10 apr 12 osint levant tracker

8/2/2019 10 Apr 12 OSINT Levant Tracker

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TheCENTCOM This OSINT publication contains foreign mediaderived entirely from open sources in andaround the CENTCOM AOR.

10 April 20

EGYPT

Egypts Judiciary Suspends Islamists-Led Constitution Panel: Now LebanonA Cairo court said on Tuesday it had suspended an Islamists-dominated commission that had been tasked withdrafting the country's new constitution. The court, which deals with administrative issues, did not explain thereasons for its decision which was announced after lawyers and liberal political parties filed a complaint accusingthe Islamists-majority parliament, which formed the panel, of having abused its powers.

Omar Suleiman gets Death Threats: Al BawabaOmar Suleiman, former head of Egyptian intelligence and presidential candidate in next month's elections, said hehas no connection with the military junta, in an interview published Monday by the Egyptian daily Al Akhbar.

Revolutionary Group Calls on Parliament to Enact 'Disenfranchisement Law': Ahram OnlineThe Revolutionary Youth Coalition (RYC) has joined calls to re-establish the "Disenfranchisement Law", whichwould forbid members of the former regime from running for presidency, in a Facebook message addressed to theparliamentary speaker, Mohamed Saad El-Katatni, Tuesday.

Egypt Army 'Neutral' Towards Candidates for President: Daily StarEgypt's ruling military is not fielding a candidate in next month's presidential election, the Supreme Council of theArmed Forces (SCAF) chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi said on Monday.

Egypt's Presidential Candidates Spar: CNNA Muslim Brotherhood candidate for next month's presidential elections here lashed out Monday at the eleventh-hour entrance into the race by Omar Suleiman, the former spy chief to deposed strongman Hosni Mubarak.

El-Baradei Initiates the Revolution Party: Bikya MasrThe former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed El-Baradei has officially announced that he

will co-found of a new political party called The Revolution.

Amre Moussa Leading Egyptian Presidential Candidates, Poll Shows: BloombergFormer Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa is leading in Egypts presidential race, with the MuslimBrotherhoods main nominee trailing in eighth place, according to a poll published by the state-run Al Ahramnewspaper.

Mubarak Spy Chief Attacks Brotherhood over Presidency: Business Intelligence-Middle EastFormer spymaster Omar Suleiman lashed out at the Muslim Brotherhood and said his own candidacy for thepresidency aimed to restore security and stability in Egypt, in an interview published on Monday.

ISRAEL / GAZA

Al-Qaida Warns UK not to Deport Bethlehem-Born Cleric: Maan NewsAl-Qaida has warned Britain against handing over a radical Islamic cleric born in Bethlehem to Jordan after hisrelease from prison, saying such a move will open the "door of evil" for the British government and its people,according to an Islamist website.

Israel Braces for another 'Flytilla': YnetIsrael believes hundreds, possibly thousands of pro-Palestinian activists are set to stage fly-in to Ben Gurion Airporton Sunday ahead of trip to Palestinian Authority

IDF Officer who Spied for Hezbollah Released from Prison': Ynet

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: [email protected]

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Lieutenant-Colonel Omar al-Hayeb, who was convicted of spying for Hezbollah, has been released after less than10 years in prison on Tuesday.

Islamic Jihad: Abbas Should Quit Talks with Israel: Maan NewsIslamic Jihad leader Sheikh Nafeth Azzam on Monday urged President Mahmoud Abbas to give up on negotiationswith Israel. Addressing relatives of detainees at a demonstration outside Red Crescent headquarters in Gaza City,Azzam said there was "no point" in a letter Abbas is sending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian Prisoners Call for Mass Hunger Strike : Jerusalem PostAs Palestinians prepare to mark Prisoners Day on April 17, Hamas leaders called for operatives to kidnap Israelisoldiers to force the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Sinai Revolutionaries Plan Protest against Israel: Jerusalem PostThe Sinai Revolutionaries Movement is planning to paint the colors of the Egyptian flag over an IDF memorial,spokesman Mohammed Hendy told the Palestinian Ma'an news agency on Sunday. The act of protest is set to takeplace on April 25, the day Egypt marks the liberation of the Sinai Peninsula.

JORDAN

Justice Ministers Resignation Pending: Jordan TimesJustice Minister Salim Zoubi submitted a letter of resignation last week, Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh said onMonday, but his resignation has not yet been finally confirmed.

Jordan Marching Steadily Towards Reform: Jordan TimesHis Majesty King Abdullah outlined Jordans efforts to achieve comprehensive reform in all its political, economicand social aspects and the steps taken in this regard, foremost of which are the constitutional amendments andother laws regulating the Kingdoms political life.

LEBANON

Al-Akhbar: Weapons Stolen from Lebanese Army Smuggled to Syria: Now LebanonThe Lebanese army revealed that some soldiers had been stealing weapons from its warehouses and sellingthem to arms dealers - who in turn transferred them to areas in Beirut and North Lebanon and from there to Syria -where Syrian rebels would benefit from them, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday.

200 March 14 Personalities Throw Support behind Geagea in Maarab: Naharnet NewsA large-scale meeting of the opposition March 14 forces is scheduled to be held in the residence of LebaneseForces chief Samir Geagea in Maarab on Wednesday in a show of support after his escape from an assassinationattempt last week.

Report: Syrian Crisis to Spill over to Lebanon as Cabinets Fate Remains Unknown: Naharnet NewsThe Syrian crisis will likely have serious repercussions on Lebanon as the international community failed tointervene to stop the bloodshed in Damascus and establish safe zones, a report by the European Institute for theMediterranean (EuroMeSCo) said.

STLs Deputy Head of Defense Office Quits: Naharnet NewsThe deputy head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanons Defense Office, Alia Aoun, has informed the Registrar thatshe intends to return to practice as an attorney, the court said in a press release on Tuesday. Following the start ofthe judicial phase of the STL on 1 February 2012, it is now primarily for the Defense Counsel to ensure theprotection of the rights of the accused and equitable justice, the statement quoted Aoun as saying.


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Hundreds Attend Funeral for Slain Al-Jadeed Cameraman: Daily StarJournalists from across Lebanon took part in the funeral procession Tuesday for slain Al-Jadeed TV cameraman AliShaaban, shot dead the day before when the car in which he was riding came under fire from the Syrian side of thenorthern border.

SYRIA

Syria has Weathered the Storm: Iranian Deputy FM: Tehran TimesIranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Omans Minister ofForeign Affairs that the Syrian government has successfully steered the country through the crisis. Plots andconspiracies against Syria and the resistance front resulted in failure, and the country successfully went through thecrisis, Amir-Abdollahian said.

EDITORIALS

Abandon Annan: Now LebanonOne day ahead of peace envoy Kofi Annans deadline to the Syrian regime, President Bashar al-Assads forceskilled more than 160 people inside Syria and a cameraman in the north of Lebanon, and fired across the border intothe Kilis refugee camp in Turkey, killing two Syrian residents and injuring four.

Egypt's Presidency: The Revolution within the Ikhwan: Al JazeeraDespite wide criticism, the EMB along with its political arm - the FJP - ups the ante on the presidential elections.Regardless of the widespread cacophony, the decision by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood (EMB) to contest thepresidency is calculated to stop a "quiet coup" by the country's top brass.

Supporting Documentation:

EGYPT (Top)

10 April 2012Now LebanonEgypts Judiciary Suspends Islamists-Led Constitution PanelA Cairo court said on Tuesday it had suspended an Islamists-dominated commission that had been tasked withdrafting the country's new constitution.

The court, which deals with administrative issues, did not explain the reasons for its decision which was announcedafter lawyers and liberal political parties filed a complaint accusing the Islamists-majority parliament, which formedthe panel, of having abused its powers.

The 100-member panel, which is evenly divided between parliamentarians and public figures, was elected by the

parliament, which also voted for a number of reserve candidates who could replace the panelists.

But most of its members are from the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi fundamentalists who hold the majority amongMPs and senators.

