LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 15/2012
Bible Quotation for today/Jesus'
Mother and Brothers
Luke 08/19-21: "Jesus' mother and brothers came to him, but were unable to join
him because of the crowd. Someone said to Jesus, Your mother and brothers are
standing outside and want to see you. Jesus said to them all, My mother and
brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous
sources
Look no further/By: Shane Farrell and Nadine Elali/January
14/12
The Syrian “Brotherhood”/By: Hazem al-Amin/January 14/12
The destroyed Arabs/By Tariq Alhomayed/January 14/12
The Arab League game/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/January 14/12
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
January 14/12
US acts to
hold Israel back from striking Iran. Their intel agencies at odds
Report: U.S. preparing for an Israeli strike on Iran
Hezbollah rejects UN chief's call to disarm
UN chief visits peacekeepers in southern Lebanon
Israeli official: Report of Mossad agents posing as CIA
spies 'absolute nonsense'
Iran: We have evidence U.S. killed nuclear scientist in
Tehran
Qatar emir suggests
sending Arab troops to Syria
Attack on Iraqi
pilgrims kills 50, scores hurt
Hezbollah slams Ban,
calls on regional powers to help end crisis in Syria
Ban salutes U.N. in south
Lebanon
Lebanese men and women
march against rape
Brotherhood’s ‘laxity’ on Israel treaty stuns Hoss
Siniora: UN must make Israel abide by Resolution 1701
Family clash in Baalbek leaves two dead, two injured
Top Syria army defector to set up high military council
British diplomat Plumbly is new U.N. envoy
in Lebanon
Hariri says change in Syria imminent
Lebanese teen dies of Syrian Army gunfire:
sources
Lebanese parties use dangerous dueling tactics
Bangkok: Terrorists targeted synagogues
'Israeli Mossad agents posed as CIA spies to recruit
terrorists to fight against Iran'
Netanyahu: International sanctions on Iran are working
Top U.S. general meets
Lebanese leaders
UN chief “deeply concerned” about Hezbollah arms
Israeli violations
discredit UNIFIL: Ban
In Beirut, Ban Slams Israel Violations, Calls for
Disarming Hizbullah
Amir Oren / Israel's cease-and-desist policy vs. Iran –
for now
Israelis warned of imminent terror attack in Bangkok
Berri Meets Ban: 1701 Spirit Requires U.N. to Draw Sea
Border
U.N. Chief is ‘Sure’ Lebanon Will Continue to Respect
Commitments to STL
Libya Says Joint Committee Formed with Lebanon to Unveil
Sadr Fate
British PM meets Saudi king as Gulf tensions run high
U.S. General Meets Lebanese Leaders, Voices Support for
Strengthening Lebanese Army
Russia's NATO Envoy Warns against Syria, Iran Military
Action
U.S. Tells Russia, Cyprus of Syria-bound Ship Concerns
Report: U.S. Warned Khamenei over Blocking Hormuz
Diplomats: U.N. Nuclear Watchdog to Visit Iran End of
January
Lebanon-Syria border grows ever
more gray
Euromoney: Lebanon 84th globally in country risk
Qortbawi: Full rights for women dangerous
Hezbollah denies member
arrested in Bangkok security scare
US acts
to hold Israel back from striking Iran. Their intel agencies at odds
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/January 14, 2012/The bombing attack in Tehran which
killed Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan last Wednesday, Jan. 11,
generated an angry phone call from US President Barack Obama to Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the next day, debkafile's Washington and
intelligence sources report. Washington is increasingly concerned, the Wall
Street Journal reported Saturday, that Israel is preparing to strike Iran's
nuclear sites over US objections and has bolstered the defenses of US facilities
in the region in case of a conflict.
Obama, Defense and Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
have been sending private messages to their Israel contacts warning them about
the dire consequences of a strike, the paper reports. Top US armed forces chief
Gen. Martin Dempsey will visit Israel next week.
debkafile's exclusive sources report that the differences between the US and
Israel surfaced before the tough Obama-Netanyahu conversation last Thursday.
Political, military and intelligence officials privately voiced resentment over
the strong and unusual condemnation the White House and Secretary Clinton issued
over the death of the Iranian nuclear scientist.
By denying "absolutely" any US involvement in the killing, the administration
implicitly pointed the finger at Israel – an unusual act in relations between
two friendly governments, especially when both face a common issue as sensitive
as a nuclear-armed Iran.
Obama seemed to suspect that Israel staged the killing to torpedo yet another US
secret effort to avoid a military confrontation with Iran through back channel
contacts with Tehran, while the administration's extreme condemnation is seen as
tying in with its all-out campaign to hold Israel back from a unilateral strike.
As part of this campaign, the Foreign Policy publication ran an "investigative
report" Friday, Jan. 13, the point of which was to show that US and Israeli
undercover agencies have been at odds for years after what was called a Mossad
"false flag" operation. "Two US intelligence officers" are said to have revealed
to the publication that in 2007 and 2008, Israeli Mossad officers posing as US
intelligence agents with American passports recruited terrorist group Jundallah
operatives for covert attacks in Iran.
This Pakistan-based Baluchi extremist group was described as utterly shunned by
the CIA.
The weekly's sources said they were "stunned by the brazenness of Mossad's
recruiting activities…under the nose of US intelligence officers, most notably
in London."
They implied that Jundallah were sure they had been recruited by US
intelligence. But so was Tehran. The Israeli "false flag" program was therefore
accused of putting American agents at risk.
A "serving US intelligence officer" told the paper that President George W. Bush
when informed of this episode "went absolutely ballistic."
debkafile adds: At the time of this alleged operation, Ehud Olmert was prime
minister of Israel and Meir Dagan director of the Mossad. While the Bush
administration is not known to have ever taken it up with Israel, Barack Obama
decided to cool US intelligence cooperation with Israel on the Iranian issue
when he took office in 2009.
Foreign Policy in its tendentious and selective report presents Mossad as the
sole recruiter of Jundallah for sabotage and hit operations for defeating Iran's
drive for a nuclear bomb. It omits the slightest mention of the fact that US
intelligence started using Jundallah for such operations from early 2005 with
ample US-dollar funding approved personally by President Bush.
