Happy New Year! I should be getting my new computer soon and will then resume regular updates. It won't be soon enough, my mouse just died.

Afghanistan

Armed Services Committee chief says Obama is ignoring troops in Afghanistan - Jon Harper (Stars and Stripes)

7 Afghans involved in green-on-blue attacks may be freed - Bill Roggio (Long War Journal)

 

Egypt

As Egyptians are voting on their new constitution today, I urge you to take a look at a new documentary available on Netflix this week: The Square. We had the privilege to see it in a theater and attend a Q&A with the director, Jehane Noujaim. It made me feel very hopeful for the Egyptian people. It's my understanding that one of the biggest problems with the new constitution is that it allows military tribunals for civilians.

Egyptian Activist Nawal Saadawi: Constitution Infringes on Women's Rights (MEMRI)

With Muslim Brotherhood Crushed, Egypt Sets Sights on Hamas - Yasmine Saleh (Reuters)

Checkout this video and report from Richard Spencer in Cairo (The Telegraph)

 

Iran

U.S.: Iran Permitted to Continue Advanced Centrifuge Work (Washington Free Beacon) The White House confirmed on Monday that Iran would be permitted to continue developing advanced nuclear centrifuges that will enable it to more quickly enrich uranium under the interim nuclear deal reached over the weekend, according to senior Obama administration officials.

U.S. Concerned about Iran-Russia Oil Deal - Roberta Rampton (Reuters)

Iranian Spy Caught Sending Stolen U.S. Documents on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - Chris Dolmetsch (Bloomberg)

 

Israel

In “honor” of the death of Israel's 11^th prime minister, Ariel Sharon, the press is bandying about old canards, especially relating to the 2000 intifada. Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount did not cause the intifada. Further, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak accepted the US President's proposal of a West Bank and Gaza Strip state in exchange for peace, the same proposal that the Palestinians (Arafat) rejected.The leader of the intifada, Marwan Barghouti has confirmed, as did other Palestinian officials, that the uprising had been planned previously and Sharon’s visit merely provided the pretext. It was planned by the Palestinians because Arafat himself had rejected the peace process. As per Palestinian Communications Minister Imad Al-Faluji in March 2001, (translated by MEMRI): Whoever thinks that the Intifada broke out because of the despised Sharon’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque is wrong.. . . This Intifada was planned in advance, ever since President Arafat’s return from the Camp David negotiations, where he turned the table upside down on President Clinton.

Sharon: Myths, Facts, and Blood Libels- Tom Gross (National Review)

Defense Minister Ya'alon: "Whoever Really Wants Peace Needs to Speak about Co-existence" - Ariel Kahane  (Makor Rishon-Hebrew, 20 Dec 2013)

 

Jordan

Jordan Fears Getting Stuck with the Palestinian Refugees (Ma'ariv-Hebrew-8 Jan 2014)

 

Partners for Peace?

PA leader: Stages plan to eliminate Israel is basis of PA policy- Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

Is Abbas Being Asked to Sign His Death Warrant? - Ali Salim (Gatestone Institute)

Iran Increases Aid to Palestinian Terror Group - Hazem Balousha (Al-Monitor)

Fatah Leader Jibril Rajoub Viciously Attacks Israel (Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center)

 

Syria

UN Seeks Access to Palestinians in Syria after 15 Die of Hunger (Reuters)

American ISIS Member From Chicago Active On Twitter And Facebook: 'Internet, Restaurants, Cars, iPhones... Allah Has Made... Jihad In Sham [Syria] So Easy' (MEMRI)

Turkey

Turkish counterterrorism raids target al Islamic charity, net al Qaeda operatives - Lisa Lundquist (Long War Journal)

 

United States of America

Hillel is a non-profit working with college students with the goal of supporting Jewish values including support for Israel. They're in the news this week because they've clarified their polices and won't allow their chapters to sponsor those who attack and delegitimize Israel - it would be a misuse of the donor dollars. See this link for more information: http://honestreporting.com/its-not-about-free-speech/

Obama withholds from Israel details of nuclear accord with Iran: Tehran denies dismantling its program (Debkafile)

Report: Kerry Proposes Return of 80,000 Palestinian Refugees to Israel (Xinhua)

Anti-Israel Lessons in American Classrooms - Charles Jacobs (Jerusalem Post)

This is Part 1 of a 5 part series available now at www.stratfor.com

Gauging the Jihadist Movement, Part 1: The Goals of the Jihadists - Scott Stewart (Security Weekly, Stratfor)

Iran

Iran Spy Chief Runs Military Ops in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen(Kuwait Times)

Partners for Peace?

