Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 23/12 
Lebanon: Another Man Kidnapped in Bekaa Despite Crackdown
Iran: Strike a chance to wipe Israel off map
Hamas signs binding military commitment to Iran-led war on Israel
Jafari: War with Israel will eventually happen
Iran debuts new air defense system
US to drop Iranian group from terror list
Sidon probes alleged site of Aoun convoy shooting
Convoy of FPM Leader Comes Under Fire in Sidon
Charbel Confirms Attack on Aoun's Convoy, But Security Sources Deny
Siniora says assurance needed on Hezbollah’s arms
MP Zahra says was target of assassination
Lebanese Interior Minister Denies Parties Giving Refuge to Suspects
Lebanese Opposition Exerting Efforts to Unify Stance on Electoral Draft-Law
Army contains armed clash in Tripoli
Hizbullah Holds Last Anti-Islam Film Demonstration in Hermel
Iran denies hacking into American banks
Iran detains centrist ex-president's daughter
Rebel command moves to Syria in sign of confidence
Syrian president's sister 'now in Dubai'
Hamas chief Meshaal wants to step down: political sources
Egyptian fighters join Free Syrian Army
Al-Assad’s sister fled to UAE – Sources
Most of Syria outside regime control: rebel colonel
Pakistani bounty put on head of anti-Islam film maker
Egypt jihadi groups say behind deadly Israeli border attack

Iran: Strike a chance to wipe Israel off map
Dudi Cohen Latest Update: 09.23.12/Ynetnews
Tehran's military officials continue to threaten Israel with annihilation should it strike nuclear facilities; warn that US involvement in conflict will trigger WW3 . "If the Zionists act against Iran it will be a historic opportunity for the Islamic Revolution to wipe them off the world's geographic history," Deputy Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Brig.-Gen. Hossein Salami declared Sunday.
According to the Fars news agency, Salami stressed that Iran is "No longer concerned by the Zionist regime's threats" to strike the country's nuclear facilities. If war with Iran breaks out it will be the doing of an international coalition headed by America," he said. Iran's Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh further warned that Tehran could launch a preemptive strike against Israel if it becomes convinced that Jerusalem was gearing to attack it. Speaking with Iran's Al-Alam TV, Hajizadeh said: "Iran will not start any war but it could launch a preemptive attack if it was sure that the enemies are putting the final touches to attack it."Hajizadeh said any attack on Iranian soil could trigger World War III: "We cannot imagine the Zionist regime starting a war without America's support. Therefore, in case of a war, we will get into a war with both of them and we will certainly get into a conflict with American bases." "In that case, unpredictable and unmanageable things would happen and it could turn into a World War Three."Earlier Sunday, a senior Iranian MP said that if Tehran will end up cutting ties with the IAEA, its chief, Yukiya Amano, will be the one to blame: "Amano's frequent visits to Tel Aviv prove that the information about the Iranian nuclear program is given to the Zionist regime (by him)." Javad Jahangir-Zadeh, a member of Iran's parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, added that if the IAEA "continues in its ways," Tehran would be forced to sever all ties with it. On Saturday, Revolutionary Guards Commander General Mohammad Ali Jafari said that a war between Israel and Iran was inevitable. "Israel seeks war with us, but it's not clear when the war will occur," Jafari was quoted by the ISNA and Fars agencies as saying. "Right now they see war as the only method of confrontation," he said. Iran also threatened to attack US bases in event of war: Hajizadeh warned Sunday that the Islamic Republic will target US bases in the Persian Gulf should a war with Israel break out.
Hajizadeh said that no Israeli attack can happen without the United States' involvement, making all US military bases a legitimate target. He warned that Gulf states would be "dragged into war" because Iran will attack US bases in Bahrain, Qatar and Afghanistan. AP contributed to this report

Hamas signs binding military commitment to Iran-led war on Israel
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report September 23, 2012/ Hamas leader Mahmoud A-Zahar and deputy commander of its military arm, Marwan Issa, spent the second week of September in Beirut and Tehran finalizing and signing protocols covering a binding commitment by the radical Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip to join Iran, Syria and Hizballah in a war on Israel, debkafile’s exclusive military sources disclose.