The secular parties have already withdrawn from the commission, believing that their presence was only used ascollateral for the Islamists to draft a basic law that reflects their political-religious ideologies.

The prestigious Sunni Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt have also decided toboycott the panel.


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Islamists believe that the commission must reflect the composition of a parliament where the Muslim Brotherhoodholds nearly half the seats and the Salafists almost a quarter.

The secularists urge for a more balanced commission, fearing that the Islamist grip does not lead to thestrengthening of a demand for Islamic law sharia to be the point of reference in the legislation.

The panel has in principle up to six months to draft a new constitution to replace the one suspended by the military,which took power after a popular uprising toppled president Hosni Mubarak last year.

10 April 2012Al BawabaOmar Suleiman Gets Death ThreatsOmar Suleiman, former head of Egyptian intelligence and presidential candidate in next month's elections, said hehas no connection with the military junta, in an interview published Monday by the Egyptian daily Al Akhbar. Theformer aide to toppled President Hosni Mubarak said he was subject to death threats by the Muslim Brotherhood.

His candidacy, accompanied by 72,000 voters' signatures collected in one day, was recorded a few hours beforethe registration deadline. Thirty thousand signatures were required to present him.

"The Supreme Council (of the Armed Forces) has no positive or negative relationships with my decision to enter thepresidential race," he said. "And as soon as my presidential candidacy was announced, I received on my phonedeath threats and promises of revenge from the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist movements," he added.

For his part Khairat al Shater, the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, said Suleiman's candidacy was an "insultfor the revolution and the Egyptian people." "Omar Suleiman has made a big mistake. He can only win by fraudand, if this happens, the revolution will restart," he vowed in an interview with Reuters.

"We cannot go back in time. The revolution has created a new reality (...) and nobody can ever revive a regime thathas failed and which was rejected by the public.

"And I said to the Egyptian youth and to those I met during the revolution that I am in favor of their legitimatedemands," he said in the interview published Monday.

10 Apr 2012Ahram OnlineRevolutionary Group Calls on Parliament to Enact 'Disenfranchisement Law'Revolutionary Youth Coalition calls on parliament to push through draft legislation excluding remnants of Mubarak-era regime from political life, Tuesday, in reaction to former vice-president Omar Suleiman running for presidency

The Revolutionary Youth Coalition (RYC) has joined calls to re-establish the "Disenfranchisement Law", whichwould forbid members of the former regime from running for presidency, in a Facebook message addressed to theparliamentary speaker, Mohamed Saad El-Katatni, Tuesday.

The draft legislation was initially proposed by moderate Islamist Al-Wasat Party Member of Parliament (MP) EssamSultan in Sunday's parliamentary session. It is based on a 1952 law which isolated remnants of the overthrownregime from political life for at least ten years.


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(U) Former VP Omar Sulieman (L) And former PM Ahmed Shafiq (R)

The issue was raised in response to the rejection by a number of MPs and revolutionary groups of the decision byformer intelligence chief and Mubarak's vice-president Omar Suleiman to run for presidency.

Depending on the time frame chosen, the law may also exclude ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq and former deputydirector of intelligence Lieutenant General Hossam Khairallah from the race.

Presidential candidate Amr Moussa, however, would not be affected by the law, as he left his post of minister of

Foreign Affairs in 2001 to become secretary-general of the Arab League.

"As an Egyptian citizen, I ask parliament to protect the revolution, which it was a product of in the first place," theRYC message stated. The statement further added, "We want to remind you of the martyrs of our gloriousrevolution, who are your greatest responsibility."

The RYC also stated that the draft law has been long overdue. Prohibiting former remnants of the Mubarak-eraregime running for the presidential elections, they added, should have been a priority during parliament's firstsessions.

10 Apr 2012Daily Star

Egypt Army 'Neutral' Towards Candidates for PresidentEgypt's ruling military is not fielding a candidate in next month's presidential election, the Supreme Council of theArmed Forces (SCAF) chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi said on Monday.

"The armed forces do not have a candidate in the next presidential election," the official MENA news agencyquoted Tantawi as saying, adding that the army was "neutral" towards all candidates.

Figures from the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak, who stood down early last year after a popularuprising, have been trying to make a comeback, with Mubarak's former spy chief on Sunday declaring hiscandidacy for the post.


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(U) Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt's ruling military council. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Omar Suleiman is regularly painted as a favorite of the SCAF, which has ruled Egypt since Mubarak's February 11,2011 resignation.

Suleiman on Monday lashed out at the Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates parliament and is widely tipped totake the top job too, and insisted his candidacy would restore stability.

A sworn enemy of Islamists before last year's revolution which brought down Mubarak, Suleiman vowed not to dropout of the May 23-24 election despite alleged threats from Islamists.

The Brotherhood's candidate, Khairat El-Shater, likened Suleiman's candidacy to an attempt "to steal therevolution" and warned it could set off another round of huge street protests.

Apart from Shater, the candidates include former Arab League chief Amr Mussa and ultra-conservative Islamistpreacher Hazem Abu Ismail. Suleiman himself registered less than half an hour before the deadline.

The powerful Brotherhood had repeatedly vowed not to field a candidate before making a dramatic U-turn.

09 Apr 2012CNNEgypt's Presidential Candidates SparBy Ian Lee and Mohamed Fadel Fahmy

A Muslim Brotherhood candidate for next month's presidential elections here lashed out Monday at the eleventh-hour entrance into the race by Omar Suleiman, the former spy chief to deposed strongman Hosni Mubarak.


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"We are not against the concept of anyone running as long as he has the right legal status, but it's unacceptable tohave one of the symbols of Mubarak's regime run for president," Khairat el-Shater told CNN. "The majority ofEgyptians will not accept him. His candidacy is an insult to the revolution."

The only way Suleiman could win would be by forgery, el-Shater said. "If there is a 1% chance of forgery in theelections, and he wins that way, then all the Egyptians -- not just the Muslim Brotherhood -- will take to the streets."

Elections are scheduled to start May 23.

El-Shater said the brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, would respect "all signed treaties,"including the 1978 Camp David Accords with Israel. "Regardless of any opinion toward these treaties, they wereaccepted by decent entities in the country, and it does not mean that changing the political system will affect thetreaties."

But he noted that the accords included a component "about respecting the rights of Palestinians. The Egyptiansrespected their part of the deal but the Israelis -- until now -- have not respected the Palestinian rights. TheEgyptians complied, but the Israelis did not."

El-Shater said the timing of a loan from the International Monetary Fund to the Egyptian government could proveproblematic. "The timing is the problem because we don't think this interim government is performing well, so weobject that they take this loan and spend it in two months, then the new government worries about paying it back."

Whatever happens in the election, the top priority for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party isto ease sectarian tensions, which built under Mubarak's regime, he said. "Mubarak's former regime reallyoppressed the Coptics and the Muslims because his system was based on tyranny. We aim to rebuild our nationagain."

Suleiman entered the race just hours before the Sunday deadline, said Hatem Bjato, who heads the electioncommittee.

Suleiman had initially said he would not seek the presidency in the first election for the post since the revolution thatled to the toppling of Mubarak. But on Friday, Suleiman did an about-face, saying he felt obliged to supporters.

"I promise you, my brothers and sisters, to complete the goals of the revolution and provide security and stability tothe Egyptian people," he said in a written statement Friday.

Parliament, which is 70% Islamist, passed a bill against Suleiman's running. But it is only symbolic, said ZakariaAbdel Aziz, the former head of the lawyer's association. "Only a decision from the administrative court wouldexecute such a ban," he told CNN. "Banning former regime members from practicing their political rights for fiveyears or even 10 has been discussed thoroughly, but the law has not been reactivated and there must be proof that

Omar Suleiman has been implicated in political corruption before he is banned from running."

The status of another candidate was less certain.

A court ruled that liberal opposition leader Ayman Nour will not be allowed to compete because he was jailed inrecent years, the candidate's son said Saturday. Nour was recently pardoned and plans to appeal, the son said.

That decision could affect the future of al-Shater, since he too was pardoned for his past convictions.


