The Middle East In The News

King Congratulates Swiss President
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/31
...King Abdullah II on Monday sent a cable to President Moritz Leuenberger of the Swiss Federation congratulating him in his name ...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

Hold Damascus Responsible
Campaign for Good Governance in Lebanon 2006/7/31
“There will be an international force [in Lebanon], because all the key players want it,” a U.S. official asserted recently. He appears to be right, as even the Israeli government embraced the plan, announcing it “would agree to consider stationing a battle-tested force composed of soldiers from European Union member states.”    The key players might “want it,” but such a force will certainly fail, just as it did once before, in 1982-84.   That was when U.S., French, and Italian troops were deployed in Lebanon to buffer Israel from Lebanon’s anarchy and terrorism. The “Multinational Force” collapsed back then when Hizbullah attacked MNF soldiers, embassies, and other installations, prompting the MNF’s ignominious flight from Lebanon. ...Rather than travel down the road of predictable failure, something quite different needs to be tried. My suggestion? Shift attention from Lebanon to Syria and put Damascus on notice that it is responsible for Hizbullah violence. (Incidentally, this happens to be in keeping with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1680, adopted May 17, 2006, calling on Syria to undertake “ ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Mine explodes near Israel-Syria border
yNetNews 2006/7/31
Landmine exploded Sunday on Syrian side of Israel-Syria border on Sunday; military officials say incident possible attempt by Hizbullah to drag Syria into conflict ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Officials: Syria opposes int'l force for Lebanon
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/31
Syria has told Egypt's foreign minister it opposed the creation of any new international force in Lebanon, but would not be averse to the expansion of the current UN force there, widely regarded as ineffectual ...
What a joke that would be!

Judah Holds Weekly Press Conference
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/31
Jordan strongly condemns the severe and heinous crime that took place in Qana, official said Monday.   Spokesperson of the Government Nasser Judah affirmed that Jordan strongly condemns the severe and heinous crime which claimed the lives of innocent civilians, particularly women and children in Qana yesterday, referring to the statement issued on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah II, who expressed his condemnation on behalf of the Jordanian people of the aggression and horrendous carnage and heinous crime as described by His Majesty the King.   During the weekly press conference held at the Prime Ministry on Monday, Judah said that His Majesty the King was clear as he described the action as a heinous crime, and it was a flagrant violation of all the laws and international norms and charters. ...
Oh so one sided!  How anyone can ever think that any of these people can ever bring a lasting peace to the region is beyond belief!!!  Where is a single word of rebuke to the Hezbollah?  Nada!!!

King, Malaysian Prime Minister discuss crisis in Lebanon
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/31
...King Abdullah II and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on Monday discussed over the phone the Lebanese crisis ...King Abdullah and Badawi reviewed efforts aimed to reach a ceasefire on the Lebanese warfront and means to establish a one united Islamic stand that could rally behind efforts to secure a ceasefire ...
Is the king perhaps hinting of the Arab joint defense treaty when he says 'one united Islamic stand'?  See article below: "Hizballah, Nasrallah Heroes to Many Arabs"

Jaws of Defeat
FrontPageMag 2006/7/31
The United States and Israel and every sentient being in the path of the Islamist crusade are teetering on the brink of a massive defeat in Lebanon and thus in the war on terror. Lest it be forgotten, this is a war that began with the Ayatollahs’ revolution in Iran in 1979 which established the first radical Islamic state whose masters’ war cry was “Death to America” ...
Contributed by Bob Anderson.

Syria stands to gain from Lebanon's pain
Guardian Unlimited 2006/7/31
...Less than three weeks into the war in Lebanon, Hizbullah's standing is rising dramatically among the Arab public. The reasoning in Damascus is that, short of annihilating Lebanon's Shia population, Hizbullah cannot be destroyed. At some point, the argument goes, Israel will have to back off and Hizbullah will claim victory for having survived the onslaught.   In anticipation of this, the Syrian regime, while trying to stay out of the conflict itself, is seeking to bask in Hizbullah's glory. ...

Analysis: Iraqi stance no surprise
Chron.com 2006/7/31
Many American politicians were surprised by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's criticism of Israel's attacks on Lebanon. They need only look at the stance taken by Iraq's top Shiite spiritual leader to understand why al-Maliki cannot stand with the U.S. in the crisis. ...

Hizballah, Nasrallah Heroes to Many Arabs
CNSNews 2006/7/31
...The Association of Jordanian Writers has launched a campaign to collect one million signatures on demand that the government annul in 1994 peace treaty with Israel. The Israeli Embassy in Amman should be closed and Jordan "cleansed" from the presence of Zionists, it said in an announcement carried by the Al-Quds Al-Arabi paper.   A similar call came from Egypt, where opposition parties including the Muslim Brotherhood want their country's 1979 peace treaty with the Jewish state canceled.   It said Arab governments should activate an Arab joint defense treaty - a document signed in 1950 between Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen - to enable Arab and Muslim youths to take part in jihad to support the Lebanese and Palestinians. ...
Contributed by Bob Anderson.

Talks with Syria, yes - but not now
Haaretz 2006/7/31
...When the fighting settles down the question that will take center stage will be how Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan plan to confront the Iranian ambition of supremacy in the region. The issue of the Golan Heights and Syria's wish to have its special status in Lebanon acknowledged again will come up. This is a considerable price-tag as far as Washington and Israel are concerned. Israel will find it hard to accept any concession that will be seen as diminishing the war's achievements. Thus, the diplomatic process with Syria must be considered as a matter for a later time, and not as a step in ending the present war. ...

Lebanese Reject Ceasefire Talks, Arab MKs Cause Knesset Storm
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/31
...Lebanon's stance against Israel was expressed particularly stridently this morning by Lebanese President Emil Lahoud. "The first clause in our army's orders is, 'Israel is the enemy,'" he told Al-Jazeera. Lahoud praised Hizbullah, saying, "Hizbullah's victory will be all of Lebanon's victory," and said that Rice "wants to force a multi-national force upon us and wants to coerce Hizbullah to disarm. This would be the worst thing that could happen, because now we are winning." The Lebanese President said that if Israel invades Lebanon, the Lebanese Army will fight back. ...The Knesset held a special session on the war today, turning into a scene of parliamentary bedlam during Defense Minister Amir Peretz's speech. Three Arab MKs were thrown out of the plenum by Speaker Dalia Itzik, beginning with Ibrahim Tzartzour, who called Peretz a "child murderer." ...
Contributed by Bob Anderson.

Assad calls on army to increase readiness to cope with 'regional challenges'
Canada.com 2006/7/31
Syrian President Bashar Assad called on his army Monday to increase readiness to cope with "regional challenges."   The president's comments came during an annual address to the military but also as Israel and the militant group Hezbollah entered their 20th day of fighting in neighbouring Lebanon. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Syrian group claims it attacked Israel
WorldNetDaily 2006/7/31
A group claiming to operate out of Syria took credit today for what it said was an attack against Israeli troops operating near the Syria-Israel border, according to a source in Syrian President Bashar Assad's Ba'ath party.   The claim preceded statements from Assad today warning Syria would not be deterred from helping Lebanon. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

The Roadblock to Damascus
The American Prospect 2006/7/31
...Sources in Israel’s Defense Ministry told me last week that in both the military escalation and fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Israel’s north and the abduction of the Israeli soldier by Hamas political chief Khalil Meshal in the country's south, there is a “major player -- Bashar Assad,” the president of Syria. “We don’t plan to open a war front with Syria,” I was told, “but we have to find ways to pressure Syria.” However, this is “not simple because the U.S. has a very particular stand regarding the Syrians and they aren’t going to allow Assad to play a central role.” ...

Bush to Iran, Syria: Stop terror support
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/31
...The US administration is renewing its diplomatic efforts and sticking to its goal of achieving a "sustainable cease-fire" in the region, fending off calls for an immediate stop to the fighting. ..."Iran must end its financial support and supply of weapons to terrorist groups like Hizbullah. Syria must end its support for terror and respect the sovereignty of Lebanon," Bush said. ...

King Abdullah expresses full support for Lebanon
Bahrain News Agency 2006/7/31
...King Abdullah during his meeting with Lebanese deputy, Saad Al Hariri in Jeddah said that Jordan was exerting all political and diplomatic efforts with the international community to ensure a cease-fire and the ending of the Lebanese sufferings. Meanwhile, Al Hariri expressed his appreciation to King Abdullah ...

The Dark Side of PBS, Part 2
Accuracy In Media 2006/7/31
The PBS Frontline documentary, "The Dark Side," about the events leading up to the war in Iraq, was guilty of some of the same charges it leveled against Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. These officials were accused of manipulating information in order to get us involved in Iraq. But PBS itself manipulated information to make the administration look bad, even dishonest. ...

Lebanon-Syria border: IAF attacks truck
yNetNews 2006/7/31
Security sources said Monday an Israeli drone fired a rocket into a pick-up truck suspected of carrying Hizbullah weapons that were smuggled in from Syria.   The attack took place on the main Lebanese crossing point into Syria while jets bombarded targets in south Lebanon hills. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

King Congratulates Moroccan King
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/30
...King Abdullah II sent a cable to King Muhammad VI of Morocco congratulating him in his name ...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

Lebanon's problem is not just Shaba Farms
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/30
The emergence of the Shaba Farms as a possible item in an agreement authorizing a multinational force for South Lebanon raises a number of issues of which not all the participants in the current negotiations may be aware. They go deep into the question of the very existence of Lebanon as a sovereign state. ...

Cry to Those Using Babies as Shields
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/30
...They only win when they hide behind baby carriages. ...Please remember this when you hear about the "atrocity" of the Israeli bomb (allegedly) dropped on Kfar Kana, killing many civilians, a place from which Hizbullah has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. Unlike previous administrations, Mr. Ehud Olmert has my respect when he says: "They were warned to leave. It is the responsibility of Hizbullah for firing rockets amidst civilians."
Terrorists and their supporters have lost the right to complain about civilian casualties, since all they have done this entire war is target civilians. Every single one of the more than 2,500 rockets launched into Israel is launched into populated towns filled with women and children. Just today, another suicide belt meant to kill civilians in Israel was detonated harmlessly by our forces in Nablus.
So, don't cry to me about civilian casualties. Cry to those using your babies and wives and mothers; cry to those who store weapons in mosques, ambulances, hospitals and private homes. Cry to those launching deadly rockets from the backyards of your kindergartens and schools. Cry to the heartless men who love death, and who, however many of their troops or civilians die, consider themselves victorious as long as they can keep on firing rockets at our women and children.
Save your sympathy for the mothers and sisters and girlfriends of our young soldiers who would rather be sitting in study halls learning Torah, but have no choice but to risk their precious lives - full of hope, goodness and endless potential - to wipe out the cancerous terrorist cells that threaten their people and all mankind. Make your choice, and save your tears. ...

Terrorist states within states alter face of war
The Detroit News 2006/7/30
...Hezbollah is called a "nonstate actor," a somewhat academic term for radical groups -- al Qaeda perhaps being the best known -- that answer to no central government and that are increasingly roiling the global stage.   How to defeat or even contain such groups is a question of growing concern to governments, large and small.   "It's probably the most difficult issue facing America and other countries there is," ...

Yahweh's terms for peace
RedState 2006/7/30
Caught in the crossfire, news from Lebanon reports that scores of innocent civilians are being slaughtered needlessly. While the Middle East cauldron erupts anew with this latest skirmish between the Jews and Arabs, the world's talking heads in government and media are aghast and offended that Israel presumes to protect itself again from enemy aggression. ...But the Force that no one in their right mind should want to cross is that of...you guessed it --Yahweh. That's to suggest that the God of the Jews and Muslims is not one and the same -- unless of course He's at war with Himself, which pretty well sums up why peace has been so elusive between these estranged brothers. ...
I thought this an appropriate place to insert Psalm 83

IDF prepared for attack by Syria
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/30
While Israel is not interested in opening a front against Syria, the IDF will respond harshly and with its full might if President Bashar Assad decides to attack Israel, a high-raking IDF officer in the Northern Command told The Jerusalem Post Sunday.   "We are continuing with our message that we are not interested in fighting with Syria," the officer said, "But we are fully prepared for a Syrian attack, in the case of which we will strike back extremely hard." ...Defense officials told the Post last week that they were receiving indications from the US that America would be interested in seeing Israel attack Syria.
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

King Holds Talks with Saudi King
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/30
King Abdullah II and Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz strongly condemned the ugly massacre committed by the Israeli forces in the Lebanese town of Qana, and resulted in the death and injury of dozens of civilians.   King Abdullah and the Saudi King expressed their condemnation of this crime, which violates human principles as well as international charters.   The two monarchs urged the international community to do its utmost to achieve an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering of the Lebanese people.   They stressed the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to stop the massacres being committed by Israel in Lebanon. ...
Meanwhile, both these Arab 'so called' leaders are silent about the atrocities being carried out daily by Hamas and Hezbollah against innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians alike.  Hezbollah set those people up.  It is absolutely shameful of them to be silent, and their silence about Hamas and Hezbollah speaks volumes about what kind of people and 'so called leaders' they really are.  They should be ashamed of themselves.  It's absolutely despicable!

Israel hits Lebanon road at border with Syria
Reuters 2006/7/30
An Israeli air strike hit Lebanon's road to Damascus at the border with Syria for a second consecutive night on Sunday, witnesses said.   The raid struck between Lebanese and Syrian immigration offices, but on the Lebanese side of the border in the same place hit by warplanes on Saturday. ...

Ninety Missiles Over Sabbath, IAF Bombs Syria-Lebanon Border
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/30
Hizbullah fired more than 90 missiles at Israel's northern towns and cities over the Sabbath. The IDF Struck closer to Syria than ever before.   Katyusha missiles struck Carmiel, Acco, Nahariya, Ma'alot, Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, Rosh Pina and Tzfat as Hizbullah vows to hit further south. ...Despite a specific threat by Syria to stay away from its border, Israel bombed Hizbullah targets less than a mile from the Syria-Lebanon border Saturday. The road between the two countries' immigration offices was struck as well. ...

