04 june 12 osint levant tracker

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

04 Jun 201

EGYPT

Thousands across Egypt Protest Acquittals in Mubarak Trial: Al-Masry Al-YoumThousands gathered in Tahrir Square Sunday to protest the acquittals given to nine defendants in the major trialthat sent former President Mubarak to jail for life. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Independent; Daily; Undetermined)

SCAF To Discuss Mubarak Verdict Protests With Advisory Council: Ahram OnlineThe Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will meet Monday morning with its Advisory Council to discuss massprotests that erupted across Egypt following the controversial verdict in the trial of former president Hosni Mubarakand a number of senior figures in the former regime. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Daily; Undetermined)

Shafiq: Under Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt Will Return To Middle Ages: Al Bawaba The former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, one of two candidates in the second round of presidentialelections scheduled for June 16 and 17, has denied accusations that he wants to re-establish the old regime.(Source: Amman, Jordan; Popular Arab media; Daily; Claims Neutrality)

Mubarak Verdict Adds To Tension Before Egypt Vote Amid Calls For More Mass Protests: Al ArabiyaEgyptian activists called for mass demonstrations on Tuesday to protest against verdicts handed down in thestrongmans murder trial. Protesters also called for the retrial of all defendants in the case and called for thePolitical Isolation Law to be applied to Ahmed Shafiq, who is competing against Mursi in the election run-off onJune 16 and 17. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Independent; Claim Neutrality)

ISRAEL / GAZA

U.S. Confers With Israel on Future Iran Sanctions; Access To Nuclear Site To Top IAEA Agenda: Al ArabiyaThe United States is conferring with Israel about new sanctions planned against Iran should international

negotiations this month fail to curb the Islamic Republics nuclear program, a U.S. official said on Monday, as Iransnuclear drive is scheduled to top the agenda when the U.N. atomic agencys governors meet this week in Vienna.(Source: Dubai, UAE; Independent; Claim Neutrality)

Israel Fitting Nuclear Arms on German-Supplied Subs: Jordan TimesIsrael is arming submarines supplied and largely financed by Germany with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles,influential German news weekly Der Spiegel reports in its issue to be published Monday. (Source: Amman,Jordan; Independent; Neutral)

Israel to Jail 'Illegal Migrants' Without Charge For Up To 3 Years: Al Masry Al YoumIsrael will be able to jail illegal migrants without charge for up to three years, an official said on Sunday, as part ofefforts to curb a major influx of Africans from across the Egyptian border. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Independent;Daily; Undetermined)

Iranian Leader Warns Israel: Al BawabaIran on Sunday launched a new warning against any attack on its nuclear sites, amid reports Israel and the U.S.mull the possibility of a military option to stop Iran's nuclear program if diplomacy fails. (Source: Amman, Jordan;Popular Arab media; Daily; Claims Neutrality)

One Palestinian Injured In Overnight Israeli Raids on Gaza: Al ArabiyaThe Israeli military carried out air strikes on Gaza overnight Monday, injuring one Palestinian, after a rocket wasfired at southern Israel, the army and Palestinian medical sources said. Overnight, IAF (Israel Air Force) aircraft

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

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targeted weapons manufacturing facility and a terror tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip. (Source: Dubai, UAE;Independent; Claim Neutrality)

JORDAN

Govts Embarks On Comprehensive Plan to Address Energy Woes: Jordan TimesThe government has started applying a set of energy-saving measures to address inflation in the energy bill whichstood at JD4 billion last years, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. (Source: Amman, Jordan;Independent; Neutral)

Army Chief Meets UAE Military Delegation: PetraChairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mashal Mohammad Zabin on Sunday received a UAE militarydelegation headed by Director of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) Major General Mohammad Rashid Al-Ali.(Source: Amman, Jordan; Pro-Govt)

King Urges Governors to Meets Citizens Demands: PetraHis Majesty King Abdullah II on Sunday urged governors to reach out to citizens on all occasions, listen to theirproblems and concerns and meet their demands in cooperation with concerned bodies. "Although we are passingthrough a transitional stage in our political reform march, there is a need to fulfill citizens demands without anydelay as it is our duty to do so," the King said. (Source: Amman, Jordan; Pro-Govt)

LEBANON

Future MPs Slam Nasrallah Proposal: The Daily StarThe Future Movement and allied March 14 politicians said Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallahs call for thecreation of a constituent assembly aimed at building a strong state in Lebanon would spell the death knell to theTaif Accord and the Lebanese formula of equal power sharing between Muslims and Christians. (Source: Beirut,

Lebanon; Independent; Daily, Except Sunday; Neutral)

Protesters Block Lebanon-Syria Road over Kidnapping: The Daily StarRelatives of two Lebanese kidnapped last month blocked the Abboudiyeh road leading to Syria in north Lebanon inprotest of the abduction. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Independent; Daily, Except Sunday; Neutral)

Allouch Accuses Mikati of Conspiring Against Tripoli: Now LebanonFuture Movement official Mustafa Allouch said in remarks published on Monday that Prime Minister Najib Mikatiwas complicit in the events that targeted the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon;Privately Funded / Independent; Liberal)

Cautious Calm in Tripoli As Businesses Close In Mourning: NaharnetA cautious calm prevailed in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday as most businesses shot down in mourning

following the death of 14 people in the fighting between two rival neighborhoods. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon;English Edition of An Nahar; Liberal; Daily)

SYRIA

Live Blog on Developments in Syria: Now LebanonEU and Russia agreed that UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annans peace plan was the best way to avoid civil war inSyria, Clashes erupted between regime forces and rebels in Syria's Edleb province, Syrian security forces killed 15people on Monday, China's top state newspaper warned against foreign action in Syria (Source: Beirut, Lebanon;Privately Funded / Independent; Liberal)


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Assad: Syria Faces Real War From Outside: Al JazeeraPresident Bashar al-Assad has said Syria is engaged in a "real war" with outside forces and defended politicalreforms implemented by his government in an address to the parliament in Damascus. (Source: Doha, Qatar;Independent; Website of the TV Network; Claim Neutrality)

Syria In Focus At Putins Summit With EU As Annan Sees End Of Road For Peace Bid: Al ArabiyaSyria tops the agenda on Monday of the first summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the EU sincehe returned to the Kremlin last month, as violent crackdown in Syria, Moscows closest ally, leaves more deathsand injuries. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Independent; Claim Neutrality)

Syrian Air Force Officer Defects, Tells Horrors of Houla Massacre: Al ArabiyaA senior Syrian military officer decided to defect and join opposition forces after witnessing hundreds of pro-regimemilitiamen massacring more than 100 civilians in the town of Houla one week ago, a newspaper reported onSaturday. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Independent; Claim Neutrality)

Syria's Assad 'Maneuvering' To Gain Time: Saudi FM: Al Sharaq Al AwsatSaudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal accused Syria's President Bashar al-Assad of "maneuvering" to gain time, ata joint news conference Sunday with UN chief Ban Ki-moon. (Source: London, England; pan-Arab daily news;Pro Arab)

Al-Watan: Saudis 'Plotting' Against Syria: Now LebanonThe pro-regime Al-Watan daily accused the Saudi authorities on Monday of "plotting" against Syria, and also ofturning Lebanon into a springboard for attacking the country. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Privately Funded /Independent; Liberal)

EDITORIALS

What Does Nasrallah Really Mean: Now LebanonThe Shia taxi driver who brought me home from the airport a few nights ago answered my question about the fateof the 11 Lebanese Shia pilgrims kidnapped in Syria with a rather shocking statement: We dont care. We dontwant them back if this causes any humiliation to the Sayyed. He will not apologize to anyone. (Source: Beirut,Lebanon; Privately Funded / Independent; Liberal)

Egyptian Revolution: Death And Rebirth: Ahram OnlinePeople wanted elections for the sake of stability. Yet there is nothing vaguer than the word stability. It is in allfascist leaders vocabulary, specifically in order to maintain control of the people. The economy and security are thepredicates that define this so-called stability. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Daily; Undetermined)