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A millionaire businessman who served two prison terms under Mubarak, al-Shater is considered a conservative,though he is also credited as being the driving force behind the Brotherhood's affirmation that Egypt shouldcontinue to honor its international agreements.

Fearful for the future of its candidates, the Muslim Brotherhood nominated Saturday an alternative, MohammedMorsi, chief of the Freedom and Justice Party. "We are protecting the revolution and all of its goals. ... We havedecided as the Brotherhood and its party to nominate Mohammed Morsi as our backup candidate for president," itsaid in a statement.

The group had pledged repeatedly that it would not field a presidential candidate. But candidates from its politicalarm won the largest share of seats in Egypt's parliamentary elections in December. And Brotherhood leaderMohamed Badie has said the new Egypt "is under a serious threat" because its current military-led government"has failed to represent the will of the people."

A military junta took power after Mubarak's ouster.

Salafist candidate Hazem Abu Ismael was also disqualified from running in the election because of his mother'sU.S. citizenship, state television reported Saturday.

The deceased mother of Abu Ismael held U.S. citizenship and used her U.S. passport to enter Egypt three times,Egypt's Interior Ministry has said.

Ismael had said that his mother held a green card residency permit but was not a U.S. citizen. He told a privateEgyptian TV program that his sister was married to an American and had obtained U.S. citizenship, but that hismother had not. The official number of candidates is 23.

10 Apr 2012Bikya MasrEl-Baradei Initiates the Revolution PartyFew hours ago, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed El-Baradei hasofficially announced that he will co-found of a new political party called The Revolution.

(U) El- Baradei co-founds the Revolution party

The party includes prominent public figures such as the economist Galal Amin, the famous writer Alaa Al-Aswany,TV presenter and activist Gameela Ismail, politician and Kefaya protest movement founder George Ishaq,international law professor Hossam Eissa, film director Khaled Youssef, film producer Mohamed El-Adl, and co-founder of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition Shady El-Ghazaly Harb and Rami Shaath.


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The Party is aiming to be the nucleus of a coalition that will include all secular forces in Egypt, said El-Baradei.

It should be mentioned that in February 2010, El-Baradei announced the formation of the National Association forChange (NAC), which included many public and political figures, aiming to was press for positive reforms in thepolitical scene.

Moreover, In January 2012, El-Baradei withdrew from the presidential race, in a sign of refusal to the decision ofelecting the president before drafting a constitution, which determines his or her powers.

09 Apr 2012BloombergAmre Moussa Leading Egyptian Presidential Candidates, Poll ShowsFormer Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa is leading in Egypts presidential race, with the MuslimBrotherhoods main nominee trailing in eighth place, according to a poll published by the state-run Al Ahramnewspaper.

Moussa, a former foreign minister under ousted President Hosni Mubarak, had the support of 30.7 percent of thosepolled while the Brotherhoods Khairat el-Shater took only 1.7 percent, according to the survey. In second placewas Salafi candidate Hazem Abu Ismail, who may be disqualified after election officials said his mother held U.S.citizenship. The law stipulates that neither a candidate nor either of his parents may hold a foreign nationality.

Candidate registration for Egypts first presidential elections since Mubaraks overthrow ended yesterday. The lateentrance of Mubaraks vice president, Omar Suleiman, and the Brotherhoods decision to contest the race,reversing an earlier position; have raised tensions ahead of the vote.

The survey, funded by the state-run Al Ahram establishment, was based on interviews between March 31 and April

3 with 1,200 people nationwide except in border provinces, Al Ahram said. About 8 percent of the interviews wereconducted before the Brotherhood officially announced that it was fielding el-Shater, the newspaper reported. Themargin of error was 4 percent, it said.

Abdel Moneim Aboul-Fotouh, a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, came in third with 8.5 percent whileSuleiman was fourth with 8.2 percent.

09 Apr 2012Business Intelligence-Middle EastMubarak Spy Chief Attacks Brotherhood over PresidencyFormer spymaster Omar Suleiman lashed out at the Muslim Brotherhood and said his own candidacy for thepresidency aimed to restore security and stability in Egypt, in an interview published on Monday.

The Brotherhood, which dominates parliament and is heavily tipped for the presidency, has "lost a lot of itspopularity," said Suleiman, who was military intelligence chief under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

"There has been a change on the Egyptian street. The practices of the Brotherhood and their monopolistic waysand unacceptable pronouncements have contributed to the change in public opinion," he said.

Suleiman, a sworn enemy of Islamists before last year's revolution which brought down Mubarak, vowed not to dropout of the May 23-24 election despite alleged threats from Islamists.


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"Ever since the announcement that I was running, I have received on my mobile and through friends threats andmessages that 'We will take our revenge' from elements of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups," hesaid.

"If some people think such threats will make me go back on his decision, they are mistaken," said Suleiman.

The former general played down his links with the ousted regime or with the military which has been ruling Egypt inthe interim since Mubarak's fall.

"If I was intelligence chief and then vice president for a few days, that doesn't mean I was part of a regime againstwhich the people mounted a revolt," he said.

"The revolution has created a new reality and no one can bring back a regime which has fallen and which thepopulation has rejected," he said.

"I am counting on the little people, on the young and on intellectuals. I am counting on those who want security andstability, who want to be able to earn a living in dignity and freedom," he said.

Suleiman said he could "save the country from its chaos" by restoring security and attracting foreign investors toreturn to Egypt.

Registration for candidates in Egypt's first post-uprising presidential election closed on Sunday, amid last-minutetwists and turns that have shaken the political race.

The candidates include former Arab League chief Amr Mussa, ultra-conservative Islamist preacher Hazem AbuIsmail, the Brotherhood's Khairat El-Shater, as well as Suleiman who registered less than half an hour before thedeadline.

ISRAEL / GAZA (Top)

10 Apr 2012Maan NewsAl-Qaida Warns UK not to Deport Bethlehem-Born ClericAl-Qaida has warned Britain against handing over a radical Islamic cleric born in Bethlehem to Jordan after hisrelease from prison, saying such a move will open the "door of evil" for the British government and its people,according to an Islamist website.

Britain freed Abu Qatada from prison in February to live under virtual house arrest after a court ruled that hisdetention without trial was unlawful.

"It has come to our attention that the British government intends to hand over the honorable Sheikh Abu Qatada al-Filistini to the agent Jordanian government, claiming it had secured assurances and covenants not to torture him,"the group said in a statement posted on an Islamist site late on Monday.

"Based on all that, we in Qaedat al-Jihad (al-Qaida) place the responsibility on the British government of handingover Sheikh Abu Qatada to the Jordanian government, and let it be known that by doing so, under any pretext, itwill open the door of evil for it and its citizens, which it can do without."

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the statement in Arabic.


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Twice convicted in absentia in Jordan of involvement in terrorist plots, Britain says Abu Qatada is still a nationalsecurity risk and should be deported before London hosts the Olympic Games in July and August.

The 51-year-old, whose real name is Omar Othman, has been in and out of jail since he was first detained withoutcharge under British anti-terrorism laws in 2002.

Since his release, Abu Qatada has had to wear an electronic tag to allow the police to keep track of him and spend22 hours a day at his family home. He is also banned from using the Internet and mobile phones.

Britain says videotapes of his sermons were found in a German apartment used by three of the people who carriedout al-Qaida's September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

A father of five, Abu Qatada denies belonging to al-Qaida.

The militant group confirmed that Abu Qatada has no "organizational connection" with it or any other group.

If he returns to Jordan, his lawyers say, he risks torture or retrial using evidence extracted from others using torture.

Qatada was born in 1960 near Bethlehem, then under Jordanian control and now under Israeli occupation. Heholds Jordanian nationality.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in February that his detention without charge was unlawful and thatBritain must not deport him to Jordan.

Seven European judges ruled that Qatada would not receive a fair trial in Jordan because evidence against himmay have been obtained using torture.