The protocols set out in detail the circumstances, procedures and terms governing Hamas’s participation in a conflict, whether it arises from an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program or the involvement of Iran’s allies, Syria and Hizballah, in comprehensive or partial hostilities against Israel. Hamas agreed to obey any orders to attack the Jewish state coming from Tehran, Damascus or Beirut.
Tehran also required A-Zahar and Issa to attach their signatures to copies of the military understandings Iranian National Security Director Saeed Jalili concluded with Bashar Assad during his visit to Damascus on Aug. 7. Those understandings, debkafile reports, touched off the massive Iranian airlift currently carrying hundreds of military personnel and weapons day by day to the embattled Syrian regime.
Hamas’s signature provided a booster shot of 22,000 trained fighters including reservists for the battle array of elite Iranian al Qods Brigades units building up in Syria and Lebanon and taking up positions along Israel’s borders. This buildup prompted the large-scale snap military exercise Israel staged on the Golan Wednesday, Sept. 19. Most of the forces stayed on after the exercise was over and spread out along the Syrian and Lebanese borders.
The directives Hamas leaders received in Tehran after their meetings with top officials were detailed and precise. They were handed down in person by Defense Minister Ahmed Wahidi, Revolutionary Guards Chief Gen. Ali Jafari, the Al Qods Brigades commander, Qassem Soleimani, and a select group of Iranian intelligence experts on the Israel.
Those orders were presented in the language of commands and brooked no argument. Tehran had two goals:
1. To leave no leeway for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, of which the Palestinian Hamas is an offshoot, to veto the pledges Hamas signed in Tehran. The Palestinian Hamas was put on notice that the group was now under contract to defer to Tehran in military matters ahead of Cairo. 2. Iran, Hizballah and Syria instructed Hamas to stop obstructing Jihad Islami’s activities in the Gaza Strip and be ready to operate in harmony with Iran’s Palestinian proxy against Israel. In a potential outbreak of war, both must take their orders from Iran’s Middle East command.
For placing itself under Tehran’s jackboot, Hamas was assured of the resumption of Iranian economic aid and fresh supplies of missiles, advanced hi-tech war equipment to improve the accuracy of its rocket attacks on Israel - which rarely hit much - and anti-air weapons systems.
Iran had been keeping Hamas short pending the guarantees and pledges of allegiance A Zahar carried to Tehran and Beirut in the round trips he made between Sept 8 and 13. Even then, to make sure there were no loopholes in their accords, the Iranians forced the Hamas delegation to break its journey home to the Gaza Strip in Beirut, repeat their commitments to Tehran to Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah and re-sign the documents in his presence. Failing to honor the deal, they warned, would elicit the immediate cutoff of Iranian aid and supplies.
debkafile’s military analysts report Hamas’ decision to unreservedly hitch its star to the Iranian wagon produced immediate fallout – especially on Egyptian-Israeli relations and counter-terror operations in Egyptian Sinai.
Friday, Islamist terrorists breached the Egyptian-Israeli border from Sinai, shot dead IDF Corp. Netanel Yahalomi and injured a second soldier, before the IDF killed three of the gunmen in a shootout. In the last year, Sinai has become the stamping ground for al Qaeda cells and allied Islamic terrorists. Egypt’s new rulers have proved unequal to the job of controlling the territory.
At the same time, Cairo is demanding the revision of the 1979 peace treaty’s military clauses. President Mohamed Morsi said Sunday, Sept 23, that his government would uphold the peace pact with Israel only if US commits to helping the Palestinians attain self-rule. Israeli leaders are now asking what guarantees is President Morsi offering for offsetting any Iranian-orchestrated Hamas war operations from Gaza in line with the accord they have just signed in Tehran and Beirut.Furthermore, they ask, what happens to the al Qaeda cells and other military groups rampant in Sinai? Up until now Iran and Hamas ran their ties with those terrorists on separate tracks. Will they now effect a merger? A note of foreboding on this score was struck by Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz Sunday, Sept. 23, when he toured the scene of the last shootout with Sinai terrorists. “The Sinai border will continue to present us with a challenge,” he said. “We have made a colossal effort in the last two years to seal off the Egyptian border and it will be done. But even then, the threat will not disappear.”