Syria Massacre Frays U.S.-Russia Ties: Al Arabiya

Tensions between the United States and Russia have sharply escalated since a massacre in Syria, as Moscowholds firm in the face of U.S. charges that it has emboldened Bashar al-Assads regime. (Source: Dubai, UAE;Independent; Claim Neutrality)

Al-Assad Has Made It Simple: Al Sharaq Al AwsatThe tyrant of Damascus resolved the entire debate, at Arab and international level, and even among some spectraof the Syrian opposition, about the possibility of a diplomatic solution in Syria, when he announced in his speechyesterday that Syria is not in a crisis, and that he is proceeding to fight what he describes as terrorists, even if theprice is high! (Source: London, England; pan-Arab daily news; Pro Arab)


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Jordan Faces A Crossroads: YnetOp-ed: As Islamists grow stronger, will King Abdullah have to resort to brutality to save Hashemite kingdom?Jordan is one of the first countries where Arab Spring riots broke out. Thus far, King Abdullah II managed to keepthe revolution in the first phase of street rallies, with minimal bloodshed. Jordans king enjoys special Muslimprestige because of his Hashemite ancestry (said to be part of Muhammad the Prophet lineage) and the fact thatthe Jordanian royal house is the only one among regional Arab regimes that sanctioned Muslim Brotherhoodactivity by law. (Source: Israel, Yedi'ot Media Group)

Egypt and the Fear of Authoritarian Relapse: Egypt IndependentAs Egypts presidential election enters its run-off phase, the campaign of Mohamed Morsy has adopted a newslogan: Our Strength is in Our Unity. There is great irony in this rhetorical turn, as Morsys Muslim Brotherhood isone of the major culprits responsible for this political fragmentation that has haunted Egypts transition and doomed

ambitious designs for revolutionary change. Much of this fragmentation reflects divergent beliefs. (Source: Cairo,Egypt; Independent; Daily; Undetermined)

Egypt's Media: Gamal Mubarak for President?: Al JazeeraNewspapers express incredulity over acquittals, while one commentator jokes Mubarak's son could now run for topoffice. The verdict in former president Hosni Mubaraks trial dominated newspaper headlines on Sunday, but therewas also extensive coverage of the renewed protests in Tahrir Square and the upcoming presidential runoff withmany journalists and columnists connecting all three issues. (Source: Doha, Qatar; Independent; Website of theTV Network; Claim Neutrality)

Supporting Documentation:

EGYPT (Top)

04 June 2012Al-Masry Al-YoumThousands across Egypt Protest Acquittals in Mubarak Trial

(U) Al Masry Al Youm


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Thousands gathered in Tahrir Square Sunday to protest the acquittals given to nine defendants in the major trialthat sent former President Hosni Mubarak to jail for life.

Chanting against the verdict, demonstrators demanded the formation of a civilian presidential council includingdefeated candidates Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh and Hamdeen Sabbahi united under Muslim Brotherhoodcandidate Mohamed Morsy.

They also called for the retrial of all defendants in the case and that the Political Isolation Law be applied to AhmedShafiq, who will compete against Morsy in the election runoff on 16 and 17 June.

The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Mubarak and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly to life imprisonment forfailing to stop the killing of demonstrators during the 25 January uprising. The court acquitted six top securityofficials in the same case, as well as Mubaraks sons Gamal and Alaa and fugitive business tycoon Hussein Salem,for corruption charges.

Since the verdict was announced on Saturday, protesters have taken to the streets across the country to protestsentences they believe were either too lenient, too few or both.

In Daqahlia on Sunday, hundreds of revolutionary youths, Brotherhood members and members of the Hazemoun(supporters of disqualified former presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail), Mokameleen and April 6 Youthmovements blocked the main street in front of the Daqahlia governors office. Their protest demands includeddismissing the attorney general, applying the Political Isolation Law to Shafiq, retrying Mubarak and his aides usingreal evidence, and cleansing the judiciary.

The protesters burned pictures of Shafiq and threatened a landlord hanging a picture of him from his house thatthey would burn the house down.

They also chanted slogans against feloul, or remnants of the former Mubarak regime.

04 Jun 2012Ahram OnlineSCAF to Discuss Mubarak Verdict Protests with Advisory Council

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The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) will hold a meeting Monday morning with its Advisory Council todiscuss mass protests that erupted across Egypt following the controversial verdict in the trial of former presidentHosni Mubarak and a number of senior figures in the former regime.

They will also discuss some of the protesters' demands, including the formation of a presidential council made up ofrevolutionary figures to rule the country during the coming period and the postponement of the presidential electionrunoff slated for 16-17 June.

The meeting will take place at the Ministry of Defence and will be followed by a press conference.

The council was set up by the SCAF for "consultative purposes" in November 2011.

Protests broke out across Egypt on Saturday after Mubarak and his former interior minister Habib El-Adly wereslapped with life sentencesseen as too light by many Egyptiansfor participating in the crime of killing ofprotesters during last year's January 25 Revolution. Six police chiefs were acquitted of the same charges.

In a separate corruption case, meanwhile, Mubarak, his two sons Alaa and Gamal, and Egyptian business tycoonHussein Salem were all found not guilty by the same judge.

04 June 2012Al BawabaShafiq: Under Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt Will Return To middle Ages The former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, one of two candidates in the second round of presidentialelections scheduled for June 16 and 17, has denied accusations that he wants to re-establish the old regime.

The former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, one of two candidates in the second round of presidential

elections scheduled for June 16 and 17, has denied accusations that he wants to re-establish the old regime.Responding to the attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood, Mr. Shafiq expressed his desire to build a civil, democratic,

just and developed state, instead of leading the country to the "middle age," hinting to the vision of the MuslimBrotherhood.

The former air force commander said the Muslim Brotherhood have cooperated with the former regime. "We canremember that during the parliamentary elections, they agreed with the National Democratic Party (NDP, led byformer President Hosni Mubarak) on the number of seats they could have," said Shafiq. He also pledged efforts tohelp farmers improve their lives and give young people a chance to participate in the revolutionary politics of thecountry.

In the second round of presidential elections, Mr. Shafiq, 71, Prime Minister from 31 January to 3 March 2011, willface Mohamed Morsi, candidate of the Party for Freedom and Justice (PLJ), the political wing of the Muslim

Brotherhood.

Meanwhile, thousands of Egyptians held Sunday evening a protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the symbol of the 2011revolution. Angry demonstrators also took to the streets of Alexandria and other cities in the country denouncing theverdicts in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak. On Saturday, Mubarak and his former interior minister weresentenced to life imprisonment for their role in the deaths of nearly 850 protesters during the popular uprising thattoppled the regime. On Sunday the Office of Attorney General said it would appeal the verdicts.

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Al ArabiyaMubarak Verdict Adds To Tension before Egypt Vote Amid Calls For More Mass ProtestsEgyptian activists called for mass demonstrations on Tuesday to protest against verdicts handed down in thestrongmans murder trial.

The pro-democracy April 6 movement, the Coalition of Revolution Youth and the Maspero Youth Union amongothers called for a mass protest at 1500 GMT on Tuesday.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Cairos iconic al-Tahrir Square late Sunday to protest the acquittals given tonine defendants in the major trial that sent former president Hosni Mubarak and his interior minister Habib al-Adlyto jail for life.

Demonstrators demanded the formation of a civilian presidential council including defeated candidates AbdulMoniem Abul Fotouh and Hamdeen Sabbahi united under the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, who is running in theelections run-off, Mohammed Mursi, Egypts daily al-Masry al-Youm reported.

Protesters also called for the retrial of all defendants in the case and called for the Political Isolation Law to beapplied to Ahmed Shafiq, who is competing against Mursi in the election run-off on June 16 and 17.

Egyptian pro-democracy campaigners called for a new uprising, saying justice was not served by the trial ofMubarak and his companions.

Since the verdict was announced on Saturday, protesters have taken to the streets across the country to protestsentences they believe were too soft.

The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Mubarak and Adly to life imprisonment for failing to stop the killing ofdemonstrators during the Jan. 25 uprising. The court acquitted six top security officials in the same case, as well as

Mubaraks sons Gamal and Alaa and fugitive business tycoon Hussein Salem, for corruption charges.

