A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

September 24 , 2007 Mazuz Orders Another Criminal Probe of Olmert- Sunday Times Report on the Syria Raid

Today, IsraelŐs Attorney General, Beni Mazuz, announced he has directed the police to begin a criminal investigation into the charges that Prime Minister Olmert was able to purchase a house way below market value in return for favors he gave. This is the third major investigation, now ongoing, into various actions taken by Olmert before he became Prime Minister. It was widely believed that Mazuz was going to close this case against Olmert, since according to some legal observers it comes down to a question of whose appraisal was right--- but it is possible there is some new evidence previously unknown to the media.

Yesterday, The London Times reported that Israel sent Sayeret Matkal, IDFŐs most elite unit, to Syria. According to the Times article, the Sayeret removed nuclear material from the site, proving that Syria was engaged in a nuclear program with North Korea. IsraelŐs experts Ňin the knowÓ warned that the Times is often an unreliable source. On the other hand, if major aspects of the article are correct it just confirms what seems to be known alreadyÉ that six weeks before the attack, major new evidence was found that convinced both the Israeli and Americans governments that the Syrians were indeed involved with the North Koreans. One of the commentators noted that beginning six weeks before the operation the full cabinet met in special session six times to discuss the Syrian situation. While the commentator was speaking, a member of the cabinet was sitting in the studio next to him waiting to be interviewed regarding another matter. He was smiling broadly until he was told he was on the air, then, he did his best to seem nonchalant.

Also today, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University. I really was not surprised. As someone who has intimate knowledge of ColumbiaŐs Middle East Department it would seem almost normal of them to have invited the worldŐs most public Israel hater to the college. A couple of years ago, ColumbiaŐs President Bollinger supposedly investigated whether the Institute and the larger School of International Affairs acted improperly towards pro-Israeli students. I can say that BollingerŐs investigation was half hearted, at best! TodayŐs actions prove that.