27 Apr 2012 Osint Levant Tracker

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This OSINT publication contains foreign media derived entirely from open sources in and around the CENTCOM AOR.
27 April 2012 EGYPT Egypt's Islamist Forces Call for Million-Man Friday Demo to 'Save Revolution': Ahram Online Major Egyptian Islamist parties and groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist Calling and Al-Gamaa AlIslamiya have issued calls for a Tahrir Square demonstration on Friday under the banner of "Saving the revolution." Israel Gas Export Case Adjourned to Saturday: Al-Masry Al-Youm Cairo Criminal Court on Thursday postponed to 28 April its consideration of the case in which former Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmy, five former Petroleum Ministry officials and fugitive businessman Hussein Salem are charged with dishonesty and poor job performance after they allegedly sold the countrys resources to Israel at below-market prices for great personal profit. Natural Gas Pipeline Still Insured, says Official: Al-Masry Al-Youm The insurance policy for the natural gas pipeline built to export Egyptian natural gas to Israel and Jordan will continue despite the cancellation of the export deal with Israel, an official with the Misr Insurance Company said Thursday. Sabbahi Campaign Reports Assassination Threats in Sinai: Egypt Independent Presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi and the public figures and campaign staff who accompanied him during his visit to Sinai Wednesday repeatedly received assassination threats by phone on their mobiles and at the campaign headquarters, the campaign said in a statement Thursday. Egypt Releases Presidential Candidates List: Al Jazeera Egypt's election commission has released a final list of 13 candidates eligible to run in next month's presidential election, the first since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, the former president, last year. Egypt Elections Commission to Sue Brotherhood's El-Shater for SCAF Claims: Ahram Online Head of Egypt's Supreme Presidential Elections Commission (SPEC) to legally challenge El-Shater's assertions that SPEC, SCAF are in cahoots ISRAEL / GAZA Secret Gaza Ballot Starts Hamas Leadership Vote: Inside Bay Area Hamas has secretly chosen new leaders for Gaza, starting movement-wide elections that could determine if the Islamic militants will moderate or maintain an alliance with longtime patron Iran instead, Hamas officials said Thursday. Barak Restates Israeli Hard Line on Nuclear Iran: The Star Online Defence Minister Ehud Barak restated Israel's fears of a nuclear-armed Iran on Thursday after his top general clashed with the government's line by describing the Islamic republic as "very rational" and unlikely to build a bomb. Israel Army Chief: Other Nations could Strike Iran: This Day Live Israel's military chief said Thursday that other countries have readied their armed forces for a potential strike against Iran's nuclear sites to keep Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons. Israel has no Reason to Believe Western Sanctions will Stop Iran's Nuclear Program: Haaretz Speaking at an Independence Day reception, Ehud Barak says nuclear Iran will awaken a race toward nuclear armament in the region; nuclear technology could end up in the hands of terror groups. JORDAN
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27 April 2012 Jordans Prime Minister Resigns, Ex-Premier Tarawneh to Form New Government: Al Arabiya Jordans King Abdullah II has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh on Thursday and asked ex-premier Fayez al-Tarawneh to form the new government; Al Arabiya reported citing sources at the royal palace. Monarch says no Room for Delay in Reform Process: The Jordan Times His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday stressed that there is no room for any delays in the reform process, highlighting the urgent need to complete the laws regulating political life in the Kingdom. King Meets EU Ambassadors, Discusses Regional Developments: Petra His Majesty King Abdullah II on Thursday reviewed with ambassadors of the European Union in Amman JordanianEU cooperation as well as the latest developments in the region. During the meeting, the King briefed the ambassadors on the outcome of his recent meetings in Brussels and Strasburg with European officials, which focused on forging closer cooperation and partnership between the two sides. LEBANON Hezbollah Boosting Drone Unit: Ynet Hezbollah has been allocating increased resources towards bolstering its drone unit. The Shiite terror groups reportedly plans to use its unmanned aerial vehicle to attack Israel in case it mounts a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Hezbollah is equipped with Ababil ("Swallow") drones, which are manufactured and provided by Iran. Lebanon Ministry Websites Down as Hacker Group Strikes Again: Daily Star Several Lebanese ministry websites were the target of a hack attack Thursday by the group Raise Your Voice, in the second such attack on government-related portals this month. Report: U.S. Intensifies Investigation into Banking Deals in Lebanon: Naharnet The United States is intensifying its scrutiny of Lebanon's financial system over concerns that Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are using Lebanese banks to evade international sanctions and fund their activities, The Wall Street Journal reported. Berri Calls for Lebanese Unity amid Regional Unrest: Terra Net Speaker Nabih Berri said Thursday the turbulent region required that Lebanon boost its unity, civil peace and lay down a strategy for sustainable development. ICRC Says Rise in Number of Wounded Syrians Entering Lebanon: The Daily Star The International Committee for the Red Cross has stepped up its operations in Lebanon in response to the increase in the number of Syrian refugees fleeing unrest in their home country. Report: Hezbollah won't Oppose Metulah Wall: Ynet Sources said Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah said they would not be opposed to Israel's intention of constructing a separation wall on the border near Metulah. According to the diplomats, the matter was agreed upon in a joint meeting between Israeli representatives, Lebanon and UNIFIL. Jumblatt Sees Draft Electoral Law as Personal Attack: The Daily Star Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said he opposes any form of an electoral law based on proportional representation, arguing that such a law aims at curbing his influence. Speaking to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, Jumblatt said proportional representation targets him directly. SYRIA
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27 April 2012 Live Blog on Developments in Syria: Now Lebanon Syria live blog Blast Reportedly Shakes Damascus Industrial Zone: Naharnet An explosion went off Friday in an industrial zone of the Syrian capital Damascus, near a state-owned transport company, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Russia: Opposition Responsible for Syria Truce Violations: Al Bawaba The Russian FM on Thursday accused the Syrian opposition of resorting to "terrorist tactics" reminiscent of the methods of Al Qaeda, and has held opponents responsible for most of the violations of the cease-fire. Anti-Regime Protests in Syria amid Wavering Truce: Al Sharaq Al Awsat Anti-regime protests were expected across Syria on Friday despite a week of violence that has killed dozens of people and severely tested a UN-backed peace accord. Loud Blast Rocks Syrian Capital as Protesters Plan Nationwide Rallies: Al Arabiya A loud explosion was heard in the Syrian capital Damascus on Friday, residents said, as anti-regime protests were expected across the country despite a week of violence that has killed dozens of people and severely tested a U.N.-backed peace accord. Syria Releases Two Jordanian Detainees': Jordan Times Syrian authorities on Thursday released two Jordanians from jail after they were arrested two weeks ago while returning home from Lebanon through the trouble-hit country. Arab Officials Urge Syria Halt Violence, Support UAE: Kuna Arab foreign ministers called on the Syrian government to halt immediately all forms of violence and killing and ensure freedom of demonstration and respond to the peoples' aspirations. EDITORIALS Syrian Grand Mufti says Arab Spring Western Plot: Asharq Al-Awsat The Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, described the battle that is currently taking place in Syria as a battle against our roots, adding that if Syria collapses, this will lead to the collapse of neighboring states, starting with Lebanon and ending with Saudi Arabia, through Jordan and Iraq; this is because the plan for the Arab and Islamic world is to ensure that no strong state remains, and for our people to kill one another. Where were we and where are we Now: Dar Al Hayat As I look at the map of the two Sudans, I recall some history lessons from high school. We were taught that Syria was the bread basket of the Roman Empire because of the fertility of its lands and the abundance of water in it. My Uncle, the Brother: Egypt Independent On 13 February 2011, two days after Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office, my uncle, Mohammed Abdel Qoddous, walked into the former headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in downtown Cairo for the first time in 16 years. The office had been raided and sealed shut by security forces in 1995 in one of the regime's many crackdowns on the outlawed group. Egypts Azl Law a Step In Right Direction for Democracy: Arab News Its an optimistic moment in the final transition from dictatorship to military rule to civilian rule. When Egypts ruling military junta approved the azl law, which bars former regime members from participating in politics for the next decade, democracy in Egypt earned a boost.
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27 April 2012 Supporting Documentation:
EGYPT (Top) 27 April 2012 Ahram online Egypt's Islamist Forces Call for Million-Man Friday Demo to 'Save Revolution'
Unclassified Major Egyptian Islamist parties and groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist Calling and Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya have issued calls for a Tahrir Square demonstration on Friday under the banner of "Saving the revolution." "Protests will take place in Cairo and in other Egyptian governorates," Brotherhood Secretary-General Mahmoud Hussein announced on the group's official website. On Wednesday, Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, too, announced that it would take part in the scheduled demonstration "with the aim of protecting the revolution and ensuring that its demands are fulfilled." Several non-Islamist revolutionary groups, meanwhile, have expressed their refusal to participate in the event. These groups include the United Maspero Youth, the Egyptian Brothers Independent group, and the Free Front for Peaceful Change. "There's no reason to protest this Friday given the recent ratification of the disenfranchisement law and the fact that the ruling military council is keeping its promise to hand over power to an elected president by 30 June," read a statement released by the United Maspero Youth. Egypt's so-called "disenfranchisement law" was approved by parliament on Monday and later endorsed by the ruling military council. The law effectively bars figures associated with the former regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak from participating in Egyptian political life for a five-year period. According to members of the Free Front for Peaceful Change, the Brotherhood is calling for the demonstration in hopes of attracting non-Islamist groups in order to bolster its clout vis--vis Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).
