US rejecting a plea from Isreal to attack Iran

For the third time in the past three years, Bush has rejected an Isreali plea to attack Iran because of their developing nuclear program. The attack would have been an airstrike on areas of nuclear development in Iran. Sources say the Bush showed Isreal plans to do the same thing to Iran


Jim Crudele
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/11/iran.israel.nuclear/index.html

Bin Laden's Driver just freed from jail

The former driver of Osama Bin Laden has just been released from jail. He had been sent to Yemen from Guantanamo bay a little over two months ago. He was sentenced to 66 months in prison for providing material support for terrorism. He was the first Guantanamo detanie to be sentenced by the US militiary commision. He addmitted to working for Bin Laden for $200 a month, and said that he only worked for wages, not because he was against the US and supported the terrorism directed at the US. There are still 255 inmates who were accused of plotting against the US. It is decided that they are innocent and they are cleared. President elect Barak Obama said that he plans to shut down the camp.

Lebanon Bombing

As the war in the Middle East presses on, Isreali hasn't exactly recieved any attacks untill now. An unknown group in Lebanon fired rockets into Northern Isreal last Thursday. The Lebanesse government condemns the attack and is determined to find out who is repsonisble. If the government of Lebanon was responsible, they would be violating a UN resolution from 2006. Although the Isreali army's retalitory attacks had no casualties, the Lebanese government did not see at as just to send an attack. The UN is continuing an investigation on the government on Lebanon. In a recent statment Prime Minister Fouad Siniora declared that the attack did infact violate the UN agreement from 2006.


Jim Crudele

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/08/israel.rockets/index.html

Oil Prices rising in the Middle East

Oil prices have risen in the past week because oil producers are worried that Israel's attacks on Hamas will disrupt and prevent further oil production. Earlier last year, OPEC announced that it intended to reduce oil production by at least 10 million barrels a day in order to keep the price of oil from dropping. Now, due to recent fears of the oil producers they have risen the price of oil along with the production costs. The average price for a barrel in America has risen $1.22. Prices are slightly rising in the US. In October, the US demand for oil dropped by 833,000 barrels a day.

And Israel Presses On

During the tenth day if Israel's war agaisnt Hamas, they Israelis push further into the Gaza Strip. The tenth day of fighting had more civilian bloodshed with twelve children apart of the massacre. This raises the total to 550 killed overall. Other Civilians in the Gaza strip who were not killed are straining to get supplies of water, food, and fuel. Niether side seems to be giving in. When will all the fighting end?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/world/middleeast/06mideast.html?_r=1&ref=world