Middle East quickies
US to detail who paid bribes in Iraq oil sales: This is actually a pretty interesting report that's about to come out. If you wondered why France was so opposed to the Iraq war, it has everything to do with what's going to come out in this document, and very little to do with them having an opinion, or really even caring, about the wisdom of the war itself. (I've been waiting for this one for a little while - it's interesting stuff. And I can promise you that major French companies don't engage in this sort of large-scale operation without the full knowledge and consent of the government)
President Ahmadinejad of Iran calls for anihilation of Israel: Just in case anyone forgot during the past couple of years, Iran - specifically its hard-liner government, which is back in full control after the last election - is not your friend. In fact, it's safe to say that this government considers itself to be your enemy, and would quite happily kill you if it got a chance. (That's "you" referring to anyone living in the US, Israel, and probably the UK. Well, and several other places, too.)
Oh yes, and they have
intermediate-range ballistic missiles and are working on nuclear weapons.
(Coming soon: A more detailed Middle-East Roundup which I started writing on the flight home. There's a lot to say right now)