(U) Former president Hosni Mubarak

According to a report published by the online edition of Egypts state-run al-Ahram daily, prominent Islamistpreacher Safwat Hegazi, who is close to the Muslim Brotherhood group, led tens of demonstrators early on Sunday


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chanting We are not tired, we want a complete revolution. In the hours that followed more small demonstrationsarrived. More protests joint at the square for the rest of the day.

Ayman al-Sayad, political analyst, was quoted by al-Ahram Online as saying that It is too early to say whetherthese demands [of the protesters] are realistic. The only thing we can all be sure of is that those who hit the streetsare angry and have a sense of injustice and they have every right to feel so.

Egypts judicial authorities fell under unprecedented criticism by the Islamist-dominated Parliament in a stormysession on Sunday. The parliamentary session decided to draw up a committee tasked with investigating judicialcorruption and discussing legislation required to do so, according to al-Ahram Online.

(U) Ahmed Shafiq believes that one of his strongest assets is in fact this military background. (File photo)

Egyptian expatriates started on Sunday their voting in the run-off, the last stage in a chaotic transition from militaryto civilian rule.

Many took the trial outcome as proof the Mubarak clan still holds sway.

This was not a fair verdict and there is mass rejection of the judges ruling, Amr Magdy, one protester toldReuters. Tahrir will fill up again with protesters. In Egypt the only way you can get any justice is by protestingbecause all the institutions are still controlled by Mubarak figures.

The general prosecutor lodged an appeal on Sunday against the acquittal of the six senior police officials chargedwith killing protesters, and banned them from travelling, the prosecutors assistant said.

Mubaraks defense has also said it would appeal.

Both the toppled dictators defense team and lawyers representing his victims said the life sentence verdict couldeasily be appealed, triggering fears among protesters that Mubarak could eventually walk free.

Shafiq, who holds Mubarak as a role model, has taken a tough stance on law and order, appealing to people tiredof protests, political chaos and insecurity that have damaged the economy.

Critics say he also has the backing of the powerful army.


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Many people had the feeling while listening to the verdict that we were back in the days of the old regime, oneprotester, student Feda Essam, told AFP.

(U) Mohammed Mursi presents himself as the only candidate with an Islamic program. (File photo)

Dozens of young men ransacked Shafiqs campaign office in Fayoum south of Cairo overnight, the second suchattack in recent days, al-Ahram reported. Shafiq campaigners in Cairo confirmed the attack.

Do they think that by burning Shafiqs headquarters, they will burn Shafiq? Forget it, Shafiq told reporters onSunday, warning that a vote for Mursi was a vote for the unknown.

The Brotherhood represents the darkness and secrets and nobody knows who they are and what they do... Irepresent Egypt, all of Egypt, he said.

The Brotherhood, on the other hand, said Shafiqs direct assault on the well-organized Islamist movement showedhe had lost his judgment.

This attack is proof that his end is near and he fears he may follow in the footsteps of his president, said Essamal-Erian, a senior Muslim Brotherhood member. He is a symbol of the defunct regime and Egyptians will rejecthim.

Suspicion is widespread that the military, led by Mubarak's old defense minister, will still wield heavy influencewhoever becomes president. Egypt has been led by army officers since 1952. Shafiq is a former air forcecommander.

Mursi, who has been struggling to gain the support of candidates defeated in the first round, met leftist Sabbahi andAbul Fotouh, on Saturday night behind closed doors, according to people who attended the gathering.

Sabbahi and Abul Fotouh, who was ejected from the Brotherhood last year and has campaigned on a moremoderate political platform, came third and fourth in the May 23-24 vote and have refused to throw their weightbehind Mursi.

The situation now is deadlocked but one scenario would be to stop the second round from happening, said apolitical activist who witnessed the meeting. We plan to call for marches on Monday, Wednesday and a big million-man march on Friday.


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(U) An image grab taken from Egyptian state TV shows people shouting slogans after the reading of the verdict inthe trial of Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak at a court in Cairo. (AFP/EGYPTIAN TV)

As Mursi sought the backing of other groups that took part in the uprising against Mubarak, many liberal Egyptiansand Coptic Christians voiced support for Shafiq as a bulwark against the Brotherhood, which already dominatesparliament.

Leaders of the revolution are very selfish. The revolution is starting to be a taboo where you are in danger if youcriticize it a bit, said Ibrahim Sawiros, a student living in the Netherlands.

Sawiros, a Christian, said he voted for Sabbahi in the first round for the sake of the revolution but would vote forShafiq in the run-off because it was a vote against Mursi.

Poverty, police brutality and anger at corruption drove the 18-day revolt that unseated Mubarak. Around 850 peoplewere killed when the security forces tried to re-assert control over the country of 82 million people.

On Sunday, Mubarak was issued regulation blue prison uniform and guards at the Cairo Tora prison took his officialmugshot and gave him his prisoner number, state news agency MENA reported.

A tearful Mubarak, who enjoyed near absolute power for three decades, was flown by helicopter to the prison onCairos outskirts after the verdict but then refused to leave the aircraft, according to AFP.

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Israel is reputed to have the regions only atomic arsenal and many international experts, including the top U.S.military officer, General Martin Dempsey, have voiced doubt in the ability of its conventional forces to deliver lastingdamage to Iran's distant, dispersed and well-defended nuclear facilities.

The Israelis have hinted that delaying Irans progress could justify a unilateral strike. Ensuing Iranian reprisalswould risk drawing in the United States, which has not ruled out force against Tehran but is loath to launch a newmilitary campaign in the Muslim world.

Irans suspected nuclear drive will top the agenda when the U.N. atomic agencys governors meet this week inVienna, aiming to get unlimited IAEA access to a key Iranian military base.

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said new satellite imagery of the Parchin base nearTehran indicated extensive activities where there had been virtually none for years, according to AFP.

This could hamper the agencys ability to undertake effective verification of the site, the IAEA warned.

The agency already sought access to Parchin -- where it believes suspicious explosives testing was carried out -- intwo visits to Iran in January and February.

But this was denied, with Tehran arguing the site was not linked to its nuclear program so it need not allowinspections.

After a visit to Iran on May 21, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said he and chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili wouldsoon sign a deal to resolve issues over Tehran's nuclear programme. But two weeks on, there is still no sign of it.

Last week, IAEA chief inspector Herman Nackaerts also showed delegations new satellite pictures of Parchin takenon May 25 that analysts say suggest cleanup activities at the military base.

Irans enrichment of uranium to 20-percent purity, bringing Tehran consistently closer to producing 90-percentenriched uranium needed to make a bomb, is another matter of concern, according to Western powers.

Iran and the P5+1 powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- met in Baghdad onMay 23-24 in a bid to ease tensions over Tehrans suspected nuclear drive but little was achieved.

A further meeting was set in Moscow on June 18-19, before an EU oil embargo against Iran comes into force onJuly 1.

On Sunday, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed suspicions that Iran was seeking nuclearweapons as based on a lie and insisted that sanctions on his country were ineffective and only strengthened itsresolve.

The meeting of the IAEAs 35-member board of governors will be held behind closed doors, starting Monday, and isdue to go on all week.

04 June 2012Jordan TimesIsrael Fitting Nuclear Arms on German-Supplied SubsIsrael is arming submarines supplied and largely financed by Germany with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles,influential German news weekly Der Spiegel reports in its issue to be published Monday.


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The magazine said in a cover story likely to touch off a debate in Germany that Berlin had until now denied anyknowledge that German submarines were being used as part of an Israeli atomic arsenal.

Israel is the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear-armed power.

However, former high-ranking officials of the German defence ministry told the magazine that the governmentalways assumed that Israel was putting nuclear warheads on the Dolphin-class vessels.

The article, based on a months-long probe, cited files from the foreign ministry in Berlin indicating that the WestGerman state was aware of the practice as early as 1961.

Germany has already supplied Israel with three of the submarines in question, footing most of the bill, and anotherthree are to be delivered by 2017 under a recently signed contract.

