Louvre Displaying Nazi Looted Art

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Louvre, that famous museum in France, has hung 31 paintings in their main exhibit that were all looted by the Nazis between 1940 -1945, when they controlled France.

Of the 45,000 pieces of art that were looted by the Nazis, some 2,000 pieces remain unclaimed. Most of the artwork was looted from Jewish families.

Over the years there has been a negative - almost evil, narrative in which renowned museums were thought to have profited from looted art. They displayed them and had them as part of their collections knowing that the provenance of Nazi looted art was questionable.

In some cases museums even argued in court against Jewish families and claimed that they were the true owners.

This is a very real and genuine move by the Louvre to help resuscitate the reputations of museums that have looted art in their collections.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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IDF Publishes Column in Arab Press

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Ronen Menalis, wrote a column that was published and then broadcast in multiple Arabic media outlets in Lebanon and Israel - including Al Masdar, Sputnik, The Voice of Lebanon and Israeli Arabic radio.

In the column Menalis wrote that Lebanon has become a launching pad for Iran and Hezbollah and that Israel will not let that continue.

"Through the actions and inaction of the Lebanese authorities, Lebanon is turning into one big missile factory while much of the international community looks the other way. It's no longer about transfers of arms, money or advice. De facto, Iran has opened a new branch, the Lebanon branch -- Iran is here ... Iran and Hezbollah are currently trying to build a precision missile factory."

The IDF spokesman continued.

"One of every three or four homes in southern Lebanon is a command post, position, weapons warehouse or hiding place for Hezbollah. We know these assets and will know how to attack them accurately if necessary. The future of the people of Lebanon is to be pawns in the hands of the dictator from Tehran. Those same heads of villages, towns, cities and government institutions who see what is going on and say nothing are also to blame."

The response from Hezbollah was expected. They called the premise of the column arrogant and said that Hezbollah would be able to defeat the Israeli Army.

Menalis is convinced that Southern Lebanon is a powder keg about to explode and responsibility for the explosion lies with those who let it happen.

The message was heard - but it will not be heeded.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Jordan's King Says East Jerusalem to be Captial of Palestinian State

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
As promised, the United States delivered the last batch of 12 black hawk helicopters to Jordan as part of a plan to bolster Jordanian troops and security and help them better defend themselves against Islamic extremists like al Qaeda and ISIS.

It was no surprise that Jordan's King Abdullah announced that he affirms his support for the only peace solution possible in his eyes... a two state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian State.

"I think our views on Palestine and Jerusalem are well known to you," the Jordanian king told the German president on Sunday. "We do believe in a two-state solution, with (East) Jerusalem as a capital for the Palestinians."

The king of Jordan has made himself perfectly clear. It is his belief that the best solution to the Palestinian / Israeli problem is for East Jerusalem to become the capital of the Palestinian State and West Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Most Israelis would agree with this plan - so would the United States.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel to Give Electricity to Gaza

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israel Water Authority just agreed to supply Gaza with electricity to run their two sewage treatment plants.

The agreement between the Water Authority and the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company is in stages. First, three megawatts for the sewage treatment center in Northern Gaza and then, later on, a treatment center in Southern Gaza will get fueled.

The new centers are part of a $75 million project funded by the World Bank and other donor countries. It should be completed in March.

Israel is also providing 1.5 mega watts of electricity for a $40 million desalination plant that is being built by the EU.

Israel is in a pickle. Despite Hamas' constant state of war, it is in Israel's best interest to clean up the sewage of Gaza. Gaza sewage has been dumping into the Mediterranean Sea polluting Israel's beaches and contaminating the water sources. It's a serious problem and has been going on for way too long.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Lorde Heckled by Pro-Israel Fan

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Several weeks ago, New Zealand pop star Lorde canceled a concert scheduled to take place in Israel. The BDS inspired cancellation caused quite an uproar.

