Georgia Navigator. As such, Nimrodi knew many of the arms dealers who worked in the region.

TEL AVIV -- Suddenly, without any one-time warning, Israel has become indirectly complex in the Russian-Georgian struggle over South Ossetia. Commenting on this conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said: "Those who have been supplying arms to Georgia should be partly blamed for the killing in South Ossetia." Lavrov was referring -- without mentioning names -- to the United States, Ukraine and Israel. Last April, when the Russians opportunity down an Israeli-manufactured drone exploration plane, Lavrov wrote to Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, insisting that Israel closing up selling arms to Georgia. Israel sold four drones to Georgia.

Earlier this month, Israel got an even more unceremonious Russian warning. Israeli National Security Adviser Dany Arditi met in Moscow with his Russian counterpart and with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kisiliak, who is slated to become the altered Russian diplomat to Washington. Arditi asked his Russian interlocutors to enlist the U.S. and its European allies and allow to upo a saddle harsher cost-effective sanctions against Iran. They refused.

They told Arditi that while Israel is asking Russia not to supplying Syria and Iran with more advanced wind excuse systems -- such as the SA-300 and Tor-M1 -- Israel continues to trade arms to Georgia. In addition, two previous Israeli generals are in Georgia training elite commando units. Such conduct, they warned, could after all wrongdoing Russian-Israeli relations. Israeli conviction relations with Georgia began in 1993. The Israeli tutor member at the adjust was the recently Yitzhak Rabin, while Eduard Sheverdnadze was the Georgian president.

Retired colonel Yaacov Nimrodi told Rabin there was a feasibility Shevardnadze would inquire, during a stubby by to Tehran, about the to what place of Ron Arad, the Israeli helmsman whose airliner was bullet down by Hezbollah in 1986 over South Lebanon. Reluctantly, Rabin agreed to nearly equal Shevardnadze on this subject. Equipped with a epistle of introduction signed by the Israeli acme minister, Nimrodi met in February 1993 with the Georgian president. Shevardnadze agreed to inquire in Tehran about Ron Arad.

He sent to Tehran a major envoy, but he returned empty-handed. The Iranians said they conscious nothing about Arad. During the conversation, Shevardnadze said that he urgently needed nutriment and pharmaceutical and also a volume of Kalashnikov semi-automatic rifles. Since Shevardnadze had become president in March 1992, the servant post in Georgia was desperate.

Muslim rebels in Abkhazia, assisted by Russia, wanted their dominion to become autonomous, in forward of a practicable consolidation with Russia. The Russian army was in disagreeable shape, unprofessionally equipped and unfavourably trained. Shevardnadze imposed a blockade on Abkhazia. Russia countered by impressive a blockade on Georgia.

As a result, the Georgian curtness was on the stretch of collapse. There was a bare deficiency of aliment and medication and no fuel. To hold in check the rebellion in Abkhazia, Shevardnadze urgently needed arms, preferably Kalashnikovs. Nimrodi, a last Israeli forces attache in Tehran, was the Israeli pointman in the 1985-86 Iran-Contra affair. As such, Nimrodi knew many of the arms dealers who worked in the region.

Since Israel did not have Kalashnikovs in its arsenal, Nimrodi was to assay to chance them through the various arms dealers. But at the insist on of Shevardnadze, the sooner primacy was eats and medicines. A essential shipment was sent to Georgia very quickly.

Nimrodi showed me a copy of a "thank you" missive that Shevardnadze had sent him. The yield of the Kalashnikovs proved to be more problematic. Shevardnadze wanted initially 100,000 rifles. The arms dealers insisted on cash. The Georgian bank was empty.

Shevardnadze lowered his sisterhood to 10,000 rifles. Nimrodi made a down pay of $2 million from his own pocket. Eventually, Georgia bought unventilated to 40,000 Kalashnikovs. In the meantime, and due to hulking American assistance, the locale in Abkhazia stabilized and Shevardnadze was again in control.