Meanwhile Israel is weighing whether to order three more, according to the report.

"The Germans can be proud to have ensured the existence of the state of Israel for several years to come," IsraeliDefence Minister Ehud Barak was quoted by Der Spiegel as saying.

The report said that Germany hoped to see Israeli concessions on settlements and approval for the completion of asewage treatment plant in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the assistance.

Israel sees its existence under threat if its arch-foe Iran goes nuclear. Like the United States, it has refused to ruleout bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

Germany, bearing the historical guilt of the Holocaust, is Israel's closest ally in Europe.

But it has sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pro-settlement policies in the West Bank and EastJerusalem as undermining peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Tensions between Germany and Israel flared in April when Nobel prize-winning German author Gunter Grasspublished an inflammatory poem in which he warned that a nuclear-armed Israel "could wipe out the Iranian people[with a] first strike".

04 June 2012Al Masr Al YoumIsrael To Jail 'Illegal Migrants' Without Charge For Up To 3 Years


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(U) Al Masry Al Youm

Israel will be able to jail illegal migrants without charge for up to three years, an official said on Sunday, as part ofefforts to curb a major influx of Africans from across the Egyptian border.

An interior ministry spokeswoman told AFP that following a directive from minister Eli Yishai, legislation from thestart of the year giving authorities powers to detain migrants for up to three years was to be implemented.

Spokeswoman Sabine Haddad said that the order had previously been to jail illegal migrants who entered Israel for10 days, before then setting them free inside the country.

Interior ministry statistics show there are approximately 60,000 African immigrants who have entered Israel illegally.Some are refugees fleeing persecution in their home nations, but others are economic migrants.

Haddad said that during May alone 2,031 Africans entered the country.

A recent spike in racial tensions in Israel resulted in riots in southern Tel Aviv, currently home to tens of thousandsof African migrants.

Last month, a protest by 1,000 people against the rising number of Africans moving into the area turned violent.

Demonstrators went on the rampage, attacking African-run shops and smashing up a car driven by two Africanmen.

Police said afterwards 20 people had been arrested on suspicion of vandalizing shops and attacking cars driven by

Africans, but were no injuries.

The riots sparked shock in Israel, but also prompted top-level calls for the immediate arrest and expulsion of tens ofthousands of African migrants, most of who come from Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea.

Yishai, who has often tried to expel non-Jewish immigrants sparking accusations of racism, on Sunday met Eritreanambassador Tesfamariam Tekeste Debbas "to find joint ways to return infiltrators," Yishai's office said.


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Yishai asked the ambassador to convey the message to Eritreans that "Israel cannot be a destination for them, andfuture infiltrators are liable to find themselves in prison," a statement said.

It said the two discussed ways of repatriating migrants in a way that would "ensure their dignity, while safeguardingIsrael as the home of the Jewish people."

Before the violent demonstration, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the phenomenon of "illegal workinfiltrators" is "very grave and threatens the social fabric of society, our national security and our national identity."

After the violence, he condemned the actions and racist statements of politicians who whipped up the crowd, andpromised to resolve "the problem of the infiltrators" by sending them home in a process which would start "soon."

Israel is also constructing a 250 km (155-mile) fence along the Egyptian border.

04 June 2012Al BawabaIranian Leader Warns Israel

(U) Khameni

Iran on Sunday launched a new warning against any attack on its nuclear sites, amid reports Israel and the U.S.mull the possibility of a military option to stop Iran's nuclear program if diplomacy fails. The Iranian Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei, warned Sunday that any attack by Israel against its nuclear sites "will fall like a thunderbolt" on thehead of the Jewish state, accusing the West of "lying" about the Iranian nuclear threat.

Israeli and American officials have begun to discuss the possibility of military strikes against Iran's nuclear programsince the collapse of negotiations in Baghdad between the major powers and Iran last month. "All options are onthe table", reiterated Wednesday the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in an allusion to a possible attack againstIran. "We must find the right time before it is possible to act".

On his part, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, said his country had "no intention to continue discussionsindefinitely" and that "the window is beginning to close" in front of a diplomatic solution.


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"If the Zionist leaders talk of military action (against Iran), it is because they are (...) more vulnerable than ever. Anywrong decision (...) will fall on their head as the lightning, "stated Ayatollah Khamenei in a speech to mark the 23rddeath anniversary of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic.

His chief military adviser, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Yahya Rahim Safavi, warned onSaturday that Tehran would respond militarily to any attack. He reiterated that Israeli and U.S. bases in the MiddleEast as well as the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Gulf were within range of the large arsenal of Iranian missiles.General Rahim Safavi, however, chances of an attack by Israel or the United States were "slim."

04 June 2012Al ArabiyaOne Palestinian Injured In Overnight Israeli Raids on GazaThe Israeli military carried out air strikes on Gaza overnight Monday, injuring one Palestinian, after a rocket wasfired at southern Israel, the army and Palestinian medical sources said. Overnight, IAF (Israel Air Force) aircrafttargeted weapons manufacturing facility and a terror tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip. Direct hits were identified, itsaid. The targeting of these sites was in response to the rocket fire on communities in southern Israel.

Palestinian medics said one person had been injured in a raid on northern Gaza City, but it was not clear howserious his injuries were.

The raid took place just hours after a rocket landed in the Eshkol region of Israel which flanks the southern stretchof the Gaza border. It did not cause any injuries or damage.

A day earlier, Israeli air strikes across Gaza injured seven people after a flare-up along the border on Friday inwhich an Israeli soldier and two Palestinian fighters were killed.

Since the start of the year, Palestinian armed groups have fired over 270 rockets at southern Israel, the armystatement said.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, maintains a tacit truce with Israel, but other Palestinian groups in theterritory occasionally fire rockets across the border.

JORDAN (Top)

04 June 2012Jordan TimesGovts Embarks On Comprehensive Plan to Address Energy WoesThe government has started applying a set of energy-saving measures to address inflation in the energy bill which

stood at JD4 billion last year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Revenues originated by these measures will constitute 26 per cent of the Kingdoms energy bill which rose by 97per cent in January this year, according to the Department of Statistics.

Building a terminal off the Port of Aqaba to receive and store liquefied gas, starting a company to import gas,adjusting prices of fuel derivatives and electricity are among these measures, which will also include replacinginefficient lighting with energy-saving systems in public institutions, Petra said.


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Last week, the Cabinet approved a recommendation by the energy minister to float a tender for energy-savinglamps to be used in public institutions.

The government will equip public agencies with 600,000 of these devices at a total cost of JD1.6 million, accordingto Petra.

A campaign to raise public awareness on the importance of reducing electricity and fuel consumption will belaunched as part of the governments plan to address the energy issue that resulted mainly from unstable Egyptiangas supplies to the Kingdom.

Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh, during a meeting attended by ministers, concerned officials and mediarepresentatives on Thursday, said that the precarious budget situation and the rise in the Kingdoms annualelectricity bill to $4.5 billion make it imperative to change consumer behavior.

By cutting down on electricity consumption, citizens can reduce their electricity bills and the countrys overall fuelbill, he said, adding that the media should help raise public awareness in this regard.

Each citizen saving 1 per cent of his energy consumption will result in securing JD16 million every year, Petra said,adding that producing one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity costs JD0.19, while the public on average paysJD0.082 per kWh with the government incurring the difference.

According to the Electricity Regulatory Commissions estimates, the new electricity tariffs are expected to providethe electricity power sector with JD124 million this year, constituting 8 per cent of the sectors loss which reachedaround JD1 billion in 2011 and is expected to amount to JD1.5 billion this year if the Egyptian gas supply to theKingdom remains shaky, Petra said.

The government on Saturday raised electricity rates on households consuming over 600 kWh per month.

Petra also quoted Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Alaa Batayneh as saying that the governmentsubsidizes electricity and fuel derivatives by JD1.4 billion and JD700 million every year, respectively, constitutingone-third of the budget.

04 June 2012PetraArmy Chief Meets UAE Military Delegation


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(U) General Mashal Mohammad Zabin

Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mashal Mohammad Zabin on Sunday received a UAE militarydelegation headed by Director of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) Major General Mohammad Rashid Al-Ali.

