Afghanistan

Although Withdrawn, Stoning Proposal Shows Afghanistan's "Living Hell" - (IPT News)

Iran

Six Reasons to Worry About the Iranian Nuclear Deal - Jeffrey Goldberg (Bloomberg) Including nothing was actually signed, the U.S. has already conceded that Iran is going to end up with the right to enrich, there is no promise by Iran in this interim deal to abstain from pursuing work on ballistic missiles or on weaponization...

‘US freed top Iranian scientist as part of secret talks ahead of Geneva deal - Mitch Ginsburg (Times of Israel)

Woe to U.S. Allies - Charles Krauthammer (Washington Post) The Israelis are now trapped by an agreement designed less to stop the Iranian nuclear program than to prevent the Israeli Air Force from stopping the Iranian nuclear program.

Syria 

On Tuesday, I attended Syria in the Crosshairs a panel discussion at Fordham.  Click here to read the full story.  This was a great discussion. It got heated at times, but the audience and speakers remained dignified. For me, the most fascinating thing about the panel discussion was how Massad spouted unsubstantiated rumors and was strongly challenged with facts by Hanna. The most disturbing thing about the discussion was that Massad was presented as a distinguished intellectual instead of the hate monger he usually is. As this was a discussion of Syria and touched on Egypt, I was relieved and surprised that Israel and the Palestinians were barely mentioned. Kizenko added an interesting perspective from Russia. The bottom line for her is that Russia doesn't have much to offer except for rhetoric. While Putin would like to be portrayed as the protector of Christians in the Middle East, Russia has in fact denied asylum to those Christians that have requested it.

Partners for Peace?

Palestinians Reject U.S. Security Ideas for Peace with Israel - David Brunnstrom (Reuters)

Kerry's Plan to Invest $4 Billion in Palestinian Economy is Nonsense - Khaled Abu Toameh (Gatestone Institite) 

The U.S. Plan for Israel's Safety - Ron Ben-Yishai (Ynet News) Only thanks to Israeli control over the border crossings between the West Bank and Jordan has it been possible to prevent a massive spillover of al-Qaeda activists and explosive devices into the West Bank and Israel. Israel also notes that the attempt to place European inspectors at the border crossings between Gaza and Egypt failed miserably, and that following the Hamas coup in 2007 the supervisors ran for their lives.Palestinians Seek to Cancel Half of Debt Owed to Israel Electric Corp. - Avi Bar-Eli (Ha'aretz)

USA

Incoming NYC Mayor Taps Pro-Censorship Imam for Transition - (IPT News)

Jihadists, Salafists, Militants, Terrorists.... What do you make of these headlines? The Long War Journal states: Israeli forces kill at least 3 Salafi jihadists near Hebron, while Foriegn Policy forwards this headline: Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants in the West Bank who Israel said were planning to carry out an attack, with a link to the actual BBC News story: Palestinian militants killed in Israeli West Bank raid. 

Iran

Dem to Obama: Don't fix Iran's airplanes - Julian Pecquet (The Hill) A little-noticed provision of the deal paves the way for U.S. companies such as Boeing and General Electric to inspect and repair Iran's American-made planes inside Iran.
‘Why is America ignoring us on Iran?’  - Elahanan Miller (Times of Israel) Arab columnists cannot figure out why the Obama administration is willingly going along with Iran’s game of deception  

Canada "Deeply Skeptical" Iran Will Follow Through on Nuclear Deal - Barrie McKenna (Globe and Mail-Canada)

Saudi Prince: "The Threat Is from Persia, Not from Israel" - Jeffrey Goldberg  (Bloomberg)

Iran, North Korea Secretly Developing New Long-Range Rocket Booster for ICBMs - Bill Gertz (Washington Free Beacon)

A reminder from the Simon Wiesenthal Center -  ten years ago, the Allies suspected that Iran was trying to acquire nuclear weapons. They began engaging them in talks demanding that Iran cease its nuclear weapons program. When the talks began, Iran had less than 160 centrifuges. Then that miracle or ‘unusual event’ occurred, and instead of acting, the world leaders, including the United States, kept talking and talking and talking. Suddenly, a miracle occurred and those 160 centrifuges turned into 18,000. 

