Links April 13th to April 14th

Links from my del.icio.us account for April 13th through April 14th:

• U.S. Looks at Dropping a Condition for Iran Nuclear Talks, Officials Say - NYTimes.com - "The proposals, exchanged in confidential strategy sessions with European allies, would press Tehran to open up its nuclear program gradually to wide-ranging inspection. But the proposals would also allow Iran to continue enriching uranium for some period during the talks. That would be a sharp break from the approach taken by the Bush administration, which had demanded that Iran halt its enrichment activities, at least briefly to initiate negotiations."


• Clip - Entertaining MEMRI clip has crazy Algerian author say the Arabs are the dregs of humanity.


• SOUTH LEBANON: Globalizing Politicide - Israel's Strikes on Sudan - "These attacks represent obvious violations of international law. Not as obvious, but more importantly, the attacks also represent a renewed globalizing of Israel’s policy of politicide. They are the most recent instances of Israel making global its policy of destroying the national existence of the Palestinians. As such they represent a very real and increasing threat to individual and international peace and security, particularly to the people of the post-colonial south, but also those of the imperial north."


• Mossad tip led to capture of Hezbollah cell in Sinai - Haaretz - Israel News - More Zviying: "The CIA, Mossad, Britain's MI6, the German BND and other intelligence services - like those of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan who have suffered attacks by terrorist cells operated by Iran - have stepped up collaboration, information sharing and joint assessments. Egypt's chief of intelligence, General Omar Suleiman, is a frequent visitor to Israel and the doors of his counterparts in Israel are always open, as are those of the Prime Minister's bureau." Err... what terrorist attacks by Hizbullah in Egypt, Jordan or Saudi?


• Analysis: Hizbullah shows its true colors to the Arab world | Middle East | Jerusalem Post - I think there a class of Israeli journalists called "The Zvis". The Zvis - Barel, Mazel, whatever - hyperventilate wildly in their articles, which are based on two sources: Israel intelligence and the Arab press. Their lack of caution in treating both sources is staggering. There's been a spate of articles in the Israeli press where the Zvis are feeling very smug about the Hizbullah-Egypt story. And they're buying the terrorism charges that most Egyptians don't buy hook, line and sinker.


• Making Smugglers Pay: Underwriting Egyptian Border Security - The toads at WINEP want to get the US to get Egypt to formalize its seizure of Hamas funding. Surely they realize that it's a tactical move by Egypt, not necessarily a permanent one? I like the title they've given, it's meant to echo the current US concern over illegal immigrants.


• EGYPT: Cairo calls Hezbollah terrorist organization | Babylon & Beyond | Los Angeles Times - "Yet, for some observers, Egypt has gone too far by labeling Hezbollah a terrorist movement. “These harsh and exaggerated accusations show that the Egyptian position is more extremist than the position of the new American administration and many circles in the West in general which consider the necessity of holding dialogues with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and of drawing a distinction between the terrorist and the political in these groups,” said Amr Choubaki, a political analyst with Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies."


• Magharebia.com | Libya appoints new intelligence chief - "Libya leader Moamer Kadhafi appointed former deputy prime minister Abu Zaid Omar Dourdaa to head the Foreign Intelligence Services, Reuters reported on Sunday (April 12th). Dourdaa will succeed Moussa Koussa, who took over as foreign minister six weeks ago. Dourdaa once served as Libya's envoy to the United Nations."


• Khaleej Times Online - Hamas ‘surprised’ by Egypt’s Hezbollah allegations - "‘Bringing weapons to Gaza is not a crime at all,’ Hamas said in its statement Monday. ‘We express our solidarity with our brothers in Hezbollah... resisting the Zionist occupation is a duty and an honour for every Muslim." Hamas being careful about the Egyptians here...