30 August 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Several Injured By Army Fire North Of Jerusalem
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources have reported that several residents have been treated for the effects of teargas inhalation while others were shot by rubber-coated metal bullets fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes with local residents at the main northern entrance of the town of Ar-Ram, and at the Qalandia terminal, north of occupied Jerusalem. …
Three Palestinians Kidnapped Near Nablus
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers kidnapped late on Thursday at night [August 30, 2013] three Palestinians at a roadblock near Huwwara town, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. …
Egypt Arrests Five Palestinian Fishermen, Two Injured
IMEMC – Palestinian sources in Gaza have reported that five Palestinian fishermen have been kidnapped on Friday at dawn [August 30, 2013] after members of the Egyptian navy attacked their boat claiming they crossed into Egyptian water; a sixth fishermen was taken prisoners, and two were injured. …
Medics: Israeli forces shoot farmer in Gaza
8/30/2013 – GAZA (Ma’an) — A Palestinian farmer was shot and injured on Friday East of Jabalia north of the Gaza Strip, medics said. Israeli forces opened fire at Yousef Saad, 20, injuring him in the thigh. He was taken to Kamal Edwan hospital in Jabalia. [END]
Egyptian forces shoot at Palestinian fishermen
8/30/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egyptian naval forces on Friday shot two Palestinian fishermen near the Egypt-Gaza border and detained five others, Palestinian sources in Gaza said. Egyptian forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, injuring 19-year-old Ibrahim Abdullah al-Najjar and 21-year-old Wael al-Bardawil. They were taken to the Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in the Palestinian side of Rafah. Egyptian forces detained Khalid….
Tear-gas canister sparks fire in Abu Dis
8/30/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A fire broke out in the backyard of a house in the Ras Qabsa neighborhood in Abu Dis after Israeli forces fired a number of tear-gas canisters at it. A Civil Defense report said firefighters managed to put of the fire before it spread to nearby lands. [END]
Report: Israel to deport African migrants to Uganda
8/30/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has struck a deal to deport tens of thousands of illegal African migrants to Uganda, Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday. It said that a court gag order barring identification of the destination country had been lifted at its request, but that the government still refused to give any details of the deal. Citing unnamed sources, the paper said Israel would finance the….
Israeli forces detain Nablus man
8/30/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli soldiers detained a Palestinian man in a raid on a northern West Bank village of Taluza early Friday, locals and the army said. Witnesses said 12 Israeli military vehicles entered Taluza, north of Nablus, and detained 22-year-old Theib Jaber Jalajleh after raiding his home. An Israeli military spokeswoman said forces detained one Palestinian in Taluza. [END]
Reports: Tel Aviv gets missile defense amid Syria fears
8/30/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defense system in Tel Aviv on Friday, as the United States weighed military strikes on neighboring Syria, local media said. Army radio said that a battery of the mobile system was set up during the morning in the greater Tel Aviv area. News website Ynet said that unlike last November when the interceptor missiles brought down rockets….
Hamas: PA detains 4 members in West Bank
8/30/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security forces detained four Hamas members in the West Bank, Hamas said Friday. PA forces detained four Hamas-affiliated teachers who work at a school in Yatta, south of Hebron, Hamas said in a statement. Forces from the Fatah-led PA also summoned several Hamas affiliates, including a former prisoner of Israel from Sair village, a young man from Ras Attiya….
Hamas leader: We reject internal conflict
8/30/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Hamas leader Jamal al-Tawil said Friday that Hamas rejects “internal conflict” and urged security forces allied to Fatah’s President Mahmoud Abbas to not interfere with protests. At a sit-in for Hamas supporters in al-Bireh in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, al-Tawil called on security forces and policemen to “prove their unity” by joining the demonstration.”We came….
Man drowns off Gaza coast
8/30/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A 20-year-old man drowned off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, locals said. Salah Musbah Qendil’s body was taken to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, locals told Ma’an. [END]
Muslim Brotherhood member shot, injured in Sinai arrest raid
8/30/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — A Muslim Brotherhood member was shot in the abdomen on Thursday in clashes with Egyptian security forces during an arrest raid in Sinai, Egyptian security sources said. Violent clashes broke out when Egyptian forces raided a Muslim Brotherhood meeting in the al-Masaeid neighborhood, west of el-Arish, security officials told Ma’an. During the raid, Egyptian forces arrested eight Muslim….
Blow to Cameron as UK parliament rejects Syria action
8/30/2013 – LONDON (AFP) — British lawmakers on Thursday voted against military action in Syria in a stunning defeat for Prime Minister David Cameron. The government was defeated by just 13 votes in the House of Commons in its bid for a “strong humanitarian response” to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. Minutes after the shock result, Cameron told lawmakers: “It is clear to….
France says Syria strike possible by Wednesday
8/30/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — French President Francois Hollande said a military strike on Syria could come by Wednesday and that Britain’s surprise rejection of armed intervention would not affect his government’s stand.”France wants firm and proportionate action against the Damascus regime,” he said in an interview to Le Monde daily on Friday. The French parliament is due to meet on Wednesday for….
France backs action on Syria as US seeks coalition
8/30/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — French President Francois Hollande gave a boost Friday to US hopes of forging an international coalition for possible strikes against Syria after British lawmakers rejected any involvement in military action. The White House had signaled Thursday that President Barack Obama, guided by the “best interests” of the United States, was ready to go it alone on Syria after deadly chemical weapons attacks last….