Yesterday Lorde was in NYC at a benefit for Ally Coalition, an organization that defends and supports the LGBTQ community. Lorde told the crowd how nice they were for gathering together in support of such a great cause.

A heckler shouted out that there are nice people in Israel, too. The heckler was shouted down with obscenities and finally with "F---- the negativity."

According to Variety, Lorde then added: "I'm sure the Israeli people are very nice and I can't wait to meet them one day."

The BDS movement convinced Lorde to cancel her Israeli concert. It was a big deal in the entertainment world and a big victory for BDS.

Lovers of Israel will not forget that Lorde buckled under BDS pressure.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iran: Woman Uses Headscarf as Flag

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

During the protests in Iran a young woman jumped up on a telephone box and slowly took off her white head dress, her hijab. She tied the hajib on a black stick and started waving it like a flag. This was a massive move of defiance against a regime that has, since 1979, required women to cover their hair.

Twitter and social media lit. The incident was first tweeted by Armin Navabi, he posted the video of the woman and wrote: "This woman in #Iran took off her #Hijab to protest the mandatory Islamic dress code imposed on Iranian women. #IStandWithHer #IranProtests #Islam."

The woman seen waving her scarf has disappeared. A new hastag, #Where_Is_She, is dedicated to finding her. Through social media it has been determined that the woman was 31 years old and the mother of a 19 month old child.

According to another tweet she was reportedly arrested on Dec 27, released and then rearrested.
For many, this woman has become the symbol of Iran's protests.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Al Qaeda - Use Cars to Murder Jews

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Al Qaeda leadership is calling on Muslims around the world to attack Jews with knives and cars and all other weapons, including burning their homes. That should come as no surprise.

The number two in Al Qaeda of the Arabia Penninsula (AQPA), Khaled Batarfi, went on TV and delivered an 18 minute appeal to every Muslim.

"The Muslims inside the occupied land must kill every Jew, by running him over, or stabbing him, or by using against him any weapon, or by burning their homes." "Our duty towards our Jerusalem."

He said: "Every Muslim must know that the Americans and the disbeliever West, and on top of them Britain and France, are the original reason behind the existence of the Jews in Palestine."

This is a classic example of extremist Islamic leadership stoking flames of anger and murder.
Unfortunately, this leadership is predictable. The real impact of Batarfi's message is on impressionable masses.

The masses are not hearing alternative voices or even condemnations of Batarfi.

That is the real problem.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Drug Smuggling in Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Drugs are an epidemic in Israel.

Most of the drugs in Israel are either created there, grown there or smuggled in over the borders of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria or Egypt.

Yesterday a drug smuggler was shot to death on the Egyptian Israeli border. The 25 year old Israeli was shot by other drug smugglers - Egyptians across the border.

Israel is clamping down on cross border drug smuggling. These smugglers are highly sophisticated and efficient. They are also deadly and like drug dealers everywhere, they are ruthless.

There is cooperation between Egyptians and Israelis when it comes to drug smuggling. Bottom line is this - drug smuggling is a business transaction.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Abbas Asks EU To Recongize Palestinian State

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in Brussels at the monthly meeting of the European Union.

Abbas is asking the EU to support and recognize the Palestinian State. It is his response to US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Neither the EU nor any of the foreign ministers present at the meeting will support such a drastic move. While EU members already recognize Palestine, each and every one of them knows that a state requires borders and that those borders must be established, set and coordinated through direct negotiations with Israel.

Otherwise, it is simply rhetoric.

The Palestinian Authority is overreaching in every step they take. It is a pitiful play. If they continue on at this rate, the PA will move themselves out of the game as players.

Immature moves have repercussions. More mature minds and more mature leadership need to step in to make decisions and represent the PA. If that happens, they may be able to save the PA from themselves.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Turks March onKurds

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Turkish tanks have crossed the border into Syria. Turkish forces are marching on Kurdish enclaves in Syria. The Turkish air force reports that they struck 153 Kurdish targets.

