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Saturday, September 12, 2015

09/12 links; Iran claims to have discovered uranium reserves; Israeli mini-scanner tells what's in food, drink or pills

Ian is still unavailable, so here are some links that crossed my desk over the past day:


Iranian media: New uranium reserves discovered in Iran
Iran has discovered an unexpectedly high reserve of uranium and will soon begin extracting the radioactive element at a new mine, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said on Saturday.
The comments cast doubt on previous assessments from some Western analysts who said the country had a low supply and would sooner or later need to import uranium, the raw material needed for its nuclear program.
"I cannot announce (the level of) Iran's uranium mine reserves. The important thing is that before aerial prospecting for uranium ores we were not too optimistic, but the new discoveries have made us confident about our reserves," Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Why we should be wary of the Obama administration’s no-alternatives racket on Iran
Tune into a debate on the Iran nuclear threat in the United States and you’ll be sure to hear proponents of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) gleefully bemoan the lack of alternatives.
A congressional vote to block the deal (and override a White House veto) will encounter the “objection of the vast majority of the world,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in an Aug. 5 speech, thus making it harder to maintain the international sanctions that brought Iran to its knees. A vote to reject is therefore a “vote to allow Iran to get off scot-free, and to get all the sanctions relief” without “having to give up anything,” according to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.
They have a point. It will surely be more difficult for us to rally international support for continued sanctions after rejecting the agreement than it would have been had Obama just walked away when it became clear the Iranians would not settle for a low-proliferation-risk civilian nuclear program. And our collective display of schizophrenia won’t make it any easier to convince them we mean business next time around.
But the Obama administration deliberately put us in this no-win situation. Like a general burning bridges behind his retreating army, it has been working to undermine the viability of the very alternatives it now insists are unviable.
Hamas hatred: New documentary shows Iranian-backed terror group indoctrinating kids


A new documentary grimly predicts the role Iran plays in financing terror organizations and the indoctrination of children at military summer camps in the Middle East will significantly increase as a result of the imminent release of huge sums of money to Tehran under the nuclear agreement endorsed by the Obama administration.
"Iran: Billions for Terror?" depicts children blowing up mock Israeli villages and parroting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who is seen telling an adoring Iranian crowd, “The entire world – particularly the world of Islam – is duty-bound and obliged to help the Palestinian people with as many weapons as possible.”
Produced by the Center for Near East Policy Research (CNEPR) and filmed by a team of Arab reporters at various locations in Gaza this summer, one of the most disturbing aspects of the footage is the recent introduction of terror training for little girls. The Hamas summer camps mantra, “We will sacrifice our lives for the sake of Allah” is chanted over and over.
Germany 'took our Jews and gave us Arabs': French ex-minister
A former French minister stirred up controversy Friday after saying Germany "took our Jews and gave us Arabs" as France began taking some of the thousands of refugees arriving in Germany.
Patrick Devedjian, a right-winger who served in the governments of presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, made the remark at a press conference, but quickly tried to backtrack on social media.
"My humorous jest was misplaced," Devedjian wrote on his Twitter account, saying he regretted it all the more because he himself helps refugees in need.

Rosh Hashanah: Confronting the challenges of 5776
We must never take for granted that our generation is blessed to have a Jewish state. It requires little imagination to visualize what horrific conditions would face us in the absence of the state, which has empowered Jews for the first time since our dispersion. Any Jew is assured of haven in their Jewish homeland and we hope many more will make aliyah in the years to come. We pray that increasing numbers will do so out of a desire to live in their Jewish homeland rather than escaping persecution and discrimination.
So despite the fierce challenges confronting us, we should look to the future with optimism. Without detracting from the necessity of remaining alert and strong, we should dismiss the prophets of doom. We must continue to remind ourselves of the reality that we are indeed the most blessed generation of Jews since our exile 2,000 years ago. Much as we seek the friendship and support of other nations, we are fortified in the knowledge that today we independently determine our own future.

Israeli mini-scanner tells what's in food, drink or pills
An Israeli start-up has launched a pocket device which analyzes instantly the composition of food, drink, medication or other objects.
Consumer Physics says its SCiO tool sends data on the chemical makeup of a substance to the user's smartphone, where a variety of applications will present the results.
It is "the first molecular sensor that fits in the palm of your hand," says Dror Sharon, co-founder of the firm based in Hod Hasharon, near Tel Aviv.
Users will be able to see how many calories are in the burger on their plate, what is in their drink, or if that jacket is really leather