Syria army captain among 5 charged over Lebanon bombings
8/30/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Five people, including a Syrian army captain, were charged on Friday over deadly attacks in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli a week ago, a judicial source said. Two Lebanese religious figures were also charged over the twin car bombs outside Sunni mosques on August 23, which killed 45 people in the bloodiest attack since Lebanon’s 15-year civil war….
Western doubts grow as Syria strike looms
8/30/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — As an initial wave of outrage over a chemical weapons attack in Syria subsides and planning for a military response proceeds, Western nations are increasingly gripped by doubt. Politicians and the international pu
blic alike were shocked by news of a chemical strike on civilians in a Damascus suburb, but support for a punitive strike is not universal. The recent experience of brutal wars….
Kerry: Syria strike ‘tailored response,’ not ‘open-ended’
8/30/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday the expected US military action against Syria would be a “tailored response” to punish Bashar Assad’s regime for its use of chemical weapons. Kerry said President Barack Obama “has said very clearly that whatever decision he makes in Syria, it will bear no resemblance to Afghanistan, Iraq or even Libya. It will not involve….
US says has ‘duty’ to act after Syria nerve gas attack
8/30/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States released intelligence Friday to show why it is certain that Syrian forces have killed civilians with chemical weapons and said Washington has a historic duty to act. As a window for expected US air strikes beckoned, the White House produced a declassified intelligence report which said 1,429 people including 426 children were killed in the Aug. 21 outrage outside Damascus….
Ashrawi Calls on Royal HaskoningDHV to End its Involvement in Israeli Project in East Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Israel Deploys Iron Dome Battery in Tel Aviv, Amid Syria Tensions
Palestine News Network
MADA Wraps Up a Training Course For Media Students
Palestine News Network
Palestine Rejects Attempts to Impose Israel s Education System on Schools in East Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Man Killed in Clashes Near Nablus
Palestine News Network
Dr. Ashrawi: Without East Jerusalem as our Capital, There Can Be No Palestinian State or Any Hope for Peace
Palestine News Network
Syrian Arab Republic: Syria and Environs: Estimates and Locations of Displaced Persons (as of 27 August 2013)
Relief Web 30 Aug 2013 – Source: US Department of State – Humanitarian Information Unit Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic As of mid-2013, numbers of IDPs range from 4.5 million (UN) to 5.1 million (Syria Needs Analysis Project). Lack of access, assessment, and registration…
Syrian Arab Republic: Palestinian refugee family’s escape from Syria via tropical island to new life in Sweden
Relief Web 30 Aug 2013 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic NEW DELHI, India, August 30 (UNHCR) “The Sunny Side of Life”, beam the tourism ads for the Maldives, a tropical island in the Indian Ocean. That…
occupied Palestinian territory: In the West Bank, UNRWA Supports Students and Parents Accessing Education
Relief Web 30 Aug 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory 30 Aug 2013 West Bank Anas Hajajleh, an 11-year-old boy, will begin fifth grade in September 2013 in one of the West Bank…
occupied Palestinian territory: Palestinian family driven from ‘tin hut’ into cave
Relief Web 29 Aug 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 08/30/2013 01:52 GMT by John DAVISON JERUSALEM, August 30, 2013 (AFP) – When Israeli bulldozers knocked down their home, Khaled Zir al-Husseini and his family had to find a new roof over their…
Kerry states case for action against ‘inconceivable horror’ of Syria’s chemical weapons
The National 30 Aug 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry makes clear that the United States will punish Syrian President Bashar Al Assad for the “brutal and flagrant” chemical weapons attack that he said killed more than 1,400 people in Syria.
Morsi loyalists renew protests against Egyptian army
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Muslim Brotherhood claims six people were killed in marches in Giza and Port Said while earlier in the day a civilian and a policeman were killed in a drive-by shooting.
Lebanon claims Syria link to Tripoli bombs that killed 47
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Military prosecutor Saqr Saqr accused two Sunni sheikhs who support the regime of Bashar Al Assad of working with two Syrians to set up a cell to carry out terrorist acts in Lebanon.
More of the same forecast as Al Ain is blasted by sandstorm
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Strong winds blew dust and sand through the Garden City around 3.30pm on Friday and more storms are predicted for the weekend.
Dubai skyline art lifts fans into another dimension
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Crowds pose for photos at 3D painting of Dubai’s skyline created by British artist Joe Hill as part of a promotion for the Planes film.
Egypt’s army chief rules out presidential run, but the choice may not be his
The National 30 Aug 2013 – General El Sisi’s popularity is rooted in the relief felt by many Egyptians that the army removed Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power.
Chronic bowel diseases on the rise across UAE
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Cases of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – the major types of the disease – are increasing globally.
A warm welcome for Muslim converts in Dubai
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Seminar organised by the Islamic Information Centre at the Dar Al Ber Society, helps new followers to learn more about Islam.
New Dubai academy teaches skills to better your work and home life
The National 30 Aug 2013 – A form of life coaching called neuro-linguistic programming can have a positive effect on practitioners’ work and personal lives.
Emirati becomes first Arab woman to reach public speaking world championship
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Shurooq AlBanna beat out more than 30,000 people from all over the world to take third place in the 2013 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking.
Relocated to The World: Dubai coral reef flourishing in new home
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Nakheel’s successfully re-homed coral reef around The World islands is now open to diving groups.