10 Apr 2012YnetIsrael Braces for another 'Flytilla'Israel believes hundreds, possibly thousands of pro-Palestinian activists are set to stage fly-in to Ben Gurion Airporton Sunday ahead of trip to Palestinian Authority

Is a second fly-in underway? Hundreds, possibly thousands, of foreign pro-Palestinian activists are set to arrive inIsrael via the Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday ahead of trip to Palestinian Authority.

The measure is perceived as having volatile potential, and police sources said Monday that security forces aregearing to stop the activists at the airport should they cause a public disturbance something authorities believe isvery likely.

The "flytilla," titled the "Welcome to Palestine 2012" campaign, is expected to consist of activists from the UnitedStates, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who plan to go to Bethlehem, before travelling to other Palestiniancities.

Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, who will coordinate the government's efforts vis--vis the fly-in, hasalready held several meetings on the matter, as well as a survey of the airport.


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(U) Activists in Geneva, last summer (Photo: AFP)

Aharonovitch's team consists of officials from the police, the Immigration authority, the Israel Aviation Authority andvarious other branches in the defense establishment.

Sunday, which will see the end of the Passover break in Israel, is considered one of the busiest days in Ben GurionAirport.

Aharonovitch stressed that airport security, which will be reinforced, has been instructed to exercise restraint whilemaintaining order.

Israel's efforts to stop the first "flytilla," in July 2011, were somewhat successful, as many European nationsstopped the activists from boarding their flights.

Jerusalem sources said that those who will arrive in Israel will not be granted entry and will be deported.

'We're not trying to make Israel look bad'

The fly-in's organizers said that unlike last year, European airlines are not expected to blacklist activists.

Dr. Mazin Qumsieh, one of the organizers, said that some 1,500 people are expected to arrive in Israel as part ofthe "flytilla," adding that some may arrive before Sunday.


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(U) A cartoon on the 'flytilla's' website

"The airlines won't obey an Israeli demand to blacklist activists this time After last year's events, some groupssued the airlines.

"I don't know how Israel plans to deal with this, but what would it look like of it deports 1,500 people?" he said.

Qumsieh stressed that the activists have been instructed to tell the truth about their reason for traveling to Israel.

The Palestinian Authority, he added, is aware that even if the activists arrive in Israel they will be promptlydeported.

The Palestinians are aware of the fact the regardless of the fly-in's end result, they are likely to have the upperhand PR wise.

But Qumsieh insisted that is not the "flytilla's" goal: "We're not trying to make Israel look bad. I want Israel to letthem in. "Israel shouldnt isolate us from the international community," he concluded. "I hope Israel does the rightthing."

10 Apr 2012YnetIDF Officer who Spied for Hezbollah Released from PrisonBedouin lieutenant colonel convicted of espionage, drug trafficking, released after less than 10 years in prison

Lieutenant-Colonel Omar al-Hayeb, who was convicted of spying for Hezbollah, has been released after less than10 years in prison on Tuesday.


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Al-Hayeb, 48, was convicted of severe espionage, contact with a foreign agent and drug trafficking and sentencedto 15 years in prison in 2006. In 2010, it was decided to commute his sentence to 10 years. Last week, the PrisonService decided to release him six months earlier due to his medical condition.

Lt. Col. (res.) Hassan al-Hayeb, al-Hayeb's brother and Zarzir Mayor and chairman of the Bedouin councils said, "IfOmar had erred, the State had a hand in it, as he was critically injured while chasing after Hezbollah men in 1996.He still has a bullet fragment in his head, and he lost eight soldiers in the incident."

The brother thanked the IDF officers who stood by the family as well as the "political and military establishment" fortheir support.

(U) Al-Hayeb after being released from prison (Photo: Zeev Trachtman)

Al-Hayeb, 48, served in the IDF's Scouts Unit until he was badly injured while in pursuit of Hezbollah terrorists in1996. He lost one eye and suffered an injury which limited his motor functions. He returned to the army three yearslater and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.

In 2002, he was arrested and charged with espionage, treason, contact with a foreign agent and drug trafficking.His arrest shocked the military establishment as the al-Hayeb family was one of the most prominent Bedouinfamilies to serve in the IDF. The family was among the founders of the Scouts Unit and 14 of its members havedied in battle.

09 Apr 2012Maan NewsIslamic Jihad: Abbas should Quit Talks with IsraelIslamic Jihad leader Sheikh Nafeth Azzam on Monday urged President Mahmoud Abbas to give up on negotiationswith Israel.

Addressing relatives of detainees at a demonstration outside Red Crescent headquarters in Gaza City, Azzam saidthere was "no point" in a letter Abbas is sending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.


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(U) Islamic Jihad leader Sheikh Nafeth Azzam addresses the relatives of detainees in Gaza City on April 9.(MaanImages)

"We tell the president that there is no point in sending a letter to the enemy," Azzam said.

"We hope that the president will be clear about his positions and give up on the approach of the negotiations withIsrael," he added.

Abbas said Sunday he is writing Netanyahu a letter to try and break the deadlock in the peace process.

The president's adviser Nimir Hammad said Wednesday that a delegation would deliver the long-awaited missivethis week.

09 Apr 2012Jerusalem PostPalestinian Prisoners Call for Mass Hunger StrikeAs Palestinians prepare to mark Prisoners Day on April 17, Hamas leaders called for operatives to kidnap Israelisoldiers to force the release of Palestinian prisoners.

(U) Hamas leaders called for operatives to kidnap Israeli soldiers to force the release of Palestinian prisoners.Photo: REUTERS


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Meanwhile, leaders of the Palestinian prisoners said they are planning an open-ended hunger strike as of April 17to put pressure on Israel to release them.

Related: Palestinian prisoner vows to continue hunger strike The hunger strike will be held under the slogan, Wewill live in dignity. So far, prisoners belonging to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation ofPalestine have declared their intention to participate in the hunger strike.

The only way to free Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons is by abducting IDF soldiers, Hamas leader KhaledMashaal told a conference in Qatar Friday night.

Mashaal, who was a key speaker at the conference on Jerusalem, said that the issue of the Palestinian prisonerswould remain at the top of Hamass agenda until they are freed.

If the [Israeli] enemy has not learned, we are prepared to give them practical lessons, Mashaal said, referring tothe possibility of kidnapping IDF soldiers. The only way to free the prisoners is by exchanging them for their[Israels] prisoners and leaders.

Mashaal told the conference, which as organized by Islamic organizations from different countries, that Jerusalemwould be restored only through the rifle and resistance. He accused Israel of working toward changing the historyof Jerusalem. But, he cautioned, it wont be too long before Jerusalem returns to be an Arab and Islamic city.

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas Minister for Prisoner Affairs Atallah Abu al-Sabah urged armed Palestinian groups toresume their efforts to kidnap IDF soldiers as a way of securing the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli

jails.

The Zionists who assault our prisoners dont deserve to live in security, al-Sabah said during a rally in solidaritywith Palestinian prisoners in Gaza City.

Another Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Bahr, also joined the call for kidnapping IDF soldiers.

Bahr appealed to various armed groups in the Gaza Strip to form a unified committee to plan and carry out theabductions in order to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Bahr also criticized the Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank for handing back Israeli citizens whoentered PA-controlled territories.

08 Apr 2012Jerusalem PostSinai Revolutionaries Plan Protest against Israel

Egyptian movement plans to paint colors of Egypt's flag over memorial for IDF soldiers

The Sinai Revolutionaries Movement is planning to paint the colors of the Egyptian flag over an IDF memorial,spokesman Mohammed Hendy told the Palestinian Ma'an news agency on Sunday. The act of protest is set to takeplace on April 25, the day Egypt marks the liberation of the Sinai Peninsula.

The monument was created in memory of 10 Israeli soldiers killed in a helicopter crash when the Sinai was stillunder Israeli sovereignty. Egypt pledged to guard the memorial as part of the 1979 peace treaty.


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Hendy said that the Sinai Revolutionaries Movement had tried to destroy the monument several times, only to bestopped by Egyptian army forces guarding the site.

He noted that there is a cemetery of Egyptian soldiers in Beersheba which he claims the "Jews had destroyed."

