DAILY ALERT

In-Depth Issues:

Iran Blames U.S. for North Korea's Nuclear Test - Brit Hume (Fox News)
    Iran says the North Korean nuclear test should be blamed on the United States.
    Iranian state radio says, "North Korea's nuclear test was a reaction to America's threats and humiliation." It says the threat of sanctions only increased the diplomatic pressure on North Korea.
    Iran suggested that the UN should not punish North Korea, but instead disarm the nuclear arsenals of larger nations.

Iran "Using British Banks to Channel Money to Terrorists" - Conal Walsh (Observer-UK)
    The Financial Services Authority is urgently scouring Britain's banking system for evidence of Iranian terrorism funding following an alert from U.S. authorities who presented intelligence indicating that suspicious Iranian funds were being funneled through the City of London and other financial centers.

Sunnis Learn Shia Customs to Bluff Baghdad Death Squads - Ahmad Ali and Oliver Poole (Telegraph-UK)
    As the sectarian violence that followed the destruction in February of the Golden Mosque at Samarra, a revered Shia shrine, shows no sign of abating, Sunnis in Iraq are studying Shia religious history and customs to enable them to bluff their way through illegal checkpoints set up by Shia death squads.
    Omar, a van driver with a recognizable Sunni name, paid for another ID card with his name as Haider, a typical Shia name.
    He also carries a round piece of clay, which Shia Muslims place on their foreheads when they pray, and a green cloth, the traditional symbol of the Shia, to place over his car's gear shift when he enters Shia neighborhoods.

78 Suicide Bombs in Afghanistan This Year - Rahim Faiez (AP/Cnews-Canada)
    Taliban militants have launched 78 suicide attacks across Afghanistan this year, killing close to 200 people, NATO said Sunday.
    Seth Jones, an analyst for the U.S.-based RAND Corp., said there had been an "extraordinary change" in the lethality of attacks in Afghanistan in 2006. "There have been more suicide attacks in Afghanistan in 2006 than in the entire history of the country combined," Jones said.
    See also British Hire Anti-Taliban Mercenaries in Afghanistan - Christina Lamb (Sunday Times-UK)
    British forces in isolated outposts of Helmand province in Afghanistan are to be withdrawn over the next two to three weeks and replaced by newly formed tribal police who will be recruited by paying a higher rate than the Taliban.

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

Observations:

A Wake Up Call for Israel Too - Ron Ben-Yishai (Ynet News)

• In the wake of the nuclear test that North Korea conducted Monday, it is imperative that the West and Israel quickly sober up and stop deluding themselves that the Iranian nuclear program can be stopped. North Korea proved once again that diplomatic pressure, economic temptations, threats of military action, or sanctions could not stop fanatic regimes of totalitarian states from obtaining the bomb if they are determined.
• North Korea developed nuclear arms with its meager means because it believes they are an essential tool for the survival of the regime and a lever that would help it attain its strategic goals through nuclear extortion of its neighbors and the West. The same holds true for Iran. Iran's financial and scientific resources, as well as its oil-sponsored maneuverability, are far greater than North Korea's. Thus, the chances that Iran would stop its nuclear program before it attains operational nuclear and missile capabilities are slim.
• It is also doubtful that a military operation by a Western coalition (Israel included) could stop the Iranian nuclear program. Such an operation could delay it by a few years, but will probably not stop it.
• It is highly reasonable that additional countries will take the nuclear path. Japan can develop nuclear weapons fairly quickly to neutralize the North Korean threat. In our region, there are clear signs that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey will not sit idly by. It is also reasonable that money-starved North Korea will sell its nuclear know-how and equipment to the highest bidder in much the same way it distributed its missile production know-how to Syria, Iran, and other Middle East countries.