War On Terror News

Syrian warplanes bomb Palestinian refugees

Syrian opposition activists say government warplanes have bombed a Palestinian refugee camp on the southern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, killing at least eight people.

The activists said Sunday's air strike was the first of its kind on the Yarmouk refugee camp since forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad began suppressing a popular uprising in March 2011. They said at least some of those killed were in a mosque struck by a missile.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Yarmouk raid was one of six government air strikes on southern areas of Damascus on Sunday. Rebels have been trying to advance from those areas into central Damascus, the seat of Mr. Assad's power.

Meanwhile, a Lebanese newspaper quoted Syria's vice president as saying neither the rebels nor the government can win the conflict militarily. In a report Sunday, Al-Akhbar said Farouk al-Sharaa made the rare public comment in an interview with the pro-Syrian newspaper. There was no immediate response to the report from the Syrian government.

If confirmed, al-Sharaa's comment would represent a departure from the Syrian government's stated determination to defeat what it sees as foreign-backed terrorists trying to end Mr. Assad's 12-year rule.

The paper quoted the vice president as saying the government is “not in a battle for the survival of an individual or a regime.”

In another quote, al-Sharaa purportedly said a solution to the conflict must involve “regional countries” and members of the U.N. Security Council, the stopping of all violence, and the creation of a “national unity government with wide powers.”

Elsewhere, an Islamist rebel faction claimed to have seized an army academy near the northern city of Aleppo after days of fighting with government troops. The Tawheed brigade posted a video on its website Sunday, showing fighters walking around the base, while exchanges of fire could be heard in the background.

The army academy appears to be the latest Syrian military installation to fall to the rebels this month around Aleppo, Syria's commercial capital.

At the Yarmouk camp, the Observatory said fighting erupted after the air strike, with Syrian rebels and their Palestinian allies battling a Palestinian faction loyal to Mr. Assad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). Syria is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendents, whose loyalties have been divided by the Syrian civil war.

The government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to the international community to take action to stop attacks on Palestinians in Syria.

There was no independent confirmation of the casualties at Yarmouk or the fighting at the military academy because Syria bars independent journalists from reporting freely. VoA.

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Hamas Leader returns to Gaza after 45 years

The leader of the Islamist Palestinian terrorist group Hamas arrived on Gaza Strip soil Friday, ending 45 years of exile from the Palestinian territories.

Khaled Meshaal had not visited the Palestinian territories since leaving the Israeli-occupied West Bank after the 1967 Six-Day War. He kissed the ground shortly after his arrival and hugged friends and Hamas leaders.

Officials say Meshaal will celebrate the Hamas movement's 25th anniversary on Saturday during his trip to the Palestinian enclave.

The trip comes after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas ended eight days of conflict. The violence killed more than 170 Palestinians and six Israelis.

Hamas won a parliamentary majority in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election and ousted Fatah forces in pitched gunbattles from Gaza a year later. Since then, the two sides have led rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza. VoA.

Uneasy truce in Israel

Palestinians and Israelis went about their day blanketed in relative calm Thursday, after a cease-fire brokered hours before gave citizens in the volatile area their first quiet night in more than a week.

If Israel and the Hamas terrorists who run the Gaza Strip can maintain peace until 9 p.m. local time , border areas from Gaza will be opened, allowing people and goods to move in and out of the territory.

The truce brokered by Egypt took effect at 9:00 p.m. local time Wednesday. 

Gazans poured into the streets after the cease-fire began, with some firing guns in celebration. In the West Bank Palestinian territory, Israel's army said Thursday it arrested 55 senior-level Palestinian terorists who are members of various terrorist factions.

Egypt is monitoring both sides for violations of the cease-fire agreement. The truce follows several days of intense aerial assaults on both sides of the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis dead.

Clinton called the truce “a critical moment for the region.”

“The people of this region deserve a chance to live free from fear and violence and today's agreement is a step in the right direction that we should build on.”

Clinton also praised Egypt's new government for assuming a key role in the effort and for pledging to work with Washington to ensure the cease-fire holds.

On Wednesday, a bomb blast on a bus in central Tel Aviv wounded at least 27 people, some seriously.

New rounds of missile and air attacks rained down on Gaza following the Tel Aviv attack.

Israel and Hamas had traded rocket fire for several days after a barrage of rockets struck Israel.  Israel says the attack was a direct response to months of almost daily rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza. VoA.

