In unusual snub, Obama to avoid meeting with Netanyahu

WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - In a highly unusual rebuff to a close ally, the White House said on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.

The apparent snub, coupled with Netanyahu's sharpened demands for a tougher U.S. line against Iran, threatened to plunge U.S.-Israeli relations into crisis and add pressure on Obama in the final stretch of a tight presidential election campaign.

An Israeli official, who declined to be identified, said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis, "The president's schedule will not permit that."

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor denied that Netanyahu's request had been spurned, insisting instead that the two leaders were attending the General Assembly on different days and would not be in New York at the same time.

Netanyahu has had a strained relationship with Obama, but they have met on all but one of his U.S. trips since 2009. The president was on a foreign visit when the prime minister came to the United States in November 2010.

By withholding a meeting, the Democratic president could alienate some Jewish and pro-Israel voters as he seeks a second term in the November 6 election. Republican rival Mitt Romney has already accused Obama of being too tough on Israel and not hard enough on Iran.

The White House's decision could signal U.S. displeasure with Netanyahu's intensifying pressure for Obama to set specific red lines on Iran. Obama aides say privately they believe Netanyahu favors Romney, a fellow conservative, although the Israeli leader has been cautious to avoid being seen interfering in the election campaign.

Word that the two men would not meet came on the same day that Netanyahu said the United States had forfeited its moral right to stop Israel from taking action against Iran's nuclear program because it had refused to be firm with Tehran itself.

Netanyahu has argued that setting a clear boundary for Iran's uranium enrichment activities and imposing stronger economic sanctions could deter Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and mitigate the need for military action.

In comments that appeared to bring the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran closer, Netanyahu took Washington to task for rebuffing his call to set a "red line" for Iran's nuclear program, which has already prompted four rounds of U.N. sanctions.

"The world tells Israel, 'Wait, there's still time.' And I say, 'Wait for what? Wait until when?'" Netanyahu said.

"Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel," he added, addressing a news conference with Bulgaria's prime minister.

John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Republican senators and critics of Obama's foreign policy, said in a joint statement: "It is puzzling that the president can't make time to see the head of state of one of America's closest allies in the world."

"If these reports are true, the White House's decision sends a troubling signal to our ally Israel about America's commitment at this dangerous and challenging time," they said.

'UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK'

The website of Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz called Netanyahu's words "an unprecedented verbal attack on the U.S. government".

Iran makes no secret of its hostility to Israel, widely assumed to be the region's only nuclear-armed power, but says its nuclear program is purely peaceful.

Netanyahu's relations with Obama have been tense because of Iran and other issues, such as Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

But he has never framed his differences with Obama - who has pledged he will "always have Israel's back" - in moral terms.

Obama has been seeking to shore up his advantage over Romney with Jewish voters - who could make a difference in election battleground states like Florida and Ohio - by recently stressing his rock-solid support for Israel's security.

He received 78 percent of the Jewish vote in the 2008 election, but a nationwide Gallup poll in June showed him down to 64 percent backing versus Romney's 29 percent.

While seeking to put Netanyahu in his place might not go down well with pro-Israel voters, the White House may also be trying to avoid the prospects of an embarrassing encounter at a difficult time in U.S.-Israeli relations.

When the two men met in the Oval Office in May 2011, Netanyahu lectured Obama on Jewish history and criticized his approach to Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy.

Netanyahu's office had offered a solution to the leaders' scheduling problems by having him visit Washington before his U.N. speech on September 28, the Israeli official said. The White House did not accept the idea.

Obama, who is keeping up a busy schedule of campaign rallies across the country, is expected to take a break to address the opening session at the United Nations on September 25. A U.S. official said instead of Obama's usual meetings with foreign leaders on the sidelines, he was not expected to have any.

There was no immediate comment from the Romney campaign, which had curtailed its public statements out of respect for the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Netanyahu's harsh comments on Tuesday followed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks on Monday that the United States would not set a deadline in further talks with Iran, and that there was still time for diplomacy to work.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that Washington would have little more than a year to act to stop Iran if it decided to produce a nuclear weapon.

Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf if it is attacked, and any such conflict could throw Obama's re-election bid off course.

