Archive for Mid-East News

| April 24, 2013
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US Treasury Shuts Down Hezbollah Money Laundering

Lebanese exchange houses accused of money laundering from used car dealerships and illicit drug trade going to terror group are frozen.

By MICHAEL WILNER, JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT

 

NEW YORK – The US Treasury Department on Tuesday listed two Lebanese exchange houses as institutions of “primary money laundering concern” for their work with Hezbollah, invoking Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act to effectively shut them out of the American economy.

HEZBOLLAH SUPPORTERS march through the streets of Beirut last year.

HEZBOLLAH SUPPORTERS march through the streets of Beirut last year. Photo: Khalil Hassan/Reuters

In a declassified statement of their case, the US claims that the Rmeiti Exchange and Halawi Exchange have consistently complied in a scheme that comingles money from used car dealerships in the US and drugs from South America into significant funding for the Lebanese terrorist organization.

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| April 23, 2013
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Ex-MI Chief: Iran has Passed PM’s Red Line

“Iran has crossed Israel’s new red line,” Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said, “it (will be) very difficult to stop Iran, when it decides to have a bomb.”

By Gil Ronen

 

 

Former Military Intelligence head, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin, said Tuesday that “Iran has already crossed Israel’s new ‘red line‘” regarding nuclear weapons development.

Iran's Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility - AFP file photo

Iran’s Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility – AFP file photo

Yadlin, who is the Head of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), said that in the summer, Iran will reach a distance of one or two months between a decision and a bomb.” Continue Reading »

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| April 23, 2013
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French Report: Israel & Jordan working to stop Syrian WMD transfers

Jordan has apparently given Israel permission to enter its airspace to access Syria in order to monitor & possibly act against the movement of chemical weapons

By Israel Today Staff

 

In a demonstration of regional cooperation against shared threats, Jordan this week gave the green light for Israeli drones to use its airspace to enter neighboring Syria in order to monitor the use and movement of chemical weapons.

Report: Israel, Jordan working together to stop Syrian WMDs

Israel Air Force Drone – Photo courtesy IDF Spokesperson’s Office

 

That according to French newspaper Le Figaro, which cited unnamed experts as saying the Jordanians had opened up two flight corridors to Israeli drones. Continue Reading »

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| April 23, 2013
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Egypt reports arresting Israeli spy ring in Sinai

 

 

9 Palestinians & Egyptians reportedly arrested for by Egypt by gathering intel on behalf of Israel in the Sinai Peninsula

Salafi leader in Gaza admits their rocket fire from Sinai into Eilat was meant to harm Hamas & the Egyptian gov’t.

By Daniel Siryoti & the Israel Hayom Staff

The spy ring allegedly consisted of both Egyptians and Palestinians, who allegedly gathered information on behalf of Israel.

Israel’s new border fence with Egypt – Photo: AFP

A total of nine spy suspects were reportedly arrested.

An Egyptian security official told local media that the alleged head of the spy ring, a resident of the Egyptian city of Rafah in northern Sinai, was arrested after a covert investigation.

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| April 23, 2013
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Analysis: How much for Marmara compensation

A look into the context of the Israel-Turkey ex gratia payment negotiations, even though there’s no legal enforceability.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB

 

 

 
The real negotiations between Israel and Turkey to put the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident behind them have only just begun.
Turks mark anniversary of flotilla in Istanbul

Turks mark anniversary of flotilla in Istanbul – Photo: REUTERS

With three years of arguing over whether there would be “regret” or an “apology,” the real fight comes down to the money, with reports indicating Turkey wants $9 million, or $1m. per dead Turkish citizen and that Israel’s initial offer was $900,000, or $100,000 per victim.

The legal context of the negotiations is the wild and virtually unbounded world of ex gratia payments.

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| April 23, 2013
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Rebel groups warn Hezbollah to leave Syria

Syrian National Coalition urges the Lebanese gov’t to ‘adopt the necessary measures to stop the aggression’ of their Shi’ite terrorist group in Syria.

By

The Syrian opposition called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from the country immediately, as activists said regime troops supported by pro-government gunmen linked to the Lebanese Shiite militant group battled rebels Sunday for control of a string of villages near the Lebanon-Syria border.

Members of the Free Syrian Army hiding behind scrap metal during an attack against Syrian government

Members of the Free Syrian Army hiding behind scrap metal during an attack against Syrian government forces in Aleppo, Syria April 21, 2013. – Photo: AP

 

The Syrian National Coalition – the main Western-backed opposition group – warned that Hezbollah involvement in Syria’s civil war could lead to greater risks in the area, and urged the Lebanese government to “adopt the necessary measures to stop the aggression of Hezbollah” and to control the border to “prevent further risks and to protect civilians in the area.” Continue Reading »

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| April 23, 2013
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Erdoğan to visit Gaza in May ignoring Kerry’s request

Turkish

media reports

 their PM refuses to postpone Gaza visit set for May despite US Secretary of State’s request.

Turkish officials meet with Israelis in Ankara to discuss compensation

Roi KaisBy

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to postpone his visit to Gaza in order to prevent disruptions to efforts to restart the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

 

Kerry & Erdoğan – Photo by Reuters

Reports in Turkey said Erdogan refused the request. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is in Israel to discuss developments in Syria and Iran. Continue Reading »

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| April 23, 2013
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Nepal nabs Iranian planning terror attack on Israeli embassy

An Iranian was detained by Israeli security staff & found with a counterfeit Israeli passport.

By Haaretz Staff

 

An Iranian national carrying a forged Israeli passport was arrested on April 13 by security personnel from the Israeli embassy in the Nepalese capital Katmandu, Channel 2 News reported on Monday.