Talks during the meeting dealt with means of boosting bilateral cooperation in military field.

03 June 2012PetraKing Urges Governors to Meets Citizens DemandsHis Majesty King Abdullah II on Sunday urged governors to reach out to citizens on all occasions, listen to theirproblems and concerns and meet their demands in cooperation with concerned bodies.

Unclassified

The King made the remarks during a meeting with Interior Ministry governors in the presence of Prime MinisterFayez Tarawneh and the ministers of interior, finance, planning and international cooperation as well as industryand trade.

The King called on the governors to play an active role in development and contribute to drafting developmentplans that fulfill aspirations of Jordanians, help specify their priorities and enhance their participation in decisionmaking. "This requires a new mechanism to activate the role of executive and consultative councils in eachgovernorate," he added.

"Although we are passing through a transitional stage in our political reform march, there is a need to fulfill citizensdemands without any delay as it is our duty to do so," the King said.

His Majesty highlighted the need to listen to citizens' concerns and fulfill their needs as our efforts, including politicalreforms are designed to improve Jordanians living conditions.

He said the Governorates Development Fund will have a positive role in local development, adding governorsshoulder a responsibility in specifying investment opportunities as well as productive projects that contribute tocreating job opportunities.

The King instructed the government to follow up on issues raised by the governors and provide them with theneeded support in coordination with concerned bodies.


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LEBANON (Top)04 June 2012The Daily StarFuture MPs Slam Nasrallah ProposalBy Hussein Dakroub

(U) Future Movement lawmaker Ammar Houry, center, speaks during a session at the Parliament in Beirut,Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011. (Mahmoud Kheir/The Daily Star)

The Future Movement and allied March 14 politicians said Sunday Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallahs callfor the creation of a constituent assembly aimed at building a strong state in Lebanon would spell the death knell tothe Taif Accord and the Lebanese formula of equal power sharing between Muslims and Christians.

Meanwhile, President Michel Sleiman paid a short visit to Kuwait Sunday on the second leg of an Arab Gulf touraimed at enlisting these countries support for a new session of National Dialogue for which he had invited rivalpolitical leaders on June 11.

Sleiman, who visited Saudi Arabia Friday, discussed with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah hiscall for the convening of an intra-Lebanese National Dialogue aimed at insulating Lebanon from the repercussions

of the 15-month-old turmoil in Syria, maintaining stability and bolstering civil peace following a series of securityincidents in the north last month.

Sleiman also discussed with Sheikh Sabah Kuwaits possible intervention and help to secure the release of 11Lebanese who were taken hostage by Syrian rebels in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo on May 22,according to a statement released by Baabda Palace.

Sources at Baabda Palace said Gulf leaders supported an intra-Lebanese dialogue as a means of maintainingstability in the country.


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Last month, Sleiman, who is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates Wednesday, called for a resumption of theNational Dialogue that has been stalled since November 2010. The Future Movement-led opposition March 14coalition has praised Sleimans call for dialogue but voiced reservations on the relaunching of all-party talks. Mediareports said Sleiman plans to also visit Qatar and Bahrain.

The March 14 demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikatis Cabinet and the formation of asalvation government to oversee next years parliamentary elections cast doubts on the possibility of convening anew round of intra-Lebanese dialogue.

Beirut Future MP Ammar Houry said the parliamentary Future bloc has not yet decided on whether to attend theplanned dialogue.

There is no final decision yet on participation in National Dialogue sessions because the March 14 parties arepreparing an initiative to be presented to President Sleiman, Houry told The Daily Star.

Among other things, the initiative calls for the formation of a new government while stressing adherence to the TaifAccord and demanding that the state have sole monopoly over the use of arms.

March 14 leaders are planning to meet in the next few days to decide on whether to accept Sleimans invitation fora new round of National Dialogue.

Nasrallah has reiterated Hezbollahs support for the planned National Dialogue, hoping that no party would boycottit. However, in a televised speech Friday, he coupled his support for the planned dialogue with a call for thecreation of an elected or appointed constituent assembly aimed at building a strong state in Lebanon to endsectarian and political divisions and solve the countrys socio-economic crisis.

Commenting on Nasrallahs call for a constituent assembly, the opposition Al-Mustaqbal newspaper said in a front-

page banner headline Saturday: Nasrallah Calls for Burying The Taif [Accord].

Future MPs and March 14 politicians lashed out at Nasrallahs call for a constituent assembly, saying it amountedto the abolition of the Taif Accord. Nasrallahs call is unacceptable to the Future Movement because it spells thedeath knell to the Taif Accord and the Lebanese Constitution, Houry told The Daily Star.

Nasrallahs call amounts to the abrogation of the Taif Accord and the Constitution and puts end to equal powersharing between Muslims and Christians, Lebanons Arabism, its democratic system and economic free enterprise,he said. Nasrallahs call suggests Lebanon is being constituted and does not have a ruling system, a constitutionand the Taif Accord.

Houry said if any amendments to the Constitution are to be made, Parliament is the proper place to do it.

Beirut Future MP Atef Majdalani described Nasrallahs call for a constituent assembly as very dangerous.

Nasrallahs call undermines President Sleimans call for dialogue, he told MTV. With his call, Nasrallah is sayingthat he does not recognize legitimacy.

Fares Soueid, coordinator of the March 14 Secretariat General, said Nasrallahs call scuttles Sleimans initiative torelaunch national dialogue. The March 14 parties are preparing a political memo to President Sleiman that willanswer all questions raised over dialogue, Soueid told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.


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Nasrallahs remarks undermine the Taif Accord. His viewpoint is dangerous because it strikes [sectarian]coexistence and justifies the equation that anyone who possesses arms can change the Constitution, he said.

Meanwhile, former President Amin Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb (Phalange) Party, said he supported Sleimanscall for dialogue and will attend. We are going to [attend] dialogue despite our prior awareness of negative aspects.But we will try to create a national environment that allows the state to tackle the peoples affairs, Gemayel told aparty rally in the town of Kfar Abeeda in Batroun.

Our acceptance of dialogue is to affirm that we will not accept the continuation of illegal arms, that we will notaccept to turn the file of the international tribunal, that we will not accept Palestinian camps to remain militarycamps. We will again affirm that we will not accept this government to stay in office indefinitely, particularly until theparliamentary elections. With additional reporting by Antoine Ghattas Saab

04 June 2012The Daily StarProtesters Block Lebanon-Syria Road over Kidnapping

(U) Abboudiyeh residents block a main highway that crosses into Syria to protest the kidnapping of Lebanesefarmers.

Relatives of two Lebanese kidnapped last month blocked the Abboudiyeh road leading to Syria in north Lebanon inprotest of the abduction.

Security forces reopened the road leading to the Arida border crossing late Sunday after relatives blocked it alongwith the north's other border crossing in Abboudiyeh.

Two weeks before Mohammad Ibrahim was kidnapped early last month from Abboudiyeh, his cousin AdnanMohammad was snatched while strolling along the southern bank of Nahr al-Kabir river.

Both men were reportedly kidnapped by armed elements who support the Syrian regime.

Security sources have said that Ibrahim is in Syria while Mohammads whereabouts remain unknown.

Tens of vehicles were stranded at the entrance of the Abboudiyeh border crossing.


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Ibrahim and Mohammads case is one of several abductions, most of which ended in the release of the kidnapped.

Syrian authorities released Sunday two Lebanese farmers who were kidnapped last week in Abboudiyeh.

04 June 2012Now LebanonAllouch Accuses Mikati of Conspiring Against Tripoli

(U) Future movement official Allouch

Future Movement official Mustafa Allouch said in remarks published on Monday that Prime Minister Najib Mikatiwas complicit in the events that targeted the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

Mikati is part of the conspiracy that is targeting Tripoli, Allouch told the Kuwaiti daily As-Seyassah, adding: He iseither an accomplice or a mute devil, and in both cases his crime is [serious].