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27 April 2012 The ongoing rift between the SCAF and the Brotherhood first began when the latter accused the former of planning to dissolve Egypt's newly-elected parliament despite SCAF assurances that it had no plans to do so. "The Brotherhood wants to threaten the SCAF by flexing its muscles and calling for mass protests, which show its ability to mobilize the street," according to the Free Front for Peaceful Change statement. Both the Brotherhood and the Salafists have held massive Tahrir Square protests on the last two Fridays. In a clear demonstration of power, the two Islamist groups which together control roughly three quarters of parliament have bussed in members and sympathizers from across the country. On 13 April, the two Islamist groups held a mass demonstration in the square to protest the participation of former regime figure in upcoming presidential elections. Non-Islamist revolutionary forces, for their part, boycotted the event. One week later, several revolutionary groups, including the April 6 Youth Movement, joined Islamist forces arrayed in the square for a similar protest dubbed "Self-determination Friday." The event was considered the largest public demonstration representing the widest spectrum of Egyptian political forces since the first anniversary of last year's Tahrir Square uprising on 25 January. Supporters of disqualified Salafist presidential contender Hazem Abu-Ismail, meanwhile, have continued their Tahrir Square sit-in for two weeks to protest the recent decision by Egypt's Supreme Presidential Elections Commission to exclude their candidate from the presidential race. Egypt's last major Islamist-led demonstration was in July of last year, when hundreds of thousands of Salafists and Brotherhood members flocked to the flashpoint square. With many waving Saudi Arabian flags, participants chanted slogans demanding the implementation of Islamic Law. Major Egyptian Islamist parties and groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist Calling and Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya have issued calls for a Tahrir Square demonstration on Friday under the banner of "Saving the revolution." "Protests will take place in Cairo and in other Egyptian governorates," Brotherhood Secretary-General Mahmoud Hussein announced on the group's official website. On Wednesday, Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, too, announced that it would take part in the scheduled demonstration "with the aim of protecting the revolution and ensuring that its demands are fulfilled." Several non-Islamist revolutionary groups, meanwhile, have expressed their refusal to participate in the event. These groups include the United Maspero Youth, the Egyptian Brothers Independent group, and the Free Front for Peaceful Change. "There's no reason to protest this Friday given the recent ratification of the disenfranchisement law and the fact that the ruling military council is keeping its promise to hand over power to an elected president by 30 June," read a statement released by the United Maspero Youth. Egypt's so-called "disenfranchisement law" was approved by parliament on Monday and later endorsed by the ruling military council. The law effectively bars figures associated with the former regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak from participating in Egyptian political life for a five-year period.
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27 April 2012 According to members of the Free Front for Peaceful Change, the Brotherhood is calling for the demonstration in hopes of attracting non-Islamist groups in order to bolster its clout vis--vis Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). The ongoing rift between the SCAF and the Brotherhood first began when the latter accused the former of planning to dissolve Egypt's newly-elected parliament despite SCAF assurances that it had no plans to do so. "The Brotherhood wants to threaten the SCAF by flexing its muscles and calling for mass protests, which show its ability to mobilize the street," according to the Free Front for Peaceful Change statement. Both the Brotherhood and the Salafists have held massive Tahrir Square protests on the last two Fridays. In a clear demonstration of power, the two Islamist groups which together control roughly three quarters of parliament have bussed in members and sympathizers from across the country. On 13 April, the two Islamist groups held a mass demonstration in the square to protest the participation of former regime figure in upcoming presidential elections. Non-Islamist revolutionary forces, for their part, boycotted the event. One week later, several revolutionary groups, including the April 6 Youth Movement, joined Islamist forces arrayed in the square for a similar protest dubbed "Self-determination Friday." The event was considered the largest public demonstration representing the widest spectrum of Egyptian political forces since the first anniversary of last year's Tahrir Square uprising on 25 January. Supporters of disqualified Salafist presidential contender Hazem Abu-Ismail, meanwhile, have continued their Tahrir Square sit-in for two weeks to protest the recent decision by Egypt's Supreme Presidential Elections Commission to exclude their candidate from the presidential race. Egypt's last major Islamist-led demonstration was in July of last year, when hundreds of thousands of Salafists and Brotherhood members flocked to the flashpoint square. With many waving Saudi Arabian flags, participants chanted slogans demanding the implementation of Islamic Law.
27 April 2012 Al-Masry Al-Youm Israel Gas Export Case Adjourned to Saturday Cairo Criminal Court on Thursday postponed to 28 April its consideration of the case in which former Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmy, five former Petroleum Ministry officials and fugitive businessman Hussein Salem are charged with dishonesty and poor job performance after they allegedly sold the countrys resources to Israel at below-market prices for great personal profit. Prosecution lawyer Tamer al-Faragani said Salem is a wealthy and influential man who, with Fahmys assistance, continuously attempted to mix public and private funds to achieve his own interests through the export of gas to Israel through his East Mediterranean Gas company. He pointed out that Fahmy unilaterally approved the deal and the sale of gas at low prices while imposing penalty clauses on the Egyptian side to ensure its implementation. He then demanded maximum punishment for the defendants. Earlier this week, Egypt halted gas exports to Israel citing commercial reasons, saying Israel was not meeting its financial obligations under the old contract. The gas pipeline that carries gas to Israel has been blown up 14 times since the outbreak of the January revolution. Those responsible for the bombings remain unknown.
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27 April 2012 26 April 2012 Al-Masry Al-Youm Natural Gas Pipeline Still Insured, says Official The insurance policy for the natural gas pipeline built to export Egyptian natural gas to Israel and Jordan will continue despite the cancellation of the export deal with Israel, an official with the Misr Insurance Company said Thursday. Ahmed Shawky, a board member of the East Mediterranean Gas Company, an international consortium that purchases and re-sells the natural gas, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Misr Insurance would only cancel the insurance policy if the company operating the line, the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (GASCO), stopped paying its premiums. Factories continue to have insurance policies even after they halt work to guarantee compensation in case of damages, he offered as a comparison. Shawky refused to reveal the exact sum Misr Insurance paid in compensation for the 14 bombings of the pipeline since the 25 January uprising last year, but said LE2 billion was paid out in 2011. GASCO would not likely cancel the insurance policy because gas is not a stagnant commodity and can be sold to any other country, he added. GASCO announced Sunday that it had stopped providing gas to the East Mediterranean Company as the latter had failed to meet its financial obligations according to the contract.
27 April 2012 Egypt Independent Sabbahi Campaign Reports Assassination Threats in Sinai Presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi and the public figures and campaign staff who accompanied him during his visit to Sinai Wednesday repeatedly received assassination threats by phone on their mobiles and at the campaign headquarters, the campaign said in a statement Thursday. The campaign said it had contacted authorities to provide security for the group. Sabbahi refused to cancel the visit as he wanted to celebrate the liberation of Sinai with its people. He did, however, cancel a Sheikh Zuwayed campaign rally at the request of tribal chiefs, the statement said. State-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported Thursday that Sabbahi and the delegation returned from Sinai at dawn. Sabbahi held a campaign rally on Wednesday evening in the North Sinai city of Arish, at which he pledged to compensate Sinai for years of neglect and injustice, the paper reported. He said the time when the people of Sinai were underestimated and their rights overlooked was over, promised his first presidential decision would be to forge a comprehensive reconciliation with the people of Sinai and issue pardons for all Sinai prisoners and detainees. He also pledged to create a special ministry for the development of Sinai and give people the right to own their land and their homes.
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27 April 2012 26 April 2012 Al Jazeera Egypt Releases Presidential Candidates List Egypt's election commission has released a final list of 13 candidates eligible to run in next month's presidential election, the first since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, the former president, last year. Thursday's list includes Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister to serve under Mubarak, who was disqualified and then reinstated over a 24-hour period this week. "After listening to Shafiq's appeal, the committee decided to halt the decision to exclude him from the presidential race," Farouk Sultan, the head of the election committee, said while announcing the list in Cairo. Shafiq was disqualified on Tuesday, after the military council approved a new law denying political rights to anyone who served as president, vice-president or prime minister in the decade prior to Mubarak's fall. The electoral committee also decided to refer the new law to the Supreme Constitutional Court to determine whether it was constitutional or not. "This could be a challenge to the legitimacy of the presidential election and the whole transition process," Omar Ashour of the Doha Brookings Centre told Al Jazeera. Candidates able to stand include Amr Moussa, former foreign minister; Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an independent moderate; and Mohammed Mursi, chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). Abol Fotouh may now receive backing from supporters of the Salafist al-Nour party. The eligible candidates were among a total of 23 hopefuls before the commission disqualified 10 of them earlier this month. Among those barred from running are Omar Suleiman, Mubarak's former vice-president and spy chief, along with Khairat al-Shater of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist Hazem Abu Ismail. Sultan told a news conference on Thursday that he intended to refer to criminal investigators some of the 10 disqualified hopefuls because their applications contained material that broke the law. He did not elaborate, but it is widely suspected that the 30,000 signatures collected and submitted by some independent applicants included forged ones. Independent candidates are obliged under the election law to collect 30,000 endorsements from Egyptians in at least 15 of Egypt's 18 provinces as part of the requirements to run. The generals who took power in Egypt when Mubarak stepped down 14 months ago in the face of a popular uprising have promised to hand over power to a civilian administration by July 1, ending a transition period marred by the use of deadly force by troops and police against pro-democracy protesters, a sharp rise in violent crime and a worsening economic crisis. Presidential elections are set for May 23 and 24 with a runoff scheduled in June.
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27 April 2012 26 April 2012 Ahram Online Egypt Elections Commission to Sue Brotherhood's El-Shater for SCAF Claims Head of Egypt's Supreme Presidential Elections Commission (SPEC) to legally challenge El-Shater's assertions that SPEC, SCAF are in cahoots Farouq Sultan, head of Egypt's Supreme Presidential Elections Commission (SPEC), said on Thursday that he planned to take legal action against the Muslim Brotherhood's disqualified presidential candidate Khairat El-Shater for claiming that the SPEC was in ongoing communication with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). "The SPEC will take legal measures against any infringement of the commission's rights," said Sultan. SPEC officials, meanwhile, dismiss El-Shater's assertions about its alleged relationship with the ruling military council. "Our communications with the SCAF revolve around our requests for securing premises for the SPEC or for urging specialized entities to complete the commission's conditions but this is only because the SCAF is Egypt's de facto ruler," said SPEC Secretary-General Hatem Bagato. "Talk about the military council's undue influence on SPEC decision-making, however, is nonsense." El-Shater, second-in-command of the Muslim Brotherhood and the group's main financer, was officially disqualified from the race for the presidency on 17 April for legal reasons. The Brotherhood candidate was excluded along with nine other candidates, including Salafist frontrunner Hazem Abu-Ismail and ex-intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. One day after his disqualification, El-Shater blasted the SPEC for refusing to acknowledge the fact that he had presented all legal documents needed to run for the presidency. On Thursday, the SPEC announced its final list of approved presidential candidates. Theoretically, the elections commission is an independent body, the decisions of which cannot be influenced by external authorities. Some critics, however, argue that Article 28 of the constitutional declaration issued by the SCAF after last year's revolution and approved via popular referendum grants the commission inordinate powers. Final decisions issued by the SPEC, for example, cannot be appealed.
ISRAEL / GAZA (Top) 26 April 2012 Inside Bay Area Secret Gaza Ballot Starts Hamas Leadership Vote Hamas has secretly chosen new leaders for Gaza, starting movement-wide elections that could determine if the Islamic militants will moderate or maintain an alliance with longtime patron Iran instead, Hamas officials said Thursday. The secretive Hamas did not announce the Gaza election results, but several members said that among those chosen were previously sidelined pragmatists, younger activists and a pair of prisoners recently released by Israel.