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Israel counter attacks Hamas in Gaza, after rocket attacks

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Palestinian Terrorists Launch Rocket Barrage Against Israeli Civilians

Palestinian terrorists want truce after firing 110 rockets

Palestinian terrorist groups say they are willing to declare a cease-fire if Israel is willing to do the same.

Leaders of Hamas, the Islamist faction that controls Gaza, met with Islamic Jihad and other groups and said they would respond according to the way Israel acted.

The offer came as Israeli officials are weighing a stronger response to four days of rocket strikes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told told foreign ambassadors that Israel would defend itself.  He spoke during a visit to Ashkelon, a southern city that has been battered by Gaza rockets.

Palestinian officials said six Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes since the latest fighting began during the weekend.  More than 110 rockets have hit Israeli towns in the latest round, the military said. VoA.

Israel counter attack kills 4 in Gaza

Palestinian terrorists fired a missile at an Israeli military jeep on Saturday and Israel responded with shelling into the Gaza Strip that killed four Palestinians.

Officials and witnesses say 25 people were wounded in the flare-up, which was one of several in the border region in recent months.

The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for firing the anti-tank missile into southern Israel.  Four Israeli solders were wounded in the attack.

Sporadic clashes have occurred between Israel and terrorists in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. VoA.

Hamas fires rockets as Israel defends its citizens

An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip before dawn Sunday has hit two Palestinian terrorists, killing one and wounding the other.

An Israeli military statement said its aircraft targeted a rocket-launching site where terrorists were preparing to fire a rocket into southern Israel.

Later Sunday, Israeli officials said rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel without causing any casualties.

The incidents followed a three-day lull between the two sides, bringing some respite from a recent upsurge in cross-border fighting. VoA.

Hamas launches rockets into Israel

Dozens of rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, wounding several people, while Israeli warplanes have killed four Gaza terrorists in retaliation.

The Israeli military said at least 68 rockets and mortars struck southern Israel on Wednesday, damaging homes and wounding several foreign laborers working in fields near the Gaza border.

It said the barrage began late Tuesday with several other rockets hitting Israeli territory. Israeli authorities closed schools in the border area as a precaution.

Israel carried out a series of retaliatory air strikes on Gaza late Tuesday and Wednesday, killing four Palestinians, including members of the Hamas terrorist group that controls Gaza. The strikes also wounded several others.

Hamas and a smaller terrorist group called the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks on Israel, saying they were a response to Israeli aggression.

Early Tuesday, terrorists also set off a bomb along the Gaza-Israel border fence, wounding an Israeli soldier. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a strong response to that attack.

Hamas members accused Israel of seeking revenge on Gaza for hosting a brief visit by the emir of Qatar earlier Tuesday. It was the first by a head of state to Gaza since Hamas seized power there in 2007. The militant group said the Qatari emir's visit was a victory in its efforts to end its political and economic isolation.

The Gaza-Israel border has seen occasional outbreaks of fighting between terrorists and Israeli forces.

Israel retaliates for rocket attack; kills two

Israel's military said its aircraft fired at several active terrorist sites in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket fired into Israel Friday.  No one was reported hurt in the rocket attack, but a bedroom in an Israeli house was sprayed with shrapnel. 

Israel and Gaza's Hamas terrorist rulers have mostly kept a truce since a short war in 2009.   But in recent days the two sides have exchanged fire, including an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Israeli officials are targeting global Islamist terrorists.

Palestinian officials say the Israeli air strike Saturday killed two men and wounded two other people in Gaza.

The officials in Gaza said a senior Salafist leader and another activist were killed in the northern town of Jabaliya. They said that one of the two people wounded in the attack is a teenage boy. VoA.

Hezbollah/Hamas take sides in the Syrian War

Syria's civil war appears to be drawing in Lebanese Hezbollah terrorists, subservient to Iran, and allied to President Bashar al-Assad while at the same time widening a rift between the Syrian leader and his former Palestinian terrorist allies Hamas.

In reports published Tuesday, Western news agencies quote Lebanese sources and Syrian activists as saying that a senior Hezbollah commander and two other Hezbollah terrorists have been killed near the Syrian town of Qusair, bordering northern Lebanon. The reports say the three Hezbollah men were killed in a Syrian rebel ambush on Saturday or Sunday.

Syrian rebels have accused Hezbollah of helping President Assad to fight an 18-month uprising against his autocratic rule. The Lebanese terrorist group has maintained strong political support for the Syrian president during the conflict but has not admitted to any military activity inside Syria.