Convoy of MP Michel Aoun fired at on return from south Lebanon
September 22, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A shot was fired Saturday at one of three convoys belonging to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun during his return from a rally in south Lebanon, security sources told The Daily Star. There were no casualties. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a shot was fired at a vehicle belonging to one of two decoy convoys accompanying Aoun during his return trip from Jezzine, south Lebanon. The three convoys, one of which included the March 8 coalition figure, took separate routes during the voyage to and from Jezzine, where Aoun had earlier addressed supporters in an apparent primer for the upcoming 2013 elections. Aoun is due to make an address in Batroun, north Lebanon. His office confirmed in a statement that “one of his convoys was fired upon during his return from Jezzine.” “But he denied this earlier due to security reasons,” the statement added. Prior to his arrival to Jezzine, members of the Internal Security Forces and Lebanese soldiers, accompanied by police dogs, searched places Aoun was expected to visit.

Sidon probes alleged site of Aoun convoy shooting
September 23, 2012/By Mohammad Zaatari /The Daily Star
SIDON, Lebanon: A probe was launched Sunday in the southern coastal city of Sidon at the alleged site of a shooting on one of MP Michel Aoun’s convoys a day earlier. Sidon’s General Prosecutor Sameh al-Haj, accompanied by Lebanese Army Intelligence, judicial police and Internal Security Force’s Information Branch, conducted their investigation at the end of the eastern Sidon highway leading to Beirut – the alleged site of the shooting on the convoy vehicle. Aoun’s office said Saturday that one of the March 8 leader’s convoys was shot on its way back from Jezzine, where he had earlier addressed supporters in an apparent primer to the 2012 parliamentary elections. Media reports said the shooting took place near the Bahaeddine Hariri mosque in the coastal city. Security sources told The Daily Star Saturday that a shot was fired at a vehicle belonging to one of two decoy convoys accompanying Aoun during his return trip from Jezzine, south Lebanon. Speaking to LBCI, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed Sunday that the decoy convoy was fired upon in Sidon and said that investigations were under way. Aoun headed to Jezzine earlier Saturday in three convoys, two of which were decoys. The three convoys took separate routes during the journey to and from Jezzine. Addressing supporters in Batroun, north Lebanon, later Saturday, Aoun said the incident represented the fourth attempt on his life.
Prior to heading to site, which lies about 1 kilometer from the Bahaeddine Hariri mosque, Haj met authorities at Sidon’s Justice Palace to discuss and review security reports of incidents during the night of the incident.  During his probe of the area, Haj listened to testimonies of residents and workers. Authorities are also conducting a search of nearby, yet-to-be-completed buildings and an orchard as part of their probe. Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is in New York, contacted Aoun to check on the condition of the FPM chief following the incident.
"Mikati, after arriving in New York, contacted Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and congratulated him on his safety after his convoy came under fire [Saturday]," a statement from the prime minister's office said Sunday. Mikati stressed that "relevant security apparatuses are stepping up their investigation to uncover the circumstance surrounding the incident and that the culprits are pursued

Aoun says was target of assassination attempt
September 23, 20120/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said Saturday he was the target of an assassination attempt in an incident that took place earlier in the day. Security sources told The Daily Star that a shot was fired at a vehicle belonging to one of two decoy convoys accompanying Aoun during his return trip from Jezzine, south Lebanon. “I was the target of three assassination attempts and the culprits were uncovered [on those occasions]. This is the fourth one and we hope [the culprits] will be revealed,” Aoun said Saturday night to a group of supporters in Batroun, north Lebanon. “Do not be concerned about the incident we encountered, which is to be expected, as I am addressing you now and I am in perfect health,” he told his supporters. Aoun headed to Jezzine earlier in the day in three convoys, two of which were decoys. The three convoys took separate routes during the voyage to and from Jezzine, where Aoun had earlier addressed supporters in an apparent primer for the upcoming 2013 elections. Security sources said one of the seven vehicles in the decoy convoy was damaged as a result of the shooting and that an investigation is under way.
