night watch:  rfn=RAWALPINDI - Pakistan Tribune is now reporting all three armed forces in Pakistan, Army, Navy, Air Force, have been placed on Red Alert.  This decision was taken during a high level meeting under the Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Tariq Maqeed who also briefed the Confidential Military Leadership of his recent trip to China.  Pakistan-China held joint maneuvers in Dec. 2006 just west of Kashmir and established a joint command.  China has revived its claim over the northeast India state of Arunachal Pradesh which China invaded for one month in Oct. 1962.  Beijing is poised to enter the next war as is Iran which accepted Pakistan President-General Pervez Musharraf's Action Plan in Feb. 2007.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is now flying over the twin cities Islamabad-Rawalpindi), Lahore, the Working Boundary and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu-Kashmir and are prepared to encounter any "untoward incident".

rfn=Delhi - "Act or face consequences" is the ultimatum the India government has delivered to Pakistan Sunday.  RIA reports that was the real message despite public statements by India External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, "If you ask about military conflict, nobody will say it in the media.  We have left our options open."  Mukerjee has held a meeting Monday with 120 Indian envoys to governments around the world in order to reach a consensus on the latest crisis which has escalated with the Mumbai operation by Islamic militants trained by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).  Mukherjee explained, "Ultimately it is we who have to deal with this problem.  We will take all measures necessary as we deem fit to deal with the situation.  The terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan is the greatest terrorist danger to peace and security of the entire civilized world.  There has been some effort so far by the international community but this is not enough.  Much more needs to be done and the actions shall be pursued to their logical conclusion.  We need effective steps not only to bring those responsible for the Mumbai attacks to justice but also ensure that such acts of terrorism do not recur".

rfn=Rawalpindi - Pakistan is of course aware of the preparations being made in India to attack the bases Pakistan uses to train Islamic militant groups and that is why Al Jazeera correspondent in Islamabad reports the Pakistan military is believed to be on Red Alert.  "The Pakistan Air Force have been seen visibly in a number of locations flying close to the Pakistan-India border in what is being described as an aggressive patrolling mode, following reports that India is planning pre-emptive strikes against locations in Pakistan.  Chiefs of the three forces (navy, air force, army) are right now meeting in what is being described as an emergency meeting in General Headquarters in Rawlapindi.  Only after the meeting is over we will come to know if it is a Red Alert or a heightened state of alert." 

rfn=Islamabad - Arriving in Islamabad, for his second visit since the Mumbai operation in late November, is Pentagon Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen.  Xinhua reports he will be meeting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kiyani and other leaders.  I suspect he will be informing Pakistan's government Washington is in full support of any military action India decides to take.  That is basically the same position of NATO governments which have never completely trusted Pakistan due to support Taliban units recieve from Islamabad.  Washington and the West are now portraying Pakistan as the center of world terrorism instead of Iran, the real center of terrorist planning.  Blaming Teheran would be an admission the years of negotiating with Iran were completely wasted as Iran made preparations to enter regional conflicts like South Asia.  It will be hard to ignore Teheran's involvement then.

Washington may be willing to use aircraft on its aircraft carrier(s) in the North Arabian Sea to attack Iranian units enroute to India.  (GoNavy.jp)

rfn=Caracas -  The reason behind more than two dozen agreements signed between Teheran-Caracas in the past several months has now become known.  INN/La Stampa report the agreements have enabled Iran to ship missile parts to Syria through Venezuela in violation of a 2006 United Nations ruling.  The parts are computers and engine components and Venezuela in turn receives training for its police and Secret Agents by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

night watch:  rfn=WASHINGTON - "They told the Pakistanis to understand the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of the evidence that exists to Pakistan links to this event.  The message the Americans gave was: this is the final time we are saying such a thing.  We may not be able to bail you out a fourth time."  The Dawn reports that was part of a much more serious message U.S. officials delivered to Pakistan National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani who was in Washington early last week.  I suspect Islamabad expected this since they have done nothing to end the operations of Islamic militant groups used in the Mumbai operation.  That is why the message earlier last week was more serious than when U.S. officials visited Islamabad right after the attacks.  One of the members of the Pakistan delegation at the confrontational meeting was their Ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani.  He and Durrani met U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice.  A Pakistan official familiar with the confrontation continued, "The curt message that Mr. Durrani and the Pakistani team received from the Americans was; this is not 2002 and you cannot do what President Musharraf did after 9/11.  In the past you swept everything under the carpet while the problems were allowed to fester.  No more".  Musharraf agreed to cooperate with Washington in the hunt for the phantom Bin Laden in order to receive more F-16s which can carry a nuclear bomb.  Washington convinced itself Bin Laden can arrange flight school training and controls Al Qaeda in order to keep from blaming Iran which would have obliged Washington to attack Iran resulting in a much larger war.

The Pakistani diplomatic source said the U.S. officials stated they had proof militants from the organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) were involved and Washington demanded concrete action be taken immediately against both groups.  The U.S. officials concluded by saying, "Global terrorism isn't just an India/Pakistan dispute.  We see LeT and JuD at par with Al Qaeda.  Pakistan should stop thinking of this as just another round of India/Pakistan altercations."  Diplomatic masques are coming off and there may have been a not too vague hint from the U.S. officials that Washington agrees with any military response India decides on and that they have told Delhi that already.

There is no word on the response from Pakistan's officials but they may have indicated although Islamabad may have attempted to conceal some things Washington and the West have concealed much more in convincing themselves Bin Laden can arrange flight school training which is why Washington never says the obvious, that Al Qaeda is controlled by Teheran, therefore who is Washington to demand anything of Pakistan.  And if this means the end of relations between Washington/Islamabad then so be it.  Relations will be resumed after the Jihad runs its offensive Action Plan course in 2009.  President-General Pervez Musharraf presented his Action Plan to Teheran in Feb. 2007 and the Mumbai operation indicates Iran is ready to enter the war in South Asia.  A Pakistan nuclear scientists said, right after the Mumbai operation, they can fire their Shaheen nuclear missiles within ten minutes after an Indian attack.

rfn=Jerusalem -  Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held a secret meeting Thursday with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.  Xinhua reports that has been revealed by the Israeli news service Ynet after both officials received various security assessments.  "Israel will react will all due force to any provocation by Hamas.  Actions depend only on the tactical conditions and the operational possibilities", was the quote from an Israel government source.  A scaled reponse has been decided which can be increased very quickly if the situation demands it and I suspect before next month is over it will.  It was right after the Thursday meeting the Israel Air Force (IAF) hit two warhouses inside Gaza, one for rocket storage and the other for rocket-explosives manufacturing.  The IDF is also concentrating on Islamic Jihad which is firing most of the rockets.  Jerusalem Post reports the IAF has already conducted air strikes in northern Gaza as more than a dozen rockets have been fired Sunday with one hitting the industrial zone in Ashkelon ten miles to the north on the Mediterranean.  Ashkelon is where Israel's largest oil terminal is located and any serious damage to it would provide Jerusalem with the excuse it has been waiting for to begin a full scale invasion.

rfn=Teheran - Esmaeil Kasari, Iran's Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy stated Russia has begun supplying components for the advanced S-300 anti-aircraft/anti-missile system.  RIA reports the system's full name is the S-300 PMU-1 (SA-20 Gargoyle) and can intercept enemy aircraft or ballistic missiles  withing a range of over 100 miles (150 kilometers) which is why Moscow is only delivering components, not the complete system, and the delivery has been negotiated for several years.  The reason why should be no mystery because Teheran has been supporting Islamic groups in the North Caucasus fighting Russia since 1994 and for the past few years shifted its support to the Georgia government in Tbilisi.  The Kissinger-Primakov Strategic Working Group (SWG) realizes they may have to conduct air strikes inside Iran and possibly missile attacks so they don't want Iran too well prepared.  Delivery of the system will be completed only after Iran's offensive foreign policy runs its course in 2009.  That is the same reason Moscow has refused to complete the nuclear installation at Bushehr Russia was contracted to build in 1995.  After the war Moscow-Teheran will merge their regional/international policy.

rfn=Lockerbie - Today is the 20th anniversary of the Lockerbie tragedy, the destruction of Pan Am flight 103 which was destroyed by a bomb over Lockerbie Scotland just forty minutes after takeoff from London's Heathrow Airport enroute to New York 21 December 1988.  France24/AFP report all 259 passengers were killed and eleven people in Lockerbie as the bomb inside a cassette-radio player, contained inside a Samsonite luggage case, exploded.  Investigators said at the time the case probably never went through security and was loaded on the plane when it was in Frankfurt.  At the time the incident was blamed on the favorite scapegoat of the West, Libya leader Colonel Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi, and he was eventually paid to accept the blame, but in reality it was an arrangement by Washington and perhaps London to satisfy a condition of Iran if the engineering concern, headquarted in San Francisco, wanted an enormous construction contract in Iran to build a network of subterranean military bases like the ones they built for Saudi Arabia in the 1980s.