These are the same Kurds that have just received US support and weapons.

The Turks went ballistic when the Kurds received the US aid. Now they are claiming that the United States is supporting terrorists. They have announced to the Kurds that they cannot depend on US assistance to help them.

The French have asked Turkey to withdraw their forces. Even the Iranians issued a statement on Sunday asking the Turks to quickly conclude their operation explaining that the Turkish presence may stimulate more terror and extremism in Syria.

Turkey sees the Kurds as enemies and terrorists and are insulted that the United States has lent them assistance. The Turks want to squash the Kurds.

Turkish President Erdogan has promised to expand operations in Kurdish controlled areas in Syria. He will probably finish this operation, withdraw and then attack again soon.

The conflict is increasing in intensity. This flash point is not going to disappear in the near future.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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When Will the US Move the Embassy

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Prime Minister Netanyahu committed a faux pas when he made a public statement claiming that the United States will complete the transition and move their embassy to Jerusalem within the year.

President Trump responded that it will take time and that it will not be within the year.

The prime minister's office has now back peddled and released the following statement:

"Obviously the building of a new embassy takes years, but the prime minister believes that the US is considering construction steps which will likely to see the opening of the embassy in a short timeframe."

According to reports by The New York Times and i24News, the United States embassy in Israel will open in Jerusalem in 2019. That was also confirmed by sources in the State Department and the White House.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel Pursues Justice

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israel is working hard to clamp down on violent, criminal and racist attacks against Palestinians.

Some of these attacks are known as "price tag" attacks against Arabs. The term is a Hebrew expression for a retaliatory strike. These attacks are payback for attacks against Israeli Jews. Most recently there has been graffiti on cars and the slashing of tires in Arab villages. The graffiti reads "Arabs out."

Police are investigating the incidents and will catch and charge those responsible for the crimes.

On that point, this week Israel finally successfully extradited Yehoshua Elitzur from Brazil. Elitzur was found guilty of murdering a Palestinian and fled the country before his sentencing in 2004. He will now serve his sentence in Israel.

These are important illustrations of how Israel is trying to tamp down on extremists, including Israeli extremists. Israel really is a society of law where Arabs are equal citizens.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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US Says 73% of Terrorists are Foreigners

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The US Department of Homeland Security released a series of frightening numbers about terrorists.

The most shocking number is that of all those convicted of terrorism in the US, 73% are foreigners.

Over the past year (2017), 2,500 people on the terror watch list were stopped at airports across the US. That averages out to about 7 per day.

The DHS said that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The 10 page report showed that over the past 6 years more than 370,000 people who were deported from the US had felony convictions and 2 had two non-felony convictions.

The report also disclosed that some of the worst traditions from elsewhere in the world are taking hold in the United States. These traditions violate US law and are anathema to the freedoms enshrined in US culture, society and law. Here's an example: there have been 27 honor killings in the US and 1,500 forced marriages.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Palestinians Renege on Recognition of Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Palestinian Central Committee is the arm which creates policy for the PLO. The Committee has voted to renege on the 1993 Oslo Accords, the agreement that recognizes Israel and advances the proposition of a two-state solution. The vote was 74 in favor, 2 opposed and 12 abstentions.

The Palestinians are breaking off all interaction and relationships with Israel - including security cooperation.

The resolution, which is binding, “mandates the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee to suspend recognition of Israel until it recognizes the state of Palestine, cancels the decision to annex east Jerusalem and stops settlement activity."

The resolution also demands that Israel return to the 1967 borders and pursues the Arab peace initiative.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Abbas Slaps Trump Hard

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

One of the ugliest, yet non-crude Arabic curses, is "may your house come to ruin."
That is what Palestinian President Abbas wished upon US President Donald Trump yesterday at the two day conference about Jerusalem taking place in Ramallah.

