Modern History - Israel vs. Palestine List

ꕤ History Israel vs. Palestine Israel War of Independence (1947-1949) Jewish militias vs. Arab militias turns to war on declaration of independence of Israel & intervention of several Arab armies settlement:  1949 Armistice Agreements signed by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria armistice lines:  the Green Line Reprisal Ops (1950s-1960s) IDF military ops response to Arab guerilla incursions from Syria, Egypt & Jordan Israel declares:  high 'blood cost' to enemy side as deterrence from future attacks Suez Crisis (1956) Egypt attacked by:  Israel, Britain & France intention to occupy Sinai Peninsula & take over Suez Canal response to Egypt decision to nationalise Suez Canal (following US-Anglo withdrawal of offer to fund Aswan Dam) Conclusion: US & USSR (Soviet Russia) forced Israeli invasion to retreat Israel reopened Straits of Tiran & pacified southern border ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Six Day War (1967) Israel vs Egypt, Jordan & Syria (contributors:  Iraq, Saudi Arab, Kuwait & Algeria) Conclusion:  territory held by Israel expanded significantly -->  The Purpose Line West Bank (incl. East Jerusalem) - taken from Jordan Golan Heights - taken from Syria Sinai & Gaza - taken from Egypt ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- War of Attrition (1967-1970) Egyptians seek to recapture Sinai from Israel Egypt Jordan Syria PLO USSR ceasefire 1970 - frontiers remain same ---------------------- ꕤ ----------------------   Operation Gift (1968) 29 Dec. 1968 Israeli IDF commandos destroy 12 passenger aircraft 2 cargo planes at Beirut International Airport response to attack on:  Israeli Airliner El Al Flight 253 by Palestinian Lebanon-based militant org:  Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) 29 Dec. 1968 Israeli commandos destroy 14 aircraft #Lebanon 12 passenger aircraft + 2 cargo planes @ $43.8 million - British insurers would not cover all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Israeli_raid_on_Lebanon   ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Yom kuppur War (1973) 20-days Arab states coalition led by Egypt & Syria seek to recapture territories seized by Israel 6-Day War (1967) surprise attack Arab forces defeated no significant territorial changes ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Palestinian Insurgency  - South Lebanon (1971-1982) PLO relocated from Jordan to South Lebanon base for international ops attacks on Galilee, northern Israel Galilee 1948 Arab–Israeli war outcome: nearly the whole of Galilee came under Israel control large portion of the population fled or was forced to leave leaving dozens of entire villages empty large Israeli-Arab community remained based in and near the cities: Nazareth, Acre, Tamra, Sakhnin, & Shefa-'Amr ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Israel response:  Op Litani (1978) first Israel large-scale invasion of Lebanon IDF seek to expel PLO from Lebanon ground & rocket attacks from Lebanon Israel retaliation escalation --> leads to:  Lebanon War (1982) ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Lebanon War (1982) IDF invade southern Lebanon to expel PLO Israeli response to: 1.  terror attacks on northern Israel 2.  assassination attempt against Shlomo Argov, Israel to UK ambassador assassination attempt by:   Abu Nidal org Result: 1) exclusion of PLO from southern Lebanon 2) 'Israeli Security Zone' in southern Lebanon     (ie Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon)     IDF was allied with Christian militias     Israel eventually withdrew troops, May 2000 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- South Lebanon Conflict (1982-2000) 20 years of warfare Israel IDF + Israel proxy (Lebanese Christian militias) vs. Muslim guerrillas (led by Iran-backed Hezbollah) in Israeli occupied southern Lebanon, claimed as 'security zone' ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- First Intifada (1987-1993) 6 years large-scale Palestinian uprising against Israel West Bank & Gaza Strip ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Second Intifada (2000-2005) large-scale Palestinian uprising against Israel ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Lebanon War (2006) Israeli military op response to abduction x2 Israeli reservists by Hezbollah led to wider confrontation Hezbollah vs IDF UN brokered ceasefire thereafter, Israel lifted naval blockade of Lebanon result: 1)  pacification of southern Lebanon 2)  weakness of Hezbollah (serious casualties) ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Gaza War (2008-2009) Dec-Jan - 3-week armed conflict Israel vs Hamas escalation of Israel-Palestine conflict rocket fire from Gaza Strip Israel response:  Op Cast Lead Op Cast Lead:  surprise Israel air-strike on Gaza Strip Israel