08/29 Links Pt1: The Palestinian Scouts hero who murdered my father; The Secret War Against the Jews ~ EoZ

From Ian:

MEMRI: Iraqi Writer: The Iraqis' Suffering Is Greater Than The Palestinians'; We Should Put Ourselves First

On July 3, 2016, Iraqi writer Haidar Sabi argued, in the daily Al-Zaman, that although the Iraqis are suffering as much as or even more than the Palestinians, the Arab world empathizes only with the Palestinians, abandoning the Iraqis to their fate. As proof of his statements, Sabi compares Iraqi and Palestinian death tolls, the overall situation of both, the devastation and destruction each faces, and the support each receive; he concludes that the Iraqis are far worse off. Some 1,500 Palestinians carried out suicide attacks in Iraq, he says, while Iraq is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause; he concludes with a call to Iraqis to put themselves first, to rebuild their identity and their country, and only then to reach out to help others.
It should be mentioned that Sabi's article joins several articles by Iraqi writers in the past year criticizing the Palestinians. For example, on February 9, 2016, Haidar Jarallah wrote in the online Saudi daily Elaph that the large number of Palestinian suicide bombers in Iraq (which he puts at 1,400) indicates a Palestinian hatred of Iraqis, and prompts speculation over whether the Iraqis should stop sympathizing with the Palestinian struggle and instead normalize relations with Israel. In another article, published July 31, 2015 in the pro-Iranian Iraqi daily Al-Akhbar in response to an attack carried out by a Palestinian in Diyala Governorate, writer Jawad Al-Matayr complained about Palestinian ingratitude for the Iraqis' longtime support, and noted that they had acted the same towards Kuwait, cheering Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of the country in the first Gulf War even though Kuwait had hosted Palestinians for years.

The Palestinian Scouts hero who murdered my father

What follows is the text of a letter that I sent to Mr. Scott Teare, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The WOSM is the umbrella organization for164 National Scout Organizations, including the Zofim in Israel and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the United States.
Dear Mr. Teare,
On October 13, 2015, Baha Alyan and an accomplice, boarded public bus number 78 in Jerusalem and committed a heinous terrorist attack. They brutally murdered three innocent civilians, and injured fifteen others. My beloved father, Richard Lakin, was among those murdered. Alyan and his accomplice shot my 76-year-old father in the head, and then, after he fell to the ground, stabbed him multiple times in the head, face, chest and stomach, severing most of his vital organs.
My father was a kind, gentle-hearted man who dedicated his life to education and promoting peaceful coexistence. Generations of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts passed under his loving wing as principal of Hopewell Elementary School in Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA. In 2007 he published a book called “Teaching as an Act of Love” summarizing his life’s work and educational philosophy. The message of his book is that every child is a miracle that should be nurtured with love.
This week I was shocked to discover that the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA), which six months ago was accepted as a full member in the World Organization of the Scout Movement, is training its scout leaders to see a cold-blooded terrorist murderer as their role model. The PSA leadership training course that started last week is named the “Martyr – Leader Baha Alyan Course,” after the terrorist Alyan who murdered my father. Below is a screen shot of the PSA website showing a picture of the terrorist murderer Alyan in Palestinian Scouts uniform. On the website is an article about the course.

Conversations with the Palestinians of 1967: Has Anything Changed?

Editor’s Note: In the period immediately following Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War of 1967, Menahem Milson, then a young instructor in Arabic literature at the Hebrew University, had occasion to meet and converse at length with Palestinian writers, intellectuals, and public figures—engaging them in debate over Zionism, Israel, and the prospects of reconciliation, helping them experience Israeli life at first hand, and in some cases forming enduring personal connections.
In 2010, Milson retrieved and reconstructed his notes from those long-ago encounters and published the results in the Israeli journal Kivunim Ḥadashim (“New Directions”). To read them now in English, supplemented in a few cases by memories of later interactions with his Palestinian interlocutors, is to invite reflection on what, if anything, has changed in Arab attitudes toward Israel over the event-filled decades since 1967, and what has remained all too obdurately the same.
The Debate That Never Happened
One day in April 1967, some two months before the outbreak of the Six-Day War, I was summoned to the office of the Hebrew University’s then-rector, Nathan Rotenstreich. A distinguished professor of philosophy, Rotenstreich had recently initiated a joint student-faculty discussion forum, and he wanted me to chair a panel on the status of the Arab minority in Israel. A committee would choose the question being debated and the participants, who were required to circulate the key points of their talk in advance to allow time for the audience to prepare.
The question assigned me as chairman was: “Can Arab Intellectuals Advance in Israeli Society?” The topic had been suggested by Robert Shershevski, a member of the committee, who had also asked to be one of the speakers. An expert on the economy of developing nations, Shershevski had been born in Warsaw in 1937. His father and grandfather were murdered by the Nazis; an only child, he had survived along with his mother and grandmother and came with them to Israel in 1949. An esteemed and popular lecturer, he was also involved in public issues, including that of the Arab minority.