DEADLINE

Netanyahu did not mention Clinton by name, but pointedly parroted her use of the word "deadline," saying: "If Iran knows that there is no 'deadline', what will it do? Exactly what it's doing. It's continuing, without any interference, towards obtaining a nuclear weapons capability and from there, nuclear bombs."

"So far, we can say with certainty that diplomacy and sanctions haven't worked. The sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy, but they haven't stopped the Iranian nuclear program. That's a fact. And the fact is that every day that passes, Iran gets closer and closer to nuclear bombs."

Despite the recent tougher Israeli rhetoric, over the past week, Netanyahu, in calling for a "red line," had appeared to be backing away from military action and preparing the ground for a possible meeting with Obama.

Opinion polls suggest a majority of Israelis do not want their military to strike Iran without U.S. support.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak seemed to criticize Netanyahu's assault on the Jewish state's biggest ally.

"Despite the differences and importance of maintaining Israel's independence of action, we must remember the importance of partnership with the United States and try as much as possible not to hurt that," a statement from his office said.

(Additional reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Michael Roddy and Peter Cooney)

5:23 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Marking 9/11, Romney makes point of citing war in Afghanistan

RENO, Nevada (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, to do some repair work.

Still under fire from Democrats for not mentioning the war in Afghanistan during his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican convention on August 30, Romney spoke at length on Tuesday about the war during an address to the National Guard Association.

Romney said he was taking the day off from politics and focusing instead on remembering the nearly 3,000 people killed 11 years ago, while offering thanks to the emergency crews that responded to the attacks and service members who went to war afterward.

In a campaign that has been dominated by debate over the struggling economy, Romney discussed America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the kind of detail he typically avoids.

"While the war in Iraq is over, nearly 70,000 American troops will still remain in Afghanistan at the end of the month," Romney said. "Our goal should be to complete the successful transition to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014."

Romney has long criticized Democratic President Barack Obama, his opponent in the November 6 election, for announcing a target date of 2014 for withdrawing from Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been fighting the Taliban since about a month after the 9/11 attacks.

Romney has joined other Republicans in saying that Obama's setting of a date for the U.S. withdrawal has encouraged the Taliban and al Qaeda simply to wait out the American forces, then try to reclaim control of key parts of the country.

"We should evaluate the conditions on the ground and solicit the best advice of our military commanders," Romney said on Tuesday. "We can all agree that our men and women in the field deserve a clear mission; that they deserve the resources and the resolute leadership they need to complete that mission."

Despite the Romney campaign's pledge to refrain from politics on a solemn day, the Republican candidate appeared to take a shot at Obama over the issue of proposed defense cuts.

Romney has increasingly made the 2011 "sequestration" agreement between the White House and House Republicans as evidence that Obama wants to weaken the nation's military.

Under the agreement, supported in Congress by Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, the Pentagon would be subject to about half the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts that would be triggered in January if the White House and Congress cannot agree on a plan to curb government spending.

"Of course, the return of our troops cannot and must not be used as an excuse to hollow out our military through devastating defense budget cuts," Romney said to applause.

PRAISING MILITARY, NOT OBAMA

After the speech, an adviser to Romney said the Republican was merely "reaffirming his principles" and not stepping back into campaign mode.

"With less than two months to go before Election Day, I would normally speak to a gathering like this about the differences between my and my opponent's plans for our military and for our national security," Romney said. "There is a time and a place for that, but this day is not that day."

Romney also recounted his own experience on September 11, 2001, recalling the carnage as he drove past the Pentagon.

In that day's attacks, passenger jets hijacked by al Qaeda operatives were flown into the Pentagon and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A fourth hijacked jet crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers rebelled against the hijackers and stormed the cockpit.

Romney praised the U.S. military's killing of Osama bin Laden last year without mentioning Obama's role in approving the mission, and warned that the United States continued to face threats from militants.

"I wish I could say the world is less dangerous now, that it is less chaotic," Romney said. "But on September 10, 2001, we had no idea that America would be at war in Afghanistan."

(Editing by David Lindsey and Peter Cooney)

5:23 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

In unusual snub, Obama to avoid meeting with Netanyahu

WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - In a highly unusual rebuff to a close ally, the White House said on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.

The apparent snub, coupled with Netanyahu's sharpened demands for a tougher U.S. line against Iran, threatened to plunge U.S.-Israeli relations into crisis and add pressure on Obama in the final stretch of a tight presidential election campaign.