Our Washington and intelligence sources note that the report appeared two days
after the Iranian nuclear scientist was killed and the day after Obama took
Netanyahu to task. It had two objective: to show that US is not responsible for
all the covert operations of recent months against Iran's nuclear targets and,
secondly, to demonstrate that Washington means to continue harassing and
pressuring Israel by every means to hold it back from a military operation
against Iran.
Bangkok: Terrorists targeted synagogues
Y.Netnews/Details of Thai terror plot
suggest two-man cell was planning car bomb attacks on Israeli Embassy,
synagogues, known Israeli tourist hotspots. Local police say situation under
control; one suspect still at large Ynet 01.13.12/Thai authorities
attempted to downplay the stern travel advisories issued by Israel and the
United States Friday, urging their citizens to avoid trips to Bangkok, saying
that the threat of a terror attack in the city was not as serious as first
believed and that "Bangkok authorities had the situation under control."The
Counter-Terrorism Bureau issued a travel advisory on Friday afternoon, urging
Israelis to avoid trips to Thailand and especially to the Bangkok area. The
advisory – similar to one issued by Washington – was prioritized by the CTB as a
"concrete threat," and followed an arrest made by Bangkok authorities of a
Hezbollah-linked Lebanese national, suspected of plotting a terror attack in the
city.
Details of the investigation released by Bangkok, said that two Lebanese
suspects traveled to Thailand with Lebanese and Swedish passports. One of the
suspects is still at large. Thai Defense Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa was quoted
by the Bangkok Post as saying that the two were planning "car bomb attacks
against important locations such as the Israeli Embassy, synagogues, Israeli
tour companies and restaurants visited by Israelis."
Thailand authorities with suspect's sketch. According to the report, Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra confirmed that she had received information from
the US regarding a terror threat. She tasked Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm
Yubamrungand and National Police Chief Priewpan Damapong to the case, and
ordered the Royal Thai Police and National Intelligence Agency on high alert.
Police Chief General Priewpan Damapong stressed that the situation has been
"brought under control." Priewpan said that an investigation by the Metropolitan
Police Bureau and the Special Branch Bureau found that the two travelled from
Lebanon and stayed near Khao San Road, but managed to escape when police raided
their room. The suspect that is now in custody was arrested at Suvarnabhumi
Airport.
Hezbollah slams Ban, calls on regional powers to help end crisis in Syria
January 14, 2012/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah hit back Saturday at U.N. chief
Ban Ki-moon’s remarks of the resistance group’s growing military capability,
saying the group would not relinquish its weapons, and urged Iran, Turkey and
the Arab League to jointly work to help end the Syria crisis. “Yesterday
[Friday] I was pleased when I heard Ban saying he was concerned of the special
[military capability] that Hezbollah possesses. Your worries, Mr.
secretary-general, comfort us and please us,” Nasrallah said in a televised
speech in Baalbeck, east Lebanon.
“We want you, the U.S. and Israel to be concerned,” Nasrallah added. Nasrallah’s
speech came on the occasion of Arbaeen that marks 40 days after the Ashura
anniversary commemorating the killing of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's
most revered figures. “Our concern is that our people are comforted that there
is a resistance in Lebanon and we will not allow a new occupation or another
violation,” Nasrallah told thousands of supporters in the city, which he
described as the “cradle of the resistance.”
During a news conference Friday night, Ban, on an official visit to Lebanon,
voiced concern over Hezbollah’s growing military power, saying that any weapons
outside the jurisdiction of the state was unacceptable. In an apparent response
to Ban’s calling on the resistance group to disarm, Nasrallah said his party
would not relinquish its weapons.
Hezbollah officials voiced disapproval prior to Ban’s visit to Lebanon, saying
the U.N chief was unwelcome. Ban is on his third official visit to Lebanon which
began Friday. The U.N. chief held high-level talks with President Michel Sleiman
and Prime Minister Najib Mikati on the first day of his trip. On Saturday, Ban
visited the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in the
south. The U.N. chief will give the opening speech for a conference organized by
ESCWA Sunday. Turning to Syria, Nasrallah cautioned against the behavior of some
countries in dealing with the 10-month-long unrest in Lebanon’s neighbor and
urged regional powers, primarily Turkey and Iran, to join efforts to resolve the
crisis.
“If you were honest in your warning and want to prevent a sectarian war in
Syria, you need to start with yourselves and you have to re-evaluate your
political and media behavior and combine efforts by Arab States, the Arab
League, leading Muslim countries, primarily the Islamic Republic of Iran and
Turkey, to help end the crisis in Syria,” Nasrallah said.
Turkey, which formerly enjoyed close ties with the government of President
Bashar Assad, has become one of Assad’s staunchest critics. Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan has urged the Syrian leader to step down and has called on the
international community to stop the bloodshed in its southern neighbor.
Nasrallah, ally of both Tehran and Damascus, also urged Syrian opposition groups
to answer the call for dialogue by Assad and said they should lay down their
arms.
"We ask the Syrian opposition inside and outside Syria to accept President
Assad’s call for dialogue and cooperate to implement the reform he has called
for,” the Hezbollah chief said.
“We call for the restoration of calm and stability and the laying down of
weapons and that the problems be resolved via dialogue,” he added.
On Jan. 10, in Assad’s fourth speech since unrest gripped Syria early last year,
the Syrian leader said his government was willing to launch national dialogue
with other political parties as a means to end the crisis. Damascus and its
allies in Lebanon have maintained that “armed groups” are responsible for the
violence in Syria, describing the uprising as part of a larger plot aimed at
Assad’s rule.
The U.N. estimates that over 5,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in
the crackdown on anti-government protests since unrest began in March 2011.
Damascus denies targeting civilians and says that over 2,000 members of its
security and army personnel have been killed so far.
The leader of Hezbollah, which dominates the Cabinet of Prime Minister Najib
Mikati, also praised the neutral policy adopted by the Lebanese government
toward unrest in Syria, saying Lebanon was the country most affected by events
in its neighbor.
“We try in Lebanon to disassociate ourselves given our political situation ...
but we are the ones mostly affected by what is happening in Syria,” he said.