The condition, one of two set by Teheran, was for the U.S. to make up for the mistake by the cruiser USS Vincennes which accidentally shot down an Iranian commercial airliner, Flight 655 earlier that year, 3 July, when the Vincennes was on station in the Persian Gulf, killing all the 290 passengers on board.  The eight year Iran/Iraq war ended that year and CBS News Radio mentioned in late summer U.S. Secretary of State George Schultze was holding secret negotiations with Iran trying to ensure an American position in Iran, an investment position, after the death of Iran's leader the Ayatollah Khomeini who was no longer in the best of health and died the following year.  Articles had been reporting if the West is invited back to Iran it could make hundreds of millions of dollars helping to rebuild the country.  But of course Iran was not interested in civilian projects, only military.  So I assume Schultze was told if the U.S. makes up for the mistake by the Vincennes and also helps do damage to Iraq's military then Schlutze's parent corporation Bechtel Group (which he used to be President of) will be invited to Iran through the corporation's London branch office.  This begin the planing of the 1990-91 Gulf War using an Iraqi leader with close relations with the West, Saddam Hussein. 

London -Washington's support was crucial for Hussein's government therefore he was obliged to go along.  The day after the Gulf War ended CNN showed the London branch office of Bechtel Group invited to Iran.  When the network of bases were completed Saddam was removed in 2003 and the trap of Iraq, for the lost alliance of London-Washington began.  They have sold their foreign policy to Teheran.

night watch:  rfn=JERUSALEM - Israel has decided to begin a diplomatic offensive as a way of preparing the international community for Israel's military offensive in Gaza against the rocket-mortar fire from Palestinian militants.  Jerusalem Post reports it is in fact an international public relations campaign, a hasbara, which will be led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who met with her staff Sunday night.  It will be her role to phone Foreign Ministers and the U.S. Secretary of State to explain Israel's reasons for a major offensive into the Gaza Strip that is designed to destroy the Hamas government.

rfn=Gaza - Haaretz has provided a news video on some of the latest developments and on Israel's Sunday Cabinet meeting.

night watch:  rfn=GANGTOK - "Terrorism remains a scourge for our region.  If a country cannot keep the assurances that it has given, then it obliges us to consider the entire range of options that exists to protect our interests and people from the menace."  Pakistan Tribune reports that was the message from India External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee which was read at the inauguration of a regional conference in Gangtok on South Asia cooperation and development by Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mahendra P. Lama.  The warning continued, "We have made repeated appeals to our neighbors over the years to ensure that they do not support terrorists activities and to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure...but our pleas have been ignored in spite of assurances given by them.  The Mumbai terrorist attack is the latest instance of how sub-regional, regional and multilateralism are directly threatened by non-state actors with the aid of para-state apparatus.  The infrastructure of terror remained unchallenged in Pakistan and so did the logistical support to anti-Indian terrorists from multple hands due to the emergence of multiple centers of power."

This is very close to a declaration of war and I suspect that privately that was the message given to the heads of state and senior foreign officials from the West-Russia-Japan which have visited Delhi since the Mumbai operation and that they all agree.  In other words goverments from all the above want India to lead the war against Pakistan.  Pakistan Tribune reports the U.S. based Global Intelligence Service-Stratfor explained,  "Sources have indicated to Stratfor that New Delhi is going through the diplomatic motions in order to give Pakistan the opportunity to take care of the militant problem itself-but if Islamabad fails to address India's concerns, then India is ready to attack Pakistan.  Indian military operations against targets in Pakistan have in fact been prepared and await the signal to go forward.  These most likely will take the form of unilateral precision strikes inside Kashmir along with special forces action on the ground in Pakistan proper."

Sources close to the Pakistan Defense Ministry have informed the Tribune Pakistan is fully capable of responding effectively and any attack will be met with a stern and appropriate reaction.  Islamabad is also aware the war will not remain confined to Pakistan/India as in the first three conflicts between them since 1947.  Teheran is now ready to enter the war in support of former Pakistan President-General Pervez Musharraf's Action Plan which he presented to them in Feb. 2007.  And in the past few months Beijing has strengthened its strategic relations with Pakistan to enforce China's claim over India's northeast state of Arunachal Pradesh, the same area China invaded India for one month in Oct. 1962 at the beginning of the dry season which lasts until April.  That is why Pakistan's military intelligence service, ISI, held off conducting an operation on the scale of Mumbai before this year because Iran was not yet ready to enter.  Islamabad knew an attack on that scale would force India to attack.  Teheran is ready now.

rfn=Jabalya - "We won't delay our response to this assassination.  All options are open and the response will come from all Palestinian groups."  France24/AFP report that was the angry statement from the spokesman of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Abu Thaer, after one of their members was killed during an Israel Air Force (IAF) attack in northern Gaza near Jabalya.  Ali Hiyari was responsible for handling rockets in the armed wing of Fatah and thousands of supporters attended his highly public funeral demanding vengence.  At the same time it is now being mentioned Hamas has begun to fire their mortars. 

rfn=Jerusalem -  Jerusalem Post has just reported the Knesset weekly security meeting on Sunday will concentrate on the situation in the south.  Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said the current situation was "simply unsustainable."

rfn=Baghdad - "What the Parliament did today, rejecting the bill, was a great national achievement.  We believe that British forces and all other forces should pack their things."  Asharq al-Awsat/Reuters report that was the response from Nassir al-Issawi an Iraq lawmaker close to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr the head of the Mahdi Army which is armed and trained by Teheran.  al-Issawi was referring to the vote in the Parliament that rejected a law which would have permitted British, Austrailian and other international units to remain in Iraq after the end of this year.  Which means they will also be subject to attack when Iran has the Mahdi Army end the ceasefire.  A recent Iraq decision has allowed U.S. forces to stay three more years was nothing more than a deceptive diplomatic show Teheran had Baghdad stage.  The Iraq government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki issued no comment on the current ruling. 

rfn=Berlin - "I am convinced that the Georgia crisis has not ended.  The conflict continues to swell because of the one-sided recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia."  IRNA reports those were the observations by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaking to journalists at the Foreign Ministry.  What Steinmeier did not say was German industry will be the main beneficiary of Moscow using the war to restore its control over the entire region even if it means taking the war to Iran's border.  Teheran supports the Georgian government in Tbilisi which is a threat to industrial services in the West to continue to use Russia to export energy resources to them from there.

rfn=Ljubljana - News out of Southeast Europe is saying relations between Slovenia/Croatia have been "poisoned like never before in history" as B92  reports the Slovenia government in Ljubljana blocked an agreement which would have helped Croatia integrate into the European Union (EU).  The dispute resvolves around a border issue which has been an undercurrent in relations between the two countries ever since the division of Yugoslavia in 1991 but until now it was mostly a disagreement over fishing rights.  Slovenia, which experienced no fighting in the wars that erupted after the division, has always presented itself as the most "European" oriented of the republics since Yugoslavia was dissolved and Slovenia borders Italy and Austria.  But B92 reports this decision has inflamed the situation to such an extent it is the headlines in all the newspapers in both countries and the conversation in web portals in both states can be descibed as hate speak to put it mildly.  Not even discussions between Kosovo/Serbia has ever been this hostile and it would be the height of irony if war resumes in the northernmost part of the former Yugoslavia right on the Italy-Austria border when everyone, myself included, assumed it would happen much further south between Kosovo/Serbia.

Cooler heads are attempting to prevail with a meeting already being proposed between Croatia Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Slovenia Prime Minster Borut Pahor, but Sanader has already stated he would only attend if EU representatives are there.  In the meantime Croatians are demanding a boycott of Slovenia goods and Croatia President Stjepan Mesic is warning against a "tit for tat" response.  Someone even said economic wars would not be beneficial in today's slow economy but that could be the first round in this hateful nationalistic dispute in a region proud of its divisive nationalistic identities, an identity the EU has regressively encouraged.  Slovenia President Danilo Tirk is openly supporting Ljubljana's decision to block Croatia's entry into the EU because he claims that serves Slovenia's national interests.

rfn=Zagreb - B92 reports Croatia media is saying the country has been "stabbed in the back" by Slovenia.

night watch:  rfn=WESTERN NEGEV - Palestinian militant groups have unleashed a rocket-mortar barrage on Israeli communities in the Western Negev.  Jerusalem Post reports by Saturday evening nearly 20 Qassams were fired and 24 mortars.  This was to be expected since for more than a week Teheran had been increasing, to a fever pitch, rhetoric concering the Palestinian situation in Gaza caused by Israel's blockade and the silence of Arab governments.  Iran also had Hezbollah stage mass rallies around Lebanon in a show, not only of support for Palestinians, but it signaled Hezbollah will enter the war soon after Israel begins its phased offensive.  That will set the stage for Syria then Iran to enter amidst spectacular publicity.  An Israel Defense Force (IDF) officer stated, "We have operational plans ranging from conquering the Gaza Strip to pinpoint raids against rocket squads.  However, we will ultimately do what we are told to do."

This is the beginning of the expanded regional war Teheran has been years in preparing which is designed, not to control the salt in the Dead Sea, but to use this popular Palestinian cause to inspire more Islamic radicalism against the last Islamic state with close relations with the West, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.  President Mubarak has recently accused Iran of trying to "devour Arab states" and before next month is over I believe he will declare war on Iran right after Iran commits its brigade size Rapid Deployment Force against Israel and has Palestinians attack the Rafah Terminal on the Egypt/Gaza border.  Last January Teheran had Hamas explode open the terminal for twelve days and Hamas was able to do so with the help of Egypt's largest opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood an opposition supported by Teheran.  France24 has provided a news video on some of the latest developments.

