Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

1. Iran - Russia - Yeah, I'd say that the Eastern European missile shield deal really worked out well - Russia's Putin warns against intimidating Iran = but keep sucking up - To Russia with Love: Washington Promises to Tone Down Criticism of Kremlin - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International.

2. Speaking of Iran - 'I Cannot Go Back to Iran': Daughter Of Ahmadinejad Adviser Seeks Asylum In Germany - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

3. "Settlements" - R. James Woolsey: The Ugly Premise of 'Settlement' Opponents - WSJ.com

"Why? The administration's fixation on preventing even minor construction internal to a settlement assumes that Jewish settlers are on the verge of taking over the entire West Bank. This is fanciful: There are about 200,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. The settlers live on about 1.5% of the West Bank, and the very substantial majority are in four major settlement blocs around Jerusalem."

4. Name Your Poison - Pajamas Media » Obama vs. Carter: Who’s Worse?

5. This Is Great - Syria says to hold military exercises with Turkey| Reuters

6. Hmmmmm - Vatican’s New Defense on Child Molestation Charges: Finger-pointing – Forward.com

7. Jewish News - Female halachic advisers' success brings change Jewish News Jerusalem Post

8. Media Bias - Pajamas Media » How You Can Help Eliminate Media Bias

9. Liberals? - Pajamas Media » Why Call Them ‘Liberal’ When They’re Anything But?

10. This Is Sort Of Weird - 'An Outstretched Hand for the Future': Dachau Plans Sister-City Agreement with Israeli Town - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

11. Michael Oren - Why the Holocaust Still Matters - Deep Denial | The New Republic and Andrew Sullivan on Michael Oren - Jeffrey Goldberg. Here's an excerpt:

Ahmadinejad's genocidal rhetoric and the iniquity of the Goldstone Report notwithstanding, Israel will, of course, continue to defend its citizens. No amount of vitriol will compel Israel onto a course of self-destruction. But what will be destroyed is any chance for peace. Having twice withdrawn unilaterally to recognized borders and received only onslaughts in return, and having suffered censure for protecting themselves from that aggression, Israelis will understandably recoil from additional retreats that will leave them vulnerable. Israelis, moreover, will not withdraw from any territory liable to become staging grounds for terrorist groups empowered by international agencies and convinced of their ability to murder Israelis with impunity.

12. Dry Bones Gets To The Heart Of The Matter (As Usual)