IS IT A DOVE OF PEACE? IS IT A PLANE OF WAR? NO, IT'S CONFUSION!

A variety of reports over the past 24 hours suggest Iran is moving steadily closer to achieving its first nuclear goal, which, according to Iran, is for "energy" reasons only.

Yet at the same time, Tehran has launched its largest 'war games' in a year and, according to the BBC, could find all of its military installations targeted in a United States attack on the country. As this Report is being written, the BBC are reporting that Washington’s plan includes strikes against air, naval and missile sites in addition to taking out nuclear facilities. Tehran’s nuclear program is the subject of intense diplomatic activity this week. International Atomic Energy Agency head Muhammad Al-Barade’i is meeting with Iran’s chief negotiator ‘Ali Larijani in Vienna ahead of a possible United Nations vote to impose tougher sanctions on Iran than those already in place. It is understood that any such attack ~ if ordered ~ would target Iranian air bases, naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centres. However, the US insists it is not planning to attack, and is trying to persuade Tehran to stop uranium enrichment.

In reports this week, the US appear to be aiming for conflicting results. On one hand, they appear unfazed by the threat of attacking Iran if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does not curtail his plans for alleged nuclear weapons. Yet at the same time, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is chairing a seemingly pointless meeting between Palestinian leader Mahmoud ‘Abbas and Israeli premier Ehud Olmert on the "only way for real peace" by insisting on a "two State solution". Israel however, has made it clear it will not deal with the soon-to-be-formed Palestinian "unity government" (see next section of this Report), with Washington making similar if slightly less forthright noises. Domestically, Olmert has been under pressure not to go ahead with the meeting, since ‘Abbas shook hand with Hamas leaders over the unity agreement a week and a half ago. Jerusalem and Washington are insisting that Hamas, which will be the largest force in the new government, openly recognises Israel, something the organisation’s leaders are refusing to do.

Meanwhile, the UN has urged Iran to stop their programme of Nuclear energy or face economic sanctions. But sources have stated that as a fallback plan, senior officials at Central Command in Florida have already selected their target sets inside Iran. Middle East analysts have recently voiced their fears of catastrophic consequences for any such US attack on Iran. Britain's previous ambassador to Tehran, Sir Richard Dalton, told the BBC recently that it would backfire badly by probably encouraging the Iranian government to develop a nuclear weapon in the long term. Last year Iran resumed uranium enrichment - a process that can make fuel for power stations or, if greatly enriched, material for a nuclear bomb. Tehran insists its programme is for civil use only, but Western countries suspect Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. The UN Security Council has called on Iran to suspend its enrichment of uranium by 21st February. That list includes Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz. Facilities at Isfahan, Arak and Bushehr are also on the target list, the sources say.

While pressure is being applied to Iran, most of the world appear to be blind to another growing danger ~ that of the Hezbollah. According to Israel National Radio, Hezbollah continue to smuggle weapons into southern Lebanon, and has surpassed pre-war abilities. Member of Knesset Shalom stated, "If this is so, the war was a failure." Brig.-Gen. Yossi Beiditz, head of the Israeli Defence Force's (IDF)Intelligence Wing Research Division, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that Hezbollah has "returned to its pre-war capabilities, and has even become stronger." Just a few days ago, Hezbollah terrorist chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah boasted publicly about the continuing smuggling of weapons into southern Lebanon. "We say this openly; after all, we didn't fight Israel with sticks, but with rockets," he said. "Israel doesn't know where we are hiding them." Nasrallah added that Hezbollah would not disarm, as called for in the ceasefire agreement ending last summer's war. Hezbollah fired some 4,000 Katyusha rockets at Israel last summer, killing 41 civilians (including 17 Arabs and Druze); 119 soldiers were also killed in the war. It was estimated that Hezbollah had not used even half of its rocket strength.

Should America decide to attack Iran, it could produce a huge wave, which would clearly affect Israel. On the other hand, would it be more dangerous to leave Iran alone and allow Ahmadinejad's grip of terror to continue? As for Condoleezza Rice seeking peace in her "two State" talks, the question has to be asked, "At what cost?" And by giving in to Islamic Terrorism and Terrorists leaders (don't be fooled by their western style suits), what then for the only Jewish State in the world?