Hezbollah identified the slain Hezbollah commander as Ali Hussein Nassif. It said he and the other terrorists were killed while engaging in jihad duties but did not disclose the location. Hezbollah's al-Manar television network broadcast the funerals of the fighters in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Tuesday.

In another development, Syrian state television has made a scathing verbal attack on Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, a former ally of Mr. Assad. In an editorial broadcast late Monday, the network accused Mashaal of turning his back on the Syrian government and betraying the Palestinian cause.

The commentary appeared to be a reaction to Mashaal's appearance at an Ankara conference organized by Turkey's ruling party on Sunday. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of President Assad's strongest critics in the region.

Syria granted Hamas leader Mashaal refuge status in 1999, when Jordan expelled him for involvement in illicit activities. Syria shared Hamas' hostility toward Israel and included the Palestinian terrorist group in an “axis of resistance” with Iran and Hezbollah.

But, Mashaal began distancing his Sunni Islamist terrorist group from Mr. Assad in the past year, as the minority Alawite leader intensified a deadly crackdown on the rebellion, led by Syria's majority Sunnis. Mashaal closed the Hamas office in Damascus earlier this year and relocated to predominantly-Sunni Qatar, while other Hamas officials moved to Egypt, where a Sunni Islamist president, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi, took office in June.

In the latest fighting in Syria, a rights group told VOA that government and rebel forces exchanged fire in almost every province on Tuesday, from Daraa in the south to Aleppo in the north. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 20 people were killed in Daraa, while five bodies were found in Aleppo.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency said security forces operating in Aleppo killed a group of terrorists and destroyed “explosives factories.”

Meanwhile, Russia urged the NATO alliance not to intervene militarily in the Syrian conflict in support of the rebels. Speaking in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said NATO also should not “introduce initiatives such as humanitarian corridors or buffer zones.”

Mr. Assad is a longtime Russian ally. Moscow has vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions that would have condemned his suppression of the revolt.

Iraq, Tuesday, ordered an Iranian plane bound for Syria to land in Baghdad to be searched for illicit weapons. Iraqi officials said no weapons were found and the plane was allowed to continue its journey to Damascus.

It was the first Iraqi weapons inspection of an Iranian aircraft since Washington called on Baghdad to prevent Iran from flying military supplies to the Syrian government through Iraqi airspace. VoA.

Islamists kill 16 Egyptian Border Guards

Gunmen killed 16 border guards then tried to cross the Israeli border in two stolen vehicles.  The Israeli military said one vehicle exploded and the second crossed the border before being destroyed by an Israeli air strike.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says he hopes a deadly attack on Egyptian border guards Sunday near the Gaza Strip and Israel will serve as a “wakeup call” for Egypt to enhance its security in the Sinai peninsula.

Barak told a parliamentary committee Monday that Israeli forces killed eight terrorists.

Israel's chief military spokesman said it had intelligence reports that helped it thwart the assault.

Egypt closed its Rafah border crossing with Gaza in response to the attack, which Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi called “cowardly.”

Sinai has become increasingly lawless since the ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak last year. Terrorists in Sinai have targeted Egyptian security forces, blown up pipelines supplying gas to Israel and Jordan and killed Israelis in cross-border attacks. VoA.

Israel counter attacks Hamas in Gaza, after rocket attacks

Israel's military said Saturday it carried out a series of airstrike in the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in response to more than 20 Palestinians rockets that crashed into Israel Saturday. One of the rockets, which brought the week's total to 150, injured an Israeli man in the town of Sderot.

Palestinian medical officials said the Israeli strikes killed two Palestinians and wounded at least 24 others. Palestinians claimed that one of the dead is a six-year-old boy.  Israel confirmed it struck multiple targets in Gaza but denied involvement in the child's death.

The violence erupted Monday when gunmen from Egypt killed an Israeli civilian in an ambush along Israel's southern border with Egypt.  Two gunmen were also killed in the attack, claimed by an Islamist terrorist group.

In response to the violence, Hamas threatened to break its three-day old Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel that had temporarily calmed violence.

The Israeli government has signaled it does not want an escalation of violence in Gaza, but it also said rocket attacks on Israeli civilians will not be tolerated and will be met with a “painful response.”

 

Middle East News 14 May 2012

Israel has brokered a deal to end Palestinian terrorist hunger strikes in their jails.