(VIDEO) 2001 Sbarro Pizzeria bombing mastermind: “I chose it after I saw the crowds of people”

The cold-blooded pleasure in killing that confronts Israelis.
We have written numerous times about the suicide bombing of the Sbarro Pizzeria in Jerusalem in 2001, which killed 15 people, including two Americans and several children.
Most recently Miriam Elman documented the bombing and the mastermind, Ahlam Tamimi, Never forget: Sbarro Pizzeria Massacre, Jerusalem, Aug. 9, 2001.
Ahlam not only masterminded the bombing, she announced it on Palestinian television as a student news show host.
Ahlam is from the Tamimi Clan of Nabi Saleh, whose best known member is Bassem Tamimi, controversial for his use of children for try to provoke confrontations with the Israeli police for the purpose of obtaining viral video and images.
The Tamimi Clan is treated as heroes by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, and by anti-Zionist leftists (including some Jews). Ahlam, who was released from prison as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange and now resides in Jordan, remains a “much-loved” figure in Nabi Saleh.
Ahlam repeatedly has stated that the has no regrets about the bombing and would do it again:

Will Obama be remembered more fondly by Israel than might be expected?

Ensnared by events, Barack Obama ended up as a Democratic president who endorsed indefinite armed conflict and targeted killings.
US President Barack Obama’s dreams of undoing the Bush administration’s war on terror were upended by a rogue piece of underwear which ensnared him.
That is a gross oversimplification, but according to New York Times reporter Charlie Savage’s already classic book, Power Wars, the December 25, 2009 attempted airplane underwear bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a distinct turning point and hard reality lesson for the relatively new president finishing his first year in office. After the attempted underwear bombing, he was constantly on the defensive for being weak on fighting terror and reversed several planned liberal moves.
What were the main themes of Obama’s presidency in the realm of national security and human rights? How did these themes impact Israeli policy in the same overlapping areas?
There are many books by former top officials and analysts on every side of the spectrum.

The Secret War Against the Jews

It is no secret that nations spy on each other. They always have. Just think of Moses and Joshua sending spies into Canaan. That’s what you should expect and be prepared for, both defensively and offensively if necessary — whether it is through individual contacts, so-called diplomats, arms dealers, shady fifth men, electronic surveillance, or hacking. The benefit of Internet technology is that it is less and less possible to hide what nefarious activities go on.
We have known for a long time that where there are peace treaties, in addition to the publicly available official terms, there have always been unofficial side deals, national and personal, not divulged to the public for all kinds of reasons. Some will call it diplomacy (warfare through lies); others will call it wise counsel. We have just had an example of the Internet revealing such a side deal.
An American planeload of cash notes in various currencies was photographed arriving in Iran. After it had been checked by the Iranians, another plane took off in the other direction carrying released hostages. No, said Obama, this was not trading for hostages. The money was part of a previously agreed restitution of Iranian money originally intended for an arms deal that the US held back when it imposed sanctions. Yes, pull the other leg. That’s why it happened just now and in secret and within hours of releasing hostages. And why in cash? There can be no other reason than that Iran wants cash to fund terrorism in such a way that it cannot be traced.
Of course, the US government will tell you that the deal with Iran was a success. They won’t tell you what other side deals were made. I guess it all depends on how you define success. But in truth Obama’s only doing what state representatives and senators do all the time. You scratch my back, I’ll fund your pet project and pass it through Congress without anyone knowing about it.