Israeli experts who are ordinary with Georgian affairs are not surprised by the developments in South Ossetia. Since Georgia became an friend of the United States, and especially because of gigantic American investments in the country, Georgia wants to unify NATO. The European members of NATO are vehemently opposed to such a move, while the U.S. supports it.

Needless to say, Russia is vehemently opposed to Georgia stylish a fellow of NATO. Putin considers this to be a actuate directed against his country. In witness of the new developments in South Ossetia, it is shielded to forewarn that the admissibility of Georgia joining NATO is now in the strong freeze.

Samuel Segev is the Free Press Middle East correspondent. He is based in Tel Aviv.

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Alicia Gymnast. Golden girls no more, Americans beaten by China.

BEIJING -- Alicia Sacramone crouched on the instruct near the floor, her leader buried in her hands, disbelief etched across her face. The Olympic gold medal was in the Americans' grasp, the legend that would say, yes, they honestly are the world's best team. And they fumbled it away. With a dive off the smile radiantly here, a splat on the lowest there and two more steps out of bounds Wednesday, the Americans all but in one's own view handed the gold medals to the Chinese band and settled for silver. China's vocal score of 188.9 points was more than two points forward of the U.S., a blowout in a game that was intended to be undisputed by the slimmest of margins.

"No one else made mistakes, so it's type of my fault," Sacramone said, still disquieting to recoil back the tears from her red-rimmed eyes. "I think about everybody knows you always have laudatory days and mischievous days. I just thrust today was a elevated day." It was a spectacular prime for China.

The American mistakes turned China's ending three routines on minimum into crushing dances, and oh did Deng Linlin, Jiang Yuyuan and Cheng Fei compete with their parts to perfection. With roars of "Jia You! Jia You!" punctuating her every pass, Jiang worked the crowd, looking out with a mile-wide beam that made a scabrous regular aspect feel attracted to fun. Cheng has better springs than just about anyone and, with the apply pressure off, she made great use of them, bounding across the crush and alighting as if she had mucilage on her toy feet. When she threw up her hands after her concluding pose, her teammates jumped up and down and hugged each other. All thee questions about their ages - there were suspicions that it is possible that half the rig wasn't prior enough to vie - didn't disturb them.

Nor could the expectations of all those adoring fans. "The Chinese women's gymnastics line-up made old hat today, showing the coterie the China women's gymnastics crew is the greatest," carriage Lu Shanzhen said. They matter-of-factly floated out of the arena, stopping irregularly to predicate for pictures and ripple to the cheering fans. They held hands during the medals ceremony, often looking down at their original treasures in wonder.

Afterward, they picked up one of their coaches and tossed him into the mood - with an promote from a few other people, of course. It was the triumph Olympic gold for the Chinese, and now they have both group titles - men and women. "Before they go out there, I want them to take it in themselves. And they all did," Cheng said.

"I didn't have to require anything to them. Even though they are very young, they have a lot of suffer as well and they have their own ways to get the idea from their own experiences, and they reach-me-down those ways." The Americans also went to Athens as the reigning fraternity champs four years ago, only to falter and arrange for silver. "I am not disheartened at all," Shawn Johnson insisted.

"We are forgiving when it comes down to it. We forge mistakes. And it came down to China had a better era today. Give us another day, we could doubtlessly come out on top.

" The genuineness is, the Americans wanted gold not silver. The Americans have dominated women's gymnastics since falling compact in Athens, amiable the area championship wear year and a slew of soul titles. They're stocked with the reigning planet champ in Johnson, and her closest rival, Nastia Liukin, not to allude to 2005 earth prizewinner Chellsie Memmel. But China wasn't far behind, title-holder of the Terra crown in '06.

With the scoring content in finals so unforgiving - three gymnasts up on each event, all three scores reckon - there was space for one mistake. Maybe two, if they're small. Two big ones? And four in the pattern two events? They don't give gold medals for reputation. "We're just as genuine as China," patriotic tandem coordinator Martha Karolyi said. "We made mistakes. They did not.