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27 April 2012 "Hamas (in Gaza) will be more realistic, more moderate after the election," said a senior Hamas member, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid censure from his colleagues. Others said the new faces don't necessarily mean a change in direction. Hamas traditionally keeps much of its leadership structure secret to avoid exposing it to attacks by Israel, which killed several top Hamas officials in the past. The Gaza elections are the first of a series of secret ballots the movement is holding in coming weeks to choose a supreme leader. That position has been held since the 1990s by Khaled Mashaal, who in recent months has tried to steer Hamas away from Iran and closer to the movement's ideological roots in the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood, a Sunni Muslim movement, has risen to power in several parts of the region as a result of the Arab Spring uprisings of the past year. The Brotherhood has urged Hamas to moderate and turn away from Shiite Muslim Iran, which backed Hamas at the height of the movement's international isolation following its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007. The militant Islamist group is listed as a terror organization by the U.S., EU and Israel. Along with the ideological shift, Mashaal has pushed for a unity deal with Hamas' main rival, West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mashaal's perceived concessions to Abbas including an agreement to let him lead an interim unity government ahead of general elections have angered Hamas leaders in Gaza, some of whom appear unwilling to give up control there. Azzam al-Ahmed, a top aide to Abbas, said unity talks are on hold until Hamas chooses its new leader. Hamas consists of four branches Gaza; the Israeli-controlled West Bank, where it operates underground; Israeli prisons where thousands of Hamas members are held; and exile where most of the top leadership is based. In elections held every four years, each of the branches chooses delegates to an overall leadership body, called the Shura Council, which consists of several dozen members. The Shura Council selects a decision-making political bureau and a supreme leader. In elections in Gaza earlier this week, Hamas members selected a new local leadership and delegates to the Shura Council. By next month, the other three branches are to complete their selection, to be followed by the election of the supreme leader, Hamas officials said. A senior Hamas official in Gaza, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of secrecy rules, said a majority of newly elected Shura Council delegates from Gaza support Mashaal, despite disagreements over his unity deal with Abbas. Support from Gaza could increase Mashaal's chance to win re-election. In Gaza, several Hamas members said that the territory's Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, was chosen head of the Gaza branch of the movement. Hamas denied this, saying it tries to keep the government and the movement separate.
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27 April 2012 27 April 2012 The Star Online Barak Restates Israeli Hard Line on Nuclear Iran Defence Minister Ehud Barak restated Israel's fears of a nuclear-armed Iran on Thursday after his top general clashed with the government's line by describing the Islamic republic as "very rational" and unlikely to build a bomb. Addressing foreign diplomats on Israel's Independence Day, Barak said Iranian leaders were not "rational in the Western sense of the word - connoting the quest for status quo and the peaceful resolution of problems". Believing otherwise "borders on blindness or irresponsibility", said Barak, who branded Iran, with its religiously fuelled calls for the Jewish state's demise, as seeking regional hegemony and being "undeterred by the apocalyptic". While the speech reiterated international concerns that Iran's civilian uranium enrichment program has secret military designs, and Israel's readiness to attack its foe pre-emotively, some of the language was unusually strong for Barak. A transcript circulated to the media had key passages underlined. Another official told Reuters that Barak wanted to "set things straight" after Israel's military chief, LieutenantGeneral Benny Gantz, said in a newspaper interview that Iran - which insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful was preparing components of a bomb but was unlikely to "go the extra mile" of assembling it, given the likely global backlash. "I think the Iranian leadership is composed of very rational people," Gantz told the liberal Haaretz daily on Wednesday. Barak's speech did not mention Gantz specifically. Unlike in previous years, the event was closed to the media, though that decision was taken before the general's interview was published. In lobbying world powers to stiffen sanctions designed to curb Iran's uranium enrichment, Israel has long appealed to their worries about Middle East destabilization and oil shock. This has entailed warning that an Iranian bomb would embolden Islamist militants, spark arms races, and rattle energy markets. It has also entailed hinting that Israel - assumed to have the region's only atomic arsenal - could go to war to thwart what it regards as a mortal threat should it deem that foreign diplomacy with Tehran is at a dead end. Six world powers revived negotiations with Iran in Istanbul last month and are due to resume them in Baghdad on May 23. Barak was pessimistic about the talks, saying Iran was buying time in order to dig in behind defenses that would allow its nuclear facilities to fend off aerial attack. "The sanctions today are harsher that in the past," he said. "But the truth must be told. The chance that, at this level of pressure, Iran will meet the international demand to stop the program irrevocably - that chance appears to be low." During Israel's Holocaust remembrances last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was "feverishly working to develop atomic weapons" to use against his country. Speaking on CNN on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he would not want to bet "the security of the world on Iran's rational behavior". A "militant Islamic regime", he said, "can put their ideology before their survival".
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27 April 2012 The portrayal of Iran as irrational - willing to attack Israel with a nuclear weapon even if it means inviting catastrophic retaliation in kind - could bolster a case for pre-emptive bombing to take out its atomic facilities. The United States has also not ruled out military action as a last resort. But many allies of Washington, and even some senior U.S. officials, fear such an attack could ignite a broader war while only delaying Iran's nuclear advances. Gantz's assessment appeared to be in step with the view of his U.S. counterpart, General Martin Dempsey. He said in a CNN interview in February that he believed Iran was a "rational actor" and it would be premature to take military action against it.
27 April 2012 This Day Live Israel Army Chief: Other Nations could Strike Iran
(U) Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz Israel's military chief said Thursday that other countries have readied their armed forces for a potential strike against Iran's nuclear sites to keep Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons. Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz did not specify which nations might be willing to support or take direct action against Iran. Still, his comments were one of the strongest hints yet that Israel may have the backing of other countries to strike the Islamic Republic to prevent it from developing nuclear arms, reports The Associated Press. "The military force is ready," Gantz said. "Not only have our forces, but other forced as well." "We all hope that there will be no necessity to use this force, but we are absolutely sure of its existence," he told The Associated Press, adding that he was not speaking on behalf of any other nation. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and that it does not aim to develop atomic weapons. Israel, which views a nuclear Iran as an existential threat, has said it will not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear bomb. It cites Iranian calls for Israel's destruction, Tehran's support for militant groups and its development of missiles capable of striking the Jewish state. Israel's key ally, the United States, favors diplomacy and economic sanctions and has said military action on Iran's nuclear facilities should only be a last resort if all else fails. U.S. logistical and diplomatic support would likely be crucial to any potential Israeli strike.
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27 April 2012 Washington and other major powers have imposed a series of crippling economic sanctions while opening a dialogue with Iran. Gantz said that in his assessment Iran is seeking to develop its "military nuclear capability," but that the Islamic Republic would ultimately bow to international pressure and decide against building a weapon. The key to that pressure, he said, were sanctions and the threat of a military strike. Gantz's stance on Iran's intentions appeared to put him at odds with Israel's political leaders, who have staked out a more hard-line position. Gantz denied that was the case Thursday, saying there was no internal disagreement over Iran's aims. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN on Tuesday that international sanctions have not changed Iran's behavior, and that the country continues to enrich uranium a key step toward developing a weapon.
27 April 2012 Haaretz Israel has no Reason to Believe Western Sanctions will Stop Iran's Nuclear Program Speaking at an Independence Day reception, Ehud Barak says nuclear Iran will awaken a race toward nuclear armament in the region; nuclear technology could end up in the hands of terror groups. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday that Israels political echelon is the one that is responsible for deciding whether and how to act against Irans nuclear program and that it is the Israel Defense Forces job to build up relevant operational abilities to do so. Barak claimed that Irans leadership is not rational in the Western sense of the word, and warned that Egypt may also join the regional race for nuclear arms, should Tehran develop a nuclear weapon. Barak spoke in unusual detail at a traditional reception that he hosted for the security forces elite in honor of Independence Day. The decisive speech could be read, at least partially, as a sort of correspondence with IDF Chief Benny Gantzs interview published in Haaretz earlier this week. Gantz told Haaretz that sanctions on Iran have begun to bear fruit, and although Iran is making progress in its nuclear program, it has yet to make a decision regarding the creation of a nuclear bomb. In his speech, Barak said that a nuclear Iran will awaken a race toward nuclear armament in the region. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and even the new Egypt will be resigned to join the race, and the countdown to the leaking of information and technology to terror organizations will begin. Dealing with Iran does not lack complexity dangers and outcomes are unknown to us. However, should the Ayatollah regime obtain a nuclear weapon, it will be a longterm challenge, more challenging and more costly in terms of life and financial resources. Barak added that todays sanctions are harsher than in the past, but the truth should be stated: the chances that such pressure will cause Iran to answer to international demands to halt its program permanently seems low. I am happy to be proven wrong, but according to my evaluations, and they are based on long-term surveillance of Irans crooked maneuvers, as well as the historical examples of North Korea and Pakistan. According to Barak, the worry of the Iranian leadership is that the international allied supervision will lead to an American, Israeli or international military operation, which restrains them from taking such a step and causes them to focus on deepening their immunity as a response to the possibility of an attack. We have no reason to believe that immunity will change the mind of the leadership or prevent it from moving toward a nuclear weapon.
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27 April 2012 Speaking about Irans rationality, Barak stated that the fact that we are talking about clever and calculated people, who seek to stay in power, and are striving to reach their goals underhandedly and with an idea of the moves and intentions of their rivals, does not make them rational in the Western sense of the word, in other words, a status quo and peaceful solution to the issue. This is not descriptive of the Iranian regime. Regarding the disagreement with the United States over how to deal with Iran, Barak said that there are certain differences between us in terms of attitude, whose origins lay in clocks that tick at different speeds. That of Israel, whose capabilities are far more limited, ticks faster than that of the United States. However, even the American government understands that Israel should be able to defend itself with its own strength and that on topics regarding the basis of the security and future of Israel and in a certain sense the Jewish people as a whole, Israel and its government alone must come to a decision and take responsibility. The IDF, like the U.S. military, is responsible for building operational capabilities. The political echelon, both here and in Washington, is responsible for taking all things into consideration. Gantzs complex position Gantz, who spoke to Haaretz, made international headlines in the last few days. Several American media outlets, including The Washington Post, presented his views as opposed to those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reflecting serious disagreements among high-level decision-makers in Israel. From Israel, it seems that such an analysis is a bit exaggerated and is not sensitive enough to the Israeli discourse on the issue. In the interview with Haaretz, Gantz expressed a complex stance. Although he described the Iranian leadership as composed of very rational people, he simultaneously added that Israels military capabilities are not theoretical, but practical. Gantz believes that Iran has yet to come to a decision on building a nuclear weapon, despite the fact that it continues to march toward one. This is the accepted diagnosis of all Western intelligence sources, although Netanyahu and Barak, due to their own considerations, tend not to emphasize it. The assumption that Gantz, like his predecessor Gabi Ashkenazi, belongs to the moderate segment of the Israeli leadership on the question of how and when to act on Iran is to be seen. Whoever interprets his words in Haaretz as an affront to Netanyahu is missing two important aspects: one Israel has yet to come to a decision of whether and when to act. Second should the political decision-makers order the IDF to take action, despite the reservations, the IDF Chief and the military will have to heed the call and implement it.