For first time, Palestinians back framework peace agreement -AP(Times of Israel)

Palestinian Red Line - Efraim Inbar (Israel Hayom)The Palestinians leaked a letter to the media that PA President Mahmoud Abbas sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reiterating Abbas' complete opposition to recognizing "Israel as a Jewish state," declaring it a "red line" that the Palestinians would not cross.

Abbas: Don't Boycott Israel- Yoel Goldman (Times of Israel)

Hamas Condemns Red Sea-Dead Sea Agreement (Al-Qassam Brigades-Gaza) Hamas has expressed its total rejection of the agreement by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority linking the Red Sea with the Dead Sea via a water pipeline, considering it a step toward normalization and legalization with Israel. Hamas stressed that the PA is not entitled to give up or compromise on any inch of Palestinian land or water resources and called on the PA not to take unilateral decisions. 

PA promotes murder as positive act at cultural event - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (Palestinian Media Watch)

Israel Serious in Its Intention to Reach Agreement with Palestinians (Jerusalem Post)

Syria

As per FP: Syria's chemical weapons will be transported on Russian trucks and then shipped to a U.S. Navy vessel, where they will be destroyed.

In Syria, the Children of Al-Qaeda - Joby Warrick (Washington Post)  The video of a training camp posted by al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria shows hooded recruits in camouflage shooting at targets or marching in formation under the black flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.  But look closer and the "fighters" appear quite small. The tallest are barely chest-high to their instructors. A photo of the recruits without their hoods confirms that all of them are young boys.  They are "Zarqawi's Cubs," the youth brigade of Syria's most fearsome Islamist rebel group. In the soundtrack, Arab voices sing: "Oh mother, don't be saddened by my leaving," explaining that the boys are going to fight "for the sake of defeating the Jews." 

Meanwhile, there are reports of Syrian refugees overwhelming Jordan.

Tunisia

The Arab Spring’s first, atypical sign of calm - Avi Issacharoff (Times o Israel) In Tunisia, an unpopular government is ceding power in the interests of stability. As events in Syria and Lebanon underline, that’s the exception

. 

Partners for Peace?

Peri: ‘We have a partner, but not an easy one' - Haviv Rettig Gur (Times of Israel) 
Defense Minister Ya'alon: We Have No Partner for Two-State Solution - Yaakov Lappin (Jerusalem Post)

West Bank Security Arrangements Suggested by Americans Are Irrelevant in Salafi Era - Guy Bechor  (Ynet News) A new force is growing in the territories, the Salafi movement. They hate the Palestinian Authority more than they hate Israel, and they hate Hamas too. Their proclaimed aspiration is to establish an Islamic caliphate all across the Middle East.

Al Jazeera Fires Reporter Who Questioned Objectivity of Arafat Coverage - Alana Goodman (Washington Free Beacon)

Syria

In Syria, Hunger And Humiliation As Weapons Of Mass Destruction - Omar Kaddour (SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG /Worldcrunch)

United Nations

UN Job Application Has Anti-Israel Slant- Hillel Neuer (Times of Israel) This headline is an understatement!

United States

Council On American-Islamic Relations: Its Use Of Lawfare And Intimidation (Citizens for National Security) A new study by Citizens for National Security documents almost 150 instances where the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a U.S. Muslim Brotherhood entity, used a tactic known as “lawfare” to intimidate its opponents. Read about CAIR's new splinter group, Egypt Freedom Foundation, here.

The Middle East Now Has Three Alliances: None Are With the U.S. - Ryan Mauro (Clarion Project)

1. The Shiite bloc consisting of Iran, Hezbollah, Iraq and the Syrian regime. 

2. The pro-Muslim Brotherhood Sunni bloc, consisting of Turkey, Qatar, Tunisia, Hamas and some Syrian rebels. 

3. The anti-Iran/anti-Brotherhood Sunni bloc consisting of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other Syrian rebels and other Arab countries.