NPR Host Obstructs Balanced Discussion on Iran  (CAMERA) 

Libya

Ansar al Sharia battles security forces in Benghazi - Thomas Joscelyn  (The Long War Journal) For the past few days, Ansar al Sharia has been battling Libyan security forces in the city of Benghazi. More than one year after the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the US mission, the al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Sharia remains a potent force.

Partners for Peace?

Fatah publicizes threats to kidnap, kill, and bomb Israelis  - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW) 

Israel Calls for Symmetrical Concessions in Peace Talks  (AFP)

EAST JERUSALEM: Setting the Record Straight  (CAMERA)

Syria

Syria Conflict: Children "Targeted by Snipers" - Lyse Doucet (BBC News) Of the victims aged 17 and under, 389 were killed by sniper fire. 764 were summarily executed, and more than 100 - including infants - were tortured, the report says. 

Chechen-led group swears allegiance to head of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham - Thomas Joscelyn (The Long War Journal)

USA

FBI Stats Again Belie Islamophobia Myth - Jonathan S. Tobin (Commentary)

CAIR's Ayloush Gives Dishonest, Bullying Answer to Hamas Question  (IPT News)

Egypt remains confused by White House policy - Adel El-Adawy (The Hill)

Mali's fall is a story of a decade of American missteps - and a cautionary tale of what could happen if the U.S. doesn't devote more attention to Africa's terrorist threat. - from "The New Terrorist Training Ground" by Y. Dreazen in The Atlantic. (Does it make sense when you see the map included in the piece, which shows the US military presence across northern Africa?)

Al Qaeda and the threat in North Africa - Thomas Joscelyn (Long War Journal)

Moroccan parliament moves to outlaw contacts with Israelis - Raphael Ahren (Times of Israel) Even private dealings would be punishable by imprisonment; local NGO calls bill ‘inhuman’ and ‘influenced by Nazi tendencies’

Hot mic catches UN interpreter saying anti-Israel votes are ‘a bit much’ -  Hillel Neuer (Times of Israel) Last week a United Nations interpreter, unaware that her microphone was on, uttered words of truth in reaction to the General Assembly’s adoption of nine politically-motivated resolutions condemning Israel, and zero resolutions on the rest of the world: “I think when you have… like a total of ten resolutions on Israel and Palestine, there’s gotta be something, c’est un peu trop, non? [It’s a bit much, no?] I mean I know… There’s other really bad shit happening, but no one says anything about the other stuff.” 

Senior PA and Fatah leader Jibril Rajoub says that the US was involved in killing Arafat - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)   

What About the Grand Mufti’s Desire to ‘Liquidate the Jews’ Doesn’t Robert Fisk Understand? - (CIF Watch)     

Hamas Shows Off Tunnel-Digging Unit- Jack Khoury (Ha'aretz)

Syrian Rebels, Al-Qaeda Factions Reach Peace Deal - Carlo Munoz (The Hill)  "ISIS and FSA (Free Syrian Army) infighting ceased mostly after a meeting of commanders...led all parties to decide to focus their efforts" against forces loyal to Syrian President Assad and his Iranian backers, Syrian Support Group spokesman Dan Layman said Monday.

   

BBC Amplifies Iranian Propaganda Over Beirut Embassy Bombing - (BBC Watch) 

ISIS

As my last post mentioned ISIS (under Syria), I thought you might be interested in this update.

While the Telegraph's headline reads: Al-Qaeda-linked rebels apologise after cutting off head of wrong person, Foreign Policy provided this summary:

• Militants from al Qaeda-affiliate Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) issued a statement asking for forgiveness after a video was posted online of ISIS fighters brandishing the decapitated head of a commander of Ahrar al-Sham, an ISIS ally who ISIS says it beheaded by mistake.

Thanks to all those that inquired. My computer is dying and until I get a new one, I may not be able to produce these updates weekly. I hope to get another Update to you by the end of next week. With the US pushing for a nuclear deal with Iran and peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, you might be surprised by the crisis still on going in Syria or the PA's continued use of terror or that a report was recently released detailing the lack of ethics in the US medical community- see below for details. 