An Israeli official, who declined to be identified, said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis, "The president's schedule will not permit that."

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor denied that Netanyahu's request had been spurned, insisting instead that the two leaders were attending the General Assembly on different days and would not be in New York at the same time.

Netanyahu has had a strained relationship with Obama, but they have met on all but one of his U.S. trips since 2009. The president was on a foreign visit when the prime minister came to the United States in November 2010.

By withholding a meeting, the Democratic president could alienate some Jewish and pro-Israel voters as he seeks a second term in the November 6 election. Republican rival Mitt Romney has already accused Obama of being too tough on Israel and not hard enough on Iran.

The White House's decision could signal U.S. displeasure with Netanyahu's intensifying pressure for Obama to set specific red lines on Iran. Obama aides say privately they believe Netanyahu favors Romney, a fellow conservative, although the Israeli leader has been cautious to avoid being seen interfering in the election campaign.

Word that the two men would not meet came on the same day that Netanyahu said the United States had forfeited its moral right to stop Israel from taking action against Iran's nuclear program because it had refused to be firm with Tehran itself.

Netanyahu has argued that setting a clear boundary for Iran's uranium enrichment activities and imposing stronger economic sanctions could deter Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and mitigate the need for military action.

In comments that appeared to bring the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran closer, Netanyahu took Washington to task for rebuffing his call to set a "red line" for Iran's nuclear program, which has already prompted four rounds of U.N. sanctions.

"The world tells Israel, 'Wait, there's still time.' And I say, 'Wait for what? Wait until when?'" Netanyahu said.

"Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel," he added, addressing a news conference with Bulgaria's prime minister.

John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Republican senators and critics of Obama's foreign policy, said in a joint statement: "It is puzzling that the president can't make time to see the head of state of one of America's closest allies in the world."

"If these reports are true, the White House's decision sends a troubling signal to our ally Israel about America's commitment at this dangerous and challenging time," they said.

'UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK'

The website of Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz called Netanyahu's words "an unprecedented verbal attack on the U.S. government".

Iran makes no secret of its hostility to Israel, widely assumed to be the region's only nuclear-armed power, but says its nuclear program is purely peaceful.

Netanyahu's relations with Obama have been tense because of Iran and other issues, such as Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

But he has never framed his differences with Obama - who has pledged he will "always have Israel's back" - in moral terms.

Obama has been seeking to shore up his advantage over Romney with Jewish voters - who could make a difference in election battleground states like Florida and Ohio - by recently stressing his rock-solid support for Israel's security.

He received 78 percent of the Jewish vote in the 2008 election, but a nationwide Gallup poll in June showed him down to 64 percent backing versus Romney's 29 percent.

While seeking to put Netanyahu in his place might not go down well with pro-Israel voters, the White House may also be trying to avoid the prospects of an embarrassing encounter at a difficult time in U.S.-Israeli relations.

When the two men met in the Oval Office in May 2011, Netanyahu lectured Obama on Jewish history and criticized his approach to Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy.

Netanyahu's office had offered a solution to the leaders' scheduling problems by having him visit Washington before his U.N. speech on September 28, the Israeli official said. The White House did not accept the idea.

Obama, who is keeping up a busy schedule of campaign rallies across the country, is expected to take a break to address the opening session at the United Nations on September 25. A U.S. official said instead of Obama's usual meetings with foreign leaders on the sidelines, he was not expected to have any.

There was no immediate comment from the Romney campaign, which had curtailed its public statements out of respect for the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Netanyahu's harsh comments on Tuesday followed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks on Monday that the United States would not set a deadline in further talks with Iran, and that there was still time for diplomacy to work.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that Washington would have little more than a year to act to stop Iran if it decided to produce a nuclear weapon.

Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf if it is attacked, and any such conflict could throw Obama's re-election bid off course.

DEADLINE

Netanyahu did not mention Clinton by name, but pointedly parroted her use of the word "deadline," saying: "If Iran knows that there is no 'deadline', what will it do? Exactly what it's doing. It's continuing, without any interference, towards obtaining a nuclear weapons capability and from there, nuclear bombs."