A second set of negotiations in Vienna is preceding a third set in Baghdad, with Iran, about their Nuclear weapons program, and after Obama's declaration that the prior Istanbul talks were Iran's last chance to come clean.

Syria continues to stack up the dead bodies of its people as more UN monitors arrive to watch the carnage.

Anti-Israel Malcontents Blocked from Entry

Israel on Sunday denied entry to hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists who planned to launch a “Welcome to Palestine” campaign in the West Bank.

Israeli authorities said they blocked a “fly-in” by the activists, who were to arrive at an airport near Tel Aviv. They said the activists were planning disruptions at the airport and protests in the West Bank.

Israeli Information Minister Yuli Edelstein said it was “very unfortunate that we have to face once again the kind of provocation coming from extremists from different countries.” He insisted that “those who will make it to Israel will not be allowed to create any disorder.”

But Palestinian organizer Abdul Fatah abu Suroor said Israel is blocking a peace mission. He said the activists are coming to Palestine, not Israel, and not in order to attack Israelis, but rather “to share a bit of humanity and support the Palestinian people despite being under occupation.”

Hamas Hangs 3 Palestinians

In the Gaza Strip, members of Hamas say they have executed three Palestinian men, one of whom was accused of “collaborating” with Israel.

Officials of Hamas, which controls the Gaza territory, say the three condemned prisoners – the alleged Israeli agent and two men accused of murder – were hanged at dawn Saturday at an unidentified “security center.”

Aiding Israel is an offense punishable by death under the Palestinian administration, as is murder.

Hamas said the three men all had been convicted and found guilty, but it gave no details of the proceedings against them.

The United States, the European Union and other nations list Hamas as a terrorist organization. The terrorist group seized full control of Gaza in 2007 in a violent split with the more moderate Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have agreed several times during the past year to end their disputes and form a unity government under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas. He was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005 and has remained in office since his term expired in 2009.

Under Palestinian regulations, any executions should be approved by Mr. Abbas, but Hamas rejects his authority and refuses such consultations. The Palestinian Authority has not executed anyone since 2004, but the practice has continued in Gaza under Hamas control.

The accused Israeli collaborator who was killed Saturday is believed to be the first prisoner hanged for such crimes in about nine months. VoA.

Palestinian Terrorists Launch Rocket Barrage Against Israeli Civilians

Rockets, mortar rounds and air strikes have hit near the Israeli-Gaza border in the worst violence in almost a year.

Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched more than 90 rockets into southern Israel Saturday, part of a response to Israeli airstrikes that killed 15 terrorists, including Zohair al-Qaisi, the leader of the Popular Resistance Committees .

Thousands of Palestinian mourners took to the streets of Gaza for the funeral processions of those killed in the Israeli strikes, many chanting “Revenge, revenge!”

Israel said it launched the airstrikes because the PRC was planning an attack on Israel from Egypt. Israeli officials also said at least one Israeli was seriously injured by a militant rocket.

Middle East News 15 February 2012

In Syria, it is being reported President Bashar al-Assad has ordered a constitutional referendum later this month that he says would end nearly five decades of single-party rule, as government troops continued to attack towns nationwide.

Iran unveiled what it says are a new generation of centrifuges to speed up uranium enrichment and its first domestically produced fuel rods. The Obama administration is downplaying the announcements.

Opposition parties in Bahrain have vowed to carry on with public demonstrations for political reform, after security forces prevented activists from staging a mass rally to mark the first anniversary of their uprising.

Two rival Palestinian organizations, Hamas and Fatah, agreed on a power-sharing accord earlier this month. Experts say the new agreement is another step forward in healing the rift between the two organizations, whose territories are separated by Israel.

Details after the break

Israel Releases 550 More Palestinian Terrorists

Robert Berger, VoA News, Jerusalem

Israel has completed a prisoner swap with the Palestinian militant group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip.

There were celebrations in the West Bank as Israel released 550 Palestinian prisoners. A Palestinian celebrant said it is a step in the right direction. “We believe that we have our state and they have their state, and we can live with peace," she said.

It was the second phase of a prisoner swap negotiated for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit two months ago, after being held hostage for five years of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel freed 477 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase. The final tally: 1,027 prisoners for one Israeli soldier.

While the Palestinians celebrated, there were mixed feelings in Israel. The first phase of the swap saw the release of top Hamas terrorists involved in deadly bombing and shooting attacks. Israeli analyst Dan Schueftan expects a new wave of terror. “This is the greatest, significant victory for terrorism that Israel has made possible since its establishment, and it will cost us many people dead and captured," he said.