Israelis edge closer to war with Syria
Telegraph.co.uk 2006/7/30
Israel and Syria appeared to be edging closer to direct military confrontation last night after tit-for-tat attacks around the Lebanese border and the revelation that a new type of long-range missile fired into Israel by Hezbollah was built in Syria. ...an explosives expert with the Israeli police concluded that the "unknown" missile fired by the pro-Syrian Hezbollah at the town of Afula on Friday, 30 miles inside the Israeli border, was Syrian-made, and was capable of reaching Tel Aviv, the country's largest city. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Syria denounces call for international force in Lebanon
The Peninsula 2006/7/30
Syria yesterday slammed US-backed proposals for the deployment of a multinational force in southern Lebanon, saying it would be “an occupation force” that could deepen the conflict and spark a backlash against the troops. ...

Israel hits Lebanese road at border with Syria
Reuters 2006/7/29
An Israeli air strike on Saturday hit Lebanon's main road to Damascus just 1 km from the border with Syria, cutting the highway in both directions ...

Hizballah Launches Fajr-5 Rockets Deeper Into Israel
Threats Watch 2006/7/28
Making good on the earlier promise to strike beyond Haifa, Hizballah launched their deepest attack yet, striking Afula with a barrage of Fajr-5 rockets. The Fajr-5 is an Iranian-made and -supplied truck-mounted 333mm multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) with a range of approximately 50 miles and a 200-pound warhead. ...

Symposium: Proving Saddam’s WMDs
FrontPageMag 2006/7/28
Despite the antiwar Left's favorite mantra about how Bush lied regarding WMDs in Iraq, the evidence now proves there were WMDs after all. ...Now for the complete story: I have battled politicians for 3 plus years to have 4 suspected WMD sites searched. I have always said the U.S. need only take my grid coordinates and review satellite images before the war at these sites. The images would reveal WMD being buried at the sites. Finally on 14/15 June 2006 I was able to present the intelligence to the DIA (outstanding organization). We also reviewed some satellite images of the areas.   Hannity had asked Santorum why the U.S. just doesn’t retrieve the WMD. The answer is what I have said for years. The satellite images have confirmed WMD was buried at the locations I identified. In order to retrieve the WMD the U.S. must drain sections of the Euphrates River, dig many feet under the riverbed, and then open the concrete bunkers. Not an easy task and very time consuming. ...
Contributed by Bob Anderson.

A twist of faith in Syria
The Washington Times 2006/7/28
mmAnother bomb of Syrian origin exploded — but this time it did not hit Haifa, Israel, but rather Washington. Although its impact inside the corridors of the Capitol, where it was quietly detonated, was barely noticed, it was felt in the Middle East and has given Syrian dictator Bashar Assad another reason to worry.   The "bomb": a well-known and respected Sufi scholar from Syria, Sheikh Abdullah AlgharibAlhamadAltamimee, stepped off a plane in Washington and publicly called for Mr. Assad's ouster. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

President Bush, Tony Blair Hold a Joint News Conference
WashingtonPost.com 2006/7/28
...Lebanon, Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors are willing to kill and to use violence to stop the spread of peace and democracy, and they're not going to succeed.   The prime minister and I have committed our governments to a plan to make every effort to achieve a lasting peace out of this crisis. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Report: Syrians See War On The Horizon
All Headline News 2006/7/27
..."The atmosphere in Syria is in every way an atmosphere of war, or at least of the eve of war," he said. "Syrian television for the first time since the '80's has started broadcasting Syrian military marches and nationalistic songs. ...The broadcasts are in preparation for war, as if Syria is involved in this war, or is going to be involved at any moment." ...

Indyk: Keep Syria and Iran Out of Negotiations Over Lebanon
Council on Foreign Relations 2006/7/27
..."The idea that Syria or Iran should become the arbiters of Lebanon's fate is basically to reward the arsonists by giving them control of the place where the fire's burning," says Indyk ...

Terrorist Open Up 3rd Front, Murder Yesha Resident
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/28
Arabs in Israel opened up a third front in the terrorist war Thursday, kidnapping and murdering a resident of Samaria and shooting two Border Policemen at a checkpoint at an entrance to Jerusalem. ...

U.S. asks Israel to consider talks on land
GOPUSA 2006/7/27
U.S. officials have advised Israel to consider a deal that would give the Shaba Farms area, occupied by Israel since 1967, to Lebanon.   The issue was broached by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ...
Here we go AGAIN! Oh, Israel, just give up some more land and all will be well.
Article and comments contributed by Bob Anderson.

How the Lebanon Crisis Complicates U.S. Prospects in Iraq
Time 2006/7/27
...To prevent Iraq from breaking apart, the U.S. needs Maliki's government to do two things: Grant a greater share of power to the Sunnis (many of whom were supporters or officials of Saddam's regime) in the hope of defusing the insurgency; and disarm and dissolve the Shi'ite militias that are daily unleashing their own terror in retribution against Sunni communities. ...

Not Islamic Fascism But Something More Sinister
NewsByUs 2006/7/27
...The enemy we are fighting today is not just like the enemy we fought in the Second World War or the Cold War, the enemy we fight today is the same enemy we fought in the Second World War and in the Cold War.  The common enemy of all decent people is Sinisterism.  It seeks to destroy all serious Christians, all the Jewish people, the State of Israel and America.  And then it seeks to plunge mankind into the sort of dark, eternal nightmare which George Orwell described so well.  Know your enemy, and our enemy – as Christians, as Jews, as Americans or as Israelis – is Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie.

Tide of Arab Opinion Turns to Support for Hezbollah
The New York Times 2006/7/27
...The Saudi royal family and King Abdullah II of Jordan, who were initially more worried about the rising power of Shiite Iran, Hezbollah’s main sponsor, are scrambling to distance themselves from Washington. ...
However, I doubt that they distance themselves from Washington's money and arms.  The term to be applied here is 'fair weather friends'.

Report: Nasrallah is in Damascus
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/27
A top Iranian envoy was in Syria on Thursday for talks on the Israeli-Hizbullah conflict in a meeting that brought together the guerrilla organization's two key sponsors, according to Iranian news reports. A Kuwaiti newspaper reported that Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah was taking part in the session. ...

Iran testing Israel ahead of confrontation?
WorldNetDaily 2006/7/27
Tehran is using Hezbollah's confrontation with the Jewish state to test the abilities of Iranian weapons and to observe Israeli military capabilities, Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt charged ..."Iran is bringing in [to Lebanon] sophisticated weaponry," said Jumblatt who is head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician. "The Iranians are actually experimenting with different kinds of missiles in Lebanon by shooting them at the Israelis. Iran is using this violence to test certain of [Israel's] abilities," ...

Rice: Syria, Iran 'make a choice'
Gulf News 2006/7/27
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday warned Syria and Iran that it was time for those countries to "make a choice" about their role in Middle East peace, following international crisis talks on Lebanon. ..."Syria has a responsibility," Rice said.   "And we are deeply concerned, as we have said, about the role of Iran. It is high time that people make a choice." ...

US blocks cease-fire call
The New Anatolian 2006/7/27
U.S., European and Arab officials failed to make a joint call for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, during a key conference in Rome yesterday. ...Rice, despite heavy pressures to lean on Israel to end its two-week-old offensive, maintained that any cease-fire must be "sustainable" and that there could be "no return to the status quo ante."   Her wording suggested continued U.S. support for Israel's demand that the violence must end with the Hezbollah militia disarmed or at least removed from its border. ...

Iran Against the Arabs  (an essay)
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research 2006/7/27
The Arab states’ reaction to Israel’s assault on Hezbollah and Lebanon has been surprisingly tolerant. This should not be read as Arab acceptance of Israel as a state; rather, it is an indication of fear of a greater threat: Iran. ...An old Arab proverb goes, “Me against my brother; me and my brother against our cousin; and me, my brother and my cousin against the stranger.” Forced to make a choice, Sunni Arabs are deciding: the Jews are cousins; the Shiites, strangers. U.S. diplomats may applaud the new pragmatism, but the reason behind it is nothing to celebrate.

Domino diplomacy
Salon 2006/7/27
...Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has propelled herself forward as chief cheerleader. "What we're seeing here," she said, "are the birth pangs of a new Middle East." At every press conference she repeats the phrase "a new Middle East" as though its incantation were magical. ...

U.S., Russia Remove More HEU from Libya
NTI Global Security Newswire 2006/7/26
The United States and Russia have removed another 6.6 pounds of highly enriched uranium from Libya, boosting the total to 44 pounds shipped out of the country since Tripoli gave up its WMD programs in 2003 ...
Where there's one pound, there's more. Beyond that, I remain convinced that Libya completed its Muslim contract and delivered a Muslim bomb.
Article and comments contributed by Bob Anderson.

Lebanese notables commend King Abdullah's efforts to support Lebanon
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/26
..."Jordan has always been a generous brother to Lebanon," said former Lebanese President Amin Jemayel. "Apart from his generosity and his humanitarian support, King Abdullah was brave enough to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Lebanon and open an airlift between Amman and Beirut," he said. "We hope the King's step wills the beginning of the road to end suffering in Lebanon. ...

King Follows Up Work of the Relief Airlift Between Amman and Beirut
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/26
King Abdullah II visited on Wednesday the Armed Forces Headquarters where he followed up, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Khaled Jamil Sarayreh, the work of the relief airlift between Amman and Beirut. ...The King issued instructions to quickly and precisely extend assistance to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people, valuing efforts of the armed forces and members of the royal engineering force in this regard. ...

The Power of Shame: Only U.S. Strength Can Defeat Islamism
The American Enterprise Online 2006/7/26
...At present, the Islamic Middle East is where we see shame-based cultures in their purest form. The war against terror puts us in conflict with the most militant factions of highly shame-avoidant societies. While we are told much about the economic, ethnic, and sectarian influences that motivate these opponents of America, psycho-cultural elements of their radicalism have been neglected.   In this essay I will use my knowledge as a clinical psychologist and my own experience in Middle Eastern war (as an ex-member of the Israeli Hagana) to consider some of the ways in which these shame-avoidant societies may wage battle against us. Bear in mind that I am not describing all Middle Easterners, but only group tendencies that are prevalent there today. ...

Bakhit identifies challenges facing the nation
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/26
...Bakhit described "We Are All Jordan" forum as a revision step to make sure that we were moving in the right direction in light of the changing situations ...the two-day forum called for by His Majesty King Abdullah II to rearrange national priorities and to draft a national vision for a better future for all Jordanians. ...He added the true challenge resides in the ability of the Jordanian policy program to mobilize all efforts and potentials behind the Jordanian leadership's strategic vision to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Jordanian King telephones UN Secretary General
People's Daily Online 2006/7/26
Jordanian King Abdullah II telephoned on Tuesday the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and discussed with him the latest situation in Lebanon, the Jordanian news agency Petra reported. ...The conflict erupted when Lebanon's Hezbollah guerillas captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others during a July 12 cross-border attack.
In all of the correspondence to date by king Abdullah II, I have found no condemnation by him of the acts by Hamas or Hezbollah of the killing or kidnapping of innocent Israelis or their soldiers.  Unless all regimes admit those acts as crimes of aggression, the US should withhold all future US funds from such regimes, as their silence regarding those crimes only further encourages such acts.

Jumblatt urges support for 'our brothers in the South'
The Daily Star 2006/7/26
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt struck a defiant tone on Tuesday amid an ongoing Israeli assault on Lebanon. "Today, we are heading toward the unknown but we have no choice but to resist and to support our brothers in the South," Jumblatt said. ... praised the struggle being made by Southern residents and Hizbullah against "the Israeli murder and destruction machine," but warned the fight would be a long one.   "Unfortunately, the Syrian regime has achieved its promise," he added.   "[Syrian President] Bashar Assad told [late former Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri in August 2004: 'If [French President Jacques] Chirac wants to oust me from Lebanon, I will destroy your country," Jumblatt said. ...
Jumblatt too has cast his lot and against his own soul.

Abbas promises to help release Gilad Shalit
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/26
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that he was doing his utmost to secure the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and to stop rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip.   Abbas, who was speaking to reporters here after holding talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ...

Lebanese Expatriates Condemn Syria, Iran; and Praise Israel
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/26
Many Lebanese expatriate groups have roundly condemned the Hizbullah, Iran and Syria. Some of them are also calling for Israel to press ahead in its military campaign. ...

CONGRESS QUESTIONS INDIAN AID TO IRAN, SYRIA
Middle East Newsline 2006/7/26
The House has demanded a U.S. report that details Indian assistance to the nuclear programs of Iran and Syria.   House members said the Bush administration has refused to release an intelligence report of India's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They said the report detailed the supply of Indian dual-use components to the chemical weapons and nuclear programs of Damascus and Teheran.   "It is staggering that the State Department could be failing to provide Congress with information about illicit transfers of nuclear and chemical weapons-related technology and goods from entities located in the state of India," Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, said. ...

1,402 rockets shot at Israel since onset of fighting
yNetNews 2006/7/26
Since the onset of the current confrontation on the northern border, 15 days ago, 1,402 rockets have been launched at Israel, the Northern District Police's spokesperson reported. Nineteen civilians have been killed and 1,262 wounded, including 46 who are still hospitalized. Many of the injured suffered from shock. ...

Rice to Abbas: Focus on New Arab State
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/26
The Palestinian Authority (PA) focus should be on establishing a new Arab state, which the PA wants to establish with Jerusalem as its capital, American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas ...She emphasized to reporters "the vision of two states living side by side." ...
I wonder ...is she experiencing Dejevu or does she know something the rest of us don't??  Most probably the latter.

Moscow asks Damascus to limit response if attacked
Gulf News 2006/7/26
...Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov delivered the message to senior Syrian officials in Damascus last week, as the risk of Israel's Lebanese offensive expanding into a regional war rose, the diplomats said.   "Saltanov told them Syria can use Russian anti-aircraft missiles to thwart Israeli air attacks, but that Russia objected to using Russian Scuds to retaliate," ...