Abbas said that he found out about the US pulling their United Nations aid to the Palestinians from a tweet. Abbas said: "I see a tweet on Twitter." He said the tweet read: "'We will not give the Palestinians money because they refuse to negotiate." And then, referring to Trump, Abbas continued by saying: "May your house come to ruin. Where did you offer that to me? On the phone? On television?"

Abbas then explained why Jerusalem is important to Islam by saying it was the first direction of prayer. That is true. But what Abbas did not explain is that the prophet Mohammed turned his back on Jerusalem when the Jews rejected his prophecy.

Abbas said "True, Jerusalem does not have the Kaaba (a structure in Mecca considered the holiest site to Islam), but it is the first direction for prayer and the third holiest site to Muslims."

"Jerusalem is our eternal capital," Abbas declared, "come what may. It is for this reason that we are gathered here - to defend it. We're in a sensitive position. What can we comprise on later? The state itself? Abu Dis as capital? We're done. Here we stay. We will not make the mistakes of the past - of 1948 and 1967 - again. Jerusalem and al-Aqsa, of which Mohammad spoke, are one of the holiest sites after Mecca and Medina."

The Palestinians are trying to stoke the flames of conflict. They want people to get excited. They are rejecting past agreements and past proposals. Abbas is r-writing the playbook on peaceful negotiations and diplomacy.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Trump & Rouhani: The Nuke Deal

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

There's been a back and forth volley going on about the Iranian nuclear deal lately.

US President Trump has called on the major powers who signed the deal to "fix the terrible flaws" in the agreement. He even gave them an ultimatum, saying that they need to fix it or the United States will withdraw from the agreement.

Iranian President Mohamed Rouhani shot back on Iranian TV. He said that the United States was unsuccessful at torpedoing the agreement which he called a "long lasting victory" for Iran.

Rouhani said: "The American administration has failed to undermine the nuclear deal ... Trump, despite his repeated efforts, has failed to undermine the accord ... The deal is a long-lasting victory for Iran."

This is just the beginning of tensions.

President Trump is committed to improving the agreement. The other powers and Iran are satisfied with the agreement.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Putin Complements Kim Jong Un

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Russia's President Vladimir Putin complemented North Korea's Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un. He called Kim Jung competent and mature and added that Kim Jong was handling a complex global situation in a calm and mature manner.

These are Putin's exact words: Kim Jong Un "is an absolutely competent and already mature politician" who has "solved his strategic task - he has a nuclear warhead and a global-range missile." Putin continued on, saying that Kim Jong is "cleaning up the situation, smoothing it, calming it."

This is a perfect Putin moment. What Russia's leader is really doing is complementing the North Korean leader on how he is handling Donald J. Trump,
President of the United States of America. It is also a direct attack against Trump.

Trump and Kim Jung have been flamboyantly bickering ever since Trump assumed the presidency. The exchange got so wild that there were those who thought it may lead to military, perhaps even nuclear, attacks or even war.

And in the end who is the calming force? In Putin's eyes the responsible, mature leader is Kim Jong Un of North Korea.

This is not just an attack on Trump, it is also a way of buttering up Kim Jong for something important in the very near future.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Iran FM Visits Moscow

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

No surprise - Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif travelled to Moscow to meet with his counterpart, Sergey Levrov.

The obvious reason for the meeting was to discuss the now infamous Iran nuke agreement, from the spring of 2015, between Iran and the P-5 + 1.

Both Iran and Russia support Assad and want him in place, so they certainly discussed that, too. But it's the nuke deal that was primary on the Iranian agenda.

Since the US presidential election a year ago, the White House has been saying that they want to scrap the agreement. It was part and parcel of the Trump Platform. Candidate Trump called it "the worst deal ever" and "the worst deal in history."

Iran received assurances from Moscow that they would defend the agreement and they would fight against the "destructive policies" of the United States. Russian
Foreign Minister Lavrov praised the now infamous agreement calling it the "key contribution to the regional stability and nuclear non-proliferation."