Domestically, Nasrallah said his group should not be held responsible for
security breaches in the country, saying the Lebanese Army and the state were
tasked with providing internal security.
“I reaffirm that the responsibility to preserve internal security ... is the
duty of the state and the army ... not any side, either the resistance or any
other political party,” he said. “We reject anyone who places this
responsibility on us,” Nasrallah added. “We renew our calls for the state and
the army to be responsible for security. We do not accept any excuses for them
not to handle their responsibilities,” he said.
Qatar emir suggests sending Arab troops to Syria
January 14, 2012/Daily Star
AMMAN: Qatar has proposed sending Arab troops to halt the bloodshed in Syria,
where violence has raged despite the presence of Arab League monitors sent to
check if an Arab peace plan is working.
Asked if he was in favor of Arab nations intervening in Syria, Qatari Emir
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told the U.S. broadcaster CBS: "For such a
situation to stop the killing ... some troops should go to stop the killing."The
emir, whose country backed last year's NATO campaign that helped Libyan rebels
topple Moammar Gaddafi, is the first Arab leader to propose Arab military
intervention in Syria where protesters are demanding President Bashar Assad
stand down.CBS said on its website that the interview would be broadcast in its
"60 Minutes" program Sunday.
Qatar's prime minister heads the Arab League committee on Syria and has said
killings have not stopped despite the presence of Arab monitors sent there last
month.
In the preview of the interview on the website, the emir did not spell out how
any Arab military intervention might work.
There is little appetite in the West for any Libya-style intervention in Syria,
although France has talked of a need to set up zones to protect civilians there.
The United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed since protests
against Assad erupted in March. Syrian officials say 2,000 members of the
security forces have been killed by armed "terrorists."In the latest violence,
Syrian tanks and troops renewed an assault on the rebel-held hill town of
Zabadani near the border with Lebanon Saturday, causing about 40 casualties, an
exiled opposition figure said, citing residents reached by telephone.Kamal al-Labwani
said green buses had been brought to the town, suggesting preparations for mass
arrests. The town is defended by army deserters and anti-Assad insurgents. It
was not immediately clear if the 40 casualties included any dead. The attack on
Zabadani was the biggest against opponents of Assad since the Arab observers
began work on Dec. 26.
Six civilians died elsewhere, including a 13-year-old boy and a man shot dead in
the rebellious central city of Homs, the British-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights reported.
Syria's military held funerals for 16 soldiers killed by armed "terrorists" in
the provinces of Homs, Damascus and Idlib in the northwest, the state news
agency SANA said.
SANA also said a blast set off by insurgents in Idlib had derailed a freight
train carrying fuel to a power station, setting several fuel tankers ablaze and
wounding three people.
There has been no let-up in the conflict despite the Arab observer mission,
which has been castigated even by some of its own members for buying Assad more
time to crush his foes.
"This is the last week in the month agreed between Syria and the Arab League and
will witness a wide deployment of the monitors," said a source at the
Cairo-based League, adding that 40 monitors were ready to join the team of about
165 whenever its leader, Sudanese General Mohammed al-Dabi, requested them.
Plans to expand the team were delayed last week after 11 monitors were slightly
hurt in an attack on their convoy by a pro-Assad crowd in the port of Latakia
Monday. That incident also prompted the monitors to suspend work for two days.
Dabi is due to report to the Arab League Thursday and Arab foreign ministers
will then decide whether to continue the mission, or possibly refer Syria to the
U.N. Security Council. The League chief, Nabil Elaraby, said Friday he feared a
10-month-old struggle to oust Assad could slide into civil war.
Armed clashes, now punctuating what began as a non-violent protest movement,
have raised fears of a full-scale conflict in Syria, a Sunni Muslim-majority
country of 23 million which also has Alawite, Druze, Christian and Kurdish
minorities. Syria, bordering Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel, is at the
heart of the volatile Middle East, where its closest allies are Iran and the
Lebanese Hezbollah group.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called for dialogue in Syria and said
those warning of civil war were the ones whose words and policies were pushing
the country toward such a fate.
"We urge the Syrian opposition at home and abroad to respond to President
Assad's calls for dialogue and to cooperate with him to implement the reforms he
has announced," Nasrallah said in a speech to mark a Shi'ite religious occasion.
He said Iran and Turkey, as well as Arab and Muslim countries, could help
resolve the crisis in Syria.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu, whose country has become one of
Assad's fiercest critics after previously courting him, held talks in Beirut
with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and other politicians Saturday. "The
Syrian authorities must respond to the legitimate democratic aspirations of the
Syrian people," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is also visiting
Lebanon, was quoted as saying by the Beirut newspaper an-Nahar the previous day.
He also urged the Security Council, where Russia and China have blocked firm
action on Syria, to speak with one voice. A ship carrying Russian ammunition
docked in Syria this week, after it had been temporarily halted during a
refueling stop in Cyprus, stirring concern in Washington.
Brotherhood’s ‘laxity’ on Israel treaty stuns Hoss
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss expressed surprise Friday over reports
that Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has confirmed its respect for the 1979 peace
treaty with Israel following the group’s victory in legislative elections. “This
is something surprising coming from an Islamist organization,” Hoss said in a
statement. “Israel is the Arabs’ chief enemy in the region. What made the Muslim
Brotherhood announce its openness toward it in this manner? Also, what is their
opinion in the conditions of Palestinians displaced in their country as a result
of the Zionist entity?” Hoss said. “This laxity in the position on the Arabs’
central issue in Palestine is unacceptable.”Last week, U.S. State Department
spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters that Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood had
assured the U.S. that it will abide by the various treaties signed by previous
Cairo governments, including the peace deal with Israel. Her statement
effectively contradicted one made by a top Muslim Brotherhood official, who said
that the party was not obligated to adhere to the treaty.
