Israel 'prepared for 30-day war with Iran'

Jonathan Marcus
BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East

Israel's outgoing home front defence minister says an attack on Iran would likely trigger a month-long conflict that would leave 500 Israelis dead.

Matan Vilnai told the Maariv newspaper that the fighting would be "on several fronts", with hundreds of missiles fired at Israeli towns and cities.

Israel was prepared, he said, though strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities had to be co-ordinated with the US.

Meanwhile, a US blogger has published what he says are Israel's attack plans.

Richard Silverstein told the BBC he had been given an internal briefing memo for Israel's eight-member security cabinet, which outlined what the Israeli military would do to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons.

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'It's all about Iran! Don't be duped by US & UK, "the great humanitarians"

Choosing Change

Choosing Change
Tue, 05/22/2012 - 11:15 am PST by Jeff Jawer

Here in the U.S. we’re heading toward another election when the similarities between the presidential candidates on core issues are far greater than their differences. We’ve grown accustomed to the illusion of choice as supermarket aisles are filled with a hundred kinds of soda pop that are all basically carbonated water, sugar and flavoring. Consumers are flooded with advertising touting the benefits of various brands, as if buying Coke or Pepsi is a decision that really matters. The fault, though, does not lie in the stars or with the companies that produce and promote these products. The responsibility for making change and hard choices is ours alone.

Change is necessary if we are going to avoid falling into economic and cultural decline. It is also necessary for personal growth and, perhaps, our collective survival. It is unlikely to come from the upper echelons of public or private institutions, where leaders won't want to risk their comfortable positions by shaking the status quo. In these days of innovative Uranus in independent Aries, change must come from individuals like you and me.

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Sunday Scramble

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Where is Stockton's Harry Potter?

Where is Stockton's Harry Potter?

You know, the boy wizard who defeated the evil Lord Voldemort and set things right in the wizarding world. That is exactly what Stockton needs, someone to fight this vicious financial crisis.

Need parallels?

This is what Rufus Scrimgeour (pronounced scrim-ger), the Minister of Magic in the Harry Potter series, said to the people in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows": "These are dark times, there is no denying. Our world has perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today. But I say this to our citizenry: We, ever your servants, will continue to defend your liberty and repel the forces that seek to take it from you! Your Ministry remains, strong."

Well, aside from the reference to "ministry" for government, that statement very well could apply to Stockton.

This is in part what Mayor Ann Johnston said during her State of the City speech a few weeks ago: "This has been a difficult year for all of us with tough decisions. The City Council has made extremely tough decisions, and we're going to see even tougher decisions ahead of us. The fixes to our financial issues will not be pretty, but we're determined to come out of this with the city on a solid financial foundation that will move Stockton forward."

When Scrimgeour made his speech, Voldemort's minions had infiltrated the government and were creating chaos in the world. The threat was active and, in that world created by J.K. Rowling, very real.

In our world, the threat is the city's financial crisis. The recession has hit Stockton hard, there is no denying, particularly housing in an area dependent on real estate-generated revenue.

For example, a bank-owned house in my neighborhood is listed at $115,000, about 70 percent less than what it would have sold for six or seven years ago.

Worse, it seems whenever the city has a plan or economic engine to kick-start a comeback, things sputter and fall to the wayside.

Where is a good wizard when you need one?

Contact Donald W. Blount at (209) 546-8251 or dblount@recordnet.com. The Record senior editors' blog is available at recordnet.com/editorblog.

I GUESS THEY FORGOT THAT I AM "THE WIZARD OF O.Z." Let's take this city back!!

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We elect mayors and city council members for a reason: to represent us. Ballot box budgeting might solve one problem, but single-mindedly pursuing a single solution can create ripples with far wider repercussions." - Dan Oney

'We the People' can bring Stockton back to the top

With less than 6 weeks until California's Primary, I have found myself in a tough position, yet still ahead of the pack. The reality is that Stocktonians know who I am, being one of the top record producers in the region, as well as being the founder of Oh Zee Clothing, a popular brand here in the Central Valley. I felt more compelled to begin a Political movement to bring the power back to the people. An ideal society, is one with a small governing body, nobody can argue that as the foundation of my political platform.

The race for the office of Mayor has already given me the opportunity to exceed my expectations, and venture into the Political world a lot sooner than I had anticipated. I made the decision to get involved in politics when I was in the 5th Grade. Here I am fifteen years later, officially listed as a candidate on California's 2012 Primary Ballot. I have not declared myself as a member of any political party, because I do not wish to draw boundaries to confine my decision making to be based solely on that party's agenda.

I have seen what it is going to take to win, and I am taking the necessary steps to ensure victory come June 5th. Regardless of what the other candidates plan to throw at me as we get closer to our State's Primary, I will continue to run a fair campaign all the way til election day.

Already I have seen a flurry of campaign signs being placed all over town, most of which are illegally posted on Public Property, in the Public right of way, or inside the utility easement. What is the penalty for violating the Stockton Municipal Code? Shouldn't they be fined for said offense? As well as full disclosure of their blatant disregard of the statutes concerning sign placement which was put forth in the City's Charter back in 1989.

May I officially call out Mayor Ann Johnston, who is also trying to bypass the rules of the Charter, which states;

"No person elected shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms as a member of the Council or Mayor."

I am asking her to withdrawl her candidacy immediately, before this requires legal attention. The rules set by our fore-fathers were done for a reason, for us to follow. If she chooses not to follow our civil code, what makes you believe that she wants whats best for Stockton? The citizens are furious with this administration laying-off roughly 20% of our City's police force, at a time when Stockton topped the murder per capita nation-wide.

Take a stance in 2012, by joining Greg Pitsch and his supporters in a last chance effort to take our city back! It's time to say, "No more!"



Greg Pitsch 111
The Future Mayor of Stockton.