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Mubarak on urgent trip to Gulf about Iran's reconciliation move DEBKAfile Special Report December 22, 2009, 8:28 PM (GMT+02:00) Iranian Speaker in Cairo While Israel was wholly caught up in the next stage of a deal with Hamas for trading its soldier Gilead Shalit for several hundred jailed Palestinians, the Iran-Syrian axis pounced with swift moves to mend its fences with moderate Arab rulers. Sunday, Dec. 20, the powerful Iranian speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, arrived in Cairo and was received at once by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for a conversation lasting two hours. Without wasting a moment, the next day, the Egyptian president flew to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Arab emirates. More...

Top US soldier: We must be ready for force option against Iran DEBKAfile Special Report December 21, 2009, 7:44 PM (GMT+02:00) Adm. Mike Mullen In the plainest authoritative US statement yet about military force against Iran, Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "My belief remains that political means are the best tools to attain regional security and that military force will have limited results. However, should the president call for military options, we must have them ready. More... Top seven cabinet ministers direct prisoner negotiator to carry on DEBKAfile's Exclusive Report December 22, 2009, 7:28 PM (GMT+02:00) Noam and Aviva Shalit in herculean battle to save their son No clear decision was reported by the seven-minister forum in the small hours of Tuesday, Dec. 22, when it wound up 48 hours of deliberations on the deal with Hamas to release Gilead Shalit, held more than three years, against nearly a thousand Palestinian prisoners. The prime minister's office said only that the ministers had instructed Israel's negotiating team headed by Hagai Hadas "to carry on working for Gilead Shalit's return safe and well." More...