Report: “1790 Palestinians Kidnapped, 16 Killed, In First Half of 2013”

Source : International Middle East Media Center

The Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies and Human Rights have reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped 1790 Palestinians in the first six months of this year, including 300 who were kidnapped in June, and added that 16 Palestinians have also been shot and killed by Israeli military fire in six months.

The Ahrar Center said that dozens of women, children, elderly, legislators, intellectuals and journalists were among the kidnapped.

The center added that the arrests took place in every part of the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, in addition to 25 arrests in the Gaza Strip, including fishermen and five arrests on border terminals.

Most of the arrests have been carried out in the Hebron district, in the southern part of the West Bank. The second highest number of arrests was carried out in Jerusalem, followed by Nablus.

Ahrar said that February witnessed the largest number of arrests as the soldiers kidnapped 382 Palestinians, while 350 have been kidnapped in January, 300 in June, 263 in May, 259 in April and 236 in March.

The center further reported that the army also kidnapped 7 Palestinian legislators identified as Ahmad Attoun, Hatem Qfeisha, Abdul-Jabbar Foqaha, Imad Nofal, Basem Za’areer, Mahmoud Ramahi, and Mohammad Jamal An-Natsha.

Furthermore, Ahrar said that the army also kidnapped 33 women, including wives and relatives of political prisoners held by Israel, and that 17 of the kidnapped women are still imprisoned by Israel.

The Ahrar Center also said that 14 Palestinians, including 10 from the West Bank, and four from the Gaza Strip, have been shot and killed by the Israeli army since the beginning of this year, in addition to two Palestinian political prisoners who died in Israeli prisons.

Detainee Arafat Jaradat, 33, from Hebron, died of extreme torture by Israeli interrogators, and detainee Maisara Abu Hamdiyya, 64, died of an advanced stage of cancer resulting from the lack of medical treatment in Israeli prisons.

Four more Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military fire in the Gaza Strip.

Head of the Ahrar Center, Fuad Al-khoffash, stated that the center documented daily Israeli military invasions; daily arrests and assaults, and demanded the International Community to act against the ongoing and escalating Israeli violations

US ready to evacuate Egypt embassy: Analyst

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

As tensions rise in Egypt over clashes between the supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi, the U.S. is prepared to evacuate its embassy in the capital Cairo, if the situation spirals out of control, Press TV reports.

Violence escalated in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Friday and three people, including a young American journalist, were killed.

“The death of an American is an indication that the situation in Egypt is increasingly getting out of control,” said Michael Maloof, a former Pentagon official, in an interview on Saturday.

“ [The fact that] U.S. Marines are on standby and ships are in the Red Sea would indicate that they are preparing more to evacuate the embassy in the event of total unrest and the inability of the Egyptian government to protect the embassy and the American personnel there,” he added.

Meanwhile, the United States is deploying about 400 troops to Egypt. The troops have been training for months at Fort Hood, Texas.

“I doubt that the U.S. has any further designs other than to use the Marines to protect the evacuation of U.S. personnel,” Maloof noted.

The U.S. State Department has warned Americans to put off unnecessary trips to Egypt and has allowed some diplomatic staff to leave the North African country.

President Barack Obama said in South Africa on Saturday that U.S.’s “immediate concern” was with protecting its embassy and consulates, and their staff.

An “unprecedented exodus” has been reported from Egypt. Officials say that all flights leaving for Europe, the U.S. and the Gulf are fully booked.

Egypt’s opposition groups have rejected Morsi’s recent invitation for national reconciliation and called for demonstrations on Sunday, the first anniversary of Morsi’s inauguration.

Six people, including a former MP from Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, have been killed in the renewed violence in Egypt this week.

Security: Gunmen kill Egypt policeman in Sinai ambush

Source : Maan News Agency

CAIRO (AFP) -- Gunmen shot and killed an Egyptian police officer during an ambush Saturday in the Sinai peninsula, a security source said, the second attack on police in the restive region this month.

"Colonel Mohammed Hani, a high-ranking officer, was killed by six bullets to the head when unknown gunmen opened fire on him with machine guns," the source said.

The gunmen were in a car that was used to ambush the officer in a street of the Sinai town of El-Arish, he said.

Another security source blamed the attack on Islamist militants and said it was the second one in month targeting the police in the Sinai.

Three weeks ago, armed men shot dead police officer Mohammed Abu Shaqra who served in th anti-terrorism squad at El-Arish.

A hive of militant activity, Egypt's Sinai peninsula is a major route for drugs smuggling and huma trafficking.

Ever since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011, throwing his feared security services int disarray, the region has grown even more restless and awash with weapons.

Attacks on police and soldiers, and abductions of tourists, in the sparsely populated peninsula hav surged since Mubarak's overthrow as have cross-border attacks on Israel.

In August 2012, suspected Islamist gunmen killed 16 Egyptian soldiers near Israel's border an commandeered an armoured vehicle into Israel, where they were stopped by a helicopter strike.

Bedouin activists who populate the Sinai have long complained of the government's neglect of th region, saying they have been treated as second-class citizens ever since Israel handed back th peninsula it had seized in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Jordanians Wary of US Military Presence in Region

Source : Farsnews

EHRAN (FNA)- Jordanians are suspicious as the United States is deploying troops and weapons in their country, suspected of being used in an attack on Syria, reports said.

"Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom," analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, told AFP.

"For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbors, which would impact the country itself."

Washington claims it is worried about the security of Jordan due to the massive bloody war in Syria, conducted by a foreign-backed opposition which US happens to be one of its strongest supporters.

It has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country along with at least 1,000 combat- ready troops since a joint military exercise that ended on June 20.

"But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country," Rintawi added.

Earlier this week, Wall Street Journal quoted diplomats and US officials as saying that the Central Intelligence Agency has begun moving weapons to Jordan from a network of secret warehouses and plans to start arming militants fighting the Syrian government.

Syria crisis started as pro-reform protests but with interventions by the United States, UK and their regional and western allies it soon turned to a massive insurgency which took in numerous terrorist groups from all over Europe and the Middle-East to wage one of the bloodiest wars the region has ever experienced.

Israeli forces shoot Palestinian, arrest 10 in West Bank raids

Source : Al Akhbar English

Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian youth in the chest after raiding the Qalandiya refugee camp early Friday, medics said.

The victim, in his 20s, was taken to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah where he underwent surgery, medics told Palestinian news agency Ma'an.

Locals said Israeli forces raided the camp, between Ramallah and Jerusalem, at around 1:00 am. Palestinians spilled onto the streets to confront the occupation forces who fired live ammunition and plastic- coated bullets at them, witnesses told Ma'an.

Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians in a series of early-morning raids across the West Bank.