The Arab League game
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
We must understand that a game is being played by certain parties within the
Arab League in order to cover up for the massacres that are taking place in
Syria and prevent the al-Assed regime from being ousted. Therefore the team of
Arab monitors being sent to observe the situation in Syria, and the mediation
being initiated by Khaled Meshal of Hamas and Iran, represent nothing more than
a game whose sole objective is to buy time for the al-Assad regime to kill more
activists and save its own neck. More than three months have passed since the
Arab League first started calling for the Syrian regime to negotiate, this has
allowed the al-Assad regime to regain control of some areas where protests and
demonstrations had broken out. If the Arab League, Khaled Meshal, Iran, and
Russia succeed in protecting al-Assad from international intervention for
another nine months, he may succeed in quelling the uprising altogether. In this
case, nothing would prevent al-Assad from imprisoning half a million activists
and protesters, and occupying the country’s cities with his troops and
pro-regime Shabiha militia.
International intervention [in Syria] doesn't violate morals, national
sovereignty, Arab identity or Islam, rather this is a necessity to counteract
the brutality of the regime and the support – in money, arms, and even men –
that al-Assad is receiving from other countries. There are a number of important
examples where international involvement was crucial to protecting citizens from
tyrannical regimes. The list includes NATO intervention in Bosnia to protect the
Muslims of Kosovo, as well as international intervention to liberate Kuwait from
occupation by Saddam Hussein’s forces. More than twenty years ago, a similar
debate raged amongst the Arabs over the legality of international intervention.
Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait on 2 August [1990]. The Arabs split into two
camps; one supporting Saddam Hussein’s occupation of Kuwait, the other wanting
to drive him out. The first camp knew that it would be impossible for the Gulf
armies to drive Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait, and so they feared this
being achieved by international intervention. The second camp was aware that
Iran had fought Iraq for eight years without being able to achieve a victory,
whilst any Arab force would require even longer to confront the Saddam Hussein
military regime, and even then would not be guaranteed victory. Therefore each
party entered into a war of words; the Gulf axis wanted US intervention as this
would guarantee a quick victory, but they also wanted to ensure this had
international legitimacy via the UN Security Council, in order not to anger the
Arab world. The second pro-Saddam camp strongly opposed [international]
intervention, and they labelled anybody who dared to support this as a traitor
or agent of a foreign power. Instead, they called for an “Arab solution”, to the
crisis, namely Arab troops being sent to liberate Kuwait, although, of course,
the real objective was to dilute the issue.
The recent idea of sending Arab observers to Syria was put forward for two
reasons: firstly, in order to avoid international intervention, and secondly in
order to grant the al-Assad regime more time to crush the revolution by
increasing its crackdown on the Syrian protesters and political activists. The
international community did not call for observers to be sent to monitor the
situation when the Serbs were massacring Muslims in Kosovo and Bosnia. The world
took action, telling the former regime in Belgrade that it would either halt the
violence or face international intervention. Despite the objections of Russia
and some other European countries, it was international intervention which
eventually succeeded in putting an end to the genocide. Nobody accepted the
invitation to send international observers there because all the reports
indicated that massacres were being carried out, and the same applies to Syria
today.
It also bears mentioning that international intervention is more needed in Syria
today than it was in Kosovo. In 1988, the crisis began when the people of Kosovo
announced their secession from Yugoslavia; they then formed the Kosovo
Liberation Army, which fought the Serbs. In the case of Syria, the general
public are being systematically killed, although they have neither called for
secession nor offered any armed resistance. The majority of the people are
peaceful protesters. Nevertheless, they are being openly killed in front of the
eyes of the world. Therefore, how can some Arabs reject international
intervention in Syria and claim this is neo-colonialism?
History is repeating itself. Today, the Arabs who want to save al-Assad's regime
from collapse are using a strategy that is based upon two concepts; preventing
international intervention and granting al-Assad more time to kill or detain the
political activists. This is the true story behind the rejection of
international intervention, which deprives the Syrian people of their most basic
human right, namely the right to save their lives, and is something that should
not be denied, whatever the pretext. Unfortunately, Arab League
Secretary-General [Nabil Elaraby] seems to believe his job is to prevent the
Syrian people from being saved from the massacre they are facing, in addition to
granting the al-Assad regime more time to carry out these massacres.
The destroyed Arabs
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
Rather than the Arab League responding to Bashar al-Assad's speech, which was
full of insults against Arabs and the Arab League itself, the Arab League
instead chose to respond to one of the members of the delegation of Arab
monitors, launching a completely unjustified attack on him!
Algerian monitor Anwar Malik broke his silence, issuing a statement according to
his conscience in which he revealed that what is happening in Syria is
tantamount to war crimes; he revealed that snipers are present, there are bodies
in the street, and that the al-Assad regime is trying to deceive everybody with
regards to what is happening in Syria’s prisons. However no sooner had the
Algerian monitor revealed this than an anonymous Arab League official launched a
sharp attack on him, saying that the Algerian monitor does not know anything
about what is happening in Syria, as he was sick and bedridden [during the Arab
League mission]! The Arab League official went even further than this – which is
strange and suspicious – claiming that Malik has ties to opposition Syrian
National Council [SNC] president Burhan Ghalioun, or in other words that the
Algerian monitor had his own agenda.
This irregular and irresponsible talk, issued by an Arab League official, raises
two questions. Firstly, is it in the interests of the Arab League today to open
the door of investigating who has ties to who, or who is related to who,
particularly as the organization continues to give the tyrant Bashar al-Assad
one opportunity after another, despite the continuous violence and killings
taking place in Syria? I doubt that those concerned in the Arab League will want
to see this issue brought to light, as those who live in glass houses shouldn’t
throw stones. The second question is: doesn’t this attack by the Arab League
official on the Algerian monitor – who exposed the crimes that are taking place
in Syria by the al-Assad regime – also reveal the presence of those within the
Arab League itself who are well disposed towards the Syrian regime and against
the Syrian opposition? This is something that confirms what I revealed in my
previous article “Syria: Is this true” published on 9/1/2012, in which I
revealed information about a senior Arab League official’s disparagement and
denigration of the Syrian opposition. I think we can now say that all the cards
are on the table!