"So far, we can say with certainty that diplomacy and sanctions haven't worked. The sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy, but they haven't stopped the Iranian nuclear program. That's a fact. And the fact is that every day that passes, Iran gets closer and closer to nuclear bombs."

Despite the recent tougher Israeli rhetoric, over the past week, Netanyahu, in calling for a "red line," had appeared to be backing away from military action and preparing the ground for a possible meeting with Obama.

Opinion polls suggest a majority of Israelis do not want their military to strike Iran without U.S. support.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak seemed to criticize Netanyahu's assault on the Jewish state's biggest ally.

"Despite the differences and importance of maintaining Israel's independence of action, we must remember the importance of partnership with the United States and try as much as possible not to hurt that," a statement from his office said.

(Additional reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Michael Roddy and Peter Cooney)

5:23 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

U.S. rejects Netanyahu meeting request: Israel official

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The White House has rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet President Barack Obama in the United States this month, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, after a row erupted between the allies over Iran's nuclear programme.

An Israeli official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu's aides had asked for a meeting when he visits the United Nations this month, and "the White House has got back to us and said it appears a meeting is not possible. It said that the president's schedule will not permit that".

Netanyahu, who has met Obama on all his U.S. trips since 2009, has been pushing him to adopt a tougher line against Iran.

He argues that setting a clear boundary for Iran's uranium enrichment activities and imposing stronger economic sanctions could deter Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and mitigate the need for military action.

In comments that appeared to bring the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran closer, Netanyahu had earlier taken Washington to task for rebuffing his call to set a "red line" for Iran's nuclear programme, which has already prompted four rounds of U.N. sanctions.

"The world tells Israel 'wait, there's still time'. And I say, 'Wait for what? Wait until when?'" said Netanyahu, speaking in English.

"Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel," he added, addressing a news conference with Bulgaria's prime minister.

"UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK"

The website of Israel's daily newspaper Haaretz called his words "an unprecedented verbal attack on the U.S. government".

Iran makes no secret of its hostility to Israel, widely assumed to be the region's only nuclear-armed power, but says its nuclear programme is purely peaceful.

Netanyahu's relations with Obama have been strained over Iran and other issues, such as Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

But he has never framed his differences with Obama - who has pledged he will "always have Israel's back" and is deep in a re-election campaign - in moral terms.

Republican challenger Mitt Romney has accused Obama of throwing Israel "under the bus".

Netanyahu's comments followed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks on Monday that the United States would not set a deadline in further talks with Iran, and that there was still time for diplomacy to work.

Diplomats have also said six world powers - including the United States - are poised to voice "serious concern" about Iran's uranium enrichment programme and to urge it to open up access to nuclear sites.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that Washington would have little more than a year to act to stop Iran if it decided to produce a nuclear weapon.

Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf if it is attacked, and any such conflict could throw Obama's re-election bid off course.

DEADLINE

Netanyahu did not mention Clinton by name but pointedly parroted her use of the word "deadline", saying:

"If Iran knows that there is no 'deadline', what will it do? Exactly what it's doing. It's continuing, without any interference, towards obtaining a nuclear weapons capability and from there, nuclear bombs ...

"So far we can say with certainty that diplomacy and sanctions haven't worked. The sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy but they haven't stopped the Iranian nuclear programme. That's a fact. And the fact is that every day that passes, Iran gets closer and closer to nuclear bombs."

Recent tougher Israeli rhetoric has stoked speculation that Israel might attack Iran before the U.S. election in November, believing that Obama would be forced to give it military help to avoid alienating pro-Israeli voters.

But over the past week, Netanyahu, in calling for a "red line", had appeared to be backing away from military action and preparing the ground for a possible meeting with Obama.

Opinion polls suggest that a majority of Israelis do not want their military to strike Iran without U.S. support.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak seemed to criticize Netanyahu's assault on the Jewish state's biggest ally.

"Despite the differences and importance of maintaining Israel's independence of action, we must remember the importance of partnership with the United States and try as much as possible not to hurt that," a statement from his office said.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey and Michael Roddy)

1:23 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Chicago mayor and union spar on second day of teachers strike

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and unionized teachers argued publicly on Tuesday over how to improve struggling inner-city schools as negotiations remained deadlocked on the second day of a strike that has closed the nation's third-largest school district.