An Israeli military spokesman said eight people were detained in al- Mazraa al-Sharqiya, a village north of Ramallah.

Locals said forces raided several homes in the village and detained Bilal Ijaq, Bayan Zein, Adel Shalabi, Imad Shalabi, Samid Hijaz, Hashim Hijaz, Jakim Shalabi and Adnan Abu Alia.

Forces also detained one person from Kifl Haris, near Qalqiliya, and another from Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, the army spokesman said.

In Aida camp, forces detained 23-year-old Mazen Bassam Abu Khdeir during a raid on his home, locals told Ma'an.

Jordanians Suspicious as US Expands Military Presence in Kingdom

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb

Jordanians are suspicious as the United States is deploying troops and weapons in the Kingdom.

A US defense official has told Agence France Presse (AFP) that Washington has expanded its military presence in the country to 1,000 troops.

"Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom," analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, told AFP.

"For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbors, which would impact the country itself."

Washington claims it is worried about the security of Jordan, which is already struggling to cope with around 550,000 refugees from its war-torn northern neighbor, Syria. It has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country since a joint military exercise ended on June 20.

"For the Americans, protecting that stability is key and at the core of their strategy in the Middle East,” Rintawi added. "But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country."

Earlier this week, Wall Street Journal quoted diplomats and US officials as saying that the Central Intelligence Agency has begun moving weapons to Jordan from a network of secret warehouses and plans to start arming foreign-backed militants fighting the Syrian government.

The diplomats and the US officials said that Washington plans to provide training, small arms, ammunition, and possibly certain types of antitank missiles.

Last week, Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur denied a Los Angeles Times report that the Central Intelligence Agency and US special forces have been training Syria armed groups at a new American desert base in southwest Jordan.

"There is no training in our country whatsoever of Syrian opposition forces... the only Syrians we are dealing with in our country are refugees," he told journalists.

Erdogan To Visit Gaza July 5

Source : International Middle East Media Center

Sources at the Hamas-led Palestinian government in Gaza stated that a number of Turkish officials recently held a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister of the Hamasl-led government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyya, and deputy Foreign Minister, Ghazi Hamad.

The meeting focused on arrangements and preparations of the planned visit.

The Turkish PM said that the protests taking place in Turkey initially caused a delay to the visit that was initially set for June.

The Hamas-led government in Gaza confirmed the reports, and said that a Turkish government delegation and Turkish media crews are currently in Gaza, and already held a meeting with Haniyya to discuss details of the planned visit.

Despite media reports of an addition delay to the visit, government sources in Gaza said that the planned July visit has not been delayed.

Jordan King Warns against Sectarian Strife in Syria: “Recipe for Destruction

Ahlul Bayt News Agency

"A divided Syria means an open-ended conflict that would undermine the stability of the region and the future of its people for generations to come," the king, whose country is home to around 550,000 Syrian refugees, told London-based Asharq Alawsat Arabic daily.

"Dividing Syria is not in anyone's interest and tampering with Syria's unity is a recipe for destruction," he said.

The Jordanian monarch also warned against exporting the conflict to the wider region, saying that "fanning the fire of sectarianism in the Arab and Islamic worlds will have devastating consequences for generatio to come and on the entire world."

"The sum of all fears is that the Syrian conflict could expand into a sedit between the region's Sunnis and Shiites."

"We cannot remain silent over attempts to tamper with the destiny of the reg and its peoples by exploiting religion and religious schools for politics and u them as a means to divide people," he stressed, insisting on the need fo political solution that includes all sides in Syria.

The king said hosting more than half a million Syrian refugees in Jordan h placed the country "at the core" of the crisis.

"What I fear is finding ourselves in a difficult situation where, God forbid, cannot provide relief to our brothers and sisters the Syrian refugees seekin safe haven in Jordan," the daily quoted King Abdullah as saying in rema published on Wednesday.

Official: Israel to confiscate more land in Nablus

Source : Maan News Agency

NABLUS (Ma'an) -- The Israeli military plans to confiscate 379 dunums of Palestinian land near Bracha settlement in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian Authority official said Wednesday.

Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activities, said Israel's military commander in the West Bank Nitsan Alon issued the decision to confiscate the land in Kafr Qalil.

The land belongs to Muhammad Abu Zarur, Samih Sadqa, Bassam al-Shaqa, Abdul Fattah Kashkash, Muhammad Qani, Kathem Abdul Ghani and Jamil Khader and his brothers, Daghlas told Ma'an.

Daghlas said the Israeli military cited security reasons for the confiscation.

An Israeli military spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nablus Mayor Jibrin al-Bakri said the Israeli government was speeding up land confiscation in the West Bank, particularly in areas near Israeli settlements.

Al-Bakri said that in recent weeks, Israel had announced the confiscation of over 950 dunums in Nablus villages including Azmut, Huwwara, Awarta, Rujeib and al-Naqura.

He said the issue was an obstacle to peace talks and to US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to restart negotiations between Israel and the PLO.

The Nablus municipality is exerting efforts to ease residents' suffering, particularly amid constant attacks by Israeli settlers, the mayor added.

Al-Bakri called on the Israeli government to rein in its settlers and stop their brutality.

Turkish police break up demonstration in Ankara

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

Police in Turkey have used water cannon and smoke grenades to disperse hundreds of anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Ankara.

On Tuesday night, several people were injured in the clashes between the protesters and the police in Turkish capital.

Also in Istanbul, thousands of people, who were chanting slogans against the government, marched toward now-iconic Taksim Square to denounce a court decision that freed a police officer accused of killing an anti-government demonstrator in Ankara.

The police surrounded the square and blocked the protesters’ from reaching it.

At least 20 people were detained during the rally.

Meeting in Luxembourg earlier in the day, European Union foreign ministers supported a German proposal to delay the new round of Turkey’s membership negotiations, which had been scheduled to resume on Wednesday.

Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, among other EU member states, blocked the talks in criticism of the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for its handling of the anti- government protests.

The unrest in Turkey began on May 31 after police broke up a sit-in held at Taksim Square to protest against a proposal to redevelop Gezi Park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations as well as a popular tourist destination.

The demonstrators say the park is also one of Istanbul's last green public spaces.

Four people, including a police officer, have died in the recent clashes between the Turkish protesters and security forces, and more than 5,000 protesters and 600 police officers have been injured

Report: Iraqi Al-Qaeda Leader in Turkey to Buy Weapons, Chemical Substances

Source : Farsnews

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraqi al-Qaeda leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has travelled to Turkey to purchase weapons and chemical substances to start a new phase in war on the Baghdad government, media reports said.