Indonesian minister calls for Miss World to be cancelled
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Indonesia’s religious affairs minister has called for the Miss World beauty pageant to be cancelled, as opposition in the Muslim-majority country mounts the week before the contest opens in Bali.
Meet the robot pharmacist that dispenses medicine in Abu Dhabi
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Universal Hospital debuted its Rowa Smart System, a Dh3.5m robotic machine that dispenses medicine, cutting down on wait times for patients.
Dubai resident arrested abroad in military contract bribery case
The National 30 Aug 2013 – Lida Amin, 39, faces a five-year jail term and a US$250,000 if found guilty of conspiring to bribe a public official in exchange for military contracts.
Video: Lebanon’s Syrian refugees support military strike
The National 29 Aug 2013 – Syrian refugees seeking shelter in northern Lebanon say they would support a military strike against the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Video: Britons welcome failed Syria vote
The National 29 Aug 2013 – British citizens largely support parliamentary vote against military intervention in Syria
Emirati academics have Twitter accounts hijacked by hoax virus
The National 30 Aug 2013 – An unknown hoax Twitter virus spreading through a link successfully seized five accounts of prominent users.
UK no vote does not change France’s will to act on Syria: Hollande
The National 30 Aug 2013 – French President Francois Hollande says he still supports taking “firm” punitive action over an attack he said had caused “irreparable” harm to the Syrian people.
Video: We will continue looking for support on Syria-Hagel
The National 29 Aug 2013 – US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says the US will continue working for an international coalition on military action in Syria after British parliament votes against it.
Video: White House says ‘preponderance of evidence’ Assad used chemical weapons
The National 29 Aug 2013 – The White House says a report on chemical weapons use in Syria will be delivered to the American public this week a move which could pave the way to attack on Syria.
Lapid and Bennett: The brotherhood of the fat cats
Ha’aretz – 30 Aug 2013
Attempt at mass expulsion
Ha’aretz – 30 Aug 2013
Who is a Jew? Who am I?
Ha’aretz – 30 Aug 2013
A game of monopoly with only one winner (and it’s not you)
Ha’aretz – 29 Aug 2013
The strange laws of war
Ha’aretz – 29 Aug 2013
Tension and skepticism as Obama nears Syria moment
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – As US President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry continue to make the case for intervention in Syria, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that a majority of Americans still oppose any military involvement in the Syrian crisis.
Obama says Syria chemical weapons attack threatens Israel, Jordan
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – Following release of American intelligence report that found the Assad regime responsible for chemical weapons attack in Damascus, Obama says the United States is looking at limited response, still in the planning process.
US intelligence report holds Assad gov’t responsible for Syria chemical weapons attack
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – 1,429 Syrian civilians in Aug. 21 attack, 426 of them children.
Kerry: Syria intervention will not be like Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – US military action in Syria will be “limited and tailored.”
Syria army defectors say US strikes could kill Assad opponents
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – Civilians, Sunni soldiers imprisoned in Syrian army bases could be hurt in US-led strikes; Assad forces hide among civilians.
Report: Incendiary bomb dropped on students in Syria
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – BBC reporters describe victims as looking like “the walking dead,” say they had Napalm-like burns, but no shrapnel wounds.
Six dead as thousands of Morsi supporters march in Egypt
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – At least 50 injured, and more than 20 were arrested; Egypt gov’t says curfew breakers would face legal consequences.
Conservative MP to Post : UK parliament rejecting Syria vote a ‘total shock’
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – Former UK Army officer trained on chemical warfare: Widely available evidence points at Syrian regime as responsible for attack.
Polls: Israelis want US, Europe to attack Syria, but against IDF intervention
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – Two-thirds of respondents to Gal Hadash poll concerned American attack on Syria would lead to Israeli involvement in war.
Egypt naval police shoot, injure 2 Gaza fishermen, detain 5
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – Incident a mark of deteriorating relations between Hamas an Egypt since ouster of Islamist Morsi.
France says it could take military action in Syria without Britain
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – French President Francois Hollande says, “Each country is sovereign to participate or not in operation.”
Uganda denies striking deal to absorb African migrants from Israel
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – African nation denies it will take thousands of Eritrean, Sudanese deportees.
Judge investigated for beating his kids to return to duties in January
Jerusalem Post 30 Aug 2013 – Livni and Grunis say judge won’t handle criminal, family cases; case dropped in May for “the good of the children.”
Comment: What, me? Panic?
Jerusalem Post 29 Aug 2013 – Pragmatism and typical unruliness that characterize the country not fear.
Analysis: Are Syrian and Iranian threats just bluster?
Jerusalem Post 29 Aug 2013 – US military expert says Syria is capable of attacking Israel, as it has hundreds of scud missiles and others from Iran, such as the Fateh-110 surface-to-surface missile that has at least a 200-km range.
Uganda named as country to absorb African migrants from Israel
Jerusalem Post 29 Aug 2013 – African nation will also allow migrants to use its territory as a transit point to return to their home countries.
CBS: Settler housing starts up by 141.5% this year
Jerusalem Post 29 Aug 2013 – 75% of construction cases were in the five largest settlements; work began on 1,461 homes during the first six months of 2013.
White House: Response to Syrian chemical weapons will be discreet and limited’
Jerusalem Post 29 Aug 2013 – US: Probable Assad s forces carried out attack; UK waits for UN mission before decision; Russia sends warships to region.
