. >>> now to help us understand all of these developments, we are joined again by daniel levy. a senior fellow and the co-director of the middle east task force at new american foundation. welcome back. >> thank you. >> let's start with the -- well, comments by ehud barak today. about keeping the military option against iran open. first of all, who is he speaking to? u.s., iran, the israelis? and what was he really trying to communicate? >> i tell you, all of the above. not least the israeli domestic audience. this is a long established israeli position, to keep all the options on the table. now, i think the israelis do see that the greater ability of the obama administration to build an international consensus of engagement but also sanctions is something the israelis are interested in helping, i think. there is, of course, a very fluid situation inside iran itself, politically. some conservative criticism of ahmadinejad in addition to the reformist protest. i don't other than -- i don't think it was a breakthrough by gates. i think it was more of a maintenance exercise and a

. >> daniel levy, thank you. >> thank you. >>> and if you'd like even more insight on all of this, visit our website, worldfocus.org. >>> some other news from around the world, there's been another deadly attack. a suicide bombing in chechnya. that's the russian republic for a prominent human right's defender was murdered two, wes ago, and where islamic insurgents and common criminals are increasing their attacks. yesterday, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a consert hall after being stopped from entering minutes before the start of a play being watched by 800 people. four police officers and two workers were killed. >>> and now to africa. today in uslim rebels continue to attack police stations in the north as they attend to expand strict islamic law throughout that very large country. the gunbattles that began yesterday left at least 55 people dead, most of them militants, and some reports put the figure at more than double that. one-third of nigeria's 36 states are under so call sharia law. >>> for a change today, north korea said it wants to talk, sing a new dialogue to r