[Elder of Ziyon] 7/03 Links Part 1: Palestinian Political Persuasion, Egypt Deadline and Dreaming of Lebanon at Peace.

From Ian:

---

Khaled Abu Toameh: Political Persuasion, Palestinian Style

His article enraged Abbas and his top aides in Ramallah. But instead of responding to the charges raised by Abu Zayda's article, Abbas's office issued a statement on behalf of the "Palestinian security establishment" threatening and condemning the Fatah representative.
"This statement is an assault on public freedoms," remarked Abu Zayda. "It would have been preferable had the [Palestinian] security establishment tried to uncover the identity of those behind the shooting attacks instead of preoccupying itself with a political essay."
Those who fund autocratic regimes apparently do not care about the long-term repercussions, so long as short-term stability can be secured. The consequences in the long-term are disastrous: they embolden the radicals and help raise new generations of Arabs and Muslims on hatred and anti-Western sentiments.

Palestinians: Abbas Honors Terror Leader

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has awarded the "highest order of the Star of Honor" to arch-terrorist Nayef Hawatmeh. This is a continuation of the policy followed by Abbas and the PA to glorify terrorists responsible for murdering Israelis, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch.
Nayef Hawatmeh is the leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). The DFLP carried out many deadly terror attacks, including the killing of 22 schoolchildren and 4 adults after taking them hostage in Ma'alot, the killing of 9 children and 3 adults in an attack on a school bus, the killing of 7 in a Jerusalem bombing, the killing of 4 hostages in an apartment building in Beit Shean, all of which took place in the 1970's. In addition, the DFLP has participated in and claimed responsibility for dozens of other terror attacks, including a suicide bombing near Tel Aviv that killed 4 in 2003.

Financing Terror: Islamic Relief Worldwide

Islamic Relief Worldwide [IRW] is the poster-child of an exemplary Islamic charity. Headquartered in the UK, and given tens of millions of dollars by Western governments, the United Nations and the European Union, IRW consists of a "family of fifteen aid agencies" which "aim to alleviate the suffering of the world's poorest people." New information, however, indicates that IRW -- which counts Islamic Relief UK and Islamic Relief USA as its most important branches -- is an extremist organization with a pro-terror agenda. IRW has worked with a significant number of organizations linked to terrorism.
IRW's accounts show that it has partnered with a number of organizations linked to terrorism and that some of charity's trustees are personally affiliated with extreme Islamist groups that have connections to terror.

Times of Israel, Egypt Live Blog: Egyptian army begins making moves as ultimatum nears

The military's deadline for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and opposition protesters to come to an agreement expires at either 4 or 5 p.m. Egypt time (reports vary). Millions have taken to the streets to protest Morsi over the last four days, with the army finally vowing to step in and present its own roadmap for the state, which would involve establishing an interim leader,and dissolving the constitution and parliament. Stay tuned to the Times of Israel's live blog for all the developments in Egypt.

Egyptian army takes over state TV as military, opposition heads meet

Egypt's leading democracy advocate, Mohamed ElBaradei, and top Muslim and Coptic Christian clerics met Wednesday with the army chief to discuss a political road map for Egypt only hours before a military ultimatum to the Islamist president was set to expire.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Arrested, Army Moves In

Egyptian sources report that senior officials in the Muslim Brotherhood have been placed under house arrest and the military is securing strategic facilities across the country.
The Islamist group that backed President Mohamed Morsi in last year's successful bid to win the nation's first democratic election is also now being scrutinized for corruption in the ranks.

Analysis: Dying for the cause

On the likelihood of an Islamist retaliation if Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is forced out of power, the Muslim Brotherhood's motto says it all: "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Koran is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
The BBC quoted a senior official of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, Muhammad al-Beltagi, as stating on Facebook that "preventing this coup may call for martyrdom."

