bank to “Palestine”

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:37:29 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Today's Reuters story about Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's peace offer to the Palestinians gets wrong the basic history of Palestine.

Under the proposal, Israel would return to the Palestinians some 92.7 percent of the occupied West Bank, plus all of the Gaza Strip

In fact, it is impossible to "return" West Bank land to the Palestinians, as they never were the sovereigns of this territory.

http://blog.camera.org/archives/2008/08/updated_reuters_rewrites_ruler.html

Before 1967, when the West Bank came into Israeli hands, the territory was ruled (and annexed) by Jordan. Prior to that, it was under British rule. Before that, it was Ottoman territory. The Egyptians ruled for some time, as did the Mamluks, the Crusaders, Arab Caliphs, and a number of other ancient empires.

But the Palestinians are not on this list. So while the West Bank could technically "return" to Jordanian or British sovereignty, it could not, however, return to Palestinian sovereignty.

Clip Source: blog.camera.org

There is currently no state of Palestine, and no international border between Israel and Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank). The borders and territory of any future Palestinian entity are disputed. However, the NBC Olympics Web Site includes a map showing Judea and Samaria (the West Bank, along with with the Gaza Strip) as part of a country called “Palestine.” Conversely, a map of Israel is shown minus that territory. In other words, NBC mapmakers are playing political arbiters and have awarded the disputed territory to the Palestinians.

Clip Source: www.nbcolympics.com

Palestine

Area	2,317 sq. miles
Population	4,149,173
Location:	Middle East
Language(s):	Arabic, Hebrew
Summer Olympic Debut:	1996
Medal Record:	Never won an Olympic medal

Clip Source: www.nbcolympics.com

Israel

Population:

6,426,679

Area:

8,019 sq. miles

Location:

Middle East

Capital:

Jerusalem

Major Cities:

Tel Aviv

Language(s):

Hebrew, Arabic

Summer Olympic Debut:

1952

Medal Record:


1	1	4

Tags: nbc olympics web site, "awards west bank palestine", 0 olympic medals

Israel Backs Georgia in Caspian Oil Pipeline Battle with Russia

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:41:28 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: until a "durable peace" is reached. "As soon as a durable peace takes hold we need to move forward with dialogue and peaceful negotiations."

DEBKAfile’s geopolitical experts note that on the surface level, the Russians are backing the separatists of S. Ossetia and neighboring Abkhazia as payback for the strengthening of American influence in tiny Georgia and its 4.5 million inhabitants. However, more immediately, the conflict has been sparked by the race for control over the pipelines carrying oil and gas out of the Caspian region.

The Russians may just bear with the pro-US Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili’s ambition to bring his country into NATO. But they draw a heavy line against his plans and those of Western oil companies, including Israeli firms, to route the oil routes from Azerbaijan and the gas lines from Turkmenistan, which transit Georgia, through Turkey instead of hooking them up to Russian pipelines.

Clip Source: www.debka.com

Georgian tanks and infantry, aided by Israeli military advisers, captured the capital of breakaway South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, early Friday, Aug. 8, bringing the Georgian-Russian conflict over the province to a military climax.

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin threatened a “military response.”

Former Soviet Georgia called up its military reserves after Russian warplanes bombed its new positions in the renegade province

In Moscow’s first response to the fall of Tskhinvali, president Dimitry Medvedev ordered the Russian army to prepare for a national emergency after calling the UN Security Council into emergency session early Friday.

Reinforcements were rushed to the Russian “peacekeeping force” present in the region to support the separatists.

Georgian tanks entered the capital after heavy overnight heavy aerial strikes, in which dozens of people were killed.

Lado Gurgenidze, Georgia's prime minister, said on Friday that Georgia will continue its military operation in South Ossetia

Tags: putin, president mikhail saakashvili, oil routes, gas lines, transit georgia and turkey, western oil companies, israel

Commencement — For Yet Another Class Of Starry-Eyed Terrorists

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:19:39 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: These photos of Palestinian youth militants from the Islamic group Hamas take part in a graduation ceremony in Gaza City

Clip Source: sweetness-light.com

There are still bright spots to be found

Palestinian youth, militants from the Islamic group Hamas take part in a graduation ceremony in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. Youths dived through fire hoops amid gunfire in an action-packed graduation ceremony on Sunday in Gaza City that concluded one of Hamas’ first summer camps set after its June truce with Israel.

