Iranian Atomic Urgency
• The WSJ introduces us to Iranian spymaster, Major-General Qasem Soleimani.
“Soleimani has emerged as public enemy No. 1 in the Arab Spring,” said a senior administration official working on Syria.
• Paul Koring tries making sense of revelations of Israeli access to Azeri airbases.
• John Bolton can’t make sense of the White House’s handling of Israel-Iran file.
Arab Spring Winter
• The Washington Post notes a Muslim Brotherhood charm offensive to promote a moderate image. It’s already getting results. According to the NY Times, the Obama administration isn’t bothered by MB candidate Khairat el-Shater entering Egypt’s presidential election:
And so, in a remarkable inversion, American policy makers who once feared a Brotherhood takeover now appear to see the group as an indispensable ally against Egypt’s ultraconservatives . . .
On Sunday, speaking on condition of standard diplomatic anonymity, State Department officials said they were untroubled and even optimistic about the Brotherhood’s reversal of its pledge not to seek the presidency. The Brotherhood’s candidate, Khairat el-Shater, a millionaire businessman considered the most formative influence on the group’s policies, is well known to both American diplomats and their contacts in the Egyptian military. Though in and out of prison, he was the Brotherhood’s main point of contact with Mr. Mubarak’s security services and is now its main conduit for talks with the council of generals who took power at his ouster.
Mr. Shater has met with almost all the senior State Department officials and American lawmakers visiting Cairo. He is in regular contact with the American ambassador, Anne Patterson, as well as the executives of many American companies here, and United States officials have praised his moderation as well as his intelligence and effectiveness.
See Tony Karon‘s take.
• Syrian rebels aren’t the only people filming the army’s atrocities. The army is too — call them trophy videos. Some of the footage was leaked. The Lede rounds up what’s on YouTube.
• The Times of Israel takes a closer look at Asma Assad, “the ‘desert rose’ who’s standing by her murderous husband.”
Rest O’ the Roundup
• HonestReporting’s Simon Plosker recently appeared on UK’s Revelation TV. He discussed how false and inaccurate media reports contribute to Israel’s demonization and even increased anti-Semitism.
• Andy Boyle‘s bone to pick with editors: Newspaper blogs and articles are all the same thing:
It’s time to stop bifurcating your content as blogs and news because they run on separate systems. It is all content, so why not call it that? Even if you have outside people writing posts on your website that are unmoderated by your staff — that’s still content that’s part of your media outlet’s website.
• If you’re interested in the Web vs. Print battle, local web advertising will pass local print advertising next year.
(Image of Ocampo via YouTube/IntlCriminalCourt, Shater via YouTube/PBSNewsHour)
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream.
Clicking “Unsubscribe instantly” on your mailing will remove you from the Israel Daily News Stream list, but not from your regular HonestReporting emails.