Israel nervously watches Egyptian crisis

Israeli officials are warily watching the mass protests in neighboring Egypt, fearing a collapse of the Islamist government could threaten the historic peace treaty between the two nations.
While Israeli leaders have been careful not to take sides in Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's struggle with protesters, many fear extremist Islamic groups could take advantage of chaos to launch attacks from either Egypt or the Gaza Strip.

Jordan Joins Middle East in Crackdown on Journalists

Jordan has joined other Muslim nations in the region in cracking down on journalists and media outlets in the country.
The Hashemite Kingdom announced Tuesday that it had blocked 254 "unlicensed" news web sites, including 16 this week alone.

Michael Totten: Dreaming of a Lebanon at Peace with Its Neighbors

Since then, however, the Sunnis in Lebanon have quietly moved on from the conflict with Israel, just as Sunni Arabs have moved on pretty much everywhere else. For them, the war ended with the PLO's last stand in 1982. As for the rest of the region, not a single Sunni Arab government has actively participated in a full-blown war against Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Lebanon's Sunnis, in moving on, are hardly unique. Indeed, they have even more reason to move on than do Sunnis in places like Tunisia and Morocco, because Tunisia and Morocco don't get torn to pieces when the rocket launchers are fired up. Contrary to popular belief in some quarters, most Lebanese people do not enjoy getting blown up and shot at.
"The most recent study we commissioned," Khoury said, "and it was thorough, we surveyed 4,000 people, showed that 95 percent of the Sunnis don't care about Salafism or the Arab-Israeli conflict anymore. They're interested in other things. You have to remember that Saad Hariri's party is by far the most popular movement among the Sunnis."

Turkish Defense Purchases From China, Troubling Behavior Stirs Turkey-NATO Tensions

Turkey is reportedly planning to purchase air defense systems from China, an announcement that has been met with consternation, and along with troubling authoritarian conduct at home, is raising questions about Turkey's true intentions, and increasingly about its suitability as a NATO ally:

Turkish Jew Affirms Deputy PM's Remarks Anti-Semitic

Turkey's Jewish community has rejected a claim by Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay that an anti-Semitic accusation against Jews was "taken out of context."
Istanbul-based Turkish Jewish journalist Denis Ojalvo told Arutz Sheva in a phone interview Wednesday morning that if Atalay's remarks were taken out of context, then "in what context were they?"

Hassan Rouhani and the Myth of 'Moderation'

It remains to be seen how Rouhani will conduct his term in office. But if the past is precedent, then the United States can ill-afford to sugarcoat the truly evil propensities of the Ayatollahs and of Rouhani. Doing so harms, rather than advances America's national security interests in the Middle East.
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird has it right. In a recent interview with the Times of Israel, Mr. Baird said, "There's always a reason to [delay action] another two or three months." If the Iranian clerics want to demonstrate that they are operating in good faith "they can make meaningful progress [with the West]," he said. "These people don't deserve the benefit of the doubt."

Iran Exploits Sanctions Loophole, Buys High-Grade Alumina Ore

The sanctions imposed by the EU and U.S. against Tehran targeted steel and other metals. However, the alumina ore – typically used to produce aluminum – did not fall in the category of sanctioned or banned items.
Particularly shocking was the fact that Iran was importing the substance from numerous European countries, including Germany and France.

Al-Qaeda Inspired Terror Plot Foiled in Canada

Police in Canada have arrested two residents of the province of British Columbia in an alleged Al-Qaeda-inspired terror plot that involved placing pressure cooker bombs at the B.C. legislature in Victoria during Canada Day celebrations.

Terror leader Awlaki paid thousands for prostitutes in DC area, documents show

On the eve of an infamous presentation Anwar al-Awlaki gave at the Pentagon in 2002, the Al Qaeda operative was busy preparing -- with a prostitute he paid $400 for at a Washington hotel.
It was one of more than a half-dozen liaisons Awlaki had with prostitutes between late 2001 and early 2002, while he was under FBI surveillance, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch and reviewed exclusively by Fox News.

--
Posted By Ian to Elder of Ziyon at 7/03/2013 12:40:00 PM