JORDAN (Top) 26 April 2012 Al Arabiya Jordans Prime Minister Resigns, Ex-Premier Tarawneh to Form New Government
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27 April 2012
(U) The outgoing Jordanian Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh won a comfortable vote of confidence when he took office in December last year. (AFP) Jordans King Abdullah II has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh on Thursday and asked ex-premier Fayez al-Tarawneh to form the new government; Al Arabiya reported citing sources at the royal palace. The resignation comes barely six months after he formed a government to bring in much-needed reforms. Khasawneh, 62, an International Court of Justice judge, formed his cabinet in October and won a comfortable vote of confidence for his government from parliament in December after pledging to push ahead with reforms. Jordanians have been demonstrating since January last year, demanding sweeping political and economic reforms as well as an end to corruption, according to AFP. But his proposed election law drew criticism, including from tribal parliamentarians and the powerful intelligence services, who felt it favored Islamist politicians. A minister who declined to be named told Reuters Khasawneh took the unusual step of submitting his resignation while outside the country in response to a decision to extend a parliamentary session in which he was likely to face further criticism. It was a surprise move. The prime minister was unhappy about the decision to extend parliament, the minister said. Khasawneh was a former chief of the royal court and a legal advisor to the Jordanian team that negotiated a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.
27 April 2012 The Jordan Times Monarch says no Room for Delay in Reform Process His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday stressed that there is no room for any delays in the reform process, highlighting the urgent need to complete the laws regulating political life in the Kingdom. During a meeting with the ambassadors of EU countries in Jordan, discussions also focused on ways to boost Jordanian-European ties and on the latest developments in the Middle East, a Royal Court statement said.
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27 April 2012 Highlighting the various efforts the Kingdom is undertaking to implement its reform and development program, King Abdullah voiced his appreciation for the EUs support in this domain. He also briefed the European officials on the outcomes of his recent meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg, home of the European Parliament, which mainly centered on strengthening cooperation and building on the achievements accomplished so far. Referring to the Middle East peace process, the Monarch underscored the European role in pushing the Palestinian and the Israeli parties to return to the negotiating table to address final status issues that lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Turning to the situation in Syria, the King and the ambassadors discussed the mediation efforts led by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to resolve the Syrian crisis, put an end to the bloodshed and forge ahead with political dialogue. The EU ambassadors commended Jordans reform efforts and the Kingdoms endeavors to achieve peace and stability in the region. They also lauded the Kings speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week, stressing their countries commitment to strengthening their cooperation with Jordan to achieve mutual interests.
26 April 2012 Petra King Meets EU Ambassadors, Discusses Regional Developments His Majesty King Abdullah II on Thursday reviewed with ambassadors of the European Union in Amman JordanianEU cooperation as well as the latest developments in the region. During the meeting, the King briefed the ambassadors on the outcome of his recent meetings in Brussels and Strasburg with European officials, which focused on forging closer cooperation and partnership between the two sides. The King highlighted Jordan's efforts to implement reform and development plans and programs in various fields to achieve a better future for all Jordanians. He also expressed appreciation of the EU's support to Jordan in this regard. On the peace process, the King stressed the importance of the EU's role in helping the Palestinians and Israelis to return to the negotiating table and address all final status issues, leading to the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. His Majesty stressed the need to accelerate the reform process and accomplish laws regulating political life in Jordan. The King also discussed with the ambassadors efforts of the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to find a solution to the Syrian crisis, end bloodshed and violence and start a comprehensive political dialogue. The ambassadors hailed Jordan's reform efforts led by His Majesty as well as the King's endeavors to bring about peace and stability in the region.
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27 April 2012 They also valued the King's address at the European Parliament in Strasburg last week and affirmed their countries' keenness to boost cooperation with Jordan for the interest of both sides.
LEBANON (Top) 27 April 2012 Ynet Hezbollah Boosting Drone Unit Shiite terror group said to be bolstering UAV unit in order to attack Israel in case it strikes Iran Hezbollah has been allocating increased resources towards bolstering its drone unit, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday. The Shiite terror groups reportedly plans to use its unmanned aerial vehicle to attack Israel in case it mounts a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Hezbollah is equipped with Ababil ("Swallow") drones, which are manufactured and provided by Iran. The Ababil has several models, including one that can carry a warhead packed with several dozens of kilograms of explosives. Defense establishment officials expressed concern that Hezbollah would be able to send multiple drones into Israel's airspace and have them crash into targets in the country's north. "Hezbollah is making a specific effort to acquire such (weapons) as part of its offensive lineup against Israel," a security source told Yedioth Ahronoth. "As far as they are concerned, it's a sure thing: The Ababil is a relatively cheap weapon, which the Iranians give them for free, anyway. "It takes a short time to master and its loss doesn't not involve sacrificing human lives. Another advantage for them is that it's a very small aircraft that's hard to detect and shoot down." The first Ababil drones were given to Hezbollah in 2002. The Shiite group had previously launched several of them into Israeli airspace, mostly as a power play. Hezbollah attempted to use the drones during the Second Lebanon War, sending two UAVs, carrying 40-50kg of explosives each into Israeli airspace. The aircrafts were spotted by IAF radars and F-16 jets were scrambled to intercept them. One drone was shot down and the other crashed, causing no harm. IDF sources said that the Air Force's anti-missile lineup has been adapting its defensive doctrines to the increasing threat.
26 April 2012 Daily Star Lebanon Ministry Websites Down as Hacker Group Strikes Again
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27 April 2012 Several Lebanese ministry websites were the target of a hack attack Thursday by the group Raise Your Voice, in the second such attack on government-related portals this month. Visitors to websites belonging to the ministries of justice, labor, transportation and foreign affairs were greeted with a message identical to the one that the group posted two weeks ago in a rare attack on state-related websites. We are RYV, short for Raise Your Voice, and we are simply a group of people who could not bear sitting in silence, watching all the crimes and injustice going on in Lebanon, the now familiar message said. The group, as on previous occasions, warned that the attacks would continue. We will not stop until the Lebanese people mobilize, demand their rights, and earn them. The signature message which is headed by a caricature of an oversized official, representing the government, being spoon-fed by a skinny, bare-chested man, representing the people also defaced the website of the National News Agency. The group also listed the ISF website as among those targeted in the attack. On April 17, RYV, a group of activists who claim to be affiliated with the global hacking collective Anonymous, launched a similar barrage of cyber attacks on government websites, defacing high-profile homepages for extended periods of time.
27 April 2012 Naharnet U.S. Intensifies Investigation into Banking Deals in Lebanon The United States is intensifying its scrutiny of Lebanon's financial system over concerns that Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are using Lebanese banks to evade international sanctions and fund their activities, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Treasury Department and Drug Enforcement Administration are continuing an aggressive probe into an alleged Hezbollah-linked money-laundering operation, the Journal quoted U.S. officials as saying. They allege the operation involves hundreds of millions of dollars in drug-sales revenues from a Lebanese narcotrafficker that they say have gone to Hezbollah, it said. Senior U.S. officials told the Journal that the Treasury is also pressing Lebanese financial regulators to more closely monitor local banks that have operations in Syria and Iran. "We're concerned about Lebanon being used as a channel by Syrians attempting to evade sanctions," said a senior Treasury official involved in Middle East policy. But Central Bank governor Riyad Salameh told the Journal that deposits by Syrian nationals in Lebanese banks as well as loans to Syrians by these banks have decreased by 40 percent over the past 15 months. Lebanon took such action after the Treasury accused the Lebanese Canadian Bank (LCB) of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of the drug lord with alleged links to Hezbollah. The Central Bank interfered, allowing the Lebanese subsidiary of Society General (SGBL) to acquire the assets of LCB.
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27 April 2012 But the U.S. official said the Treasury and the DEA are still concerned that hundreds of LCB suspicious accounts have been passed on to other financial institutions based in Lebanon. There are also concerns that the banks former executives continue to operate in Lebanon's banking system, including at SGBL, they said. "We're still working with the Lebanese authorities to understand what happened after we issued" the notice last year, said a senior Treasury Department official briefed on the case. "We still have a finding on the books."
27 April 2012 Terra Net Berri Calls for Lebanese Unity Amid Regional Unrest Speaker Nabih Berri said Thursday the turbulent region required that Lebanon boost its unity, civil peace and lay down a strategy for sustainable development. Amid this turbulent and tense state of the region ... Lebanon is always in need of strengthening the factors of its internal unity, enhancing its civil peace and agreeing on a strategic plan for sustainable development, Berri said during a ceremony to inaugurate the Faculty of Languages at University Saint Joseph which took place under his patronage. Berri added that such a plan should ensure continuity in public administrations. He welcomed the September visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Lebanon, saying it would make the Levant once again a space for partnership. The speaker stressed that democracy, freedom and good governance should be a national production first.
27 April 2012 The Daily Star ICRC says Rise in Number of Wounded Syrians Entering Lebanon The International Committee for the Red Cross has stepped up its operations in Lebanon in response to the increase in the number of Syrian refugees fleeing unrest in their home country. "Since January, the number of Syrian casualties entering Lebanon has increased significantly, reflecting the escalation in the violence. In response, we have stepped up our assistance, providing whatever support we felt was vitally needed," said Jrg Montani, the head of the ICRC delegation in Beirut, said in an operational update Thursday. As part of its efforts, the ICRC has helped Lebanons Red Cross in the transferring of wounded Syrian refugees to hospitals by establishing a temporary medical emergency station that has made it possible for Lebanese Red Cross ambulances to reach arriving casualties much more quickly. Among its efforts since September, the international organization said it had provided support enabling Lebanese Red Cross emergency services to evacuate more than 500 casualties and handed out materials to treat 400 seriously wounded patients to three hospitals in north Lebanon treating Syrian casualties. Thousands of Syrians have poured into the country since unrest erupted in Lebanons neighbor in April 2011.