Iran's Day of Terror?
FrontPageMag 2006/7/26
...“Arrogant powers,” Ahmadinejad said, “have set up a base for themselves to threaten and plunder nations in the region. But today, the occupier regime” – that is, Israel – “whose philosophy is based on threats, massacre and invasion, has reached its finishing line.”   Will he attempt to make good on these threats this year on the anniversary of the Miraj, illuminating the night sky over Jerusalem? ...

How the U.S. Hopes to End the Lebanon Crisis
Time 2006/7/25
...there may be potent resistance to elements of the plan from Hizballah and Iran. ...The U.S. goal is a cease-fire that would halt Israeli air, naval and ground operations in Lebanon. But getting there requires the fulfillment of several preconditions, including an agreement by Lebanon, Israel and — apparently — Syria as well as European nations on the deployment of a NATO intervention force in Lebanese territory along the Israeli-Lebanese border. ...U.S. officials say they're also demanding the unconditional release of the two Israeli soldiers held by Hizballah as a precondition for a truce. ...Finally, and most importantly, the administration seeks a process under which the Lebanese army would take full control of security in southern Lebanon, where Hizballah currently runs a state within a state. ...
I reject this 'state within a state' characterization of Hezbollah's relationship with Lebanon.  They can't have it both ways, ie...responsible and not-responsible for their actions.  Hezbollah was elected into the Lebanese government, and therefore is an integral part of the Lebanese government and infrastructure, and no matter how one looks at it, all the Lebanese are responsible for their actions from within their country.

Foreign minister, ceasefire in Lebanon is a priority
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/25
...King Abdullah II has expressed Jordan's candid condemnation to the Israeli aggression on brotherly Lebanon. ...
This is just another example of the king's true colors.

Rice sets tough terms to end war
The Jordan Times 2006/7/25
...Rice told Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hizbollah who is also close to Syria, a ceasefire must be part of a deal that included Hizbollah's withdrawal beyond the Litani River, 20km north of Israel, and deployment of an international force in the border region, a Lebanese political source said.   She told Berri: "The situation on the border cannot return to what it was before July 12", referring to the day Hizbollah seized two Israeli soldiers during a raid into Israel ...Meanwhile, Asharq Al Awsat newspaper reported on Monday that the US will soon provide Israel with some 100 "bunker buster" bombs to kill the leader of Hizbollah group and destroy its trenches. ...

Arab Bank refuses to remit money to Hamas officials
Al-Bawaba 2006/7/25
The Jordan-based Arab Bank has turned back Monday remittances in favor of PLC members and refused to disburse them...PLC secretary Dr. Mahmoud Al-Ramahi affirmed that the Bank has rejected the remittances in favor of the 132 lawmakers because the list included names of Hamas-affiliated legislators, and that the Bank management does not want to deal with Hamas members. The remittances constitute a half-month salary for the month of March ...

Political Correctness Be Damned! We're at War with Islamists
The Conservative Voice 2006/7/25
...If I hear one more person on a news or talk show say that we're fighting a war against terrorism, I'm going to scream!  If one more Bush Administration official says that Islam is a peaceful religion, get ready for another scream. ...In short, Islam is at once a religion and an ideology. It's totalitarian ideology is comparable to Nazism, Communism and Fascism.   Islamic leaders in the United States tell President George W. Bush that Islam is a religion of peace and give him some verses from the Koran and he relays this to the American people.  As with most politically correct jargon, people are encouraged to deny the evidence of their own senses.   Practitioners of Islam are today involved in conflagrations throughout the world.  Here are a few violent conflicts occurring today ...

Syria, Iran lack full Hizbollah control: US official
The Washington Post 2006/7/25
...Crumpton, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, said even Iran -- which he said had more influence than Syria -- did not have full control over the Islamist guerrillas.   "Syria can stop the flow of weapons, materiel and people into Lebanon. Yes, they can take a lot of action that they haven't. In terms of them controlling Hizbollah, no," Crumpton told a press briefing. "They cannot put Hizbollah out of business." ...

Iran threatens response if Syria attacked
yNetNews 2006/7/25
...Iranian media outlets published sections of interviews given by Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad-Reza Sheybani, who said that Hizbullah's military capability has greatly increased in the last decade, and threatened that if
Israel harmed Syria ...Sheybani stressed that Iran would support Syria if it is attacked by Israel. "There should be no doubt on this issue: If Syria is harmed, even in the slightest way, we will respond with force. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Beckett's call to Syria and Iran
BBC 2006/7/25
Margaret Beckett said the two states' support for Hezbollah was "encouraging extremism" and putting peace in the Middle East "further out of reach".   Even if the crisis was not engineered by Syria and Iran, she said, its timing was "remarkably convenient" for them. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Olmert during visit to South: Syria not "a partner in diplomatic process"
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/25
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, on a tour of the South that included a visit to the Hatzor Air Force Base, said the Syrians were not "a partner in the diplomatic process."   There was some criticism that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was not planning to meet the Syrians during her Middle East swing. "The Syrians could have risen to the occasion if they did not have their finger on the trigger on both the Lebanese and Gazan fronts," Olmert said. "Unfortunately, they see things differently. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Jordan-Kuwait summit an effort to douse Lebanon flames
Kuwait News Agency 2006/7/25
The Jordanian-Kuwaiti summit held in Kuwait Monday was a joint effort by the two leaderships to put out the flames engulfing Lebanon and to formulate a unified Arab stance that can overcome all scenarios.   The summit was the focus of the press and semi-official Al-Rai paper, for one, stressed the results of the talks between King of Jordan Abdullah II and Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah are critical for the situation in the region. ...

Israel Bombards Rocketeers In Gaza Strip
The New York Sun 2006/7/25
...The area around Beit Lahiya is a favored spot for Palestinian Arab militants firing rockets into southern Israel. The twin smokestacks of the power plant in the Israeli city of Ashkelon are clearly visible, separated only by the bare ground that used to contain several Israeli settlements.   Early yesterday morning, militiamen from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade fired several rockets toward Ashkelon. ...An Israeli army spokeswoman said more than 50 rockets had been fired into Israel from the Beit Lahiya region in the past few weeks. ...The Israeli move to stem the attacks included a rocket attack launched from an Apache helicopter Sunday night on a house in the Gaza City's Nasr neighborhood. Residents of the house said they received a call about a half-hour before the attack from someone identifying themselves as Israeli intelligence and warning them to evacuate. ...

Israel says any deal must include block on Syria supplying arms to Hizbullah
Guardian Unlimited 2006/7/25
...Katyusha rockets and other equipment are still being sent from Damascus into Lebanon as fighting continues in the south, a senior Israeli foreign ministry official told the Guardian yesterday.   Israel says Syrian or Iranian-supplied military material has been hit in its air strikes on the Beirut-Damascus road, though Israel has been reluctant to reveal this for fear of exposing its intelligence sources. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

U.S. Aims to Reinforce Arab Governments Criticizing Hezbollah
Bloomberg 2006/7/24
...The U.S. is trying to make sure that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab states that have criticized Hezbollah for attacking Israel don't back down under pressure from their own citizens or other nations supporting the Shiite militia.   Forestalling such wavering is one of the goals of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ...

The Axis Lives
The American Enterprise 2006/7/24
...the U.S. was drawn into this war long ago.   Once upon a time—in the autumn of 2001, to be exact—the American people realized that. They understood that Israel’s grim history would be America’s foreseeable future—that what Israel did in 1967, when it struck preemptively to avoid encirclement, so would America do to forestall a series of 9/11s; that what Israel did after the Munich massacre, when it hunted down the guilty one by one, U.S. Special Forces would do in the jungles, deserts, and cities that breed terror; that what Israel did in 1981, when it leveled Iraq’s Osirak nuclear facility, the United States would do on a global scale to prevent something much worse than 9/11. ...

Jordan Islamist deputies on trial over Zarqawi visit
Reuters 2006/7/24
The three defendants, senior members of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, were arrested on June 12, a day after their visit. ...The government said the visit was an affront to the feelings of most Jordanians, including relatives of 60 people killed in three hotel bombings in the capital Amman last November that Zarqawi claimed to have ordered. ...
I would say that there is a double standard in Jordan.  While saying the visit of the IAF to relatives of Zarqawi is an affront to the feelings of Jordanians, which I do understand, I say the king's remarks concerning the death of Lebanese as being martyrs, wherein is no distinction from Hezbollah, is an affront to the U.S. and all countries that are against terrorists and have paid a heavy price to fight terrorists. (* See story below)  His statement, I believe, shows his true colors.

How To Defeat Hezbollah: By Bombing Damascus
TheEveningBulletin.com 2006/7/24
...In October 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, Syrian missiles hit Kibbutz Gvat, barely missing the children's home on the Kibbutz. Within hours, the Israeli Air Force flattened the Syrian Ministry of Defense: Never again did the Syrians ever launch a direct attack on an Israeli civilian target.   At this time, Israel is in a unique position to recruit nations around the world to hold Syria responsible for pulling in Hezbollah. And Israel is in a position to threaten Damascus that for every target hit by Syria's proxy, Israel will single out Syrian targets for attack. That is where the Israel Air Force can show its prowess.   By bombing Damascus, Israel can reduce Lebanese casualties. By bombing Damascus, Israel can also reduce its own civilian and military casualties, in a ground war that is nearly impossible for Israel to win against an entrenched and well trained guerrilla army. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

IDF: Syria, Iran want to escalate Lebanon crisis
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/23
"Syria and Iran see the fighting on the northern border as an opportunity to advance their interests and agenda," Yadlin said at a press conference on Sunday.   "Iran is facing possible international sanctions over its nuclear program. Syria is worried about the investigation into former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri's assassination and its possible legal consequences. The abduction of the soldiers in the North helped Syria and Iran to divert attention from these issues," Yadlin said.   "Both of them are improving their strategic position at the expense of the Lebanese people." ...

King Renews Condemnation of Israeli Aggression against Lebanon
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/23  *
..."I have followed with great interest and admiration the effort of the Lebanese people for reconstructing Lebanon and it saddens me today when I see these achievements have been destroyed as a result of aggression." King said.   In this regard, His Majesty renewed Jordan's standing alongside the Lebanese people and the Lebanese government in these times, expressing condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and families of the martyrs who died as a result of the Israeli aggression against Lebanon. ...
? Daniel 11:21 but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries
Comments: Will the king also stand alongside the Lebanese against Israel, or are his words flattery only?  Why is he not condemning the Hezbollah and their terrorist acts, as he condemned such acts against his own kingdom?  Rather, he condones their acts by calling them and thereby making them 'martyrs'.  As for the truly innocent Lebanese people that have suffered in this, both they and the Hezbollah alone are to blame, for they were complicit in allowing the Hezbollah to remain in their country and bring this upon them via their terrorist acts.  Let's call a spade a spade.  The Arab regimes that so fear the 'Shia Crescent', which regimes also have been propped up by the U.S. over the decades should rather band together and 'uproot' the terrorists which they helped create in the first place, rather than always pointing the finger at the U.S. and demanding US to fight their fight and do something about it, and then later telling US to 'get outta Dodge' so to speak.  It's about time they help mop up their own messes.

Hezbollah lets Iran buy time for nukes
The Arizona Republic 2006/7/23
The big winner thus far in the clash between Hezbollah and Israel is Iran. Through attacks by its proxy, Hezbollah, Iran is deftly succeeding in distracting the world from the rapidly progressing Iranian nuclear weapons program.   Iran's success brings it one step closer to one of its ultimate goals. That goal is America's destruction. ...

IRAN PLANNED HIZBULLAH STRIKE
Middle East Newsline 2006/7/23
Iran spent more than six months training and planning Hizbullah to prepare for its current war with Israel.   Western intelligence sources said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held a series of exercises with Hizbullah on the use of new weapons and techniques. The sources said IRGC also prepared arsenals of medium-range rockets and missiles in the Bekaa Valley and Syria to sustain any war with Israel.   "Iran's IRGC planned this war carefully throughout 2006," an intelligence source who monitors Iran said ...

Jordan's king seeks EU help for immediate truce in Lebanon
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/23
Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday met with ambassadors from European Union member countries and urged the support of their governments for efforts aimed at arranging an 'immediate ceasefire' in Lebanon, according to an official statement.   'The meeting took place in the course of the king's continuous efforts to muster international backing for an immediate ceasefire as the sole way for defusing the crisis ...
In other words, his way is the ONLY way to defuse it, ...so he says.  However, this cancer must be removed once and for always, and that won't happen if this is 'defused' as has been done so many times before, only to explode again in the near or further future.  There must be a complete 'UPROOTING" as well as follow up and ongoing 'preventive therapy' to keep it from festering again, much the same as cancer is treated.

THE GAZA CEASE-FIRE AND THE ARAB CIVIL WAR:
The New Republic 2006/7/22
Senior Palestinian officials, speaking in the name of Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, have announced a unilateral cease-fire in Gaza, explicitly a promise to cease firing rockets from Gaza into Israel proper. ...Here's my understanding of what may have influenced the Palestinians who agreed to its still vague terms to agree at all. The meeting in Jordan is tell-tale. The Hashemite monarchy, Sunni descendants of Mohammed, despises all Islamist militant movements ...The governments and ruling elites of Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia believe that, by going after the Hezbollah nutcases, clients of Syria and, more important, of Iran, Israel is now doing God's business in Lebanon. They do not want Israel diverted from its essential task of killing Hassan Nasrallah and his faithful fanatics. They want the PA to bring calm to Gaza and permit Israel to devote its full attention and energies to bringing order to Lebanon, allowing that essentially soft and corrupt multi-confessional jurisdiction once again to be the Riviera of the Middle East.