I expect Israel to begin its offensive right after the weekly Security Cabinet meeting Sunday.

night watch:  rfn=ISLAMABAD - "Heightened activity by Pakistan Air Force aircraft has been detected on their side of the border.  All measures are being taken to ensure defense preparedness."  AKI/AsianAge reports that was the statement from a source in India's Defense Ministry as Defense Minister A. K. Antony on Thursday conducted a meeting with all three service chiefs and the Defence Secretary.  The meeting was "to review the overall security situation and to take stock of the overall preparedness of the armed forces."  This activity by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was first noticed right after India staged two violations of Pakistan's airspace in Kashmir and near Lahore, the main base of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) used by Teheran-Islamabad for the Mumbai operation.  But the Defense Ministry source stated, "The PAF fighters seemed to be trying to provoke India.  The Pakistan Air Force aircraft have not crossed into India airspace so far but are flying very close to it.  India is watching closely."

Iran-Pakistan designed the Mumbai operation to force India to respond militarily setting off the fourth war, between Pakistan/India since 1947, but since Delhi has not responded with any military action, except the airspace violation, Pakistan is now having fighter jets attempt to make India engage them with at least anti-aircraft missiles.  If that dosen't work then Teheran-Islamabad will most likely have the fighters violate India's airspace to such an extent India will be forced to engage them.  This may be the reason the Pakistan Tribune is now reporting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has cancelled his trip to meet Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.  The official reason being given is rough weather but I suspect the real reason is the situation between Pakistan/India is about to become a lot worse.  Weather is an enormous factor in this regional theatre as this is the dry season which began in October and extends through April.  The war will subside when the monsoon occurs again in May.

rfn=New York -  "All roads of world terrorism lead to Pakistan" became the suspicious theme of New York's prestigious and influential Asia Society Foundation.  The Dawn reported at first Pakistan's former United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram was invited to be one of the panelists dicussing the Mumbai event but at the last minute he was removed and told he could only speak from the floor when called upon.  His Excellency found that offensive and refused to attend.  Consequently there was no one on the panel or in the gathering presenting Pakistan's position as every speaker went out of his way to condemn Pakistan.  The reason why I hate these foreign policy foundations and blink-tanks is because they convinced themselves Bin Laden can arrange flight school training as their way of avoiding confronting Iran, and all of these foreign policy institutions-foundations are directly connected to industrial services that arm the Pentagon.  And ever since World War II their raison d'etre has been to create small regional wars and extend the fighting for as long as possible since it was good for the weapons business.  That strategic planning was raised to a foreign policy art form during the Cold War of Profit, but since a real threat, Iran has emerged these foundations, which have a direct impact on Washington's policy, have done all they can to avoid attacking Iran the real center of the terror which has enabled Iran to continue to make preparations for (f)allout war.

As this site has stated, Pakistan's government, its intelligence service ISI and its network in India, is actively pursuing a Campaign of Detabililzation inside India which will force Delhi into war, but Teheran is directly involved as well and what Pakistan has been waiting for is for Iran to be ready.  That is the only reason the fourth war has not yet become full scale including after the Islamic uprising in Kashmir that began Nov. 1989.  But the Mumbai operation signals Iran is now ready to enter.  All this ridiculous Asia Society gathering has done is to justify war on Pakistan and any feeble, illusory operation the Pentagon can conduct.  What these policy makers ignore is a lot of India's government is proud of its three victories over Pakistan and therefore never took any negotiations over Kashmir seriously including fomer President-General Pervez Musharraf's proposal a few years ago on a joint adminstration of the state and that it would remain inside India.   

rfn=Gaza - Friday the Israel Defense Force (IDF) raised the alert level for its troops on the Gaza border.  Haaretz reports the units are being told to be ready for mobilization as rocket fire continues from the Gaza Strip.  At the same time Haaretz/AP reports Hezbollah led thousands of supporters Friday in a mass rally of protest of the Gaza blockade. (PressTV)  The largest gathering was at al-Raya stadium where loud speakers carried the speech by Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Nasim Kassem.  "Israeli atrocities" were denounced as well as the "hyporcrisy" of Arab governments for maintaining a "policy of silence" on the Palestinian issue.  Other demonstrations were held in the Lebanon's north near the Beqaa Valley east of Beirut and in Sidon.  At the Syria rally, in the Palestinian refugee camp Sbeineh outside Damascus, Hamas official Sami Abu Zouhdi attended and warned, not only Israel, but other parties that support the Gaza blockade which was a definite reference to the Egyptian government of President Honsi Mubarak.  Zouhdi demanded the Rafah Terminal on the Egypt/Gaza border be opened.  In January this year Teheran enabled Hamas to explode open the terminal for twelve days.  That is quite symbolic since the expanded regional war about to erupt will have more of an impact on Mubarak than on Israel.  France24 has provided a news video on some of the latest developments in Gaza.

rfn=Perevi -  "The Russian command made a decision that Russian troops should return to the checkpoint to curb growing tensions."  RIA reports that was the de facto announcement by the Russia Foreign Ministry on the return of Russian troops, in force, to the flashpoint, frontline checkpoint near the village of Perevi between South Ossetia/Georgia.  In reality it is designed to cause tensions (war), as governments in the West are aware, to inflame the situation and use the next series of battles to remove Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili who Moscow refers to as a "political corpse".  That would also end Teheran's support for the Georgia government since Moscow will probably take the war to Iran's border.  The show of force next time will be even more devastating than the five days in August.  Industrial services in the West are privately eager to see it, especially the ones in Germany, since they have long used Russia to export energy resources to them from the Caucasus.  Teheran's last attempt to control this region's resources is the Georgia government after Iran's effort through Islamic groups in the North Caucasus was finally defeated by Russia in 2006 after war erupted in Chechnya in Dec. 1994. 

Russia's moves in this region, and its entire military re-structuring, is being directed by the Kissinger-Primakov Strategic Working Group (SWG).  RIA is the only  news service I know of which reported former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger's arrival in Moscow, April 2007 to co-chair the SWG with former Russia Premier Yevgeny Primakov.

night watch:  rfn=ISLAMABAD - "The Indian army remains, as it is, in their peace positions and no troops movement towards the Indian/Pakistan border."  The Dawn reports that was the statement released by Pakistan's Awami National Party (ANP) after a statement by the India High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Pakistan, Mr. Satyabrata Pal, the India government was satisfied the government of Pakistan was not involved in the Mumbai operation.  Fear is behind Delhi's statement.  As this site stated at the time of the Mumbai attacks it is impossible for a mission of that scale not have state sponsorship.  Of course this fear and unrealistic hope of working with Pakistan works to Teheran-Islamabad's advantage.  India's response to further attacks will be entirely defensive as will their military effort when full scale war breaks out .

rfn=Dehli -  The India government is now echoing the response made by Washington, the latest example being Senator John Kerry.  Though the Senator indicated Washington may cut off foreign aid to Pakistan the Senator also gave the make believe impression Pakistan's Inter-Serivces Intelligence (ISI) is acting independently.  Intelligence services are always controlled by the government as stated by Pakistan's former Director-General of the ISI Lieutenant-General Hamid Gul.  IRNA reports General Gul stated it is completely baseless to believe the ISI is not controlled by Islamabad.  Gul then responded to pressure from Washington, "Americans want to twist our arm but they should realize that we are not their servants; Pakistan is an independent country and can move forward without the support of the U.S.  The U.S. is interfering with our internal affairs which is strongly a condemnable act, can we ask the U.S. to bring the Pentagon under its control, certainly not, so why is the U.S. dictating us.  U.S. wants to draw a rift among these insitutions of our country, an international conspiracy is being hatcheded to destablize Pakistan."  Gul ended by saying though Washington presents itself as an ally of Pakistan the "intentions of Americans are quite the opposite."

There is definitely an undeclared war going on between the West and Pakistan with Islamabad with the advantage due to NATO wasting men and material chasing the Jihad around Afghanistan as Pakistan supports more attacks on NATO supply terminals around Peshawar.  Governments in the West have been policy making under the enormous delusion they are doing great work in Afghanistan.

rfn=Kabul -  As Delhi reponds by cancelling India's cricket team tour to Pakistan (Xinhua), instead of severing relations, IRNA reports the democratic (military) government in Islamabad is sending Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to meet Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, which will be their fourth meeting since September, the first two in New York, then one earlier this month in Istanbul.  This is designed to increase bilateral relations concering a common objecive-India-an objective shared by Teheran-Beijing-Dhaka-Tashkent.  So while Delhi discusses increasing security inside India the ISI, and with the full cooperation of Teheran, are planning more operations on the scale of Mumbai intended to force India to attack.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry released this statement, "During his stay in Kabul, the President will hold a tete-a-tete as well as delegation level talks with his Afghan counterpart.  They will also deliberate on the future direction of bilateral cooperation."  That is southeast through the Khyber Pass through Pakistan to India.  The statement continued, "The democratic government of Pakistan attaches high priority to forging close, friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan."  This is definitely Pakistan's priority.  President Zardari will be at the head of a delegation which includes, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Advisor on the Interior A. Rahman Malik and Governor of Northwest Frontier Province Owais Ahmed Ghani.

rfn=Gaza -  "The calm is over."  Swissinfo/Reuters report that was the announcement by Hamas official Ayman Taha Thursday evening after a meeting with other Palestinian militant groups and this is set by Teheran's timetable for the expanded regional war.  Hezbollah will announce its readiness to support Palestinians militarily during its demonstrations tomorrow in Beirut's south suburbs.  More than ten Qassam rockets had been fired by mid-afternoon as fighting escalated between Israel and Palestinian militants with the ceasefire set to officially end tomorrow.  Jerusalem Post/AP report the Israel Air Force (IAF) helicopters and F-16s attacked a Palestinian arsenal in the Jabalya refugee camp and also hit a factory that manufactured rockets and explosives near Khan Yunis in northern Gaza. 

night watch:  rfn=BEERSHEBA -  "We will only accept quiet like there was before the operation in November.  Sporadic firing of several Qassams a day is unacceptable and will lead us to a collision course with Hamas."  Jerusalem Post reports that was a quote from a senior Israel Defense Force (IDF) official as the six month ceasefire is now being acknowledged by both sides as being officially over, a time they both used to prepare for major fighting and on a much larger scale than in 2006.  And with the extensive maneuvers the IDF conducted in its north it means Jerusalem as well as Palestinians in Gaza realize though the war begins in Gaza it will not end there as Hezbollah-Syria-Iran are poised to enter.  And Egypt President Hosni Mubarak is ready to declare war on Hamas-Iran as the fighting causes political turmoil in Egypt with so many in the population wanting a government in Cairo more in step with Islamic governments instead of with the West.  In Iraq the Shia-Sunni militias are waiting for Teheran to give the order to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that will end the ceasefire that will signal attacks on the U.S. units there and Iran supports them with missile attacks on UK/US bases in the country and Persian Gulf, which will reduce the chances of any combined operations between Israel-U.S. against Iran.

