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TOP STORIES
•Israel missed the boat for Gilead Shalit’s release
•Moscow halts Iran cooperation with US, will complete Bushehr reactor
•Holland expects US attack in Iran, halts covert operation - report
•Iranian general threatens world war
•Why has Russian strongman Putin backed away from summit with Bush?
•Russian fleet can destroy NATO's Black Sea group
•Russia tests ICBM designed to beat anti-missile systems
•Hizballah builds new rocket pads on Israeli border
Any attack on Iran will start new world war – Iranian general
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
August 30, 2008, 12:52 PM (GMT+02:00)
Dep. Chief of General Staff Masus Jazairi said Saturday, Aug. 30, that any attack on Iran would mean the beginning of a new world war.
DEBKAfile’s Iran sources report that Jazairi’s attack aimed at confirming his credentials in Tehran during a major shakeup of the Iranian high command.
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Moscow denies rumored Kremlin plan to use oil weapon
August 29, 2008, 12:54 PM (GMT+02:00)
Russian energy minister Sergei Shmatko and LUKOIL denied Friday, Aug. 29, rumors circulating in Moscow that Russian oil companies were told to stand ready to cut off supplies to Europe Monday, Sept. 1 in retaliation for any sanctions passed at an emergency European Union summit in Brussels and NATO’s actions in the Black Sea. “We are doing everything we can to keep European consumers with enough oil.”
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Dutch sabotage agent recalled from Iran over “impending” US attack - report
DEBKAfile Special Report
August 30, 2008, 5:36 PM (GMT+02:00)

America's largest unmanned aerial vehicle
A Dutch AIVD Secret Service ultra-secret operation underway in Iran in recent years has been halted and an agent recalled in view of “impending US plans to attack Iran,” within weeks, writes Joost de Haas in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. According to intelligence sources in the Netherlands, the US [or Israel] would decide within weeks to attack nuclear plants with unmanned aircraft to avoid endangering air crews. The Israeli air force would be held back to defend Israel against retaliation.
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Israel missed the boat for Gilead Shalit’s release as Hamas grew stronger
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis
August 30, 2008, 9:23 PM (GMT+02:00)

Hamas is no longer under pressure to conclude a deal with Israel for the release of Gilead Shalit, 22, the kidnapped Israeli soldier spending a third birthday in Gazan captivity.
Sunday, Aug. 31, a special ministerial committee will convene in Jerusalem to draw up a fresh list of jailed Palestinian terrorists on offer for his return. It is headed by vice premier Haim Ramon. What they decide matters little. Hamas holds all the cards because the Olmert government let the fundamentalist Islamic group dedicated to Israel’s destruction grow strong – with the help of Iran and Syria
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Moscow halts Iran cooperation with US, will complete Bushehr reactor
DEBKAfile Special Report
August 30, 2008, 7:32 PM (GMT+02:00)

Bushehr nuclear reactor to be ready to go by end of 2008
The Georgia quarrel has all but derailed US-Russian cooperation on the Iran issue. Moscow is not only pulling out of the diplomatic and sanctions front against Iran’s nuclear program; according to DEBKAfile’s Russian sources, Moscow has decided to finally finish building Iran’s nuclear reactor in the southern town of Bushehr before the end of the year, after holding back for five years at Washington’s insistence.
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Russian admiral: Our Black Sea fleet can destroy NATO’s group in 20 minutes
DEBKAfile Special Report
August 29, 2008, 12:59 PM (GMT+02:00)

Russian Navy missile practice in Black Sea
Former Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, Adm. Eduard Baltin was quoted by Moscow media as saying Friday, Aug. 29: “...a single salvo from the Moskva missile cruiser and two or three missile boats would be enough to annihilate the entire group. Within 20 minutes, the waters would be clear.”
In Washington, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino rejected Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin’s assertion that US personnel were in the combat zone during the war in Georgia.
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