Al-Baghdadi is in Turkey to buy weapons and chemical substances to be used in al-Qaeda operations against Iraq's army, al-Mayadeen TV quoted an informed source as saying on Tuesday.

Iraq’s al-Qaeda has recently increased its terrorist activities in the Muslim country concurrent with a rise in al-Qaeda attacks in Syria.

Earlier this month, the Iraqi defense ministry announced that it had broken up an al-Qaeda cell that was working to produce poison gas at two locations in the capital for future attacks at home and abroad.

The group of five people built two facilities to produce sarin and mustard gas, using instructions from another Al-Qaeda group, Iraqi Defense Ministry Spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told a news conference.

Earlier this year, Iraq's anti-terror squads identified and destroyed the biggest base of the terrorist Al-Qaeda organization located in Babel province.

Around 42.1 of the Total Population in Palestine are Refugees, says Statistics Bureau

Source : www.uruknet.info

On the eve of the International Day of Refugees, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) released a statistical review on the current status of Palestinian Refugees. The main findings are summarized as follows:

- According to UNRWA records, the Palestinian registered refugees are totaled to 5.3 million at 1/1/2013, of whom 40% in Jordan, 24% in Gaza Strip, 17% in the West Bank, 10% in Syria and 9% in Lebanon.

- The Data 2012 showed that the percentage of Palestinian refugees in Palestine was 42.1% of the total population, about 27% of the total population of West Bank were refugees, compared to about 67% in Gaza Strip.

- The Refugees in Palestine are characterized as young population, 41% of them are under the age of 15 years compared to 39.7% for non-refugees. On the other hand, 4.2 % of refugees aged 60 years and over, compared to 4.6% for the non- refugees in Palestine for the year of 2012.

- Total fertility rate for refugees in Palestine was 4.4 births per woman in the period (2008-2009).

- Percentage of poor households in refugee camps in Palestine is 31.2% in 2011.

- Unemployment rate of Palestinian refugees among those of 15 years and over in Palestine in 2012 was 27.9% compared to 19.8% for non refugees.

- Illiteracy rate among Palestinian refugees of 15 years and over in Palestine in 2012 was 3.7%, compared to 4.3% for non - refugees.

- Percentage of refugee households that own their housing unitsin Palestine in 2010 was 86%.

- Percentage of refugee households that own private cars in Palestine in 2010 was 15.9% compared to 25.6% for non - refugees.

Lebanese army seizes leading Sunni cleric's headquarters

Source : Xinhua

BEIRUT, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's army seized Monday a leading Sunni cleric's headquarters in a southern city and arrested a number of his gunmen in an operation that left 16 soldiers killed, a security source said.

The army stormed the headquarters located in the Abra suburb of Sidon city while Sheikh Ahmed Al Assir fled the area, the source said, adding ambulances transported over 50 wounded and 20 dead bodies to hospitals.

According to the army, the operation was launched as Al Assir's supporters attacked an army checkpoint in the area.

Volleys of gunshots were heard in Abra as the army scoured the security zone of the headquarters, and smoke could be seen billowing from some buildings in the area, TV footage showed.

Voice of Lebanon radio said Al Assir and his close aide, retired singer Fadhl Shaker, "managed to flee the security zone in Abra around 4:00 p.m. (1300 GMT) with the help of armed groups."

Media reports said the two headed to the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp where they have hardline Islamist allies, but the security source said those reports are unconfirmed.

Meanwhile, militants of different nationalities belonging to " Jund al-Sham" and "Fatah al-Islam" groups clashed with the army in an attempt to rescue the gunmen. The fighting reached near the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp and a number of markets.

Monday's violence in Abra followed a clash between Al Assir's supporters and Hezbollah supporters last week which killed one person.

The incident prompted State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr to issue search and investigation warrants against Al Assir and 123 others including his brother and Shaker earlier on Monday.

Also, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on Monday voiced solidarity with the military institution and called on the army to arrest those who assault it at a security meeting held at Baabbda presidential palace.

Lebanon's Shiite party Hezbollah slammed the attack against the army by supporters of Al Assir. "The army is the guarantor of civil peace in Lebanon and any attack against it is tantamount to an attack against the entire nation."

The militant party demanded "all measures be taken to put a complete stop to such assaults against the army and bring the assailants to justice."

Jihad official tells Hamas inquiry must be fair

Source : Maan News Agency

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Islamic Jihad leader Ahmad al-Mdlal said Monday that Hamas police made a mistake in killing one of it's members during a gunfight and called for a fair inquiry into the death.

Hamas' interior ministry commissioned the inquiry Monday following the death of Raed Qassim Jundeyeih, a member of Islamic Jihad's militant wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, who died on Sunday after being shot a day earlier by Hamas police officers.

Al-Mdlal told Ma'an that his movement's relationship with Hamas "is still the same and has not changed," despite Islamic Jihad saying Sunday that it was temporarily suspending ties with the Gaza government.

Jundeyeih's family said the pathologist's report confirmed he had died of wounds caused by Hamas police bullets.

Hamas government spokesman Ihab al-Ghussein said: "I hope everyone will await the results of the commission of inquiry which has begun its work."

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said "contacts are continuing between Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which have strong ties".

The interior ministry said Jundiya had opened fire on police, prompting them to respond.

Police had gone to an address in Gaza City on Saturday to deliver summons orders to a member of the Jundeyeih family. Upon approaching the home, members of the family opened fire at the officers and Jundeyeih was wounded in the ensuing gunfight.

One of the Jundeyeih relatives is on the panel investigating the death.

The Islamic Jihad leader also reiterated earlier party comments that Jundeyeih had been a "wanted" man by Israel.

"Killing Raed Jundeyeih is like giving a free gift to Israel," al-Mdlal told Ma'an.

Islamic Jihad denies rocket fire

Al-Mdlal denied that Islamic Jihad had launched rockets into southern Israel on Sunday evening, saying: "Rocket fire is a normal response to the Israeli crimes."

The Israeli army shelled Gaza overnight in response to rocket fire, saying it targeted two weapon storage facilities and a rocket launch site and that Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system had intercepted two rockets.

Locals said four Islamic Jihad military sites were hit in the air raid, as well as tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border and empty areas.

Speaking to public radio on Monday morning, head of the parliamentary foreign and defense committee Avigdor Lieberman said Israel should consider reoccupying the Gaza Strip and "cleansing" it.

US Secretly Providing Heavy Weapons Training for Syrian Rebels

Source : Atlantic Council

iCIA operatives and U.S. special operations troops have been secretly training Syrian rebels with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons since late last year, months before President Obama approved plans to begin directly arming them, according to U.S. officials and rebel commanders.