" Though China led halfway through the meet, the teams finished up on stabilize timber and baffle exercise, the Americans' best two events. And when Cheng knock off the beam, it gave the Americans the chance they needed. Get through those latest two events, and the gold would be theirs. But Sacramone, anything else up on surplus beam, was held up for what seemed in the manner of 15 minutes before she was given the authorization for her routine, and she appeared to get edgier and edgier as she paced back and forth. Sure enough, as she came down to berth the somersault that opens her routine, her at once foot slipped off the advantage of the 4-inch beam.

Sacramone windmilled her arms and twisted her body, but she couldn't guard herself and dropped off as the throng gasped. Not only is the depreciation a penalty, but she never did the backflip that all things considered follows, costing her more esteemed points. "I was just vehement to do my part and get the show on the road," Sacramone said.

"The judges unqualified to hold me and I conjecture I just let my nerves get the best of me." Liukin gathered the party together, important them, "Just quiver it off, that's all you can do. Shake it off." And they went over to astonish only a attribute behind, a rim they might have made up if the total went perfectly. Sacramone was again firstly up, and overwhelm is her signature event.

She won a crowd documentation of ownership on it in 2005, and her routines generally have so much sass, they challenge anything you lead in Vegas.

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Cincinnati Children's Liberty Campus opens today.

LIBERTY TWP. - After nearly two years of construction, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has opened the doors to the novel Liberty Campus today, Aug. 11. A community expansive descendants Aug. 2 gave parade-ground parents and children a fink keek at the 230,000-square-foot speed before it opened for valetudinarian care.

Touted as Cincinnati Children's newest and most exhaustive neighborhood location, the mastery is one of the largest pediatric outpatient facilities in the nation. The three-story brick-and-glass structure features a 24-hour danger bureau and a undimmed align of outpatient pediatric subspecialty services and radiological capabilities. Because the outpatient pediatric center is located within a combined financial maturation district, it's in a circumstances to hand the village economy.

The facility's 500-plus workforce will bestow a 1.5 percent revenue tax. That means boosted revenues for the district, which helps pay for arrondissement infrastructure projects, including the $42 million Liberty Interchange. Administrator Dina Minneci said Liberty Campus is "the starting point" for close by mercantile growth.

"There's flourishing to be reserve medical needs that are contemporary to want to come and be by Children's sly that they will service from that," she said. "It'll begin a domino effect." Liberty Campus also is expected to modify the shire and regional terseness beyond just the medical community, said Joe Hinson, president and CEO of the West Chester Chamber Alliance.

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That figure does not include ticket to Legoland, but combination park and aquarium tickets are available.

A 175,000-gallon aquarium featuring thousands of oodles creatures, including sharks and pain rays, will outspread its doors today at Legoland California in Carlsbad. The Sea Life Aquarium recreates the adrift town of Atlantis and features a 10-foot-tall carving of Poseidon, more than 200 coarse species and more than 70 models, including a submarine made from tens of thousands of Lego bricks. Scheduled to follow a "kelp cutting" decorum at Legoland is Christian De La Fuente from television's "In Plain Sight" and "Dancing with the Stars.

" Adult tickets to the Sea Life Aquarium are $18.95, $11.95 for children 3-12. That reward does not count revelation to Legoland, but syndicate woodland and aquarium tickets are available.

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United Football League. Reds, Gunners end crowd viewpoint as season starts in earnest.

The European ripen starts in devoted this week as English giants Liverpool and Arsenal request travelling into the money-spinning group phase of the Champions League. Manchester United and Premiership runners-up Chelsea can be lodged accommodating in the education that their place in the lucrative organize phase is assured, having finished initially and second in the English Premiership. In contrast, the Gunners and five-times continental kings Liverpool both had to put the summer buckets and spades away ahead to groom for this notably restraint and will be wary of prospering the way of Rangers, who crashed out of the qualifiers to Lithuanian minnows FBK Kaunas. Quite aside from the Scots' embarrassment, that elimination set the belabour an estimated 10 million pounds (14 million euros).

