Mid-East News

Official: U.S. Will Warn Jerusalem Prior to Any Strike on Syria

An Israeli official reported that the White House will notify Israel hours prior to any attack made on Syria.

By Elad Benari

The United States would notify Israel hours in advance of an attack on Syria, an Israeli official told the Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Asked how much advance notice Israel would get from its U.S. ally about a strike in Syria in response to a chemical attack in August, the Israeli official, who was briefed on contacts with Washington, told Reuters, “Hours.”

Israel is formally on the sidelines of the Syria crisis but fears coming under reprisals from Syria should the United States launch strikes to punish Damascus for its use of chemical weaponry. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Israel US, Syrian unrest

U.S. official: Egyptian & Syrian unrest improves chances of success in peace talks

Fear of being engulfed by the regional turmoil motivates Palestinians & Israelis to reach peace agreement, says senior U.S. ST. Dep’t official.

By The Associated Press and Reuters

The turmoil in both Syria and Egypt is nudging Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, a United States official said on Friday, as Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Europe for talks on Middle East issues.

US Secretary ofState John Kerry (l) is greeted in Vilnius by Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas (c) and US Ambassador to Lithuania Deborah McCarthy. – Photo: AFP

Kerry’s three-day trip was originally intended to brief European and Arab diplomats on the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, but that objective is likely to be overshadowed by the ongoing crisis in Syria. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Barack Obama, Bashar Assad, Chemical Weapons, John Kerry, Mahmoud Abbas, peace talks, Syria

Lebanese Report: Syria, Iran & Hezbollah planning regional response to any attack on Syria

Syria, Iran, Hezbollah & other pro-Syrian groups plan to strike targets in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan & Israel should Syria come under attack.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON

Iran, Syria and Hezbollah have set up a military room to coordinate activities in the case the US and other countries attack Syria, according to sources quoted on Friday in the Lebanese Daily Star. The sources confirmed an earlier report by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that Hezbollah is mobilizing its forces in anticipation of an attack, specifically stating that “tens of thousands” of fighters and reservists have been called up.

Hezbollah members rally in Beirut – Photo: Reuters

“Iran, Syria and Hezbollah don’t have a clear picture about what Americans have planned,” said one diplomat.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Hezbollah, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey

30 Jihadist hurt in Egyptian air assault in Sinai

In the largest Sinai operation since the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Egyptian military bombs 12 targets in northern Sinai where jihadists were holed up and six Gaza smuggling tunnels also hit.

By Roi Kais

At least 31 people were killed or injured on Saturday when the Egyptian army mounted a large operation against militants in North Sinai, security officials said.

Smoke in Sinai after previous attack

An additional 10 people were arrested, reports said. Maan noted that the operation in the towns of Sheikh Zuweyid and Rafah in northern Sinai was the largest the Egyptian military has undertaken since the Yom Kippur War. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Egypt, Egypt Army, Sinai

Ex-CIA Head Petraeus: Military responce in Syria necessary to deter Iran

Ex-General David H.Petraeus is quoted by POLITICO as saying that ‘failure of Congress to approve the president’s request would have serious ramifications not just in the Mideast but around the world.’

By Reuters

David H. Petraeus, former CIA director under President Barack Obama, told POLITICO on Saturday that military action in Syria is “necessary” in order to deter other “would-be aggressors” such as Iran and North Korea.

Gen. David Petraeus Photo: AP

Petraeus, whose public career was widely admired until his resignation last year due to an extramarital affair, added that “Failure of Congress to approve the president’s request would have serious ramifications not just in the Mideast but around the world.”

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Barack Obama, Chemical Weapons, Syria

Syria to Receive Volunteers to Serve as Human Shields

The ‘Int’l Human Shields’ movement, led by Ken O’Keefe, an ex-US Marine, plans to bring to Syria civilians from countries around the globe.

By Gil Ronen

The ‘International Human Shields’ movement, founded by a group of activists in Britain and the US, plans to bring to Syria civilians from countries around the globe, who will try to deter US strikes on the country by staking out potential military targets and serving as human shields there.

Children as Human Shields – IDFblog

The British Telegraph said that Franklin Lamb, a lawyer recently appointed as the legal adviser for the group, said he had been “inundated” with requests from activists including from Canada, France, Italy, the US, and Britain. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: human shields, Syrian unrest

israelandstuffcom | September 7, 2013

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Cairo moves added troops to border with Gaza to ‘clean’ area of Islamists

Long column of Egyptian tanks & armored personnel vehicles, which appears to be one of the Army’s largest units deployed to the area in recent years, witness reports.