The Future Movement official also said that the armed groups implicated in the violence in Tripoli were linked toHezbollah and the Syrian regime, adding that the March 8 group took the political decision of prolonging securityinstability in the northern Lebanese city.

Allouch also criticized the Lebanese armys deployment to contain the situation in Tripoli, saying that it was unableto be decisive on the ground due to the presence of pro-Syrian regime officials among its ranks.

In separate remarks published by Al-Jumhuriya newspaper, Allouch commented on claims made by ArabDemocratic Party Secretary General Rifaat Eid regarding the presence of the opposition Free Syrian Army inTripoli.

Rifaat Eids remarks concerning the presence of members of the FSA in Tripoli is an attempt to implicate Lebanon

more and more in the Syria crisis, Allouch said.

If these claims are true, then why havent any members of the FSA been arrested? he asked.

On Saturday, Eid said that the military command in Tripoli has been transferred from the Future Movement to thegang of [Free Syrian Army leader] Riad al-Assaad.

Clashes in Tripoli between two rival neighborhoods, Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh, have left at least 14people dead and more than 40 people injured since Friday.


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Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen have been gripped by frequent fighting, reflecting a split in Lebanon's politicalscene in which opposition parties back the revolt in Syria while the ruling coalition, led by Hezbollah, supports theDamascus regime.

04 June 2012NaharnetCautious Calm in Tripoli As Businesses Close In Mourning

Unclassified

A cautious calm prevailed in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday as most businesses shot down in mourningfollowing the death of 14 people in the fighting between two rival neighborhoods.

The National News Agency said that banks, the commerce and industry chamber in the North, and the municipality

of Tripoli abided by the request of civil society organizations to close in mourning of the victims.

Most major markets were also closed amid limited traffic in the city.

The fighting with machineguns and Rocket Propelled Grenades between the mostly Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh,whose residents oppose Syrian President Bashar Assad, and the Alawite Jabal Mohsen that supports theembattled leader has left 14 people dead and more than 50 wounded since Saturday.

Despite the heavy deployment of the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces inside the two areas and SyriaStreet that separates the rival neighborhoods, several people were injured overnight Sunday.

According to media reports, policeman Mohammed al-Sahmarani, Ahmed Khaled and two others were injured bysniper fire at 10:00 pm Sunday.

A group of youth vandalized a shop and blew up a coffee shop with a grenade.

A library was also torched in the Qobbeh area near the Lebanese University building.

SYRIA (Top)

04 June 2012Now Lebanon


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Live Blog on Developments in Syria13:30 President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said the EU and Russia agreed that UN-ArabLeague envoy Kofi Annans peace plan was the best way to avoid civil war in Syria, AFP reported on Monday.

13:08 The pro-regime Al-Watan daily accused the Saudi authorities on Monday of "plotting" against Syria, and alsoof turning Lebanon into a springboard for attacking the country.

11:07 Clashes erupted between regime forces and rebels in Syria's Edleb province overnight, killing two oppositionfighters, as explosions were reported in Damascus province, a watchdog said on Monday.

9:02 Syrian security forces killed 15 people on Monday; Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying.

8:18 China's top state newspaper on Monday warned against foreign action in Syria and said the abandonment ofspecial envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan could plunge the country "into the abyss of full-scale war."

7:55 UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has demanded a "serious review" of deadlocked efforts to end the Syriabloodshed, signaling that even his Nobel Peace prize-winning patience is wearing thin.

04 June 2012Al JazeeraAssad: Syria Faces Real War From OutsidePresident Bashar al-Assad has said Syria is engaged in a "real war" with outside forces and defended politicalreforms implemented by his government in an address to the parliament in Damascus.

Speaking on Sunday for the first time since last months parliamentary elections, Assad said that he would not belenient on those he blamed for violence in the country.

"We have to fight terrorism for the country to heal," Assad said. "We will not be lenient. We will be forgiving only forthose who renounce terrorism.''

Assad's remarks defied mounting international condemnation of his regime's crackdown on the opposition. Heblamed the crisis on outside forces and said the country was passing through its most critical stage since the end ofcolonialism.

"The masks have fallen and the international role in the Syrian events is now obvious," Assad said, adding that theelections had been the perfect response "to the criminal killers and those who finance them".

Assad admitted the countrys unrest had taken a bloody toll and exhausted assets, but said outside forces wereresponsible.

"Terrorism has undermined us all," he said. "It is a real war waged from outside and dealing with a war is differentto dealing with the grievances of Syrian citizens."

He added that there would be "no dialogue" with opposition factions "seeking foreign intervention".

'Monsters'

In the speech, Assad blamed terrorists for the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, which oppositionactivists said was committed by pro-government forces.


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Survivor describes Syria's Houla massacre

At least 108 people, including 49 children and 34 women, were slaughtered in killings that began on May 25 andcontinued the next day, triggering international outrage.

"What happened in Houla and elsewhere [in Syria] are brutal massacres which even monsters would not havecarried out," Assad said.

Assad said Syria had implemented clear steps towards introducing political reforms in the country and heldparliamentary elections on time, despite violence in the country.

"Our country will recover and our citizens will enjoy peace, stability and sovereignty," he said.

He said the staging of the ballot had been a clear message to those who want Syria to sink in the blood of itscitizens.

"The political process is moving forward, yet terrorism is not going down," Assad said. "Terrorists are not interestedin dialogue or reform."

Commenting on the speech, Samir Taki, a former member of the parliament and one-time advisor to Assad, said: "Iwas surprised by how powerful he was in denying reality. I was surprised by how much he is disconnected."

"He is very much interested in keeping the facade of the regime, of giving the impression that the state is aboveand beyond auditing and any kind of change.

"His message was very clear: 'I am beyond any question, that everything happening is practically a conspiracy, andthere is no way that I could mention that someday I might leave'."

'All-out war'

Assad's speech comes a day after Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, said that the country wasslipping into all-out war.

The specter of an all-out war, with an alarming sectarian dimension, grows by the day," Annan, told an ArabLeague meeting in Qatar.

On Saturday, violence in Syria killed 89 people, including 57 soldiers, the largest number of casualties the militaryhas suffered in a single day since an uprising began in March 2011, a watchdog said.

The casualties also included 29 civilians and three army defectors killed in various parts of the country in shelling

by security forces or in clashes or gunfire, said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As Arab leaders called for UN action in Syria, France, which spearheaded an air assault against former Libyanleader Muammar Gaddafi's forces last year, said it had not ruled out the possibility of military intervention in thecountry.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, said on Sunday that France had "not excluded militaryintervention" in Syria, but would only take action under a UN mandate.


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04 June 2012Al ArabiyaSyria in Focus at Putins Summit with EU as Annan Sees End of Road for Peace BidSyria tops the agenda on Monday of the first summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the EU sincehe returned to the Kremlin last month, as violent crackdown in Syria, Moscows closest ally, leaves more deathsand injuries.

U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, meanwhile, has demanded a serious review of deadlocked efforts to endthe Syria bloodshed. As many as 37 people have been killed by the Syrian forces on Sunday, mostly in theoutskirts of Damascus; Al Arabiya reported citing activists at the Local Coordination Committees.

European diplomats called Monday meeting at a lavish estate on the outskirts of Putins hometown of St.Petersburg a chance to get reacquainted with the Russian leader, in power for 12 years and now formally in chargeof foreign policy again.

But the crisis in Syria, where Moscow has blunted Western efforts to condemn President Bashar al-Assad and pushhim from power, may overshadow the talks at the twice-yearly summit.

Hopes in Annan peace plan

Both Russia and Europe still have hope in Annans U.N.-backed peace plan to end 15 months of bloodshed thatWestern nations blame on Assad, according to Reuters.

But EU nations wish Russia would press the Syrian leader to withdraw weaponry and halt attacks as demanded bythe plan, and want him to step aside to make way for a political transition.

Russia says it is not protecting Assad, who has given Moscow its firmest Middle East foothold, but that the Syrian

leaders exit cannot be a precondition for political dialogue.

Putin ceded no ground in remarks during visits to Berlin and Paris on Friday, placing an accent on rebel violence,criticizing sanctions and saying political decisions could not be forced on Syria from outside.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, said in astatement: Russias role is crucial for the success of Annans plan.