attacked: military targets civilian targets police stations government buildings in opening assault ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- 2013 - Peaceful Period x50 rockets by Palestine x10 Israel air-strikes x44 Palestinians killed 100 plus Palestinians injured x6  Israel fatalities (x5 West Bank) x44 Israel injuries  Israel | Palestine 6 / 44 deaths 44 / 100 injuries ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Operation Pillar of Defence (2012) Israel military offensive on Gaza Strip 8-day IDF op killing of Ahmed Jabari, chief Hamas launch of large numbers of Hamas rockets IED explosion on Israeli side of tunnel under Israeli Est Bank barrier Hamas alleges:  IDF attacks on Gaza civilians in lead-up to op Hamas cites:  blockade of Gaza Strip & Occupation West Bank & East Jerusalem as reason for rocket attacks Hamas fired: over 1,456 rockets into Israel Op Pillar of Defence: IDF struck over 1,500 sites in Gaza Strip result:  Israel rockets killed x3 Israeli civilians a home in Kiryat Malachi received a direct hit Palestine UNHCR report: 174 Palestinians were killed 100s wounded large number of families displaced Israeli operation condemned by: Iran Russia Egypt Turkey + several other Arab & Muslim countries ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Operation Brother's Keeper IDF initiated 11-day op in search of x3 kidnapped Israeli teenagers 350 Palestinians arrested arrest of nearly all Hamas West Bank leaders x5 Palestinians killed Hamas denied responsibility for kidnapping suspect confessed under Israel Shin Bet (internal security) heavy torture ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Gaza War (2014) Operation Protective Edge (2014) Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan (lit. Operation Strong Cliff) 50-day war Israel military offensive on Gaza Strip lead-up: kidnap & murder x3 Israeli teenagers kidnap & murder of Palestinian teenager increased rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas J. J. Goldberg, editor Forward:  Israel military indictment contains no evidence of orders from Hamas --> kidnapping organised by lone actors assumed that kidnappers planned prisoner swap Israel kills x2 suspects in shoot-out first suspect (lone-acting, member of Hamas) imprisoned - x3 life terms (+ compensation) Israel targeted destruction of homes of Hamas and other militia members violates international humanitarian law -- > constitute war crimes    [wikipedia] ** this is not full extent of the alleged war crimes 3,700 rockets fired towards Israel 32 Hamas tunnels destroyed by Israel 750 Palestinians - alleged Hamas militants & commanders killed by Israel 2014 Gaza War - COSTS Palestinians killed: 2,139 Palestinian children killed: 490 Israeli soldiers killed: 64 Israeli civilians killed: 6 Israeli children killed: 1 Palestinians wounded: 11,000 Palestinian children wounded: 3,000 Gaza residents displaced: Up to 500,000 Homes destroyed in Gaza: 20,000 Source: UN via Independent:  Independent Other cost:  international aid Israel  |  Palestine 71 dead / 2,193 dead ? wounded  / 11,000 wounded ? displaced / 500,000 displaced https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Israel ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Most of the above info is as per the Wikipedia entries. It's just my summary, in the hope of remembering some of this. Figures haven't been double-checked and I've not looked further  into the war crimes issue. ꕤ

Israel Bombs Near Damascus - Palestinian Militants, PFLP-GC, Return Fire

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://yalibnan.com/2015/12/20/israel-army-shells-south-lebanon-after-cross-border-rocket-attack/ yahoo/AFP http://yalibnan.com/2015/12/20/israel-army-shells-south-lebanon-after-cross-border-rocket-attack/ Israel army shells south Lebanon after cross-border rocket attack December 20, 2015 by yalibnan The Israeli military said it shelled unspecified targets in neighbouring south Lebanon shortly after cross-border rocket fire hit northern Israel on Sunday. “The Israel Defence Forces have responded with targeted artillery fire following the rockets that hit Israel earlier today from southern Lebanon,” an English-language army statement said. Israeli military sources told AFP that one rocket crashed into the Galilee region and the impact of another was heard. No casualties were reported. The sources said the military ordered local residents into bomb shelters. In Lebanon, the national news agency NNA said Israel fired nine rounds of artillery at the south. The rocket fire from the Hezbollah heartland of south Lebanon followed the killing of Samir Kantar, a militant in the Shiite group notorious for the 1979 murder of three Israelis, including a four-year-old girl. Hezbollah said the 54-year-old Kantar was killed in an Israeli air strike near