Jordanian Report: Israel Agrees to US-Initiated Peace Summit; Palestinians Demand Preconditions

According to a report in the Jordanian press, Israel has agreed to a US-initiated three-way peace summit, while the Palestinian Authority is demanding preconditions, Israel’s Channel 10 reported on Sunday.
The government-owned newspaper Al Ra’i reported that the administration in Washington recently proposed the renewal of talks between Israel and the PA under its auspices. However, said the report – based on statements made by a PLO Executive Committee member – while Israel insisted that these be held with no preconditions, the PA said it would only consent if Israel first halted settlement construction and released another tranche of convicts.
“We welcome any activity whose goal is to move the political process forward, but there are conditions that Israel has to fulfill in order for the meeting not to deal solely with economic relations,” said Wassel Abu Yousef. “We are currently interested in progress along the lines of the French initiative.”

Amid talk of new peace pushes, Palestinians hold firm to preconditions

Palestinians officials rejected a recent US proposal for a trilateral peace summit with Israel, a Palestinian official said on Sunday, amid reports that efforts for possible talks hosted by Moscow were pushing forward.
Senior PLO official Wasel Abu Yousef told the Jordanian daily al-Ghad that the US had been informed of the PLO’s “firm stance” for two requirements to be met before any meeting with the Israelis: a freeze of construction in the settlements and the release of the fourth batch of prisoners promised to the Palestinians during negotiations in 2014.
A separate PLO official close to the negotiations department told The Times of Israel he hadn’t heard of any such American proposal for a trilateral summit.
A senior official in the Palestinian Authority President’s office contacted by The Times of Israel also said he hadn’t heard of the proposal.
The PLO official close to the negotiations department, who wished to remain unnamed, said the US is trying to figure out something to bypass the French initiative, but said the Palestinian requirements for resumption of talks are still the same: a freeze on settlement construction and release of prisoners.
Israeli officials say they are willing to hold talks, but rebuff Palestinian demands for preconditions.

IDF officer agrees with Hebron shooter: wounded assailant was still a threat

The Elor Azaria trial resumed on Monday with an IDF Lieutenant first class officer who was present at the scene being called to the witness stand.
The officer, not Azaria's direct commander, said that he told the soldiers not to get too close to the wounded Palestinian and to wait for the bomb disposal expert to arrive.
The officer also mentioned that higher up commanders arrived after the incident and told him that it was not a standard incident and was severe.
A bomb expert told the court early Monday morning that explosive procedures were not followed after the incident.
The expert stated that the body of the terrorist did not undergo an explosive check and should not have been moved without proper clearance.

Ambulance driver in Hevron: 'I felt terrorist posed a threat'

Elimelech Karzan, an ambulance driver who was present at the scene of the incident in Hevron in which Sgt. Elor Azariya shot a wounded terrorist, testified today on Azariya's behalf.
"I felt threatened at the scene," he said. "I parked the ambulance near the terrorist and got out of the car armed with a weapon. The medical team decided to evacuate the injured soldier in my ambulance. Suddenly, I noticed that the terrorist was moving."
He added: "At this point, I was apprehensive that the terrorist would activate an explosives belt or pull out a weapon, because he was wearing a closed-up coat on a hot day, and it was suspicious[...]
"Everyone started yelling: 'He has an explosives belt on!' and it was frightening. I was then very apprehensive about the terrorist. I got back in my ambulance and drove from the scene, and suddenly I heard shooting[...] It was clear to me that they had neutralized the terrorist."
In his cross-examination, the Prosecutor asked Karzan repeatedly about his feeling of fear at the scene, and Karzan replied that it had indeed existed, in light of how events had unfolded at the scene.

Manslaughter probe launched into IDF shooting of Palestinian man

The Military Police are currently investigating a soldier from the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion on suspicion of manslaughter, following the shooting of a Palestinian suspect. The investigation is expected to continue over the next few days.
The incident took place on Friday, when a Palestinian man, named as Eyad Zakaria Hamed, 38, was spotted by an IDF patrol charging at a security post at the entrance to Silwad, a Palestinian town by the community of Ofra, a few miles northeast of Ramallah.
The troops engaged the suspect, opening fire and killing him. As no weapons were found on Hamed's body and conflicting reports arose as to the course of the incident, suggesting he might have been shot in the back, the Military Police are conducting an investigation, as is the battalion.
An IDF source said the soldiers acted within the military's rules of engagement.