The EU wanted to work closely with Russia to find a way to end the violence and support the plan, said Ashton.The statement said she spoke to Annan by phone on Sunday and that they agreed the crisis had reached a criticalpoint.

Lavrov set a constructive tone in his own phone call with Annan, saying that to support the plan Moscow will be

ready to consider various scenarios of further work that would help to coordinate international efforts on Syria, hisministry said.

However, when asked whether he expected the summit to narrow the gap on Syria, Lavrov told reporters: I dontthink so.

Annan has demanded serious review of Syria deadlock

Meanwhile, Annan has demanded a serious review of deadlocked efforts to end the Syria bloodshed, signalingthat even his Nobel Peace prize-winning patience is wearing thin.


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Diplomats said Annan, a former U.N. secretary general, was stepping up pressure on the international powers toput some muscle into their support for his peace plan or find a Plan B.

The massacre of more than 100 children, women and men in al-Houla, the growing threat of all-out civil war anddivisions at the U.N. Security Council -- where Russia has refused to allow any hint of sanctions -- have allhighlighted the failure of the international community to pressure Assad.

The time is coming, if it is not already here, for a serious review, Annan told Arab League ministers in Doha onSaturday, according to AFP.

The international community must decide what it does next. From my consultations with many actors, I sense aclear recognition that things cannot continue as they are. I agree, he added.

Calling for greater support for his plan -- under which weapons and troops should be withdrawn from cities andattacks halted so political talks can start -- Annan said: We must think this through and we must get it right.

Annan will discuss the Syria crisis at the U.N. Security Council and U.N. General Assembly on Thursday. Diplomatssaid Annans comments were a sign that he can see his peace initiative is failing.

The U.N. says well over 10,000 people have died in the past 15 months of the uprising and the death toll isspeeding up again despite the presence of about 300 unarmed U.N. military observers.

He will not admit failure, every word that Kofi Annan says is very measured, said one senior diplomat at the U.N.But as everyone -- from the United States to Russia -- has backed the Annan plan, everyone is noting hiscomments now and can see the message.

The Arab League has called on the Security Council to approve military action to protect civilians. Permanent

council members Russia and China have already vetoed two resolutions that just hinted at sanctions.

Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said action outside the council may have to be consideredbecause everyone can see the wheels coming off of this bus.

But U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has insisted that any military action would need U.N. backing.

The U.N. observer mission mandate runs out on July 20 but Annan has also indicated that quick decisions are nowneeded.

If regional and international divisions play out in Syria, the Syrian people and the region -- your region -- will paythe price, he warned the Arab ministers.

04 June 2012Al ArabiyaSyrian Air Force Officer Defects, Tells Horrors of Houla Massacre


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(U)A man carries a child and a sack representing a dead body during a demonstration against Syria's PresidentBashar al-Assad in Binsh near Idlib. (Reuters)

A senior Syrian military officer decided to defect and join opposition forces after witnessing hundreds of pro-regimemilitiamen massacring more than 100 civilians in the town of Houla one week ago, a newspaper reported onSaturday. The Houla massacre, which has been singled out as the worst single atrocity of the Syrian uprising,heightened the international communitys anger against the Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime. The killingsoccurred despite a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian regime, opposition forces and the United Nations.Syrias envoy to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, however, blamed terrorist groups as responsible for themassacre in which 49 children and at least 20 women were among the dead.

Jaafari said the Assad regime was undergoing an investigation to find the culprits behind the massacre, urging theinternational community to mitigate and not escalate what is happening in Syria.

However, the witness account of Major Jihad Raslan to the UK-based Observer online newspaper, defied theSyrian governments propaganda and made-up scenarios.

Raslans account is considered to be the most important of the testimonies to have emerged since the massacre.

An officers account of Houla violence

Raslan, who served until last Saturday in the Syrian Air Force in the strategic port city of Tartous, said he had beenin Houla on leave when the town was shelled just after 1 p.m. last Friday. It was then invaded by a civilian andgang-like militia, known as the Shabiha, he said.

Raslan said he was in his house, around 300 meters from the site of the first massacre in the village of Taldous,when several hundred men, whom he knew to be Shabiha members, rode into town in cars and army trucks and on

motorbikes.

A lot of them were bald and many had beards, he told The Observer. Many wore white sports shoes and armypants. They were shouting: Shabiha forever, for your eyes, Assad. It was very obvious who they were.

We used to be told that armed groups killed people and the Free Syria Army burned down houses, he said. Theylied to us. Now I saw what they did with my own eyes.


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He said the killings in his area were over in around 15 minutes. However, the rampage in other parts of Houlacontinued until the early hours of Saturday, according to eye-witnesses and survivors.

Those victims who were slaughtered are people that I knew well, Raslan said. These children I knew well,personally. I ate with their families. I had social ties with them. The regime cannot lie about these people, who theywere and what they did to them. It was a brutal act by the regime against people who were with the revolution.

Raslan said that he served on a missile base in Tartous, removed from the grinding everyday savagery of Syriasuprising. I knew they had been lying, but I had not been exposed to the effects of it. This was the first time I hadseen anything like this.

He said defections had increased sharply in the days following the massacre and he claimed to know of fivedefectors who were shot dead as they tried to flee through olive groves not far from Houla the day after the killings.

In late May, Syrias Consul General in California, Hazem Chehabi, resigned from his post in protest of themassacre. The Syrian American Council (SAC) dubbed his political defection to be the first from Assad regime.

Many more want to leave, he said, but they cant. All holidays have been cancelled by the military. It is a veryserious risk if anyone tries to flee now. I was only allowed to go on leave because of exceptional familycircumstances.

A second defector from Houla, a first lieutenant who was serving in nearby Homs city last weekend, told the Britishnewspaper that Houla had changed the thinking of soldiers and officers like him who did not support the regimecrackdown on dissent but had been too afraid to leave.

Alawites vs. Sunnis

Syria is a 70 percent Sunni country ruled by a minority called the Alawite, an offshoot Shiite sect.

The divide can be seen in Syrias army, as the lower ranks are largely made up of Sunnis while high-rankingofficers in the loyalist military are Alawites.

There were no Sunni soldiers around Houla itself [when the massacre took place], the former officer said. Theyare all Alawites there, the officers and the soldiers. [Houla] is a very sensitive area. Many of the Shabiha in Syriacome from here. They wont defect from here.

The officer said he had regularly seen Shabiha groups work alongside regime forces, but said they appeared totake orders from intelligence officers, particularly the Air Force Intelligence Directorate, which has played a frontlinerole in the regime crackdown. The military give them weapons and cover, and escort them in tanks, he said. Butthey sometimes work independently.

In other places away from Houla, it is not impossible that the Alawites might defect, he added.

They are starting to be worried now, starting to fear that Bashar [al-Assad] might leave.

President Assad who has support from key allies, Russia and China, said Sunday that Syria is faced with a foreignplot to destroy the country and that the latest events have exposed them.

Russia and China continuously vetoed any foreign military intervention plan in Syria.


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04 June 2012Al Sharaq Al AwsatSyria's Assad 'Maneuvering' To Gain Time: Saudi FMSaudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal accused Syria's President Bashar al-Assad of "maneuvering" to gain time, ata joint news conference Sunday with UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

"Every initiative has been accepted by the Syrian regime and was not implemented. This is a way used by theregime to gain time," Prince Saud told reporters in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. "He is playing for time andmaneuvering," he said, referring to Assad.

The Saudi minister's remarks came immediately after Assad said Sunday that his government is faced with aforeign plot to destroy Syria.

Arab leaders on Saturday called on the United Nations to act to stop bloodshed that has persisted for nearly 15months despite a UN-backed peace plan that includes the deployment of nearly 300 observers.

The plan was drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who on Saturday singled out Assad and his regimeas the key to resolving the conflict as he warned of the specter of all-out sectarian warfare.

Annan "will present his report (on Syria) in a few weeks... It must be clear, straightforward, precise andtransparent," Prince Saud said. "We hope the United Nations takes a firm stance."