The two sides could not even agree on how far apart they were in the bitter negotiations over a new contract for some 29,000 teachers and support staff.

Speaking at a school where children affected by the strike are being supervised and fed for half a day, Emanuel repeated that an agreement with the union was close. He reiterated that the school district believes the two issues in dispute are how to evaluate the performance of teachers and giving principals the authority to hire teachers.

The union disputed his description of the state of the talks and said the two sides were far apart.

"The Chicago Teachers Union has 49 Articles in its contract, to date, we have only signed off on six of them," union spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said in a statement issued as Emanuel spoke. "It is not accurate to say we are extremely close (to an agreement)."

With no sign of an early end to the strike, the patience of parents was tested as they juggled alternative child care arrangements and work.

Many parents stayed home from work with their children on the first day of a strike affecting some 350,000 children. Some who could afford it hired caregivers, while others used relatives or friends, or sent their children to centers around the city for temporary supervision.

"We're kind of winging it, to be honest," said Eve Ludwig, a parent outside one Chicago elementary school. "The kids stayed with their dad yesterday. Today they're with me. We're hopeful this will be resolved this week."

Chicago school officials said only about 18,000 students took part in a half-day of "safe and engaging programming" on Monday at 144 public schools, supervised by principals, volunteers and non-union employees.

Three more schools will be open for half-day care on Tuesday. About 52,000 students at publicly funded but non-union charter schools are attending classes as usual.

The face-off in President Barack Obama's home city is the biggest private or public sector labor dispute in the United States in a year. The stakes are high for both supporters and foes of a national movement for radical reform of urban schools.

NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

The Chicago dispute immediately became an issue in the U.S. presidential campaign with Republican candidate Mitt Romney criticizing Obama for his support of unions.

"I choose to side with the parents and students depending on public schools," Romney said in a statement on Monday as he visited Chicago for campaign fundraising events.

Obama was careful not to get in the middle of the dispute between his former White House chief of staff, Emanuel, and a union that has supported Democrats with money and efforts to get out the vote in elections. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president wanted the two sides to settle the matter quickly.

Since he became Chicago mayor in May 2011, Emanuel has championed education reform, successfully negotiating a longer school day for Chicago children.

The most contentious issue is teacher evaluations, which Emanuel insists should be tied to performance of students, and which is at the heart of the national debate on school reform.

Emanuel is proposing that Chicago teachers be evaluated based on a system that would rate teachers in several categories. Administrators would observe them in the classroom. Students would be asked about teacher strengths and weaknesses. And, most controversially, many teachers would be assessed based on their students' performance on standardized tests.

The union fiercely opposes the proposed evaluation system, arguing that many Chicago students perform poorly on standardized tests because they come to school hungry and live in poor and crime-ridden neighborhoods. They also say that class sizes are too large to teach children effectively.

The proposed evaluation system would take into account the social situation of students, according to the school district. But opponents of that approach say the methods of evaluation are "junk science."

Eric Wagner, a striking high school history teacher picketing with about 100 other teachers at Federico Garcia Lorca elementary school on Tuesday, said teachers stood united and firm "for a fair contract."

"It's amazing that Romney and (Republican vice presidential nominee Paul) Ryan have come out in support of Rahm Emanuel," he said, as passing cars honked horns in support of the picketing teachers. "Rahm has more in common with Mitt Romney than he has with the citizens of Chicago."

The union scheduled another rally in downtown Chicago on Tuesday, after police estimated that as many as 10,000 teachers and supporters poured into the streets on Monday afternoon to protest.

Chicago Public Schools are offering teachers an average 16 percent pay rise over four years and sweetened benefits such as paid maternity leave and picking up most of the costs of pensions, which critics say already gives the union too much.

The last teachers strike in Chicago, in 1987, lasted 19 days and there was concern that the labor fight could become as entrenched as the one in the neighboring state of Wisconsin. A new law there severely reducing public sector union power prompted an unsuccessful year-long campaign to recall Republican Governor Scott Walker.

"It is not going to turn into the situation that happened in Wisconsin. It is not likely to be that vicious," said Dick Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

(Additional reporting Mary Wisniewski, Peter Bohan and Stephanie Simon; Writing by Greg McCune; Editing by Eric Beech)

1:23 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

U.S. has no right to block Israel on Iran: Netanyahu

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said the United States had forfeited any moral right to stop Israel taking action against Iran's nuclear program because it had refused to be firm with Tehran itself.