That’s right, it’s once again Graduation Day for those young heroes of Hamas.

Or more accurately, Commencement — for yet another class of starry-eyed terrorists.

How quickly they grow up!

Tags: hamas, palestinian youth, militants, islamic terrorist group

Rice Says She Won't Block Strikes Against Nuclear Sites

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:38:31 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: "We don't say yes or no to Israeli military operations; Israel is a sovereign country," Ms. Rice said.

"Every day that the centrifuges continue to spin brings Iran closer to a nuclear weapons capability and threatens the stability and security of the region and the world," Israel's ambassador in Washington, Sallai Meridor, said. "The international community should immediately apply additional robust sanctions."

The Security Council, which has imposed three rounds of mild sanctions on Iran since 2006, has traditionally taken its time before agreeing on compromise action that manages to satisfy Russia, China, and several European countries that prefer conducting business with Iran to halting its nuclear run. The process is also very slow, the American U.N. ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, acknowledged yesterday.

Clip Source: www.nysun.com

UNITED NATIONS — Secretary of State Rice is signaling she won't stand in the way of an Israeli military action to stop Iran's nuclear program

Some diplomats even argue that any significant policy agreement among the powers on Iran must wait until next year, when a new American president takes charge.

Israel, a country Iran has threatened with annihilation, may not wait that long. Israel's air force carried out a major drill yesterday, simulating a response to a coordinated missile attack against it by Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah, according to press reports. Israel also added new fighter jets and submarines to its arsenal recently. If the Iranians "provoke us, or attack us, our army is prepared to attack and to succeed uncompromisingly," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

She added, however, that Washington's diplomacy on Iran is well-coordinated with Israel. "They've said that diplomacy can work here," she said, referring to Jerusalem officials.

Tags: sec of state rice, israeli military action, iaf major drill, israeli jets/submarines inventory, defense minister ehud barak, tehran nuclear program

'Drag Queens' Promptly Arrested In Hamas Crackdown

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:33:42 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: The Hamas siege prompted exchanges of gunfire and rocket-propelled-grenade attacks between the terror group and the well-armed Hilles family, many members of which are suspected of involvement in terrorism against Israel.

But Hamas eventually dominated the clan, storming several high-rise buildings and arresting rooftop snipers, gunmen and wounded fighters.

At one point, Hamas arrested 15 Hilles clan members, including 10 who had tried to flee disguised as women, Hamas spokesman Islam Shahwan said.

Clip Source: www.worldnetdaily.com

Hamas terrorists were in for a surprise yesterday when Palestinian gunmen from a rival group tried to escape a Hamas siege by dressing as women.

The gunmen were attempting to flee a Hamas crackdown on a powerful clan affiliated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization. Hamas suspected the clan was harboring Palestinians responsible for a series of bombings last week that killed five Hamas members.

Yesterday's clashes left nine dead and over 80 wounded in the most violent round yet of Hamas' weeklong confrontation with rival Fatah.

Hamas forces yesterday surrounded the Shejaia district of Gaza City to arrest about a dozen people suspected of a role in last weekend's bombing, which took place on the Gaza beachfront and apparently targeted Hamas members. Hamas suspected the Fatah-linked Hilles clan

Clan head Ahmed Hilles formerly served as the PA's security chief in Gaza, but later switched over to Hamas.

He is now accused of doing bidding for Fatah.

Tags: gaza, hamas, fatah, hilles clan arrests, disguised as women

Syrian Officers In North Lebanese Engage In Fierce Gun Battle – Against Hizballah

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:41:11 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Damascus is seen as drawing the line against the spread of Hizballah and Iranian influence from Beirut to northern Lebanon, a region it views as exclusive Syrian turf.

Clip Source: www.debka.com

The Alawites, who dominate the Assad regime in Syria, fought under Syrian military intelligence officers in civilian garb with weapons supplied from Damascus. The anti-Syrian Sunnis are armed by the Lebanese majority bloc led by Saad Hariri. The clashes have been going back and forth for two months with neither side prevailing.

A Syrian official, Dr. Riyad Daud, legal adviser at the foreign ministry in Damascus recently advised US and Israel to watch Tripoli to understand recent trends. Our sources report he was indicating the Tripoli battle as a landmark because there Syrian officers have ordered the Alawite fighters to drive Hizballah militiamen out of their district.

