Sunday, September 30, 2012

Israel to Help Syria

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The Israel Chemical Company's "Aqua Tab," a simple tablet that purifies water and makes it drinkable, will now be used in Syria.

Syria has been in a recent crisis situation over the lessening amount of fresh water available to them and this will solve the problem.

UNICEF asked for the tablets and Israel will sell them to Syria through their Irish subsidiary. The deal needed to be approved by the Israeli government because it meant, in essence, delivering goods to an enemy.

The Israeli Minister of Economics approved the deal for three reasons:
#1: it was for humanitarian purposes
#2: it was being provided by a 2nd party
#3: it was being given to UNICEF and not Syria.

The Syrian water situation will not be totally solved by the Aqua Tab, but it will alleviate the crisis and permit people to have basic water until their own infrastructure problems can be resolved.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Saturday, September 29, 2012

UN Score Card

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

We need a playbill to follow all the scene changes and dialogue that has captured center stage at the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

One set of issues worth watching and monitoring, is of course, the dialogue between Netanyahu and Abbas. Even more interesting than the interplay between these two leaders are the various reactions to their interplay.

Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke about the need to resume talks in order to advance an agreement.

Hamas was livid. They could not believe that Abbas addressed the world assembly and called for dialogue and talks with Israel. Hamas called these comments destructive and said Abbas was going against the interests of the Palestinian people. That the real emphasis should be on unity talks between Palestinians.

The Muslim Brotherhood from Egypt declared that there cannot be talks with Israel. And newly elected president of Egypt Mohammed Morsi said that there will be no talks with Israel. Morsi, it goes without saying, must toe the line of the Brotherhood.

The comments are ridiculous. Practically speaking Egypt is talking with Israel even at the highest levels. But to make a public display of it would tarnish the image of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Friday, September 28, 2012

Christian Forced Out in Egypt

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Several days ago in the Sinai Egyptian town of Rafah the Christians living there received a note on their doorsteps. "You Have Two Days to Leave or Else" read the piece of paper.

After two days militants sped through Rafah on motorcycles firing machine guns. It was frightening.  There was property damage but no one was hurt .

The Christian leaders of Rafah ran to the newly appointed regional governor. He told the Christian leaders that he would happily facilitate their relocation to the nearby city of Al Arish. He did not offer to try to protect them or even investigate the threats.

Over the past year the ancient beautiful church of Rafah has been firebombed and looted. It has been nearly razed to the ground.

The church dates itself to the time of Jesus but its structure and design is Crusader. It survived a thousand years but could only withstand a few month of Muslim Brotherhood rule.
It is unclear if any Christians remain in Rafah anymore. But this is a very foreboding sign.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Arab Spring In Gaza

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The Arab Spring might have arrived in Gaza.

Yesterday over 500 people rallied and demanded that Hamas step down. The protests were a result of the tragic death of a 3 year old baby burned to death in a fire caused by candles due to the electricity blackouts.
Hamas blames the electric blackouts on Egypt.

It is against the law in Gaza to protest against the Hamas government. So when 500 people gather in the streets to call for ousting them, that is big news.

This story should be covered around the world. Let's see if Arab news agencies, especially Arabic TV, pick it up.

If this takes hold and protests continue it just could cause an ousting of Hamas.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Subway Ad Shouts Defeat Jihad

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

There is a new ad on the subways and buses in New York City. It will run for a month. The ad has already been running in San Francisco.

The ad reads: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel/Defeat Jihad."
In July the MTA lost a federal case after they refused to post it.

The ad is now in 10 subway stations.

While this ad certainly articulates strong ideas, it is not offensive in and of itself. What it does is draw a line between Western support for Israel and the terrible violence and murder that has emerged in the Middle East.

The ad was created before the 9-11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Hamas Boycotts Israeli Fruit

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Gaza has banned the import of Israeli fruit - with the exception of bananas and apples. The ban has increased the cost of fruit by 100%.

The already tough economic conditions in Gaza have now become even more difficult because Hamas wants to boycott Israel. Even fruits like grapes that grow in Gaza have spiked by 50%.

