* Hayden: Syria was close to getting nukes CIA Director Michael Hayden said Monday the alleged Syrian nuclear reactor destroyed by an IAF air strike in September would have produced enough plutonium for one or two bombs.

* Score one for the Muslim Brotherhood The Bush administration has decided that calling the enemy by his name is too risky, too politically incorrect, or oddly, somehow too laudatory.

* Mofaz: Land-for-peace will put Iran in Golan Giving Syria the Golan Heights will mean bringing Iran there as well, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz said.

* Carter Mis-Representing Hamas Positions In a New York Times op-ed on Monday, ex-Pres. Jimmy Carter says Hamas wants peace.

* Turks try to find middle ground for Syria, Israel talks One of the issues Turkey is trying to work out between Israel and Syria as a prelude to direct negotiations is whether a Syrian announcement of ending support for terrorism needs to precede an Israeli guarantee.

* Iran, Pakistan ‘in pipeline deal’ Pakistan says it has cleared the way with Iran to finalize an agreement on a $7.5bn gas pipeline to India.

* Opec says oil could hit $200 Opec’s president on Monday warned oil prices could hit $200 a barrel and there would be little the cartel could do to help.

* Abbas’s PA Sentences Man to Death for Fighting Terrorism A Palestinian Authority court in the city of Hevron sentenced a 25-year-old man to death Monday for giving Israel information that led to the elimination of four terrorists.

* Iran official warns of ‘danger’ of Barbie, Harry Potter toys A top Iranian judiciary official warned Monday against the destructive cultural and social consequences of importing Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter toys.

* UN sets up food crisis task force The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is setting up a task force to tackle the global food crisis.