But for the moment the IDF OC Southern Command, Major-General Yoav Galant held a security assessment at his Beersheba headquarters, just 25 miles from the Gaza Strip.  Hours after the meeting dozens of Israeli armored vehicles were positioned on the Gaza border.  The first phase of the IDF offensive may be artillery bombardments of any area, including population areas, used for rocket fire after first warning the residents to leave the area.  At the same time the Israel Air Force (IAF) will be attacking ammunition warehouses and rocket-explosive factories as they did yesterday in northern Gaza.  Sources in the IDF stated Hamas had Islamic Jihad increase the Qassam fire for the past two days.  Hamas' orders comes from Teheran and Hamas' leadership in Gaza has just gone underground.  They have also evacuated some of their institutions and security installations as spokesman for Palestinian groups, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Islamic Jihad cite the blockade as their reason to fire rockets. (Xinhua)  But even if the blockade were not in force Iran would find another reason to resume the war.  Haaretz and France24 have provided news videos on the latest developments.

According to Teheran's script Hezbollah is to hold massive rallies in Beirut's southern suburbs tomorrow in the name of Palestinian people and when the war resumes I doubt if Iran will have Hezbollah wait two weeks before they attack as they did in 2006 when the fighting began in late June after Hamas captured an IDF soldier.

night watch:  rfn=MUMBAI - First sever relations and then declare war.  WebIndia123 reports that was the recommendation by the leader of India's Samajwadi Party (SP), Abu Azimi, speaking to media in Mumbai.  This was the same political leader who suggested, right after the Mumbai operation, that Pakistan should be given 15 days to take serious action against those responsible for the attack and if not then India will.  There has never been any word as too how serious Azimi's suggestions have been taken but I suspect it reflects the real views of India's government.  Major preparations for war continue as WebIndia123 report MiG-29 fighter jets from the India Air Force (IAF) are now positioned at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad adjacent to Delhi.  A senior official of the Western Air Command stated whatever measures are required for the capital's safety are being taken.

rfn=Lucknow -  India's intelligence war with Pakistan continues with WebIndia123 reporting an agent with Pakistan's Military Intelligence has just been arrested by India's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in cooperation with police in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.  Abdul Jabbar, alias Sikander, was apprehended at Charbargh railway station carrying a false passport, fake Indian currency, maps of Lucknow and hand drawn maps of Central Command.  He was not involved in the Mumbai operation.  Jabbar is based in Karachi and admitted receiving special training for nine months in Pakistan to get defense information, sent to Kathmandu Nov. 15 and entered India Dec. 11-12 though he had visited India four times previously.  He was discovered when India security tapped his phone conversation to Pakistan.

rfn=Islamabad - U.S. Senator John Kerry held a long meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari during which Zardari assured Kerry the Pakistan government had the full support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).  Pakistan Tribune reports the two discussed the latest regional developments as Zardari repeated the pledges of supporting the effort against terrorism and Kerry mentioned there should be confidence building measures in South Asia.  This discussion was the latest in a long line of visits by senior U.S. and Western leaders since the Mumbai operation that they know was directed by the ISI though the West and India may not be aware of Teheran's involvement.  The Dawn reported Senator Kerry also met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmoud Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.  The one difference between Kerry's meetings and those of previous officials from Washington was the Senator indicating if Pakistan continues to refuse from seriously cooperating against Islamic groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba then Washington will end its aid to Pakistan.

rfn=Dehli - "It is very important indeed that the assistance that we're providing over the course of the next months be tied to Pakistan's behaviour."  Gulf-Times reports those were Senator Kerry's words before his meeting with India's leaders in Delhi.  "We all know it was planned.  It was planned over a period of time.  We all know they came from Pakistan and we understand the training in that regard.  So, there is strong evidence."  Kerry's voice is not the only one in the U.S. Congress discussing the end of aid to Pakistan.  "I do not believe in aiding countries that aid terrorism."  The Dawn reports that was a quote from U.S. Senator Robert Menendez as Congressman Frank Pallone describes Pakistan as a "failed state."  Gary Ackerman, U.S. Representative from Indiana has long wanted to cut off aid to Pakistan explained, "The implication for us is that there are still bad guys out there and we're going to have to learn to deal with them, because our friends are getting sucked into this big time."

Islamabad is of course aware of this policy shift against them and I doubt they are surprised and not because Pakistan never cut off all ties to the Taliban.  Attacks inside India is part of former President-General Pervez Musharraf's offensive Action Plan which he presented to Teheran in Feb. 2007 which is why I have long referred to attacks inside India as a Campaign of Destabilization.  Teheran-Islamabad knew the attacks would reach such intensity it would not only force India to attack but it would also mean the ending of relations with the West as Pakistan began to reveal its close military relations with Iran-China-Dhaka as they all have territorial disputes with India.  Disputes which have provided Pakistan with more military support than they have ever had and Islamabad is going to take advantage of it.

rfn=Ashkelon - Even before the Palestinian/Israel ceasefire ends officially on Friday Palestinians have unleashed a rocket barrage against Israel's coastal city of Ashkelon and the Western Negev.  Haaretz reports most of the rockets have been fired by Islamic Jihad in retaliation for the killing of one of their leaders in the West Bank.  Jerusalem Post reports Israel Prime Minster Ehud Olmert warned, "Of course this demands that we address it.  And we will address it."  More than 20 rockets have been fired today and this time some Israelis in Sderot were actually injured.  Targeting Ashkelon were some of the new Nasser-4 rockets which have a longer range and more explosive power.  It was the new rockets Palestinians were able to manufacture during the six month ceasefire which will officially end Friday.  It has actually ended today.

rfn=Litani River -  It is quite possible when the Israel Defense Force (IDF) begins its phased offensive into Gaza that Teheran orders Hezbollah to enter the war within 24 hours and not wait two weeks as in 2006 when the fighting began in late June when Hamas captured the IDF solider and Hezbollah attacked July 12.  This time Syria-Iran will then follow and in the name of supporting Palestinian people.  Israel has already warned it will hit targets all over Lebanon and not be as selective as in 2006 since Hezbollah has now become a major member in Lebanon's government.  PressTV reports the IDF also has plans to re-occupy south Lebanon to the Litani river which is about 20 miles north of Israel's border.  I thought Israel was going to do that in 2006 which would have ended the effectiveness of the Katyusha rocket since its range is only 20 miles but the IDF was not seriously prepared in the 2006 war.  That has since changed.  With the massive threats Israel faces they are more prepared than even in 1967 when they defeated Egypt-Syria in six days.  This time I doubt if it will take the IDF more than six weeks to defeat not only Palestinian militants and Hezbollah but also whatever forces Syria sends and Iran's brigade size Rapid Deployment Force. 

Since there is no market for salt in the Dead Sea Israel was never Iran's main objective in the region.  The outlandish statements Teheran had President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad make concerning Israel was just a highly publicized distraction.  Iran's main goal is to have the expanded regional war remove Egypt President Hosni Mubarak due to his close relations with the West and have Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr end the ceasefire in Iraq to begin attacks against UK/US bases in the country and Persian Gulf.

rfn=Sidon - PressTV reports two Lebanese publications, Al-Akhbar and As-Safir are warning of possible attacks, including suicide attacks, against the European units serving in Lebanon under UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) near Sidon.  Though the unit was first established in 1978 it was dramatically increased to 13,000 as a result of the 2006 Rome Conference right after the end of the Hamas-Hezbollah/Israel war.  Teheran really noticed the conference and as soon as the troops arrived Iran had al-Qaeda units in Lebanon declare UNIFIL an enemy of Islam.  Iran wants UNIFIL to be caught in the crossfire of the wider regional war.

night watch:  rfn=INDIA GATE - "I cannot say what course of action we will take, but unless Pakistan shows sincerity in whatever they are saying through their actions, one thing is very sure, that there is no question of things as usual."  WebIndia123 reports those were the remarks, warnings, by India Defense Minister A. K. Antony speaking to reporters after laying a wreath at India Gate during a celebration on the 37th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, India's victory over Pakistan during the 1971 war which enabled Bangladesh to become independent.  It is India's proudest victory.  Antony was accompanied by the heads of the three armed serivces chiefs, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Army General Deepak Kapoor and Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major.  Antony continued, "We are not planning any military action, but at the same time, unless Pakistan takes action against those terrorists wo are operating from their soil against India and also against all those who are behind the Mumbai terrorist attack, things will not be normal."