Nevertheless, polls show that the vast majority of Israelis support the prisoner swap and the national effort to bring their soldiers home at any price.

Middle East News 14 December 2011

As Iraq war officially ends, US President Obama goes to Ft Bragg.

Hamas rallies in Gaza to mark 24th anniversary.

In Egypt, the second round of elections sees the Islamists expecting to maintain their lead.

More killing in Syria, as today's violence claims at least 25 lives.

As Yemen transitions towards democracy, it is organizing a presidential election with only one likely candidate: Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Details after the break.

Middle East News - 3 Dec 2011

Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood, appear to be the big winner in Egyptian elections.

SecDef Panetta is demanding Israel make concessions to get Hamas back to the peace talks, as Islamists gain power across the Middle East.

Syria continues to kill Syrians as the Arab League demands that Government Officials travel to Doha as it bans them from traveling abroad.  Meanwhile, Syrian troops continue to defect to the opposition as 23 more deaths mount.

Iraq's al-Maliki is claiming a recent suicidal islamist attack inside the Green Zone was an assassination attempt on him personally, rather than the entire Parliament.

Israel Begins Deportation of Westerners Who Attempted Illegal Entry

The Israeli government has started deportation procedures for a group of pro-Palestinian activists who tried to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Authorities said several activists and journalists who had been on the boats were flying home Saturday. More than 20 other people still are being processed.

Israeli forces intercepted the activists' two ships in international waters Friday evening local time and escorted them to an Israeli port north of Gaza.

The Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson said in a statement that the boarding was carried out in line with directives from the government after attempts were made to prevent the vessels from reaching Gaza. There were no reports of injuries.

On Friday, the IDF posted on YouTube a video showing Israeli naval officers warning the activists' ships that they were attempting to breach a legal blockade. The video also showed the naval officer offering the activists access to Israel for the transportation of their cargo to Gaza.

A spokeswoman for the activists claim the ships were carrying medical supplies and letters of solidarity for the Palestinian people. Contact with the ships was lost shortly after two Israeli navy vessels intercepted them.

The 27 activists from countries including the United States, Canada, and Ireland set sail from Turkey on Wednesday. They claimed their goal was to deliver medical aid directly to Palestinians in Gaza, in defiance of Israel's blockade, despite offers by Israel to allow the aid through existing channels.

Israel imposed a naval blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory in 2007 in what Israeli officials say is a bid to keep weapons from reaching terrorists in Gaza.

Last year, nine activists were killed when Israeli commandos were attacked boarding a Turkish-led aid flotilla headed for Gaza. The confrontation caused a deterioration in relations between Turkey and Israel.

VoA

Middle East News 4 November 2011

Syria misled the  Arab League, and the crackdown and murders continues.

Israel has seized the two vessels attempting to break the blockade earlier today.  Predictably, Hamas calls it "an act of piracy."

In Iran, the anuual anti-American display,as protesters mark the anniversary of the 1979 US Embassy seizure.

Palestinians face more setbacks in their bid for UN membership.

In Bahrain security forces have used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters marching toward Pearl Square in the capital Manama.

Details after the break.

UN Votes on Palestine Membership as Islamic Jihad Preps Rockets

Palestinians expect to win full membership at the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO as early as Monday, in a vote that would boost their bid for international recognition as an independent state.

Paris-based UNESCO is the first U.N. agency the Palestinians have sought to join since President Mahmoud Abbas applied last month for full recognition of Palestinian statehood by the General Assembly of all U.N. members.

A two-thirds vote by the 193 members of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is needed for membership, and the Palestinians are expected to garner a large majority in support of their application.

However, a Palestinian success in Paris could be costly for UNESCO. U.S. law prohibits Washington from funding any U.N.-affiliated body that accepts Palestinian membership. The U.S. currently is UNESCO's biggest funding source by far, supplying 22 percent of the agency's budget.

The Palestinian bid has triggered a frantic lobbying effort by American diplomats asking UNESCO members to reject the application.

Middle East News 19 October 2011

Hamas to give $2,000 to each released Palestinian prisoner, as debate continues about the long term ramifications of the release.

Turkey bombs Kurds in Iraq.

Pakistani Military chief warns US against unilateral military action, as US Secretary of State Clinton visits Afghanistan.