This boycott will increase prices and in the end, it will force people to starve.

Hamas Director of Marketing in the Ministry of Agriculture Tasheen al Saqqa said, in response to the change in policy, that --- "We are people under blockade and we should have the culture of resistance." "Why should someone have all kinds of fruits on his table?"

Hamas wants to hurt Israel by closing Gaza as a market for fresh fruits.
This is very revealing insight into their leadership and point of view. In reality the boycott is hurting the people of Gaza much more than it hurts Israel. The market for Israel is a paltry $26 million.

Losing the fruit will hurt Gaza badly and affect Israel almost not at all.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Monday, September 24, 2012

French Arrest 2 For Planned Beheading

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

French police arrested two people yesterday for plotting to behead the editor of the satirical magazine that published caricatures of the prophet Mohammed.

The suspects had knives and posted demands and took claim for the plan to behead editor Charlie Hebdo.
This should not be a surprise. This magazine is notorious for lampooning anything and everything. It was not the first time they lampooned the Prophet. Lampoon and caricatures are the medium that Hebdo regularly uses.

Security has been higher than normal at the magazine lately. But the reality is that neither Hebdo nor his publication will be intimidated by threats. They believe that making fun of situations is their editorial contribution to political discourse in France.

This is not a debate over issues of censorship and free press. It is well within the purview of this or any other journal to raise these questions - and they will certainly continue to do so.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Kissinger Says - No Israel in 10 Years

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Last week NY Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams ran a very short item which knocked my socks off.

The gossip queen of New York City quoted a conversation with Henry Kissinger. Kissinger needs no introduction, for the past few decades the free world has hung on to almost every word, certainly every diplomatic comment, he has made.

I found this particular comment to be more than disturbing. On September 17th Adams wrote: "Reported to me, Henry Kissinger has stated - and I quote the statement word for word: 'In 10 years, there will be no more Israel.'

I repeat: 'In 10 years, there will be no more Israel.'" Even uttering the words is almost beyond fathomable.
There was no real context for the quote other than to say that given the situation with Iran and what happened at the Democratic National Convention Israel and their platform, Kissinger felt compelled to tell Adams his point of view.

Yes, Israel is confronting great risks and Iran's potential for nuclear weapon is one of them. And there are certainly forces on the fringe of the Democratic Party not friendly to Israel. But making that leap and predicting that Israel will be destroyed is very dangerous and even irresponsible.

People listen to Kissinger. People - both people on the street and people in position to make important decisions trust his analysis.

Given what the former secretary of state, Nobel Peace Prize winner and diplomat par excellence has said, why would anyone invest in or aid Israel to the tune of billions of dollars per year as we do, if there is no future there beyond a single decade.

Even if he believed what he said, it was wrong to say. Certainly, dropping this bomb shell to a gossip columnist, as credible as Cindy Adams is, was inappropriate.
Self fulfilling prophecies is not just a throw away phrase.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Saturday, September 22, 2012

No Signs of Change in Libya



By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

More than a thousand people took to the streets yesterday in Benghazi, Libya. They were demanding that the Islamic militias put down their weapons.

The protesters also shouted that the government should force the militias to follow the law and disarm.
There is little chance of that happening.

Libya is composed of 140 tribes and each of them is armed. Each tribe needs weapons to defend itself
against other tribes. Embedded in the tribes are subgroups - including al Qaeda affiliates like those who attacked the US consulate and murdered the United States ambassador to Libya.

The fact that there was a protest like that in Benghazi is a positive sign. But do not read too much into it. The attack on the US consulate was also a sign of the times in Libya. And so is the fact that the militia will not lay down their weapons.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Friday, September 21, 2012

30 Nations Train Near Iran

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Thirty nations are participating in naval maneuvers in and around the Straits of Hormuz. The focus of the exercises is to detect and be able to defend against underwater mines and against mines that may be placed on ships by hostile forces.

This is the biggest naval maneuver of this sort in history.

The admiral in charge of the US 5th Fleet, Vice Admiral John W. Miller, announced that all these countries are committed to keeping the shipping lanes of the Straits of Hormuz open to international shipping and make certain that the oil keeps flowing.