In comments which appeared to bring the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran closer, Netanyahu took the administration of President Barack Obama to task after Washington rebuffed his own call to set a red line for Tehran's nuclear drive.

"The world tells Israel 'wait, there's still time'. And I say, 'Wait for what? Wait until when?'" said Netanyahu, speaking in English.

"Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel," he added, addressing a news conference with Bulgaria's prime minister.

Netanyahu has been pushing Obama to adopt a tougher line against Iran, arguing that setting a clear boundary for Iran's uranium enrichment activities and imposing stronger economic sanctions could deter Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and mitigate the need for military action.

But on Monday U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States would not set a deadline in further talks with Iran, saying there was still time for diplomacy to work.

Netanyahu's comments came as diplomats said six world powers - including the United States - were poised to voice "serious concern" about Iran's uranium enrichment program and to urge Tehran to open up access to suspected nuclear sites.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that Washington would have little more than a year to act to stop Tehran if it decided to produce a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu has had a strained relationship with Obama over Iran and other issues, such as Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

But he has never put differences with Obama - who has pledged he will "always have Israel's back" and is deep in a re-election campaign - in the context of morality.

The website of Israel's Haaretz daily newspaper said Netanyahu had carried out "an unprecedented verbal attack on the U.S. government".

Iran, which denies it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, has threatened to retaliate against Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf if it attacked, and Obama's re-election bid could be thrown off course by a new war.

Republican challenger Mitt Romney has accused him of throwing Israel "under the bus".

DEADLINE

Without mentioning Clinton by name but pointedly parroting her use of the word "deadline", Netanyahu said not setting a clear boundary for Iran would only encourage Iran to continue its quest for nuclear arms.

"If Iran knows that there is no deadline, what will it do? Exactly what it's doing. It's continuing, without any interference, towards obtaining a nuclear weapons capability and from there, nuclear bombs," he said.

"So far we can say with certainty that diplomacy and sanctions haven't worked. The sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy but they haven't stopped the Iranian nuclear program. That's a fact. And the fact is that every day that passes, Iran gets closer and closer to nuclear bombs," he added.

Netanyahu also watched troops conduct an infantry exercise in the Golan Heights, where he said "the Israeli army is prepared for any challenge". Israel captured the rocky plateau from Syria in a 1967 war and then annexed it in a move never recognized internationally.

Widely thought to be the Middle East's only nuclear power, Israel says a nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to its existence.

Recent tougher Israeli rhetoric on the issue has stoked speculation that Israel might attack Iran before the U.S. ballot in November, believing that Obama would give it military help and not risk alienating pro-Israeli voters.

But over the past week, Netanyahu, in calling for a "red line", had appeared to be backing away from military action and preparing the ground for a possible meeting with Obama this month, when both address the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

"The line is the president is committed to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and he will use every tool in the arsenal of American power to achieve that goal," Jay Carney, a White House spokesman, said on Monday.

Netanyahu has faced opposition at home to the idea that Israel might attack Iran on its own. Opinion polls show a majority of Israelis do not want their military to strike Iran without U.S. support.

An Israeli cabinet minister on Tuesday invoked his country's ostensibly secret 2007 air raid on an alleged Syrian nuclear reactor to suggest Israel could successfully strike Iran without U.S. support.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Andrew Osborn)

10:02 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks rise ahead of Fed meeting

NEW YORK (AP) — Investors are looking ahead to two events sure to move markets this week: a Federal Reserve meeting and a court decision on whether Germany can help support its struggling neighbors. And if the stock market's gains Tuesday are any indication, they expect both events to turn out well.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 83 points to 13,337 shortly after noon. Alcoa led the 30 stocks in the Dow, rising 3 percent, or 29 cents, to $9.34.

Federal Reserve officials will gather for a two-day meeting on Wednesday. Many expect the Fed will launch a new effort to revive the sluggish economy.

On the same day the Fed starts its meeting, Germany's high court is expected to rule on whether the country can participate in a European bailout fund. The court rejected a last-minute appeal to delay the decision on Tuesday.

"It's going to get interesting this week," said Randy Frederick, managing director of active trading and derivatives at the brokerage Charles Schwab.