Therefore, instead of this sharp attack on the Algerian monitor who was only
telling the truth, it would have been more appropriate if the Arab League
official had defended the Arab monitors, especially those who told the truth,
and who were subject to aggression, retaliating against the al-Assad regime. It
would have been more appropriate if the Arab League official had responded to
al-Assad who insulted the Arabism of the Arab League, describing it as being
pseudo-Arab. Whilst prior to this, Hezbollah had insulted the Arab League,
dubbing it the Hebrew League, in defense of al-Assad. Isn’t it strange that the
Arab League did not defend itself against the taunts and insults of the
“children” of Iran, but rushed to respond to an Arab League monitor, merely for
telling the truth?
The fact of the matter is that the Arab League is not a pseudo-Arab
organization, as al-Assad claimed, but rather it is an organization that has
been destroyed, by saboteurs like al-Assad and other tyrants, and also by some
within the Arab League itself, particularly those who are defending the Syrian
leader, granting him one opportunity after another, in the same manner as they
did with Saddam Hussein following the invasion of Kuwait. The Arab League is not
a pseudo-Arab organization, rather it is an organization that unfortunately is
full of Arabs whose Arabism has been destroyed!
British diplomat Plumbly is new U.N. envoy in Lebanon
January 14, 2012/Daily Star/UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
has appointed former British diplomat Derek Plumbly as his special coordinator
for Lebanon, effectively the top U.N. official in the Middle Eastern country,
Ban's office announced on Friday. Plumbly succeeds Michael Williams, also
British, who held the job from 2008-11. The announcement came on the day Ban
himself visited Lebanon. Plumbly, 63, is an Arabic speaker who worked for the
British Foreign Office for some 30 years, including serving as ambassador to
Saudi Arabia and later Egypt. Most recently he headed a commission monitoring
Sudan's north-south peace deal. The United Nations has a 12,000-strong
peacekeeping force in Lebanon known as UNIFIL.
UN chief “deeply concerned” about Hezbollah arms
January 13, 2012
Visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Friday he was "deeply concerned" about the
military prowess of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and urged Lebanon to reconvene
talks on disarming the militant group. "I am deeply concerned about the military
capacity of Hezbollah and also concerned about the lack of progress in
disarmament," the UN chief told a news conference after holding talks with
Lebanese leaders. "All arms outside state authority are not acceptable," he
added.
Ban said he had urged President Michel Sleiman to re-launch a national dialogue
started in 2006 on defining a defense strategy for the tiny Mediterranean
country.
Hezbollah's arsenal has been at the center of the dialogue, stalled since 2010
because of bickering between rival parties. The powerful Shia group, which
dominates the government and is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by
Washington, has steadfastly refused to abandon its weapons, arguing they are
needed to defend Lebanon against Israel. Ban also confirmed at the news
conference that the mandate of a controversial UN-backed court that has charged
four Hezbollah operatives with the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri
would be extended. He said he had discussed the matter earlier on Friday in
meetings with Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri.
"How long the mandate will be extended will be [decided] in consultation with
the Lebanese government and Security Council," he said.
The mandate of the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) expires
on February 29. Hezbollah last January toppled the government of Saad Hariri,
the slain leader's son, after he refused to cut ties with the tribunal. His
successor, Mikati, appointed with the blessing of Hezbollah, has had to maneuver
carefully in dealing with the STL, denounced by the militant group as a
US-Israeli tool. Asked whether he would meet any officials from Hezbollah, which
has two ministers in the government, Ban said "we will see."He said he had also
addressed in his meetings with Lebanese officials the uprising in neighboring
Syria and its potential impact on Lebanon.
Ban on Saturday was to inspect troops serving with the UN peacekeeping force in
southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), who have been the target of a string of attacks in
the past year.
He was also to meet members of the Western-backed opposition. Several dozen
people gathered in downtown Beirut on his arrival to express their support for
Hezbollah and Assad's embattled regime.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
In Beirut, Ban Slams Israel Violations, Calls for Disarming Hizbullah
by Naharnet/U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said he was "deeply
concerned" about the military prowess of Hizbullah and noted that the frequent
Israeli violations of Lebanon’s territory and airspace continue to undermine
UNIFIL’s credibility and Lebanon’s sovereignty.
"I am deeply concerned about the military capacity of Hizbullah and also
concerned about the lack of progress in disarmament," the U.N. chief told a news
conference after holding talks with Lebanese leaders.
"All arms outside state authority are not acceptable," he added.
Ban arrived in Beirut on Friday for talks with Lebanese leaders on the
controversial U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the bloodshed in Syria
and Hizbullah’s arms.
During his three-day visit, Ban is also expected to address the recent attacks
against UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
Several dozen people gathered in downtown Beirut on his arrival to denounce the
visit and express their support for Hizbullah.
Ban is accompanied on his trip by Special Envoy for the implementation of
Security Council resolution 1559 Terje Roed-Larsen and U.N. Interim Force in
Lebanon commander Major General Alberto Asarta.
At the press conference, Ban said he had urged President Michel Suleiman to
relaunch a national dialogue started in 2006 on defining a defense strategy for
the country.
Hizbullah's arsenal has been at the center of the dialogue, stalled since 2010
because of bickering between rival parties.
Ban also confirmed at the news conference that the mandate of the controversial
STL that has charged four Hizbullah operatives with the 2005 assassination of
ex-premier Rafiq Hariri would be extended.
He said he had discussed the matter earlier on Friday in meetings with Suleiman,
Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Speaker Nabih Berri.
"How long the mandate will be extended will be (decided) in consultation with
the Lebanese government and Security Council," he said.
The mandate of the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon expires on
February 29.
Addressing the Syrian crisis, Ban said: “I have already expressed my deep
gratitude to the Lebanese government for hosting Syrian refugees. I stressed
that the Syrian refugees should not be repatriated to Syria and that they should
be treated in a humanitarian manner.”
Asked about remarks by a top Hizbullah official that he was not welcome in
Lebanon, Ban said “I’m very glad to visit Lebanon and it is normal for the
secretary general who represents 193 states to be able to visit all member
states and it is normal to have divergent points of view.”
During talks with Miqati at the Grand Serail, the U.N. chief stressed the
importance of speeding up “strategic” dialogue between the Lebanese army and
UNIFIL in order to enable the army to assume its full responsibilities in the
South.