According to several media stations, Aoun’s office confirmed in a statement that “one of his convoys was fired upon during his return from Jezzine.”
“But he denied this earlier due to security reasons,” the statement added. Prior to his arrival in Jezzine, members of the Internal Security Forces and Lebanese soldiers, accompanied by police dogs, searched places Aoun was expected to visit. Several alleged assassination attempts against Lebanese politicians and figures in recent months have jolted Lebanon, already suffering from developments in neighboring Syria. In April, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said he had escaped an assassination attempt when shots were fired at his residence in Mount Lebanon. Months later, two detonators were found in an elevator at an office building in Beirut belonging to MP Butros Harb, in another alleged assassination attempt.The small Mediterranean country has also witnessed a string of kidnappings of foreign nationals, reminiscent of the Civil War days, and in August a former Lebanese minister was charged with plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in the country, as well as assassinate religious and political figures. During his address to supporters in Batroun, Aoun spoke briefly about the shooting. “Why do they want to assassinate me? I have not killed anyone, nor have I robbed [anyone] and very soon you will hear about all the robbing,” Aoun said. “We take the opposite course and they want to set Lebanon on fire and we have managed to prevent Lebanon from burning or being burned by any other country,” he added.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of the March 8 coalition to which Aoun belongs, contacted the FPM leader over the incident and expressed relief that his ally was in good health.
“Nasrallah contacted Gen. Aoun to check on his health and congratulated him on surviving the assassination attempt,” Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television station reported. – With Mohammed Zaatari

Hezbollah chief contacts Aoun after south Lebanon shooting
September 23, 2012/ By Thomas El-Basha/ The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah contacted MP Michel Aoun Saturday and voiced relief that his March 8 ally survived an assassination attempt earlier in the day. “Nasrallah contacted Gen. Aoun to check on his health and congratulated him on surviving the assassination attempt,” Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television station reported.
Aoun, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement and ally to Hezbollah, said Saturday he was the target of an attempted assassination during an incident that took place earlier in the day.
Security sources told The Daily Star that a shot was fired at a vehicle belonging to one of two decoy convoys accompanying Aoun during his return trip from Jezzine, south Lebanon.
Aoun headed to Jezzine in three convoys, two of which were decoys. The three convoys took separate routes during the voyage to and from Jezzine, where Aoun had earlier addressed supporters in an apparent primer for the upcoming 2013 elections. Authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting. - With Mohammed Zaatari

Syria, Iran nuclear fears, Muslim protests cloud U.N. summit
September 23, 2012/By Tim Witcher/Daily Star /UNITED NATIONS: War in Syria, mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear drive and anti-Western protests across the Muslim world will cast a shadow over the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders starting Tuesday. Words of warning and defiance are expected when U.S. President Barack Obama, Iran's leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu join more than 120 heads of state and government at the U.N. General Assembly. Because of international divisions over the 18-month-old Syria conflict, the U.N. is holding no formal meeting on the civil war. But Obama and Western leaders are expected to call for action in their speeches. The U.S. president is one of the first speakers on Tuesday after the event is opened by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Ban and U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi agreed in talks Saturday that the conflict is a "steadily increasing threat to regional peace and security," a U.N. spokesman said. And the Syria campaign will be pressed outside the General Assembly. Brahimi will brief the U.N. Security Council on Monday on his talks with President Bashar Assad.