Thirty nations working together. That's how important the Straits of Hormuz is. That's how crucial the oil that travels through those Straits is to every one of us.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Hajj -- Can Syria Attend

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Yesterday Arabic news was filled with coverage of the Syrians saying that Saudi Arabia has denied Syrians access to Mecca for the Holy pilgrimage Hajj. The official Syrian new agency SANA reported that Saudi Arabia refused to permit Syrians from the Hajj because of the way the Assad regime has responded to the uprising.

"The Syrian Supreme Hajj Committee has banned this season's pilgrimage because the Saudi Ministry of Hajj did not sign the pilgrimage agreement on time, although the committee met all required procedures."
The Arabic world was alight with the question as to whether the Hajj should be political and whether Saudi Arabia should force its own political point of view on those who will make the pilgrimage.

And then, within hours the Saudi Ministry of the Hajj released a statement saying that Syrian Muslims were indeed welcome as always this year, too.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Carbon Fiber Blocked from Iran

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The international community is a gearing up for a serious discussion about Iran's nuclear program.

Next week the EU 3+3 will meet to discuss matters (that means 3 from the EU --- France, Germany, Britain + 3 --- China, Russia, United States). More than that, the Iranian nuclear program will be the topic touched on by almost every speaker representing a Western country during the course of the UN General Assembly.
Western countries are not alone in the quest to halt Iran's nuclear development. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recently stopped a ship and confiscated its cargo of carbon fiber headed to Iran.

Carbon fiber is used to make a better rotor to spin a centrifuge. It is strong, flexible and can spins effectively and efficiently.

The use of carbon fiber will boost Iran's centrifuge capabilities manifold so stopping its import was extremely important.

Intelligence sources are saying that Iran will be at the stage of 90% uranium refinement within six months. After that the only thing Iran needs to do is perfect their delivery and rocket systems.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iranian General Says Troops in Syria

By Micah Halpern
Tuesday September 19, 2012

I've Been Thinking:

The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, General Mohammed Ali Jefari, held a press conference on Sunday.

This is a rare happening in Iran. Jafari is rarely seen in public and even less often does he speak to the press.
Jafari warned Israel not to attack and said that the US was not at all likely to strike Iran. Then he admitted that the al Qods brigade is in Lebanon and in Syria.

This is the first official time that anyone in Iran has admitted that there are Iranian forces stationed in Syria and Lebanon.

He qualified it saying that they are only there to advise and lend aid. But yet, he admitted that they were, indeed, there.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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The British Are Coming

By Micah Halpern
Monday September 17, 2012

I've Been Thinking:

Yesterday the Sunday Telegraph of London reported that England is sending an entire armada to the Straits of Hormuz.

All kinds of ships including battleship and aircraft carriers are on their way to support 25 other nations and their naval presence in the narrow stretch of water through which 20-30% of the world's oil flows.

The British are moving their forces into line with the US and other Western powers as a threat against Iran and as Iran flexes her muscles.

If Iran were to actually move from threat to action and begin to close the Straits, countries would be there ready to act to try to keep that important waterway open.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Secret Weapon Hits Iran

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Today I saw a piece that showed just how dangerous the war of rhetoric can get. Imagination and technology are very powerful tools.

Iran is suffering from a drought. Iranian news is covering the drought - and blaming it on their enemies. It goes without saying that everyone reading or hearing the reports know that "enemies" means Israel and the US.

 Here is the quote attributed to Ahmadinejad. "The enemy destroys the clouds that are headed towards our country and this is a war Iran will win."

This kind of contrived verbal attack sends another message and it always boomerangs. Ahmadinejad's message to his people reinforces just how technologically advanced and superior the United States and Israel are over Iran. It transforms enemies into super-humans.

In a culture that feeds on conspiracies this is very, very dangerous. The rhetoric and the theories take on a life of their own, they become believable and assumed to be true.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

They Hate the US But Love the Tech

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

As I watch the protests taking place in Iran and the read the banners screaming hatred of the United States and announcing the end of America, I am acutely aware not only of the turmoil, but of an underlying subtext running alongside the banners and announcements.