So again, it's no surprise that Iran and Russia are in cahoots when it comes to Syria and when it comes to boxing in the United States in the Middle East.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Mossad Head Says They're Watching Iran

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The head of the Israeli Mossad, Yossi Cohen, addressed a finance ministry conference the other day.

Cohen spoke about Iran and the political protests there. He said: "We have eyes and ears and more than that in Iran." He continued to say that while the protest movements are welcome, we should not expect to see real change in Iran.

Obviously Israel is monitoring the happenings in Iran from the outside and the inside. They have assets, not agents, there. Agents in Iran would be too risky. But more important than assets, Israel has computer technology that spies on almost everything in Iran.

Remember the Stuxnet virus that invaded Iran? There were at least four other viruses like Stuxnet that have invaded Iran. Those viruses give Israel real insight into what is happening.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 
 
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Elections in Egypt

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Egyptian Election Authority announced that the presidential election will take place March 26 - 28. If no candidate garners 50% of the votes there will be a runoff April 19 - 21.

Egyptian President al Sisi was elected 4 years ago. Even though elected, al Sisi took office by ousting the duly elected President Morsi who was part of the Muslim Brotherhood. A cloud has been hanging over al Sisi's presidency, he was originally elected with nearly no opposition.

All Sisi has yet to declare for the upcoming election, but it seems clear that other potentially viable candidates are feeling pressured to stay out of the election.

Egypt is a pseudo-democracy and the obvious question now is how free the election will be. Not whether people will be able to vote - but will candidates be able to stand for election.

The most important rule in fledgling democracies is that all democratic parties and all people who represent democratic ideas be permitted the chance to stand for election. Non-democratic voices and parties must be sidelined.

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Iran To Stop Teaching English

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Iran has banned teaching English in elementary schools. The decision was made by the Supreme Leader the Grand Ayatollah Khamenai.

Iranian leadership sees English as a jumping board to assimilation and as an open invitation for Western culture to enter Iran. The response is to shut down what the Grand Ayatollah terms the "cultural invasion."

Mehdi Navid Adham, speaking for the ministry of education, described the logic behind the policy of rejecting the teaching of English in Iran this way: "Teaching English in government and non-government primary schools in the official curriculum is against laws and regulations."

Iranian leadership may be correct regarding cultural assimilation. But from the technological, scientific and medical vantage point, it will thrust Iran backwards. In as little as 15 years Iranians will not be able to compete on the world stage in any science, computer or technology related field.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Rift in Gaza Over Prayer

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

A massive rift is emerging in Gaza - and it is had nothing to do with politics. This rift is over morning prayer.

Muslims pray 5 times a day. The first prayer is said at dawn. It is called "fajr" which means dawn. A committee of religious leaders thinks that the fajr has not been well attended and have decided to start a Gaza-wide campaign to change the situation. They are waking up all of Gaza for dawn prayers.
For the daily wakeup call they are not only using loudspeakers from the mosque as is traditionally done, but they are making them even louder and they are adding drums to the call to prayer.

There has been serious blowback, even from several Islamic scholars, who say that it is against Islamic law to annoy people.

Abdel-Bari Khela, a mufti, an imam and a very influential scholar of Islam, explained that while the fajr is very important, so is protecting people's sleep and not annoying them and this intrusion into their daily lives could backfire. He said, "The banging will awaken children and it will cause confusion."

Khela issued an Islamic ruling about the importance of prayer and going to the mosque at dawn. He also said that it is against Islam''s instructions to "annoy" people. He said that there are two traditional calls of prayer issued from the mosque, known as "azans," according to the instruction of Islam and you are not to add to them and disturb people.

"Replacing them with illegitimate means such as drums, music and loud sound that makes noise is illegal. If it leads to harm like annoying people or disturbing them, this is forbidden."