That is essentially the official word from India's government but I suspect unofficially India will attack the bases used by Pakistan to train the militants in the Mumbai operation, setting off the fourth war.  In so many ways the fourth war really began, on a low level, in Nov. 1989 with the Islamic uprising which was and still is directly supported by Teheran-Islamabad, and a number of times since then it came close to forcing India to respond by attacking Pakistan.  Yesterday three Pentagon officials were quoted saying India seemed to be making serious preparations for some of their air units to attack Pakistan.

rfn=Gaza - "Basically there is no truce.  The only way to deal with the occupation is through armed resistance by all means.  The only thing we should do after the Tahde'a (truce) ends is what the Palestinian people usually do, which is resistance and the only way to deal with the occcupation would be the only tough resistance."  Xinhua reports that was the statement from one of the Hamas leaders in Gaza, Salah el-Bardaweel on the expected end of the six month truce with Jerusalem on Friday.  His decisions are of course controlled by Teheran's timetable and Iran used the six months for them and the Palestinians to make their final preparations for an expanded regional war that will set the stage, not just for more attacks against Israel, but also at Western forces in south Lebanon-Iraq and the Egyptian government of President Hosni Mubarak.

Today, Xinhua reports Tuesday evening Israel launched an air attack on an Islamic Jihad rocket team in northern Gaza.  The group claimed responsibility for the 10 rockets fired today as Israel Defense Force (IDF) units killed one of the group's leaders in Jenin, West Bank.  INN reports in the past six weeks 225 rockets have been fired and since 2000 there have been 10,046 rocket-mortar attacks.

rfn=Cairo - "The Iranian leader's hostile statements toward Egypt did not allow a serious preparation for a conference."  Jerusalem Post/A-Sharq al-Awsat report that was the statement by Egypt Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Ahmad Fathi Surour, on Cairo's cancellation of a visit by three officials of the Indonesia based Islamic Parliament (IP).  The troika was made up of officials from Iran-Syria-Indonesia and was to discuss Egypt's position on the Palestinian issue, an issue which finds Cairo increasingly isolated in the Muslim world as it maintians close relations with both Washington-Jerusalem.  An Iranian diplomat, based in Cairo, has responded by saying a two man delegation from Iran has also been cancelled due to the "atmosphere".  The "atmosphere" is quite frankly the calm before the storm.  Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, on Teheran's orders, is increasing the hostile regional rhetoric directed at Egypt by saying, "Egypt must take a historic, responsible stand (regarding Gaza) which will make the entire Islamic nation stand by it."  Under no circumstances would President Mubarak ever work with Iran due to his hatred of Islamic radicalism which he knows Teheran is the center of.  Islamic extremists assassinated Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar al-Sadat in 1981 and Teheran named a street after the assassin.  In 1993 Mubarak toured the Persian Gulf in an attempt to isolate Iran and met with no success.  It is Mubarak who is isolated and Iran is the main foreign supporter of Egypt's large opposition which some suspect is armed.  The loyalty of all of Egypt's armed forces to Mubarak is also questionable.

rfn=Berlin - Acutely aware of the extremity of the situation in West Asia (Middle East) has forced German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to hold a meeting with Egypt Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.  IRNA reports at a joint news conference in Berlin Steinmeier called on Hamas to extend the ceasefire to avoid "new risks in the region."

rfn=Washington - "You know very well that when it comes to certain matters, the U.S. government doesn't discuss operations."  Pakistan Tribune reports that was the statement from U.S. President George W. Bush, as detached from reality as ever, on his airplane speaking to reporters enroute to Afghanistan.  He was referring to the missile-drone attacks on Pakistan's northwest tribal areas which have done virtually nothing to reduce the influence of Islamic extremists in the region.  The attacks have done the exact opposite and Pakistan has responded by supporting raids on NATO's supply terminals around Peshawar.  Pres. Bush and the Pentagon have convinced themselves the missile attacks are effective and NATO has convinced itself it doing something strategic in the "war against terror" as it constantly avoids attacking the center of it-Iran.  The undeclared war between Pakistan and the West will continue.

rfn=Islamabad - The Dawn has published an excellent editorial on the impact of Hindu religious fundamentalism on Indian society and government.  Hindu extremists are mostly represented by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and they control a lot of the members in India's Parliament.  The Editorial assumes (f)allout war will mean the destruction of both countries but not all bombs and missiles are going to work.  Weapons manufacturing is far from perfect, some will miss and others will be duds.

night watch:  rfn=DEHLI - Three Pentagon officials, speaking individually, have informed CNN they are aware the Indian Air Force (IAF) was making serious preparations to attack the Islamic militant bases inside Pakistan used by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) unit.  Pakistan Tribune reports one official stated the IAF "went on alert", obviously in preparations for offensive missions and this matches the response timetable suggested by the Mulayam Singh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party the Monday after the attack (CFW Dec.1/08).  Yadav stated Pakistan should be given 15 days to make a serious response against those who carried out the attack and if not then India will.  The two countries and governments know each other intimately and I doubt if Delhi ever expected Islamabad to attack and prosecute members of an organization that are an instrument of Pakistan's state policy which is to conduct operations inside Kashmir and inside India to such an extent it will force India to attack.  And the fourth war between them, since their 1947 independence, will be underway. 

A second Pentagon official observed the preliminary preparations by the IAF will enable India to begin missions quickly, which probably means before this week is over.  No details were given on the preparations but the officials said they knew the status of crews and fighter jets was being checked and the weapons that will be available.  The officials said they do not know the extent of the preparations but one indication is in the two airspace violations by the IAF of Pakistan's airspace recently.  It is quite possible some surveillance was made by the aircraft of the areas the IAF is preparing to attack, Kashmir-Lahore.  Lahore is the city where the LeT and their mirror organization, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) have their main base.

rfn=Kochi/Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -  "Let those forces that mounted these attacks know that there will be a heavy price to pay for this.  Let nobody take us for granted or underestimate our resolve to fight these diabolic forces."  WebIndia123 reports those were the angry words of India Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi speaking Monday evening at a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Statdium in Kochi.  There is massive support among India's population for some direct military response to the devastating Mumbai operation.  It is ironic Gandhi spoke at the stadium named after India's first Prime Minister.  Just before Nehru died in 1964 he warned India on the dangers of Hindu extremism which takes the form of non-negotiable positions on India's rule over Kashmir.  A few years ago Pakistan President-General Pervez Musharraf presented a peace proposal which advocated joint rule over the disputed state and that it would remain inside India, but jointly adminstered by the Muslim majority community in Kashmir along with India.  Delhi did not even take it seriously.  And any Indian Prime Minister knows if he ever considered any compromise on the issue he could be assassinated as was India independence and Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, assassinated by Hindu extremists.  After the assassination Prime Minister Nehru wrote "there is darkness everywhere".

rfn=Delhi - India Home Minister P. Chidambaram is now also warning Bangladesh since Islamic groups have long been based there, supported by Iran-Pakistan, which support separatists organizations in India's northeast, especially Assam State.  WebIndia123  reports the Home Minister was responding to demands by members of Parliament.  Delhi has also demanded Bangladesh shut down Islamic bases used by militants in support of the network inside India that has set off bomb attacks at religious and transportation centers for the past few years.  It is no coincidence the Mumbai operation took place just one month after the six day visit to Pakistan by the Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff in late October.  Islamic jihad groups in the country are also waiting for the next war.

rfn=Beijing - On the eve of that war Pakistan continues to increase its strategic (military) relations with China as Xinhua is reporting the Sixth Sino-Pakistan Defense and Security Talks (SPDST) were held in Beijing co-chaired by General Chen Bingde, Chief of Staff of the China People's Liberation Army (PLA) and General Tariq Majid , Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan.  The first SPDST talks were held March 2002 though both governments established strategic relations in 1951.  Beijing-Islamabad have seen India as a common enemy for quite some time and are now prepared to attack India on different fronts in the same war.  Pakistan of course through Kashmir-Punjab and China by enforcing its claim over India's northeast state of Arunachal Pradesh which China invaded for one month in Oct. 1962 during the dry season which runs from Oct-April.  Beijing revived its claim through its Ambassdor to Delhi in Nov. 2006 and the following month China-Pakistan conducted joint maneuvers just west of Kashmir.  There were even indications the two militaries were establishing a joint command.

rfn=Teheran -  Pakistan is about to have its best war.  Not only due to massive support from China but also from Iran.  Feb. 2007 Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, as part of his nine nation tour of Islamic capitals, prestented the Iran government his offensive Action Plan stating it will be war to unite the entire Muslim world.  When it comes to India they all agree but Islamabad has held off from attacking India to wait for Iran to complete preparations to enter the war in the name of Islamic unity, the military expression of it.  As those preparations were being completed Teheran orchestrated an elaborate, highly publicized diplomatic show of great relations with India even to the extent of pretending to seriously discuss a regional oil pipeline from Iran through Pakistan to India.  The project derisively called by Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki a "pipeline of peace" was first proposed in 1995 and with absolutely no work done on it.  It has actually been a pipeline of deception as General Musharraf's visit signaled Iran's preparations were nearly complete.  Then in May, this year, Iran's most powerful decision making body, the Council of Guardians visited Pakistan.  May is when fighting in Kashmir increases due to the melting of the snow, but this year Pakistan troops began to provide cover fire for Islamic units infiltrating into India something Pakistan Army units had not done in years.  Destabilizing bomb attacks inside India increased and then of course Mumbai, an operation on such a scale Teheran-Islamabad-Beijing-Dhaka knew it will force India to attack with the regional axis aligned against India ready to respond. 