Tags: assad, alawites, saad hariri, anti-syrian sunnis, "tripoli battle", northern lebanon, hizballah militiamen, iranian influences

Is Syrian President Assad Bluffing?

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:04:39 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: something his country has always refused since it considered that Lebanon is just a Syrian province. This was a huge condition for the French who see it a pledge given by Damascus to Lebanese sovereignty.

Fifth, Syria has, according to Arab sources, made a big "summer housecleaning" by eliminating dozens of prisoners at the Sidnaya prison. Among them, two leaders of Jund al-Sham, the Islamist organization linked to Syrian services.

Sixth, according to the Kuwaiti daily Al-Seyassah, Syria also asked Hamas leaders based in Damascus to leave the Syrian territory. The latter could move into the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Hezbollah stronghold.

Seventh, Syria is allegedly trying to break up Hezbollah. Al-Seyassah believes that Syria has resumed its contacts with the former secretary general of Hezbollah and one of its co-founders, Sobhi Toufaili. Syria wants to strengthen Toufaili's faction to weaken Hassan Nasrallah and divide the party.

Clip Source: www.metimes.com

The real star at the French Bastille Day parade earlier this month in Paris was Syrian President Bashar Assad. It marked his return into the international community. In fact, the French Nicolas Sarkozy administration believes, along with to a lesser degree the Ehud Olmert government in Israel, that Assad can be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem. But what are Assad's real intentions?

Since actions speak louder than words, let's look at the facts.

First, in February, Hezbollah terror master Imad Mugnieh was assassinated in Damascus in what is likely a Syrian-made operation.

Second, Assef Shawkat, the powerful head of Syrian security and Assad's brother-in-law was suddenly pushed aside. Shawkat is close to Tehran and has allegedly a hand in former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's murder in Beirut in 2005.

Third, Assad acknowledged publicly peace negotiations with Israel.

Fourth, Assad agreed on opening a Syrian embassy in Beirut,

Tags: syrian's bashar assad, nicolas sarkozy, hezbollah terror master mugnieh, syrian peace negotiations, israel, embassy in beirut

The Goodwill Of Nancy Pelosi

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:01:53 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: continued
when the fighting would end, they negotiated that cessation of hostilities-the Iranians.” Of course, Basra had nothing to do with the surge in the first place and in the second Iran has been, along with al Qaeda, the chief facilitator of terrorism in post-Saddam Iraq.

You’d think after giving credit for American success to America’s sworn enemies, the Speaker of the House would back off from flattering the mullahs. She might even attempt to clarify or correct the record. A mere “‘goodwill’ was the wrong term” would have gone a long way. Yet no clarification or correction was issued. And Pelosi’s comments this morning confirm the reason: She gives Iran the benefit of the doubt.

After the kidnappings, the terrorist activities that have killed Americans over three decades, the threats to destroy Israel, the attempts to destroy Iraq, the training and support of Hezbollah, the torture and murder of thousands of Iranians,

Clip Source: www.commentarymagazine.com

For all appearances, Nancy Pelosi is establishing herself as a bona fide advocate of Iran’s terrorist regime.

This morning, NBC aired footage of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during which the president of Iran claimed to see “new behavior shown by the United States and the officials of the United States,” and stated “if the [American] approach changes, we will be facing a new situation, and the response by the Iranian people will be a positive one.”

Soon afterward, Pelosi appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and said Ahmadinejad’s comments “represent an opening in terms of him saying he’ll try to find common ground.”

But taken in concert with her full-throated appreciation of the Islamic Republic’s kindly actions in Iraq, today’s sunny review necessarily raises questions about Pelosi’s fundamental assessment of the Iranian threat.

In May, Pelosi told a group of reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle that “some of the success of the surge is at the goodwill of the Iranians-they decided in Basra

Tags: ahmadinejad, nancy pelosi, nbc's "today show', san francisco chronicle, surge, al-qaeda, iranians goodwill, basra

Should Barack Obama Have Skipped Europe And Gone Home?

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 06:19:57 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Yes, he was treated as an equal by a world leader. [I]t was great theatre but the Frenchman came off as - how can I put this delicately - a complete clown.

We'll see what happens in London but it'll be Gordon Brown hoping a little bit of the Obama magic rubs off rather than the other way round.

And then there was the unseemly dispute with the Pentagon over Obama's abandoned plan to visit wounded American troops - something he could have done without.

