{"id":1812,"date":"2008-12-20T00:43:14","date_gmt":"2008-12-20T00:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=1812"},"modified":"2008-12-20T00:43:14","modified_gmt":"2008-12-20T00:43:14","slug":"news-round-up-december-19-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"News Round Up (December 19, 2008)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nBy Patrick Worsnip
\nReuters
\nWednesday, December 17, 2008; 2:53 PM<\/p>\n

\"

Daniel Bellemare<\/p><\/div>\n

U.N. investigator says Hariri killing can be solved<\/p>\n

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. investigator probing the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said on Wednesday he believed the case was solvable but asked for patience as he assembles evidence.<\/p>\n

Daniel Bellemare was addressing the U.N. Security Council, which later extended the life of his Beirut-based commission for another two months until a special court to hear the politically sensitive case is set up in The Hague on March 1.<\/p>\n

Hariri and 22 other people died in a car bomb explosion in Beirut on February 14, 2005. Some anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians have said Syria was behind the bombing, a charge Damascus denies.<\/p>\n

Bellemare, a Canadian who will also be prosecutor when the case comes to court, sought to play down what he said were misconceptions that the move to the Hague would mean indictments would immediately be issued.<\/p>\n

He said he would continue his investigations as prosecutor even after the commission ceases operations on February 28 and could not say when they would be completed.<\/p>\n

“Fast food justice is not on the menu,” Bellemare said, describing the investigation as “probably one of the most difficult in recent times.”<\/p>\n

“There will be no indictment of convenience.”<\/p>\n

But he said there was “no such thing as the perfect crime” and, answering the question of whether the case was soluble, added, “While no one ever said it would be easy, my answer to this question is unequivocal: Yes, this case can be solved.”<\/p>\n

While countries funding the investigation and the tribunal were entitled to ask whether it was worth continuing, the answer was “absolutely,” he said.<\/p>\n

But, he said, “While there is anxiety and impatience, the process must be allowed to follow its course.”<\/p>\n

In a report for the council made public earlier this month, Bellemare said his team had found new information that expanded their list of suspects, as well as fresh clues to where the suicide bomber responsible for Hariri’s death came from.<\/p>\n

He gave no further details on Wednesday.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"The Return of Realpolitik in Arabia
\nby Fouad Ajami in WSJ<\/a><\/p>\n

To its surprise, the new administration could yet discover that our adversaries do not wish to see our withdrawal from their midst. The Iranians thrive on the American presence in the Persian Gulf and feed off it. They are the quintessential oppositional force. They are not good at generating policies of their own. Their work consists of subversive attacks on Pax Americana in the region. The call by President Bush’s critics for a dialogue with Iran will be exposed for the pathetic fraud it has been all along. The American drama swirling around the rise of Mr. Obama is of no interest to the theocrats in Tehran. For them, it is business as usual in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Arrests show fears of Saddam followers<\/a>: The arrests of more than 20 security officials for allegedly trying to revive Saddam Hussein’s banned political party show how the Shiite-led government believes that supporters of the old regime still pose a threat \u2014 perhaps as much as al-Qaida or Iranian-backed militias.<\/p>\n

Iraq: The Shia Religious State<\/a> – Matthew Duss, American Prospect<\/p>\n

<\/a>A moment for truth as Britain exits Iraq<\/a><\/p>\n

Not So Fast<\/a>
\nBy Eli Lake
\nThe New Republic, 24 December 2008<\/p>\n

When it comes to Iraq, “withdrawal” seems to be the word of the day. In Washington, the incoming administration has revived the Obama campaign’s 16- month timetable for removing combat troops from Iraq. At his press conference on Monday, for example, Obama said he still thought that timeframe was “realistic” and said he would be meeting with military commanders to discuss “how we proceed” in what he calls a “withdrawal process.” Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that Obama’s timeframe was “agreeable,” suggesting that the current Pentagon chief has also agreed to a withdrawal.<\/p>\n