the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday night. There was no confirmation from Israel that it was responsible for Kantar’s killing. Several rockets were fired from Lebanon in summer 2014 as Israel waged war against the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas in Gaza. Israeli artillery returned fire. The border region has otherwise been largely quiet since Hezbollah and Israel fought a devastating war in 2006 that left much of southern Lebanon in ruins. Northern Israel The mayor of Nahariya and the head of the Shlomi Regional Council in northern Israel ordered Sunday the opening of bomb shelters in their respective locales, after at least three rockets landed earlier in the evening in open areas of the Western Galilee region according to Israeli media. All three rockets reportedly  landed near Shlomi, a small town near the Lebanese border, while sirens sounded in Nahariya, a larger coastal city about 10 kilometers southwest. PFLP-GC takes responsibility for attack The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, a Syria-based Palestinian terror group, took responsibility for the rocket fire, according to Lebanese media cited by Israel’s Channel 2. UNIFIL UNIFIL, the UN force charged with overseeing security in south Lebanon, released a statement saying it had stepped up patrols along the border between Israel and Lebanon in a bid to tamp down on cross-border violence. The statement noted that UNIFIL radars detected three rockets shot at Israel earlier in the evening. UNIFIL chief Luciano Portolano added that he was in contact with officials in Lebanon and Israel in a bid to restore calm. “This is a serious incident in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and is clearly directed at undermining stability in the area. It is imperative to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this attack. Additional troops have been deployed on the ground and patrols have been intensified across our area of operations in coordination with the LAF to prevent any further incidents,” Portolano said, according to the UNIFIL statement. A Lebanese source told AFP that the rockets were Katyushas. yahoo/AFP http://yalibnan.com/2015/12/20/israel-army-shells-south-lebanon-after-cross-border-rocket-attack/ SUMMARY Israel Military -- to AFP: x1 rocket crash Galilee region -- no casualties NAA -- Lebanon news agency reports -- x9 rounds artillery from Israel South Lebanon -- reportedly fires rockets -- following killing of Samir Kantar (Hezbollah) Hezbollah -- says 54-yo Samir Kantar killed -- Israel air strike near Damascus Syria -- no confirmation from Israel Israel - Lebanon -- last rockets fired between Lebanon & Israel -- during mid 2014 Gaza War -- Israel vs Hamas in Palestine / Gaza -- several rockets reportedly fired from Lebanon -- otherwise, border region quiet -- Israel returned artillery fire Israel - Lebanon 2006 -- Israel devastated much of southern Lebanon Northern Israel -- Shlomi Regional Council -- orders opening bomb shelters -- x3 rockets landed, Western Galilee, near Shlomi -- (Lebanon border proximity) -- { Israel media reports  } Syria-based Palestinian group Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) -- takes responsibility for rocket fire (Israel Ch.2, cites Lebanese media) UNIFIL -- established 1978 -- following Israel invasion of Lebanon -- to supervise withdraw of troops & restoration of security -- since then, abt 540 personnel in Lebanon -- rotating every 6 months -- plus: abt 100 others at UNIFIL headquarters at Tibnin -- total of 47 Defence Forces personnel -- killed - first 23 years of mission http://www.military.ie/overseas/current-missions/unifil/ United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) -- created by UN Security Council -- March 1978 -- to confirm Israel withdrawal from Lebanon -- to restore peace / security -- to assist Lebanese govt in restoring authority -- mandate adjusted twice: -- 1982 -- 2000 UNSC -- enhanced UNIFIL force after July/Aug 2006 crisis -- to monitor cessation hostilities -- to accompany & support Lebanese armed forces southern Lebanon -- assist humanitarian access civilians / displaced returns http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unifil/ UNIFIL statement: -- x3 rockets shot at Israel detected -- chief Luciano Portolano mediating -- b/w Lebanon & Israel to restore calm -- additional security ground troops deployed -- patrols intensified in co-ordination with LAF UNSC - UN Security Council -- UNIFIL, Luciano Porolano -- says: violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 -- wants to identify & arrest perps AFP - Agence France-Presse -- two sources: 1. Israeli military sources - re Galilee x1 rocket 2. unidentified 'Lebanese source' - claims Katyushas fired UNSC - RESOLUTION 1701 (2006) Calls for End of Hostilities Between: Hezbollah & Israel