Israel will strike Iran without warning US - intelligence source

Israeli officials say if they decide to launch a pre-emptive attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, they will do so without the prior consent or knowledge of the US, according to an AP report citing leaked US intelligence.

The message was conveyed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to a number of senior US officials visiting the country, the news agency said, citing a US intelligence source. The official spoke about the sensitive strategic negotiations on condition of anonymity. Both the US and Israel declined to make any official comment.

Tel Aviv insists its strategy is necessary in order to protect Washington from being blamed for failing to stop an Israeli attack, should it take place. But it may also signify Israeli frustration over America’s position on the conflict.

America has told its Middle Eastern ally that it will neither take military action against Iran nor back unilateral action on the part of Israel. Washington favors sanctions over brute force as a means to stop Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

The news of Israel’s unilateral intentions comes ahead of a key visit to the US by Netanyahu, planned for early March. The Israeli premier reportedly ordered his ministers not to publicly discuss the Iranian nuclear program in an apparent damage limitation move ahead of his trip. The report of the “gagging order” came a day after Defense Minister Barak gave a lengthy TV interview in which he spoke of the danger posed by Iran.

Western countries and Israel are convinced that Iran’s uranium enrichment program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability. Israel is determined not to allow this to happen. Iran insists that its nuclear pursuits are purely civilian.

Tensions rose again last week after a leaked UN nuclear watchdog report stated “serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program.”

In the latest bid to halt the enrichment, the US and EU issued sanctions against Iran’s oil industry. However they failed to rally all major buyers of Iranian oil to their banner. Tehran remains adamant that the move will not divert it from its nuclear research.

Bankrupt Britain runs out of money..!!

Britain’s Chancellor George Osborne acknowledges that the country has run out of the much-needed money and cannot afford debt-fuelled tax cuts or extra spending.

The Chancellor made the stark warning ahead of next month’s budget, noting that “there was little the coalition government could do to stimulate the economy”, British media reported. 

“The British government has run out of money because all the money was spent in the good years,” the Chancellor said adding “the money and the investment and the jobs need to come from the private sector.” 

Osborne’s bleak assessment echoes that of Liam Byrne, the former chief secretary to the Treasury, who bluntly joked that Labour had left Britain broke when he exited the government in 2010. 

Osborne is under severe pressure to boost growth, amid signs the economy is slipping back into a recession. 

The Institute of Fiscal Studies has urged him to consider emergency tax cuts in the budget to reduce the risk of a prolonged economic slump. 

But, the Chancellor has said he would stand firm on his effort to balance the books by refusing to borrow money. 

“Any tax cut would have to be paid for,” Osborne said. “In other words there would have to be a tax rise somewhere else or a spending reduction. 

“In other words what we are not going to do in this Budget is borrow more money to either increase spending or cut taxes”, added Osborne. 

The Chancellor’s tough words were echoed by Liberal Democrat Jeremy Browne, the foreign minister, who warned that Britain faced “accelerated decline” without measures to tackle its debt and increase competitiveness. 

“Britain’s market share in the world used to be dominant but was now in freefall compared with the soaring economies of Asia and South America. This situation has been becoming more acute for years. 

It is now staring us in the face. So we need to take action”, he wrote in an article published by The Daily Telegraph.

Most Syrians voted for new constitution: Minister

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife, Asma, cast their ballot in the capital, February 26, 2012.

Almost 90 percent of Syrian voters have said 'yes' to the country’s new constitution, says Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar.

According to the Syrian minister, nearly 60 percent of eligible voters took part in the referendum on Sunday, with 7,490,319 (89.4 percent) supporting it and 753,208 (9 percent) saying "No." 

The new constitution will end five decades of Ba'ath party rule by allowing political pluralism, it will also enact a presidential limit of two seven-year terms. 

Article 23 of the new constitution guarantees the women’s rights to participate in the social, economic, and political activities, while Article 42 states that citizens have the right to express their thoughts freely and to hold peaceful demonstrations. 

Damascus has pledged multi-party parliamentary elections within three months. 

The new constitution is part of the reforms plans promised by President Bashar al-Assad. 

The referendum came after a year of deadly violence in the country. 

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds, reportedly including over 2,000 security forces. 

Damascus blames ‘outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups’ for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.