When the United States tightened sanctions on Iran, Iran fought back by boycotting US products.

The Iranian boycott of US products has not been very successful on big ticket items, but it has affected smaller products.

Coke is still a very hot item in the markets. And the most-in-demand Made in the USA items in Iran are Apple iphones and ipads.

Of course, they need to be hacked so that they can be used on the local Iranian information system, but they are the hottest hits on the market.

While hatred of the United States runs true and deep in Iran, it does not extend to US products and technology. Actually, and this is what makes a serious situation look comical, many of the protest participants are being invited to take part in angry protests aimed at the United States via cell phone technology developed in the United States.

 Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Obama & Bibi Talk for 1 Hour

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

It is the public tension that has emerged between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama that grabs media attention while important and successful exchanges go mostly unnoticed.

On Wednesday, the day it was announced that President Obama would tape David Letterman at the very time the Israeli prime minister requested to meet with him, Obama and Netanyahu spoke on the phone for an hour. They spoke about the Iranian threat, they updated one another and they discussed the various options on the table.

Most importantly, they decided to be back in touch and to inform each other of further updates.
It is clear that Obama and Netanyahu do not have good chemistry - but at this level of leadership it is diplomacy rather than chemistry that takes precedence.

In a veiled apology to Israel the US president sent out his traditional Jewish High Holiday blessing yesterday. Obama mentioned reconciliation and spoke of reaching out to right wrongs. "We're called to seek each other out and make amends for those moments when we may not have lived up to our values as well as we should."

To some, this message will sound sincere, others will hear it as patronizing. Listening to the New Year greeting, I cast my vote for sincere.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Graffiti in Teheran

By Micah Halpern
Column:

The Middle East is changing in some most unpredictable ways. And some of the most surprising changes are the work of individuals, not governments.

For example: The Iranian city of Shiraz have been sprayed with Hebrew graffiti. The graffiti reads 'No to war.' The phrase was also been also written in Farsi, the Persian language, and in English. I assume these Iranian graffiti artists want to make sure that no one misses their message.

This is not a ploy orchestrated by the Mossad to convince Iranians living in their capital city to stop their saber rattling. The graffiti was scribbled by a group of activists called TeHTel, which stands for Teheran Haifa Tel Aviv.

TeHTel is a grass roots campaign among citizens in those three cities who believe that bombing each other is not the answer and that it is extremely dangerous and it is wrong. The group likes to emphasize that they are a campaign of people-to-people and not state-to-state. They point out that theirs is not a political undertaking.

These activists are not flower children drawing love symbols. They are acutely aware of the issues and the dangers in their message and, more importantly, of the medium through which they have chosen to deliver that message. They know very well how the writing on the wall will look. In the book of Daniel the writing on the wall was in Aramaic. Here it is in Hebrew, Farsi and English.

Any graffiti in Iran could land the artist in prison. Graffiti that challenges the government is met with even greater punishment. Now add to that Graffiti that is written in Hebrew. The TeHTel movement has taken some very brave steps for their cause. Scribbling this message on the walls of Teheran and linking themselves to the Israelis who are scribbling the same message on their walls puts group members and their loved ones in certain danger.

Another example: The Israel Electric Company (IEC) is attacked between 10,000 and 20,000 times a day.
That's right, a day.

The electric company is a good, ripe target for cyber terrorists and cyber attackers. If the electricity of Israel is compromised, the entire country is in danger. That means everything from water and hospitals to defense systems and planes.

One would think that most of these attacks against Israel would come from the greatest enemy of Israel today, i.e. Iran. But that would be an incorrect assumption. Iranian attacks on Israel number only 100 - 200 per day. That could be the work of a single hacker or of a few teenagers. It is hardly a massive cyber offensive by Iran. It certainly is not a dedicated team of high level mathematicians and computer scientists attempting to hack into Israel's soft underbelly.

Where do most of the 10,000 to 20,000 daily attacks come from? Most of the attacks come from China, Russia and North Korean. When you think about it that makes much more sense.