Permanent Ceasefire -- ceasefire based on: -- Creation of Buffer Zone Free of Armed Personnel -- {other than UN, Lebanese Forces} http://www.un.org/press/en/2006/sc8808.doc.htm -- 2006: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah -- said Lebanon would honour Resolution -- said once Israel ceases offensive, -- Hezbollah rockets on Israel will stop -- resolution required respect for Blue Line (Lebanon) -- border demarcation b/w Lebanon & Israel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Line_%28Lebanon%29 LAF - Lebanese Armed Forces -- military of Republic Lebanon army airforce navy motto: Honour, Sacrifice, Loyalty -- first formed 1600s -- under Prince Fakher el-Din II the Great -- major victory against Ottoman Empire Army -- Ottomans under lead of Pasha of Damascus -- Battle of Majdel Anjar -- 5,000 Lebanese vs 12,000 Syrians -- Lebanon captured Pasha of Damascus -- 1861 - 1914, no Turkish troops permitted -- to station within Lebanon boundary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Armed_Forces PFLP-GC Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) -- small, Palestinian nationalist militant org -- based Syria -- founded 1968 by Ahmed Jibril -- 1970s & 1980s -- involved in Palestinian insurgency Southern Lebanon -- various BIG attacks against Israel -- Syrian 'civil war' -- fighting on side of Syrian govt -- groups paramilitary wing: Jihad Jibril Brigades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_Palestine_%E2%80%93_General_Command ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Wanted to know more about Israeli bombing near Damascus. Trying to avoid Western sources.  Got onto this, as I initially thought I was onto a local paper.  Nope. AFP. Frenchies.  Potentially taking dictation from Israel? Went with it for fun, to see what they had. If the militant Palestinian group in Syria has claimed responsibility, I'd believe them, going by quick look of 1970s & 1980s events. Still don't know what excuse Israel used to bomb near Damascus. On re-reading, it looks like a total of x3 rockets detected (UNIFIL radars) and that's it for the rockets ... I think (I found it confusing the rockets thing a bit confusing). I haven't looked up the guy that got killed, but his group's 'resume' re big attacks is extensive (on Wikipedia). So was it a deliberate Israeli assassination? Brain's only in pictures mode right now (sort of going cross-eyed reading this), so I might have to let it be. The peacekeeping force in Lebanon since 1978 doesn't sound like a huge success if they're still there today (37 years). If Israel's bombing near Damascus, why are the Palestinian guys (allies of Syria) bombing back at Israel considered in violation of the UNSC resolution?   And I'm assuming it's them, as the article leaves us to guess as to who should be arrested and held responsible.  As in, it doesn't call for their arrest specifically, even tough the Palestinian militants have claimed responsibility. Somehow, I don't think these UN guys are going to have much luck with the UN peacekeeping law enforcement arrest-plan.  Katyusha | Катюша rocket launcher -- name adopted after WWII war song, 'Katyusa' -- roughly translated it's a:  'Katie' -- aka -- 'Stalinorgel' (Stalin's organ) -- launch sounds like a church organ -- wow, they're big -- I thought it was the hand-held jobs* -- these are the truck mounted ones *proof-reading this, I got a laugh at how clueless I am.  Imagined the hand-held launcher firing 'rockets' all the way to Israel.  HOW YOU SAY 'KATYUSHA' - AUDIO https://en.wikipedia.org/wikiFile:Ru-%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8E%D1%88%D0%B0.ogg The rhythm is different to an English rhythm, or maybe that's just the guy's 'audio voice'. more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyusha_rocket_launcher [Wow, what a huge waste of time this is.  It's just shifting things around.  Think I might have to stop doing this so much.  lol]

Syria - Battle for Zabadani

ꕤ Video SOURCE as marked COMBAT FOOTAGE Battle for Zabadani October 2015 45 kilometres north-west of Damascus (near crucial Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon) Syria Arab Army (SAA) & Hezbollah versus FSA Western-backed Insurgents source https://youtu.be/frvqpcxAoY4 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Nothing like I imagined. Everything's badly damaged and it seems chaotic ... like a bullet could come from anywhere. It's exciting to watch from safety, but I'd be scared if I was there. That hand-held rocket launcher is pretty deadly. I don't understand the strategy for fighting.  How do they know when to pull out?  How do they avoid the rocket launcher and still keep shooting (without giving away positions)?  Does anyone ever play dead, or is it safer to retreat?  Without knowing some of that, it sort of doesn't make sense.   