A Yemen market place was the site of a grenade bomb which killed two,  and the   President again says that he'll quit - but only if he is given guarantees from world community.

In Syria, thousands rally for Assad, and 20 die.

UN investigator to present report on Iran's 'alleged' human rights violations.

Sirte in Libya is still the scene of fierce battles, as National Transitional Council fighters said Wednesday they have confined Gadhafi loyalists to a small portion of one neighborhood but continue to face stiff resistance.

Details after the break.

Middle East News - 17 Oct 2011

The Israeli Supreme Court has rejected 4 petitions by relatives of terrorist attacks to halt the transfer of Palestinian terrorists to numerous Arab countries in exchange for an Israeli Soldier kidnapped by Hamas.

Libyan rebels continue to battle Qaddaffi loyalists in pockets of Sirte and Bani Walid, while the Qaddaffi supporters have admitted the death of Qaddaffi's son Khamis, last August.

Fighting in Yemen's capital and elsewhere in the country has killed 8 people there.

Syrian rebels have killed five government Troops, while the UN and Arab League continue to talk about talking about it.

Jordan's Prime Minister has resigned amidst continued discontent there.

Iran says it's ready to consider evidence against it in the Saudi Ambassador assassination plot while continuing to deny its guilt.

Middle East News 16 Oct 2011

Iraqi Kurds are raging mad at the ban of the Kurdish flag in Diyala.

Iran's Ahdiminijihadist has followed the lead of its dictator, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameneni in pretending they weren't involved in an assassination attempt of the Saudi Ambassador in the US.

Israel has released the names of 477 Hamas terrorists to be released in the first batch of over 1000 to be exchanged for 1 Israeli hostage, giving citizens 48 hours to contest.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is undergoing back surgery, again.

Libyan rebels are still unable to take the last strongholds of the country, as allegations of looting mount.

Middle East News - 15 Oct 2011

Israel is reviewing the files of 477 Hamas prisoners as it prepares to release over 1000 terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shilat, held hostage since 2006.

Egypt's Military rulers have banned religious discrimination in the wake of Military and Islamist attacks on Coptic Christians.

Tunisian Police had to break up a mob of Islamists that assembled on the TV station in protest of a film aired about the Islamist Revolution in Iran, Persepolis.

Iran's dictator has unsurprisingly denied ties to the plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the US, while the State Department has confirmed rumors that they held direct talks with the Islamist Regime in recent days.

Syria slaughtered another 16 people over the last 2 days as Assad attempts to buy 4 more months by "drafting a new constitution."

Oman held elections for its 84 member Shura Council.

Eighteen Yemeni were killed in unrest there, while 9 Al-Qaeda terrorists were killed, including an American, and the Egyptian media chief, in airstrikes in other parts of the country.

Fighting broke out in Libya's capital between Qaddaffi supporters and the Rebel government.

Report: Shalit Transferred to Egypt

10/14/2011

Egyptian officials: Gilad Shalit has been transferred to their custody by Hamas pursuant to his exchange for 1,027 terrorists.

By Gavriel Queenann

Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Youm reported late Wednesday that Hamas handed captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit over to Egypt pursuant to the deal brokered with Israel for his release.

Egyptian officials reportedly told the newspaper Shalit was transferred to Egypt through the Rafiah crossing.

According to eyewitnesses, Shalit was driven through the Rafah crossing in a black car that has not undergone inspection – a common procedure when moving senior Hamas officials.

Middle East News 13 October 2011

Israeli and Palestinian officials say captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit could be freed as early as Tuesday under a prisoner swap deal under negotiation.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of seeking international influence through “murder and mayhem,”  following the plot to assassinate  the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington.  This as middle east experts puzzle about Iran's motives.

An imprisoned Egyptian blogger will continue his hunger strike though his lawyer says he has been granted a re-trial by Egypt's military court.

Loyalists of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have slowed an advance by provisional government fighters who have been trying to gain control of the coastal town of Sirte.

Syrian activists claim the death toll of protesters by government forces is at least 13 today.

Details after the break

History of an American Terrorist: al-Awlaki

U.S.-born Islamist terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, killed by a U.S. strike in Yemen on Friday, 30 Sep 2011 was a notorious and outspoken figure within al-Qaida, and a leader of the terrorist network's wing in Yemen.

The Obama administration targeted Awlaki for his role in orchestrating terrorism aimed at the United States. He had become more prominent since the death in May of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.

