Isaac Ben-Israel, a former Israeli Air Force general and now member of the ruling Kadima party, spoke with SPIEGEL about the limits of sanctions in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. He says Israel is prepared to mount a military strike against the mullah regime if diplomacy fails. more…

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Damascus and Pyongyang helped Iran to develop its nuclear programme through the construction of a suspected nuclear site in Syria that Israel destroyed last September, Der Spiegel reported.
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he reports cited by Der Speigel claimed that North Korea was to help Iranian scientists to advance their nuclear programme, and that Al-Kibar was to have been used [...]

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Is there a significant chance that Israel will attack by year end Iran’s nuclear facilities? The German magazine Spiegel argues so in a two-part article “Mission Doable“ and “‘We Will See a Middle East in Flames’“ (hat tip to Fabius Maximus):
While the Europeans continue to pin their hopes on diplomacy and are convinced that [...]

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Hamas and Israeli negotiators have agreed to a cease-fire that could ring in a new era. Instead of fighting, they want to lay down their weapons. By Pierre Heumann in Tel Aviv more…

‘Mission Doable’: Israeli Ministers Mull Plans for Military Strike against Iran
From the Archive: Hamas’ Triumph of Violence
SPIEGEL 360: Our Full Middle East Coverage

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‘If We Fail, Humanity’s Survival Will Be on the Line’
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei talks to SPIEGEL about Israel’s propensity for unilateral action against countries like Syria, the US’s tendency to keep the IAEA in the dark and the threat of nuclear terrorism. more…

Photo Gallery: The Growing Nuclear Threat
Alarming Test Results: Iran Could Have Enough [...]

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Coastal Nations Grab for Ocean Floor Riches
Vast quantities of resources may be hiding beneath the ocean floor. But who owns it? Countries on the coasts are laying claim to ever larger chunks of seawater. But many of the claims are disputed. By SPIEGEL Staff more…

Photo Gallery: The World’s Last Gold Mines
Black Gold under the Ice: [...]

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A new civil war has been averted in Lebanon, and Israel and Syria are back at the negotiating table. But Hezbollah is stronger than ever, and its arsenal is brimming with weapons — partly because the United Nations monitoring program has failed. By Daniel Steinvorth and Alexander Szandar more…

Possible Prisoner Exchange: Deal Imminent between Israel [...]

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Skyrocketing Oil Prices Threaten Prosperity
With oil prices breaking all records, the next shock for consumers is already at hand with electricity and natural gas prices set to skyrocket. While experts fear for the economy, the crisis is driving a wedge between the partners in Germany’s coalition government. By SPIEGEL Staff more…

Black Gold under the Ice: [...]

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srael and Hezbollah are once again close to a deal that would bring two kidnapped Israeli soldiers back home. Details of the agreement, negotiated by a German middleman, indicate that the two might not still be alive. By Ulrike Putz in Beirut more…

Syrian-Israeli Negotiations: Olmert’s Deft Golan Deal
SPIEGEL ONLINE Interview with Lebanese Minister Nayla Moawad: [...]

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‘It Is not Us but Europe that Needs to Face Reality’
The next Serbian government could include Tomislav Nikolic, the leader of the ultra-nationalists. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, he shows himself uncompromising on the question of Kosovo and even raises the spectre of a new war in the Balkans. more…

Serbian Election: A Setback for [...]

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In the aftermath of China’s devastating earthquake, Prime Minsister Wen Jiabao is running around the earthquake zone like a fireman, introducing himself as “Grandpa.” The Communist Party is seeking a PR coup that will help end China’s international isolation over Tibet. By Wieland Wagner in Shanghai more…

Photo Gallery: Destruction, Shock and Fear after the Quake
Earthquake [...]

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 62, talks to SPIEGEL about why Brazil wants to join OPEC, his country’s biofuels program and Europe’s fear of Latin America’s shift to the left. more…

Photo Gallery: Brazil’s Popular President
A New Energy Leader: Brazil Wants to Join OPEC
Brazil’s Rainforests: Is Cheap Meat Bigger Threat to Amazon than Biofuels?
From [...]

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‘LIKE THE APOCALYPSE’
The worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami has hit Burma, home to a despotic military regime. Despite a storm that locals claimed was “like the apocalypse,” the junta sought to complicate the arrival of any foreign aid out of mistrust of the West. By Jürgen Kremb and Thilo Thielke more…

Interactive Graphic: Cyclone [...]

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ISRAEL’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY
Israel’s right to exist is questioned on a daily basis — and not just by radical Palestinians, but also by prominent intellectuals. As the country celebrates its 60th anniversary, they are sending their case against Israel in messages disguised as birthday greetings. But their supposed concern about the Middle East is really just [...]

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, have promised a harmonious dual leadership. But as Medvedev prepares to be inaugurated as Russia’s new president, the two leaders’ supporters are already gearing up for a power struggle. By Uwe Klussmann in Moscow more…

Photo Gallery: The ‘Putvedev’ Era Begins
EU Condemns Saber Rattling: Russia and Georgia [...]

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Germany’s population is shrinking, with serious consequences for the country’s economy and pension system. Can Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen persuade Germans to breed? By David Gordon Smith in Berlin more…

SPIEGEL Interview with German Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen: ‘A Dangerous Breeding Ground for Right-Wing Extremism’
Rage Against the Baby Machines: Germany’s Neo-Housewives Spark [...]

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