Perhaps the Illinois senator - who drew giggles from the assembled press when he had to point out in Paris that he was not the US president - should have flown back direct from Israel.

The Presumptive - and Presumptuous - Nominee By Toby Harnden

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/the_presumptive_and_presumptuo.html

Clip Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk

But Germany and France? Not so much. There seems to be a consensus that his Berlin speech was a little underwhelming. From the Left, Michael Tomasky of the Guardian has a thoughtful take here. From the Right, NRO's John Cullinan makes a number of perceptive points. My own view, as per my RealClearPolitics piece today, is that the presumptive Democratic nominee is looking distinctly presumptuous.

David Brooks of the "New York Times", a useful weathervane because he's a long-time admirer of John McCain who has also written warmly about Obama, was distinctly unimpressed by the Berlin speech.

Few, however, have been able to articulate what the political upside of the Berlin event was. Beforehand, the case against Obama was that he gave pretty speeches that were devoid of substance and was loved by Europeans but less so by ordinary blue-collar Americans

I also think it was a mistake to hold a joint press conference with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Tags: obama, germany, france, london

Terrorists' Assignment: Protect Barack Obama

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:10:20 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: The Israeli Defense Forces, working with U.S. security coordinators, will protect the main West Bank highway Obama's convoy will use to approach Ramallah. Security for Obama will be largely turned over to the Palestinians once he enters Ramallah, although security plans are being heavily coordinated with the U.S.

Clip Source: muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com

According to security officials coordinating deployments of forces with the PA for Obama's Ramallah visit, members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared military wing, have been called upon by the PA to participate in the protection of Obama, particularly in securing the perimeter during a scheduled meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Brigades is listed as a terror organization by the U.S. State Department. The group took credit along with the Islamic Jihad terror organization for every suicide bombing in Israel between 2005 and 2006 and is responsible for thousands of shootings and rocket firings. Statistically, the Al Aqsa Brigades perpetuated more terrorism from the West Bank than Hamas, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.

Al Aqsa Brigades terrorists serve in Fatah's security forces, including those in Ramallah. The current chief of Fatah's Force 17, Abu Hayyet, is accused by Israel of planning or involvement in at least 10 deadly terror attacks

Tags: obama's ramallah visit, president abbas, palestinian authority, al aqsa martyrs brigades, fatah security forces, deadly terror attacks

About Obama’s Comments At The Holocaust Memorial And Museum

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:52:02 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: continued;
going without at home to help the fighting men overseas.

Words matter. Perhaps my words in the post, Obama: WWII won by speaking out as one voice, were not adequate to portray the betrayal of America’s–and the worlds–greatest generation. Perhaps I am simply making too much of nothing. Sure, Obama will say, it was just a euphemism; of course he honors the sacrifices, blah blah blah.

But I do not believe this is the truth. I believe that his words do mean something. His words assault the reality and remove the sacrifices. His words turn my grandparents and great uncles and great aunts into nothing, pushed aside in favor of modern liberal rhetoric with no goal beyond winning an election.

Our greatest generation did not speak out. They fought; they sacrificed; they died; and, ultimately, they saved the world.

Clip Source: rochesterconservative.com

“This is my second visit to Yad Vashem…I am always taken back to, sort of, the core question of humanity that the Holocaust raises. And that is, on the one hand man’s great capacity for evil but on the other hand the capacity to join together and stop evil if we are willing to speak out in one voice.”

This disgusting, pacifist euphemism, turning the very real sacrifices of millions of soldiers and civilians into a fairy tale, ‘coming together’, protest is extremely distasteful. As someone who has relatives who actually fought and sacrificed their lives to stop the Nazi scourge, I feel it is a slap in the face to suggest that victory came not through the ultimate sacrifice but through pacifist resistance.

14 million allied soldiers died, many more millions were injured and otherwise had their lives destroyed for the cause.

Americans sacrificed at home, turning over metals so that munitions, aircraft, ect. could be made, working long hours at factories to build the supplies to win the war,

Tags: holocaust memorial and museum, yad vashem, israel, wwii, allied soldiers

Obama's Idol Status Overseas

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:55:25 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Many in Washington were scratching their heads while he (McCain) was traipsing through the jungles of Colombia last month. But then came the freeing of hostages held by the FARC Colombian rebels, and McCain looked, well, presidential. And really, that’s the whole point of these “fact-finding” missions – looking good for the cameras.

