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11/03/2005:

"The Lead-Up to War"

Arrested Syrian may be key al-Qaida suspect
A Syrian man believed to be a key figure in Osama bin Laden's terrorist network in Europe may have been captured by Pakistani security agencies, officials said today.

Authorities were investigating whether one of two arrested al-Qaida suspects was Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, alleged to have had a key role in the Madrid train bombings and to be linked with the July 7 London bombings, a senior government official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity, saying he was not allowed to comment publicly on the investigation.

Rome within Iran missile range: Israeli FM
TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Rome is within range of Iran's nuclear-capable missiles, Israel's foreign minister has warned.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom gave the warning Tuesday to his visiting Italian opposite number, Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, during a discussion on the Iranian nuclear crisis, the Tel Aviv newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported on its ynet.com Web site.

Fini told a press conference following their meeting that should Iran acquire nuclear weapons, it would severely threaten not only Israel but the entire international community. He said the United Nations Security Council must deal with the Iranian matter as soon as possible.

Fini told Shalom that the Italian government of Silvio Berlusconi saw the Iranian nuclear threat eye to eye with Israel, ynet.com said. He also told Shalom that he intended to participate Thursday in a mass protest demonstration opposite the Iranian Embassy in Rome, initiated by the Italian newspaper Il Foglio.

Ahmad Chalabi's Comeback Tour

It looks like Judy Miller isn't the only discredited war instigator who might be making a comeback.

Ahmad Chalabi, the neocon-darling-turned-persona-non-grata-turned-Iraqi-Deputy-Prime-Minister, is coming to Washington this month -- his first visit to DC since the White House soured on him back in May 2004 and those Pentagon checks stopped coming.

For his comeback tour, Chalabi has lined up meetings with Condi Rice, John Snow, and national security advisor Stephen Hadley (no word on whether he and Hadley will have a friendly showdown to see who helped pass along the most bogus pre-war intel. I can see Chalabi offering up Curveball only to have Hadley top him with the phony yellowcake info he passed along).

And no word on whether Chalabi will be calling on his old pal Scooter Libby, to whom he turned when the CIA stopped buying his bull, and who gave him a direct line to the White House. Just as he once convinced Libby that American troops would be greeted as liberators, Chalabi could now convince him there is light at the end of the indictment tunnel: "Trust me, Scooter, I've been through much worse. You just gotta put your head down and keep scheming!"

Chalabi's visit is the political version of getting the band back together.

And, having orchestrated the greatest career makeover since Paris Hilton went from Internet porn curiosity to Vanity Fair cover girl, Chalabi has now set his sights on becoming Iraq's new prime minister following the next round of voting on Dec. 15.

Not bad for a guy who, less than two years ago, was being accused by the Bush administration of passing intelligence to Iran that could 'get people killed.'