U.S. Drive to Attack Syria Stalls
IPS What seemed inevitable just 48 hours ago an imminent U.S. missile attack on Syrian targets in response to an alleged chemical attack that reportedly killed hundreds of Syrian citizens stalled Thursday as the justification for military action faced increasing questioning both here and abroad. Growing calls by both…
UK Publishes Legal Backing for Syria Strike
IPS The British government has published internal legal advice which it said showed it was legally entitled to take military action against Syria, even if the United Nations Security Council blocked such action. It also published intelligence material on Thursday on last week s alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, saying there…
One Way to See the Killing in Syria
IPS Zuhair Hassib with one of his paintings. Credit: Karlos Zurutuza/IPS Zuhair Hassib did not witness the last and the most ghastly massacre in Syria. Images of last year s Siege of Homs were enough for the artist to have seen. His paintings have brought those horrors home in a way pictures…
U.S., U.N. in Diplomatic Cross-Talk Over Syria
IPS The United States cannot legally intervene militarily in Syria without the backing of the United Nations Security Council. Credit: Bomoon Lee/IPS When the administration of President George W. Bush launched a military attack on Iraq in March 2003, it was nearly 18 months before Kofi Annan, then-U.N. secretary-general, described the…
Israeli Lobby Looks to 2008 Law to Justify Request for More U.S. Aid
IPS Israeli settlements, illegal under international law, in the West Bank. Credit: Libertinus/ CC by 2.0 Israel and its domestic U.S. lobby are already in the early stages of the next 10-year aid package, which would not go into effect until 2017 and will be the first since Congress passed the…
Israeli Lobby Looks to 2008 Law to Justify Request for More U.S. Aid
Uruknet
339 drone attacks in 11 years claimed 400 civilian lives: Pak govt
Uruknet
5 myths used to justify drone assassinations What we misunderstand about these high-tech killings
Uruknet
Syria: war or manoeuvre?
Uruknet
Israel Attacks Palestinians During Peace Talks
Uruknet
Palestinian Children: The Invisible Workers of Israeli Settlements
Uruknet
Barghouti Demands ICC Justice
Uruknet
Ongoing NSA work
Uruknet
UN: Solitary Confinement in the US Can Be Torture, Force-Feeding Unacceptable
Uruknet
Al-Ka abneh Bedouins made homeless in Beit Hanina
Uruknet
Imperial hypocrisy to justify an assault
Uruknet
Iraq again slammed with violence
Uruknet
Likud solution is to annex West Bank and establish Palestinian state in Gaza
Uruknet
France and US want to send ‘strong message’: Hollande
Daily Star 30 Aug 2013 French and US presidents Francois Hollande and Barack Obama want to send the Syrian regime a “strong message” to condemn the alleged use of chemical weapons, the presidency said Friday.
Syria says US accusations were ‘lies and baseless’
YNet News, 30 Aug 2013 – ….
Syrian minister says ‘not worried’ by US report on chemical attack
YNet News, 30 Aug 2013 – ….
Syrian official: American report presented by Kerry fabricated, false
YNet News, 30 Aug 2013 – ….
UK’s Cameron: Britain and US to continue cooperating
YNet News, 30 Aug 2013 – ….
Turkish PM says Syria intervention should aim to end Assad rule
YNet News, 30 Aug 2013 – ….
Short-sighted eye doctor
YNet News, 30 Aug 2013 – Op-ed: Syrian president misinterpreted American inaction after first two chemical attacks by his army ….
Palestinian Information Center
MP Barghouthi: Negotiations give cover to settlement expansion
PIC – Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouthi, said that the Israeli occupation authority uses the negotiations to cover for its expansionist policy on Palestinian lands.
Aid convoy prepares to enter refugee camps in Syria
PIC – The European al-Wafa’ Campaign to help Syrian victims said that it has almost completed arrangements for its second aid convoy to deliver much needed aid to refugee camps in Syria.
Israeli occupation bars MK from visiting a Palestinian captive
PIC – MK Ibrahim Abu Sarsour, head of the United Arab List, condemned the Israeli occupation authority‚¨ “!s decision to bar him from visiting Palestinian captive, Dirar Abu Sisi for the third time.
The IOF deploys ‚¨ SIron Dome‚¨ ù batteries
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Forces on Friday announced that it was deploying “Iron Dome” batteries to intercept short range missiles in and around Tel Aviv, in the central 1948-occupied Palestinian lands.
Egyptian naval police open fire at fishermen off the Gaza coast
PIC – Egyptian naval police arrested five Palestinian fishermen and shot and injured two others off the Gaza coast on Friday, while working near the Egypt-Gazan borders.
IOF arrests 3 Palestinians in Nablus
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested late on Thursday three Palestinians at a roadblock near Huwwara town, south of Nablus.
Israeli extremist tries to stab a Palestinian
PIC – An Israeli extremist on Friday tried to attack Palestinian worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque while heading to perform dawn prayers, but the worshipers noticed him and prevented the attack.
Khudari warns of Israeli plans to Judaize al-Aqsa mosque
PIC – MP Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, warned of exploiting the regional developments in favor of Israeli Judaization schemes in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque.
Israeli demolition policy escalated
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Authority has escalated its demolition policy against Palestinian houses in Negev as part of its systematic scheme to deport Arabs from Negev..
