the bum's rush into the next war

peter chamberlain's commentary:

[The "urgency" is the closing window of opportunity for a first strike on Iran. Netanyahu is afraid that Israel must "use it or lose its," speaking of its current nuclear monopoly, as he warns the world that Israel may be about to and eliminate Iran's nuclear facilities with its own nukes (Israel's only sure method for eliminating these deep hardened facilities). Israel is prepared to commit a war crime that dwarfs all its past war crimes combined, and American congressmen, like Rep. Berman and Ackerman, are readying support for Israel's actions with a technical embargo of gasoline. More radical friends of Israel support a first strike on Iran, comparing it to the American atomic bombing of Japan. Leaving aside arguments about lives saved by the bombs there is no justification for releasing radioactive clouds over southeast Asia. Iran has not attacked Israel, or threatened to. The only real threat that Iran represents to Israel is a loss of Israeli hegemony in the region, or to Zionist plans for "Greater Israel." Congress would do well to avoid linking our fate to Israeli adventurism in the world and should set its own house in order before it passes judgment on another government. Peace will come to the Middle East when foolish men with notions of national or racial superiority are restrained by the real "civilized world."]

The US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Washington shared in a "sense of urgency" following talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

The US has launched a new effort to finalise terms for fresh negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Mr Mitchell has been discussing the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank - a key stumbling block.

He said: "It is our intention to conclude this phase of our discussions in the very near future."

"This will enable us to move on to the next and really the more important phase," he added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

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