Rice to seek pressure on Iran, Syria
The Sunday Telegraph 2006/7/22
US President George W. Bush said Saturday that one of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's chief goals on her upcoming Middle East trip would be to try to isolate Iran and Syria. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

U.S. Plan Seeks to Wedge Syria Away From Iran
New York Times 2006/7/22
...officials said this week that they were at the beginning stages of a plan to encourage Saudi Arabia and Egypt to make the case to the Syrians that they must turn against Hezbollah. With the crisis at such a pivotal stage, officials who are involved in the delicate negotiations to end it agreed to speak candidly about their expectations only if they were not quoted by name.   “We think that the Syrians will listen to their Arab neighbors on this rather than us,’’ said one senior official, “so it’s all a question of how well that can be orchestrated.’’ ...

Iran planning to strike Israel?
Jerusalem Newswire 2006/7/21
Tehran ordered the current Hizb'allah rocket assault on Israel in order to swamp Israeli defenses and open the door for an Iranian missile strike on Israel's population centers, wrote a group of Iranian exiles in a full-page ad published in Wednesday's Washington Times.   The Azadegan Foundation, led by former Iranian diplomat Assad Homayoun, warned that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intends to use weapons of mass destruction against the Jewish state. ...

US Rice To Seek Arab Alliance Against Hezbollah -Report
Easy Bourse 2006/7/21
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's upcoming trip to the Middle East is intended to form an alliance with Arab states in opposition to Hezbollah and isn't intended to win an immediate cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas, an administration official said, Time magazine reported on its Web site Friday.   "She's not going to come home with a ceasefire, but stronger ties to the Arab world," ...

In Jordan, political reform is simply not progressing
The Daily Star 2006/7/21
...Despite the king's demands, there has been little progress. In fact, it is the very instability of Jordanian governments and their utter dependence on the king that renders them unable to meet his demands.   The king appoints and dismisses prime ministers and ministers and therefore has the power to enforce the reform agenda he has adopted. But the "reformers" appointed as ministers and advisers to introduce political reform so far have not been, with a few exceptions, political reformers. Concerned with economic rather than political reform, they did not see political reform as a top priority and in fact were more liberal-authoritarian than reformist in orientation. Some reform-minded politicians and activists were discouraged by this state of affairs and withdrew from the reform effort, complaining of a lack of official support for their reform programs at critical times. ...

US Affairs: Seal of approval
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/21
...strong US support for Israel's actions comes from the top.   What seemed in the first days of the conflict to be just another demonstration of the administration's helplessness in facing international crises turned out to be a well-devised strategy led by the White House and State Department. It wasn't because President Bush was too busy with the G-8 gathering, nor was it the fact that the US has little power to pressure any of the sides in the region. The reason for the administration's inactivity was simply the belief that there was no need to intervene, that Israel was doing a fine job and that it deserved to be cut some slack to make the most of the military operation. ...

MEBA becomes signature event for new regional business aviation association
Strategiy 2006/7/20
...His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Ibn Al-Hussein, supervisor and advisor to Royal Wings, the regional airline subsidiary of Jordanian flag-carrier Royal Jordanian, hailed the MEBAA and MEBA initiatives as the “right moves on the road to transparency and increased professionalism within the Middle East’s business aviation segment.” Prince Feisal’s comments came as Jordan Private Jets (JP Jets) – a pioneer of private handling and supervision services providers and charter sales companies in the Hashemite Kingdom - became one of the first to sign for MEBA 2007.   “This is a growing sector and we need significant discussions about the regional market to open up,” said HRH Prince Feisal. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

''The Role of Iran and Syria in the Israel-Lebanon Crisis''
Power and Interest News Report 2006/7/20
...Hezbollah is one of Iran's and Syria's main regional allies, and both Tehran and Damascus play an important role in Hezbollah's current operations. Since the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, Syria and Iran have shared a strategic alliance and have had overlapping interests in the Middle East. This alliance now faces new challenges. ...

Israel Has a War to Win
Los Angeles Times 2006/7/20
...Even if Israel can very capably defend itself (as recent events have confirmed), it lacks the will to make the protracted efforts to defeat its enemies. And Israel's enemies — Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran — are also America's enemies. ...Israel has a significant role in the U.S.-led war on terror; it can best defend itself and help its U.S. ally not by aspiring to agreements with intractable foes but by convincing them that Israel is permanent and unbeatable. This goal requires not episodic violence but sustained and systematic efforts to change regional mentalities. Therefore, U.S. policymakers might suggest to Olmert that he view the current fighting not as a momentary exception to diplomacy but as part of a long-term conflict. ...

Syria Blocks U.N. Efforts To End Lebanon Crisis, U.S. Envoy Says
USINFO.STATE.GOV 2006/7/20
...Syria's refusal to receive one of the secretary-general's envoys -- experienced diplomat Terje Roed-Larsen  -- cast a shadow over the meeting. ..."We know the root cause of the present conflict is Hizballah's terrorists acts supported by Iran and Syria, but now, I think, we see more clearly the role Syria has and has been playing in frustrating efforts to bring this to a resolution," Bolton said. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Israel Sees Lebanon Conflict Linked Directly to Syria, Iran
Voice Of America 2006/7/20
...Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was blunt in making that connection when he spoke before parliament Monday evening.   "The terror organizations working out of Lebanon and Gaza are nothing but sub-contractors working under authorization and encouraged and financed by governments supporting terrorism, governments that oppose peace. There is an evil road running from Tehran to Damascus," he said. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

US slams Syria over Lebanon violence
NDTV.com 2006/7/20
US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said on Wednesday that he expects the Secretary General to elaborate on what prevented a UN mission from entering Syrian territory. ...Bolton said "I think that the government of Syria is as much responsible as Hezbollah, being a principle financier and supplier of Hezbollah". ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Prime Minister Affirms Jordan's Support Lebanon
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/20
...He briefed Siniora on contacts being made by His Majesty King Abdullah II on the regional and international levels to put an end to the aggression facing the Lebanese people. He also noted the King's directives to provide aid to the Lebanese people.   The prime minister voiced Jordan's keenness to provide care to Lebanese nationals who have arrived in Jordan recently, indicating Jordan will support its Arab brethren at all circumstances. ...
The King seems to be doing everything he can to win over the Arab kingdom.  Hmmm.

Abbas waiting for Israel to do his dirty work
Daily News 2006/7/19
The conflict escalation with Israel may be the best thing that could happen to Mahmoud Abbas.   In fact, the Palestinian president could be crossing his fingers, fervently hoping that Israel will do his dirty work for him - and overthrow Hamas. ..."(Hamas') leaders are perfectly aware that if the Israeli operation persists for long enough, it is capable of grinding their movement down to the point that will take years to recover," stated DEBKAfile ...

Arab World Divided Over Hezbollah
The New York Sun 2006/7/19
...On one side are those standing with Hezbollah and Iran, such as Syria and Yemen (and the Lebanese ambassador to America, who was removed from his position last week), and on the other side is almost everyone else. The latter group clearly recognizes that chaos could engulf the entire region as Hezbollah attempts to push Lebanon to commit "martyrdom."   The Arab League has called Hezbollah's attacks on Israel "unexpected, inappropriate, and irresponsible acts," in the words of Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Also, President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah II of Jordan, without directly naming Hezbollah, warned last week of "the region being dragged into ‘adventurism' that does not serve Arab interests."   Saudi Arabia also issued a statement on July 13 that was critical of Hezbollah's actions: "The Kingdom stood firmly with the resistance in Lebanon until Israel's occupation of Lebanon ended. ...

Awqaf Minister Meets Spanish Ambassador
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/19
...the ambassador highlighted the strong bilateral relations, noting that Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, is deemed to be a model for coexistence among nations.   In addition, the ambassador underlined the role of Amman Message in showing the correct image of Islam, based on tolerance and moderation.

Blair blames Syria and Iran for spreading terror across region
Telegraph.co.uk 2006/7/19
Tony Blair laid the blame for the crisis in the Middle East at the door of Syria and Iran yesterday, saying they were responsible for supporting militants ranging from Lebanon's Hizbollah movement to insurgents who have killed British soldiers in Iraq.   The Prime Minister was especially outspoken about Iran, saying the regime was responsible for "supporting terrorist activity across the region" and that if diplomacy failed to stop its nuclear programme, then it would face "stark choices". ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Ground clashes escalate conflict amidst diplomatic efforts
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/19
...Germany and Italy added their voices to the calls for a truce, while Jordan and Russia jointly, and Iraqi Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani separately, called for 'immediate' international intervention to stop the Israeli offensive.   The US faces growing pressure to intervene, as Jordan's King Abdullah II called US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and, he too, urged Washington to help bring about a ceasefire.   But the Bush administration made clear it would not pressure Israel to cease its military offensive, referring to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's threats Tuesday that he would start issuing one-hour warnings to Tel Aviv before shelling the city. ...

The Devil Wears Persian
ZNet 2006/7/19  (this is a 'must read' article)
..."The way some officials see it, Arab analysts said, Israel is the devil they know, but Iran is the growing threat." ..."PERES: ... for the first time, the Arab countries, many of them, if not most of them, are calling for Hezbollah to stop it. The Lebanese government is asking for the same. It never happened before. And we feel that we're doing the right thing, and we shall not permit the devil to govern our destinies or our region."   Wonder of wonders, the "devil" is not Arab. The "devil" is Persian. ...
...At least at this present time it may seem.

Syria bars UN team seeking end to Mideast attacks
Reuters 2006/7/19
Syria barred a U.N. mission to the Middle East unless it excluded one of its members, Norwegian Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N. adviser on Syria-Lebanon issues, a U.N. official said on Wednesday. ...Damascus, diplomats said, had barred Roed-Larsen because of his previous reports on Security Council resolutions demanding Syrian forces withdraw from Lebanon and militia disarm. His reports have also cited weapons flowing to Lebanon's Hizbollah militia across the Syrian border. ...
Like a snake with forked tongue, Syria blasts the UN (article below) with one side of its tongue and with the other side resists the UN from doing anything that might implicate Syria's involvement.

Syria, Turkey deplore slow world response to conflict
Turkish Press 2006/7/19
Syria and Turkey on Wednesday deplored the "slow" international response to Israel's military offensive ...

Israel quietly threatens to attack Syria
WorldNetDaily 2006/7/19
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office has delivered through diplomatic channels a threat to attack Syria if Damascus continues facilitating arms transfers from its borders to Hezbollah in Lebanon ...they said if any order to attack Syria is indeed given – which they maintained is unlikely – the Israeli Defense Forces would be ready to act. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Assault on Lebanon tragic, but necessary
News-Press.com 2006/7/18
...A terrible cancer has once again taken root in southern Lebanon that threatens not only Israel, but also the very existence of the sovereign state of Lebanon, which Hezbollah desires to transform into a new Taliban-style regime.   Like all radical cancer surgery, the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor often becomes a casualty of the surgeon's knife, but it is either that or the near certain death of the patient. Nothing good can be said about this except that it must be done, and that we pray for the skillful hands of the surgeon. ...

"Dreams That Came True"
Reuters 2006/7/18
In the Jordanian governorate of Madaba, Al-Dera Al-Urdeneya Cooperative started a drinking water filtering and distribution service near the city of Madaba less than two months ago, and already has about 200 customers. "Filtering water from our local well and delivering within our community makes us price competitive with outside water companies," ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Israel says Hizbollah smuggling weapons from Syria
Reuters 2006/7/18
..."In the last few days, the smuggling of weapons from Syria to Lebanon has continued," Major-General Gadi Eisenkot of the Israeli army command told a news conference.   "We don't see Syria or the Lebanese army as a target but at the same time we see the smuggling of weapons from Syria to Lebanon to be used in attacks against Israeli civilians." ...

Syria, Iran, and the Mideast Conflict
Council on Foreign Relations 2006/7/18
...As the conflict in the Middle East continues, attention turns to the influence of Iran and Syria over their local proxy groups—particularly Hezbollah. Experts say the two countries share little ideologically, yet are increasingly cooperating out of necessity. These experts see a new boldness in the way both countries are exerting their influence in the region. ...

Will Israel take it to Iran?
RedState 2006/7/18
...Israel is being underestimated in their capability, prowess, and willingness to act, and that they could very well deliver the first aerial blow to embedded Iranian nuclear targets, such as the enrichment facility at Natanz, at the point that Israel feels the threat to their country has reached critical mass. ...

Mayor of Amman opens Bonyan Group office in Jordan
AMEInfo 2006/7/18
...engineer Abdullah Atatreh, Chairman of Bonyan International Group said, 'Jordan was the obvious choice for setting-up an office because of the exciting real estate opportunities that exist in this promising market. With the substantial growth in the performance of Jordan's economy, resulting from the wise directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II and rising income levels as well as the ever-increasing interest from foreign investors, Jordan is seen as one of the most buoyant property markets in the region. It is therefore a perfect time for us to open an office here to capitalize on the boom in its real estate sector and provide the market with good property investment avenues.' ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

The Syrian Option
The American Thinker 2006/7/18
...Israel’s attacks against Lebanon risk inflaming tension between the Lebanese and the Israelis. An additional hostile nation on the north is not a pleasant prospect to contemplate. None of these factors exist if Syria is the object of attack.   A more effective long-term strategy would be to focus on the Assad regime. ...Jordan would not come to the help of Assad, since the Assad family has threatened the Hussein family’s rule in the past. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

King Telephones French President
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/18
...His Majesty has called upon France to continue playing its active role to mobilize parties on the international scene to assist in the cease-fire and to find an immediate solution to the current crisis based on the language of logic and dialogue, praising efforts of the French government in this regard.
? Daniel 11:21 but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries

Thank You, Israel
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/17
For the millions of Christian Lebanese driven out of our homeland, "Thank you, Israel" is the sentiment echoing from around the world. The Lebanese Foundation for Peace, an international group of Lebanese Christians, made the following statement in a press release to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert concerning the latest Israeli attacks against Hizbullah: We urge you to hit them hard and destroy their terror infrastructure. It is not [only] Israel who is fed up with this situation, but the majority of the silent Lebanese in Lebanon who are fed up with Hizbullah and are powerless to do anything out of fear of terror retaliation. ...