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27 April 2012 Last week the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it and its partners were now assisting over 22,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon, an increase of 2,000 since the previous reporting period. Less than half of those, 9,940 are actually registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and Lebanons Higher Relief Committee, and all in the north of the country, representing an increase of 274 since last week. Activists say the total number of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is much higher than 22,000.
27 April 2012 Ynet Report: Hezbollah won't Oppose Metulah Wall Diplomatic sources have told Lebanese newspaper al-Nahar that Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah said they would not be opposed to Israel's intention of constructing a separation wall on the border near Metulah. According to the diplomats, the matter was agreed upon in a joint meeting between Israeli representatives, Lebanon and UNIFIL . Israel hopes the one kilometer long border would prevent drug smuggling and security incidents with Israeli farmers who work near the border.
27 April 2012 The Daily Star Jumblatt sees Draft Electoral Law as Personal Attack Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said Thursday that he opposes any form of an electoral law based on proportional representation, arguing that such a law aims at curbing his influence. Speaking to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, Jumblatt said proportional representation targets him directly. His remarks came on the sidelines of a meeting with Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, a political aide to Speaker Nabih Berri and Hussein Khalil, an adviser to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah. The two are believed to have discussed with Jumblatt at his Beirut residence Berris proposal for an election law based on proportional representation. Communication and dialogue are always important ... we agree on the basics even though we differ on some details, Jumblatt said. Asked about his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Jumblatt said it was on the invitation of Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal and that he did not meet former premier Saad Hariri there.
SYRIA (Top) 27 April 2012 Now Lebanon Live Blog on Developments in Syria
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(U) Now Lebanon 13:56 an anti-regime protest began in Ar-Reqqah. (S.N.N) 13:55 an anti-regime protest began in Daraas town of Naheta. (S.N.N) 13:52 Security forced opened fire on anti-regime protesters in Damascus neighborhood of Al-Qadam. (S.N.N) 13:51 an anti-regime protest began in Houla near Homs. (S.N.N) 13:51 Syrian anti-regime activist Yara Shammas faces a possible death sentence, press freedom watchdog Reporters without Borders (RSF) said on Friday. 13:50 an anti-regime protest began in Homs neighborhood of Al-Ghouta. (S.N.N) 13:49 Anti-regime protests began in Yabrud and Kaswa near Damascus. (S.N.N) 13:48 an anti-regime protest began in Latakias Jableh. (S.N.N)
13:48 A new blast rocked the Syrian capital, in the Midan district, AFP quoted state TV as saying on Friday. 13:45 Anti-regime protests began in Al-Dameer and Harasta near Damascus. (S.N.N) 13:44 an anti-regime protest began in Hasakas neighborhood of Ghouiran. (S.N.N) 13:43 Syrian forces on Friday opened fire on protesters in the area of Shawakh in Deir az-Zour; wounding some people, Al-Jazeera television quoted activists as saying. 13:43 an anti-regime protest began in the towns of Sahel al-Ghab, Qalaat al-Madeeq, Tueni, Al-Shareea, Al-Karim, Al-Hawash and Qastoun near Hama. (S.N.N) 13:42 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos neighborhood of Al-Sakhour. (S.N.N) 13:37 Syrian forces on Friday opened fire on protesters in Joubeila in Deir az-Zour, Al-Jazeera television quoted activists as saying. 13:38 an anti-regime protest began in Teebat al-Imam near Hama. (S.N.N)
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27 April 2012 13:37 an anti-regime protest began in Daraas town of Naimeh. (S.N.N) 13:36 Security forces attacked anti-regime protesters in Daraas Al-Sabil neighborhood. (S.N.N) 13:35 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos neighborhood of Al-Sukri. (S.N.N) 13:29 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos Manbej. (S.N.N) 13:28 Anti-regime protests began in the Aleppo town of Hanano and Aleppos neighborhood of Seif ad-Dawla. (S.N.N) 13:27 an anti-regime protest began in Deir az-Zours neighborhood of Al-Qousour. (S.N.N) 13:26 an anti-regime protest began in Hamas Helfaya. (S.N.N) 13:25 an anti-regime protest began in Daraas neighborhood of Al-Kashef. (S.N.N) 13:20 Al-Jazeera television is broadcasting live footage of an anti-regime protest in Daraa al-Balad. 13:17 Syrian forces on Friday opened fire on people participating in a funeral in the Deir az-Zour town of Mohsen; leaving some people wounded, Al-Jazeera television reported. 13:16 Syrian forces on Friday surrounded the Harasta suburb of Damascus, Al-Jazeera television reported. 13:15 Syrian security forces conducted arrests in Damascus neighborhood of Nahr Aisha, Al-Jazeera reported. 13:14 Al-Jazeera television is broadcasting live footage of an anti-regime protest in Deir az-Zour. 13:12 Syrian security forces stormed Damascus neighborhood of Baraza and conducted arrests, Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying. 13:11 Syrian security forces have so far on Friday killed 13 people, activists told Al-Arabiya television. 13:11 Al-Jazeera television is broadcasting live footage of an anti-regime protest in Hasaka. 13:09 The Syrian army shelled Homs town of Al-Saan and injured some people, activists told Al-Jazeera television on Friday. 13:06 Syrian forces on Friday opened fire on protesters in the Aleppo town of Hayyan; wounding a number of them, Al-Jazeera television quoted activists as saying. 13:04 Al-Jazeera broadcasts live footage of an anti-regime protest in Syrias Qamishli. 12:58 an anti-regime protest started in Al-Qahtaniya in the city of Hasaka. (S.N.N) 12:56 an anti-regime protest kicked off in Latakias Al-Haffa. Protesters are calling for freedom and saluted the Free Syrian Army. (S.N.N) 12:53 an anti-regime protest started in the city of Abu Kamal in Deir az-Zour. (S.N.N)
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27 April 2012 12:51 an anti-regime protest started in the Hasaka town of Ras al-Ayn. Protesters called for freedom and for overthrowing the Syrian regime. (S.N.N) 12:48 Explosions were heard in Abu Kamal, Houla in Homs and Daraas neighborhood of Al-Kashef. (S.N.N) 12:42 an explosion went off Friday in an industrial zone of the Syrian capital Damascus, near a state-owned transport company, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 12:15 an anti-regime protest started in the Damascus neighborhood of Kfar Soussa. (S.N.N) 12:12 Anti-regime protests started in the city of Qamishli. (S.N.N) 12:10 an anti-regime protest kicked off in the Jawber neighborhood in Damascus. (S.N.N) 11:30 The Council of the Syrian Revolution Leadership told Al-Jazeera on Friday that there was a car bomb explosion in Damascus. 9:17 Overnight clashes between troops and rebels in the Syrian city of Homs killed at least one army deserter, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. 8:30 MORNING LEADER: UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the Syrian government is "in contravention" of an agreed peace plan by keeping troops and heavy weapons in cities.
27 April 2012 Naharnet Blast Reportedly Shakes Damascus Industrial Zone
Unclassified An explosion went off Friday in an industrial zone of the Syrian capital Damascus, near a state-owned transport company, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based watchdog said it was unclear whether there were any victims.
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27 April 2012 Anti-regime activists said in messages posted on Facebook that a white Mercedes vehicle had exploded in the industrial zone and that there were casualties. They said ambulances rushed to the site which was cordoned off by security. The blast took place amid a tenuous U.N.-backed ceasefire that went into effect in the strife-torn country on April 12 but has failed to take hold with violence and casualties reported on a daily basis. The Observatory also said three security agents were wounded on Friday in a blast in the coastal city of Banias. It gave no further details
26 April 2012 Al Bawaba Russia: Opposition Responsible for Syria Truce Violations
Unclassified The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused the Syrian opposition of resorting to "terrorist tactics" reminiscent of the methods of Al Qaeda, and has held opponents responsible for most of the violations of the cease-fire. "In Syria, there is another part, opposition groups that use the tactic of massive terrorism," said the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Loukachevitch during his weekly press conference. The acts of terrorism committed on Syrian territory aimed at inflicting the maximum number of civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure. It is like what is happening in Iraq, Yemen and other places where there are Al Qaeda cells and its related supporters, "he said. The spokesman said that the Syrian authorities violated the cease-fire declared April 12 by international envoy Kofi Annan, but the opposition was primarily responsible for fighting. "Usually this happens because of the actions of the armed opposition that push Syrian security forces to retaliate," he said Violence in Syria left at least 11,100 dead in just over 13 months of a popular revolt which was gradually.
27 April 2012 Al Sharaq Al Awsat Anti-Regime Protests in Syria amid Wavering Truce
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27 April 2012
(U) An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on April 26, 2012 shows a Syrian government forces soldier aiming fire at demonstrators in the city of Douma. Anti-regime protests were expected across Syria on Friday despite a week of violence that has killed dozens of people and severely tested a UN-backed peace accord. Demonstrations were to take place after the weekly Muslim prayers in flashpoint cities including central Hama, where shelling by government troops has reportedly killed more than 100 people since Monday. President Bashar al-Assad's regime has blamed "armed terrorist groups" for the violence, and for failing to abide by a ceasefire that took effect more than two weeks ago. But UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Syria was in contravention of a six-point peace deal by keeping troops and heavy weapons in urban areas, while expressing alarm about reports population centers were shelled. Opposition figure Anwar al-Bunni said the accord drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was likely to fail because it obliges Syria to allow free demonstrations. "If the Annan plan which provides for peaceful demonstrations is applied, millions of Syrians will take to the streets and the regime will fall," the Cairo-based rights activist told AFP. "It is clear the Syrian regime cannot implement the Annan plan," said Bunni, adding the violence carried out by progovernment forces "is planned". Violence across Syria on Thursday killed 22 people, including 16 civilians who died at the hands of government forces, and six regime loyalists killed in fighting in Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Overnight clashes between troops and rebels in the central city of Homs killed at least one army deserter and wounded another 15, it said in a statement. More than 9,000 people have died since a popular uprising erupted against Assad's regime in March 2011, the UN says, while non-governmental groups put the figure at more than 11,100.