But in the meantime, as a show of sincere regional concern,  IRNA reports Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi announced Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will phone India's leaders in an attempt to ease regional tension.

rfn=Gaza City - Harretz/Channel 10 have provided another news video on the massive Hamas rally Sunday in Gaza City.

night watch:  rfn=AIWAN-E-SADR - At a meeting Monday the Pakistan Tribune reports President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani stated no further air violations by India will be tolerated.  Any incident now will set off full scale war as India is planning to attack the bases inside Pakistan which have long been used to perpare infiltration teams to cross into Kashmir and for operations inside India. 

rfn=Beirut - "Where are your Arab sensibilities?  When a million and a half Arab people in the Gaza Strip are living under a siege in hunger, under threat.  My humanitarian, religious, Islamic and Arabic sensibilities call on me to take part in actions and protests against it.  We in Lebanon will do this."  Haaretz/Reuters report that was the televised message from Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah as Teheran had him target the Israel blockade of the Gaza Strip which was imposed shortly after Hamas took over the territory in June 2007 after a series of street battles with rival Fatah.  The timing of Nasrallah's belligerent statement means Iran is now ready to set off the expanded regional war using on of  West Asia's (Middle East) most popular issues, the Palestinian people, living under Israeli rule in the West Bank and threat of attack in Gaza.  Nasrallah has called for massive demonstrations in Beirut's south suburbs Friday but of course he realizes war will soon erupt and this is just part of the psychological, hate-session demonstration preparation. 

I suspect Teheran has set the order of battle as, Palestinian militant groups unleashing a large rocket barrage forcing Israel to begin its offensive, then Hezbollah-Syria-Iran enter with Iran committing its brigade size Rapid Deployment Force under the glare of spectacular publicity.  Committing ground forces is much more of a commitment than launching some ballistic missiles which is over quickly and could miss due to their questionable guidance systems.  Ground units are in action longer and it is much more personal and emotional as people identify with them.  War in this region is not just to target Israel but to use the new wave of Islamic extremism to remove Egypt President Hosni Mubarak due to his close relations with the West and his willingness to engage in combined operations with Israel.  Mubarak will declare war on Iran before he is overthrown.

rfn=Teheran - "Considering the precision of these missiles in destroying the targets, their control systems and their capability of decreasing the probability of being detected by radar, these sites are within the Islamic Republic of Iran's most important preventive strategic measures."  IRNA reports that was the proud statement of Brigadier General Hossein Salami, Commander of Islamic Republic of Iran Guard Corps-Air Force at the opening ceremony of one of Iran's new cruise missile sites.  Cruise missiles are the most accurate of all missiles.  Some are designed as anti-ship missiles and others can be used against land targets like military bases, in this case the UK/US bases in Iraq-Persian Gulf.

night watch:  rfn=DELHI - "The Indian Air Force denies any such violation of airspace."  Swissinfo/Reuters report that was the official response from India Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani who added Islamabad was just trying to divert people's attention.  But it is no coincidence one of the violations took place over Lahore which is the main base of the Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.  Iran-Pakistan used them in the Mumbai operation as part of Teheran-Islamabad's Campaign of Destabilization to cause as much confusion as possible for India's internal security agencies.  Though both governments are publicly playing down the air violation incident preparations continue to be made for full scale war.  Xinhua reports Pakistan has placed its airbases on Emergency.  Pakistan TV channels are saying the Indian aircraft was carrying fully armed warheads.  Local media in Pakistan reports President Asif Ali Zardari was informed of the violation which they know was deliberate.

rfn=Lahore - In other moves WebIndia123/The News report the Pakistan Army began Saturday to move medium and heavy artillery units to the Lahore Cantonment in the north of Punjab which is adjacent to India's own Punjab province.  Lahore Cantoment is less than 150 miles south of Islamabad and less than fifty miles from the India city of Amritsar.  If Iran-Pakistan had a breakthrough here they could cut off Indian reinforcements to Jammu-Kashmir.  Artillery was also seen moving on the motorway and from the Tilla Range in Jehlum toward Lahore.  This caused a panic among the general public who fear an imminent offensive.  An offensive which will begin when India attacks bases of the militant groups.

rfn=Hyderabad - "We have tried to establish where the youth have gone, but we don't know."  WebIndia123 reports that was the quote from Hyderabad Police Commissioner, Prasada Rao, on the scores of Muslim youth that have disappeared most likely into Pakistan for training.  Britain's Sunday Telegraph has said a wall of silence has descended on Hyderabad's Old City, which is Muslim majority, a silence that protects the activities of teachers and other shadowy figures working inside Islamic fundamentalist schools and mosques.  Local police say they are working for two Islamic groups based in Hyderabad, Darsgah Jihad-o-Shahadath (DJS) and Tahreek Tahfooz Shaer-e-Islam (TTSI) as "feeder" groups for  militant seeking to recruit armed fighters.  The article states the atmosphere in the city's alleys and markets leading to the Raj-era square is marked by mutual loathing and suspicion between Muslim and Hindu sects.  The head of the provincial Human Rights Commission, Judge E. Ismail observed grimly, "Deprivation in the predominantly Muslim Old City is palpable...The circumstances for Mulims have changed for the worse in the 60 years of India's independence."  The alienation of the Muslim community, all over India, has made it easy for Teheran-Islamabad-Dhaka to establish the network inside the country to use for bomb attacks and to provide information to groups operating from Pakistan.

rfn=Damascus -  "There will be no renewal of the calm after it expires."  Jerusalem Post reports that was the announcement by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal speaking from Damascus Sunday on the end of the six month truce December 19.  Being based in Damascus Mashaal is closer to decisions controlling the organization coming from Teheran which has used the "calm" to have Palestinians prepare a network of subterranean fortifications and to ship anti-aircraft, anti-tank missiles and longer range rockets into Gaza.  With the constant and increased planning in Teheran for more diplomatic pressure on, not only Israel, but especially on Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, Iran is ready to use Palestinians to set off the expanded regional war.  It will set the stage for Hezbollah-Syria-Iran to enter knowing it will generate more Islamic extremism directed at Mubarak due to his close relations with the West and his willingness to work with Israel against Palestinian groups in Gaza.  France24 has provided a new video on the mass celebration in Gaza City not only for the 21st anniversary of the group's establishment but also to air some of the leaders statements against Israel.

Senior officers in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) have admitted, "We have used the calm period to prepare and we have many surprises."  During the calm some of the Israeli leadership engaged in a highly publicized debate on the merits of the ceasefire which I suspect was used as a smokescreen for the IDF preparations.

rfn=Cairo -  INN is reporting, in anticipation of the Hamas announcement, Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak had already sent Major-General Amos Gilad to Cairo and meet with senior Egyptian intelligence officials.  General Gilad is head of the Political-Military policy in the Defense Ministry  and it was his negotiations in Cairo with the head of Egypt's intelligence, General Omar Suleiman that led to the ceasefire.  Now that it is over I suspect Cairo-Jerusalem are planning combined operations to prevent Teheran, through Hamas, from controlling the Rafah Terminal on the Egypt/Gaza border.  In January this year Iran had Hamas explode open the terminal.  The threat of the new radicalism, directed by Teheran at Mubarak will force the Egyptian government to declare war on Iran.

rfn=Baghdad - "Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience".  Swissinfo/Reuters report that was the title of a report compiled by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction headed by Stuart Bowen Jr.  The New York Times Sunday Editions mention the report is extremely critical of the $100 billion effort to reconstruct Iraq after the U.S. March 2003 invasion.  The main reasons for the failure were bureaucratic infighting, ignorance of basic elements of Iraq society and waves of violence.  In order to cover for all the problems and waste the Pentagon issued fake progress reports.  In one example then U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that in the months after the invasion the Defense Department, "Kept inventing numbers of Iraq security forces--the number would jump 20,000 a week!  'We now have 80,000, we now have 100,000, we now have 120,000.'"  General Powell was the only senior administration official with any realistic experience on the ground, which is why he resigned in 2004. The Defense Department was then headed by the clownish Donald Rumsfeld a product of the insulated Defense Department bureaucracy where you convince yourself not only are you in control of events but that reality is what you say it is.  In a small limited war one may be able to get away with it but Washington, as London, convinced themselves, the business groups-contractors that armed them, they could privatize Iraq's economy instead of using Iraq's former military leaders in exile to form a new Iraq army, which was the plan up to 2002.