Ban, who described the situation in Syria as "troubling", called onto the government in Damascus to "abide to theAnnan plan," adding that "all violence must stop in all its forms."

Since the so-called ceasefire began on April 12, as many as 2,300 people have been killed out of the more than13,400 who have died in Syria since the uprising against Assad's regime began in March 2011.

The Saudi foreign minister, who has repeatedly voiced his country's support for arming Syria' rebels said: "Wesupport creating a buffer zone in Syria which the oppressed can take refuge in... but this is the responsibility of theUN Security Council as the Arab League can't do this."

Because of the worsening violence and Assad's failure to meet commitments under the agreed peace plan, theUnited States has warned that it may not agree to renew the UN observer mission when its mandate expires onJuly 20.

Tensions from Syria have also spilled across into neighboring Lebanon, where clashes between pro- and anti-Damascus gunmen left 14 dead and 48 wounded over the weekend in the northern city of Tripoli.

"What's going on in Tripoli is by no doubt an extension of the events in Syria. We have noticed since a while ago

that the regime is turning the conflict into a sectarian conflict," said Prince Saud.

"These things do not only threaten Lebanon but they also threaten Syria itself as it might divide the country and thisis a very dangerous phenomenon," he said.

"If this conflict spreads, it will create circumstances which are worse than the crisis itself."

04 June 2012Now Lebanon


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Al-Watan: Saudis 'Plotting' Against SyriaThe pro-regime Al-Watan daily accused the Saudi authorities on Monday of "plotting" against Syria, and also ofturning Lebanon into a springboard for attacking the country.

The newspaper accused Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal of "sending arms to fighters and mercenariesthey are financing in North Lebanon," where weekend clashes between pro- and anti-Damascus factions left 14dead.

"Saud al-Faisal is taking part in plans to transform [North Lebanon] into a buffer zone, to expel the Lebanese army,to stage attacks and kill Syrians," Al-Watan added.

Prince Saud accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday of "maneuvering" to gain time, while ignoringUN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan.

"Every initiative has been accepted by the Syrian regime and was not implemented. This is a way used by theregime to gain time," Prince Saud told reporters in Jeddah.

"What's going on in Tripoli is by no doubt an extension of the events in Syria. We have noticed since a while agothat the regime is turning the conflict into a sectarian one," he added.

"These things do not only threaten Lebanon but they also threaten Syria itself as it might divide the country and thisis a very dangerous phenomenon.

"If this conflict spreads, it will create circumstances which are worse than the crisis itself."

REGIONAL EDITORIALS (Top)

04 June 2012Now LebanonWhat Does Nasrallah Really Mean?By Hanin Ghaddar

The Shia taxi driver who brought me home from the airport a few nights ago answered my question about the fateof the 11 Lebanese Shia pilgrims kidnapped in Syria with a rather shocking statement: We dont care. We dontwant them back if this causes any humiliation to the Sayyed. He will not apologize to anyone.

Of course, the Sayyed here is Hezbollahs leader Hassan Nasrallah. And the humiliation would be agreeing to thekidnapers request for Nasrallah to apologize to the Syrian people for supporting the Syrian regime.

I did not know what apology he was talking about, because, interestingly, the kidnapers request was released 24hours later. How did a taxi driver know about this? Only God, or to be precise, the Party of God, knows. This raisesanother question: Is it true that they really dont care if the hostages are released, or is it denial because Hezbollahand its community are more worried about the real humiliation, the one they have to pay as a penalty for supportingSyrias dictator.

A couple of nights later, Nasrallah ignored the request in a speech commemorating Ayatollah Khomeinis death. Headdressed the kidnappers, saying: If your problem was with me, there are a lot of means and ways to resolve it.We can resolve it the way you want, whether through war or through love and peace.


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It is amusing to watch the leader of Hezbollah threaten the kidnappers of the Shia pilgrims from behind a giantscreen. The ironic fact is that the kidnappers are not waiting for Hassan Nasrallahs options. On the contrary, theyhave given him some options: Apologize or they will not be freed. The other funny but sad part is that, in the case ofwar, Nasrallah will remain hiding behind the screen, while the Lebanese, as always, will pay the price forHezbollahs decisions.

In every war, conflict or street clash, Nasrallah remains hidden in a safe and probably luxurious place, while theLebanese lose their lives and property. So far, no ones complaining has led anywhere. So here he goes again,threatening with war and giving options without consulting state institutions or the Lebanese people.

This is sending the wrong message to the Syrians about the Shia community, which is also paying the same, if notat times higher, price. It adds to the viciousness of the circle that puts all the Shia in one bag and which led to thekidnapping of the pilgrims. Because of this attitude, the group that kidnapped the pilgrims made a mistake bycapturing unarmed Lebanese Shia to send a message to Hezbollah.

It is a vicious circle that only hurts the innocent people, Shia or not. But thats why Nasrallah has probably started togive signs of rapprochement, without showing any sign of weakness. The same speech carried a number ofsuggestions that bear out Hezbollahs preference for stability in Lebanon.

Although the Syrian regime is trying to move the crisis to Lebanonwith the continuous bloody clashes in Tripoliand those in Beirut last month, in addition to other incidents of individual killings and arrests Hezbollah seems tohave been trying to control it. When the pilgrims were kidnapped, many from the Hezbollah-controlled southernsuburbs of Beirut blocked roads with burning tires, but Nasrallah came out immediately and asked them to gohome. Also, it seems that the party was not involved in the clashes that occurred in Tripoli and Beirut, which werelimited to anti- and pro-Syrian groups.

Hezbollah needs stability in Lebanon today, and Nasrallahs call for a national dialogue now could be seen as a

sign of this outlook. Otherwise, clashes would have escalated to a very dangerous level. Stability in Lebanon todayprotects the government, which Hezbollah formed, which is going to carry out the parliamentary elections in 2013.

Without stability, this government might collapse and another government, probably less controlled by Hezbollah,could be formed before the elections. This would decrease Hezbollahs chances of winning the next parliament,and without Bashar al-Assad next door, its control over Lebanon will be seriously reduced.

Therefore, for the first time in a very long time, there could be a real discrepancy between what Hezbollah and theSyrian regime want for Lebanon. This will not change Hezbollahs stance on the Syrian uprising or stop it fromsupporting the regime. However, it says a lot about Hezbollahs fear of the future.

04 June 2012

Ahram on LineEgyptian Revolution: Death and RebirthBy Marie Girod

People wanted elections for the sake of stability. Yet there is nothing vaguer than the word stability. It is in allfascist leaders vocabulary, specifically in order to maintain control of the people. The economy and security are thepredicates that define this so-called stability.

Progress in these two areas is said to bring more comfort to some people, and the bare minimum to others: bread. Iremember that during the 18 days of the uprising in Egypt, an outraged friend said, Some people in the square are


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screaming Awzeen aysh!' (We want bread), but this is not why we are there, we want freedom! The rest wouldfollow, I imagine he meant. In 1977, under Sadat, a revolt for bread occurred in Egypt when subsidies for certainfoods were cancelled. The country suffered another bread crisis in 2008. But when bread is given to people, it actsas a sleeping pill. Bread is not enough to satisfy peoples needs; it is just enough to calm their passions, at least fora while.

The tremors of a country in transition trigger injustice and violence, both psychological and physical. The sameinjustice and violence were actually constant during the 30 years of Mubaraks dictatorship; now, they have beenbrought out into the open because a revolution reveals truth. The truth about what people really need and want,about alliances and divisions, the truth about past lies. New lies appear although they are now known to be untrue,but in such an atmosphere of such uncertainty, we swallow them for the sake of stability.

The Supreme Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF) as the protector of the nation, of the revolution, and theorganizer of a fair transition; elections promising democracy, even though no one can agree on its definition yet such are the current illusions, which act as tranquillizers. This treatment is skillfully distributed in the necessarydosage to keep people at home, or at least far away from local revolts (labeled thugs and bloodshed). It issufficiently strong to ensure the efficiency of the brainwashing pro

04 june 12 osint levant tracker

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