THREE WAR FORECASTS
Financial Sense Online 2006/7/17
...Partitioning of Iraq
No one wants to talk about it. But Iraq is on a collision course with partition. And like the India-Pakistan partition of over a half-century ago, it’s unlikely to happen without widespread destruction of the regional economy.   A new nation, Kurdistan, will emerge in the Northwest, allied to the U.S. but controlling only a small fraction of Iraq’s productive oil facilities.   Another new nation, a Shiite Islamic Republic, will emerge in the South, closely allied to Iran, and in full control of 80% of Iraq’s oil production, plus 100% of its access to Persian Gulf shipping routes.   A third nation, in the center, will remain divided between Shiites and Sunnis, continually torn by civil strife. ...

US Health Official Praises Medical Development in Jordan
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/17
US Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar praised progress achieved by Jordan in the various medical and health fields. ...

King Expresses Solidarity with Lebanese and Palestinian Peoples
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/17
...Sanyoura expressed appreciation for the efforts of His Majesty to save the Lebanese people from the killing and destruction they are facing. ...Upon directives of His Majesty the King the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization is sending today urgent aid convoys to Lebanon and to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

King Congratulates Iraqi President
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/17
...King Abdullah II sent a cable on Monday to President of Iraq Jalal Talabani congratulating him in his name ...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

Trade Ministry Suggests Arab Visa for Businessmen
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/16
Within Jordan's efforts to promote the joint Arab action in all fields, the Ministry of Trade and Industry prepared a working paper including a proposal to issue an Arab visa for businessmen so that to facilitate their movement between members of the great Arab free trade zone agreement.   The proposal comes in line with efforts being exerted by the Arab League to confront challenges facing investment and trade exchange between Arab states, remove obstacles facing the movement of Arab businessmen and to encourage the private sector to have a greater role in the trade and economic development in the Arab world. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

G8 affirm nonproliferation pledges, urge others to follow suit
Russian News & Information Agency 2006/7/16
Group of Eight leaders confirmed Sunday their commitment to the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and urged the world to act in unison.   The statement was a signal to Iran and North Korea, which have been accused of pursuing controversial nuclear programs. ...

Syria warns of 'firm' response if Israel attacks
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/16
Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal warned on Sunday that Syria would respond to any Israeli attack on its territory with a 'direct, firm and boundless' response, Syria's official news agency SANA reported. ...Syrian legislator Suleiman Hadad, accusing Israel of provoking the Arab world and Syria in particular, said: 'We hope that the current war would not spread... but if this happens, the Syrian people would not stand having its arms tied behind their backs.'

Syria Joins Lebanon War
The Conservative Voice 2006/7/16
Israel has identified rocket-bombs that hit Haifa Sunday as Syrian. Israeli authorities advised that the ball-bearings used could only be Syrian in design.   Saying that the latest weapons’ barrage is clearly and unmistakably of, at least, Syrian manufacture-origin, Israel advised that this is a “major escalation”. Both Iran and Syria are said to be “pulling the strings” of both terrorist groups—Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.  ...

Analysis: Lebanon, Israel and the Arabs
United Press International 2006/7/16
Like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Arab response to the Lebanese-Israeli disproportionate military encounter further demonstrates the widening chasm between the Arabs and their regimes. ...Saudi Arabia had earlier accused the Shiite Hezbollah group, without naming it, for what it said was its "uncalculated adventures" that threaten the "destruction of the achievements" of other Arab countries without consulting them.    In a bilateral summit in Cairo Friday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah, whose countries have peace treaties with Israel, warned against "adventures that do not serve Arab interests," in an implicit criticism of Hezbollah's cross-border operation ...

Iran and Syria's Role in Mideast Crisis
Fox News 2006/7/16
This is a partial transcript of "The Big Story With John Gibson," July 14, 2006, that has been edited for clarity. ...So the Iranians and the Syrians seem to be transparently behind this and seem to feel they can get away with it. Why? ...

Bush Calls On Syria to Rein In Militants
Los Angeles Times 2006/7/16
President Bush on Saturday abandoned his earlier calls for Israeli restraint in its escalating conflict with Hezbollah, instead calling on Syria to rein in the Shiite Muslim militant group. ..."The best way to stop the violence is to understand why the violence occurred in the first place," Bush said ..."And that's because Hezbollah has been launching rocket attacks out of Lebanon into Israel, and because Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers. That's why we have violence.   "And the best way to stop the violence is for Hezbollah to lay down its arms, and to stop attacking," he said, adding, "I call upon Syria to exert influence over Hezbollah." ...

Blair Joins Bush in Blaming Iran, Syria for Mideast Conflict
Bloomberg 2006/7/16
U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair joined President George W. Bush in blaming Iran and Syria for violence in the Middle East, raising pressure on the two nations during a fifth day of Israeli attacks in Lebanon.   "There are those in the region, notably Iran and Syria, who do not want this process of democratization and negotiation to succeed,'' Blair said ..."There has been a real hesitation to put the real truth of this situation.'' ...

Iran Warns Israel of 'Unimaginable Losses' if Syria Attacked
Naharet 2006/7/16
Iran warned its arch-enemy Israel Sunday of "unimaginable losses" if it attacks Syria adding that the Islamic republic was "standing by the Syrian people".   "We hope the Zionist regime does not make the mistake of attacking Syria, because extending the front would definitely make the Zionist regime face unimaginable losses ...

The Fate of Lebanon and the Rest of Us
NewsByUs.com 2006/7/16
There was never any doubt of Israel’s response. Am. Gillerman told the Security Council that “Hezbollah, together with Hamas, Syria and Iran, comprise the world’s new and ominous Axis of Terror, an infamous club, the entry fee to which is the blood of innocents and the terrorizing of the entire world.”   “The real occupying power in Lebanon is terror—terror instigated by Hezbollah, but initiated, funded and perpetrated by Syria and Iran.”   If you want to see what the other nations of the Middle East will look like if there is no intervention and preemption, look at Lebanon.   If you want to see what Europe will look like if subjected to a similar campaign of terror, look at Lebanon. ...

U.S. Vetoes Ceasefire, Peace in Gaza, Lebanon
Palestine Media Center 2006/7/16
Israel has officially announced it cannot set a timetable for its invasion of the Gaza Strip nor for its onslaught on Lebanon, encouraged by the “low-key” international response, which allows “Israel military freedom of action,” according to an official cabinet statement last Sunday.   This “low-key” international response is “allowing Israel military freedom of action and maintaining its ability to receive international backing,” the statement added.   The United States on Thursday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza and U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the resolution laid disproportionate blame on Israel for the current crisis. ...

Syria vows harsh response if Israel attacks
Reuters 2006/7/16
..."Any aggression against Syria will have a firm and direct response not limited in time or means," Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said in a statement.   Syria is a main backer of Hizbollah, whose fighters captured Israeli soldiers in a cross-border operation on Wednesday, sparking Israeli reprisals ...

Annan Praises King's Efforts to Contain the Crisis in the Region
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/15
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan praised the tireless efforts made by His Majesty King Abdullah II to contain the crisis in the Middle East, both Palestinian and Lebanese on the one hand and Israel on the other. ...On behalf of the Secretary-General, Dorjik hailed the efforts made by His Majesty at the regional and international levels to defuse the crisis and restore things to what they were.   "The vision of His Majesty regarding the containment of the conflict and tension in the region will be possible only through the return to the road map as a way to restore calm to the region," he said, pointing out that the views of the Secretary-General concurs with the views of His Majesty on this issue. ...

Jordan's king asks Merkel's good offices for a Mideast 'ceasefire'
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/15
Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to use her good offices to ensure that the G8 summit adopt a call for a 'ceasefire' between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militias, according to a royal court statement. ...
? Daniel 11:21 but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries

Israel crushes Hezbollah headquarters
The Washington Times 2006/7/15
Israeli missiles destroyed the headquarters of the leader of the Hezbollah terrorists yesterday and tightened the seal on Lebanon by cutting air and road links to the outside world. ...

Shin Bet chief met secretly with Abbas to discuss captured soldier
Haaretz 2006/7/15
Palestinian sources told Haaretz on Friday that the head of the Shin Bet security service, Yuval Diskin, met secretly with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas this week in Amman to discuss the fate of Corporal Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by Palestinian militants and taken to Gaza nearly three weeks ago.   Diskin told Abbas that Israel would release Palestinian prisoners if a exchange deal were reached with the PA, not with Hamas, the Palestinian sources said. The two also discussed the latest developments in the violent clashes in the Gaza Strip.   The meeting was held after Jordan's King Abdullah II sent Diskin an urgent request to visit the Jordanian capital. ...

A four-front war for Israel?
The Washington Times 2006/7/15
In the wake of Hezbollah's abduction of more IDF soldiers in northern Israel, the Jewish state finds itself facing the prospect of a four-front war against Islamofascist forces: In Lebanon, Israel has launched a major military campaign to free its soldiers and force the Lebanese government to rein in Hezbollah; in Gaza, it is working to free a kidnapped soldier, end rocket attacks on southern Israel and damage the Hamas terrorist government; in the West Bank, it is fighting a daily counterterrorism campaign against terrorists who are targeting both Jordan and Israel. Looming over everything is the possibility that this could escalate into a a larger regional conflict involving Iran and/or Syria, the primary sponsors of Hezbollah, Hamas and most of the major terrorist groups in the area. ...

Israel widening war on Hizbollah
Reuters 2006/7/15
...Israel's campaign, which has killed 67 people and devastated Lebanon's economy, aims not just to force Hizbollah to free the soldiers, but to destroy its ability to launch rocket attacks on northern Israel, where four civilians have been killed this week. ...

Jordan's king urges Annan's intervention to halt Mideast crisis
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/15
...Annan called the monarch, who is currently in Bahrain, to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, a statement from the royal court in Amman said.   'The king urged immediate intervention on the part of the world organization with a view to putting an end to the crisis that is causing havoc in the region,' the statement added.   Annan earlier decided to send a UN team comprising three of his top aides to the region to help defuse the crisis. ...

Bush demands Syria stop Hizbollah attacks
Reuters 2006/7/15
President Bush demanded on Saturday that Syria rein in Hizbollah attacks on Israel but Russia's Vladimir Putin said Israel's military response should be "balanced".   Hizbollah's attacks from Lebanese territory, Israel's retaliatory bombing raids and the resulting threat to Lebanon's fragile government emerged as a top priority for Group of Eight leaders at their St Petersburg summit. ...

Report: Israel gives Syria ultimatum on Hezbollah missile firing
Judeoscope 2006/7/15
...Israel issued an ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to which a regional war would erupt within 72 hours if Damascus does not prevent Hezbollah attacks.   According to the report, a Pentagon source said that if Syria does not try to influence Hezbollah, Israel could bomb essential installations in Syria. ...

King Directs Sending Urgent Aid to Palestine and Lebanon
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/15
...the Jordanian News Agency, Secretary General of the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Commission Abdul Salam Abbadi said that in implementation of His Majesty's directives, the commission has taken all necessary action to move two aid convoys, one of which will head for the West Bank and the other for the Gaza Strip, laden with about 350 tons of medical supplies and foodstuffs. ...Jordan is one of the first Arab and Islamic states that have declared their willingness to send urgent assistance for the Palestinian territories and Lebanon after the situation deteriorated there.

Syria says fully backs Hizbullah against Israel
yNetNews 2006/7/15
Syria will support Hizbullah and Lebanon against Israel's attacks on the country, the ruling Baath Party said on Friday, defying Israel and its chief ally Washington. ...Diplomats in Damascus said Syria was confident it would emerge from the crisis with a stronger position compared with the isolation it has been under since the Lebanese-Saudi billionaire turned politician was killed. ... 

IAF strikes Syrian-Lebanese crossing
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/15
IDF fighter jets struck the western side of bridges connecting between Lebanon and Syria on Saturday. That target was the closest to Syria that was hit since the campaign in Lebanon began. The IDF said that the strike was meant to prevent the transport of weapons from Syria into Lebanon. ...

Pushing Israel's Right To Exist Is The Wrong Strategy
Forward.com 2006/7/14
Neither Israel nor the United States needs an "Israel's right to exist" certificate from Hamas in order to have dealings with that movement. To insist on this precondition for contact not only places an unnecessary obstacle on the road to dealing with the Hamas-led government in the Palestinian Authority. It also sends a subtle and disturbing message that Israel lacks the necessary self-confidence to deal with its enemies and solve some of its problems with them.   Israel's "Operation Summer Rains" in Gaza has pushed this issue temporarily to the back burner. But almost certainly not for long. ...

Bush Declines to Call for Israeli Cease-Fire
WashingtonPost.com 2006/7/14
President Bush appealed to Arab leaders on Friday to help defuse the widening conflict in the Middle East but declined to press Israel for a cease-fire as many world leaders condemned the country's military strikes in southern Lebanon. ...Addressing the 15-nation council, Lebanese diplomat Nouhad Mahmoud said Israel's airstrikes were intended to bring Lebanon "to its knees."   Israel U.N. ambassador, Dan Gillerman, countered that Lebanon had brought the crisis on itself by failing to abide by a Security Council resolution requiring it to assert its control over southern Lebanon and disarm the radical Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah. Lebanon, he said, "chose to succumb to terror rather than vanquish it." ...

Arab Regimes Back Israel's Attacks on Islamist Groups
New America Media 2006/7/14
Israel has gotten a green light for its military response to the abduction of several of its soldiers from more than just the United States. Arab governments too have been notably silent as the crisis in the Middle East grows. ...

Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel’s Borders part III: Reactions in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria
Judeoscope 2006/7/14
The following is the third dispatch in the series on Iran and the recent escalation on Israel’s borders.(1) During July 12-14, 2006, the Iranian, Lebanese, and Syrian media published articles and statements on the emerging conflict between Israel and Hizbullah. ...

UAV packed with explosives strikes warship
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/14
A Hizbullah strike on an IDF warship off the Lebanese coast damaged the ship severely ...