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27 April 2012 The truce, which has barely held since taking effect on April 12, is to be monitored by 300 UN observers due to arrive in Syria in coming weeks. A small advance team is already on the ground. Ban "remains deeply troubled by the continued presence of heavy weapons, military equipment and army personnel in population centers, as reported by United Nations Military Observers," said a UN statement. This was "in contravention of the Syrian government's commitments to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons from these areas," he said, demanding Damascus "comply with its commitments without delay." Western nations have expressed strong doubts that the UN observers will be able to work. The United States has already warned it may not renew the mission's initial three-month mandate. US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the Security Council must be ready to order sanctions if Syria flouts commitments to halt violence. "We condemn what remains the government's refusal to abide by its commitments, its continued intense use of heavy weaponry in Hama and elsewhere, which continues to result in large numbers of civilian deaths every day," she told reporters. The Syrian National Council, the main opposition group in exile, has called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss a resolution to protect civilians. "Hama in recent days, and following a visit by UN observers, witnessed a series of crimes... that left more than 100 people dead and hundreds wounded because of heavy shelling," it said. Among those killed were nine activists "summarily executed" after meeting UN monitors, a rights group said. The reports cannot be verified because of restrictions on foreign media. The Arab League said it would ask the UN to ensure the immediate protection of civilians, but without going as far as demanding the use of force. "The entire world is waiting for a truce and the observers to be deployed, but unfortunately the fighting has not stopped and every day new victims die," Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said after a meeting in Cairo. On Wednesday, France raised the prospect of military intervention if Annan's peace plan fails. Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the international community would have to move to a Chapter Seven resolution, which authorizes foreign powers to take measures including military options. However, Juppe added such a resolution, which was also mooted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week, was unlikely to pass, alluding to previous Security Council vetoes by Russia and China. Moscow, a long-time Damascus ally, blamed the recent violence in Hama on rebel forces and hinted at Al-Qaeda involvement. "Opposition groups have essentially reverted to waging wide-scale terror in the region," said foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich. Attacks aimed at "killing as many peaceful civilians as possible and destroying civilian infrastructure remind one of what is happening in Iraq, Jordan and other places where Al-Qaeda and its groups operate," he said.
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27 April 2012 27 April 2012 Al Arabiya Loud Blast Rocks Syrian Capital as Protesters Plan Nationwide Rallies
(U) Violence across Syria on Thursday killed 22 people, including 16 civilians who died at the hands of government forces, and six regime loyalists killed in fighting in Aleppo. (Reuters) A loud explosion was heard in the Syrian capital Damascus on Friday, residents said, as anti-regime protests were expected across the country despite a week of violence that has killed dozens of people and severely tested a U.N.-backed peace accord. Revolutionary Command Council reported that the blast took place in an industrial area near the Old City. Demonstrations were to take place after the weekly Muslim prayers in flashpoint cities including central Hama, where shelling by government troops has reportedly killed more than 100 people since Monday. President Bashar al-Assads regime has blamed armed terrorist groups for the violence, and for failing to abide by a ceasefire that took effect more than two weeks ago. But U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Syria was in contravention of a six-point peace deal by keeping troops and heavy weapons in urban areas, while expressing alarm about reports population centers were shelled. Dissident lawyer Anwar al-Bunni said the accord drawn up by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was likely to fail because it obliges Syria to allow free demonstrations. If the Annan plan which provides for peaceful demonstrations is applied, millions of Syrians will take to the streets and the regime will fall, the Cairo-based rights activist told AFP. It is clear the Syrian regime cannot implement the Annan plan, said Bunni, adding the violence carried out by progovernment forces is planned. Violence across Syria on Thursday killed 22 people, including 16 civilians who died at the hands of government forces, and six regime loyalists killed in fighting in Aleppo, the countrys second-largest city, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Overnight clashes between troops and rebels in the central city of Homs killed at least one army deserter and wounded another 15, it said in a statement.
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27 April 2012 More than 9,000 people have died since a popular uprising erupted against Assads regime in March 2011, the UN says, while non-governmental groups put the figure at more than 11,100. The truce, which has barely held since taking effect on April 12, is to be monitored by 300 U.N. observers due to arrive in Syria in coming weeks. A small advance team is already on the ground. Ban remains deeply troubled by the continued presence of heavy weapons, military equipment and army personnel in population centers, as reported by United Nations Military Observers, said a U.N. statement. This was in contravention of the Syrian governments commitments to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons from these areas, he said, demanding Damascus comply with its commitments without delay. Western nations have expressed strong doubts that the U.N. observers will be able to work. The United States has already warned it may not renew the missions initial three-month mandate.
26 April 2012 Jordan Times Syria Releases Two Jordanian Detainees' Syrian authorities on Thursday released two Jordanians from jail after they were arrested two weeks ago while returning home from Lebanon through the trouble-hit country. According to their relatives, Khaled Salim Hiary and Ahmad Abu Saleh were detained in Syrian territory near the border with Jordan. The charges on which they were held were not clear. Salt MP Khalid Hiary, who was following up on the case, told The Jordan Times over the phone on Thursday that he, along with family members of the freed prisoners, were at the Jaber border crossing to receive the two men. On the details of the release, the MP indicated that the Lower House Public Freedoms Committee had entrusted House Speaker Abdul Karim Dughmi with mediating with authorities in Damascus and the Syrian Peoples Assembly. Dughmi contacted his Syrian counterpart, urging the release of the two men, the lawmakers noted. In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Dughmi said that his counterpart, Mahmoud Abrash, had told him that Syrian President Bashar Assad had ordered the release of the two Jordanians. Khalid Salim Hiary, a 40-year-old carpenter from the city of Salt, some 20 kilometers northwest of Amman, entered Syria on April 12 from Lebanon and was arrested on the Syrian side of the border with Jordan. According to human rights activists, there are over 250 Jordanian prisoners in Syria on political charges. Activists say that the majority of prisoners have never been tried in Syrian courts.
27 April 2012 KUNA Arab Officials Urge Syria Halt Violence, Support UAE Arab foreign ministers called on the Syrian government to halt immediately all forms of violence and killing and ensure freedom of demonstration and respond to the peoples' aspirations.
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27 April 2012 The ministers, at conclusion of their extraordinary session, held till late hours of the past night, affirmed in their statement necessity of full abidance by all Arab League resolutions related to the Syrian crisis. They affirmed full support for mission of Kofi Annan, the joint envoy of the Arab League and the United nations, on basis of a specific timetable, urged the Syrian government to literally and immediately implement Annan's plan and honors its obligations, outlined in the Security Council Resolution Number 2042. The Arab ministers urged the Security Council to speed up deployment of the international observers on the Syrian territories in line with the council resolution, and called on the government in Damascus to facilitate stationing of the observers and allowing them to move freely in the country, according to the timing they choose. They stressed that this government should not dictate conditions to obstruct mission of the observers and called for guarantees to ensure that the government would not punish or exert pressure on individuals, or their families, who may hold contact with the UN team or present them with information or testimonies. Moreover, they condemned continuing violence targeting the Syrian civilians, called on all parties of the conflict to stop all armed actions, violations of human rights, urged for ensuring delivery of humanitarian aid for those in need and cooperating with Annan for implementation of his plan. They affirmed necessity of pursuing the Arab and international efforts to ensure delivery of urgent aid for the civilians, in coordination with the international and Arab organizations. And, they decided to task the Secretariat General of the Arab League and relevant ministerial councils to present social and psychological aid to those who were traumatized with the violence, namely children, young girls and women, who have taken up refuge in makeshift refugee camps in neighboring countries. They assigned the Secretary General to call on all opposition parties to hold a meeting at the league headquarters, in May, to follow up on outcome of the conference of Syria's friends, that was held in Tunisia and Istanbul. Furthermore, the foreign ministers urged the Arab states to abide by the league resolutions, namely respecting boycott of the Syrian regime. On the UAE islands, the ministers affirmed Abu Dhabi's sovereignty on Abu Moussa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, and expressed support for any peaceful measures that might be taken by the UAE to reclaim them. They condemned the Iranian government moves to consolidate its occupation of the three islands, in violation of the UAE sovereignty, posing a threat to the regional stability and security, as well as the peace and security of the whole world. The Arab officials condemned recent visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Abu Moussa in blatant breach of the UAE sovereignty, labeling the move as a provocative act that would not help in building confidence and threatens regional security and stability, as well as regional and international maritime navigation. They urged Iran to take positive steps to try rebuilding its strained ties with the Arab states. On Sudan, they called on South Sudan to respect the borders with North Sudan and rejected label of Hjeilej as a disputed region.
26 April 2012 Edmonton Journal Video of Syrian Rebel Buried Alive and 'Missile' Strike Prompt Fresh Calls for UN Intervention By Ruth Sherlock
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27 April 2012
(U) An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on April 26, 2012 allegedly shows men dressed in Syrian army uniforms pointing guns at a man who is blind-folded and buried up to his neck at an undisclosed location in Syria. The video shows men using shovels to completely bury a man who appears to be alive and who they accuse in the video as being a citizen journalist who sells his videos to an Arab television satellite networks. Photograph by: Screen grab/YouTube , AFP/GettyImages The Syrian opposition called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Thursday over fresh claims of regime brutality, including a video that purportedly showed an opposition activist being buried alive. The video, said to have been filmed in the Syrian border town of Qusayr, shows a man buried to his neck in the ground. He wails desperate prayers as two men in military uniforms fill in the small ditch around his head with shovels. Dry mud and rocks are showered over his face and head until he is completely covered, when the video cuts out. The authenticity of the footage cannot be verified, especially as it seems to have been posted by a member of the regime forces, most likely one of the Shabiha, the informal militia often tasked with carrying out "dirty work" on the streets. It may have been intended to frighten the opposition. The dialogue on the video suggests that the man has been caught sending footage of the uprising to Arab satellite television channels such as al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya. He cries out, "there is no god but Allah", a traditional prayer of those about to die, but is told to say "there is no god but Bashar" instead.
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27 April 2012 The call by the Syrian National Council for an emergency statement by the UN came after another apparent major breach of the ceasefire, when a huge explosion destroyed part of Mash at-Tayyaron, a working-class civilian district of Hama, on Wednesday. "We are calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council so that it can issue a resolution to protect civilians in Syria," the Syrian National Council said in a statement. "Hama in recent days - and following a visit by UN observers - witnessed a series of crimes that left more than 100 people dead and hundreds wounded because of heavy shelling." The regime said "armed terrorist groups" had accidentally blown up a house that they were using for bomb-making, killing 16 people including women and children. Opposition activists nearby said there had been intense tank shelling of the house, before a single large rocket hit it, killing scores of people. Earlier this week, a series of machine gun attacks by regime forces killed between 30 and 40 people in Hama shortly after a visit by members of the Annan peace deal monitoring mission. "It was a missile shot by Battalion 47, which is situated near that district," said Mousab al-Hamadee, a member of Hama's opposition coordinators. "They thought that some defectors were hiding in that part of the city." Mr. Hamadee said that many of the victims of the blast were families who had fled the violence in neighboring Homs and had been living in the district as refugees. Activists put the body count from the incident as high as 68, including 13 children and 16 women. Footage from immediately after the blast showed panicked crowds scrambling over the collapsed remains of buildings, and carrying the semi-naked bloodstained body of a young girl. In another alleged incident of regime non-compliance with the ceasefire, Assad forces have built a concrete wall around much of the once rebel-held Homs, stationing tanks and troops near every exit, activists reported.