These two events lend important insight into the workings of the Middle East. It showcases the bravery of individual people willing to cross boundaries and borders for a cause in which they mutually believe. And it highlights the need to protect the essential services of one country from the people of other countries out to destroy them. One is an act of bravery, of people not afraid to show their hand in defiance of their governments. The other is an act of cowardice, of anonymous, brainwashed, hackers doing the bidding of their government.

Cyber terror can cause great harm. Graffiti can the raise consciousness of a sleeping people. Both acts are punishable if caught.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

EMP Not The Best Weapon

 By Micah D. Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Sunday Times of London has brought up the secret weapon that Israel might use against the Iranians.  It is the EMP or, in long hand, the electromagnetic pulse.

The Times calls the EMP the weapon of choice in an attack against Iran because it is considered non lethal.

The principle behind the EMP is that a huge microwave or gamma wave crashes and burns every electronic element in Iran.  Every machine that operates on electricity and battery would be fried rendering the Iranians powerless in the face of an Israeli attack.

The Times piece focused on the gamma ray.  It is highly unlikely that Israel would use a nuclear ray.  And to my mind, at this point, it is unlikely that Israel would use the EMP - period.  They have much more precise electronic jamming and disabling weapons.   The Israelis could easily shut down all phone, computer, internet and other communications without using the EMP.

The EMP would take out hospitals and pacemakers.  It would knock out the water supply and the sewage.  There would be crises in the streets and a huge shortage of food and supplies.  Within hours Iran would be thrust into internal anarchy and mayhem.

This would not be Israel’s objective.  Israel’s fight is not with the Iranian people.  Israel’s goal is to cripple or delay Iran’s nuclear development.



Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Terrorist Back In Court



By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Ahmad Saadat, was the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the PFLP.  He was arrested for planning the successful assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi at a Jerusalem hotel in October 17, 2001.

Saadat was tried in a military court.  He is now serving a 30 year term for his role in the assassination and for heading a terrorist organization. 

Saadat was, once again, brought to court.  This time he was there as part of the evidence stage in a civil trial brought by the family of Keren Shatasky who was murdered in a terror attack in Karnei Shomron in 2002.

The trial has been ongoing since 2002.  It started in Washington and is now gathering more evidence in Israel.  The charge is that the PA enabled the PFLP and provided the PFLP money, weapons and information with which was used by the PFLP to perpetrate their attacks – murdering Keren and many others.

Saadat refused to accept the jurisdiction of the court. He did not answer any questions, he just flashed the V sign for victory.



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Monday, September 10, 2012

Iran's Rial Drops 7%

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The rial, the currency of Iran, fell 7% in a single day. It happened yesterday and then picked up a little toward the end of the day. The damage to the currency was still dramatic.

Over several days in January the rial took a similar hit. This current drop in value can be blamed on the potential for further anti nuclear sanctions against Iran by the United States and the West.

Some background: I am referring to the street rate of the rial against the dollar, not the official rate. The street rate is a more true representation of the value of currency. The official rate, which is double that value, shows not the real worth of the currency, but rather, what the official government thinks it to be worth.

That explains why the street rate was about 24,300 rials to a dollar and the official rate was 12,260 rials to a dollar.

The name "rial" comes from the Spanish "real" which was the Spanish currency that represented the "rey" of the ruler/king. After the Iranian revolution it took years to mint new currency. The Shah's face was on the bills for as long as a decade.

Today all the currency in Iran has the picture of the Ayatollah Khomeni, leader of the Islamic revolt.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Sunday, September 9, 2012

UN GA Focus on Iran

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The schedule of speakers for the United Nations General Assembly has been made public. There are no real surprises in the lineup - it is the timing of the speeches that is important.

No doubt about it, almost everyone of import and significance addressing the GA will focus in some part on Iran and their nuclear aspirations.

US President Barack Obama will speak on opening day, September 25. President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will speak on Wednesday the 26 which, significantly, is also Yom Kippur. And Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak the next day on the 27th.