Warnings of new Israeli aggression against Gaza
PIC – The Popular Resistance Movement called on Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza to get ready for any possible Israeli military aggression against the strip.
Obama’s stance on Syria leaves him in a lonely place
LA Times 30 Aug 2013 – President Obama’s decision to confront Syria without broad support at home or abroad is familiar territory for U.S. presidents, if not this one. WASHINGTON The head of the United Nations wants him to give peace a chance. His closest foreign ally backed away. Many…
Phony intel on Iraq WMD haunting U.S. claims of Syria threat
LA Times 30 Aug 2013 – The ghost of “Curveball” is haunting the Obama administration and undermining its efforts to marshal strong foreign and domestic support for military strikes on Syria.
Obama considering ‘limited, narrow’ attack against Syria
LA Times 30 Aug 2013 – The White House cites an intelligence report saying chemical weapons killed hundreds as it makes its case for missile strikes against Bashar Assad’s government. WASHINGTON Making its case for missile strikes against Syria, the White House released an intelligence report concluding that a special…
Assad exudes defiance despite possible U.S. action in Syria
LA Times 30 Aug 2013 – President Assad denies the use of chemical weapons and appears to believe Western intervention may boost his image with loyalists. BEIRUT After months of steady battlefield gains, the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is bracing for a daunting new threat: a possible U.S….
Britain’s rejection of action on Syria may have broader implications
LA Times 30 Aug 2013 – Pundits say the decision marks an isolationist turn for a country scarred by the Iraq war, a notion both derided and welcomed. LONDON Has the sun finally stopped setting on the British Empire?
France, ironically, stands as strongest U.S. ally in sanctioning Syria
LA Times 30 Aug 2013 – As President Obama weighs options for sanctioning Syria over alleged chemical weapons
use, France, which defiantly opposed U.S. intervention in Iraq a decade ago, has emerged as Washington’s staunchest supporter for punitive air strikes.
U.S. willing to act alone on Syria attack
LA Times 29 Aug 2013 – As British and other allies’ support for military action in Syria crumbles, the White House says ‘core interests’ are at stake. WASHINGTON The White House signaled that the United States would act alone in Syria if necessary to protect its national security interests, as…
British lawmakers reject reprisal strike against Syria
LA Times 29 Aug 2013 – Parliament votes against using military force in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria by Assad’s forces, depriving the U.S. of support from Britain. LONDON A sharply divided British Parliament on Thursday rejected the use of military force as a response to suspected…
In Turnaround, It s France Backing Arms While Britain Sits on Syria Sidelines
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – The British-French turnabouts raise questions about whether and how much the European strategic landscape has changed.
Support Slipping, U.S. Defends Plan for Syria Attack
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – Facing faltering support in foreign capitals and Congress, the Obama administration made an aggressive push to justify military intervention in Syria on the grounds that American credibility was at stake.
Kerry Becomes Chief Advocate for U.S. Attack
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – As the administration s frontman for American intervention, Secretary of State John Kerry is able and willing to be more outspoken than the president he serves.
Signs of a Shift Among Egyptian Protesters to Antigovernment, From Pro-Morsi
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – At protests on Friday, there was less talk of restoring the ousted president and more denunciation of tactics used against Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
For News From Syrian Battleground, a Reliance on Social Media
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – The dangers of news organizations reporting in Syria have kept most journalists outside the country s borders and heightened the need for third-party video.
U.S. Releases Detailed Intelligence on Syrian Chemical Attack
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – As Secretary of State John Kerry said the Aug. 21 attack killed 1,429 people, nearly a third of them children, the Obama administration received strong support from France for retaliatory measures.
The Lede: Facebook Post Said to Be by Assad s Son Dares Americans to Attack
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – The author of a post on a Facebook page that appears to belong to the son of Syria s president, Bashar al-Assad, dared the United States to attack Syria, predicting that victory is ours in the end.
Putin s Silence on Syria Suggests His Resignation Over Intervention
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – The Russian president has been conspicuously quiet, suggesting he believes Russia can do little to stop a Western military intervention in Syria.
Britain s Rejection of Syrian Response Reflects Fear of Rushing to Act
New York Times 30 Aug 2013 – The parliamentary defeat for Prime Minister David Cameron that led him to rule out British military participation in any strike on Syria reflected fears of action against Damascus without certain evidence.
U.N. Leader Urges Obama to Hold Off on a Strike
New York Times 29 Aug 2013 – Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, cut short a European trip amid fears that a U.S. military action would hurt the Security Council s credibility.