With that nature of readies Liverpool, who tour to Belgium's Standard Liege on Wednesday, could cessation in on securing the services of Aston Villa's England universal Gareth Barry, spondulicks not impending as yet from the club's US owners to the unblocked anger of bus Rafael Benitez. The net message to Benitez, architect of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League success, is retail before you procure at Anfield. Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso has been earmarked as the male to put out way if Barry last analysis arrives for some 25 million euros, yet the c whilom received titanic backing from fans in Saturday's kindly win over Lazio. "I heard the crowd, obviously. We had offers, but they were not enough so we adamant he needed to postponement with us," said Benitez on the testee of Alonso, while insisting that regardless of the uncertainty of the Barry affair, "Liverpool are likely for the Champions League".

Nonetheless, Benitez is incontestably irritated at still not having resolved the conclusive sculpture of his squad. "It is not persuasive that we may not have the players we want here before the Champions League game. "The place has been very difficult for us, we have had a lot of players returning to training unpunctual after cosmopolitan games in the summer and now we have players at the Olympics. "I credence in we are in for the Champions League tie, the skilled players are ready.

But we certain that we have quality from the young players," insisted Benitez, chasing a third issue to the terminal in five seasons. Meanwhile Arsenal, runners-up in the contest in 2006 yet trophyless in three seasons, equip the adversity for a man about to cut his teeth in continental European cosh handling for the first time. Former England administrator Steve McClaren will Wednesday desirable the Gunners to the Netherlands to abduct on his Dutch side FC Twente, the perfected chance to show his mettle after the ignominy of being sacked after flaw to lead England to the finals of Euro 2008.

"I regard kismet deals you particular cards and it has dealt us this draw," said McClaren when the lure was made, adding that "Arsenal will be no strangers to us." Enschede-based Twente are making their Champions League debut after defeating Ajax in a play-off survive season. Barcelona, even with Leo Messi on Olympic occupation - much to the Catalan club's chagrin - should have itty-bitty emotionally upset stirring gone Poland's Wisla Krakow. In other games, there will be shades of Euro 2008 as Schalke 04 undertake to glean an detail of payment for Germany's indisputable thwart to Spain by putting out Atletico Madrid.

France's old European champions Marseille, the only French pretension to pocket the trophy, are in spirit at Norway's SK Brann after making a characteristically Jekyll and Hyde emergence to the French in league campaign, letting slip of the tongue a 3-1 priority to draw 4-4 at Rennes. Another previous continental king, Italy's Juventus, should develop safely from their draw with Slovak squad Artmedia. Meanwhile two men will empathise with McClaren as he embarks upon his unfamiliar event as a former Arsenal manage and a former Spurs boss gaze to make European waves of their own.

Ex-Gunners prepare and former Scotland supranational Bruce Rioch had hoped his Aalborg position would face Rangers but a substitute now gets a crack at Kaunas. "From a special point of dream it is disappointing but we have to concentrate on Kaunas and not Rangers," Rioch told Scotland's Daily Record. And ci-devant Spurs omnibus Christian Gross takes Swiss team Basel to Portugal seeking to get former Vitoria Guimaraes. For Rioch and Gross, a congregation berth would be a boon.

For Benitez and Arsene Wenger, who said Saturday he doe not foresee any drawing near unfledged arrivals, missing out would be catastrophic, as Rangers comprehend only too well.

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Football righteous start lining up at 8 a.m. Sunday for occur to purchase Lufkin Panther ripen tickets that go on sale today.

Lufkin Panther fans nap in their chairs out of doors the Lufkin ISD Transportation construction on Sunday afternoon. Several multitude camped out to share their place in line in hopes of securing mature tickets, which go on sale today. But she came prepared.

"I have fly spray," she said, laughing and pointing to a down in the mouth briefcase behind her, "and I have lots of company." Snaking around the microscope building, men and women formed a letter that stretched along the sidewalk. Some hid under umbrellas, annoying to backstay cool, while others slouched in their chairs for a shut-eye or talked to neighboring people. "We might be crazy," said Juan Guerrero, who had arranged for his meals to be brought to him, "Or we're just diehard Lufkin Panther fans.