Egypt

Egypt as Hostile as Ever toward U.S. - Michael J. Totten (World Affairs Journal)

Egypt Rejecting Refugees from Syria- Jasmin Fritzsche (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

Iran

Iranian TV Airs Animated Strike on Tel Aviv, Dimona - Haviv Rettig Gur (Times of Israel)

French caution stalls Iranian nuclear talks - Jashar Erfanian, Farhad Salmanian  (DW)

We Pay, Iran Promises - George Jonas (National Post-Canada)

Israel Reacts with Alarm at What Its Leadership Sees as a Bad Deal - Natan B. Sachs (Brookings Institution) The Israelis, like the French, appear very concerned about the provisions of the interim deal that: (a) permitted Tehran to continue some uranium enrichment; (b) allowed Iran to continue building the heavy-water reactor in Arak; and (c) provided Tehran with incentives that the Israelis see as the beginning of the dismantling of the sanctions regime. Israel's concern is that the proposed sanctions relief will not, in practice, be reversible, while the Iranian commitments could be easily reversed.

Partners for Peace?

IDF Soldier Killed by Palestinian in Terror Attack - Ahiya Raved (Ynet News) 

How British and American aid subsidises Palestinian terrorism – Edwin Black (The Guardian)

Photos: Masked Palestinian Students at "Moderate" University Parade with Guns, Give Nazi Salute - Tom Gross (Mideast Media Analysis)

Palestinian Attacks Israelis at West Bank Bus Stop - Yoav Zitun (Ynet News)Palestinians Throw Firebomb at Car, Wound Israeli Couple (Jerusalem Post)Palestinian Tries to Stab Border Policeman at Checkpoint (Reuters-Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian Authority: Balfour Declaration a Crime against Humanity - Mohammed Mar'i (Saudi Gazette)

Arafat Polonium - Junk Science - Brian Thomas (Times of Israel)

British Expert Says It's "Highly Unlikely" Arafat Was Poisoned - Paul Martin (Independent-UK)

Russian Report: Evidence Does Not Prove Arafat Poisoning - Noah Browning (Reuters)

Russia

Stuxnet, gone rogue, hit Russian nuke plant, space station – David Shamah (Times of Israel)

Syria

Battle for strategic Syrian town shows why war has displaced millions - Roy Gutman and Paul Raymond (McClatchy)Ariha is a case study in Syria’s hidden war, in which government forces besiege towns and villages sympathetic to the rebels, fire on them with their heaviest weapons, then send in ground troops for a brutal “cleansing.”

Saudi Arabia's Shadow War to Topple the Assad Regime - David Kenner (Foreign Policy)
Saudi Arabia, having largely abandoned hope that the U.S. will spearhead international efforts to topple the Assad regime, is embarking on a major new effort to train Syrian rebel forces with the help of Pakistani instructors. Saudis described the effort as having two goals: toppling the Assad regime and weakening al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria.

French-Speaking Jihad Fighters In Syria: 'France, Soon It Will Be Your Turn' (MEMRI) Note: This article includes excerpts from messages by several French-speaking jihadis that are fighting in the ranks of the Al-Qaeda-affiliate "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS). For more on ISIS, click here.

'I Sold My Sister To Save The Family' (WorldCrunch)

United States of America

Ethics Abandoned: Medical Professionalism and Detainee Abuse in the War on Terror (IMAP) Medical, Military, and Ethics Experts Say Health Professionals Designed and Participated in Cruel, Inhumane, and Degrading Treatment and Torture of Detainees 

Palestinians

Where's the Coverage? Abbas Admits PA Ordered Terrorism (CAMERA)

Abbas greets released terrorists: "Our heroic brothers" - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW) PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas embraced and kissed each murderer

No Public Welcome for Released Palestinian Prisoners in Gaza - Shlomi Eldar (Al-Monitor)

Hamas Facing Anti-Government Demonstrations in Gaza - Zvi Bar'el (Ha'aretz) Tamarod Gaza 

Syria

Hizbullah Deploys 15,000 Troops in Syria for Anticipated Qalamoun Battle (Al Arabiya)

Syria Becomes Largest Home to Al-Qaeda; Jihadists Find Safe Haven to Plot Attacks - Kristina Wong (Washington Times)

Report: Over 60,000 Iranians Fighting Alongside Assad Forces (AKI-Italy)

Turkey

Al-Qaeda Recruits Entering Syria from Safehouses in Turkey - Ruth Sherlock (Telegraph-UK)