Uganda Signs Pact for Israeli Weapons in Return for Accepting Expelled African Refugees
Tikun Olam – From an African strongman (Museveni) to a Jewish strongman (Avi Ohayon/GPO) It s one of the many terrible historical ironies of latter-day Zionism that a country Thedor Herzl once considered as a site for his Jewish homeland , Uganda, has inked a secret deal to accept thousands of…
U.S. Planned Syria Attack Hits Roadblock
Tikun Olam – Cameron on way out after losing Syria vote? Today has been a most interesting and strange day regarding Syria. We ve gone from an imminent U.S.-allied attack on Syria to a complete disruption of this plan. Earlier this week, one media report even said to expect an…
Shin Bet Reign of Error: It Arrests Gaza Youth Invited to U.S. Tech Conference, Calls Him Islamic Jihad Terrorist
Tikun Olam – Ramallah Tech Camp to which Alaa Miqbel never made it thanks to a Shin Bet fashlah . A few days ago, the media reported that a Gaza youth leader, Alaa Miqbel, was headed to a U.S. State Department-hosted conference in Ramallah. The event was designed to inform…
Obama lost his English poodle, but it looks like he ll get a French one
Mondoweiss – It s now clear that the Obama administration is going to strike Syria. Speaking in the White House, Obama just said that he is considering a limited narrow act that would help make sure that not only Syria but other countries around the world get the message…
Israel s dancing soldiers
Mondoweiss – Here s some image buffing we don t see every day. Israeli soldiers are still finding time to party with Palestinians is sweeping the press today. Allegedly the video was recorded on Monday at a Palestinian wedding in Hebron, the same day three Palestinians were gunned…
Stopping Sara from falling in love with Sammy in Qalandia
Mondoweiss – This Jewish organization based in LA and Jerusalem raises money to prevent the exploitation of Jewish girls in Israel. What does this mean? The group, called Learn and Live, says it is concerned with sex trafficking and girls getting into abusive relationships, but some of its…
The burgeoning left-right antiwar coalition on Syria (and what it means for Iran)
Mondoweiss – Let s begin with the huge news out of England, and then move to the commentary which only continues to reflect the arc that began yesterday: Don t let s attack Syria. First, of course, British PM David Cameron bows out of war party after his defeat in the…
Operation Stage Whisper
Mondoweiss – This post first appeared two days ago on Elias Muhanna s site, Qifa Nakbi, and folks are spreading it around. He allowed us to publish it. As the United States prepares for a likely military strike on Syria, speculation about the timing and extent of the operation…
German Jews Push Boycott of Roger Waters Amid Anti-Semitism Furor
The Foward Breaking News 30 Aug 2013 – Dusseldorf s Jewish community is pushing for a boycott of a Roger Waters concert in their city. Click here for the rest of the article…
Is Western Wall Prayer Platform Step Forward for Women Or Back?
The Forward New 30 Aug 2013 – A new prayer platform next to the Western Wall is framed by its creators as a step forward for women s access to the holy site. That s not how Women of the Wall see it. Click here for the rest of the article…
Africa: The Syria Intervention – a What If…
allAfrica.com 30 Aug 2013 – [Daily Maverick]If the increasingly likely western attack on Syria happens, there will be yet another question on the table that will also have to be addressed, even before the missiles stop falling. The question of what happens after the attacks have been carried out may end…
Egypt: Egypt – Return of the Fuloul (II)
allAfrica.com 30 Aug 2013 – [Daily Trust]A criticism of the Ikhwan is not a criticism of its goal; it is a criticism of aspects of its methods and assumptions some of which are in fact counterproductive to its long-term interest.
South Africa: South Africa Opposes Syria Strikes
allAfrica.com 30 Aug 2013 – [VOA]Continental powerhouse South Africa says it opposes Western military intervention in Syria, a stance that appears to mirror that of other African nations and align with United Nations Security Council members China and Russia.
South Africa: SA Opposes Military Action in Syria
allAfrica.com 30 Aug 2013 – [SA Info]As the situation in conflict-ridden Syria remains critical, the government of South Africa has raised concerns over “dangerous rhetoric” pointing to the possibility of a military intervention in that country.
Rabbi Benjamin on the Palestinian Refugees
The Magnes Zionist 30 Aug 2013 – To the reader: At a time when the United States is pondering a strike against Syria, ostensibly to warn President Assad against further use of chemical weapons, it may seem odd to translate a piece that was written in October 1950 about the Palestinian refugees. But…
US considers ‘limited act’ in Syria
BBC 30 Aug 2013 – The US is considering a “limited narrow act” in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army, President Obama says.
Sheikhs charged over Lebanon bombs
BBC 30 Aug 2013 – A Lebanese court charges two religious clerics along with three other suspects over deadly bombings in the northern city of Tripoli last Friday.
Egypt Morsi supporters stage rallies
BBC 30 Aug 2013 – Thousands of supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi stage their largest protests for two weeks, with some clashes reported.