Syria will also dominate a Security Council ministerial debate on links with the Arab League on Wednesday, the European Union is set to launch a new appeal for humanitarian funds and a Friends of Syria ministerial meeting is planned for Friday. Diplomatic wounds over Syria are not close to healing. Neither Russia nor China, which have three times vetoed Security Council resolutions on Syria, will be represented by a senior leader in New York. Assad is expected to send his foreign minister. "Everyone will be thinking about Syria, talking about Syria, but there will be no decision and no major progress," said one senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Stewart Patrick, an expert on international institutions and global governance for the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank, said that Syria will be one of two "lightning rod" issues at the summit with the Iran nuclear showdown. Ahmadinejad is in New York for probably his last appearance at the General Assembly. This time there is feverish speculation that Israel is planning a military strike on bunkered Iranian nuclear facilities that Tehran insists are for peaceful purposes, but Western nations say hide attempts to develop a nuclear bomb.
Ahmadinejad speaks to the assembly on Wednesday, when a new walkout is predicted if the Iranian leader repeats one of his toxic remarks about Israel.
Top officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- which are attempting to negotiate with Iran -- are to meet on Thursday just after Israel's prime minister addresses the assembly. Netanyahu and Obama will not meet in New York and this has heightened speculation of a rift between the two. The United States and its allies have stepped up warnings to Iran, however, that time is running out for a negotiated solution to the showdown. Netanyahu will take the U.N. stage two slots after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Last year, Abbas took center stage with his emotional bid for full membership of the U.N., which was thwarted by the United States. Abbas is this time expected to announce that the Palestinians will seek elevated observer status, a move that neither the United States nor Israel can block but that is only a second prize. The deadly protests in Muslim nations against an Internet video made in the United States that mocks Islam will also receive much attention.
Muslim leaders will reaffirm their anger in their speeches and the film will top the agenda at a meeting of foreign ministers from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Friday.
OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told AFP that world leaders must "come together in solidarity and as a political gesture and show of goodwill" to condemn the film and "to underline the ethical responsibility of all to respect human dignity and not to insult the 'other' over most sacred values."
He said leaders must break "the vicious circle of provocation and violent reaction instigated by the marginal extremist forces of the societies on both sides of the so-called divide."
The week-long debate for world leaders will also see key meetings on the conflicts in Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Yemen.

MP Zahra says was target of assassination attempts, MP Adwan in similar danger
September 23, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said over the weekend he was the target of at least two assassination attempts and that his colleague, MP George Adwan, also faced similar risks. “We have clear-cut information that another MP in the Lebanese Forces is threatened with an assassination attempt and he is our colleague George Adwan,” MP Antoine Zahra told MTV station in an interview Saturday. “Security measures are being taken,” he added. Zahra said he was also the target of at least two assassination attempts. “There were at least two attempts in the most recent period ... this is why [LF chief] Samir Geagea insisted that my permanent residence be at Maarab,” he said. Several alleged assassination attempts against Lebanese politicians and figures in recent months have jolted Lebanon, which is already suffering from the impact of developments in neighboring Syria along its borders. In April, Geagea said he had escaped an assassination attempt when shots were fired at his residence in Maarab. Months later, two detonators were found in an elevator at an office building in Beirut belonging to MP Butros Harb, in another alleged assassination attempt. On Saturday, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said he was the target of an assassination attempt in an incident earlier in the day.

Siniora says assurance needed on Hezbollah’s arms
September 23, 2012/The Daily Star /SIDON, Lebanon: Future parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora reiterated Sunday that Hezbollah needs to unambiguously pledge that its weapons solely serve Lebanon’s national interest and will not be used in regional struggles. “What is needed is for Hezbollah to put forward a clear and unambiguous statement that its weapons are Lebanese and won’t be used for regional purposes in any shape or form or beyond the Lebanese will in order for us to commence dialogue,” Siniora told reporters in his home city of Sidon, south Lebanon.
“Our position is that these weapons ultimately need to fall under the authority of the state and that it has the exclusive right to use them. This is what we envisage coming out of the dialogue,” Siniora added, referring to the National Dialogue relaunched in June by President Michel Sleiman. During a National Dialogue Committee meeting at Baabda Palace Thursday, President Michel Sleiman unveiled to rival Lebanese leaders a national defense strategy that would allow Hezbollah to keep its arms but place them under the command of the Lebanese Army, which would have exclusive authority to use force.