The covert U.S. training at bases in Jordan and Turkey, along with Obama’s decision this month to supply arms and ammunition to the rebels, have raised hopes among the beleaguered opposition that Washington ultimately will provide heavier weapons as well. So far, the rebels say they lack the weapons they need to regain the offensive in Syria’s bitter civil war.

The tightly constrained U.S. effort reflects Obama’s continuing doubts about getting drawn into a conflict that already has killed more than 100,000 people and the administration’s fears that Islamic militants now leading the war against President Bashar Assad could gain control of advanced U.S. weaponry. . . .

The number of rebels given U.S. instruction in both countries since the program began could not be determined, but in Jordan, the training involves 20 to 45 insurgents at a time, a rebel commander said.

U.S. special operations teams selected the trainees over the last year when the U.S. military set up regional supply lines to provide the rebels with nonlethal assistance, including uniforms, radios and medical aid.

The two-week courses include training with Russian-designed 14.5-millimeter anti-tank rifles, anti-tank missiles, as well as 23-millimeter anti-aircraft weapons, according to a rebel commander in the Syrian province of Dara who helps oversee weapons acquisitions and who asked his name not be used because the program is secret.

The training began last November at a new American base in the desert in southwest Jordan, he said. So far, about 100 rebels from Dara have attended four courses, while rebels from Damascus have attended three courses, he said. . . .

Brig. Gen. Yahya Bittar, who defected as a fighter pilot from Assad’s air force last year and is now head of intelligence for the Free Syrian Army, said training for the last month or so has taken place in Jordan.

The training, conducted by American, Jordanian and French operatives, involves rockets and anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry, he said.

Between 80 and 100 rebels from all over Syria have gone through the courses in the last month, he said, but training is continuing. Graduates are sent back across the border to rejoin the battle. (photo: Voice of America)

Zionist Air Force Attacks Gaza Strip

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb

The Zionist air force attacked the Gaza Strip overnight Sunday, following rocket fire from the Palestinian territory into the southern occupied territories.

"In response to the numerous rockets launched at Israel in the past several the hours, IAF aircraft targeted terrorist infrastructure including two weapon storage facilities in the central Gaza Strip and a rocket launch site in the southern Gaza Strip. IAF pilots reported accurate strikes on the targets," the Zionist army claimed in a statement.

Palestinian witnesses said the air raids hit uninhabited areas and caused no injuries.

Late Sunday, two Palestinian rockets “landed in southern Israel, without causing any damage or injury,” according to Israeli military sources. Two other rockets were intercepted by the "Iron Dome" system.

The Zionist army blamed Hamas rulers of Gaza for the rocket attacks, although no group claimed responsibility.

Security sources: Egypt's Sinai on high alert

Source : Maan News Agency

CAIRO (Ma'an) -- Egypt has declared a state of alert in the Sinai after extremist Islamist fighters set up a military base in the peninsula, Egyptian security officials said Monday.

Egyptian forces and police have imposed curfews on Sinai cities el-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah. Military helicopters were seen hovering over the cities, a Ma'an reporter said.

Militants from Egypt, Palestine and Mali affiliated to Jihadist groups and al-Qaeda have deployed heavily in bunkers in a desert area in central Sinai, Egyptian security officials told Ma'an.

Around 30 "dangerous" militants affiliated to Jihadist and Takfiri groups entered Sinai through tunnels from the Gaza Strip to join the camp, the officials said.

The militants have large amounts of ammunition and weapons, suggesting they plan to join demonstrations against the Muslim Brotherhood planned for June 30, the security sources added.

Sinai clan chiefs have formed a popular committee in north Sinai to protect protect strategic facilities and public properties during the planned protests.

Abdul-Hamid Salami, chief of the al-Fawakhiriya clan in el-Arish, said Friday that clan dignitaries would hold an emergency meeting on Monday with army and police commanders to discuss ways to protect the peninsula against security chaos.

"We have learned a good lesson from the previous experience during the Jan. 25 revolution," Salami told Ma'an.

"We will sacrifice our souls to protect all security facilities in Sinai, and will not allow Palestinians to infiltrate through smuggling tunnels seeking to support a certain party at the expense of the Egyptian people.

"We hereby warn in advance that the people of Sinai will defy any external elements and prevent them by force from destroying Sinai or reaching Cairo."

Bolivia slams U.S. military aid to Syrian rebels

Source : Xinhua

LA PAZ, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Bolivian government on Monday criticized the United States for arming Syrian rebels, warning that the move would only intensify and prolong a conflict that has already killed tens of thousands in that country.

Bolivia "rejects any intervention in the internal conflicts of any country in the world, such as supporting a domestic armed conflict with weapons, as is the case with Syria," Bolivian President Evo Morales told a press conference in the presidential palace in La Paz.

The United States' support of Syrian rebels with arms aims to " deepen the civil conflict" that has battered that country for more than two years, he accused.

Bolivia hailed the decision by some countries, including Russia and China, to condemn the U.S. move, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's warning that arming the rebels is tantamount to intervention.

The United Nations "has observed that supporting a group opposed to the (Syrian) government with weapons is another means of intervention," and "any problem in any country calls for peaceful solutions," said Morales.

Morales also described as "false" allegations that military intervention by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) helped resolve the fighting in Libya.

Foreign intervention by the United States, NATO or UN peacekeeping troops rarely seek to bring peace, but instead aim to take control of the occupied country's natural resources, Morales said.

Interventionist governments are mistaken to think they can break the will of a nation, such as Syria, where people have the awareness and willingness to defend their natural resources, he added.

Turkey to Hold Pro-Government Rallies Next Weekend

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti) – Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is expected to hold pro-government rallies next weekend in Ankara and Istanbul in a bid to fight back against mass anti-government protests, local media said on Sunday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has earlier held two rallies in Adana and Mersin, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the Hürriyet Daily News has reported.

"We are going to show patience, but patience has a limit as well. Those who hide behind the protestors should first learn what politics is," Erdogan said on Sunday showing no signs of cancelling a redevelopment project in Istanbul despite mass protests.

The Turkish prime minister rejected on Saturday the protestors’ demand for snap elections, saying that "you don't decide on early elections because people are marching on the streets."

The civil unrest in major Turkish cities was sparked by the government’s plans to demolish Gezi Park in central Istanbul and replace it with a rebuilt Ottoman barracks and a shopping mall.

As the number of people protesting the mooted demolition of the park gradually increased, police moved in to disperse the crowds last Saturday by using tear gas. Outraged protesters reportedly responded by hurling stones and bottles at policemen. Over 3,000 people have been injured and at least three people have died in demonstrations across the country in the past week.

Most of the casualties were reported in Istanbul, where demonstrations began before spreading to Ankara, Antalya, Izmi Adana and other Turkish cities. Erdogan blamed the protests on extremists.