Frederick expects the Fed will make some sort of move, especially after the government reported last Friday that employers added fewer than 100,000 jobs in August.

"Prior to the employment report people weren't as sure," Frederick said. "I am definitely on the majority side here. There's some sort of easing coming."

In other trading, the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose six points to 1,435. The Nasdaq composite gained nine points to 3,113.

On Tuesday, the Commerce Department reported that exports to Europe dropped 11.7 percent in July, stoking concerns that Europe's troubles could smother the U.S. recovery. Overall U.S. exports fell 1 percent to $183.3 billion, lowered by weaker sales of autos, telecom equipment and heavy machinery.

Morgan Stanley and Citigroup rose after the two banks settled a dispute over their jointly owned brokerage firm, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. The deal ended a disagreement over the brokerage's price and cleared the way for Morgan Stanley to buy Citigroup's 49 percent stake. Citi gained 69 cents to $32.52. Morgan Stanley rose 42 cents to $17.03.

A profit warning from luxury clothing chain Burberry helped tug down other high-end retailers in early trading. Burberry said slowing sales to China will likely weaken earnings. Ralph Lauren lost $4.75 to $155.56. Tiffany & Co. sank an even $1 to $62.04.

Among other stocks making moves:

— Legg Mason jumped 6 percent following reports that its CEO will step down Oct. 1. Clients have been pulling money out of the money manager's funds, weakening revenue. Legg Mason's stock rose $1.49 to $26.96.

— Hewlett-Packard gained 46 cents to $17.90. The computer and printer maker said late Monday that it will cut 29,000 jobs by October 2014, or 2,000 more than it had previously planned. Sales of personal computers have slumped as people favor smartphones and lightweight tablet computers.

10:01 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

French ex-PM Villepin questioned in scam probe

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French prime minister and one-time presidential hopeful Dominique de Villepin was taken into police custody on Tuesday for questioning by magistrates investigating a suspected financial scam involving a luxury hotel network.

Villepin, prime minister in 2005-2007 under then president Jacques Chirac, was questioned about his ties to a man suspected of financial fraud and was released after seven hours, a police spokesman said.

The 58-year-old, best known internationally for announcing Chirac's refusal to join a war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in an impassioned speech at the United Nations in 2003, denied any wrongdoing in the affair that surfaced publicly last December.

"I was able to restate calmly and simply in what is standard procedure that I'm in no way implicated in the sorry affair that involves one of my friends," Villepin said in a statement.

Magistrates are investigating whether a friend and political backer of Villepin siphoned off large sums of money when he was in charge of an association of luxury hotels called Relais & Chateaux.

Villepin was dragged into the probe after police phone taps exposed links between him and the man at the center of the probe, Regis Bulot, president of the Relais & Chateaux network until 2006 and a member of a Villepin support club.

The affair first emerged publicly in Le Monde newspaper late last year when Villepin was on the verge of entering May's presidential election race, a move he ultimately abandoned.

Le Monde said at the time it had access to phone tap records that raised police suspicion about possible attempts by Villepin to influence judicial inquiries into Bulot.

Villepin never held elected office but played a key role in French government for more than a decade, first as Chirac's chief-of-staff, then successively as foreign minister, interior minister and prime minister.

A prolific writer who has a legal firm of his own, Villepin has gone from one judicial imbroglio to another since his time as prime minister ended and his presidential ambitions started to take shape.

A year ago, an appeals court cleared him of charges he took part in a smear campaign against arch-foe Nicolas Sarkozy, who replaced Chirac as president and was unseated himself last May by Socialist Francois Hollande.

(Reporting by Gerard Bon, Thierry Leveque and Brian Love; Editing by Alison Williams)

10:01 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Cerdar Memilih bahan Pengawet Makanan

Cerdar Memilih bahan Pengawet Makanan Bagi ibu rumah tangga mengisi lemari makan dan kulkas adalah pekerjaan wajib buat mereka, apalagi saat awal bulan. Mungkin ini menjadi hal yang praktis, tetapi jika tidak berhati-hati akan berakibat fatal.

Setiap makanan memiliki umur simpan yang berbeda, apalagi jika kemasan tersebut telah terbuka. Memasukkannya dalam kulkas, tidak menandakan umur masa simpan makanan juga akan bertambah. Lemari pendingin berfungsi hanya untuk menjaga kualitas dan terhindar dari bakteri atau kotoran.