Israeli jets hit Palestinian Foreign Ministry
The Daily Star 2006/7/14
Israeli warplanes bombed the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Gaza Thursday, causing heavy damage and wounding 10 children, ratcheting up the pressure on the government over an abducted soldier. Warplanes fired two missiles into the building, targeting Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahhar's offices and causing serious damage to the recently renovated five-story building, the neighboring Finance Ministry and 15 nearby houses. ...

The Damascus-Tehran Axis pushes Israel to Large Scale Conflict
News Blaze2006/7/14
The initial Hezbollah attack on Northern Israel three days ago was an effort on the part of the Damascus-Tehran axis to reconfigure their influence in Lebanon. In part Israel has played into the plans of Damascus and Tehran by responding thus far solely against the infrastructure of Lebanon and Hezbolloah interests in Lebanon rather than the lifeblood of Hezbollah - the Syrian and Iranian regimes themselves. ...

Rice Calls on Syria to Cease Providing Protection for Hizbullah
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/14
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is calling on Syria to apply pressure on Hizbullah towards bringing an end to rocket attacks against Israel. ...

Batelco broadens its horizons and continues to prosper as the company approaches its 25th anniversary
AMEInfo 2006/7/13
...With the recent acquisition of Umniah, robust growth and cost and revenue synergies are anticipated. Batelco's mobile customer base is expected to grow by 120% and reach over 1.2m by the end of 2006. It is anticipated that there will be a double digit group revenue and EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes and Amortization) impact over the next 12 months.   Batelco aims to be a significant integrated telecommunications operator in Jordan offering customers innovation, better value and choice for fixed and wireless solutions. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Arab League calls for joint international action against terror
Daily India 2006/7/13
The Arab League and heads of missions of Arab states have strongly condemned 'cowardly terrorist acts' that killed over 200 people in serial blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar Tuesday and called for 'coordinated actions by the international community' to combat terrorism. ...

Israeli jets hit Beirut-Damascus highway
SeattlePI 2006/7/13
Israeli warplanes struck the highway linking Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus early Friday, but the main artery remains open, Lebanese security officials said.   Fighter jets attacked a highway section in the mountains of central Lebanon, in Mdeirej. But the targeted area was an old road extension, and the bridge on the nearby main highway remains intact ...

Bush and Merkel united on Middle East
United Press International 2006/7/13
...Bush Thursday at a joint news conference with Merkel in Stralsund, Germany, said Israel had the right to defend itself from terrorist acts, but "whatever Israel does, though, should not weaken" the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. "We're concerned about the fragile democracy in Lebanon." ...

Arab nations mild in reaction to Israeli offensive in Lebanon
Israel Insider 2006/7/13
The relative silence appeared to reflect a sentiment in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia that the Shiite Lebanese guerrilla group had dragged Lebanon into a needless fight by snatching two Israeli soldiers -- a fight that would only benefit the hard-line regimes in Syria and Iran. ...

Getting Serious About Syria
The Weekly Standard 2006/7/13
...As the Syrian regime thumbs its nose at the White House, a State Department official recently said that few levers exist for influencing Syria. But the U.S. can tighten the noose by sending the Syrian regime unequivocal messages. ...

Air, Sea Blockade to Continue
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/13
The Israeli air and sea and blockade on Lebanon is not "a matter of days" and will continue as long as the conflict goes on, Brigadier-General Amir Eshel said Thursday. ...

It Already Is a Regional Conflict, Mr. Abbas
Threats Watch.org 200607013
...It is time for the public - and their elected representatives - to end the charade and openly recognize the truly regional nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The terror masters in Tehran and their quasi-client state Syria continue to stoke the flames of conflict.   Yet, Israel continues to be described as the aggressor, if only because a Merkava tank, an F-16 and an IDF general are more readily identifiable tools of warfare than a terrorist resting in his sister’s apartment, awaiting further orders from Tehran. ...

King calls for ending the Israeli Aggression on Lebanon
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/13
...King Abdullah II called for putting an end to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon ...In a press statement after the meeting, Hariri said that he will ask the King to use his good relations with world leaders to stop the Israeli attack on the Lebanese people. ...
Seeing that Jordan's Abdullah II is a king who always speaks of peace, I find it interesting that he says very little about the Hamas/Palestinians and Hezbollah/Lebanese unprovoked attacks on Israel.

Commentary: Mideast peace process R.I.P.
United Press International 2006/7/13
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is the first Israeli leader to get the nomenclature right. It is no longer Palestinian terrorism. It is "an act of war." ...The switch from terrorism to open warfare gave Olmert carte blanche to order the bombing of Beirut airport and impose an air and sea blockade of Lebanon at the height of the tourist season. The first Israeli soldier taken prisoner triggered Israeli retaliation throughout the Gaza strip with gunships, fighter bombers, artillery and tanks. Israeli targeting appeared designed to destroy all vestiges of Palestinian government, including the Foreign Ministry. ...

''Tension Returns Between Jordan and Hamas''
Power and Interest News Report 2006/7/13
...Seeking domestic stability and long-term survival, King Abdullah sees Hamas as an adversary especially if its hard-line polices were to radicalize the region further and start another cycle of violence. Any sympathy for Hamas in Jordan, especially among the Palestinian segment of the population, is a sure recipe for trouble. ...

Parliament Speaker Receives Invitation to Visit Oman
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/13
...Majali affirmed the strong bilateral ties, that are nurtured by His Majesty King Abdullah II and Sultan Qaboos of Oman. ...The speaker affirmed Jordan's interest to develop cooperation and relations with all friendly countries. ...

King Opens "We are all Jordan" Forum
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/12
...Welcome to all of you. I am pleased to see this grand national gathering which includes the Cabinet, the Senate, the Deputies and representatives of the private sector, the media, civil society organizations, parties and youth from the Kingdom’s governorates.   This gathering, brothers, is a preliminary one, in which we should aspire to organize the national priorities of our people. After putting these priorities in order in this gathering, we will meet again in two weeks to draft a plan of action that will lead us to the realization of these priorities. ...What we desire from these meetings is a unified concept and a single vision, in one spirit, that we are all Jordan, and that we all want to work for Jordan in an organized way, free of personal agendas or desires, or personal or party interests. ...
? Daniel 7:8, Revelation 13:5 …And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things…

Sign That Crisis Is Regional, Not Just Israel vs. Palestinians
The New York Times 2006/7/12
The expansion of the Gaza crisis into southern Lebanon, confronting Israel with a conflict on its northern and southern borders, has demonstrated that the central issue at stake is regional, not local. ...

King condemns Bombay's blasts
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/12
...King Abdullah II strongly condemned such heinous criminal acts which claimed lives of innocent civilians. ...King Abdullah expressed heartfelt condolences to Indian President and families of the victims. He affirmed Jordan's stand by the Indian friendly people in encountering all forms of terrorism. ...

President Abbas threatened Condoleezza Rice to dissolve the PA, in Response to her Pressure on Behalf of Israel
Aljazeera 2006/7/12
...The sources linked the President’s threat to his sudden visit to Amman. Jordan’s King Abdullah II sent a helicopter to transport the Palestinian President to Amman in order to persuade him to change his mind. ...

Jordanian Islamists forge reconciliation with government
Khaleej Times Online 2006/7/12
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood movement appeared on Tuesday to have reconciled with the government in a showdown that culminated a month ago in the detention of four Islamist lawmakers. ...The Brotherhood movement later issued a statement rejecting “all forms of terrorism” and the takfir ideology (dubbing people as atheists), renewing allegiance to King Abdullah and Jordanian heritage and pledging to place Jordan’s supreme interest above all other considerations. ...

King, Mubarak Discuss Developments in South Lebanon, Gaza Strip
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/12
...king Abdullah II reviewed in a telephone call with Egyptian President Mohammad Husni Mubarak, developments in South Lebanon and the Gaza Strip in light of the dangerous security escalation. ...The King and Mubarak affirmed the importance on making efforts on all levels to end the escalation that would complicate the situation ...

WHO representative in Amman receives Istiklal Medal
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/12
Health Minister Saeid Darwazeh on Tuesday handed former WHO representative in Amman Alaa-Udeen Ulwan, Istiklal Medal of the second order, bestowed on him, in appreciation for his services, by His Majesty King Abdullah II. ...

U.S. Blames Syria, Iran for Kidnappings
WashingtonPost.com 2006/7/12
The United States blamed Syria and Iran on Wednesday for the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militants and an eruption of violence along the southern border of Lebanon.   The White House called for the immediate and unconditional release of the two soldiers.   "We condemn in the strongest terms Hezbollah's unprovoked attack on Israel and the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers," ...

A ninth Arab-Israeli war?
The Washington Times 2006/7/12
...the Israeli Army, which announced several days ago that it had halted a major military operation against terrorist bases in northern Gaza, was preparing to send a large military force back in to stop the continuing rocket attacks from Gaza which have made normal life in neighboring Israeli towns impossible. It looks increasingly doubtful that the events in Gaza will somehow be contained and that it will end up being little more than the latest skirmish in the longrunning dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. Iran, Syria and Hamas give every indication that they want the conflict to widen into a larger war. Nor does Israel seem to be shy to respond. ...

Nations Sending Iran to Security Council
The Washington Times 2006/7/12
World powers agreed Wednesday to send Iran back to the United Nation's Security Council for possible punishment, saying the clerical regime has given no sign it means to negotiate seriously over its disputed nuclear program.   The United States and other permanent members of the powerful U.N. body said Iran has had long enough to say whether it will meet the world's terms to open bargaining ...

Brotherhood intensifies anti-Assad efforts
The Washington Times 2006/7/12
Syria's largest and most influential opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has begun an ambitious program to unite Syrian pro-democracy reformists and increase pressure on the government of President Bashar Assad.   "We want to set up a transitional government so that if the system collapses in the future, we will be able to prevent anarchy," says Ali al-Bayanouni, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Syria. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Arab Report: Abbas Threatens to Quit
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/12
...Secretary Rice told Abbas in a phone conversation that he should exercise his authority, and he replied, "What authority are you talking about? I have no more authority and no money. Maybe the simplest thing would be for me to quit and Israel would return to control Gaza," the newspaper reported.

Israel strikes Gaza from the air, prepares to broaden invasion
The Daily Star 2006/7/12
Israel battered the Gaza Strip with new air strikes Tuesday as troops stood poised to launch further incursions as part of an offensive Palestinian Premier Ismail Haniyya said would only ensure Israelis had no peace. ...Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who has been trying to serve as a mediator, hinted Tuesday that Hamas had missed an opportunity by capturing the soldier. Mubarak told the state-run newspaper Al-Massa Premier Ehud Olmert was about to release a large number of Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture before the crisis erupted. ...

Convergence will include 30,000 settlers
Israel Today 2006/7/12
Knesset Member Otniel Schneller said that the convergence plan would include evacuating 30,000 settlers and not 70,000 from Judea and Samaria, which was assumed in the beginning. ...Before the evacuation, new settlements will be created for them and only then will the operation take place.

IDF Ground Troops Enter Lebanon to Search for The Captured Soldiers
The Journal of Turkish Weekly 2006/7/12
The Defense Ministry confirmed early Wednesday afternoon that two IDF soldiers had been kidnapped by Hizbullah. IDF ground troops had been sent into Lebanon to search for the two. IAF jets, helicopters and UAVs were also flying above Lebanon searching for the soldiers. Simultaneously, Navy gunboats were shelling Hizbullah targets in Lebanon. ...

The first international Rebuilding Iraq trade event in the new Iraq: Kurdistan DBX Expo
AMEInfo 2006/7/12
Second annual Kurdistan DBX trade show to be held November 11, 2006 ...Without a single security incident, the first ever Rebuilding Iraq Kurdistan DBX Trade Show and Conference turned the expectations of world media pessimism upside down. An incredible 95,640 people visited the venue of the trade show within the four days of the event, which lasted from the 15th to the 18th of September, 2005. ... Awards were given the last day of the event for the best booth in 10 different categories. Among the best booth winners was the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau from the country of Jordan, who had an entire small airplane assembled and suspended above their 90 square meter indoor exhibition area (occupying 10 booth spaces). ...

Jordan's Revenue from Tourism Reaches JD359.1 Million in Five Months
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/11
Jordan's tourism revenue in the first five months of 2006 stood at JD359.1 million, an increase of 8 percent over the same period of last year, according to preliminary statistics of the Tourism Ministry. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Bakhit receives Moslem Brotherhood president and IAF delegation
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/11
...Under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan expects from all of us consistent endeavour to keep its existence, stability and security to remain an oasis of goodness, Bakhit said.   On their part, Falahat and the accompanying delegation stressed Moslem Brotherhood and IAF rejection to Tekfiri thinking. They openly renounced all forms of terrorism wherever it came from ...

Abbas: we have exchanged ideas with His Majesty King Abdullah II
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/11
"We have exchanged ideas with His Majesty King Abdullah II. He is now studying them; and we are studying our part with others," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said ...

Ralph Peters "Never Quit the Fight" and 'his' new chopped off 'Middle East Map'
Persian Journal 2006/7/11
...Once America's conquest of Iraq is complete should withdraw its troops from Saudi Arabia. Iraq should be divided along three spheres the Kurdish north, the Sunni regions and Shi'ite South. If the Shi'ite south were to begin a war of liberation for its Shi'ite compatriots in Saudi Arabia popular rebellion and subtle American support would ensure its success. Jordan should also simultaneously begin a war of liberation for the Hijazis and ensure the dissolution of the Saudi Arabia we are familiar with. After the Jordanians consolidate their rule with American support and install a Hashemite into the throne the Hijaz could become a new nation, fervently pro-American. ...