Awlaki, whose group in Yemen is al-Qaida's branch in the Arabian Peninsula, was believed to have been the target of a U.S. drone attack in May that killed two terrorists in Yemen. He also escaped an air attack that killed 30 people last year.

Awlaki was born in New Mexico in 1971 to Yemeni parents and was fluent in Arabic and English.

He served as an "imam" at several U.S. mosques, including one in the western city of San Diego from 1996 to 2000, where he had 200-300 followers and was frequented by two terrorists who later were involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States.  He was arrested in August 1996 and April 1997 for soliciting prostitutes in San Diego, paid a total of $650 in fines, did 12 hours of "community service," and 3 years probabation as a result.

Middle East News - 24 Sep 2011

Two American Hikers left Oman today and returned to the US, after being released by Iran, following the payment of $1 Million in ransom.

Turkey captured a Syrian flagged ship it accuses of carrying armaments to the neighboring country and promises to block all arms from reaching Syria.

Syria murdered 5 more of its subjects, while it organized supporters who threw eggs and stones at the French Ambassador to the country.

Yemen's President returned to the country after recovering from an islamist mortar attack on a mosque.

Bahrain held an election to fill the seats of Parliament abandoned by the Shi'ite politicians in February.

The unelected leaders of Egypt and Libya congratulated themselves for their 'democratic' rise to power at the UN.  Libya also announced an unelected government will be appointed next week, while rebel forces battle for control of two more strongholds of Qaddaffi.

  India noted that the world economy has gotten worse since the 2008 US Elections.  Israel welcomed the call for new peace talks, while the Palestinians rejected the idea, demanding the UN recognize them as a Nation instead.

Middle East News Roundup - 22 Aug 2011

IRAN has begun moving its nuclear centrifuges into a facility under a mountain in Qom.

LIBYAN rebels are mopping up in Tripoli, solidifying control of the city, attacking the last remaining pockets of government control, & searching for members of the Qaddaffi regime and family, including those previously reported as captured.  Foreign Nations rushed to state their support for the Rebels.

SYRIA: The UN has determined that 2,200 murdered civilians is the threshold for condemning Syrian attacks on its subjects.

HAMAS terrorists continued launching rockets at Israeli civilians, this time in Ashkelon.

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Middle East News Roundup - 21 Aug 2011

Syria's Assad has thumbed his nose at critics of his slaughter of his own citizens, telling the world to butt out and mind their own business, that he'll do what he wants when he wants.

Libyan Rebels continue to tighten the noose on Qaddafi, overrunning a major base near Tripoli and taking 3 districts of the capital, while Qaddafi claims to be in full control and willing to defend his dictatorship to the death.  He called on "millions" to march against the Rebels, while Tunisia officially recognized the rebels as the legitimate government of Libya.  President Obama continues to re-iterate his message from 3 months ago: "Qaddafi's days are numbered."

Palestinian Terrorist Group Hamas launched another 17 rockets at Israeli civilians, bringing the total above 100, which have killed Israeli Women and Children, as well as Palestinian civilians.  Egypt has rejected Israel's apology over the border incident following the initial attacks by Hamas.

YEMEN: Terrorists have detonated two suicidal islamists in order to murder tribal leaders and security personnel, killing at least 11.

Middle East News - 20 Aug 2011

LIBYA: Rebels Advance on Tripoli as Libyan Civil War spills into Tunisia.  Another Qaddaffi loyalist defected to the rebels, while leaving Tunisia for Italy.

ISRAEL: Hamas has continued to launch rockets at civilians in Israel, killing 1 more, wounding 20 in Ofakim, Beersheba, & Ashdod, including Palestians & Children, after murdering 11 yesterday.  Meanwhile, Israel apologized for a retaliatory strike in Sinai that killed Egyptian soldiers.  Israel continues to target terrorist positions launching rockets and mortars in Gaza.
EGYPT has recalled its Ambassador to Israel.

SYRIA: Government Forces continue to slaughter Syrian Civilians, with a current focus on the Homs Province cities of Latakia, Deir el-Zour, and Hama.  Western powers have declared that Assad must abdicate.

IRAN: Sentenced American Hikers to 8 years in prison, ending speculation that they would be released for Ramadan.

IRAQ: SecDef Panetta notes that US Troops will be deployed in new crises in the Middle East, while he expects the US pleas to Iraq to allow US Troops to remain there to bear fruit.