After the talks, he revealed that he would bring up the issue of the Jewish
state’s violations with Israeli officials when he visits Israel.
He also stressed the importance of Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied
northern part of the town of Ghajar and of controlling the security along the
Lebanese border and “disarming militias.”
In addition, Ban urged Lebanon to begin investing in its offshore petroleum
wealth in the areas that are not being contested with Israel.
For his part, Miqati noted that the U.N. chief’s visit is an indication of the
United Nations’ keenness on Lebanon, saying that the UNIFIL force reflects the
international community’s interest in Lebanon’s security and stability.
“This interest should protect Lebanon from repeated Israeli attacks,” Miqati
stated.
He added however that Israel’s aggressive acts against Lebanon and the spread of
its spy networks in the country hamper UNIFIL’s duties.
“Israel disregards the international resolutions and the international
community’s will,” he stressed.
“Lebanon always respects its resolutions, no matter how difficult the
circumstances, including those related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,”
said the premier.
“This is not enough to guarantee Lebanon’s stability and peace, but the
international community must confront Israel and force it to abide by
international agreements,” stated Miqati.He reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, demanding that Israel withdraw from the
occupied Shebaa Farms and northern Ghajar in line with the resolution.
The PM renewed Lebanon’s condemnation of the attacks against UNIFIL, deeming
them an attack against Lebanon, its people, and security.
“Lebanon looks forward to maintaining the cooperation with the countries that
are participating in the international force,” he remarked.
Furthermore, Miqati asserted Lebanon’s right to exploit the natural wealth that
exists in its exclusive economic zone.
Earlier on Friday Ban held talks with President Suleiman at the Baabda Palace
after which he praised Lebanon’s commitment to international agreements,
especially since it is a founding member of the United Nations. He also lauded
ongoing efforts to resume the national dialogue in Lebanon as part of achieving
stability in Lebanon and reaching an agreement on a defense strategy. Suleiman
meanwhile voiced Lebanon’s keenness on the safety of UNIFIL, condemning the
“terrorist attacks” that have targeted them in the past year.Later on Friday,
Ban held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh. On Saturday, he is
scheduled to visit the U.N. peacekeeping command in the South and attend a
dinner banquet thrown by Miqati in his honor at the Grand Serail. He is also
slated to attend on Sunday a two-day conference organized by the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on the Arab world's
transition to democracy.
Israeli violations discredit UNIFIL: Ban
January 13, 2012 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon Friday condemned Israel’s repeated violations of
Lebanon’s sovereignty, describing them as a threat to credibility of the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and urged the country to demilitarize all
militias. Ban was quoted by Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s press office as saying
during a meeting with Mikati at the Grand Serail that he would discuss the
matter of Israeli violations with Israeli officials during his upcoming visit to
Israel, emphasizing the importance of Israeli withdrawal from the occupied
Ghajar village. The U.N. secretary-general, who arrived to Beirut earlier
Friday, urged the acceleration of strategic dialogue between the Lebanese Army
and UNIFIL in order to enable the army to take full control of south Lebanon. He
also urged Lebanon to secure its borders and work to demilitarize militias. In
turn, Mikati said that Lebanon has committed to its international obligations
even during its toughest times, and that therefore, the international community
should force Israel to commit to U.N. resolutions. “Lebanon has always respected
its obligations even in the toughest times including those related to the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon, but only that does not safeguard stability and
peace; the international community should face Israel and force it to commit to
its resolutions,” Mikati’s press office quoted him as saying.
Mikati also said that the aggressive practices by Israel against Lebanon and the
presence of its spy networks used against Lebanon disrupt the work of UNIFIL.
“Israel does not give any weight to the will of the international community and
acts on the basis that it is an exception and international resolutions do not
apply to it,” Mikati told Ban. Upon his arrival to Lebanon, Ban was met at Rafik
Hariri International Airport by Economy Minister Nicholas Nahhas.He was then
taken to Baabda Palace, where he met with President Michel Sleiman.During his
three-day visit, Ban will also be meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and
other Lebanese officials. Berri has said the issue of maritime border
demarcation and oil exploration off the Lebanese coast will be the first topic
to be discussed with Ban.Ban is scheduled to hold a news conference at the
Phoenicia InterContinental Hotel later Friday. Mikati will host a dinner for Ban
at the Grand Serail Saturday evening.
Libya Says Joint Committee Formed with Lebanon to Unveil
Sadr Fate
by Naharnet/The head of Libya’s National Transitional Council Mustapha Abdul
Jalil stated on Friday that missing persons will be found throughout Libya,
adding that so far missing Imam Moussa al-Sadr’s fate remains unknown. He said
after holding talks in Libya with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour: “We have
placed great importance on this issue and a Lebanese-Libyan committee has been
formed to find out what has happened to him.”
“Ever since Tripoli’s liberation in August, we have been unable to uncover
certain mysteries, which require some information and technical assistance from
Lebanon,” he added. For his part, Mansour said that Libya has been cooperative
with Lebanon’s mission to determine Sadr’s fate, revealing that Libyan
authorities have launched an investigation in the matter almost a month ago. The
visiting Lebanese delegation held talks with the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul
Rahim al-Kassab, Foreign Minister Ashour bin Khayyal, Interior Minister Fawzi
Abdul Aal, and Defense Minister Oussama al-Jubaily.Sadr disappeared in Libya in
1978 after visiting late rule Moammar Gadhafi.
Sadr was trying to negotiate an end to the Lebanese civil war, in which
Palestinian factions were involved.
British PM meets Saudi king as Gulf tensions run high
January 13, 2012
British Prime Minister David Cameron held talks with Saudi King Abdullah in
Riyadh on Friday, as tensions soar between the West and Tehran, the oil-rich
kingdom's arch-rival in the Gulf. The two leaders "discussed the importance of
the UK-Saudi bilateral relationship and agreed to strengthen cooperation in a
range of areas," Cameron's office said in a statement. They "also discussed
recent developments in the region, in particular their shared concerns about the
situation in Syria, Iran and Yemen," it added.