Illegal Arab construction threatens Shavei Shomron

The Regavim movement petitioned the Defense Ministry today (Sunday) and the Civil Administration to intervene in illegal construction and development work taking place in the Northern Samaria region.
The work is being conducted by Arabs from the village of Nakoura east of Shavei Shomron and adjacent to the access road to the community.
Oved Arad, director of the field department at Regavim notes that the work is being performed with heavy machinery in the area overlooking the access road to Shavei Shomron. The work generally takes place on weekends.
"The timing is not accidental. This is a familiar occurrence which is designed to use the vacation days of the Civil Administration's Inspection Department to create facts on the ground" says Arad. "Significant groundwork is taking place to prepare the area for construction of what would be an entire illegal neighborhood."
A few years ago the Defense Ministry placed a concrete wall to serve as a buffer between the road and the community like similar buffers which have been set up on Road 6 and on some highways near Jerusalem. However the illegal neighborhood being planned by the Arabs here would be located in an area above the road with a clear view of the houses in the community, rendering the buffer ineffective.

Palestinian water wars boiling over in Sa'ir

The Palestinian Water Authority and the Sa’ir Municipality are at odds over the disappearance of large amounts of water from Sa’ir, a town of 25,000 northeast of Hebron, as the region experiences water shortages.
The PWA, which coordinates and regulates the distribution of water in the Palestinian territories, said in an August 12 statement that it had uncovered an ongoing water-theft operation in the village.
A number of Sa’ir residents have long made illegal openings in the village’s pipes, diverting water without the knowledge of the water authority. However, in this case, the authority accused the Sa’ir Municipality of being behind the theft and, in coordination with the Palestinian Customs Authority, arrested 13 municipal employees, including Mayor Kayed Jaradat.

Thousands turn Nablus funeral into protest against PA

“With our blood and soul, we will sacrifice ourselves for you, oh Abu al-Ezz,” some 12,000 mourners chanted at a funeral procession in Nablus on Sunday that turned into a demonstration against the PA.
“Oh PA, why, why, we have been killed by the [Israeli] army and now by you,” the participants continued, furious about the death their comrade, Ahmed Halawa (aka Abu al-Ezz).
Palestinian and bright yellow Fatah flags were waving in every direction surrounding the body of Abu al-Ezz, as more participants joined the masses.
Halawa, a former leader of Fatah’s Aksa Martyrs Brigade and captain in the Palestinian Police, was suspected of being the mastermind behind the killing of two Palestinian Authority security personnel on August 18. After initiating a security operation in Nablus, PA forces arrested Halawa and brought him to the city’s Jneid Prison, where security personnel allegedly beat him to death provoking popular condemnations.
“You [Palestinian] Authority of spies, we don’t want [Akram] Rajoub or [Mahmoud] Abbas to be president... We have had enough, Nablus get cracking,” the participants shouted.
The participants continually attacked PA President Mahmoud Abbas, Nablus Gov.
Akram Rjoub and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, calling for them to be held accountable.

JCPA: Egypt and Jordan Fear a Hamas Victory in the West Bank

King Abdullah of Jordan led a large delegation to Cairo on August 24. There he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss the situation in Syria and Iraq, the danger of Islamic State terror, the U.S. presidential elections, and other developments in the Middle East.
Naturally, another main topic of their talks was the Palestinian arena and particularly the municipal elections slated for October 8, 2016, in the West Bank and Gaza.
Jordan supports the Egyptian initiative to convene talks between Israel and the Palestinians and, according to Jordanian sources, Abdullah believes that only Egypt is capable of reconciling rival Palestinian factions within the dominant Fatah organization. That, in turn, is a condition for the Egyptian initiative’s success; it would enable the Palestinians to present a unified diplomatic position in future negotiations with Israel.
What concerned el-Sisi and Abdullah in their meeting, however, was that Hamas might win the upcoming local elections, meaning that its power would spread from Gaza to the West Bank as well.
Given Hamas’ ties with the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, where its political arm, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), is a serious opposition force, the strengthening of Hamas in the West Bank could have dangerous implications for the Hashemite Kingdom’s stability where elections are scheduled for September 20, 2016.