Jordan''s stresses continuing fruitful private sector partnership with Kuwait
MENAfn 2006/7/11
Jodan's King Abdullah II stressed on Monday the necessity of continuing the fruitful partnership between Kuwaiti and Jordanian private sectors. ...The monarch added that his nations will do its best to provide all facilitations to Arab businessmen to invest in Jordan.   On his part, Dabdoub lauded investment opportunities in Jordan that enjoys major business attractions coupled by security and economic stability, adding that Jordan is a major destination for the investments of Arab businessmen. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Arab Funds For Abbas… Why Now?
Alarab Online 2006/7/11
Dr Nabil Sha’th, the special envoy of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement published in Saudi papers that Saudi Arabia transferred US$50 m to the Palestinian presidency. He confirmed that this amount of money is the first to reach the Palestinian territories from an Arab country since the siege. This precision conveys a clear message that Saudi Arabia and the Arab League recognise only the authority of Abbas. This is in conformity with the American position, for they backed Abbas with money and weapons without causing any protest from Israel. ...

Jordan to put on trial three Islamist deputies
Reuters 2006/7/11
Jordan's state security prosecutor is to put three Islamist deputies on trial in a military court a month after they were detained on charges of stirring up national tensions, officials said on Tuesday.   Mohammad Abu Faris, Ali Abu al-Sukar and Jaafar Hourani along with another Islamist deputy were arrested on June 12, a day after they visited the family of Jordanian born al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to pay their respects after his death. ...

Jordan worried about West Bank rockets
Judeoscope 2006/7/11  (Be sure to scroll down on the linked page for the article)
...Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ surprise visit to Jordan is related to reports on the Palestinian organizations’ attempt to launch rockets from the West Bank toward Israel, particularly the recent report on an attempt to fire a Qassam from Tulkarem on Saturday.   It is possible that information obtained by the Jordanians on the preparations of organizations in the area bordering Jordanian territory, led to the urgent dispatch of a Jordanian helicopter that took Abbas on Monday evening to Amman to meet with Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit and King Abdullah.   Abbas’ visit to Jordan began before the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and the Islamic Jihad reported that they fired a rocket from Jenin toward Israel. ...

Haniyeh says Israeli raid aimed at destroying Hamas-led cabinet
Al Bawaba 2006/7/11
..."We present this clear message: If Israel will not allow Palestinians to live in peace, dignity and national integrity, Israelis themselves will not be able to enjoy those same rights," Haniyeh wrote.   Haniyeh added in the Washington Post "the Gaza invasion is only the latest effort to destroy the results of fair and free elections held early this year" in the Palestinian territories. ...

Abbas in Jordan calls for international help to end Israeli offensive
Xinhua Online 2006/7/11
Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met here Tuesday with Jordanian King Abdullah II on the current situation in the Gaza Strip, local media reported. ...Abdullah, for his part, stressed that Jordan will do its utmost with the international community to guarantee an end to the Israeli military operations and ease the suffering of the Palestinian people. ...

Hamas Leader Will Bring Destruction on Middle East, Egypt Says
CNSNews.com 2006/7/11
Egypt has warned Syria that it should expel the Damascus-based Hamas leadership or risk the destruction of the Syrian regime. ...Quoting unnamed Arab diplomatic sources, the report said the Egypt had warned Assad that Mashaal and Hamas would bring destruction on the Middle East in general and on Assad's regime. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Olmert defends Gaza onslaught as death toll hits 50
NewStraitsTimes 2006/7/11
Nine Palestinians were killed as Israel pounded Gaza with deadly air strikes and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert defended the massive military offensive in the face of international criticism.   Despite the mounting toll, Hamas's exiled political chief insisted the captured soldier at the heart of the worst Middle East crisis in months -- and the deadliest in four years -- would not be freed without a swap for Palestinian prisoners. ...

Syria, Hamas, and the Gaza Crisis
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy 2006/7/10
Earlier today, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashal held a press conference in Damascus broadcast live on al-Jazeera, al-Arabiya, and Syrian state television. ...The high profile Mashal statement from Damascus suggests that the Asad regime has changed its rules of engagement from tacit to explicit support for Hamas. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Abbas heads to Jordan on last-minute visit
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/10
...Abbas, who usually travels to Jordan by car, was transported Monday in a helicopter sent by Jordan's King Abdullah II, according to a Palestinian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the visit.

Hamas leader says no soldier release without swap
ZeeNews.com 2006/7/10
Exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal insisted today an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants will not be freed without a prisoner swap but pledged that his life would be protected. ...

Islam Now Trying To ‘Build Bridges’ Instead Of Bomb Them
CaliforniaRepublic.org 2006/7/10
...If you're putting together a "good will" image campaign, wouldn't you have the decency, taste, sensitivity or humility to adjust the timing a little? Should Americans expect an IslamExpo telling us that Islam is "not a danger or a threat" on the fifth anniversary of September 11th?   I guess this ongoing pattern was set in motion just two months after 9/11, when Muslims raised a ruckus that the U.S. Post Office forgot to include in its holiday-stamp poster the new Eid al-Fitr stamp (an Islamic winter holiday). The Russian language has a word that's a stronger version of "gall" or "chutzpah." The term is "naglost," and it's when you defecate on someone's doorstep then ring the bell to ask for toilet paper. ...

Energy Ministry plans to set up ‘watchdog’ for all oil activities; KPC to study Jordan’s privatization plan
ArabTimesOnline.com 2006/7/10
...KPC’s head Badr Al-Sumait praised the success of the Jordanian bout with privatization describing it as “an example to be followed by the rest of the Arab world.” He said the visit to Jordan is aimed at examining the Jordanian experience with privatization and to see what can be gained from it. The visit was prepared by the World Bank within the framework of coordination between the two states.   Meanwhile, the Energy Ministry Undersecretary Issa Al-Aoun said on Sunday that he had forwarded to the oil minister a draft decree for the setting up of a Committee to act as a watchdog of oil activities that are privatized. ...
Looks like a step to control the oil.

King Receives Executive Chief of Kuwait National Bank
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/10
King Abdullah II received on Monday the Executive Chairman of the National Bank of Kuwait Ibrahim Dabdoub, who is currently visiting Jordan.   During the meeting, His Majesty stressed Jordan's keenness to provide all facilities for Arab businessmen to come and invest in the Kingdom and to continue to support this trend. ...Dabdoub praised the investment climate in Jordan, stating that the security and economic stability enjoyed by the Kingdom is a mainstay for attracting Arab businessmen to invest in Jordan. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

The Region: Palestinian suicide strategy
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/9
...Given the current Palestinian ideology and strategy the conflict is unsolvable, and there is no way to stop the violence. On the other hand, as a result, Palestinian tactics are unworkable, politics are disorganized, and military strategy is self-defeating. The Palestinians can harass Israel, but not much more.   HERE ARE the basic points for understanding Palestinian politics: ...

Fayez meets Int'l Federation for Human Rights delegation
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/9
...Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II "is seeking to set a model for promoting human rights and enhancing public participation in all fields of life."   Speaking during a meeting with a delegation representing the International Federation for Human Rights on Sunday, Fayez said no one has ever been executed in Jordan for political reasons and no one has ever been arrested for his political affiliation. ...

Afghan posting for Norfolk soldiers?
EDP24 2006/7/9
...King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein was at the Light Dragoons' base at Swanton Morley, near Dereham, on Saturday to present medals to soldiers who have recently completed six-months in Iraq.   The royal visitor said in his speech that a squadron from the regiment was set to go to Afghanistan in November, with the rest due to join them in April 2007. ...The king, colonel-in-chief of the regiment, having served in it in 1981, also thanked the soldiers for their service in Iraq, Jordan's neighbour.   Dressed in the gleaming uniform of the King's Hussars, now amalgamated as the Light Dragoons, he inspected the 108 soldiers and 10 officers who stood to attention, and marched in the 24-degree heat to the rousing brass tempo of the Light Cavalry Band. ...

Jordan Prosecutor Demands Death for Bomber
Forbes.com 2006/7/9
A military prosecutor demanded the death penalty Sunday against an Iraqi woman charged in last year's suicide bombings at three Amman hotels. ...

Offensive to continue in Gaza, Israel says
International Herald Tribune 2006/7/9
...Israel will continue its military offensive in the Gaza Strip at its own pace until Palestinian militants release a captured Israeli soldier and halt their rocket attacks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his cabinet on Sunday.   The operation in Gaza is a "war for which it is impossible to set a timetable," Olmert said, according to briefings provided by an Israeli official.   "We will continue this battle with levelheadedness and patience, while making use of the proper means," he said. "We cannot sit and not respond to the Qassam rocket fire." ...

Hamas decries Abbas' call to stop Kassam fire
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/9
Hamas decried on Sunday a recent call by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to stop Kassam rocket fire on Israel and release kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit. ...

Jordan dissolves Islamic administrative body over audit violations
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/9
The Jordanian public prosecutor on Sunday decided to dissolve the administrative body of the Islamic Centre Society (ICS), the financial arm of the Islamic Brotherhood Movement, the Minister of Social Development Suleiman Tarawneh said.   He said that the Central Bank would instruct commercial banks in the country 'not to accept the signatures' of members of the suspended panel as of Monday morning. ...

Jordan breaks up pro-Palestinian rally by Islamists
The Peninsula 2006/7/8
...Anti-riot police beat worshippers inside Jordan University mosque in clashes with Islamists when they stopped Brotherhood head Salem Falahat from delivering a speech accusing Israel of “committing atrocities” in Gaza after the end of Friday prayers.   Police sources said they dispersed the gathering attended by several thousand worshippers inside the mosque for violating a public gatherings law which is widely criticised by rights groups and bans any public meetings without prior approval. ...
? Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

Syrian officials: Golan Heights offensive possible
yNetNews 2006/7/8
...Days after Israeli aircraft carried out an aerial flight over the palace of President Bashar Assad, Syrian officials began hinting that the country may open a new front in the Golan Heights if it is attacked by Israel. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

80 poor families receives new home in southern Jordan
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/8
Eighty poor families in southern governorates, Karak, Tafeeleh, Maan and Madba have received new homes within King Abdullah II project to house poor families in various parts of the kingdom.  Eighty poor families in southern governorates, Karak, Tafeeleh, Maan and Madba have received new homes within King Abdullah II project to house poor families in various parts of the kingdom. ..."His Majesty King Abdullah cares about lives of the poor and always direct government officials to help improve living conditions of this group," Turk told a gathering of poor families. ...

Syria's serial exporters of instability
The Daily Star 2006/7/8
...after a period of lying low, the Assads are re-emerging as one of the Middle East's chief backers of radical groups - Islamist or ultra-nationalist. The recent showdown with Israel over the fate of an abducted Israeli soldier is a case in point, as the kidnapping seems to have been instigated, if not orchestrated, by Hamas leaders residing in Damascus, where they live under the protection of the Assads. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Violence in Basra rooted in oil smuggling
Chron.com 2006/7/7
Basra's sudden political troubles and violence are rooted in a bloody competition for control of millions of dollars in smuggled oil, residents and officials say. ...

King Abdullah II blasts IDF operations in Gaza
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/7
...The statement said that the monarch instructed his government to intensify its contacts with the international community with the aim of ending the Israeli attacks so as to contain the situation and end the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Jordan exerts Efforts to Stop Israeli Aggression
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/7
Implement the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II to make diplomatic efforts and contacts with various international actors to end the Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people and to lift the siege imposed on them, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul Ilah Al-Khatib on Friday telephoned the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Javier Solana and the European Commissioner for EU relations with the neighboring countries Benita Ferrero Waldern.   Khatib demanded the intervention of the international community ...
If the King is purported to be so good at bringing peace to the region, perhaps he should show us all how well he can reign in his Arab/Islamic/Palestinan/Hamas brothers that continually bombard, maim and kill Israeli civilians unprovoked, before he comes crying to the rest of the world about Israel's actions against such unconscionable souls that call themselves men.

Jordan seeks to preserve ancient sites
Biblical Recorder News 2006/7/7
Biblical history flows through the nation of Jordan, from the cave where Lot is said to have lived after his wife turned into a pillar of salt to the archaeological park where many believe John the Baptist baptized Jesus. ...Though predominantly Muslim, Jordan also is home to many Christians. The estimates of how many live there, including Palestinian refugees who are Christian, varies. But Jordan's King Abdullah II is stressing peaceful co-existence among the nation's different religions and emphasizing interfaith dialogue. ...

King Condoles Lebanese President
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/7
...King Abdullah II on Friday sent a cable of condolences to President Emile Lahoud of Lebanon expressing grief and deep sorrow over the passing away of former Lebanese President Elias Al Hrawi.   His Majesty expressed in his name...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

Abdali PSC commences construction of 12 buildings forming the pedestrian boulevard
AMEInfo 2006/7/6
In his welcome speech, Sheikh Baha'a Hariri expressed the Hariri family's gratitude towards the Jordan government headed by HRH King Abdullah II for sharing in the same vision of a brighter future for the country.   He stated, 'Based on our continuous conviction in the potential of this country, the Abdali project will come to recreate Jordan's capital as a landmark of financial, economic, social, and cultural progression', adding, 'We stand here today to set the first stone of what is to become the beating heart of the project: The Abdali Boulevard.' ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Ritual Bath from Second-Temple Era Discovered at Western Wall
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/6
An ancient mikveh was discovered in Jerusalem by archaeologists during restoration work in the tunnels under the Western Wall. ...“another level in exposing the splendid past of the Jewish people in the area.” ...

Abbas puts statehood referendum on hold
The Peninsula 2006/7/6
...“The electoral commission received a formal letter (from Abbas’s office) asking the commission to freeze all the preparations temporarily,” said a Palestinian source involved in the process. “It’s on hold, suspended.”   A Western diplomat said of the referendum: “It’s as dead as dead gets.” ...

Report: Purported successor of Zarqawi in Egypt jail
Al Bawaba 2006/7/6
Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (the immigrant), the purported successor of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is in an Egyptian prison and not Iraq, a lawyer claimed on Thursday. ..."Sharif Hazaa is in Tura prison, and I met him two days ago while I was visiting some of my clients," Ismail told the newspaper.   The US army media centre in Iraq said in respone: "We cannot comment on the news that... al-Masri is in an Egyptian prison and not in Iraq, we have to clarify that from the Egyptian government."...  