Syria: Parliament and the British people tell Cameron and Hague to cool it by Stuart Littlewood
Sabbah report 30 Aug 2013 – Little Cameron and wee Hague are grounded, so Obama will have to play with his cruise missiles on his own, or with FranÁois. What it means is that British foreign policy may now get the thorough overhaul it has long needed. Read More: Syria: Parliament and…
Lebanon s Information Branch: Up to Its Old Tricks
Al-Akhbar Opinion 30 Aug 2013 – But some in the Internal Security Forces are looking on with concern about the way the investigation is being conducted by the Information Branch. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) But some in the Internal Security Forces are looking on with concern about the way the investigation is being…
Tunisian ruling party meets with mediators ahead of protests
Al-Akhbar News 30 Aug 2013 – Tunisia’s ruling coalition on Friday met mediators working to end a political crisis sparked by the assassination of an opposition MP, ahead of planned anti-government protests, an official said. The mediators have been shuttling between the ruling Islamists and the opposition in a bid to end…
West Divided Over Post-Attack Scenarios in Syria
Al-Akhbar News 30 Aug 2013 – In this file picture downloaded from the US Navy website, taken on 29 April 2013, the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) arrives in Souda Bay, Greece. (Photo: AFP – Christopher Brewer) In this file picture downloaded from the US Navy website, taken on 29 April…
South Lebanon: UNIFIL Evacuates Staff s Families
Al-Akhbar News 30 Aug 2013 – Peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol along the Lebanese-Israeli border on 23 August 2013 in Adaysseh after the Israeli air force launched a rocket toward a Palestini
an group in Lebanon. (Photo: AFP – Mahmoud Zayyat) Peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim…
Israel Rehabilitates Qalandia Airport with Eye on Syria
Al-Akhbar News 30 Aug 2013 – A Palestinian youth is silhouetted against the light as Muslim worshippers walked at sunset on 4 August 2013 towards Israel’s Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem(Photo: AFP – Abbas Momani) A Palestinian youth is silhouetted against the light as Muslim worshippers walked at sunset on 4…
Thousands rally in Cairo against the military coup
Al-Akhbar News 30 Aug 2013 – Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt’s toppled president Mohammed Mursi (portrait) take part in a demonstration in Hilwan, south of Cairo, on 30 August 2013. (Photo: AFP) Several thousand Egyptians protested in Cairo Friday in support of ousted president Mohammed Mursi and were attacked with…
Week In Photos (23 August – 30 August)
Al-Akhbar News 30 Aug 2013 – Italian model Eva Riccobono makes soap bubbles on the red carpet before for the screening of “Tracks” presented in competition at the 70th Venice Film Festival on 29 August 2013 at Venice Lido. (Photo: AFP – Gabriel Bouys) Italian model Eva Riccobono makes soap bubbles on…
Syria Attempts to Gather Ranks
Al-Akhbar Politics 29 Aug 2013 – A rebel fighter takes aim at regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo on 26 August 2013. (Photo: AFP Louai Abo Al-Jod) A rebel fighter takes aim at regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo on 26 August 2013. (Photo: AFP Louai Abo Al-Jod)…
Syria s Assad on Western Military Strike: We Shall Be Victorious
Al-Akhbar Politics 29 Aug 2013 – A Patriot surface-to-air missile battery is positioned in the Mediterranean coastal city of Haifa north of Israel on 29 August 2013. (Photo: AFP – Jack Guez) A Patriot surface-to-air missile battery is positioned in the Mediterranean coastal city of Haifa north of Israel on 29 August…
Moscow: No Strike Against Syria This Week
Al-Akhbar Politics 29 Aug 2013 – A 9A83ME launcher unit of the S-300VM “Antey-2500” (NATO reporting name SA-23 GladiatorGiant), Russian-made anti-ballistic missile system, is displayed during the MAKS-2013, the International Aviation and Space Show, in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, on 27 August 2013. (Photo: AFP – Kirill Kusryavtsev) A 9A83ME launcher unit of…
US considers ‘limited act’ in Syria
BBC 30 Aug 2013 – The US is considering a “limited narrow act” in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army, President Obama says.
Sheikhs charged over Lebanon bombs
BBC 30 Aug 2013 – A Lebanese court charges two religious clerics along with three other suspects over deadly bombings in the northern city of Tripoli last Friday.
Egypt Morsi supporters stage rallies
BBC 30 Aug 2013 – Thousands of supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi stage their largest protests for two weeks, with some clashes reported.
China’s Sinopec signs Egypt oil deal
BBC 29 Aug 2013 – China Petrochemical Corporation, also known as Sinopec, agrees to buy a 33% stake in the Egyptian oil and gas business of US firm Apache Corporation.
Articles
Israel forced me to destroy my own house, says Jerusalem father
Patrick O. Strickland, Jerusalem, Electronic Intifada 8/27/2013
Ziad Ameira set a thick stack of papers on a plastic table. These official notifications and threats forced the 49-year-old convenience store-owner to destroy his own house in the Sur Baher area of East Jerusalem on 18 August.
My family and I lived in that home for 13 years, he said. I have no idea where to go from here.
Ameira had inherited the land where the house was built from his late father. Only twenty days after Ameira and his family moved into the home in 2000, the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem Municipality delivered a demolition order. In May this year, they gave me the choice: I demolish my own house or they do it for me, he told The Electronic Intifada. They gave me two and a half months.
The eight-member family is now living in two small rooms at his brother s house. Despite the extreme circumstances, they won t be able to stay there longer than a few months, as his nephew is getting married and needs the space. I have three boys and two daughters, my wife and my mother, Ameira said. My mom is 85 years old and is no longer able to walk.
Just fifteen years after he began building his family s home with his own hands, Ameira was given the cruel choice of paying for Israel to raze it or bringing down its walls himself. He chose the latter.
When Israeli forces destroy Palestinian homes whether in in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or within present-day Israel the residents are told they have to foot the bill for the demolition.
The first court order which Ameira received back in 2000 informed him that he owed the municipality 35,000 shekels (approximately $10,000). At that time, I was paying only around 500 shekels [$104] per month, he said. more..e-mail
My Surprisingly Inspiring Trip to the West Bank
Jeff Cohen, CounterPunch 8/30/2013
Echoes of Our Civil Rights Movement
As I prepared for a grueling fact-finding trip to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank (occupied for 46 years), Secretary of State Kerry announced that Israel and the Palestinian Authority had agreed to resume peace talks without preconditions.
On the day my delegation flew to the region, Israel announced that it had approved still more housing for Israeli settlers: Israel has issued tenders for the construction of nearly 1,200 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, reported London s Financial Times, defying U.S. and Palestinian opposition to expansion of Jewish settlements three days before the scheduled start of peace talks.