Filling the mosques at dawn is now a policy of the government. The ministry of religious affairs in Gaza has chosen to become involved and is sponsoring the early wakeup, so it has now become political. More people will be coming to dawn prayers but the inevitable outcome is that even more people will be angered.

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Texas Imam Calls to Kill Jews

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

An Imam from Houston named Raed Saleh Al-Rousan used his radio show as a forum to call on Muslims to kill Jews - and did not realize it was offensive. Al-Rousan is the founder of an Islamic institute in Houston. He did not think it was issuing a a call for violence until some of his colleagues explained it to him.

Al-Rousan said, "[Judgement Day] will not come until Muslims fight the Jews there, in Palestine"in a Dec. 8 sermon titled "Our duties towards Al-Quds [Jerusalem]."

The he quoted from the Koran saying: "The Muslims will kill the Jews, and the Jews will hide behind the stones and the trees, and the stones and the trees will say: 'Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.'" He then added that "this is the promise of Allah."


The Imam continued: "The Muslims will have victory. [Jews] know these facts, brothers and sisters, but they are trying to delay it...because they don't want for us to be religious."

It is hard to imagine that anyone would not see this as a call to violence.

The Imam was mistaken in his words and in his sentiment. I would hope that the federal prosecutor investigates the Imam for hate speech and as a threat to murder Jews.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iranian Terror Cell in West Bank

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israeli internal security, the Shin Bet, uncovered an Iranian terror cell.

The Israeli daily Haaretz published a groundbreaking piece that describes how Iran recruited Palestinians through contacts in South Africa.

In South Africa, the Palestinian recruit would meet Iranian agents and get their orders. The recruit would then go back to the Palestinian Authority and organize a cell with the money and the information received from their recruiters and handlers in South Africa. The cells included suicide bombers, snipers and general shooters.

Recruits were responsible for two important missions. The first is intelligence. The recruits were clearly delivering important data to Iran. Second, they were responsible for activating real terrorists to act and attack Israelis.

This is just one of many Iranian ventures that, we're sure, are out there.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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England Wants Iran to Debate Problems

England Wants Iran to Debate their Differences

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

In response to the demonstrations against the leadership in Iran, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May said, through her spokesman, that Iran should talk these issues through.

"We believe there should be meaningful debate about the legitimate and important issues that the protesters are raising, and we're looking to the Iranian authorities to permit that."

The logic behind the British call for debate is - laughable.

There is no way that any of the sides in Iran want to discuss anything. The protesters want change and the supporters of the Theocratic regime want everyone to conform.

There really are no grounds for compromise here.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iran Has Tradition of Protests

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Iran has a great tradition of protests and rallies. These protests do not often make it into Western the news cycle. But when it comes to Iranian anti-government protests, the Western media is on top of the story.

Protests have continued popping up in dozens of cities and towns. Some of the protests have tens of thousands of people. So far Iranian leadership has not clamped down on the protest.

Iranian leadership needs to figure out how and when to quell the protests. Will their actions stimulate more protests and more protesters? If they crush the rallies, what backfire might they expect?

Iran is a society that is hard to track. While there are a significant number of people who want to oust the religious theocracy, there are also those who participate in counter protests supporting the government and the theocratic regime.

How is the population split? Is it 60%40%? 50%-50%? 55%-45%? Iran would like us to think that it is 90%-10%.

We really do not know.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

Read my latest book THUGS. It's easy. Just click. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=halpern%2C+micah
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Putin Tells Assad Russia Will Protect Him

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Russian President Putin sent a New Year message to Syrian President Assad. The content of the message was delivered by the Kremlin.

The Kremlin promised Assad that they will "continue to render every assistance to Syria in the protection of state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, in the promotion of a political settlement process, as well as in efforts to restore the national economy."

This note, now made public, is an essential tool to understanding Russia's future interest and directions in Syria.

Russia is investing in Syria for the long haul.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

Read my latest book THUGS. It's easy. Just click. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=halpern%2C+micah
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