All that noise would be enough to scare anyone not serious about fighting.  I'm scared of even the nail gun, so I'd probably die of fright facing the real thing.  What these guys do to defend their country is amazing. SAA & Hezbollah prevailed. Retreat of Al Qaeda Terrorist Forces in Syria By South Front Global Research, December 02, 2015 South Front 1 December 2015 The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), jointly with the National Defense Forces (NDF) captured the strategic hilltops of Koum Aqre in the Daraa province. Dozens of Al-Nusra terrorists were killed during heavy clashes on Koum Aqre located near the strategic towns of Kufer Shamis and Al-Shaykh Maskin. Controlling hilltops the Syrian forces are threatening to open a new front against the terrorists in Syria’s western areas. About 100 Al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham terrorists were trying to infiltrate into al-Zabadani via the tunnels they had dug from the town of al-Mazaya, but they were pushed back by the Hezbollah fighters located in the sector. According to the pro-government sources, the terrorists retreated. About 30 militants were killed. Al-Zabadani is located 50 kilometers Northwest of Damascus and 12 kilometers Northeast of Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing. Its location allows the Syrian government to hold control of the border between Syria and Lebanon in the sector. In the Hama province, the Syrian Al-Qaeda faction “Jund Al-Aqsa” has launched a powerful assault in direction of the ‘Alawi village of Ma’an controlled by the NDF. The terrorists started its advance attacking the villages of Tal Bazzam and Ma’an. Also, clashes were observed at Souran, Al-Tayna, and Al-Buwayda. We remember, the Syrian government lost control of the strategic town of Morek in this area last month. On November 30, for the first time Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft went on a mission carrying not only aerial bombs OFAB-500 and guided aerial bombs KAB-500, but with with short and medium range air-to-air missiles. The missiles are equipped with homing devices and are capable of hitting aerial targets at a distance of 60 kilometers. Russia has started to equip its jets with air-to-air missiles to defend them from some F-16s violating the Syrian airspace. During the Paris climate talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian authorities have additional evidence that the Russian Su-24 bomber was shot down by the Turkish Air Force to protect oil deliveries of the ISIS terrorist group and that oil from ISIS-controlled fields is being exported to Turkey on an industrial scale. Visit us: http://southfront.org/ ꕤ

Syria - Russian and Iranian Troops - Jablah, Ghorin, Latakia

SOURCE http://www.debka.com/article/24883/First-Iranian-marines-land-in-Syria-link-up-with-newly-arrived-Russian-troops First Iranian marines land in Syria, link up with newly-arrived Russian troops DEBKAfile Exclusive Report September 11, 2015, 8:45 AM (IDT) Iran this week sent its first ground troops to Syria, around 1,000 marines and elite troops of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). They moved straight into Ghorin, a small military air facility just south of the port town of Latakia, and hooked up with the just-landed Russian marines at Jablah. Three weeks ago, DEBKA file began reporting on Russian-Iranian military intervention afoot for saving the Syrian ruler Bashar Assad, followed on September 1 by the first disclosure of the Russian buildup in Syria. Our military sources report now that Moscow is about to send a shipment of advanced S-300 air defense missile systems for deployment at Jablah, the base the Russians have built outside Latakia for the intake of the Russian troops. The S-300 systems will also shield the Iranian facility at Ghorin. Jablah has been converted into a busy depot for the Russian troops still arriving in Syria, combatants from units of Marine Brigades 810 and 336. Russian MiG-31 interceptor craft standing by at the Mezza airbase at Damascus airport offer the combined Russian-Iranian force air cover. To the west, the giant Dmitri Donskoy TK-20 nuclear submarine is on its way to Syrian waters. Latakia is therefore fast growing into a powerful Russian-Iranian military enclave, able to accommodate Assad and top regime officials if they are forced to leave Damascus. According to our military sources, it is too soon to determine the exact function of this enclave, whether defensive or, after settling in, the Russian and/or the Iranian forces are planning to go after Syrian rebel and Islamic State forces making gains in northern Syria. There is no evidence to bear out the curious briefing high-ranking defense sources gave Israeli military correspondents Thursday that the incoming Iranian troops have come to beef up the