But for the sake of extreme reconstruction profits the plan was changed just before the 2003 war and the corruption became entrenched in the war planners thinking.  No one agency was ever held accountable for the lack of real progress in rebuilding Iraq.  There is even the case of a Republican lobbyist, Tom Korologos, who demanded $20 billion be funded right away in August 2003  and if not it would be a disaster for President Bush's re-election campaign for 2004.  The money was approved.

rfn=Muscat -  Iran-Oman continue to establish and increase their naval cooperation as IRNA reports one of Iran's senior navy commanders, Rear-Admiral Salami, arrived in the Oman capital Muscat at the head of a delegation to attend the fourth meeting of both country's Coast Guards.  Their last meeting was in Bandar Abbas 2007.  Their joint command will be used during the attack against U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf.

night watch:  rfn=TEHERAN - Iran had its Deputy Head of its Atomic Energy Organization (AEO), Mohammad Qannadi, announce today Iran has now become seventh among nations in the production of uranium hexaflouride (UF6).  PressTV reports it is an essential element in the production of enriched uranium and therefore in the production of nuclear weapons.  That includes warheads for the Shahab-3  missile.  Iran has nad nuclear weapons for quite some time.  They revived the program, (begun under the Shah of Iran - 1975), in 1981, one year after the beginning of the Iran/Iraq War and increased when the war ended in 1988 with Teheran knowing the world was eager to arm them since weapon dealers and manufacturers realized the Jihad paid well.  Another boost to the program was the collaspe of the Soviet Union in 1990 with news reporting afterward a lot or Russian scientists went south and in 1991, the day after the Gulf War ended, CNN showed the London branch office of Bechtel Group invited to Iran.  Bechtel constructed the network of bases for Saudi Arabia during the 1980s, some of which were shown during the Gulf War.  Iran wanted something similar but first wanted damage done to Iraq's military.  With that enormously dark arrangement Anglo-American established society sold their foreign policy to Teheran.  In 1996 Reuters even mentioned Iran was involved in laser research and it was known Iran used laser in their enrichment program.  Governments in the West-Russia-Japan realize this but I suspect they do not want to admit it publicly at the risk of causing panic. 

A major supporter of Iran's nuclear weapons program was of course Pakistan which first produced nuclear bombs in 1987.  When Islamabad exploded several nuclear warheads underground, in response to India in 1998, Pakistan was then immediately visited by the Iran Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi who praised what the called the "Islamic Bomb".  He never called it Pakistan's bomb especially since Teheran probably invested very heavily in Pakistan's research and development.  The most important international supporter, for both Iran-Pakistan has been Beijing which knew if Iran-Pakistan and their offensive foreign policy were effective then three of China's rivals would become weaker:  the West-India-Russia.  Consequently, China never supported anti-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction just only paid lip service to it including the staging of the Six Way Talks on North Korea.  Beijing also sent assistance to Iran through North Korea.  Only when World War III becomes full scale will we really know how much Iran has produced.  Fortunately not all the bombs and missiles are going to work given the fragility and uncertainty of weapons-guidance systems.  They can miss and also be a dud.  Some of course will hit the target and explode. 

I expect Iran's first target in the West will be Vienna since that is the headquarters of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  Teheran never welcomed the investigation.  In November 2005 Iran's former President cleric Mohammad Khatami visited Vienna in his new capacity as head of the Association of Combatant Clerics.  His topic was annihilation of weapons of mass destruction.  But if Khatami spoke more candidly, behind his beaming smile, he would have said instead annihilation of Vienna.

night watch:  rfn=ISLAMABAD - "In the current situation, the UJC (United Jihad Council) is maintaining complete silence and has no contact with any Pakistani organization or institution."  WebIndia123/The News report that was the statement from an unnamed commander with the United Jihad Council (UJC), a coalition of several Islamic militant groups based in Kashmir unlike Lashkar-e-Taiba and its  mirror organization, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which is composed of members from Pakistan's Sindh and Punjab provinces.  The groups in UJC are:  Harkat-ul-Ansar, Hizbul Mujahideen, Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, Al-Jihad, Al-Barq, Ikhwan-ul-Musselmin and Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen.  Officially all these groups have dissolved like the head of UJC, Syed Salahuddin, gone underground by shutting down their offices and removing all signs.  However, they have not gone out of existence.  The commander continued, "Following the Mumbai attacks and the subsequent tension between Pakistan and India, the United Jihad Council has decided to remain silent."  I suspect Teheran-Islamabad knew the scale of the Mumbai operation would compel India to make a military response and decided before that happens these groups, including the al-Qaeda unit in Kashmir, should remain low but on operational standby.  They will resume operations when India attacks.

rfn=Delhi - Just a couple of days after the Mumbai attacks ended an India political party leader suggested to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that India should give Pakistan 15 days to take serious action against those responsible and if not then India should and that means next week.  WebIndia123 report analysts who monitor South Asia are warning if Pakistan continues to refuse to hand over suspects demanded by India then relations will exacerbate.  Since Delhi has always rejected any peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue and never supported any serious negotiations to resolve it, India is left with no choice but to attack the bases they have long demanded Pakistan shut down.  Islamabad has stated for years if India attacks they will be forced to respond.  The scale of the Mumbai operation was a signal Iran-Pakistan want India to retaliate.  In Feb. 2007, Pakistan President-General Pervez Musharraf presented Teheran his offensive Action Plan.  In May, this year, Iran's most powerful decision making body, the Council of Guardians, visited Pakistan as a sign Iran was now ready to enter the war.  That is why, for the first time in several years, Pakistan troops began to provide cover fire for Islamic units infiltrating from Pakistan into India.

The main reason India's political leaders refuse to consider any peaceful solution with Pakistan over Kashmir is because they fear assassination, not by Muslims, but by Hindu nationalists inspired by the same beliefs which motivated them to assassinate India's independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, who was also Hindu.  Gandhi was assassinated in Jan. 1948 as he attempted to end the Hindu/Muslim communal rioting and the first war between the two countries

rfn=Peshawar Ring Road - Pakistan/Afghan fighters, for the fifth time in ten days, have destroyed supply vehicles used by NATO forces in Afghanistan.  IRNA reports this time the attackers used gasoline bombs setting on fire 25 vehicles.  So far this month 325 supply vehicles, containers, including 70 Humvees have been destroyed.  Most of NATO's supplies in this region comes through Pakistan and with the deteriorating relations by the hour between Pakistan and the West these attacks will increase.  Islamabad puts on a show of providing more security that is ordered to be ineffective.

rfn=Gaza -  "Majlis (Iran Parliament) held an emergency session on Gaza tragedy Saturday.  Aboutorabi-Fard will travel to Egypt to follow up the process of adopting more practical measures to support the oppressed people of Gaza."  Xinhua/IRNA report that was the warning from Iranian lawmaker, Mahmoud Ahmadi, on the near future visit by the Majlis First Vice-Speaker, Muhammad Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard.  At the same time the Maljis Speaker, Alir Larijani, held a telephone conversation with the Syria Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud al-Arabash on the Gaza situation.  This is being done on the eve of the next wave of fighting in the region, much larger and more devastating than the 2006 war between Hezbollah/Israel.  That war also began in Gaza, late June, with the capture of an Israeli soldier then Hezbollah attacked two weeks later.

The six month ceasefire, signed June 19, will end next week and it was used for Teheran's timetable to make the final preparations, by Palestinians-Hezbollah-Lebanon-Syria-Iraq-Iran for the expanded regional war.  It is significant Larijani also phoned Egypt Parliament Speaker Ahmed Fathi Sorour and the two discussed permitting a troika from the Asia Parliamentary Assembly (ASA), Iran-Indonesia-Syria, to support any effort to end the Gaza blockade.  Of course even if the blockade were not in place Teheran would still be setting up the wider regional war which will be designed to generate more Islamic extremism directed at the last Islamic head of state with close strategic relations with the West, Egypt President Hosni Mubarak.  Since Larijani spoke with Sorour, so close to major fighting beginning again, I have to wonder how loyal is Sorour to Mubarak.

The Emergency Session in Teheran Saturday was attended by representatives of the Iran Red Crescent Society, the Foreign, Education, Interior Ministry, Iran's Martyr Foundation and the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee.

rfn=Moscow -  The Kissinger-Primakov Strategic Working Group (SWG) is sending a delegation from Washington for strategic planning with Moscow.  RIA reports the delegation is being headed by U.S. State Department Under-Secretary  for Arms Control and International Security, John Rood.  Ostebnsibly this is just to discuss highly publicized, orchestrated disputes like the missile shields or how many phone lines will there be between NATO-EU-Russia/Brussels-Moscow.  Disputes designed to convince Teheran the West-Russia will not cooperate over the Caucasus.  But in reality this is to plan combined operations between Brussels-Moscow in the South Caucasus to end Iran's support of Georgia.  Heavier fighting in West Asia (Middle East) and South Asia may also be discussed and planning a joint response.

rfn=Perevi - "About 60 Special Forces soldiers were deployed to the village of Perevi directly on the border with South Ossetia.  EU (European Union) monitors are turning a blind eye."  Swissinfo/Reuters report that was a statement to Interfax by a South Ossetia Defense Ministry official on the rapid movement of Russian troops re-occupying the village.  This could easily be a vanguard for a larger deployment.  Shota Utiashvili, spokesman for the Georgia Interior Ministry, observed the Russians "put on  a show with helicopters, armored vehicles and paratroopers.  The Russian kicked the police (Georgia) out of Perevi this morning."  This deliberate provocation is not really intended to attract Tbilisi's attention but Teheran.  Which means of course the SWG is preparing the Russians to move much further south, at least to the Iran border.

rfn=Kirkuk -  It is now being revealed, by the Turkish news service, Hurriyet, that the target of Thursday's suicide/car bomb attack on the Abdullah restaurant north of Kirkuk was the Iraq Kurdish President Jalal Talabani.  The explosions took place two hours before his meeting there with Arab tribal officials in an attempt to ease the tensions between the conficting communities in Iraq's north as they are in a near war over who will control the vast oil resources near the Iran-Turkey border.  Though the area is home to Arabs/Turkmen/Kurds it has been decided between the three most influential governments on this issue, Ankara-Baghdad-Teheran, that the oil will be controlled by Turkey, the Shia government in Baghdad and Teheran, working through Baghdad.  Because President Talabani survived the assassination attempt Turkey President Abdullah Gul cancelled his visit.  Hurriyet however is reporting the official reason for Gul not going is due to an ear infection.  Every government in the region, including Damascus, fears a powerful Kurdish community.  If the Kurds become strong, then the governments in the region become weak.

night watch:  rfn=ISLAMABAD - "The IAF (India Air Force) jets were chased back as they entered at least 2-4 kilometers (1-2 miles) in Pakistani territory.  Our jets scrambled to air and forced the Indian aircraft to return to their territory.  We are ready for any misadventure."  WebIndia123 report that was the announcement by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) spokesman Humayun Waqar Jaffer.  He said the incident took place in the early hours on Sunday and at high altitude. Information Minister Sherry Rehman stated the matter was mentioned to the IAF who said it was "inadvertent."  One violation was over Kashmir and the second was over Lahore which is the main base of the Islamic militant organization that carried out the Mumbai operation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is why Lahore was chosen by the IAF besides Kashmir.

 Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder, based in Islamabad, observed, "It's very difficult to believe such a thing could happen by mistake because there are defined corridors for military maneuvers.  Tensions are running high between the two countries, such acts are likely to escalate the situation."  Pakistan TV had extensive coverage of this Sunday.  Next time the IAF planes may be met by anti-aircraft fire and of course they could be on an attack mission against some of the militant bases.  Lahore is just 50 miles west of the Indian city Amritsar as they face each other in both of their countries Punjab provinces.  They are midway between Islamabad/Delhi.

rfn=Srinagar - "It is nothing but a propaganda unleashed by India media."  NewsBlaze/Fayaz Wani reports that was the denial by United Jehad Council spokesman, Syed Sadaqat Hussein, that the militant coalition had gone underground as reported earlier by India media and on this site.  Swissinfo/Reuters report LeT is also stating their operations continue.  One of their spokesman, Abdullah Ghaznavi, stated, "Our struggle continues until Kashmir gains freedom."

night watch:  rfn=DELHI - "We think it is imperative that this incident, these attacks be thoroughly investigated and we think it is also imperative that those responsible for these attacks be brought to account."  WebIndia123 reports that was the angry statement of support by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte Friday in Delhi after first going to Islamabad where I assume he received empty pledges of support.  The goverment in Pakistan still insists it has seen no convincing evidence the attack was planned by Islamic groups supported by Islamabad.  Negroponte continued, "So, for the effort at the moment, is concentrated on investigating these incidents, these attacks and bringing those responsible to account.  We are cooperating in the effort.  Obviously the Government of India is in the lead in this with respect to the investigation but all of our diplomatic partners have a responsibility to contribute to this effort."  The actions of Islamabad means they are knowingly removing themselves from the list of Washington's diplomatic partners. 

In Delhi, Negroponte met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adivsor M. K. Narayanan while in Islamabad Negroponte met Pakistan's political leaders and the Chief of Pakistan's army.

At the same time London has sent the British High Commissioner to India, Richard Stag, to Chennai where he stated, "We take the view there is clear evidence that attacks in Mumbai have links to organizations in Pakistan.  We have been urging the government of Pakistan to take effective and appropriate measures to deal with this."  I don't believe Delhi-Washington-London believe Islamabad will take any serious action against those responsible since in so many ways that would mean Pakistan's government would have to take action against itself and Iran.  Therefore behind the scenes Negroponte-Stag could have said at their meetings the U.S.-Britain will support any military action Delhi decides.

rfn=Peshawar -  As another sign of the growing war between Pakistan/NATO WebIndia123 reports the fourth attack in a week has just taken place on a NATO tranportation terminal on Peshawar's Ring Road.  Twelve containers were set on fire when Islamic fighters fired more than ten rockets.  There was an exchange of fire afterward between the security unit and the attackers afterward.  These attacks could not take place without Islamabad's support.

rfn=Teheran -  "Where are the Europeans who are the defenders of human rights?  We can see the hands of Bush and Obama in these crimes.  I am telling the Gazans and Palestinians in the occupied territories that the only way for salvation is by resisting the way Hezbollah did."  Jerusalem Post/AFP report those were some of the remarks by the Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami the Friday prayer leader in Teheran.  Iran's government had him denounce the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), Egypt, Israel, the Europeans and the United States in not doing anything to lift the blockade Israel has imposed on Gaza since the Hamas takeover of the territory in June 2007.  Teheran is obviously timing this for the end of the six month ceasefire on the 19th.  Iran will not only have Palestinians resume large scale rocket attacks but when Israel begins its offensive Teheran will have Hezbollah enter the war followed by Syria then Iran for the purpose, not so much for defeating Israel, but to generate more Islamic radicalism directed at Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, the last Islamic head of state still with close strategic relations with the West.

rfn=Gaza - One of the leaders of a Palestinian group, Jamil Majidalawi has used a gathering celebrating the founding of his unit to call for all Palestinian factions to unite.  Xinhua reports he was addressing a celebration of the 41st anniversary, 1967, of the establishment of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).  The unit's armed wing, Abu Mustafa Brigades fired five Qassam rockets today and the Brigades of Hezbollah of Palestine claimed they had fired two more.  None of the rockets caused any damage, it rarely does and is more a weapon of harassment.  Both groups do not want an extension of the ceasefire and with Teheran in control of the decision making of Palestinian groups then the rocket fire will become more frequent next week.

rfn=Sidon - Debka reports the 13,000 European troops serving with UNIFIL in South Lebanon are facing new threats to the extent their convoys on the coastal road from Beirut to Sidon are now confined to the early morning hours from 3-5 am and must have an armored vehicle escort.  This comes during the visit to Beirut by U.S. State Department Counter-Terrorism official Dell Dailey who stated al-Qaeda has tranferred some of its units in Iraq to Lebanon.  Iran seems to have divided the al-Qaeda groups into two branches, one in the Palestinian refugee center Nahr al-Bared near Tripoli close to the Syria border and the other in Ain Hilwe near Sidon further south.  The units are to be used for four different operations.  1-Cross border raids into Israel's north, 2-Attacks against UNIFIL, 3-Attacks against U.S. installations in Lebanon and Sixth Fleet ships close to Lebanon's coast.  During the war in 2006 Teheran enabled Hezbollah to use some anti-ship cruise missiles.  4-Assassinate pro-Western politicians in Lebanon.

rfn=Teheran - Iran State Security agents have arrested nuclear scientists suspected of spying for foreign governments.  INN/Tabnak report the announcement was made by the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards General Mohammad Ali Jafari.  It was not revealed what their names were or the governments they were spying for.  Nor was it mentioned what installations they were watching or what their positions were.  It is known that right after the Cold War ended in 1990 news reported a lot of Russian scientists went south.  It is quite possible they retained contacts with their colleagues in Russia.  Moscow has delayed the completion of Iran's nuclear facility at Bushehr which Russia was contracted to build back in 1995.  Moscow has delayed its completion because Iran has been supporting Islamic groups that have been fighting Russia in the North Caucasus since 1994.  Since that action is largely over Teheran has shifted its support to Georgia.  Publicly both Moscow/Teheran stage a diplomatic show of great relations.

night watch:  rfn=BEIJING - The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Affairs, Richard Boucher had meetings with China Vice-Foreign Minister Li Hui and Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengye.  Xinhua reports the discussions revolved around events in Central and South Asia.  Obviously the new India/Pakistan crisis was central to the discussions which could have become argumentative since I assume Boucher and Washington are aware Beijing has not only played a massive role in Iran-Pakistan's military preparations, but Beijing two years ago revived its claim over India's northeast state of Arunachal Pradesh.  China invaded the area for one month in Oct. 1962 and did so well the fighting extended south into Assam state which borders the Bay of Bengal.  So I suspect Boucher received some empty pledges of support, the same posture Pakistan has presented to U.S. diplomats in Islamabad.

night watch:  rfn=DELHI -  "We have to galvanize the international community into dealing sternly and effectively with the epicenter of terroism which is located in Pakistan.  This infrastructure of terrorism has to be dismantled permanently.  This is for the good of the entire world community including the well being of the people of Pakistan themselves."  WebIndia123 report that was the policy statement of India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in front of the India Lok Sabha (Parliament) which listened in rapt attention.  In a rare show of unity Singh and opposition leader L. K. Advani joined hands as Advani echoed the Prime Minister's statement.  The Parliament knows of course Pakistan is not about to dismantle instruments of Pakistan's state policy as Islamabad has used the Islamic militant groups to attack India's control over most of Kashmir since 1989.  Advani has also stated India should not expect much help from the United Nations.   

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, though he still maintains, publicly, "war is no solution" his statements indicate he actually believes India must make a military response.  "We have given them lists of 40 persons not one, not 20-lists of 40 persons and we have also pointed out that their denials is not going to reduce the issue."  Swissinfo/Reuters report Mukerjee continued, "Therefore if it is not followed to the logical conclusion--complete dismissal of the infrastructure facilities available from that side to facilitate terrorist attacks, of banning the organization-how does that help us?"  Islamabad is of course listening to the Indian leaders and continues to put on a show of suppressing the mili