KASHMIR: INDIAN Troops have killed 12 terrorists from PAKISTAN.

 

Hamas Claims Shalit ‘Fasting’ During Ramadan

Psychological warfare? Hamas claims Shalit is fasting during Ramadan and is frustrated over the lack of a deal to secure his release.

by Elad Benari Published: 05/08/11

Hamas is continuing to use psychological tactics to apply pressure on Israel to strike a deal to release Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who was kidnapped by terrorists in 2006.

IDF soldier Gilad Shalit

Israel news photo: screenshot of Hamas video

On Wednesday, the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency quoted a Hamas-affiliated website which said Shalit has decided to fast during Ramadan.

“A popular proverb goes that if one lives in a community for more 40 days, he becomes one of them,” the Ar-Risala website said. “This seems to have come true in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas Executes Two Arabs for ‘Collaborating’ with Israel

  26/07/11

Hamas again resorts to executions to punish Gaza Arabs for 'collaborating' with Israel. Palestinian Authority law authorizes the executions.

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Hamas again resorted to executions by hanging to punish two Gaza Arabs for allegedly collaborating with Israel. The executions are legal under Palestinian Authority law.

The Hamas Interior Ministry announced the executions after appeals were rejected for convictions handed down in 2004. Human rights activists have not commented on the executions.

Activists Reject Greek Offer to Send Flotilla Aid to Gaza

4 July 2011 VOA News Organizers of a pro-Palestinian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip have rejected a Greek government offer that would ferry humanitarian aid to Gaza using its own vessels under United Nations supervision.

Activists late Sunday said they still are looking into ways to circumvent Greece's order preventing ships docked in its ports from departing for the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

The Greek initiative would have the humanitarian aid currently aboard flotilla ships loaded onto watercraft of the Greek government and transferred to Gaza through organized channels. The supplies would be shipped to Gaza through Israeli ports as requested by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Earlier Sunday, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou discussed the offer with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Greece said the plan would involve “constant contact with the Palestinian Authority” and that Mr. Abbas had expressed his support.

Gilad Shilat Begins 6th Year As Hamas Hostage

Israelis Mark 5th Year of Soldier’s Capture

VoA News: Hundreds of supporters of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit have gathered in Jerusalem and at the site near the Gaza border where Palestinian terrorists seized him in a deadly raid five years ago.

At least 400 people massed Saturday at the Kerem Shalom crossing, close to the spot where Shalit was abducted on June 25, 2006, by militants who tunneled under the border, killed two soldiers and dragged him into Gaza.

Hamas Rejects Fayyad to Head New Palestinian Government

12 June 2011 VOA News The militant Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has rejected its secular rival Fatah's nominee to head a future unity government.

Fatah on Saturday nominated current Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a political independent, as its candidate to lead the new government. Fayyad is a U.S.-educated economist and former International Monetary Fund official who enjoys the respect of foreign donors. He has also been credited with building the government institutions necessary for Palestinian statehood.

A Hamas official said Sunday that Fayyad is unfit for the job of prime minister because he “has sunk the West Bank into debt.” Salah Bardawil also accused him of cooperating with the United States and Israel in cracking down on Hamas in the Fatah-controlled West Bank.

France Tries to Pick up the Peaces Obama Broke

Palestinians Accept French Proposal for Mideast Talks

Robert Berger VoA News Jerusalem: There is a new effort to restart the stalled Middle East peace process-this time through European mediation.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accepted a French proposal to convene Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Paris to discuss reviving peace talks. The initiative calls for the meeting to take place by early July.

Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Mr. Abbas, says the ball is in Israel's court.  In remarks broadcast on Israel Television, Erekat said the French initiative supports U.S. President Barack Obama's call for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. He said the Palestinians are waiting for an answer from the Israeli government.

PLO to UN: Meet Our Demands Or We'll Get More Violent

Senior Palestinian Predicts Violence if Statehood Blocked at UN

Carolyn Presutti: A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization - Hanan Ashrawi - says the Arab Spring events of the past few months have had a major impact on the Middle East, including the reconciliation of the rival Palestinian groups, Fatah and Hamas. But, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.S. Congress earlier this week that Israel will never talk peace with the Palestinians as long Hamas plays a leading role.

Political violence in Yemen. NATO airstrikes in Libya. Millions promised by the world's industrial giants for democratic change in the Middle East. All are elements of what's called the Arab Spring.

But there are no signs of spring between Israelis and Palestinians.