Israel can't entrust int'l forces for its security after Austrian peacekeepers withdraw: PM

Source : Xinhua

JERUSALEM, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The disintegration of UN peacekeeping forces in the Golan Heights underscores the fact that Israel cannot rely on international forces for its security, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

Netanyahu was referring to Austria's decision, announced last Thursday, to withdraw its 380 troops from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) monitoring a 1973 ceasefire agreement signed between Syria and Israel.

"While (UN forces) can be part of agreements, they cannot constitute the foundation of Israel's security," Netanyahu told his cabinet at the start of its weekly meeting on Sunday.

Netanyahu said that he will raise the issue in his talks with U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry late this week.

In remarks made before the cabinet meeting, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz echoed Netanyahu's statements, saying that the Austrian disengagement from the Golan proves that multinational forces cannot be trusted.

"We saw what such forces are worth in Lebanon against Hezbollah, in Sinai against global jihad groups and weapons smuggling, and now in the Golan Heights," the Walla news site quoted Steinitz as saying.

"Anyone who thinks that it would be possible to combine multinational forces in defending central Israel as part of a diplomatic solution is deluding himself," he added.

On Thursday, Austria decided to withdraw its 380 personnel, more than a third of the 1,000-strong UNDOF peacekeepers, from the UNDOF.

The UN considered the move as a blow to the mission in Golan Heights, an area Israel captured from Syria and annexed in the aftermath of the 1967 war.

The Austrian decision to pull its forces from UNDOF came hours after rebels seized the UN- manned Quneitra interim border crossing in fierce battles against Syrian troops, who later retook the site.

Syrian Electronic Army Reveals Documents of Haifa Hack

Source : Fars News Agency

The SEA hacked the main infrastructure system of Haifa, one of the most important ports in Israel, last month, disrupting the operation of the servers in charge of urban management systems and public utilities in the city.

A day later, the SEA said the hacking was done in retaliation for the recent Israeli strike on a research center in suburban Damascus.

FNA released the story, but to our much surprise Google's search engine blocked access to FNA report for over three days.

Yet, the western, including Israeli, media went to ask officials about the veracity of the report, in response to which some said they were uninformed, while others said there had been some minor hacking attacks which were repelled before they could cause any damage to the Israeli servers.

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav said, "We are not aware of any such attempt by Syria, but we do know that Haifa, as the north's symbol, is a strategic target for our enemies and therefore we keep training and preparing for emergencies."

"Haifa was and stays strong," he added.

Yitzhak Ben-Yisrael, chairman of the National Council for Research and Development, said, "They attacked two weeks ago the Haifa water system because they apparently spotted an opportunity, which failed."

In response, the SEA sent FNA a set of documents to prove that the hack has been successful.

"Since Fars News Agency was the first media to release a report on our successful hacking attack and to prove that the recent allegations made by the Zionist regime officials about the failure of our cyberattack are nothing but empty words, we send you some documents that we have extracted from the Haifa servers in the hacking attack," said a part of the letter sent by the SEA to FNA.

"Sure, this is just a sample of the information and documents that we have gained in the attack, and for clear reasons, we cannot let the public know more about the more sensitive information that we have extracted in the cyberattack," the SEA letter added.

To the opposite and on the right hand side of the page, you may find the images of a number of documents sent to us by the SEA.

In addition, Hackers usually leave a couple of files for their colleagues to prove that their allegations are true. When the SEA declared that it had had a successful security breach and hacking into the Haifa SCADA system in early May, it left the following files on its website to show others in the hacking industry that its cyberattack had resulted in success.

Hack Screenshots:

https://cdn.anonfiles.com/1367855605244.pdf

https://cdn.anonfiles.com/1367851797457.gif

Cryptome mirror of the PDF and GIF: http://cryptome.org/2013/05/sea-haifa-hack.zip

When the SEA released a statement after hacking Haifa's SCADA systems in early May, it said, "We would like to announce that in response to the unfair and illegal attacks of Israel on DATE, the SEA has penetrated one of the main infrastructural systems (SCADA) in Haifa and managed to gain access to some sensitive data."

The statement which was also left for the Israeli operators of Haifa SCADA system, added that "the SEA is now able to cause irrecoverable damage to the Israelis' infrastructural systems."

The SEA warned that it could cause a major blast by continuing the attack on the servers of the Haifa infrastructural systems, but avoided further move due to inescapable human casualties as it did not want a story like the accident in Texas which claimed the lives of dozens of the people.

The statement asked Israelis "to do the best to express your objection to Israeli policies, since we do not like to see innocent people getting killed like in Texas, US, and this time in Haifa".

The SEA has recently gathered a name for itself in the hacking market by successful attacks on a wide range of the western media, most notably the hacking of AP Twitter accounts and sending of bogus messages which wreaked havoc on stock exchanges. The hackers tweeted that President Obama had been injured in a bomb attack at the White House, causing a temporary 143-point drop on the Dow Jones industrial average.

In an apparent effort to cause disruption and embarrassment in the West and to spread support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the SEA has so far hacked the Guardian, the BBC (including BBC weather, BBC Arabic Online and BBC Radio Ulster), France 24 TV, the National Public Radio in the United States, al-Jazeera, the government of Qatar, E!, and Sepp Blatter, the president of football's governing body Fifa, whose Twitter account was hacked.

Cybersecurity experts told the Guardian that the SEA attacks are designed to disrupt and embarrass the West and pro-Israeli lobbies, states and entities.

But this last cyberattack is certainly a boost in the platform of SEA operations as it required much more sophisticated knowledge and capabilities compared with the previous hackings; giving the Syrian Electronic Army the opportunity to rise to a different level of fame.

SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is a type of industrial control system (ICS). Industrial control systems are computer controlled systems that monitor and control industrial processes that exist in the physical world. SCADA systems historically distinguish themselves from other ICS systems by being large scale processes that can include multiple sites, and large distances. These processes include industrial, infrastructure, and facility-based processes.

Industrial processes include those of manufacturing, production, power generation, fabrication, and refining, and may run in continuous, batch, repetitive, or discrete modes.

Infrastructure processes may be public or private, and include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power transmission and distribution, wind farms, civil defense siren systems, and large communication systems.

Facility processes occur both in public facilities and private ones, including buildings, airports, ships, and space stations. They monitor and control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems

Lebanon army slams 'plot' to embroil country in Syria war

Source : Maan News Agency

BEIRUT (AFP) -- The Lebanese army warned on Friday that a plot was afoot to embroil the country in the 26-month conflict in neighboring Syria, as deadly clashes between Damascus supporters and opponents inside Lebanon multiply.