The movement decided to cover the monument in the colors of the Egyptian flag in order to "render the site anEgyptian symbol and not an Israeli one, to honor the memory of the Egyptian troops and serve as a warning toanyone who wants to hurt Sinai."

JORDAN(Top)

10 Apr 2012Jordan TimesJustice Ministers Resignation Pendingby Hani Hazaimeh

Justice Minister Salim Zoubi submitted a letter of resignation last week, Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh said onMonday, but his resignation has not yet been finally confirmed.

(U) Justice Minister Salim Zoubi submitted his resignation last week for health reasons, according to thegovernment (File photo)


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The premier denied that Zoubi had resigned because he disagreed with the government over the draft electionslaw, which was sent to Parliament on Sunday after lengthy deliberations in the Cabinet.

We might have differences of opinion, but that was not the reason for the resignation, the premier said.

"I spoke with him yesterday [Sunday], after he came back from the UAE, and he expressed satisfaction with thedraft law and appreciation for the efforts exerted by all members of the government to formulate the bill,"Khasawneh told a press conference Monday.

He stressed that the minister has been suffering from fatigue due to "hard work" and that his decision to resign wasmerely for health reasons.

"We are respectful of his decision, and if he insists on resigning, it will be discussed during a Cabinet meeting, buteven if he leaves, there will be no government reshuffle," Khasawneh added.

09 Apr 2012Jordan TimesJordan Marching Steadily Towards ReformKing meets with British lawmakers, discusses ties, region

(U) His Majesty King Abdullah speaks during a meeting with UK parliamentarians in Amman on Monday (Photo byYousef Allan)

His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday stressed that Jordan is steadily marching towards the implementation of itsdevelopment and reform programmes and plans.

During a meeting with a delegation from the British Houses of Lords and Commons, which is currently on a regionaltour, the King said Jordan also seeks to entrench a democracy in the country through expanding public participationin the Kingdoms political life and enhancing the roles of women and youth, a Royal Court statement said.


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The Monarch outlined Jordans efforts to achieve comprehensive reform in all its political, economic and socialaspects and the steps taken in this regard, foremost of which are the constitutional amendments and other lawsregulating the Kingdoms political life.

He also stressed the need to transform public demands into effective political, economic and social programmeswithin an institutional framework, under which various parties and civil society institutions will assume their role inadopting these demands and achieving them.

Regarding peace efforts, the King called for international cooperation to create the suitable atmosphere to bringback Palestinian and Israeli officials to the negotiating table to discuss all final status issues and work out a solutionthat leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem asits capital, living in peace and security to the side of a secure Israel.

Talks also covered regional developments, particularly in Syria, the statement said.

The King stressed that Jordan is working to find a solution to the Syrian crisis within the Arab consensus, renewingsupport for the mission of the UN-Arab League peace envoy, Kofi Annan.

Commending the Kings efforts to achieve reform in Jordan, the delegates stressed their countrys keenness toenhance cooperation with the Kingdom.

Also on Monday, the British lawmakers met with Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and discussed means to enhancebilateral ties in various fields, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Judeh briefed the delegation on the Kingdoms reform process and discussed the latest regional developments.

LEBANON (Top)

10 Apr 2012Now LebanonAl-Akhbar: Weapons Stolen from Lebanese Army Smuggled to SyriaThe Lebanese army revealed that some soldiers had been stealing weapons from its warehouses and sellingthem to arms dealers - who in turn transferred them to areas in Beirut and North Lebanon and from there to Syria -where Syrian rebels would benefit from them, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday.

The newspaper said that the armys intelligence service arrested an officer, identified by his initials Kh. H., whohails from the Bekaa town of Aarsal. He was detained on suspicion of involvement in stealing a large number ofweapons and ammunition from the armys eighth battalion warehouse where he works as a guard.

A second soldier from the same battalion was also arrested for alleged involvement in the operation, the daily said.Furthermore, Al-Akhbar reported that a third person working in the logistic battalion was also detained.

The newspaper added that the investigations revealed that more than 90 machine guns had been stolen from thearmys warehouses, in addition to large amounts of ammunition.

Moreover, Al-Akhbar said that based on the armys investigation into this case, the army arrested more than 10people in the Bekaa Valley and Tariq al-Jedideh for involvement in purchasing stolen governmental weapons andtransferring them to the Bekaa - from where they were later smuggled to Syria.


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The newspaper cited anonymous sources as saying that the detainees were transferred to the military court forinterrogation.

The daily said that this was a new breach of the Lebanese Armed Forces after the army announced in March that aSalafist cell - associated with the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Abdallah Azzam Brigades - was seeking to train Lebanesesoldiers to target the armys military bases.

However, the Brigades denied any involvement with the terrorist cell reportedly discovered by the Lebanese army.

10 Apr 2012Naharnet News200 March 14 Personalities Throw Support behind Geagea in MaarabA large-scale meeting of the opposition March 14 forces is scheduled to be held in the residence of LebaneseForces chief Samir Geagea in Maarab on Wednesday in a show of support after his escape from an assassinationattempt last week.

The March 14 general-secretariat has invited around 200 personalities, including party leaders, lawmakers andformer ministers to participate in the meeting in Maarab at 5:00 pm, An Nahar daily said.

It quoted organizers as saying that the gathering is aimed at showing a united front with Geagea who escaped anassassination attempt by snipers as he was walking in the garden of his fortified residence last Wednesday.

The meeting is also aimed at confirming the determination of the March 14 coalition in confronting the next stage,which became full of challenges following the change in the status quo since 2008, when the last assassination wascarried out, the organizers said.

Lebanon was rocked with a series of bombings and killings between 2004 and 2008, including the assassination ofex-Premier Rafik Hariri in Feb. 2005.

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High-ranking March 14 sources vowed a showdown with the government during parliamentary sessions next week,saying the opposition will no longer remain silent or reconcile with it.

Parliament will hold a three-day session starting next Tuesday to assess the cabinets performance.

Al-Joumhouria also quoted an opposition official as saying that Geageas assassination attempt was aimed atturning the clock back after striking the spirit of change instigated by the Syrian Spring as a continuation ofLebanons Cedar Revolution in 2005.

The main objective behind targeting Geagea is to obstruct the opportunity of change that could come following thecollapse of the Syrian regime, the official said.

10 April 2012Naharnet NewsReport: Syrian Crisis to Spill over to Lebanon as Cabinets Fate Remains UnknownThe Syrian crisis will likely have serious repercussions on Lebanon as the international community failed tointervene to stop the bloodshed in Damascus and establish safe zones, a report by the European Institute for theMediterranean (EuroMeSCo) said.

The Lebanese parties worry that a Syrian civil war could actually spill over into Lebanon where Sunni-Shiitetension is high, Riad Kahwaji, the writer of the report, said.

He said the Syrian regime will collapse sooner or later which will constitute a new beginning for the CedarRevolution and likely reduce Syrias role in Lebanon.

It also noted that Hizbullah will have to pay the price of its popularity and legitimacy if the Syrian regime collapses.

Hizbullah realizes its weakened position with the demise of the Syrian regime its likely goal is to survive thecurrent storm sweeping the region and to try to ensure its future on the Lebanese scene, the report said.

However, it noted that Hizbullah will not lose its political support even if it forces the collapse of the cabinet led byPrime Minister Najib Miqati, as it will be able to improve its and Irans bargaining position, the fate and role inLebanon.

The swift changes sweeping the region and daily developments on various fronts have kept Lebanese leadersbusy managing a series of cries focusing mostly on how to survive politically, the report said.

While the March 14 forces support the Syrian uprising and are counting the days for its collapse, the March 8forces are seriously worried about their future after the anticipated fall of the Syrian regime, it stated.

The report noted that officials are not sure how Hizbullah would react to the collapse of the Syrian regime whichprompted the March 14 forces to adopt a wait and see policy.

The fate of Miqati is not clear, according to the report.

Some analysts fear that Hizbullah might force the toppling of the current government if the Syrian regime collapseand politically prevent the formation of a new cabinet.