Perhaps these work vacations by politicians are more sophisticated than they first appear. Maybe Americans appreciate the fact that their presidential candidates are traveling beyond the confines of America and seeing the world firsthand. Perhaps, but do not be deceived. These are trips staged to the finest detail, with little left to chance and happenstance. Obama and McCain know this, and they have treated it as such – an extension of their political campaigns. Why do you think the network anchors are along for the ride? It is surely not because of the news quotient that the “surge” is working.

Clip Source: www.townhall.com

I can’t get over the media circus surrounding Senator Barack Obama’s current trip to the Middle East. Never mind that Senator John McCain’s recent trip overseas hardly made the nightly news (we will just chalk that up to another instance of media bias), but the fact that the world went crazy as soon as Obama stepped on the plane means something deeper is being established here. Apparently, Obama’s handlers and the national media have deluded themselves into believing the hip presidential candidate can transform himself into some sort of super-diplomat simply by spending a few hours in some war-torn countries. Need to burnish some foreign policy credentials for your presidential campaign? No problem, just hit the road to the remotest regions of the world and voilà – instant international policy expert.

Tags: obama, mccain, overseas excursion, israel, middle east, europe

Messiah Lies About His Senate Committee Assignment

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:32 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: John explains the rest:

But Obama is not a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Obama just made that up so he could count the committee's action as one of "my deeds."

If committed by a Republican, this would be a gaffe of historic proportions. Even a Senator as inattentive to his duties as Obama certainly knows what committees he serves on. For him to fabricate the claim, out of whole cloth, that the Senate Banking Committee is "[his] committee," strikes me as another sign of Obama's megalomania. That, plus more evidence that he is totally at sea without a teleprompter.

Illinois Senator's Record Of Inaction Leaves Him Discredited

WASHINGTON, July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being
issued by the Republican National Committee:

As Chairman Of The Subcommittee
With NATO Oversight, Obama Has Failed
To Hold Any Hearings On Afghanistan:

Clip Source: corner.nationalreview.com

This guy is going to be harder than Bill Clinton to keep up with. The next whopper whips along before you have time to wrap your brain around the last one.

At Powerline, John Hinderaker goes through Obama's continuing contortions (in Israel) over how Jerusalem must remain the undivided capitol of Israel, unless of course it is divided and unless of course it is also the capitol of "Palestine," which possibilities absolutely positively mark no change in the messiah's original decree, which he really really meant, that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capitol of Israel. Obama then continued

(italics mine):

Now, in terms of knowing my commitments, you don't have to just look at my words, you can look at my deeds. Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon.

Tags: obama, senate banking committee, iran divestment

Now Bush Is Appeasing Iran

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:11:35 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: joined envoys from France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany in talks with Saeed Jalili -- Iran's nuclear negotiator and an Ahmadinejad confidant -- about incentives to give to Tehran.

[E]ven with record oil prices, mismanagement has driven the Iranian economy into the ground. On July 14, the Ministry of Housing reported an "historical" 125% rise in housing prices. The same day, Tabnak, a news Web site run by a former head of the IRGC, admitted foodstuff inflation had reached 50% annually. On July 8, 2008, a National Iranian Oil Company executive acknowledged in the Iranian press that, without significant investment in infrastructure, Iranian oil production would decline each year by 300,000 barrels a day.

In the past month alone, Iranian workers have struck for unpaid wages at the Khodro automotive plant (which assembles Peugeots), the Alburz Tire Company, and the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane factory.

Clip Source: www.meforum.org

On May 31, 2006, Condoleezza Rice drew a red line in front of Tehran's nuclear enrichment program. "The Iranian government's choices are clear," she said. "The negative choice is for the regime to maintain its current course. . . . If the regime does so, it will incur only great costs." She also offered an olive branch: "As soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities, the United States will come to the table with our EU-3 colleagues and meet with Iran's representatives."

Two years later, Iranian officials have installed more than 3,000 centrifuges in a facility designed to hold 50,000. On July 9, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tested missiles which could reach Israel; the same day, Iranian Web sites carried President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's pledge to launch a satellite, an event that would demonstrate a mastery of intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

Nevertheless, just 10 days later, Undersecretary of State William Burns

Tags: u.n. security council resolutions, tehran's nuclear program, centrifuges, missiles test, satellite launch