"The army command... calls on citizens to be wary of plots aimed at taking Lebanon backwards and dragging it into an absurd war," a statement said, adding that it would give an "armed response to any armed action".

"The army command has been trying for several months to work firmly, determinedly and patiently to prevent Lebanon being turned into a battlefield for regional conflicts and to prevent any spillover of the events in Syria," it said.

"But in recent days, some groups have seemed determined to stoke security tensions... against the backdrop of the political divisions in Lebanon over military developments in Syria."

Although Lebanon has officially adopted a position of neutrality in Syria's war, its people are sharply divided with Shiite Muslims backing President Bashar Assad's regime and Sunnis the rebellion.

The army urged "citizens to express their political views on events in Lebanon and Syria by peaceful and democratic means and not to be driven by groups wanting to use violence as a means to achieve their ends".

It said it would "spare no effort to prevent innocent people from paying the price for political designs aimed at destroying Lebanon".

The statement was the strongest from the Lebanese army since the uprising against Assad's rule erupted in March 2011.

It came a day after soldiers came under fire in the northern city of Tripoli, as well as its flashpoint districts of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tebbaneh.

The two neighborhoods have witnessed frequent clashes linked to the Syrian conflict, and on each occasion the army has sought to impose a ceasefire.

On Wednesday night, two armed men, one of them a Syrian, were killed in a shootout with the army at the entrance of the town of Arsal, near the border with Syria, the military said.

Arsal, home to Sunnis who support the Syrian uprising, is a conduit for rebel fighters, their weapons and refugees across the border with the war-torn country.

On Thursday, one person was killed and several others wounded in clashes in the heart of Tripoli, Lebanon's second-biggest city.

It came after the public intervention of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement alongside Assad's troops in the battle for the border town of Qusayr which culminated in its recapture on Wednesday and deepened political division

1518 Palestinian children were killed since 2nd intifada

Source : Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades

Al Qassam website- Ramallah- Nearly 1518 Palestinian children were killed sin second Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in 2000, according to a Palestinian official r

The report, issued by the Ministry of Information on Monday, affirmed th thousand children were injured since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada 13 ago.

The report came to mark the International Day for the Protection of Children of the Israeli brutal daily practices against Palestinian children.

The report confirmed that 9000 children under 18 were arrested since th uprising, including 881 children in 2012.

The Ministry said that 246 children under 18 are currently held in Israe including 47 children under 16.

The report stated that the children under 18 constitute 47.6 per cent of th population.

Contradicting Himself, Showing Hypocrisy, Erdogan Accuses Protestors with Destabilizing Turkey

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

Describing the demonstrators against his autocracy as 'saboteurs', Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan contradicted himself and showed hypocrisy and double standard as he considered the demonstrations as an internal and external conspiracy.

In a joint press conference with his Moroccan counterpart Abdullah bin Kiran, Erdogan said that he continues supporting what he has called " the popular movement in Syria" when the reality on the ground proves that there are armed terrorist takfiri groups in Syria backed and financed by his government, the Western and Gulf countries.

Erdogan repeated his allegations on the suppression and killing in Syria to evade his direct responsibilities of supporting terrorism in it which makes him a forthright partner in the crime of killing the Syrians.

Erdogan keeps on claiming that he urges all sides to be moderate, find a solution to the crisis and to utilize the international conference scheduled to be held on Syria.

Ten thousands of Turkish flocked into streets in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities for the 4th successive day demanding Erdogan to resign, while the security forces used the tear gas to disperse them.

Erdogan alleged that security was restored in Turkey, noting that "it will return to normal within a few days. "

Erdogan claimed that the situation in Syria continues to be worst, considering that the armed terrorist groups which are supported by his government retreated on the ground due to the continued strikes of the Syrian army.

Mass popular demonstrations broke out peacefully in protest against Erdogan's authoritarian and exclusionary government , as the Turkish security forces suppressed them violently and fired tear gas against the demonstrators, killing a number of them, injuring hundreds and arresting thousands others.

SANA

Drone crashes in Somalia's Puntland region

Source : Tehran Times

A surveillance drone has crashed in the semi- autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, according to Puntland Ports and Anti-piracy Minister Saeed Mohamed Rage.

The drone crashed on Saturday in Qaw, a village located 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the port city of Bossasso, the minister of the Puntland State of Somalia said.

The U.S. military flies surveillance drones from the Seychelles to monitor piracy off the coast of East Africa.

But Rage said it is not clear whose drone crashed.

Washington has increasingly turned to unmanned aircraft to carry out covert strikes in several countries, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

In Somalia, the US is using a new kind of drone, called a kamikaze drone. It functions both as a missile and an intelligence-gathering reconnaissance aircraft.

The U.S. military also uses drones to target al-Shabab fighters in south and central Somalia.

On Tuesday, al-Shabab fighters posted pictures on Twitter of what they said was a surveillance drone that had crashed in Somalia.

Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region governor Abdikadir Mohamed Nur said that al-Shabab militants had shot at the aircraft over the town of Bulamareer for several hours before it crashed.

“Finally they hit it and the drone crashed,” Nur told Reuters.

The al-Shabab confirmed that a drone had crashed but did not say if they had downed it.

“A U.S. drone has just crashed near one of the towns under the administration of the Mujahideen in the Lower Shabelle region,” al-Shabab said on a social media account.

Although the United States does not report its activities in Somalia, drones have been used in recent years in Somalia.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon was seeking to send drones to Kenya as part of a $40 million-plus military aid package to help four African countries fighting militants.

Bulamareer residents said al-Shabab had kept them away from the crash site.

“Al-Shabab fighters surrounded the scene. We are not allowed to go near it,” resident Aden Farah told Reuter

Russian Journalists: Armed Groups Using Chemical Weapons in Syria's Aleppo

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Russian journalists, who were in Syria, said there is no doubt that the foreign-backed opposition fighters and terrorists have used chemical weapons in attacks in the vicinity of the Syrian city of Aleppo on March 19.

These Russian journalists handed over some videos to the United Nation Secretariat. The videos showed the foreign-backed fighters of the opposition forces had used chemical weapons in attacks in the area of the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The report about these videos, which were handed over to the United Nation Secretariat by these Russian journalists were already confirmed by the spokesman for Deputy UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq, Syria News reported.

Farhan Haq said the videos showed the "opposition fighters" used chemical weapons in their attacks on March 19. The information will be given to Oke Selstemu, who is the head of the UN experts investigating the possible use of chemical weapons/weapons of mass destruction in Syria.

The Syrian government in the capital Damascus informed the UN Secretariat about the use of chemical weapons in attacks by the foreign-backed anti-government fighters already in March, and also the journalist Anastasia Popova (RTR) has confirmed already that toxic substances were used by the "opposition forces" in some attacks.