The agreement ratified on Thanksgiving Day by the Iraqi parliament would seem to lay out a road map for just the kind of withdrawal Obama has promised. It demands that all U.S. forces–with no exceptions–exit the country by the last calendar day of 2011 and that they return to their bases by the end of June 2009. What’s more, it mandates that the unsightly international zone in the center of Iraq’s capital be dismantled and requires the explicit approval of Iraq’s government for any U.S. military actions against Iraq’s neighbors or within the country. For those inclined to call America’s presence in Iraq an occupation, the Status of Forces Agreement, or sofa, as it is referred to at the Pentagon and Foggy Bottom, appears to end it.<\/p>\n

All of this has left many with the impression that American soldiers will be out of Iraq by the time Obama begins his campaign for reelection. Or, as Senator Claire McCaskill told Fox News on Sunday: “The important part about that SOFA agreement is it embraces the kind of timetable that Barack Obama made a foundation of his campaign…”<\/p>\n

….The call by President Bush’s critics for a dialogue with Iran ill be exposed for the pathetic fraud it has been all along. The American drama swirling around the rise of Mr. Obama is of no interest to the theocrats in Tehran. For them, it is business as usual in the Persian Gulf…..<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Russia in talks with Iran over sale of anti-aircraft missiles, despite Israeli objections <\/a>
\nBy Barak Ravid
\nHaaretz.com, 16 December 2008<\/p>\n

Israel plans to send one of its most senior security officials to Moscow tomorrow to express concern over Russia’s decision to renew contacts with Iran for the sale of advanced anti-aircraft missiles, Haaretz has learned.<\/p>\n

Israeli officials said the government will send the Defense Ministry’s Diplomatic-Security Bureau Maj.-Gen. (res) Amos Gilad to try to dissuade the Kremlin from supplying Iran with S-300 missiles – which would significantly complicate any military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n

During his two-day visit in Moscow, Gilad will meet with the Russian chief of staff, the head of intelligence as well as senior defense officials and diplomats. In addition to talks on the S-300 sale, Gilad is expected to bring up the Iranian nuclear program and Syria’s supplying of Russian-made weapons to Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Russia said it would not move forward with the transaction. In October, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited Russia, where he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and with his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. The meeting was set up to try and persuade the Russians to drop two deals in the works – one to sell S-300 missiles to Iran and the other to sell them to Syria.<\/p>\n

The Russian foreign ministry’s spokesman said Russia will not go ahead with the Iranian deal. “We have declared more than once at the very highest political level that we do not intend to supply those types of armaments to countries located in regions that are, to put it mildly, unstable areas,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko.<\/p>\n

The Russian official added that the Kremlin makes decisions on selling such systems based on “both preserving the balance of power in the given region, and taking into account the need to provide stability and security in the region.”<\/p>\n

But in spite of these statements, Israeli officials say Russia and Iran renewed negotiations on the purchase of the missile system several weeks ago. The sources confirmed a report that appeared in the foreign press on the matter two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

In a recent internal discussion on the matter, Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave ministry officials instructions to put in a request for clarifications from the Russian administration’s highest levels.<\/p>\n

The weapons sales are a very sensitive issue for Israeli diplomats, who view it as a form of leverage that Russia is trying to apply on Washington. Some in the Foreign Ministry believe Russia has decided to move forward with the deal in order to demonstrate a hard line ahead of Barack Obama’s entry into the White House as U.S. President.<\/p>\n

The S-300 missile, called the SA-10 in the West, has a range of 150 kilometers and is capable of striking a plane at altitudes of up to 30,000 meters. The movable launchers are operational within minutes, and the system’s radar is able to simultaneously acquire and engage dozens of targets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Poll Finds Widespread International Opposition to US Bases in Persian Gulf<\/a>
\nWorldPublicOpinion.org, 15 December 2008<\/p>\n

A WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 21 nations around the world finds widespread opposition to the United States having naval forces based in the Persian Gulf. Most also believe that most people in the Persian Gulf region oppose such bases.<\/p>\n

In general, America’s approach to the Middle East and the Muslim world gets poor grades around the world. The United States is widely viewed as disrespectful of the Muslim world. Its support for democracy in the Muslim world is seen as limited to cases where the government is cooperative with the US. More publics than not believe that the US is not really seeking the creation of a viable Palestinian state.<\/p>\n

The poll of 21,740 respondents was conducted between July 15 and October 24, 2008 by WorldPublicOpinion.org in 21 nations (in Iran: January 13-February 9). Margins of error range from approximately +\/-2 to 4 percent. Most of the world’s largest nations were included (China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia), as well as several nations in the Middle East (Egypt, Iran, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Azerbaijan, and Turkey). Also included were Mexico, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kenya, Pakistan, Thailand, and Ukraine, as were publics in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Not all questions were asked in all nations…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Iran’s Regional Security Policy: Opportunities and Challenges<\/a>
\nGeorge Emile Irani
\n16\/12\/2008<\/p>\n

…….The linchpin of Iran\u2019s policy is to preserve its security and project its presence and influence in countries with major Shia populations, such as Iraq and Lebanon. Its desire is to take the leadership of the Muslim world away from the hands of Sunni-dominated states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.<\/p>\n

Iranian foreign policy is dictated by the need to maintain the country\u2019s sovereignty and independence in the light of past interventions by regional and global powers.<\/p>\n

The country has developed a strong strategic relationship with Syria and both countries have adopted policies supporting anti-Western and anti-Israeli groups, such as Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon…..<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

THE TANGLED US-IRAN KNOT<\/strong>, Part 4, Is a deal on the Middle East possible?<\/a>
\nBy Gareth Porter<\/p>\n

Iran is both willing and able to lend the US a hand in Middle Eastern conflicts – and with the Sunni extremists the two share as an enemy. But for there to be a grand accord to rekindle US-Iran cooperation, the will need to recognize ‘s regional power status and end its fixation on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Russia to donate 10 MiG fighter jets to Lebanon
\n<\/a>By Borzou Daragahi and Raed Rafei<\/p>\n

Moscow says it also might sell tanks and artillery to Lebanon and that its goal is to help stabilize the nation. The move signifies Russia’s military resurgence in areas long dominated by the U.S.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Russia in talks with Iran over sale of anti-aircraft missiles, despite Israeli objections <\/a>
\nBy Barak Ravid
\nHaaretz.com, 16 December 2008<\/p>\n

Israel plans to send one of its most senior security officials to Moscow tomorrow to express concern over Russia’s decision to renew contacts with Iran for the sale of advanced anti-aircraft missiles, Haaretz has learned.<\/p>\n

Israeli officials said the government will send the Defense Ministry’s Diplomatic-Security Bureau Maj.-Gen. (res) Amos Gilad to try to dissuade the Kremlin from supplying Iran with S-300 missiles – which would significantly complicate any military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n

During his two-day visit in Moscow, Gilad will meet with the Russian chief of staff, the head of intelligence as well as senior defense officials and diplomats. In addition to talks on the S-300 sale, Gilad is expected to bring up the Iranian nuclear program and Syria’s supplying of Russian-made weapons to Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Russia said it would not move forward with the transaction. In October, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited Russia, where he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and with his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. The meeting was set up to try and persuade the Russians to drop two deals in the works – one to sell S-300 missiles to Iran and the other to sell them to Syria.<\/p>\n

The Russian foreign ministry’s spokesman said Russia will not go ahead with the Iranian deal. “We have declared more than once at the very highest political level that we do not intend to supply those types of armaments to countries located in regions that are, to put it mildly, unstable areas,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko.<\/p>\n

The Russian official added that the Kremlin makes decisions on selling such systems based on “both preserving the balance of power in the given region, and taking into account the need to provide stability and security in the region.”<\/p>\n

