Santorum Releases Plan To Halt Iran's Nuclear Development

In response to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) report detailing evidence of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum outlined a multifaceted plan to deal with Iran’s alleged nuclear aggression.

The plan includes the development of a potential military strategy against Iran, reinstatement of funding provided under the Iran Freedom and Support Act to support pro-democracy groups within Iran, highlighting human rights violations of the Iranian regime and eliminating the position of U.S ambassador to Syria.

The full list of proposal can be seen on Santorum’s site.

Santorum, a former Senator, served on the Senate Armed Services Committee for 8 years. While in office, he authored the Iran Freedom and Support Act, which imposed substantial sanctions on the Iranian regime and granted $100 million in annual funding for pro-democracy movements within Iran.

U.S. Committed To Security Of Israel, Says Donilon

By Janie Amaya

President Obama’s National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon ensured that the United States is committed to the security of Israel, after the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, Egypt was attacked last Friday.

“We worked very hard during that day and that night with the Egyptians to meet their obligation, which is an obligation of a sovereign country to protect the embassy of another country in your country,” Donilon said during an event held by the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Donilon said the U.S. worked very closlye with Egyptian leaders that night, saying it was very direct with respect to maintaining national agreements, including those with Israel.

Economic Club President David Rubenstein also pointed to rumors that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was upset with the way the U.S. handled the Arab uprising in Egypt.

Donilon said the removal of Egyptian President Mubarak was caused by an indigenous set of events and that the United States took no part in that.

Obama On Peace Talks: Efforts Must Be Made

After a day full of bi-lateral meetings with leaders of key middle eastern nations, President Barack Obama defended his efforts to bring Israel and Palestine to the negotiating table.

Though the President acknowledged skepticism over his objective, he told reporters in the White House Rose Garden that “if we dont make the attempt, then failure is guaranteed.”

In the morning, Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu, where the topic of Hamas’ deadly attack on Jewish settlers in the West Bank earlier this week was discussed. Obama followed that by holding a one-on-one with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority.

Afterwards, Obama said the two leaders recognized that “this as an opportunity [to talk] that must be seized.”

In the afternoon, the President met individually with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan.

The heads of state will all take part in a working dinner at the White House this evening.

U.S. Says Iran Is Not An Imminent Threat To Israel

The New York Times is reporting that the Obama administration convinced Israel that an Iranian nuclear attack is unlikely, for now.

Despite suggestions from Israeli intelligence that Iran would be capable of manufacturing nuclear weapons within months, American intelligence steers away from that possibility and alludes to the point that it would take much longer.

According to the report, if Iran were to scramble towards creating a nuclear weapon, they would need at least a year to do so. Officials added that even if Iran took the appropriate steps in creating nuclear weapons, current technologies would be able to detect any such activity within weeks.

“We think that they have roughly a year dash time,” said Gary Samore, President Obama’s top adviser on nuclear issues.

As a result of this assessment, members of the Obama administration believe that prospective Israeli attacks on iran’s nuclear bases has faded.

Ban Ki-moon Has High Hopes for Israeli Flotilla Raid Panel

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement today praising a new panel formed to investigate the May 31 raid on an Gaza-bound aid flotilla by Israeli forces.  The flotilla originated in Turkey, and the raid heightened diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Israel.  Ban Ki-moon says that he hopes the panel’s findings will strengthen relations between the two countries.

by Philip Bunnell