An uprising in Syria has left more than 5,000 people killed since March in a
crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, according to a
United Nations estimate last month. Yemen has also been rocked by a year of
unrest in which hundreds have been killed amid fears of a growing Al-Qaeda
influence across its southern and eastern provinces due to a weakening central
government.
Cameron's first visit to the OPEC kingpin also comes as Western governments,
including Britain, have moved to step up sanctions over Iran's controversial
nuclear program, threatening an embargo on vital oil exports that has drawn an
angry response from Tehran.
Iran has threatened to shut the strategic Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint for a
fifth of the world's oil - if it is attacked or if heavy sanctions are imposed.
"The prime minister also raised our concerns about Somalia and the problems of
conflict, piracy and terrorism which threaten Somalis and the wider
international community," Cameron's office said. "He briefed the king on the
aims of next month's London Conference on Somalia, in particular to catalyze a
coordinated international effort focused on practical measures to help Somalis
rebuild their country."Somalia has been without an effective central government
since President Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 as violence, piracy and famine
tear the African country. Saudi state news agency SPA reported earlier that the
two leaders discussed "regional and international developments as well as the
various means of strengthening cooperation between both countries," without
elaborating.
The meeting was attended by top Saudi officials. Britain has been seeking to
strengthen ties with oil-rich Saudi Arabia, a major market for Western arms
deals, and boost exports to its largest Middle East trading partner. Annual
bilateral trade is worth 15 billion pounds ($23 billion), while Saudi
investments in Britain amount to more than 62 billion pounds.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Look no further
Shane Farrell and Nadine Elali, January 14, 2012/12
Now Lebanon
After three weeks on the job, and with the daily death toll just as high as
before their arrival, Arab League observers in Syria must surely be wondering
what they are doing there. It is a fair question.
Their arrival did little to stem the violence raging across the country. On the
contrary, since their arrival over 400 people have been killed and there are no
signs of this changing. Moreover, the three explosions, which state controlled
television says are suicide attacks, took place after the first observers
arrived in Syria.
The first two attacks, at least, were seen by some as a direct message to the
observers. More worryingly for the men in the high-viz jackets, they were the
target of an armed attack on Monday, which left eleven lightly wounded. The
mission has also been under figurative fire, with both pro- and anti-regime
demonstrators criticizing the mission for its unprofessionalism and lack of
training, among other things.
But its most damning indictment to date has come from one of its own members. On
Wednesday, it was announced that Anwar Malek, an Algerian observer, had resigned
from his post several days prior. Speaking to Al-Jazeera, Malek called the
mission a “farce” and reported that he witnessed "a humanitarian disaster.” He
also accused the regime not of “committing one war crime but a series of crimes
against its people."
On Thursday, in an article published by Al-Hayat newspaper, Malek said that the
regime has gained a lot of time with the presence of the Arab League observers’
mission and that it has used this time to implement its plan. He expects “a more
bloody phase” following their departure, but estimates that if the observers do
not leave immediately, a civil war is likely to ensue.
A second observer told Reuters on Wednesday that he too is seriously considering
leaving, and Malek claimed that others have also resigned.
Considering this, why is the Syrian National Council maintaining its support for
the observers and the Arab League initiative? Why, instead, does the body not
seek the assistance of the far more powerful UN Security Council, as many
activists and opposition members are demanding?
In a Facebook post, dated January 11 of this year, Local Coordination Committees
of Syria spokesperson Mohammad al-Abdullah made this charge against the SNC.
Abdullah accused the SNC of being “shamefully absent” from a UN Security Council
(UNSC) special hearing earlier this week on the crisis and for failing to
complete and return a document to the UNSC which would demand the body take
action.
“Last Friday, one of the Security Council members drafted a proposal and sent it
to the SNC. It asked for the SNC to discuss it, amend it if necessary and return
it to the SC in an official manner so that it would be presented at Monday’s SC
hearing session,” Abdullah wrote. “The paper is an official request from the SNC
to the SC asking the latter to take action to help protect the Syrian people,”
he added.
Abdullah stated that no document had been presented by the SNC to the UNSC prior
to Monday’s meeting.
In response to these charges, SNC member Omar Edelby told NOW Lebanon he doubts
the validity of Abdullah's claims. “Since the SNC is not an internationally
recognized party, it is not eligible to fill in a request and send to the
Security Council,” he said.
Edelby agrees that management of the crisis should be taken from the regional to
the international level and says the SNC is working to make this happen. “The
SNC believes that the Arab League is incapable of forcing the regime to commit
to the [Arab League] initiative and to protecting the civilians in Syria,” he
said. “As a result, we as the Syrian National Council [have requested the Arab
League] transfer the file of the Syrian crisis to the Security Council, so that
the Security Council adopts the Arab initiative and forces its application under
Chapter 7 of the UN charter.” Chapter 7 sets out the UNSC’s power to maintain
international peace and security, including both military and non-military
measures.
Moreover, Edelby added that the SNC has requested a meeting with
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whereby the body will deliver him a letter.
“Based on this letter,” he said, “the Secretary-General or any other UN country
can file a request to the UN Security Council asking it to protect Syrian
civilians.”
The Arab League, meanwhile, does not appear to be keen on reducing its role in
Syria despite the SNC’s calls for the issue to be transferred to the UN and
Malek’s concern that the observers’ mission is just buying more time for the
regime. Moreover, the body has suggested that it may soon send even more
observers.
The Syrian “Brotherhood”
Hazem al-Amin, January 13, 2012/Now Lebanon
Parties to the Syrian opposition are accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of being
the first to strike a deal with the Syrian regime if given half a chance to do
so. The Muslim Brotherhood, in return, says that it periodically receive such
offers from the regime in Istanbul where the party is. The Iranian mediation
they revealed is not the only one in this respect; rather, it was preceded and
followed by mediations led by “independent” Arab figures from Algeria and Sudan,
and by Syrian figures as well. They give the following answer: “How can we
strike a deal with a regime that has no prospects? It would be tantamount to
political suicide.”