By The Associated Press

A military official says Egypt is deploying new troops backed by tanks and other armored vehicles to insurgent strongholds in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

+++Egyptian Army soldiers patrol in an armored vehicle backed by a helicopter gunship during a sweep through villages in in Sheikh Zuweyid, northern Sinai, Egypt in May. – Photo: AP

He says the army will “clean” areas around the towns of Rafah and Sheikh Zuweyid on the border with the Gaza Strip and two nearby villages, al-Qurea and al-Dhahir, where Islamic militants operate. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Egypt, Egypt Army, Gaza

israelandstuffcom | September 7, 2013

Fatah, Abbas Would Like Egypt To Overthrow Hamas

Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for Hamas has recently said of their one time greatest ally, “The Egyptians are strangling the Gaza Strip. They are punishing the entire population of the Gaza Strip by depriving them medicine, food & fuel.”

By Khaled Abu Toameh

As the Egyptian army continues to demolish houses and smuggling tunnels, Fatah leaders in the West Bank are hoping that they will soon be able to return to the Gaza Strip.

An Egyptian army watchtower at Rafah, along the Gaza Strip border with Egypt. – Photo: Marius Arnesen

At one time, Fatah leaders had hopes that Israel would overthrow Hamas through military force. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Egypt-Gaza, Hamas Fatah, Mohammed Morsi

Moscow warns IAEA on danger of Syrian nuclear site if attacked

Russian calls on UN nuclear watchdog to assess danger of possible hit to Syrian research reactor that contains radioactive uranium, if “by design or by chance”.

By REUTERS

VIENNA – The UN nuclear watchdog has received a request from Russia to assess the impact if a missile were to hit a small Syrian reactor and is considering the issue, the Vienna-based agency said on Friday.

The N. Korea reactor in Yongbyon, the Syrian site. – Photo: REUTERS

Russia said this week a military strike on Syria could have catastrophic effects if the research reactor near Damascus that contains radioactive uranium was struck, “by design or by chance”.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: IAEA, nuclear plant, Russia, Syria

Report: Iran threatens covert retaliation as US expanding Syrian attack plans

ABC News reports US attack on Syria to last 48-hours & include stealth B-2 bombers.

WSJ reports U.S. intercepted Iranian communique to Iraqi terrorists calling on them to attack US facilities in case of attack.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sec of St John Kerry attempts to revive int’l peace conference.

By Ynet

US media outlets including CNN, ABC and The New York Times have reported Fiday that the potential US strike on Syria could be larger than previously anticipated.

B-2 bomber

The possible US led air campaign could be two-days long and include long-range B-2 and B-52 stealth bombers which would takeoff from the US and fire guided missiles from beyond the range of Syria anti-air defense systems, Jonathan Karl of ABC News, who is traveling with President Barack Obama to Russia, reported. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Syrian unrest, US military

Abbas’ PA Demands Jerusalem Provide it with Gas Masks

Although seeking independence & statehood, the Palestinian Authority claims it’s Israel’s responsibility to provide gas masks for its civilians that are not under Israel law, but under PA jurisdictions.

By Ari Soffer

A Palestinian Authority official has demanded that Israel provide civilians living in PA-controlled areas with gas masks in the event of a spillover of violence from Syria.

Trying on my gas-mask – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Israel has been distributing gas masks to its citizens over the last two weeks amid fears of reprisals against the Jewish state, following anticipated US military intervention in neighboring Syria.

Syrian officials have repeatedly declared that in the event of a western-led intervention against the regime, they would respond by attacking Israel. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: gas mask, Palestinian Authority, Syrian unrest

Report: Hezbollah preparing to defend Damascus by striking at Israel if the U.S. attacks

Hezbollah source says 10,000 fighters have been recruited by the Shi’ite group, but will only attack Israel if Iran approves strike.

By YASSER OKBI

Hezbollah is preparing to defend Damascus from an invasion by the Syrian rebels following a possible US strike, as well as preparing for retaliation against Israel if the situation in the area calls for it, Lebanese sources told Saudi newspaper Okaz on Thursday.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorists marching with flags – Photo: Jamal Saidi/Reuters

The sources told the paper that the Shi’ite organization recruited 10,000 fighters, who were tasked to defend the Syrian capital in the event the Syrian army fails to thwart attacks on it from both the rebels and the United States.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Hizbollah

Turkish Report: Ankara-Jerusalem normalization looks optimistic

Turkish official reports normalization talks to end diplomatic crisis are to yield results soon. ‘I do not see any political obstacle standing in the way of normalization,’ Turkish official reports.

By Ynet

A Turkish official said Thursday that Turkish-Israeli talks to end a diplomatic crisis between the two countries are on track and can be concluded at any time, Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman reported.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – Reuters

“This should not surprise anyone,” the official, who spoke this week on condition of anonymity, told the Turkish newspaper regarding progress in the normalization process, adding “I do not see any political obstacle standing in the way of normalization,” the official said. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Israel Turkey