The March 14 coalition has demanded that Hezbollah hand over its weapons to the Army while the resistance insists it retain them but coordinate with the Lebanese military.
Siniora also reiterated Sunday that his party opposed any aggression against Iran by Israel or another state, “but at the same time we cannot accept that our country becomes a launching pad for rockets and an arena to be used for purposes of confrontation.”“We oppose that Hezbollah’s weapons be regional ones and used for regional purposes,” he added.Siniora said his party would continue with dialogue, which he described as the “only way we can resolve issues that we are facing but on the clear and frank basis that we need to adhere to the rules of the Constitution which offers a genuine summary of how the relationship among Lebanese should be.”

The FSA leadership in Syria
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
The Free Syrian Army (FSA), the military establishment waging armed opposition against the al-Assad regime, has announced that it has transferred its command center from Turkey to a “liberated area” inside Syrian territory. FSA commander Riad al-Asaad, in a message addressed to the Syrian people, said: “We are glad to let you know that the leadership of the FSA has moved into Syria following arrangements made with other brigades that included securing liberated areas with the hope of launching the offensive on Damascus”.
Of course, this step gives many indications, both politically and militarily, as well as in terms of morale, especially at the level of the Syrian rebels. However, it is not known whether this step came with international coordination from the friends of Syria, especially with the French speaking openly today about supporting the liberated areas of Syria’s territory. France is referring specifically to the areas adjacent to the Turkish border, which could become highly sensitive and dangerous contact points with Syria, especially if the al-Assad regime attempts to commit a new venture against the Turks. The FSA moving its command center to liberated Syrian territory, in preparation for the battle to liberate Damascus, as announced by Colonel al-Asaad, means there are more difficult days in Syria ahead. The al-Assad regime will now seek to escalate violence in all areas where it believes the FSA leadership is stationed and directing battles against it, because the presence of this leadership on Syrian soil will shake the morale of al-Assad’s criminal forces.
It is not known whether the transferal of the FSA’s command center to liberated Syrian territory came as a result of detailed planning, with Turkish and international coordination, or whether it was a hasty step, intended to score points internally, considering the heated rivalry within the Syrian opposition.
There are also other questions that are worthy of consideration, such as how will the FSA leaders now communicate with groups loyal to them across Syria, especially if it is not possible to use technological means of communication in their new internal location, and how will they coordinate in order to secure the delivery of weaponry and so on? These questions seem simple but they will help us understand whether this step is the genuine activation of the French plan to convert liberated Syrian areas into safe territories, along the lines of Benghazi - and this is a good thing and a reason for optimism - or whether it is an uncalculated step that will result in dire consequences.
When I say dire consequences this is for one simple reason. Ever since the deaths of major security leaders as a result of the bombing of the national security building in Damascus, the al-Assad regime has been crumbling dramatically. The bulk of Aleppo fell, border crossings were seized one after the other, and then the battle moved to Damascus and talk focused on the whereabouts of al-Assad and his family. Today it is clear that Iranian interference has helped to extend the life of the al-Assad regime but its long term existence cannot be guaranteed. The regime may last up to another year at the best estimate with the presence of the FSA’s command center on liberated Syrian territory. Hence al-Assad, with confirmed Iranian support, will burn everything and everybody in order to target those FSA leaders. Therefore, the FSA’s move is a big step, and can be considered an important indicator of the Syrian revolution’s current course of events. It also provides evidence of the predicament facing al-Assad and his allies, most notably Iran, as the circle has begun to close around them.