large-scale Syrian army-Hizballah units, who have been unsuccessfully battering away at the rebel fighters holding the key town of Zabadani for nearly two months. Our sources find the Iranian and Russian units fully occupied for now in expanding and outfitting their new quarters at Ghorin and Jablah. SOURCE http://www.debka.com/article/24883/First-Iranian-marines-land-in-Syria-link-up-with-newly-arrived-Russian-troops ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Jablah, Syria Russian built Russian military base combatants from units of Marine Brigades 810 and 336 Ghorin, Syria * near port town:  Latakia Iranian military facility 1,000 marines and elite troops /  Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Mezza airbase at Damascus airport Russian MiG-31 interceptor = combined Russian-Iranian force air cover Dmitri Donskoy TK-20 nuclear submarine heading to Syrian waters Latakia powerful Russian-Iranian military enclave = may accommodate Assad & officials if forced to leave Damascus Russian and/or the Iranian forces =  to target Syrian rebel & ISIS making gains in northern Syria Israeli reports that Russia & Iran troops are to beef up large-scale Syrian army-Hizballah are false   --  Hezbollah Lebanon-based leader:  Hassan Nasrallah since 1992 purportedly Iran's non-state proxy paramilitary wing of Lebanon political party:  Party of Allah (ie 'Hezbollah') formed following Israeli invasion of Lebanon 1982 formed by clerics, said to be funded by Iran *as a resistance to Israeli occupation *strong support among Lebanon Shia population a large number of alleged attacks attributed to Hezbollah / but these could be false flag more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT This is sooooooo exciting.   It's kind of like being a stay at home armchair general appraising the gathering of the troops on ancient battlegrounds. It looks like Assad isn't going down without an almighty fight. Israelis are typically doing a Hezbollah scare ... probably to justify bombing somewhere, to make sure that Golan Heights energy deal goes ahead.  In this battle, I'm backing Russia, Syria, Iran ... and, I guess, Hezbollah.  Stay tuned. I should probably add here, that my armchair 'support' in terms of the Middle East is somewhat confused and unreliable ... I swing from thinking I support this side or that, to supporting the Israelis ... who have a certain sort of charm that's hard to resist ... lol UPDATE Expect the above article is pro-US-agenda propaganda, to give the impression of an 'aggressive' Russia and Iran.   Explains what is really going on ... Assange Transnational Security Elite, Carving Up the World Using Your Tax Money London  OCT8 Antiwar Mass Assembly (2011) Link  |  here ꕤ

Lebanon & Israel - International Concern vs Business as Usual

LEBANON International Community Greatly Concerned after Nasrallah's Speech, Warns of 'Catastrophic' Outcomes by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours ago Lebanese officials received warnings from foreign countries over attempts to drag Lebanon into a new confrontation with Israel despite Prime Minister Tammam Salam's moderate stance from the latest developments along the border. According to An Nahar newspaper published on Saturday, U.S. and French officials contacted several ministers to stand on the cabinet's stance from Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speech. Nasrallah declared on Friday that the party no longer recognizes the rules of engagement with Israel, saying that it has the right to respond to an Israeli attack in any way or time it deems fit. Ministerial sources said that Salam's moderate position from Hizbullah attack on Israeli troops in the occupied Shebaa Farms on Wednesday should have been met with the same tone by Nasrallah. The sources considered that Nasrallah's speech could further deteriorate the situation. Concerned sources reportedly received warnings from foreign countries on attempts to drag Lebanon into a catastrophic confrontation that will impact its security and economy. Salam had stressed that Lebanon is committed to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 after the Shebaa operation, urging the international community to rein in the hostile intentions of Israel, which is gambling with the security and stability of the region. The prime minister also stressed that “Lebanon stands united behind the legitimate armed forces that are tasked with defending its land, security, and people.” Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded on Wednesday in a Hizbullah attack on a military convoy in the occupied Shebaa Farms. [This followed Israeli attack on Hezbollah, that killed several - ie Quneitra, mentioned below.] The attack prompted Israel to shell areas in southern Lebanon in a significant escalation along the volatile border. Hizbullah said in its claim of responsibility that it targeted several vehicles transporting officers and soldiers with missiles to avenge the Israeli raid on Syria's Quneitra that killed six of its fighters and a top Iranian general. Meanwhile, al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Saturday Salam will head to Germany next week to take party in Munich Security Conference. The premier's visit to Germany compelled the cabinet to hold its session on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. instead of Thursday. http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/165552-international-community-greatly-concerned-after-nasrallah-s-speech-warns-of-catastrophic-outcomes ISRAEL Liberman calls for 'harsh and disproportionate' response to Hezbollah attack Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman called Wednesday for a "harsh and disproportionate response" to a multi-pronged Hezbollah attack that injured several IDF soldiers on Wednesday. Speaking during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Liberman said that China or the US would respond in such a disproportionate manner to an attack against its sovereign territory. http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Liberman-calls-for-harsh-and-disproportionate-response-to-Hezbollah-attack-389278 COMMENT Liberman says 'sovereign territory', while Lebanon says 'occupied Shebaa Farms'. Lebanon gets international pressure (including USA & France) regarding Hezbollah Secretary General's speech. Taking a guess, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's call for a "harsh and DISPROPORTIONATE response" from Israel (who initiated the latest hostilities, as I understand), has gone unnoticed.

Argentina - Alberto Nisman - Laboratory Analysis - Nisman DNA Only

LAHT Article Argentine Probe Finds Only Prosecutor’s DNA on Gun BUENOS AIRES – The only DNA found on the gun that killed Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman belonged to the deceased, the person directing the investigation said Friday. Nisman was found fatally shot on Jan. 18, hours before he was supposed to brief Argentina’s Congress about his accusations that President Cristina Fernandez and other officials sought to conceal the involvement of Iran in a deadly 1994 terrorist attack targeting a Jewish organization in Buenos Aires. The prosecutor died of a single shot to the temple, fired at point-blank range from a .22-caliber pistol that was found under his body in the bathroom of his apartment. Nisman, who had a 10-person police security detail, borrowed the gun from a colleague. Laboratory analysis determined “categorically” that all of the DNA found on the gun, ammunition cartridge, bullets and shell-casings belonged to Nisman, prosecutor Viviana Fein said Friday in a statement. At the time of his death, Nisman was seeking to indict Fernandez, Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and five other people in connection with his probe of the car-bomb attack that left 85 dead at the offices of the Jewish organization AMIA. Investigators have labeled the case a “suspicious death.” Fein said her office’s technical staff have informed her that the stairways of Nisman’s apartment building do not have security cameras, while the camera mounted in the elevator was out of service the day of the prosecutor’s death.  [Gee, that was handy.] She said she took statements on Friday from the people who manage the computer network in the office of the special prosecutor for the AMIA case. Nisman, 51, was laid to rest Thursday at a Jewish cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The Argentine government rejected on Friday a U.S. lawmaker’s call for an international enquiry into Nisman’s death.   [International inquiry?  US lawmaker call?  Something's going on here.] Argentina “is an autonomous and independent country,” Cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich said during his daily press briefing, calling Sen. Marco Rubio’s proposal the expression of an “imperial vision” that “ignores the principal of national self-determination.” Rubio, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, saying that he was “deeply concerned about the ability of the government of Argentina to conduct a fair and impartial investigation.” The senator’s call for an international investigation is an “unwarranted intrusion appropriate to an imperial attitude that represents the most recalcitrant Republican right,” Capitanich said. The charges against Fernandez and Timerman were based on intercepts of telephone conversations about efforts “to erase Iran from the AMIA case,” Nisman’s office said Jan. 14 in a statement. The government wanted to eliminate any obstacle to forging closer trade and economic ties with Tehran, the prosecutor said. Timerman – himself a member of Argentina’s Jewish community – reacted