Choosing Words Carefully: Language to Help Fight Islamic Terrorism
U.S. Army 2006/7/6
...Caliphate (khlilafa): This term literally means successor and came to refer to the successors of the Prophet Muhammad as the political leaders of the Muslim community. Sunni Muslims traditionally regard the era of the first four caliphs (632-661) as an era of just rule. Accepting our enemies' description of their goal as the restoration of a historical caliphate again validates an aspect of their ideology. Al-Qa`ida's caliphate would not mean the re-establishment of any historical regime; it would be a global totalitarian state. Anyone who needs a preview of how such a state would act merely has to review the conduct of the Taliban in Afghanistan before September 11, 2001. ...
Commentary on the above statement: Our conclusion then would be to push to restore a 'just ruler' over the Muslim community and Islam and defeat the 'twisted' ideology of the Qa`ida's of the world.  However, the best candidate currently fitting that 'just ruler' bill is The Hashemite King of Jordan, King Abdullah II, 43rd generation direct descendent of Mohammad.  In doing so would we thereby enable another regime to go the route of so many others we have enabled in the past that turned out to be despots?  Do we thereby 'prop-up' he who then, with the devil's help in the matter, becomes the false deliverer or antichrist? All appears to be going in this direction so far according to the Biblical prophecies.  Hmmm!

Israel Watching Syria Carefully
Israel Hasbara Committee 2006/7/5
...Israel is now gaining international support to respond not only to the terrorist bases in Gaza and southern Lebanon but also to the states that safeguard the terrorists’ leaderships, as Israel will not tolerate threats to its civilian population any longer.
Go for it!
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

The Long Small War: Indigenous Forces for Counterinsurgency
U.S. Army 2006/7/6
...The United States and its partners are prosecuting a protracted war against insurgents and terrorists who are animated by an ideology stemming from a radical fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. As of early 2006, the American national security bureaucracy began to use the appellation the "long war" in place of the Global War on Terrorism. At least one document describes this long war as the defining struggle of our generation, one that shifts emphasis from large-scale conventional military operations to small-scale counterinsurgency operations. The long war may last for decades. ...

Jordan-Muslim Brotherhood Conflict Heats Up After Zarqawi Homage
Threats Watch 2006/7/5
The Jordanian government is moving to clamp down on the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Jordanian political arm, the Islamic Action Front (IAF). The IAF, like the Palestinian Hamas, was inspired by and in part founded by activists from the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Yet while Hamas has maintained active military operations and has been banned in Jordan for several years, and while the Muslim Brotherhood itself has disavowed violence within Egypt but nevertheless remains banned there, the MB and the IAF are both legal in Jordan and the IAF is represented in parliament. ...
? Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

Jordan moves against Brotherhood's financial arm
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/5
Amman - In an unprecedented move, Jordanian authorities Wednesday moved to take legal action against the Islamic Society Centre, the financial arm of the influential Muslim Brotherhood. ...The unprecedented measure comes amidst growing confrontation between Jordanian officials and the Brotherhood, along with its political arm, the Islamic Action Front.   Authorities have rounded up 18 active members of the Muslim Brotherhood since April, against a backdrop of dismantling alleged terrorist cells linked to the Palestinian Hamas Islamic Movement. ...
? Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

Arab League fails again
International Relations and Security Network 2006/7/5
The near-unanimous adoption in May of UN Security Council Resolution 1680 demanding that Syria recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon more than anything further demonstrated the impotence and marginalization of the Arab League. ...

Olmert threatens wider offensive as militants' deadline passes
The Daily Star 2006/7/5
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered security forces to pursue military operations against the militants and those who command and shelter them, in a thinly veiled reference to Damascus, while ignoring a deadline to free Palestinian prisoners. ...Olmert said in broadcast remarks the attack would have "unprecedented, far-reaching consequences" and Hamas "would be the first to feel them." ...

New twist in militant attacks
Toronto Star 2006/7/5
Ashkelon is a coastal city of substance, boasting 120,000 Israelis, plenty of industry and three particularly sensitive pieces of infrastructure that feed no small part of the oil, water and electrical needs of the nation.   As of last night, Ashkelon acquired another attribute, one that constitutes every Israeli's worst fear — a target for Qassam rockets. ...

Former regime said at core of insurgency
Seattle PI 2006/7/5
The Iraqi government's list of the 41 most wanted fugitives suggests that former members of Saddam Hussein's regime form the backbone of the insurgency despite attention paid to the role of religious extremists such as al-Qaida in Iraq. ...First on the list was Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, Saddam's top lieutenant. Saddam's wife, Sajida Khairallah Tulfah, was No. 17, just behind his eldest daughter, Raghad. Sajida is believed to be in Qatar, while Raghad lives in Jordan, where she was given refuge by King Abdullah II. ...
Hmmm!

IDF raises alert on Syrian border
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/5
The IDF has raised the level of alert along the northern border with Syria out of fear that President Bashar Assad would launch a strike against Israel in response to a recent IAF buzz of his palace.   Syrian military forces, IDF officers confirmed Tuesday, have also gone on high alert, and the assumption in the IDF is that Assad would order a harsh military response if Israel decided to take additional steps against Damascus in relation to the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit in the Gaza Strip. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

The Syrian thorn
Haaretz 2006/7/5
"Sometimes, when a thorn is stuck in your bottom for too long, even if it is a small thorn, an infection is liable to develop around it," a U.S. administration official said last week. The bottom - American or Israeli; the thorn - Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime - and now the infection is visible. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Olmert rejects ultimatum on captive
AZCentral 2006/7/4
The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, rejected an ultimatum on Monday that had been set by Palestinian militants, who suggested they would kill a captured Israeli soldier unless Israel began to release 1,500 Palestinian prisoners. ..."The Hamas' terror headquarters operates in Syria and is headed by Khaled Meshaal," Peretz told leaders of the Labor Party, which he heads. "I suggest that Bashar al-Assad, who is trying to conduct himself blindly, open his eyes because he bears the responsibility."   He added, "We will know how to strike those who are involved." ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

King Congratulates Algerian President
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/4
...King Abdullah II sent a cable to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika congratulating him in his name ...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

King Affirms Ability of Jordan to Overcome Various Challenges
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/4
...His Majesty stressed that the challenges and the regional economic difficulties will not impede the progress of the nation towards development, modernization, and building economic environment that attracts investments.   King Abdullah pointed that it is important for the government to work continuously to develop plans to combat the problems of poverty, unemployment, and improving the standard of living for the citizens. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Jordan: Syria is Not Fulfilling Its Water Obligations
The Media Line 2006/7/4
Jordan is claiming that its northern neighbor, Syria, is not committed to the water agreement signed between the two countries in 1987, the London-based daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat reports. The Jordanians are demanding that Syria transfer 15 million cubic meters of water, but so far Syria has rejected the demand.   Israel is more committed to its water agreements with Jordan than Syria is," Muhammad Zafir Al-'Alim, Jordan's minister of water and irrigation, told reporters ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Bashar vows support to Palestinians
GulfNews.com 2006/7/4
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad reiterated yesterday his country's staunch support for the Palestinians in the face of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza as Tel Aviv warned that it held Damascus responsible for the captured soldier's fate. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Israel blames Syria for crisis
News24.com 2006/7/4
Israel on Tuesday stepped up the pressure on arch-foe Damascus, accusing it of supporting Palestinian militants behind the capture of an Israeli soldier that has sparked a new crisis in the Middle East. ..."We will hit all terrorists. No one who attempts to harm the state of Israel will be spared," he said. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Israeli escalation in Gaza 'unjustified': Jordan
Monsters & Critics 2006/7/3
...Jordan's position, as set forth by King Abdullah II, emphasized direct negotiations, refraining from 'the language of violence and the use of force and 'unilateral measures' and adhering to the international road map for peace in the Middle East, Judeh said. ...

King Congratulates President of USA
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/3
...King Abdullah II on Monday sent a cable to President George W. Bush of the United States of America congratulating him in his name ...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

King Congratulates President of Belarus
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/3
...King Abdullah II on Monday sent a cable to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka of the Republic of Belarus congratulating him in his name ...
? John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name (HASHEM), and ye receive me not: if another shall come "in his own name" (HASHEMITE), him ye will receive.

Jumblatt: Syria 'exporting Al-Qaeda'
The Daily Star 2006/7/3
Prominent Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt lashed out at Damascus on Sunday, saying he "feared the current Syrian regime is trying to turn Lebanon into another Iraq by exporting Al-Qaeda fighters into the country." ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

"Solidarity Tax" Pushed by United Nations As First Step in Global Taxation
The Conservative Voice 2006/7/3
...The new tax, pushed through the French parliament by President Jacques Chirac and backed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, is being hailed and criticized by many throughout the globe. It's being hyped by the Globalists as the "Solidarity Tax." ...The “air-ticket solidarity levy” has been vigorously championed by Chirac, who admits that he sees this as trailblazing for “globalization.” The most troubling aspect about this story is that the mainstream news media in the US are intentionally ignoring it as part of the MSM's usual covering up for their sacred United Nations. ...

Bakhit: Raghad Saddam and her Children are Guests of the Royal Hashemite Family
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/2
Raghad Saddam Hussein and her children are in Jordan for pure humanitarian reasons, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit said. ''Raghad, who is a guest of the Royal Hashemite family, does not practice any political or media activities'' Bakhit noted in press statements on Sunday.   He added that Jordan has not received any request from the Iraqi side to hand over Raghad to the Iraqi authorities ...

Yemen, Jordan move toward economic partnership
Yemen Times 2006/7/2
President Saleh and Jordanian King Abdullah II chaired the Yemeni-Jordanian discussions that took place today, focusing on bilateral relations and exchange of viewpoints on matters of mutual concern.   Dr. Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, the Yemeni Foreign Minister, declared that the Jordanian king’s visit to Yemen is of great importance because of the deep relations between the two Arab countries. Discussions are to focus on aspects of cultural and economic cooperation ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

U.S. envoy: Syria must arrest Meshaal
JTA 2006/7/2
John Bolton called on Syrian authorities to arrest Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.   The U.S. envoy to the United Nations issued the call last week.   Meshaal, based in Damascus, is believed to have ordered the June 25 attack in which Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped another. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

U.S. warns Israel not to harm Abbas or Palestinian civilians
Haaretz 2006/7/2
The United States government has laid down three rules for the current Israel Defense Forces operation in the Gaza Strip, according to senior sources in Jerusalem: No harming Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas; no harming civilians and avoid damaging infrastructure. ...

King, Yemeni President Hold Discussions
Jordan News Agency 2006/7/2
...At the level of bilateral relations, His Majesty King Abdullah II congratulated the President on the occasion obtaining the confidence of the people of Yemen for the forthcoming presidential elections.   The two leaders affirmed keenness to promote bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of economic, investment, trade and education so as to achieve the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples, expressing their satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the two countries in all fields. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand
? Daniel 11:21 ...but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Olmert bids for Finnish mediator to negotiate Israeli soldier’s release from Hamas - after the Egyptian effort came to grief
DEBKAfile 2006/7/2
...This step is disclosed by DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources. It contradicts the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s reiteration after Sunday's cabinet meeting that Israel will not be blackmailed or negotiate for the freedom of Corporal Gilead Shalit, who was kidnapped on the Israeli side of the Gaza border exactly a week ago. If Olmert sticks to this position, he commits Israel to launching extended, intensified military action in the Gaza Strip, with the risk of igniting the Lebanese and Syrian borders. ...

Egypt to Hamas: Sunday Morning Deadline
Arutz Sheva 2006/7/2
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak gave Hamas terrorists until Sunday morning to decide whether to accept his proposal for the release of their hostage, IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit.   The Egyptian proposal is for the Israeli soldier to be freed immediately, while Mubarak personally guarantees that Israel will, in the future, release terrorist prisoners - and not only women and teenagers.   Mubarak has reportedly also pushed Syrian President Bashar Assad to pressure Hamas terrorist leader Khaled Mashaal, whose headquarters are based in Damascus. Mashaal is assumed to be even more intransigent - and has more authority - than Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh. ...

Hussein's wife, daughter on new 'wanted' list
CNN 2006/7/2
Iraq unveiled a list of the country's most-wanted fugitives Sunday, including Saddam Hussein's wife and daughter. ...Raghad Hussein lives in Jordan, where she and her sister were granted asylum. She has been helping orchestrate her father's defense as he faces war crimes charges in an Iraqi court.

Peretz: Syria responsible for Shalit
The Jerusalem Post 2006/7/1
Defense Minister Amir Peretz spoke on Saturday evening with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and asked her to send an "aggressive" message to Syrian President Bashar Assad.   Peretz said that he saw Syria as responsible for the kidnapping of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit last Sunday, and therefore Assad had a responsibility to secure Shalit's release, Army Radio reported.   Meanwhile, the US is calling on Syria to stop all support to the Hamas and to close the organization offices in Damascus. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

JORDAN REVISES SECURITY STRATEGY
Middle East Newsline 2006/7/1
..."King Abdullah believes in responding quickly to changes and there is no doubt that the regional and national environment has changed significantly over the last year," a diplomat said.   The sources said Abdullah's advisers in the intelligence and law enforcement community have produced a document entitled "Preemptive Security Strategy." They said the document envisions turbulence in Jordan and the surrounding region over the next two years.

Jordan's king seeks to 'uproot terrorism'
Deseret News.com 2006/7/1
Jordan's King Abdullah II is calling for increased efforts to root out terrorism and extremists threatening Islam and the world, according to the official Petra news agency.   "We must move quickly to uproot terrorism, stop accusations in the name of religion, and harness all efforts to find comprehensive solutions for the problems and challenges facing the Islamic world," Abdullah said in a June 24 statement to Islamic judges meeting in Amman. ...

US posts reward for Zarqawi successor
The Daily Telegraph 2006/7/1
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice overnight authorised a reward of up to $5 million to anyone providing information leading to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, a senior al Qaeda leader in Iraq. ...

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