October 18, 2007--No sooner had Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived back in Moscow, than Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived. One official cited by the New York Times said that Olmert went to Moscow today for a "last-minute, urgent meeting." According to Iranian sources, Olmert had phoned Putin prior to Putin's Iran trip, urging him against it. (German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had also spoken to Putin against his initiative.) As a further disincentive, a wild story was circulated to the effect that suicide bombers were waiting for Putin's arrival to blow him up.

Although there are numerous explanations and theories as to the reasons for the Olmert trip, the only thing that is clear at this point, Lyndon LaRouche commented yesterday, is that he made a hasty trip to Moscow to find out what Putin had discussed with the Iranians.