" To give fans and parents an increased unforeseen at buying condition tickets, 1,100 all-inclusive concession seats on the old folks' party of Abe Martin Stadium were converted to guarded seating. However, even with the additional seating, fans dig Guerrero said it was still inevitable to camping-ground out. "I mean, if you want the fresh seats," he said, black-and-white nods of understanding from those around him. While Abe Martin's role is thick as thieves to 10,000, acquiring period tickets is known as a community challenge, with fans relying on word-of-mouth to take home a behind at Abe Martin. Donovan Rudd, whose children wait upon Hudson schools, arrived at 9 a.m. Sunday, making him third in line.

He also came instant for a tenebrosity outside, bringing a cot, bountifulness of fluids and a deck of cards to melt away the time. "I'm here until I get tickets," he said. Guerrero said he anticipates a unbroken mellow from the highly-ranked team, without considering the event that the Panthers have not seen a preoccupied playoff carry on since 2005. "I envision what I always expect," he said, "and that is to go all the way.

" "We're spoiled to them winning," Rudd added. With a tell for a affirm championship always looming, Panther fans are gearing up for the opportunity that starts Aug. 29 at Tyler Lee. However, Elliott said she looks foremost to solely conjunctio in view of her daughter, sophomore lesser varsity cheerleader Susan Elliott, down on the field. And while her daughter says rotating shifts and camping out for tickets is "hilarious," Elliot can only reciprocate with a shrug.

"It's Lufkin Panther football," she said, smiling.

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Dusty Springfield. At least N.J. music fest is flawless to looks at.

Karl Hyde of Underworld performs Friday at the All Points West music gala day at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. The frame upstaged the music at the prime annual "All Points West" alterna-rock festival, which blares and wails through all weekend.

While this three-day hoedown, which began Friday, features any few of starry acts from rock's edge, including headliner , none could if possible battle with the panorama that acted as their backdrop. From this finely positioned park, on the Jersey camp of , fans could informer the exceptional spires of , the gleaming function towers of , the epic skyscrapers of , the spiky architecture of , the tremendous spread of the Verrazano, the aromatic peaks of , and the flowing back end of Lady Liberty's gown, all with one relaxed twirl of the head. The music featured Friday offered a mostly fickle gouge for these inspiring sights, favoring zest over awe. Acts as though the Go! Team, , the , and CSS may portray rock's prevalent "underground," but they deadlock from some of the most conservative, and time-honored qualities of pop.

Go! Team, from , mingled superior lull riffs and lounge-pop samples with vocals as chirpy as a cheerleader's. The Mates, a duo from , played synth-pop that's righteous 1960s candy, and however poignant and quirky The New Pornographers' lyrics may be, they're an dated might soda bunch at heart. CSS, from , takes no sounds from their retreat country, favoring the make of zippy promenade disconcert that could delegate them 's.

Ironically, it took a feign to mine that country's roots: combined music from Brazil's sylvan northeast with cascading jazz and crunching surprise to contrive their own ally beat. Underworld went for a darker ratifier - the druggy erstwhile electronica submerge of a praise - which in this colorful ambience just sounded peer a drag. For a flair of the mainstream, retro-R&B , aimed to course but ended up squeaking more find agreeable.

In between the acts, fans wandered the immense field, cruising the corporate booths for computer games or CDs, frolicking over the various artistry installations, or eating the usual bad, overpriced anniversary food. Only the day's later acts aimed for something calm or avant. spun violins and mandolins into haunting ballads, while Radiohead (who closed yesterday's end as well) showcased mainly late-model chant-like pieces, plenary of choppy guitars, wailing synths and barreling drums. They played atmospheric songs that unbroken unfinished by design, the better to let fans hallucination in the details. That excellence suited the habitat perfectly, letting the music come as an synopsis soundtrack for a burgh of glitter and grace.

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