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However, the writer of the report stressed that maintaining Miqatis cabinet appears to be the best option and thelesser of evils, which is preferred by the March 14 forces until a news better alternative is available.

EuroMeSCo includes 61 institutions from 33 countries including Lebanon.

10 Apr 2012Naharnet NewsSTLs Deputy Head of Defense Office QuitsThe deputy head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanons Defense Office, Alia Aoun, has informed the Registrar thatshe intends to return to practice as an attorney, the court said in a press release on Tuesday.

Following the start of the judicial phase of the STL on 1 February 2012, it is now primarily for the Defense Counselto ensure the protection of the rights of the accused and equitable justice, the statement quoted Aoun as saying.

As the Deputy Head of the Defense Office, I have helped to prepare the ground for the development of a judicialprocess that is fair and respectful of all parties.

Throughout my term I have been acutely aware of the importance of our work to the Lebanese people. It is myhope that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will continue to fulfill its mandate through the professionalism anddevotion of the tribunals staff, Aoun added.

Alia Aoun will return to practice as an attorney in Paris where she will continue to pursue the promotion of the ruleof law in Lebanon and the wider Arab world.

The tribunal was set up by the U.N. Security Council in 2007 to investigate the February 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.

It has announced that it will put four Hizbullah members on trial even though they have not yet been detained.

10 Apr 2012Daily StarHundreds Attend Funeral for Slain Al-Jadeed CameramanJournalists from across Lebanon took part in the funeral procession Tuesday for slain Al-Jadeed TV cameraman AliShaaban, shot dead the day before when the car in which he was riding came under fire from the Syrian side of thenorthern border.

About 200 reporters, cameramen and photographers representing local and foreign media outlets gathered outsidethe Beirut headquarters of Al-Jadeed television channel early Tuesday to pay their final respects to Shaaban.

Al-Jadeed has blamed the Syrian army for the killing, the latest in a series of incidents along the increasingly tenseLebanese-Syrian frontier. Lebanon immediately demanded a Syrian investigation into the killing.

Shaabans colleague, reporter Hussein Khreis, said their three-man TV crew was subjected to sudden gunfirearound them "pouring down like rain." He said Shaaban was shot while inside the car.

Television footage showed the car riddled with dozens of bullets.


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From Beirut, a hearse transported Shaaban's body to the family home in Hart Hreik in the capitals southernsuburbs before he was taken south for burial in his hometown of Maifadoun.

Shaaban, 32, was shot dead while he was on an assignment with Khreiss and cameraman Abed al-Azim Khayyatin the Wadi Khaled area in Akkar, north Lebanon, near the border with Syria.

Both Khreiss and Khayyat pointed the finger at Syria.

Gunfire was aimed at the crew with the intention of killing and to show that the region is a military zone, Khreisstold reporters outside Al-Jadeed building in Corniche Mazraa Tuesday.

If Syria wanted to send a message, it did not have to send this message in blood, Khayyat commented.

Shaaban's death drew widespread condemnation across the Lebanese political spectrum.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also deplored the cross-border shootings from Syria into Lebanon ahead of acease-fire deadline in the yearlong conflict that has pushed Syria to the brink of civil war.

Hezbollahs media office, in a statement, expressed its "deep sorrow for the loss of a media colleague, cameramanAli Shaaban."

We condemn this attack on journalists, who pay the price for their courage in covering events, Hezbollah added. Italso condemned the targeting of the media which try to convey the picture of events for the people."

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani denounced the killing, describing the incident as an affront topress freedom.

The attack on the press and free speech is condemned and what happened with the Al-Jadeed TV crew in Akkarwhich led to the martyrdom of Ali Shaaban is a blatant violation of press freedoms," he said in a statementpublished Tuesday.

Qabbani called on the government to shoulder its responsibilities in terms of protecting all Lebanese in order toprevent a recurrence of the incident.

SYRIA (Top)

10 Apr 2012Now LebanonSyria Shells Aleppo Village, Boosts Troops on Deadline Day

Syrian forces shelled a village and sent reinforcements to another rebel bastion Tuesday, the day a UN-Arab planto end 13 months of bloodshed is to take effect, monitors and activists said.

The forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were shelling Marea, in northern Aleppo province, after taking uppositions around the village, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, told AFP by telephone that "army tanks wereshelling Marea, while helicopters hovered" over the village.


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Mortar shells struck villages in the central province of Homs, he said, adding that it was relatively calm elsewhere,after one of the deadliest days in the Assad regime's crackdown on dissent.

Under the peace plan agreed with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, the Syrian regime is supposed to withdrawits troops from population centers on Tuesday ahead of a ceasefire on Thursday.

But Abdel Rahman noted that regime forces have yet to pull back from anywhere across the country on Tuesday,according to reports from witnesses on the ground.

And activists said that instead of withdrawing its forces, the Assad government was sending even morereinforcements into at least one other rebel stronghold, the besieged city of Rastan in central Homs province.

The Local Coordination Committees, one of the main opposition groups inside Syria, said "large militaryreinforcements" had arrived on the eastern outskirts of Rastan overnight.

The reports, which cannot be verified due to curbs on foreign media, came after one of the bloodiest days inDamascus' crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests that has seen some people take up arms against theregime.

The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed since anti-regime protests broke out in March2011, while monitors put the number at more than 10,000.

10 Apr 2012Now LebanonGunmen Kill Six Troops in Northeast Syria, Monitors SayUnidentified gunmen killed six Syrian soldiers in the northeastern province of Hassakeh on Tuesday, monitors said,

on the day a UN-Arab peace plan is due to start taking effect.

The attack occurred between the villages of Masaada and Marqada, according to the Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

Syrian forces shelled several neighbourhoods of the flashpoint central city of Homs, including Khaldiyeh, as well asthe village of Marea, and neighbouring Hawr al-Nahr village, in the northern province of Aleppo, the center said.

It also reported clashes between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebel fighters in the area ofMzeyreeb, in the southern province of Daraa, the cradle of the dissent movement launched a year ago.

Regular forces also carried out arrests in the village of Kfar Zeita, in the central province of Hama, a day after fierceclashes between regime troops and rebel fighters, the Observatory reported.

Meanwhile, explosions were heard outside Douma, a northern suburb of the capital, the center said.

The Local Coordination Committees, one of the main opposition groups inside Syria, said "large militaryreinforcements" had arrived overnight on the eastern outskirts of Rastan, in the central province of Homs.

The reports, which cannot be verified due to curbs on foreign media, came after one of the bloodiest days inDamascus' crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests that has seen some people take up arms against theregime.


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Under the peace plan agreed with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, the Syrian government is supposed towithdraw its forces from population centres on Tuesday ahead of a ceasefire deadline on Thursday.

10 Apr 2012Now LebanonTurkey's Davutoglu Cuts Short China Trip over Syria CrisisTurkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will cut short an official China visit and fly home Tuesday after Syrianforces fired shots into a refugee camp across the border, a report said.

Davutoglu, who was accompanying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will not join the Shanghai leg of the tripand instead return to Turkey later in the day, reported the Anatolia news agency.

On the Turkish border on Monday, shots fired from inside Syria wounded four Syrians and two Turkish staff at arefugee camp in the first case of Syrian fire hitting people on Turkish soil in the crisis.

The incident, on the eve of a visit by international envoy Kofi Annan to the refugee camps, angered Ankara, andErdogan said it was a "clear violation" of the border between Turkey and Syria.

Annan was expected at the border at noon Tuesday, joined by US senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman.

Syria faced a deadline Tuesday to withdraw its forces from urban areas after more than a year of cracking down onopponents and bloody clashes, with a peace accord brokered by Annan hanging by a thread Tuesday.

Davutoglu has intensified diplomatic contacts with the international community and held telephone conversationswith four members of the UN Security Council over the Syrian crisis the United States, Britain, China and Russia

reported private NTV television.

10 Apr 2012Now LebanonSyrian Top Diplomat in Moscow to Preserve Russian SupportSyria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem was in Moscow Tuesday for talks in a bid to persuade Russia to maintainsupport for the Damascus regime even as hopes for a UN-backed peace plan slipped away.