Scheduling Ahmadinejad's speech for Yom Kippur is a sure way of trying to ratchet down tensions, public anger and protests against the Iranian president. Very few Jews will forgo their fast, synagogue prayers or family time to attend a protest at the UN in NYC on the holiest day of the Jewish year.

That said, the prospect of the speech Ahmadinejad is about to give may become the most important and popular material for Rabbi's pulpit sermons. Rabbi's sermons will replace protests. In the end, that may well be an effective educational and leadership tool.


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Saturday, September 8, 2012

Iran Announced Elections 6-14-2013

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Iran has announced that presidential elections will take place June 14, 2013.

The most important element in this announcement is that the current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, cannot seek reelection. The constitution of Iran prevents any candidate from serving more than two terms and Ahmadinejad has had his two.

The last Iranian election was in 2009. The lead up to the election and the immediate aftermath caused tremendous upheaval. That period is now known as the Green Revolution. Tens of thousands of Iranians swarmed the streets and many more silently supported a change in regime and challenged the results of the election.

Most of all those candidates who opposed Ahmadinejad have since been arrested and placed under house arrest. Contrary to popular conceptions in the United States and in the West, almost all the opposing candidates were even more extreme than Ahmadinejad.

This upcoming election will pit supporters of Ahmadinejad against more radical factions. But even then, the only real voice, the only voice that counts is that of the Supreme Leader, the Grand Ayatollah Khamanei.

Whichever candidate the Grand Ayatollah taps will be the next president of Iran. It doesn't even pay to count the popular vote. That is how elections are conducted in Iran.


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Friday, September 7, 2012

US Spies on Syrian Border

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The Associated Press has reported that the United States is bolstering its presence on the Syrian Turkish border. The report explains that the new manpower positioned on the Turkish side of the divide is composed of spies.

The job of an intelligence operative, aka spy, is multi dimensional.

In this case they are there to advise and help the rebels who are fighting Bashar Assad's better armed and better trained official forces. The spies are also there to monitor how al Qaeda is infiltrating into the rebel forces.

There are reports of as many as 25,000 al Qaeda fighters in Syria fighting against Assad.
That is a huge number given that the total number of rebel fighters is only between 60,000 and 70,000 strong.

Spies try to do their work undercover, that is, without anyone knowing who they really are and what they are really doing. News outlets do their work by investigation and uncovering what is supposed to be kept secret and hidden. Hopefully, the US spies will carry out their jobs as well as AP carried out theirs.


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Thursday, September 6, 2012

Put God and Israel Back in the DNC

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

After removing Jerusalem and God from the Democratic platform both are back in good standing.

The new platform reads: "Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel." And: "The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths."

In a statement read by Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz the correction was explained. She said: "The platform is being amended to maintain consistency with the personal views expressed by the President and in the Democratic Party platform in 2008."

God was returned to the platform echoing exactly the 2008 language with the lines: "we need a government that stands up for the hopes, values and interests of working people and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential."

The mistake was taking them out. They were not returned because of Republican outcry or Israel or AIPAC.
No one could actually say who took them out and who had the final say in the platform.

It is clear that Jerusalem and God were reinstated in the Democratic platform because it was wrong to take them out and the masses i.e. voters wanted them back in.

There is always a bottom line.


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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

20,000 Cyber Attacks a Day

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The Israel Electric Company (IEC) is attacked between 10,000 and 20,000 times a day. That's right, a day.

The electric company is a good, ripe target for cyber terrorists and cyber attackers. If the electricity of Israel is compromised, the entire country is in danger. That means everything from water and hospitals to defense systems and planes.

One would think that most of these attacks against Israel would come from the greatest enemy of Israel today, i.e. Iran. But that would be an incorrect assumption.

Iranian attacks on Israel number only 100 - 200 per day. That could be the work of a single hacker or of a few teenagers. It is hardly a massive cyber offensive by Iran. It certainly is not a dedicated team of high level mathematicians and computer scientists attempting to hack into Israel's soft underbelly.

Where do most of the 10,000 to 20,000 daily attacks come from? Most of the attacks come from China, Russia and North Korean. When you think about it that makes much more sense.