angrily to the accusations, labeling Nisman a liar and saying that the prosecutor allowed himself to be unduly influenced by Jaime Stiuso, recently fired as chief of operations for the intelligence service. Many in the Argentine Jewish community believe the AMIA bombing was ordered by Iran and carried out by Tehran’s Hezbollah allies. Both the Iranian government and the Lebanese militia group deny any involvement and some have pointed out that the accusation relies heavily on information provided by the CIA and Israel’s Mossad spy agency, both with an interest in blackening the reputation of Tehran. [Note:  CIA & Mossad assassination of Imad Mugniyah claim.] [ . . . ] EXTRACT ONLY - FULL @ SOURCE http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2371997&CategoryId=14093 SENATOR MARCO RUBIO Marco Rubio Roman Catholicism Parents = Cubans who had immigrated to USA 1956 Pedro Victor Garcia (maternal grandfather) immigrated legally to the US in 1956 returned to Cuba to find work in 1959 On returning to USA in 1962 without a visa, US embassies in Cuba being closed, an immigration judge ordered him deported. US immigration authorities = used discretion to allow him to remain in the US without a visa. "In 2012, The Associated Press concluded that Garcia might have been undocumented for four years, from 1962 to 1966." "His parents left Cuba in 1956, during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista." "Rubio's previous statements that his parents were forced to leave Cuba in 1959, after Fidel Castro came to power, were incorrect." "The real essence of my family's story is not about the date my parents first entered the United States. Or whether they traveled back and forth between the two nations. Or even the date they left Fidel Castro's Cuba forever and permanently settled here. The essence of my family story is why they came to America in the first place; and why they had to stay." "According to The Washington Post, Rubio's "embellishments" resonated with many voters in Florida, who would not be as impressed by his family being economic migrants seeking a better life in the U.S. instead of political refugees from a communist regime." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio While studying law, Rubio interned for US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Ros y Adato was born in Havana, Cuba. Ros-Lehtinen was raised Catholic and is now an Episcopalian. Ros-Lehtinen's maternal grandparents were Sephardic Jews, originally from the Ottoman Empire, who had been active in Cuba's Jewish community. Ros-Lehtinen supported President George W. Bush's surge policy in Iraq, a supporter of Israel and supports continued sanctions against Cuba. Ros-Lehtinen opposes US support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the Palestinian Authority. She describes herself as a "strong supporter of Israel" and regards the US relationship with Israel as "critical to the national security interests of both nations". Ros-Lehtinen has stirred controversy by calling for the assassination of Cuban Leader Fidel Castro. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ileana_Ros-Lehtinen In 2014 Rubio asked Pope Francis "to take up the cause of freedom and democracy" in Cuba after helping negotiate the release of Alan Gross. COMMENT Didn't expect investigations to come up with anything. How's the elevator camera being conveniently out of order? Washington Post, Newsweek and others are running a story on the CIA and Mossad assassination of Imad Mugniyah: Newsweek story re: Imad Mugniyah http://www.newsweek.com/imad-mugniyah-cia-mossad-303483 Mugniyah is allegedly the Hezbollah criminal 'super-villain' who is accused of committing the AMIA bombing and a host of other attacks, including attacks on US military and the 1992 Israeli Embassy bombing in Argentina. The Newsweek story is based on US intelligence sources: "according to former U.S. intelligence officials interviewed by Newsweek" While this is interesting and topical, in that (a) Imad Mugniyah's son was killed in a recent Israeli attack and (b) AMIA bombing Prosecutor Alberto Nisman has mysteriously been bumped off in Argentina, it is also interesting from the perspective that CIA and Mossad cooperation is in the media now, coming from former US intelligence sources.  The current media spotlight on this may serve to reinforce the alleged Hezbollah and AMIA link  and, under the circumstances (father and son side-by-side burial, both killed), could perhaps also be seen as waving a red flag to a bull, trying to maybe provoke a Hezbollah reaction -- ie baiting Hezbollah.  Either that, or I'm reading way too much into these affairs. It's also interesting that USA's Marco Rubio is simultaneously trying to get some mileage out of the Nisman development in Argentina, by taking the Nisman affair out of Argentina.