It s the same old depressing story, with Israel showing little interest in making peace.
So before I turn to what s surprising and inspiring in the West Bank, let s acknowledge the bad news: Palestinians are slowly being squeezed out of their homes, deprived of their water and centuries-old olive groves, humiliated on a daily basis by Israeli settlers and the Israeli state in a relentless violation of their human rights that gets worse as much of the world looks away.
But here s the good news: Across the West Bank, Israel s occupation has given rise in recent years to a nonviolent popular resistance movement that should be an inspiration to people across the globe. This unarmed resistance has persisted in the face of Israeli state violence (aided by U.S.-supplied weapons and tear gas), lengthy jail sentences for nonviolent protesters and widespread detention and abuse of children. more..e-mail
Demonizing and conflating Arabs and ultra-Orthodox
Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 Magazine 8/29/2013
The debate over recent child subsidy cuts rests on empty myths and demagogic misinterpretations of Arabs and Haredim. They are not simply parasites and they are not the same, but Israeli journalist Shmuel Rosner is upset and that s what matters.
It is seldom worth writing an entire blog post just to deconstruct that of another commentator, especially when terrible global events are more important than poor punditry. But reading Shmuel Rosner s latest post in the New York Times, my heart sank. The piece isn t just foolish it actually contributes to the most divisive dynamics of Israeli society through demagoguery and mistakes (at best). As if we don t have enough trouble.
Rosner aims to decode the politics surrounding recent budget cuts that chop Israel s child subsidy benefits. The cuts, spearheaded by Yair Lapid s Yesh Atid party, are predicated on the notion that Israel provides too much incentive for people to have children, and as a result, Arabs and Haredim have more kids than they can afford at the expense of joining the workforce. As an aside, it is curious to watch the social justice choir now thrashing Lapid for harming families, when that party campaigned on these kinds of promises and is presumed to have won handily among social protest types. But I am not analyzing the cuts themselves; rather the debate they have sparked (or rather, perpetuated), and Rosner is a classic example.
He explains that Israelis want a secular-Jewish and democratic Israel. So when the populations benefiting most from the subsidies turned out to be either non-secular or non-Jewish, he explains, the state is less enthusiastic about supporting so many children.
First, can we stop with the myth that Israelis desire an Ahad-Ha am kind of Israel full of people who look like, well, Shmuel Rosner? Too many Israelis support non-democratic policies or principles…. more..e-mail
Operation Tomahawk with cheese
Pepe Escobar, Asia Times 8/29/2013
This deafeningly hysterical show of Syria as Iraq 2.0 is only happening because a president of the United States (POTUS) created a ”credibility” problem when, recklessly, he pronounced the use of chemical weapons in Syria a ”red line”.
Thus the US government urgently needs to punish the transgressor – to hell with evidence – to maintain its ”credibility”. But this time it will be ”limited”. ”Tailored”. Only ”a few days”. A ”shot across the bow” – as POTUS qualified it. Still, some – but not all – ”high-value targets”, including command and control facilities and delivery systems, in Syria will have to welcome a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles (384 are already positioned in the eastern Mediterranean).
We all know how the Pentagon loves to christen its assorted humanitarian liberations across the globe with names like Desert Fox, Invincible Vulture or some other product of brainstorming idiocy. So now it’s time to call Operation Tomahawk With Cheese.
It’s like ordering a pizza delivery. ”Hello, I’d like a Tomahawk with cheese.” ”Of course, it will be ready in 20 minutes.” ”Hold on, wait! I need to fool the UN first. Can I pick it up next week? With extra cheese?”
In 1988, Operation Desert Fox – launched by Bill ”I did not have sex with that woman” Clinton – was designed to ”degrade”, but not destroy, Saddam Hussein’s capacity to manufacture non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Now, the deployment of those deeply moral Tomahawks is also designed to ”degrade” the Bashar al-Assad’s government capacity to unleash unproven chemical weapons attacks.
Yet there’s always that pesky problem of perennially ungrateful Arabs who, according to the New York Times, ”are emotionally opposed to any Western military action in the region no matter how humanitarian the cause”.
The deeply humanitarian Operation Tomahawk With Cheese is running into all sorts of problems with the calendar…. more..e-mail
Preserving Palestine’s memory through art: interview with John Halaka
Electronic Intifada: 30 Aug 2013 – The San Diego art professor has faced attempts to censor his work.more
Canadian Israeli Lobby s Good Cop, Bad Cop
Dissident Voice: 30 Aug 2013 – Two recent events, while not of any great significance in themselves, reveal much about the state of Canadian foreign policy. B nai Brith Canada, Canada s oldest Jewish service organization, founded in 1875, hosted Brigadier-General Eden Attias, Canada s first Israeli defense attache (only the US and Canada have Israeli defense attaches ), at the Asper Jewish Community Campus in Winnipeg on 28 August (free admission and refreshments). The Canadian Jewish Defense League has invited Pamela Geller, founder of Stop Islamization of America, and Robert Spencer, founder of Jihad Watch, to speak at the Hilton Suites Hotel in Markham, on 17 September, despite lobbying by anti-racist groups to cancel the event. Before his diplomatic promotion, Attias was head of Israel s Nevatin Air Force Base, with jurisdiction over Gaza. As such, he was intimately involved in both the invasion of Gaza in 2008 and the assault on the Turkish boat Mavi Marmara in 2010 in…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 