Egyptian fighters join Free Syrian Army
By Mohamed Abdu Hassanein
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – “I want to travel to Syria for jihad…is there anybody to help me do this?” “I am prepared to travel to Syria for jihad to stand with the revolutionaries…how can I do this?” These are just two examples of dozens of messages written on the official Facebook page of Egypt’s “al-Gamaa al-Islamiya”. More and more Egyptian activists are requesting further information on how to join up the fight against Bashar al-Assad in Syria, following reports that dozens of Egyptian fighters travelled to the country for jihad. This is something that has reportedly taken place in coordination with Islamist jihadist groups, including Egypt’s “al-Gamaa al-Islamiya”.
Although “al-Gamaa al-Islamiya” ignored these messages and did not respond to them, whilst also issuing an official denial that it has sent Egyptian fighters to Syria, dozens of Egyptian youth continue to seek a means to travel to Syria to join the revolution there. Observers are claiming that it has become increasingly easy for foreign fighters to enter Syria and join the opposition ranks after the Free Syrian Army [FSA] took control of many border areas, particularly along the Turkish – Syrian border. There are claims that the Syrian revolution has taken on an international flavor, with Arab nationals from dozens of different countries entering Syria on a daily basis. There is no accurate figure regarding the number of Egyptian nationals who have entered the country to join the revolution against Bashar al-Assad alongside the FSA; however there have been reports of Egyptian nationals being killed in the fighting. The last such report claimed that an Egyptian youth from the Faiyum governorate named Abu Bakr Mousa had been killed in the fighting in early September. An Egyptian Islamist leader, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, strongly denied that Egyptian Islamist groups were sending Egyptians for jihad in Syria. He stressed that any Egyptian fighters in Syria had joined the revolution as a result of “individual initiative” adding “we have nothing to do with this, even if some of these figures do belong to us.”
He also confirmed that Egypt’s Islamists do not oppose supporting the Syrian revolution and people, but they are waiting for official approval from the Egyptian authorities.
Syrian authorities previously arrested dozens of Egyptian nationals attempting to illegally enter the country via the Jordan border. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also issued an announcement warning Egyptian citizens of the consequences of illegally entering Syrian territory. Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Amr Rushdie said that the deteriorating security situation in Syria makes any attempt to illegally enter the country fraught with risks, particularly as a number of Egyptian nationals have already been killed and injured attempting to enter the country.
For his part, lawyer Mamdouh Ismail – who often represents Islamist and jihadist organizations – told Asharq Al-Awsat that “there is information circulation about Egyptians traveling to Syria, some of whom were arrested and killed, but until now no party has come forward to confirm sending Egyptians to Syria, including the old Egyptian Islamic Jihad group.”
The lawyer stressed that if any Egyptians are present in Syria, it is most likely that they took the decision to travel there and fight on an individual basis, independent of any group or party.
Ismail stressed that Egyptian youth could travel and enter Syria easily, particularly as the FSA is in control of many border areas along the Turkish - Syrian border.
For his part, official Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Dr. Mohamed Ghazlan denied that the Brotherhood had sent any fighters to Syria, confirming that “the Brotherhood have no participation with the fighters in Syria, although we support the [Syrian] people’s revolution there.”

Al-Assad’s sister fled to UAE – Sources
By Mohamed Nassar/Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat – A well-informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Bushra al-Assad – the sister of the Syrian President and widow of General Assef Shawkat – has been residing in the UAE for the past 10 days. The source indicated that she is present in the country along with her five children, whilst there has been no official clarification from UAE authorities whether she is present in the country or not. According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, Bushra al-Assad – who is a pharmacist – and her five children have temporarily relocated to the UAE, where she used to live with her husband. The source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the reason behind this move is that it is the beginning of the school year and it would be difficult or impossible for her children to go to school safely [in Syria] at a time when their uncle Bashar al-Assad is waging a bloody war against his own people. Bushra al-Assad previously lived in the UAE for about one year, residing close to the French Embassy in Abu Dhabi, whilst her children attended a French school nearby, according to the “all4syria.info” website.
Bushra al-Assad, who married Assef Shawkat in 1995, has five children; twins and triplets. Lebanon’s Addiyar newspaper, which has ties to the al-Assad regime and is printed in one of the state-run printing houses in Syria, previously indicated that Bushra would be moving to Abu Dhabi where her children can be enrolled in school, particularly as they are still young.