Russia has been one of few world powers to offer support to President Bashar al-Assad in his bloody standoff withprotestors, but has also backed the plan of UN envoy Kofi Annan to end the violence.

The visit by the veteran foreign minister to Moscow coincides with the deadline under the Annan plan for the Syriangovernment to withdraw its forces from protest cities, which so far it has shown little sign of observing.

"There is the Annan plan, it contains concrete points and we fully support this plan," the Interfax news agencyquoted Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov as saying ahead of the talks on Monday.

Muallem, who arrived in Moscow late on Monday, is due to hold talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov followedby a news conference at 0900 GMT.

Russia has repeatedly condemned the West for taking what it says is a one-sided approach in the conflict but hasin recent weeks shown signs of growing exasperation with the intransigence of the Assad regime.


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Moscow says its position is objective and gives it unmatched influence over Damascus, although rights activistshave accused Russia of giving a green light to violence that has already left more than 9,000 dead according to theUN.

Last week Moscow supported a UN Security Council statement calling on Syria to "urgently" move to keepTuesday's deadline agreed with Annan to withdraw troops and weapons from protest cities.

"Damascus risks losing Moscow. The failure of the Kofi Annan plan could cost Bashar al-Assad dear," said theNezavisimaya Gazeta liberal daily.

Assad's secular regime has been able until now to count on Moscow as a friend, in a long standing alliance thatgoes back to the warm relations between the Soviet Union and his predecessor and father Hafez al-Assad.

The Russian foreign ministry made clear last week that the "development of the traditionally friendly and multi-faceted Russia-Syria relations" would be discussed at the talks.

10 April 2012NaharnetMuallem says Syria Started Implementing Annans PlanSyria's foreign minister told Moscow Tuesday Damascus has started withdrawing troops in line with Kofi Annan'speace plan but Russia said the regime should implement the initiative more decisively.

The rare visit by the veteran Foreign Minister Walid Muallem to Moscow coincided with a deadline under the Annanplan for Syria to withdraw forces from protest cities amid Western worries the scheme is in tatters.

"I told my Russian colleague of the steps Syria is taking to show its goodwill for the implementation of the Annan

plan," Muallem said after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Unclassified

"We have already withdrawn military units from different Syrian provinces," without giving further details on thelocation. Muallem also said Syria freed some prisoners arrested for participating in anti-government riots, againwithout specifics.


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He added that a ceasefire should begin "simultaneously" with the arrival of international observers. Damascus hadalready made clear it could only stick to the Annan plan if it received written guarantees from the rebels.

With tensions riding high between Damascus and Ankara after Syrian forces fired shots into a refugee camp acrossthe Turkish border, Muallem accused Turkey of undermining the Annan plan by helping the rebels.

"Turkey... supports illegal Syrian militant groups, supplies them with weapons... and lets them illegally cross intoSyria," Muallem said. "How can we (fulfill the plan) if there are still illegal arms deliveries and moving of militantsfrom Turkey?"

Lavrov however made clear said that Syria should be more decisive in fulfilling the plan of U.N.-Arab League envoyAnnan, which most notably calls on Syria to pull out government forces and weaponry from cities hit by protests.

"We believe their actions could have been more active, more decisive when it comes to the implementation of theplan," Lavrov said at a joint news conference with Muallem.

He said however that Muallem had informed him that Damascus was starting to implement the key conditions of theplan concerning the withdrawal of weaponry and troops.

The White House had earlier said there was "no sign" that the government of President Bashar Assad was stickingby the Annan peace plan after signing on to the deal last week.

"An immediate cessation of fire is the number one task," said Lavrov. "We urgently call on our Syrian colleagues tostrictly implement all their obligations in accordance with the Kofi Annan plan," Lavrov said.

Russia has repeatedly condemned the West for taking what it says is a one-sided approach in the conflict but hasin recent weeks shown signs of growing exasperation with the intransigence of the Assad regime.

Assad's secular regime has been able until now to count on Moscow as a friend, in a long standing alliance thatgoes back to warm relations between the Soviet Union and his predecessor and father Hafez Assad.

Moscow says its position is objective and gives it unmatched influence over Damascus, although rights activistshave accused Russia of giving a green light to violence that has left more than 9,000 dead according to the U.N.

"We consistently work towards this goal (democracy in Syria) with the Syrian government without any sort of hiddenagenda, wishing the peace and flourishing of the Syrian nation," said Lavrov.

"The most urgent task right now is not to allow new casualties from any sides," he added.

09 April 2012Tehran TimesSyria has Weathered the Storm: Iranian Deputy FMIranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says that the Syriangovernment has successfully steered the country through the crisis.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks during a meeting with Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Omans ministerresponsible for foreign affairs, in Muscat on Monday.


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(U) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Plots and conspiracies against Syria and the resistance front resulted in failure, and the country successfully wentthrough the crisis, Amir-Abdollahian said.

The Iranian deputy foreign minister also stated that the Islamic Republic will continue to support the reforms thatSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has initiated and believes that the future belongs to the Syrian people and theresistance movement.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he commented on the issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and said, The IslamicRepublic of Iran has always taken steps toward good, welfare, and stability in the region and regards indigenousand collective participation in efforts to maintain lasting security in the Persian Gulf as a necessary issue given theimportance of the Strait of Hormuz. However, certain sides have not paid due attention to this issue and are making

efforts to create crisis in the region through their hasty and unwise measures.

On the situation in Bahrain, Amir-Abdollahian stated, A hasty and ill-considered military measure robs the regionswell-wishers of the opportunity to (achieve) a political solution, and the violation of human rights and crackdownin Bahrain should be stopped, otherwise, the situation will get out of hand, and this will only serve the interests ofthe enemies.

He also spoke about the situation on the ground in Yemen and said, Although the initiative of the Persian GulfCooperation Council is regarded as a step forward, it was not sufficient. And the Islamic Republic of Iran expressesits concern about the continuation of the killing of the Yemeni Muslim people and the violation of human rights inthe country.

The Omani foreign minister said that Iran has an important status in the Persian Gulf region and is keen to cement

ties with Tehran.

He also thanked the Islamic Republic for its efforts to promote peace and stability in the region and to help resolvethe crises in Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen.

Tehran supports Syria as Damascus backs Lebanon, Hezbollah

The Islamic Republic is siding with the Syrian government and people as Damascus has been supporting Lebanonand the Hezbollah movement, Amir-Abdollahian said in


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a separate meeting on Sunday with Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said, deputy prime minister for the Council ofMinisters of Oman.

Commenting on Irans support for holding a national dialogue between the Syrian government and the oppositiongroups, he said that Iran has never wanted insecurity and conflict in the region, rather it has made every effort topromote regional peace.

He added that Iran monitors the developments in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain with this approach.

He went on to say that certain Western countries intend to make geographical changes in the region but Iran willnever allow the countries to harm regional nations interests.

REGIONAL EDITORIALS (Top)

10 Apr 2012Now LebanonAbandon AnnanBy Hanin Ghaddar

One day ahead of peace envoy Kofi Annans deadline to the Syrian regime, President Bashar al-Assads forceskilled more than 160 people inside Syria and a cameraman in the north of Lebanon, and fired across the border intothe Kilis refugee camp in Turkey, killing two Syrian residents and injuring four.

(U) UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan presented a plan to end the violence in Syria, which has all butfailed. (AFP photo)

Today, instead of withdrawing troops from cities, Syrian forces started the day by shelling Marea, in the northernAleppo province, after taking up positions around the village. Activists said that the government was also sendingeven more reinforcements into at least one other rebel stronghold, the besieged city of Rastan in central Homsprovince.


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We dont have to wait to see if Annans plan is going to work or not; the regime has sent a number of clearmessages in the past few days. Assad will not stop his killing machine. Nor will the Syrian people stop protesting.The international community has exhausted all diplomatic efforts, and something needs to be done quickly.