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Monday, September 3, 2012

Assad Says No Talks

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The Assad regime in Syria released a statement yesterday saying that there will be no dialogue with the rebels until the opposition fighters are totally destroyed.

This is a critical comment coming right after the rebels released an announcement that in August, 5000 people were killed in the conflict.

The statement by the Assad regime emphasizes that they see the end of the conflict in sight. Clearly, they believe that in the past month they have been extremely successful in putting down the rebels.

Here is the Assad analysis in terms of numbers: If 5000 were killed in August and there are 20,000 - 25,000 al Qaeda fighters plus about 40,000 local fighters, it is only a matter of time before he can eliminate them all.

At this pace and if momentum stays on his side Assad thinks that he will successfully put down the rebellion within the next 5-6 months. He sees that outcome as inevitable unless, of course, there is a huge new influx of fighters or unless the tide of the conflict shifts back to the rebels.

This is part of a significant change in tone and message emanating out of the Assad regime over the past month. And it all has to do with cranking up the use of helicopters and fighter jets to strafe the rebels.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iran & N Korea Sign Deal

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

North Korea and Iran have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding known in diplomatic speak as an MOU. We have been led to believe that this MOU deals with science and technology.

The signing was covered by the Iranian press including the Iranian state TV network. And in Iran you can be certain that whatever appears on state television has been officially sanctioned.

Kim Yong Nam, the second in charge of North Korea, came to Iran and met with the Grand Ayatollah as well as with Ahmadinejad. The MOU was signed as part of the official meeting with the president.

These two nations have mutual interests. Together, North Korea and Iran pose a very significant threat to the West. And they have each developed nuclear technology in defiance of the international community.

Iran has learned from Korea how to confront the West. They saw how Korea continued to successfully develop and test their weapons despite pressure from the US and the UN.

North Korea and Iran are allies. Allies like this signal a great danger for the free world.


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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Iran China Conflict Over Gas

By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

Three years ago a consortium from China and Iran agreed to mutually build and share a liquid natural gas conversion processor.

China was to put up $2.6 billion and the two countries would reap the profits.

Three years later, Iran is frustrated with China. The money was just coming too slowly. So the deal is off and Iran is going it alone.

This was reported on Sunday by MEHR news agency which is an official mouthpiece of the Iranian government.

Iran was hoping that a deal like this with China would immediately create a market for their liquid natural gas and keep everything in a closed circle. That way, their production, conversion, transport and sale would all be kept just between China and Iran.

Now Iran will have this new factory join the other few factories they have for converting gas to LNG and selling it on the open market.


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Saturday, September 1, 2012

Iran MisTranslates Morsy

By Micah D. Halpern
I've Been Thinking:

The Iranians are up to their tricks again. They are mistranslating the speeches given at the Non-Aligned Movement Summit.

The mistranslations are deliberate. The Iranians intentionally misrepresent the speakers' points of view and tweak them so that they are in support of Iran's position.

This was particularly the case with the translations of Egyptian President Mors's speech that was broadcast live on TV and radio. This was the first visit to Iran by an Egyptian leader in thrity-one years and the Iranians used Morsy's speech for internal propaganda.
Morsy condemned Assad.

He said that in his speech there was a direct attack against Assad which was translated as "There is a crisis in Syria and we must support the ruling regime in Syria." The exact opposite of what Morsy really said.

The conclusion of Morsy's speech spoke about reforms that should take place without external interference. That section was never even translated.
When Morsy spoke of the Arab Spring it was translated as the Muslim Awakening.

UN Secretary General Ban suffered the same fate. His point of view was marred with mistranslations - especially his mention of the Arab Spring.

Iranian leadership deliberately did this because they want to convey to the Iranian masses that the Islamic world as a whole supports their regime's point of view. They want them to think that Iran is correct. They want to brainwash them into believing that Iran is leading the Islamic world down the correct path.

This is just another form of propaganda. I would guess that when the Egyptian masses find out about the way their leader was played by Iran they will be extremely disappointed with their newfound friend.


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