Early in May, a report said that the innocent people killed in the Khan al-Assal area of rural Aleppo in Northwestern Syria were the victims of the chemical weapons supplied to the terrorists by a Saddam- era General working under head of the now outlawed Ba'ath party Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.

"The chemical weapons used in the attack on Khan al-Assal area had been prepared by former Iraqi Military Industries Brigadier General Adnan al-Dulaimi and supplied to Ba'ath-affiliated terrorists of the al-Nusra Front in Aleppo through Turkey's cooperation and via the Turkish town of Antakya in Hatay Province," an informed source, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of his life, told FNA.

The source who has been an aide to Izzat Ibrahim - the most senior member of Saddam Hussein's inner circle who is still on the run and heads the outlawed Ba'ath party after the apprehension and execution of Iraq's former Dictator Saddam Hussein - defected from the group a few months ago, but holds substantiating documents on Izzat Ibrahim's plans.

Gen. Adnan al-Dulaimi was a key man in Saddam's chemical weapons production projects. After the fall of the dictator and when the Ba'ath party was divided into the two branches of Yunes al-Ahmad and Izzat Ibrahim, he joined the latter group and was deployed in Northwestern Iraq, which is a bastion of Ba'ath terrorists, to produce chemical substances.

"The 80mm mortar shells which landed in Khan al-Assal and killed dozens of people were armed with the latest product of Dulaimi's hidden laboratories sent to the al-Nusra Front members for testing," the source added.

"Also at his order, several former Iraqi military industries engineers trained the Syrian terrorists on how to use these chemical weapons," the source said, adding that all plans in this connection were prepared by Adnan al-Dulaimi and staged after the approval of Izzat Ibrahim.

The chemical mortar shells, which the source said were fired at Khan al-Assal from the al-Nusra Front-ruled Kafr Dael in Northwestern Aleppo, contained a chemical substance very familiar to the Iraqi Ba'ath party leaders, Sarin nerve gas. Adnan Dulaimi and his Ba'athist colleagues in Iraq's military industries mass-produced the same lethal gas and used it in vast areas against the Iranian troops in the 1980-1988 war and eventually killed thousands of people in the Kurdish town of Halabcheh with the same chemical agent.

UN human rights investigators also announced that they have testimony indicating Syrian rebels have used Sarin gas. Interviews with victims and doctors have provided "strong, concrete suspicions" that rebels used the deadly nerve agent, according to a lead investigator, who also stressed that there's no evidence yet that the Syrian military used Sarin.

"Our investigators have been in neighboring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals and, according to their report of last week which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of Sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated," member of the UN independent commission of inquiry on Syria Carla Del Ponte said in an interview with Swiss-Italian television.

"This was use on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities," she added, speaking in Italian.

The United Nations independent commission of inquiry on Syria has not yet seen evidence of government forces having used chemical weapons, which are banned under international law, Del Ponte said.

The chemical attack on Khan al-Assal came after a video footage posted on the internet late in January showed that the armed militants in Syria possessed canisters containing chemical substances.

The foreign-sponsored militants had earlier released footage in which rabbits were killed by inhaling poisonous gas.

Anonymous Declares #OpTurkey, Attacks Gov't Websites in Support of Protests

Source : Fars News

TEHRAN (FNA)- The hacktivist group Anonymous took down the Turkish President's website, along with that of the country's ruling party, as operation #OpTurkey kicks off in support of the anti- government protests that have entered their fourth day.

As of 22:40 GMT, the website of President Abdullah Gul has been offline, together with the website of the country's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the websites for the Istanbul Directorate of Security and the Istanbul Governor's Office.

The hacktivists earlier targeted municipal governments in Mersin and Izmir.

The operation was kicked off in response to the police crackdown of protests which have taken the country by storm. The Gebze Institute of Technology has also come under digital fire.

Following the rumors that the government limited access to the Internet Anonymous has started tweeting passwords to free access to a VPN - virtual private network that connects computers and devices in one network, allowing information to be shared.

The hacktivist group also claimed that pro-government hackers are attacking Turkish news websites.

Decrying the reaction of Turkish authorities to the ongoing protests as those of a "petty dictator," Anonymous vows to kick off a worldwide action which will "bring the Turkish government to its knees".

With #opTurkey, the hacktivist collective plans to "attack every Internet and communications asset of the Turkish government."

"You have censored social media and other communications of your people in order to suppress the knowledge of your crimes against them," the collective alleges. "Now Anonymous will shut you down and your own people will warn you from power."

Although rumors that the Turkish authorities have been blocking Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets throughout the country since Saturday remain unconfirmed, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made no effort to hide his disaffection for the communication medium.

Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out at the role of social media in helping organize and co-ordinate rallies, after the wave of large-scale protests that gripped the country.

"There is now a menace which is called Twitter," Erdogan said in an interview for Haberturk Sunday evening. "The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society. "

Turkey has been gripped with mass demonstrations for the past three days. The ongoing rallies started with protests on Friday against the refurbishment of Istanbul's Taksim Square, where the authorities plan to build a shopping center in place of a park. However, the protests unfolded into anti-government demonstrations with thousands gathering all over the country. Riot police used 'excessive force,' officials admitted, to disperse the crowds with tear gas and water cannon. There have been about 1700 people reportedly arrested. Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday stressed he "will not seek permission from marauders" to implement his building plans. He is also reported to have called the social network Twitter 'a trouble maker', according to local media, blaming it for misinforming people.

Syrian FM says Syria to grant Red Cross access to Qusair when fighting over

Source : LBCI

Syrian government official said on Sunday a car bomb exploded in a suburb of the capital Damascus, killing eight persons and wounding several others.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the Sunday explosion in Jouber, which it said has seen heavy clashes recently between rebels and the Syrian army. It did not have any immediate word on casualties.

It said the blast targeted a police station and was carried out by the al-Nusra Front; a militant group linked to al-Qaida.

On another note, the state-run TV channel reported that Foreign Minister Walid al- Moualem told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday that Syria will allow the Red Cross to enter the besieged town of Qusair after military operations are over.

UN humanitarian officials have called for an immediate ceasefire in Qusair, where President Bashar al-Assad's forces and Hezbollah fighters are battling to drive out rebels, saying 1,500 wounded people are in need of emergency medical treatment.

Moualem expressed surprise at the international concern over the fighting around Qusair, saying the world had been silent when rebels took over the town 18 months ago and that Syria was now clearing it of "terrorism".

For his part, an Iraqi official said that more than 7,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq have crossed back to the rebel-held Syrian border town of Albu Kamal in recent weeks due to better security there.