Furthermore, the regime is taking great pains to allude to the fact that offers
are being made to the Muslim Brotherhood. These offers come within the framework
of the regime’s attempts to consolidate the Muslim Brotherhood at the forefront
of the opposition in their capacity as its main component. In the same speech
during which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad alluded that he was ready to
initiate dialogue with them, he departed from the written text of his address
and used once again the famous Baath expression, namely the “Devil’s
Brotherhood.” This indicates that the “readiness for dialogue” is no more than
an attempt to portray the opposition under a diabolical light.
Syria, as seen from Istanbul, is far more complicated and weak than what things
are like in Lebanon or Jordan. In Beirut and Amman, those observing Damascus
carry the burden of their country’s weakness and no sooner do they think about
the events in Syria than they start having doubts regarding their own country
and its future. In that case, they are easily frightened when they see Syrian
President Bashar Assad on the Umayyad Square, and they just as easily say: “We
are in a completely different period, one that is so dangerous as to compel
strong presidents to do what Assad did.”
The scene from Istanbul is not bright, but it is different from what it looks
like from Beirut and Amman. The National Syrian Council, which resides most of
the time in Istanbul, is an image of another reality. The Muslim Brotherhood in
it is a Turkish option whereas lay figures are a European one. It is easy to
hear a “Turkish observer” say that Burhan Ghalioun “is a French puppet.” One
must keep in mind here the implications of such an accusation against a backdrop
of the crisis-fraught relation between Turkey and France due to the Armenian
genocide and to the division caused by the success of the French option in Libya
and the failure of Turkey’s tergiversation.
If you ask a Turkish official whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria is
the choice of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, you will not have any
doubts regarding the answer despite this official’s best efforts to give a
noncommittal answer. Yes, the Muslim Brotherhood is Turkey’s option but Turkey
is not the most important partner in making Syria’s future. The Turkish official
did not say that of course, but this can be inferred from the intensive Arab and
international presence in Istanbul.
Nevertheless, Turkey is more capable than any other international player to
reach into the “mind” of the Syrian opposition. Suffice it to take notice of the
extraordinary speed at which the Justice and Development Party became a model
for Muslim Brotherhood groups in many Arab countries. “Educated members” of the
Brotherhood in Syria are talking in Istanbul about the option of a “civil state”
where Islamists can form the government without undermining the “civil character
of the state”, as was the case with the Justice and Development Party. It seems
that this is the first attempt to divert from the model since state laicism –
rather than the state’s civil character – is what the Justice and Development
Party has yet to touch. Your feelings vis-à-vis the “cunning of the Brotherhood”
will not be dispelled by their tales of the “Turkish civil option” as most of
them came to Istanbul only a few months ago from the Sudan, Yemen and Jordan
where they were welcomed by other Brotherhood-like movements. Some even had a
brief stay in Doha become reaching Istanbul. Moreover, the speed at which the
“Turkish option” was adopted is anything but reassuring.
In Istanbul however, one perceives more than anywhere else that the Muslim
Brotherhood is not the greatest partner of the Syrian opposition. It is not the
same as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood or Tunisia’s Nahda Movement. One is even more
reassured by the fact that they feel the need for a rebirth. Some of their
members realize that throughout Syria’s modern history, they were not only
victims, but also partners. This rebirth will not occur without a different
reading of the Muslim Brotherhood’s story in Syria, and it seems that those
calling for that story are not doing so loudly enough.
'Israeli Mossad agents posed as CIA spies to recruit terrorists to fight against
Iran'
Foreign Policy magazine cites CIA memos from 2007-2008 that the Mossad recruited
members of Jundallah terror group to fight against Tehran; U.S. was reportedly
furious with Israel and moved to limit joint intelligence programs.
By Barak Ravid/Haaretz
Israeli Mossad agents posed as CIA officers in order to recruit members of a
Pakistani terror group to carry out assassinations and attacks against the
regime in Iran, Foreign Policy revealed on Friday, quoting U.S. intelligence
memos.
Foreign Policy's Mark Perry reported that the Mossad operation was carried out
in 2007-2008, behind the back of the U.S. government, and infuriated then U.S.
President George W. Bush.
Perry quotes a number of American intelligence officials and claims that the
Mossad agents used American dollars and U.S. passports to pose as CIA spies to
try to recruit members of Jundallah, a Pakistan-based Sunni extremist
organization that has carried out a series of attacks in Iran and assassinations
of government officials.
According to the report, Israel's recruitment attempts took place mostly in
London, right under the nose of U.S. intelligence officials.
"It's amazing what the Israelis thought they could get away with," Foreign
Policy quoted an intelligence officer as saying. "Their recruitment activities
were nearly in the open. They apparently didn't give a damn what we thought
According to a currently serving U.S. intelligence officer, Perry reports, when
Bush was briefed on the information he "went absolutely ballistic."
"The report sparked White House concerns that Israel's program was putting
Americans at risk," the intelligence officer told Perry. "There's no question
that the U.S. has cooperated with Israel in intelligence-gathering operations
against the Iranians, but this was different. No matter what anyone thinks,
we're not in the business of assassinating Iranian officials or killing Iranian
civilians."
The intelligence officer said that the Bush administration continued to deal
with the affair until the end of his term. He noted that Israel's operation
jeopardized the U.S. administration's fragile relationship with Pakistan, which
was under immense pressure from Iran to crack down on Jundallah.
According to the intelligence officer, a senior administration official vowed to
"take the gloves off" with Israel, but ultimately the U.S. did nothing.
"In the end it was just easier to do nothing than to, you know, rock the boat,"
the intelligence officer said.
Apparently, the Mossad operation caused a fiery debate among Bush's national
security team and it was only resolved when U.S. President Barack Obama
drastically scaled back joint U.S.-Israel intelligence programs targeting Iran,
Perry quotes several serving and retired officers as saying.
The U.S. State Department has vehemently denied any ties to Jundallah and many
U.S. intelligence officials remained angry with Israel over the 2007-2008
operation.
"Israel is supposed to be working with us, not against us," Foreign Policy
quoted an intelligence officer as saying. "If they want to shed blood, it would
help a lot if it was their blood and not ours. You know, they're supposed to be
a strategic asset. Well, guess what? There are a lot of people now, important
people, who just don't think that's true."
The CIA, the White House, and the Mossad failed to respond to the Foreign Policy
report by the time it went to press.