1. Es krim
Masa simpan es krim kemasan yang baik adalah 2-4 minggu, tetapi jika kemasan telah dibuka es krim hanya bertahan hingga 1-2 minggu. Hal yang perlu diperhatikan, jika es krim Anda telah mencair pada saat penyimpanan sebaiknya dibuang. Kondisi cair es krim sangat mudah terkontaminasi bakteri.

2. Sayuran beku
Selama penyimpanannya baik, sayuran ini dapat bertahan selama 10-12 bulan. Sayuran beku harus disimpan dalam kantung kedap udara dan menyimpannya dalam freezer. Dan hanya dikeluarkan pada saat akan digunakan.

3. Udang rebus
Udang yang telah dimasak setengah matang dan disimpan dalam freezer, dapat bertahan selama 10-12 bulan. Udang yang telah dimasak akan lebih tahan lama disimpan dibandingkan dengan udang mentah.

4. Saus tomat
Meski disimpan dalam kemasan bertutup, saus tomat juga memiliki umur simpan. Dalam kemasan yang belum dibuka saus akan bertahan selama 12 bulan. Untuk kemasan telah dibuka saus akan bertahan 6 bulan selama di kulkas, tetapi jika Anda menyimpannya dalam suhu ruang, saus hanya bertahan selama 1 bulan.

5. BBQ sauce
Saus panggang siap pakai ini dapat bertahan selama 1 tahun di suhu ruang, dengan kemasan tertutup. Untuk memperpanjang kualitasnya, sebaiknya saus disimpan di kulkas, setelah dipakai Cerdar Memilih bahan Pengawet Makanan.

1:55 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Saat Anak Balita Belajar Bicara

Saat Anak Balita Belajar Bicara Bagi bayi, belajar bicara merupakan bagian penting dalam proses pertumbuhannya. Keterlambatan berbicara bisa jadi petanda bahwa anak memiliki masalah pada pendengaran, atau bisa juga mengalami autisme.

Ada 310 daftar kata yang wajib dikuasai balita. Kata-kata ini menjadi pedoman yang mengindikasikan anak tidak memiliki masalah pengembangan bahasa.

Dari daftar itu, peneliti menyusun 25 kata yang paling umum diucapkan bayi yang baru belajar bicara: mama, ayah, bayi, susu, jus, hello, bola, iya, tidak, anjing, kucing, hidung, pisang, biskuit, mobil, panas, terima kasih, mandi, sepatu, topi, buku, lagi, hilang, dan bye.

Berdasar hasil survei yang menyertai penelitian itu, balita menguasai rata-rata 150 kata. Namun, balita yang hanya mengetahui 75-225 kata sudah dapat dikatakan normal.

"Jika balita tidak menggunakan sebagaian besar kata-kata tersebut pada usia dua tahun, maka mereka kemungkinan akan terlambat berbicara," ujar Professor Leslie Rescorla, yang menciptakan versi pengujian ini.

Jangan langsung panik dengan penelitian tersebut. Sebab, sekitar tiga per empat balita yang terlambat bicara, terjadi karena terlambat belajar bicara.

Hanya, jika anak masih berjuang pada daftar kata-kata tersebut hingga usia 2,5 tahun, orangtua harus mempertimbangkan agar anak mereka mendapatkan terapi bicara. Jangan menunggu hingga usia tiga tahun.

Kosakata yang terbatas pada usia dua tahun dapat menjadi petanda masalah lainnya seperti tuli, autis, bahkan dyslexia.

Menginjak usia remaja, kemampuan bahasa anak yang terlambat belajar, juga sedikit di belakang anak balita yang berbicara lebih baik. Anak-anak yang terlambat belajar bicara cenderung memiliki masalah pada memori verbal, seperti mendengarkan kata-kata, kalimat, angka, dan akan kesulitan mengulanginya kembali.

Interaksi yang nyata antara orangtua dan anak sangat penting dalam hal ini. Karena interaksi tersebut dapat membantu anak memcahkan kode berbicara. TV dan radio tidak dapat menggantikan peran orangtua.

2:20 AM | 0 komentar | Read More