But in spite of these statements, Israeli officials say Russia and Iran renewed negotiations on the purchase of the missile system several weeks ago. The sources confirmed a report that appeared in the foreign press on the matter two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

In a recent internal discussion on the matter, Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave ministry officials instructions to put in a request for clarifications from the Russian administration’s highest levels.<\/p>\n

The weapons sales are a very sensitive issue for Israeli diplomats, who view it as a form of leverage that Russia is trying to apply on Washington. Some in the Foreign Ministry believe Russia has decided to move forward with the deal in order to demonstrate a hard line ahead of Barack Obama’s entry into the White House as U.S. President.<\/p>\n

The S-300 missile, called the SA-10 in the West, has a range of 150 kilometers and is capable of striking a plane at altitudes of up to 30,000 meters. The movable launchers are operational within minutes, and the system’s radar is able to simultaneously acquire and engage dozens of targets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Poll Finds Widespread International Opposition to US Bases in Persian Gulf<\/a>
\nWorldPublicOpinion.org, 15 December 2008<\/p>\n

A WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 21 nations around the world finds widespread opposition to the United States having naval forces based in the Persian Gulf. Most also believe that most people in the Persian Gulf region oppose such bases.<\/p>\n

In general, America’s approach to the Middle East and the Muslim world gets poor grades around the world. The United States is widely viewed as disrespectful of the Muslim world. Its support for democracy in the Muslim world is seen as limited to cases where the government is cooperative with the US. More publics than not believe that the US is not really seeking the creation of a viable Palestinian state….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 By Patrick Worsnip Reuters Wednesday, December 17, 2008; 2:53 PM U.N. investigator says Hariri killing can be solved UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. investigator probing the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said on Wednesday he believed the case was solvable but asked for patience as he assembles evidence. Daniel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[16,39,30,15,22,38,25,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hariri","category-iran","category-iraq","category-israel","category-lebanon","category-russia","category-uk","category-us"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nNews Round Up (December 19, 2008) - Syria Comment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"News Round Up (December 19, 2008) - Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0 By Patrick Worsnip Reuters Wednesday, December 17, 2008; 2:53 PM U.N. investigator says Hariri killing can be solved UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. investigator probing the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said on Wednesday he believed the case was solvable but asked for patience as he assembles evidence. Daniel […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2008-12-20T00:43:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joshua\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joshua\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/\",\"name\":\"News Round Up (December 19, 2008) - Syria Comment\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791\",\"datePublished\":\"2008-12-20T00:43:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News Round Up (December 19, 2008)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Syria Comment\",\"description\":\"Syrian politics, history, and religion\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80\",\"name\":\"Joshua\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/joshua_landis\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/author\/syriacomment\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"News Round Up (December 19, 2008) - Syria Comment","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"News Round Up (December 19, 2008) - Syria Comment","og_description":"\u00a0 By Patrick Worsnip Reuters Wednesday, December 17, 2008; 2:53 PM U.N. investigator says Hariri killing can be solved UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. investigator probing the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said on Wednesday he believed the case was solvable but asked for patience as he assembles evidence. Daniel […]","og_url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/","og_site_name":"Syria Comment","article_published_time":"2008-12-20T00:43:14+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Joshua","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@joshua_landis","twitter_site":"@joshua_landis","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joshua","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/","url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/","name":"News Round Up (December 19, 2008) - Syria Comment","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791","datePublished":"2008-12-20T00:43:14+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791","contentUrl":"http:\/\/tbn1.google.com\/images?q=tbn:rJvVCAylGF9saM:http:\/\/www.rnw.nl\/images\/assets\/13700791"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/news-round-up-december-19-2008\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News Round Up (December 19, 2008)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/","name":"Syria Comment","description":"Syrian politics, history, and religion","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80","name":"Joshua","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com","https:\/\/x.com\/joshua_landis"],"url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/author\/syriacomment\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p38J3A-te","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}