Friday, August 15, 2008

08/15/08

* Rice to push Georgia-Russia deal US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Tbilisi for talks with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

* Hezbollah 'Five-times' Stronger Than It Was in Israeli War In terms of weaponry, strategic and political positioning, and its ever-expanding international reach, Hezbollah is "five times more capable today," than it was at the beginning of the July 2006 war with Israel.

* Russia angry at US missile deal Russian officials have voiced alarm at a preliminary deal that would allow the US to site missiles in Poland.

* Nasrallah: Georgia lost because of Israel In a speech marking the two-year anniversary of the Second Lebanon War, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah mocked Israel's political and military leadership.

* U.S.: Hezbollah training Iraqi militants in Iran Iraqi Shiite explosive and assassination teams are being trained in at least four locations in Iran by Tehran's elite Quds force and Lebanese Hezbollah.

* Russia Rejoins the Game of Nations The short, sharp lesson that Russian tanks handed to the Georgians this week will have serious consequences in the Middle East.

* New PRC rocket 'can reach Ashdod' The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) in the Gaza Strip have announced that they are in possession of "Nasser-4" rockets that have a range of 25 kilometers and pose a threat to Ashdod.

* Ahmadinejad says hopes for Turkey energy deals soon Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday he hoped his country and Turkey would soon sign energy deals opposed by Washington.

* 'War led Israel to negotiate with Syria' Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday claimed that "Israel's failure in the Second Lebanon War led it to change its policy.

* Musharraf resignation deal denied A spokesman for President Musharraf of Pakistan has firmly denied newspaper reports that the former general has already agreed to step down.