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Did Germany's Banking Giant Deutsche Bank Violate Iran Sanctions?

Deutsche Bank May Have Violated Iran Sanctions -- Jerusalem Post

German financial giant reportedly confirms US investigation against it over financial transactions in US dollars with Tehran.

BERLIN – Flagship German financial institution Deutsche Bank appears to be embroiled in violations of Iran sanctions, the German television channel n-tv reported Tuesday on its website.

According to the report, Deutsche Bank confirmed in its quarterly business report on Tuesday that US investigators were probing the banking giant for violating the trade embargo on Iran.

Read more ....

My Comment: What are they thinking? Is doing banking business with Iran more important than the U.S.? My hope is that if they are found guilty ..... the fines run into the billions and those responsible face jail time.

Has Iran Stopped It's Nuclear Bomb Program?

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, right, meets with Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey in Tel Aviv on Sunday (photo credit: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry/Flash90)

Iran Pulls Back From Nuclear Bomb Goal: Israeli Defense Minister -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iran has drawn back from its ambitions to build a nuclear weapon, Israel's defense minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday, while warning that his country may still have to decide next year whether to launch a military strike against it.

Tehran denies its nuclear work has any military dimensions but governments in Europe and the United States are increasingly concerned over its intentions.

Diplomacy and successive rounds of economic sanctions have so far failed to end the decade-old row, raising fears of Israeli military action against its arch-enemy.

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More News On Israel's Defense Chief Comments That Iran Has Drawn Back Plans To Build Nuclear Weapons

Israeli Defense Chief Says Iran Postponed Nuclear Ambitions -- New York Times
Defense Minister: Iran delayed nuclear program -- Jerusalem Post
Israeli official: Iran pulled back from the brink -- CBS
Iran temporarily put nuclear bomb ambitions on hold: Barak -- AFP
Barak: Iran used up some of its uranium this summer, pushing back ‘moment of truth’ 8 to 10 months -- Times of Israel
Iran steps back -- Telegraph editorial

Three Critical Commmentaries On The White House Handling Of The Benghazi Debacle

To Live And Die In Benghazi, Libya Without Leadership From America -- By Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer (ret.), FOX News

What is it like to spend your last moments on earth fighting for your life?

To have devoted your life, and your life's work, to a great nation -- to serve it well and honorably -- and serve for it with courage and distinction, to all come down to a last, frantic few seconds, spent defending you and your fellow Americans and call for the cavalry to come help, and no cavalry comes--and you die.

This is what the two former Navy SEALs, under the employment of CIA, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, faced in their final moments in Benghazi on September 11, 2012.

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Commentary #2: The Wages of Libya: Careers have ended over less than the administration cover-up. -- Victor Davis Hanson, NRO
Commentary #3: The Benghazi Story Refuses To Die, And It’s Hurting The President -- Walter Russel Mead, American Interest

My Comment: So far it has only been FOX news, conservative pundits, and most milblogs that have raised questions on what happened during and after Benghazi. As for the main stream media .... all of them have ignored and/or given conflicting information on the attack and its aftermath .... followed by their pundits who have interpreted and/or try to justify the administrations positions .... Jay Bookman probably speaks for most of them.

As to what is my position ....I just want to know what happened. Why did the administration peddle the line that it was an anti-Islamic video that spurred this attack .... and who in the administration told everyone to peddle this line. When did the President learn of the attack .... what did he do .... and what was his analysis on what was happening .... during and after. Who hired and sign the contract for a British security office to provide security for a U.S. consulate in an extremely dangerous environment. Why was security not enhanced after repeated attacks on diplomatic posts in Benghazi, repeated requests for more security from the U.S. Ambassador, as well as credible terror threats directed at U.S. interests in the region. Were their any protocols in the State Department to protect a consulate should it come under attack .... were they followed .... and if not .... why. If there were no protocols in place .... the question again needs to be asked as to why. Why was the Pentagon late to respond .... and why were there no assets nearby to respond. Who is to be held accountable. Who needs to be fired.

Sighhhh ....

Forgive me for rambling .... but I have a hundred and one questions .... and no one in the U.S. government wants to answer them .... or worse .... obfuscate the reasons why someone like myself wants to know. It is moments like this that I sometimes wonder if anyone cares.

Pictures Of New York City After Hurricane Sandy

Jesseandgreg

Incredible Pictures Of Storm Damage In New York City -- Business Insider

Superstorm Sandy left a devastating impact on New York City.

Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are without power, but that's just a small portion of the 7.5 million customers without electricity throughout the East.

Multiple New Yorkers died, again only a portion of the 16 confirmed deaths across the country. More will likely be identified soon.

The MTA has "never faced a disaster as devastating as this," according to chairman Joseph Lhota.

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WNU Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Is Russia A Friend Or Foe?

Russia: Friend or Foe? -- Anya Schmemann, National Interest

In last week's foreign-policy debate, while many countries and regions were left unmentioned, Russia was invoked ten times.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney defended his assertion that Russia is America’s “number-one geopolitical foe.” He added, “I'm not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia, or Mr. Putin.”

President Obama, whose administration considers the “reset” of relations with Russia one of its signature foreign-policy successes, accused Romney of being stuck in the Cold War mentality of the 1980s.

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My Comment: What's my take ... Russia is neither. If it was not for their nuclear forces, their input on the world stage would be minimal at best. As to what is the mindset in Russia itself .... the priority is to look inward and to solve the many chronic problems that Russia has .... i.e. demographic decline, economic decline, infrastructure problems, Islamic militancy, corruption ... coupled with growing political unrest and general unease for the future. As to what is the Russian view of the U.S. .... most do not care, and those who do care are the ones who want to immigrate to the U.S..

Corruption Pays In China

Corruption In China Isn’t Just a Local Story -- Max Boot, Commentary

Wen Jiabao, China’s prime minister, must have felt like he was hit by a political hurricane last week when the New York Times published a front-page story claiming that he and his family control a fortune of at least $2.7 billion.

While it has been generally known that the Communist Party elite were acquiring considerable wealth, that is still an eye-popping amount. All the more so because it is hardly an aberration. As my Council on Foreign Relations colleague Elizabeth Economy notes in a trenchant blog post on the Wen scandal, “the annual 2011 Hurun report on the wealthiest Chinese reveals that the top seventy members of the National People’s Congress are worth a combined total of $89.8 billion; in contrast, the net worth of the top 660 U.S. officials is only $7.5 billion.”

Read more ....

Update: China's People's Daily launches attack on The New York Times -- The Telegraph

My Comment: Everyone who is familiar with China knows that the country is essentially ruled by about 800 - 1,000 families .... and that much of the "real wealth" is controlled by this group. By publicizing this news, The New York Times went into an area that is never broached in China and rarely abroad .... and naturally .... the Chinese leadership (who are all culpable with this greed) .... are reacting in the only manner that they can .... condemn and threaten.