REGIONAL EDITORIALS (Top) 26 April 2012 Asharq Al-Awsat Syrian Grand Mufti says Arab Spring Western Plot By Yousef Diab
Unclassified The Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, described the battle that is currently taking place in Syria as a battle against our roots, adding that if Syria collapses, this will lead to the collapse of neighboring states,
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27 April 2012 starting with Lebanon and ending with Saudi Arabia, through Jordan and Iraq; this is because the plan for the Arab and Islamic world is to ensure that no strong state remains, and for our people to kill one another. The Syrian Grand Mufti confirmed that the West has authored the term Arab Spring to contain the popular resistance [against Israel], in order to target the roots of the ummah and enslave us. Commenting on Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassouns recent statements, Syrian National Council [SNC] spokesman, Samir Nashar, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Mufti Hassoun has become a promoter of the logic of Bashar al-Assad, and he is adopting these positions rather than standing with the Syrian people against the massacres being committed by this regime. In an interview with the Hezbollah affiliated al-Nour radio station, the Syrian Grand Mufti asserted that what is happening in Syria today is not a process to topple the regime, but rather an operation to push Syria towards religious, cultural and ethnic fragmentation that will create centuries of chaos in the Arab world adding this chaos will benefit the Zionist entity that has impudently announced the establishment of the first religious state in the entire region. Sheikh Hassoun called on the Syrian opposition not to be taken in by the Western project [the Arab Spring] and seize power [in Syria], thereby turning Syria into a democratic state in the western model adding this is a pipe dream. The Syrian Grand Mufti also confirmed that the West has authored the term Arab Spring to contain the popular resistance [against Israel] in order to target the cultural and historic roots of the ummah, to strengthen its own position and enslave us. Sheikh Hassoun also expressed his confidence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is prepared to step down from power in the event that the opposition is prepared to enter dialogue and present a convincing [political] program to the Syrian people. He stressed that we are not against the Syrian oppositionI have contacted the Syrian opposition abroad and, more than four years ago, called on them to return to Syrian and conduct dialogue [with the regime]. Responding to the comments issued by Sheikh Hassoun, SNC spokesman Samir Nashar expressed his regret that the Grand Mufti of the country is adopting the rhetoric of Bashar al-Assad and utilizing the same logic of conspiracy. He also told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Arab Spring revolutions, including the Syrian revolution, are revolutions for freedom and dignity, rejecting the marginalization of Arab citizens. Nashar added the attempt to incite division between Syrians at home and abroad has been exposed, and this is part of an attempt to incite sedition between the Syrian people, because the Syrian revolution did not take place overnight via division and sectarianism, rather these are the allegations that are put forward by Bashar al-Assad and his cronies, including Grand Mufti Hassoun, who is citing the arguments of the regime at the expense of the demands of the Syrian people for freedom and change.
27 April 2012 Dar Al Hayat Where were we and where are we Now Jihad el-Khazen As I look at the map of the two Sudans, I recall some history lessons from high school. We were taught that Syria was the bread basket of the Roman Empire because of the fertility of its lands and the abundance of water in it. I also recall some of my early political memories, when we thought that Arab unity was around the corner. Before its
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27 April 2012 partitioning, Sudan was the largest Arab country. Sudan contains many more agricultural lands and water resources than Syria, and hence the idea that Sudan may become the bread basket of a united Arab state emerged. Where were we and where are we now. The country that was rich in both oil and water has now become two states that are on the brink of a devastating war. Despite all that brings the North and the South apart, one common trait between them seems to be the absence of wisdom, statesmanship and political savvy. I do not claim to have special expertise on Sudanese affairs. I have never visited the country. However, I read every day about Sudan things that arouse my concern. This is not limited to the developments of recent weeks or months, but rather those of recent years. My personal acquaintance with Sudanese politicians is limited to Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, whom I knew when he was the Foreign Minister, and used to see him on the sidelines of the annual sessions of the UN General Assembly. We kept in touch when he became adviser to the president, and I have always found him to be knowledgeable, impartial and a true patriot. Our brother Mustafa invited me to visit Sudan and interview President Omar al-Bashir. I promised to do so year after year, and he would smile and say when he saw me: The invitation is still valid. I did not decline the invitation out of laziness. I have spent my life travelling, seeking news, but I found myself opposing the policies of a president that I did not know. Hence, if I were to interview him, whilst keeping my professional integrity, then all my questions would be negative or aggressive, or if I were to place national Arab considerations first, then all my questions would be rather trivial. The above is only a little meaningful anecdote. However, I have more important information. Despite my previous admission of my limited experience with Sudan, I want to say that following the Islamist coup in 1989 led by alBashir and Sheikh Hassan al-Turabi, I found President Hosni Mubarak very concerned by the new regime in Sudan, and the role of Islamists whom he saw as extremists. Mubarak told me more than once that he knew al-Bashir as a military man, and thought that he was a good man and that one could deal with him, and also said that he wanted to help him. However, his opinion of al-Turabi was rather the opposite of that. Today, I believe, according to what I heard in the past, but without conclusive evidence, that the Mubarak regime supported al-Bashir against al-Turabi, and perhaps even persuaded him that the Islamists were plotting against him, and so Mubarak incited the two sides against one another with the result being the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of al-Turabi. The Sudanese political developments, year after year, convinced me that my decision to keep my distance from alBashirs regime was on the mark. The agreement of January 2005 gave the South six years of self-rule, followed by a referendum on unity or secession, giving the regime in the North some time to win over the people of the South. We know today that al-Bashirs regime attempted to impose Sharia on the tribes of the South, where there is a Christian minority and an animist majority. Al-Bashir thus instilled strife between the Arab Muslim North and the non-Arab non-Muslim South until it seceded, or until they divorced through international courts. We are hearing today that the South invaded the oil-rich region of Heglig near Abyei, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2009 that Heglig belongs to the North, unlike the disputed region of Abyei. The South then withdrew under international pressure, before President al-Bashir entered the region claiming to have liberated it and threatening war. The President of the South Salva Kiir then responded and claimed that the North started a war against the South. Every day, there is a story about fighting from Talodi in the Kordofan region to the Blue Nile region, or incursion by northern forces in the South and claims of 1200 people killed, or casualties among peacekeeping forces in Darfur.
UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
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27 April 2012 From the bread basket of the nation to partition and war omensan epitome of the collapse of the project of the Arab world.
26 April 2012 Egypt Independent My Uncle, the Brother By Sharif Abdel Kouddous On 13 February 2011, two days after Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office, my uncle, Mohammed Abdel Qoddous, walked into the former headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in downtown Cairo for the first time in 16 years. The office had been raided and sealed shut by security forces in 1995 in one of the regime's many crackdowns on the outlawed group. Nothing had moved since. A teacup with a stubbed out cigarette lay on its side atop a newspaper dated from the day of the raid. Wisps of sunlight filtered in through the shuttered window slats. A blanket of dust, layered precariously high after years of painstaking accumulation, trembled and filled the air as he walked from room to room. "I was born here," he said with a smile. My uncle has been a devoted member of the Muslim Brotherhood for the past 36 years. He joined the group in 1976 the same year he got married and has spent much of his adult life committed to the group's view of the world and codes of conduct. His allegiance to the brotherhood forms a part of his religious identity. He was drawn to its legacy of resistance in Egypt and has stood by it through decades of political oppression and systematic persecution. The first of his dozen imprisonments was as a Brotherhood member in a 1981 police raid on the Guidance Council office that also housed the group's magazine, "Al-Dawaa," where he worked. He spent four months behind bars and says he was happy and proud to serve the time with then-Supreme Guide Omar Tilmisany. Over the years that followed, while he may not have always toed the line set out by the organization, his commitment to it has remained steadfast. Now, a little over a year after the January 25 revolution, with the Muslim Brotherhood's ascent from a banned opposition movement to the most powerful party in Egyptian politics, hairline fissures that have long existed between my uncle and the group's leadership have begun to crack apart and deepen. As the Brotherhood strains to wrap its hands around the levers of state power in Egypt, my uncle finds himself having to confront the pressing reality that the group he has considered himself a member of for so long may very well be one he will have to begin openly protesting. For more than he ever was a Brother, my uncle is, by his very nature, a dissident. To chronicle his history is to map out a lifetime of dissent. He took part in his first protest in 1968 during the student revolt against Gamal Abdel Nasser's regime. In 1981 he was jailed as part of Anwar Sadat's widespread crackdown on opposition groups. After Sadat's assassination he was placed under close surveillance by state security (he casually recalls being openly tailed on the desert road to Alexandria whenever he drove north for family vacations). As a career journalist, he wrote for opposition papers throughout Hosni Mubarak's reign. Leila Soueif, the professor and longtime rights activist, recalled that when she was advocating for her husband, attorney Ahmed Seif al-Islam
UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
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27 April 2012 Hamad, after he was imprisoned and tortured in 1983 for his involvement in the socialist movement, the only journalist that dared to write a story about his ordeal was Mohammed Abdel Qoddous. But it wasn't until the 2000s that my uncle cemented his stature as one of the country's leading dissidents against the Mubarak regime. Famed for taking to the streets with his trademark megaphone in one hand and Egyptian flag in the other, he led protest after protest against the regime's increasingly oppressive rule. Incredibly soft-spoken in conversation, his voice would rise to a roar on the streets. As the head of the Freedoms Committee at the Journalists' Syndicate, he helped turn the steps of the syndicate headquarters into the symbolic heart of the protest movement in the years leading up to the revolution. For his efforts he was frequently jailed, occasionally beaten and often harassed. In 2004, he helped co-found the Kefaya movement and hosted many of their press conferences at the syndicate. He also built ties with the April 6 Youth Movement and the National Association for Change while continuing to advocate and raise awareness for political prisoners. None of this behavior was very palatable to the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, which had increasingly come under the control of more conservative elements of the organization, led predominantly by Khairat al-Shater. This wing was more concerned with ensuring the survival of the group and frowned upon provoking any confrontation with the ruling regime. "The leadership was very upset at me because I was always protesting and speaking out against Mubarak," my uncle says. "Khairet al-Shater most of all. He is a person who likes law and order and he thought of me as rebellious and disobedient." But when Shater was imprisoned by a military tribunal in 2007, my uncle invited his family to the syndicate for a press conference to condemn his jailing. Hundreds of Brotherhood members attended, the first time they went to one of his events. Shater wrote to my uncle from prison, thanking him for his help and support, and their relationship warmed. "They have always left me to do what I want," my uncle says. "There are few members like me who act independently, outside of the organization." The January 25 revolution will always be regarded as a miracle to my uncle, something he had been dreaming about for most of his life. A picture of him being dragged away during a protest on January 26 by five plainclothes police officers as a group of baton-wielding central security forces look on was widely circulated on television and the internet, provoking outrage. He spent many nights in Tahrir during the historic sit-in that led to Mubarak's ouster. To walk with him in the square was to be in the presence of a revolutionary celebrity. Scores of people men and women, young and old would approach him to shake his hand, kiss him on the cheek and pose for pictures alongside him. He would be elated and humbled by the attention. "I never wanted to be a leader," he would say. "This is all I ever wanted, the love of ordinary people." It was in the post-Mubarak landscape, however, that the divisions between my uncle's actions and the Muslim Brotherhood's leadership immediately began to manifest themselves. In the weeks after Mubarak's ouster, the Brotherhood campaigned hard for the 19 March referendum that set up parliamentary elections later that year. Initially, my uncle walked in step with the organization, putting forward the Brotherhood's line of reasoning in family arguments and advocating for a yes vote despite widespread opposition