The Friends of Syria Conference in Istanbul last week took place right after the delivery of Annans plan, which callsfor a complete cessation of violence on both sides by this Thursday. In that light, the meetings official outcome wasway below expectations. But the side meetings that occurred outside the official conference produced a number ofscenarios in case Annans plan failed. These are to be followed up at the third Friends of Syria Conference to takeplace in Paris later this month. One of the most plausible scenarios is the creation of a buffer zone, according tosome Syrian opposition figures.

On Sunday, the Syrian government announced it would not withdraw its forces from cities and towns without writtenguarantees from opposition groups that they will halt attacks and lay down their arms.

But Mondays events escalated the sense of alarm, especially for the Turks. "Syrian citizens who took refuge in ourcountry from the brutality of the current regime in Syria are under Turkeys full protection," the Turkish ForeignMinistry said in a statement. "We will certainly take necessary measures if such incidents reoccur."

The Turkish government did not specify which measures, or when and how they will be taken, but a number ofSyrian activists believe that the shootings might give a push to Turkeys plan to create a buffer zone along theborder. For others, the recent events will encourage Qatar and Saudi Arabia to increase efforts to arm theopposition Free Syrian Army.

These two measures combined might change the balance of power and allow the rebels to get closer to the head ofthe snake: Damascus.

Turkey has its own reasons for wanting to decisively end the conflict in Syria; it certainly does not want to see more

refugees entering its territory. About 2,500 Syrian refugees poured across border last week in a 24-hour period,bringing the total number of Syrians staying in southern Turkey to 24,300. Now that the Syrian regime violatedTurkish sovereignty with the shooting, establishing a buffer zone looks like a very good idea.

On the other hand, the Syrian National Council, which has more or less been adopted by the Turkish government,needs to start gaining credibility if it is going to survive criticism from both activists inside Syria and oppositionfigures outside. Any serious step taken by the international community, especially Turkey, could add credit to theSNC and its political course, which so far has achieved nothing but issuing a series of statements andcondemnations.

Unlike Turkey, however, the US seems to be less fixated on an urgent solution. During the Friends of Syriameeting, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton countered Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogans hard-line rhetoricwith a lukewarm statement. The US is doing a delicate balancing act by appearing to support Erdogan, while at the

same time ensuring they did not undermine Annans more restrained efforts.

But now a new phase has started. Any diplomatic effort will not be acceptable anymore, especially if Assad is beingconsidered as an interlocutor, or if the regime and rebels are put on equal levels.

Concrete measures are drastically required, and the opposition will not accept less than a buffer zone and/orhumanitarian passages. The international community should act on these two levels: substantial humanitarian aidand serious political intervention.


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Establishing a buffer will lead to more defections among the regime forces and will facilitate the delivery ofhumanitarian aid. Both would capture international attention and show those who are still silent that the balance ofpower is tipping against the regime.

According to opposition figures in Istanbul, the buffer zone is ready and is being controlled by the FSA; it onlyneeds international, or at least Turkish, protection. However, the regimes forces are already trying to contain thearea around it. Thats why Tel Rifaat in Aleppo was almost destroyed today, with tens of people massacred.

It is no longer useful to be patient.

Hanin Ghaddar is the managing editor of NOW Lebanon

10 Apr 2012Al JazeeraEgypt's Presidency: The Revolution Within the IkhwanDespite wide criticism, the EMB along with its political arm - the FJP - ups the ante on the presidential elections.

(U) The candidacy of Khairat al-Shater may be primarily aimed against that of Omar Suleiman [EPA]

Exeter, United Kingdom - Regardless of the widespread cacophony, the decision by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood(EMB) to contest the presidency is calculated to stop a "quiet coup" by the country's top brass.

The revolution within the EMB is no less important than the January 25 uprising that ousted Mubarak. Despite wide

criticism, the EMB along with its political arm - the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) - ups the ante on thepresidential elections.

By settling on an EMB presidential nominee, the Ikhwan have not only raised political stakes, but also the value ofcontestation, even if the nomination of Khairat al-Shater may not be devoid of risks.

What is the crux of this new dynamic and what is the significance of al-Shater's nomination?

From evolution to revolution?


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Only for a brief hiatus since its inception in 1928 have al-Banna's society of brethren veered off the path of theirpreferred two-fold praxis of evolutionary and non-confrontational politics. That was during the 1960s-70s when theideas of Sayyid Qutb developed a manhaj or framework of political change in which education (tarbiyah) andmartial resistance formed its two extremes. That is, a twin modus operandi comprising both evolutionary andrevolutionary routes for change.

All of that was changed by Hassan Al-Hudaybi's 1977 seminal treatise "du'at la quadat" (Preachers not judges).The book restored "wasatiyyah" (centrist politics) to its former place in the Ikhwani curriculum, originally designedby the EMB's founder, Imam Hassan Al-Banna.

Four of the EMB's General Guides I was privileged to interview - as part of an ongoing longitudinal investigation intothe brethren's conception of democracy begun in 1992 - confirm that the "du'at la qudat" ethos to be integral to theoverall political imaginary of the Ikhwan. They all respect Sayyid Qutb's prodigious intellect, but view his input intopolitical change (dubbed "radical" in most scholarly narratives) to be the exception not the rule.

This is where the Ikhwan are today: in the midst of a post-Qutbist moment. They are embracing centrist politics andtotally discarding Qutbist ideology.

This explosion of centrist politics by civic Islamism no doubt disappoints the apologists of "radicalisation" thesesthat have for some time doubted the discourse, much less the praxis, of Islamists. A long list of neo-Orientalists andEuro-American policymakers reveals the prevalence of scepticism of the ability of the EMB, among other Islamists,to engage with democratic politics.

The brand of civic Islamism emerging in Egypt today is post-Qutbist. It discards all notion of violent change;professes political participation as an act of faith; and tolerates coalitional politics with non-Islamists, includingsecularists and non-Muslims.

However, one difference stands out. To say that the EMB shuns violence does not mean it has not renounced itslongstanding policy of non-confrontation with the powers that be. Likewise, its preference for gradualism may betoday ceding to a quasi-revolutionary modus operandi in the current historical juncture.

Revolutionary EMB

There is a specific context for reading why the EMB is diluting Al-Banna's text - the tenets on which the society ofbrethren was founded in the 1920s.

The holistic view of a totalising organisation that multi-tasks as a charity, sports club, a community of like-mindedand pious devotees is subject to the most profound changes in nearly 85 years. The EMB today has branched outinto many different fields, including the worlds of finance, partyism, transnational activism, Pan-Islamism, Pan-Arabism, Palestinian politics, satellite TV, social networking, fund-raising and global lobbying.

The context of the January 25 revolution adds another impulse for a more liberal interpretation of Al-Banna'soriginal "transcript" founding the EMB. Note Al-Banna himself believed in elections and even contested them in the1940s.

To stick to gradualism and non-confrontational politics in a secular authoritarian order not of their design is onething, a necessity demanded by the quest for survival in an era where Islamism was political anathema andIslamists were enemies of the state - within Egypt and without.


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So to try their hands at confrontational politics and drop gradualism, in an emergent revolutionary juncture, wouldbe capitulation to an old identity in which passivity wrapped the Ikhwan in stigma and enigma. In the new polity,confrontational and revolutionary posture is a matter of necessity. If the Ikhwan did not adjust, they would risk, onceagain, confinement in and to a political space and order not of their doing and not to their advantage.

The breakthrough they are given by the January 25 revolution is an opportunity for political visibility, self-masteryand leadership. The EMB is a project that has for a long time awaited such an opening - to seize it is paramount toreification of the single vision that has held its ground and outlived the vagaries and exclusionary politics ofcolonialism, secular nationalism, socialism, dynastic authoritarianism, and biased and short-sighted Westerndemocracy promotion in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab Middle East (AME).

The candidacy of al-Shater

Nominating and officiating Khairat al-Shater's candidacy for the presidency, must be understood in this context. Thecandidacy of al-Shater - his surname literally means the skillful - epitomises political dextrousness, with the EMBdeftly putting to use two-pronged political strategy of conf

10 apr 12 osint levant tracker

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