The mayor of the Iraqi border town of al-Qaim said 7,000 out of 11,000 Syrian refugees hosted there had returned home.

Around 152,000 Syrian refugees have been registered in Iraq, according to the UN refugee agency, most of them Kurds and Sunni Muslims who fled to Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region and the Sunni-dominated western province of Anbar.

In turn, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius suggested that an international peace conference aimed at ending the Syrian civil war could take place in July.

The United States, Russia and others have been pressing for the conference to take place this month. But details of how it could be organized have yet to be agreed and there is still no firm agreement on the date.

"The Geneva II conference is the last chance. I hope it will take place. I think it could take place in July," Fabius said in an interview with Europe 1 radio and i-tele television.

Fabius said the Syrian government and the opposition must attend.

"It's not just about getting round the table and then asking what are we going to talk about. It needs to be prepared. That is why I say that the July date would be suitable," he said.

Syria Peace Talks Could Start in July – France

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, June 2 (RIA Novosti) – An international peace conference on ending the ongoing civil conflict in Syria could take place in July, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday.

"The Geneva II conference is the last chance. I hope it will take place. I think that it could take place in July," Fabius said.

The French foreign minister said time was needed to prepare the conference.

"It's not just about getting round the table and then asking what we are going to talk about… That is why I say that the July date would be suitable," he said, adding both the Syrian government and the opposition must attend the conference.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced in early May after a Moscow meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry that the two countries had decided to hold an international conference aimed at facilitating a solution through political dialogue to the Syrian crisis, in which more than 80,000 people have died since fighting broke out between government forces and rebels in March 2011.

The conference is designed to be a follow-up to last summer’s international meeting in Geneva that drafted a peace roadmap for Syria.

S300 missiles show new power play by Russia

Source :

TEHRAN, Jun. 2 (MNA) –Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Chairman has assessed S-300 system delivery to Syria as a power play by Russia.

About the delivery of the Russian S-300 missile system to Syria, Alaeddin Boroujerdi said that “delivery of S-300 missile systems by Russia to Syria actually is a new phase of Russian power play in the Middle East and a message to the US and its allies for their seditious games they play in the region.”

“Projecting its power, Russia will not allow events in North Africa to be repeated, and won’t let Western involvement in the country so they will create chaos, because Syria is the red line and is very sensitive and important [to Russia],” he asserted.

He also added: “presence of powerful and influential countries such as Russia will result in the deterrence of war in the region and will prevent the Zionist regime and its allies from possible attacks in Syria. In fact, the delivery of S-300 missiles to Syria will create the balance of power in the region.”

In response to the question whether the delivery of S-300 missile system would be the reason for announcing the no-fly zone in Syria, Boroujerdi said: “the delivery of S-300 missiles systems will not be the reason to impose no-fly zone in the area, but this will increase the strength of Syria, beside, without Russia and China’s vote the Security Council cannot decide on this issue.”

Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Chairman emphasized: “the S-300 missile system will give more power to Syrian Government, so they can stand-up to attacks and seditious games the West and the apartheid regime play [in Syria].”

SMH/SH/EA MNA END

182

Israeli rally calls on gov't to stop occupation of Palestinian lands

Source : Xinhua

JERUSALEM, June 1 (Xinhua) -- About 300 Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call on the government to withdraw from the Palestinian lands that it has occupied for decades.

The demonstrators marched from the Ministry of Defense to Jabotinski House, the headquarters of the ruling Likud party, carrying placards saying "two states -- Palestine along Israel" and "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies."

A few right-wingers demonstrated in front of them in a spontaneous counter-demonstration, calling for keeping "the State of Israel to Israelis".

Dov Khanin, member of socialist Hadash party, which organized the rally, said Israel's occupation of the Palestinian lands is " dangerous, malign and expensive."

"The immense sum of money invested in building and securing the settlements and constructing apartheid walls, means less to welfare and education," Khanin said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. administration is currently make a lot of efforts, led by Secretary of State John Kerry, to help renew the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The U.S. diplomat visited the Middle East for the fourth time last month since he assumed into office in February.

Although Israeli officials have recently expressed their desire to resume the peace talks and their support of the two-state solution, many demonstrators said they have little trust in the government's announcements.

"Over the years, Israel did everything to prove that it isn't interested in peace," said Ma'ayan Dak, a leader of Coalition of Women for Peace and an organizer of the rally.

Dak said the ongoing Israeli control over the West Bank involves "many financial interests of companies which are involved in the construction of the settlements, building separation walls, operating the checkpoints, so Israel have no incentive to cease the occupation."

Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 War. It withdrew its army from Gaza under the 2005 disengagement Plan but still keeps a tight blockade against it.

E

REPORT: HIC calls on Hezbollah to withdraw fighters from Syria

Source : LBCI News

The Higher Islamic Council (HIC) held on Saturday a meeting under the chairmanship of its vice-president Omar Mesqawi, where discussions focused on the political and religious situations in the country.

The conferees called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria’s al-Qusayr, in order to maintain internal stability, and considered the appointment decisions issued of the Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani as “null and void.”

In this regard, they decided to keep their meetings open-ended to follow up on what they called “special conditions witnessed by Dar al-Fatwa.”

Last year, the Shura Council suspended a call for the elections after its members, who are close to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, filed a challenge against Qabbani's call to hold the elections. Disputes between them rose when the members extended the mandate of the council until the end of 2013 despite the objection of Mufti Qabbani, who argues that the extension is illegal and the council’s term has expired.

US Warns Russia of Sending S-300 Missiles to Syria: Puts Israel at Risk

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb/

US Secretary of State John Kerry strongly condemned Russia over its decision to sell an advanced missile system to Damascus, considering it puts Israel at risk.

Speaking from Washington, Kerry also warned that the planned delivery of S-300 air defense missiles to Damascus “was not helpful” as Russia and the US prepare for Geneva 2, to try to end the Syrian conflict.

Kerry said the delivery would have a “profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region, and it does put Israel at risk”.

It is “not helpful to have the S-300 transferred to the region while you are trying to organize this peace and create peace," he added, questioning whether Russia was “fully committed to ending Syria's conflict”.

Iran cuts Hamas funding over Syria

Source : Telegraph

Iran has cut up to £15 million a month in funding for Hamas as punishment for the movement's backing for the uprising in Syria, the Palestinian Islamist group's leaders have admitted.

The two former close allies have also ceased military cooperation, effectively ending a warm relationship that saw Tehran provide weapons, technical know-how and military training to Hamas fighters.

The rupture has been caused by Hamas's refusal to toe the Iranian line by supporting President Bashar al-Assad, whose Alawite regime is religiously loosely related to the Shia Islam practiced by Iran's ruling theocracy.