The newspaper also pointed out that some expect Bushra al-Assad to issue political statements [from the UAE], and that she will try to play a political role at the domestic and regional level by giving interviews, issuing comments and holding press conferences in support of the al-Assad regime. Addiyar claimed that Bushra al-Assad would seek to adhere to and promote the stances of her late husband Assef Shawkat, who died in the bombing of the National Security headquarters in Damascus a few months ago, along with several key security figures in the Syrian regime.
An informed Syrian source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, categorically denied that Bushra al-Assad has defected from the regime, stating there was no need for her to do so. The source reiterated that the sole reason she was relocating to the UAE was to enroll her children at a school so that they do not miss out on the school year.
This is not the first time that reports have spread claiming that Bushra al-Assad has “defected” from Syria. Despite the absence of any official comment on this news, several opposition sources have confirmed that Bushra al-Assad has left Syria and settled in the UAE, specifically in Abu Dhabi, where she has enrolled her children at a French school.

Resistance 30 years ago
Nadine Elali, September 23, 2012 /Now Lebanon
Three decades ago this week, after invading southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces occupied West Beirut. The Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) called on the Lebanese people to take up arms against the Israeli occupiers and formed the first organized national resistance militia, the Lebanese National Resistance Front (LNRF), or Jammoul in Arabic.
Democratic Left Movement leader and former MP Elias Atallah, then the LNRF’s top commander, told NOW that the militia was formed only after party members were convinced that Israeli forces wanted to occupy Beirut. The decision to form the LNRF was taken in July, but its secret operations began on September 16, following the assassination of President-elect Bachir Gemayel, and the Sabra and Shatila massacres. “I organized a small group of 22 men who used non-sophisticated tools to resist the occupation. The first attack was against Israeli soldiers at the Bustros Pharmacy near the Sanaya Park in West Beirut. I and two other men tossed grenades at the soldiers and fled. The second operation was the biggest. It took place at Ayyoub Station in broad daylight, in which fighters set fire to two carriers full of Israeli soldiers. By then, news of the national resistance began to spread and began to gain support,” he said.
In seven days there were seven successful operations in West Beirut, and as international condemnation over the Sabra and Shatila massacres grew, the IDF was forced to withdraw from the city after almost 11 days of occupation. LNRF continued operating in the western Beqaa Valley and in South Lebanon, and by mid-1985, Jammoul had succeeded in driving the Israelis out of these areas too.
As Israel withdrew to its self-described “security zone” of South Lebanon, Syria gained more control over the country, and Atallah claims there were indicators the regime wanted to control the LNRF and its activities. Ghazi Kanaan, then head of Syrian military intelligence, called both Atallah and George Hawi, the then-leader of the Lebanese Communist Party, for a meeting and told them he wanted coordination between Syria and Jammoul because resistance was a “national movement taking part in the context of a general conflict in the region, and so any operation should be coordinated with Syrian forces,” according to Atallah. “He wanted to know of every attack before it happened. He wanted a Syrian intelligence officer placed on the team with us. I told him this was impossible. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily, ‘This will cost you a lot,’” Atallah said.
Meanwhile, some Islamic parties began carrying out their own resistance activities against both Israeli targets and multinational forces. The LNRF’s military operations subsided, giving way to the resistance operations of Hezbollah. But Syria, angry with the LNRF and Communist Party, carried out a liquidation campaign against their members using Lebanese agents, mostly members of the Amal militia.
According to an ex-Communist Party member who preferred to remain anonymous, members of Amal and the newly-formed Hezbollah would inform the Syrians of any LNRF plans and execute them as they carried out their operations.
“From mid-1986 through 1987… they used the ugliest form of intimidation and assault,” he said. “More than 600 Communists fled from their towns and villages in the South. They did not spare anyone and left the party devoid of its most influential members.”
NOW compiled a list of the most influential Communists who were assassinated at the orders of the Syrian regime during their liquidation campaign.