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27 April 2012 among the majority of revolutionary youth that he so admired. Yet, when it came time to cast his ballot, the cognitive dissonance must have been too much for him to bear and he voted no. During the post-Mubarak period, he did not let up on his advocacy for victims of repression under the rule of the military council even though the Brotherhood kept largely silent in reverence to the ruling generals. My uncle hosted the first of many press conferences for the No to Military Trials group in March 2011, despite the campaign being vilified in the face of the military's widespread popularity at the time. He later spoke out in a video for the imprisoned blogger Maikel Nabil, who had been handed a three-year prison sentence by a military tribunal, a principled move given Nabil's avowed support for Israel. As 2011 progressed, the Brotherhood continued to move further away from the revolutionary movement and more closely align itself with the Supreme Council of Armed Forces. A protest in Tahrir on 27 May billed as the "Second Day of Rage" marked the first major demonstration the Brotherhood officially boycotted. Instead, the group released a statement in support of the SCAF and called on people not to attend. My uncle nevertheless came to the square. He was surrounded by people yet again, though this time they were hounding him about the Brotherhood's stance and asking him to explain why the group was betraying the revolution. He would listen patiently and sometimes argue back, seemingly torn between his allegiance to the organization and their increasingly anti-revolutionary positions. During the pivotal clashes between protesters and police on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in November that left 45 people dead, the Brotherhood expressly forbade its members from taking part and was accused of sacrificing the protesters for the sake of the parliamentary elections days later. Bed-ridden with a cold, my uncle did not come to the square though he vocally supported the elections and proudly voted for the Freedom and Justice Party list. Yet, less than a month later, he joined with protesters in solidarity as they clashed with army soldiers in front of parliament on Qasr al-Aini Street. As rocks rained down from the building above and small fires raged on the street around him he stood calmly in his rumpled suit, flag in hand, and watched the battle unfold. The Brotherhood had also begun to echo some of the accusations made by SCAF and the state media that the protesters were inciting people to topple the state and create anarchy. In the wake of the Qasr al-Aini clashes, a prominent Brotherhood member filed a lawsuit against three members of the Revolutionary Socialists, accusing them of such charges. The Brotherhood's eponymous party newspaper, Freedom and Justice, published a frontpage article on the case. In response, my uncle used his daily column in the same newspaper to defend the Revolutionary Socialists and remind people that the group had protested the Mubarak regime for years and had stood by the Brotherhood when its members were being imprisoned. Despite the numerous actions my uncle took that pointed to his independence of mind free from the Brotherhood's 'listen and obey' credo he would frequently spout Brotherhood party dogma during arguments and debates, a manifestation of the complex and convoluted relationship he maintained with the organization and his continued allegiance to it. But his rhetoric has begun to shift in the last few weeks into open criticism. "I don't approve of their political performance," he says. "There is no difference between the Freedom and Justice Party and other parties. They are acting like politicians, not like Islamists." When the Brotherhood attempted to dominate the Constituent Assembly by shoving through a last-minute change to include 50 members of Parliament as well as stacking the remaining half with Islamists or other sympathetic members in a move that enraged groups across the political spectrum, including liberal parties, Al-Azhar and the Coptic Church, he was visibly distraught and penned an article denouncing the decision.
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27 April 2012 In response, a senior member of the Guidance Council called him at home to scold him, provoking a fierce argument. The next day, the Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and its former head, Mohamed Mahdi Akef, took him out to lunch to make amends. He was less vocal in his opposition to the Brotherhood's decision to nominate a presidential candidate. He stood against the group reversing its earlier pledge not to field a candidate but kept his criticism largely to himself as the Brotherhood was coming under fire from all quarters in the media. "I am against the Brotherhood taking over everything," he says. "They want the Parliament, the Constituent Assembly and the presidency? What is this?" Nevertheless, before Shater was disqualified from the race, my uncle was torn over who to vote for. He respected Shater and a part of him was inclined to support the Brotherhood's official nominee, but he had long supported the candidacy of Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, the former senior Brotherhood member who was expelled from the group after announcing his decision to run for the presidency last year. My uncle first met Abouel Fotouh in 1977, after he famously confronted Sadat as student union president at Cairo University, in part to criticize Sadat's restrictions on the speeches of Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazaly, my uncle's father-in-law. In 1985, the two traveled to Afghanistan together for a month where my uncle covered the mujahideen Resistance against the Soviet occupation and Abouel Fotouh volunteered as a doctor. My uncle sees himself and Abouel Fotouh as two parts of the same strand within the Brotherhood. "Abouel Fotouh is like me, a rebel," he says. After Shater was expelled from the race and the Brotherhood threw its weight behind its backup candidate, the lesser-known Mohammed Morsy, my uncle's choice to vote for Abouel Fotouh was easy. While he has not publicly come out in support of Abouel Fotouh for president the Brotherhood has explicitly forbade its members from doing so under penalty of expulsion he has not made his inclinations a secret either. On 20 April, the Brotherhood came out in full force for a protest in Tahrir alongside numerous other groups to "preserve the revolution," as it claimed. For the first time, my uncle did not join them. The future relationship between my uncle and the Brotherhood is unclear. His association with them is anything but straightforward, a convoluted mix of religion and politics that is difficult to define. Yet like so many of the organization's rank and file, his connection with the group is being remolded in the unpredictable landscape of postMubarak Egypt. "Right now the Brotherhood are not ruling. But a clash can happen when they become the rulers," my uncle says. "If they do something against general freedoms I will be the first to stand against them, I won't hesitate. If they want to kick me out, I will leave." He pauses to think. "But I don't think they will."
27 April 2012 Arab News Egypts Azl Law a Step in Right Direction for Democracy By Joseph Mayton Its an optimistic moment in the final transition from dictatorship to military rule to civilian rule
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27 April 2012 When Egypts ruling military junta, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), earlier this month approved the azl law, which bars former regime members from participating in politics for the next decade, democracy in Egypt earned a boost. Over the past few months we have witnessed a rise in the number of former Mubarak-era officials throwing their names into the political arena, which rightly sparked contention and outrage among the activist community. Now, we are witnessing what is hopefully the final stage in the military juntas rule over the country, but the new regulations must also stipulate that the military officials themselves must not be allowed into politics. The vast majority of the top brass are former regime officials, including SCAF chief Hussein Tantawi, who was President Hosni Mubaraks Defense Minister for far too long. If they do not remove themselves from politics and allow for the establishment of a true democratic transition, the future of Egypt will once again face a tumultuous future. Still, it is a positive step in the ongoing transition period, which has ebbed and flowed over the past 14 months. Activists largely cheered the ruling, which forced out of the presidential race former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq who was a caretaker prime minister during the 18 days of uprising in early 2011 before Mubarak left office and former intelligence chief and Vice President Omar Suleiman, who is hated among the activist community. Vigorous campaigning from human rights activists finally paid off and the decision brought relief to many. The ruling council said it sent the decision to the Peoples Assembly after Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) chief Hussein Tantawi, signed it on April 23. The decision will mean that some of the presidential nominees will no longer have the right to run, most notably Ahmed Shafiq, former prime minister appointed by Mubarak in his early attempts to contain mass protests calling for his ousting in January 2011. The decree, locally known as azl, literally ousting, will mean an end to many hopeful figures of staying in the decision-making circles. The final list of nominees will be announced on April 26, as the voting will kick off May 23. The law was first implemented by late President Gamal Abdul Nasser following the 1952 revolution against the monarchy and banned many former palace loyalists from taking part in the then new republic. Let us hope, as we do for the future of Egypt, that the new regulations will be a steppingstone toward the cracking down of corruption, which had been a dark stain on the former regime and which precipitated the January uprising. Activists have told me, hopeful, that the end of the former regime will spur a new era of politics in the country, and I agree that this ruling to bar former officials will assist the process of creating transparency and openness in the countrys often tangled web of political intrigue. As we look forward to next months presidential vote, it can be an optimistic moment in the final transition from dictatorship to military rule to civilian rule, but it must also be upheld by all powers that are overlooking the election. Vitally important is that lower level officials must also be unearthed and ousted from any position of power. This will lead to an era of transparency that could go a long way to ending the corrupt nature of Egyptian politics. One activist said bluntly that it is one thing to pass the legislation, but now it must be implemented by all groups in the country to take hold. We are watching and if it does create an opportunity for justice and transparency among the political groups in the country, I am all for it, but it must include the military, the activist told me.
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27 April 2012 And he is right. Egypts democracy depends on the complete end to the former regimes influence in all aspects of politics. The azl can lead to a just future for the country, one that reignites the hope that came with the ousting of the former regime on February 11, 2011.
UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

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27 April 2012 Supporting Documentation:

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OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

27 April 2012 Naharnet Blast Reportedly Shakes Damascus Industrial Zone

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: CCJ2-OSINT@CENTCOM.SMIL.MIL

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