Aerial view of a road in Kathmandu

Aerial view of a road in Kathmandu – Photo: Dr Michel Royon/Wikimedia Commons

According to the report, the man was spotted acting suspiciously outside the Israeli mission in the city. He was detained by Israeli security staff and found to be in possession of a counterfeit Israeli passport. Channel 2 reported that embassy staff handed the suspect over to local police, where he reportedly confessed to the suspicions against him. Continue Reading »

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| April 20, 2013
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Hezbollah marches eastwards to support Assad

Iranian regional allies are mobilizing on behalf of Assad’s regime, with Hezbollah heading further & deeper eastwards, at the risk of provoking a Syrian response.

By JONATHAN SPYER

 

 

 
This week saw a sharp escalation in the emerging confrontation between the Syrian Sunni rebels and the Lebanese Hezbollah organization. This conflict is the result of Hezbollah’s increasingly visible engagement in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime.
Flags of Hezbollah, Assad's Syria

Flags of Hezbollah, Assad’s Syria – Photo: REUTERS/Ali Hashisho

Syrian rebels for the first time this week fired rockets into the Hezbollah controlled Hermel region, adjoining the Syrian border. Two Lebanese citizens were killed and a number of others wounded, as rockets landed in the villages of al-Qasr and Hawsh al- Sayyed Ali.

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| April 20, 2013
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Hagel to Finalize Mideast Arms Deal with Israel, UAE & Saudi Arabia

The $10 billion arms deal with Israel, the UAE & Saudi Arabia will see the U.S. providing troop transports, warplanes & missiles.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

 

The U.S. Defense Department is expected to finalize a $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates next week that will provide missiles, warplanes and troop transports to help them counter any future threat from Iran, according to a Friday report in The New York Times.

HagelA week-long visit to the region by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will culminate a year of secret negotiations on a deal that Congressional officials said will be second only to the $29.5 billion sale of F-15 aircraft to Saudi Arabia announced in 2010, said the report. Continue Reading »

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| April 19, 2013
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ex-PM Olmert: Israel is covertly preventing a nuclear Iran

Former PM Olmert says Israel has done “many things quietly” to prevent Iran from going nuclear, but the effort must be led by the US.

Olmert, 2 ministers & envoy to US will address annual ‘Jerusalem Post’ New York conference on key issues next weekend.

By DAVID BRINN

 

Israel has been quietly active over a long period in preventing Tehran from achieving its nuclear aims, former prime minister Ehud Olmert revealed recently to The Jerusalem Post in an interview ahead of next weekend’s second annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York City.

EHUD OLMERT

EHUD OLMERT – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

“We did many things quietly over a long period of time that certainly helped prevent the Iranians from achieving this capacity long ago, but the effort must be led with the United States and the international community,” said Olmert, who will be the keynote speaker at the conference on April 28, as he was at the inaugural conference last year. Continue Reading »

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| April 19, 2013
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Two Rockets Fired at Israel by Gaza Terrorists

Terrorists from Hamas-controlled Gaza fired 2 rockets at southern Israel.

There were no injury or damage reported.

By Elad Benari

 

Terrorists from Hamas-controlled Gaza fired two rockets at southern Israel on Thursday evening.

The rockets exploded in an open area of the Eshkol Regional Council, causing no physical injuries or damages.

On Wednesday morning, the Color Red rocket alert siren blared throughout the city of Eilat shortly after 9 a.m. It is believed that terrorists fired three rockets at the city. No casualties were reported.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the rocket fire had been traced to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a region which has become a hotbed of terrorist activity since the fall in 2011 of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Continue Reading »

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| April 18, 2013
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Kerry: Palestinians & Israel have 2 years to make peace

U.S. secretary of state did not spell out to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, why he believes so little time is left for a 2-state solution saying, “I think we have some period of time a year to year-and-a-half to two years, or it’s over.”

By

 

Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday underlined the difficulty he will face in trying to chart a path toward Mideast peace, urging patience on the details of any two-state plan while stressing that Israel and the Palestinians might only have two years left for a deal.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on April 17, 2013 – Photo: AFP

He told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that he was committed to breaking a logjam that includes nearly no Israeli-Palestinian talks in the past 4 years and no solution in sight after more than six decades of conflict. Continue Reading »

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| April 18, 2013
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Assad: For Supporting Al-Qaeda, the West Will Pay Dearly

Syrian President says his regime’s defeat is not an option and warns the West that supporting Al-Qaeda will cost them heavily down the road.

By Elad Benari

 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned the West on Wednesday that it will pay a heavy price for its alleged support of Al-Qaeda in Syria. According to AFP, Assad said his regime’s defeat is not an option.

Syrian President Bashar Assad – Photo: AP

He made the comments in an interview with state television Al-Ikhbariya, in which he said the West is playing with fire.

“The West has paid heavily for funding Al-Qaeda in its early stages. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| April 17, 2013
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Israeli who infiltrated into Egypt caught & jailed for 2 years

Gavriel Avo explains to Egyptian authorities he was only trying to reach the tomb of Yaakov Abuhatzeira.

Itamar Eichner

An Egyptian court has sentenced an Israeli citizen in his 30s to two years in prison after he was convicted of illegal infiltration into Egypt, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Israel-Egypt border – Photo: AP

Gavriel Avo was arrested a month ago while trying to infiltrate into Taba via the border in Eilat.

During questioning he said he was trying to reach the tomb of Yaakov Abuhatzeira which is located half way between Cairo and Alexandria. Avo also told investigators he has plans to move to Morocco. Continue Reading »

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