Expert: West Bank Disorder Result of Abbas’ Failure to Prepare PA for Statehood

The Palestinian Authority’s failure “to build itself as a state-like entity” is at the root of ongoing unrest in West Bank territories under its administration, Pinchas Inbari, a longtime Arab affairs correspondent for Israel Radio, wrote in an analysis published Wednesday by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
In recent weeks, at least five Palestinians, including two policemen, have been killed as a result of factional infighting in Nablus. The man suspected of leading the shooting attack on the officers was later arrested and beaten to death by Palestinian security forces.
These incidents, which have been accompanied by cases of “vandalism, arson attacks on cars, shootings during daylight hours, and blocking roads with burning tires,” are symptomatic of the “anarchic conditions in Nablus,” Inbari wrote.
While the PA fears losing control of the West Bank and allowing it to “revert to the rule of clans,” it has been reluctant to send its forces into refugee camps in Nablus for fear of facing violent opposition. The camps are a stronghold of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a terrorist group established on the eve of the second intifada as the armed wing of Fatah, the party currently led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
“As a strategy against Israel, the PA has been trying to upgrade itself to statehood in international forums and the United Nations,” Inbari observed. “It has not, however, taken care to build itself as a state-like entity, and at present its lack of national cohesion poses a threat to its existence.”

Radical Palestinian organization: Boycott local elections

A radical Islamic Palestinian Arab organization on Sunday issued a statement expressing opposition to the upcoming local elections slated for the Palestinian Authority (PA)-assigned areas of Judea and Samaria and in Gaza.
The organization argued in its statement that democracy was created by the West as a means to subjugate people, especially Muslims, and that the Palestinian Authority was established to serve the western-Zionist-Crusader enterprise in Muslim countries and particularly in “Palestine”.
In fact, the organization claimed, the PA plays the role of the military governor of the “occupation” – that is, Israel – in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
The organization further claimed that the Oslo Accords are not based on Islam, canceled the Jihad, and gave the enemy legitimacy to occupy “Palestine”. Moreover, it argued, the Jihadist role of the Islamic nation, originally intended to release “Palestine” from the Jews, was replaced by a humanitarian role by providing food and medicinal aid.
The extremist organization went on to call on Palestinian Arabs to boycott the local elections, stressing that Islamic law is a way of life which deals with all issues, including purity, worship, values and foreign and domestic policy.

Hamas recently opened offices in Tunisia, official says

Hamas recently opened up official offices in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, a senior leader from the terror group revealed on Sunday.
Moussa Abu Marzouk told the Tunisian news channel el-Bilad that Hamas has “new-old” offices in Tunis, publicly acknowledging the headquarters for the first time.
The Hamas leader said the offices were opened with the blessing of the Tunisian authorities. He did not specify when the offices were opened.
The Islamist terror group kept its main offices in Damascus until 2012, when war and political upheaval forced the group’s political leadership to move to Qatar. Hamas also keeps official offices in Turkey.

Iran deploys S-300 missiles around major nuclear site

Iran has recently deployed advanced S-300 missiles around one of its key nuclear sites, Israel's Army Radio reported Monday.
According to Iranian state media, the Russian-made long-range defense system was deployed near the Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility.
Protecting nuclear facilities "is paramount under all circumstances. Today, Iran's sky is one of the most secure in the region," Agence France-Presse quoted Iranian Air Defenses Commander Gen. Farzad Esmaili as telling the country's IRIB TV channel on Monday.
The channel aired a video showing S-300 missile batteries being trucked into Fordo. One battery was shown being placed into position, raising its missile launchers toward the sky next to other counter-strike weaponry.
Iranian media aired the footage following a speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to air force commanders, including Esmaili. In his speech, Khamenei stressed that Iran's military power "was for defensive purposes only."
"Continued opposition and hype on the S-300 or the Fordo site are examples of the viciousness of the enemy," Khamenei said. "The S-300 system is a defense system, not an assault one, but the Americans did their best for Iran not to get hold of it."

Iran to start construction on two more nuclear plants

Iran said Sunday that it will soon start construction on two nuclear plants in the country, as part of a deal with Russia announced two years ago called Bushehr Phase II.
The two additional plants are also set to be built in the port city of Bushehr in southern Iran in additional to the one that is already operational. The Russian-built plant was completed in 2011.
The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that “in the coming weeks, we will try to hold the final talks and then soon after announce a date for starting the construction of the power plants,” according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
Kamalvandi said the funds, an investment of some $10 billion, have been earmarked on the orders of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Two weeks ago, Iranian MP Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini said Iran in cooperation with Russia had “a good experience of building [the] Bushehr nuclear power plant,” adding that the design for the news plants had been completed by the AEOI.

Commercial Airliner Flying Fighters, Weapons from Tehran to Damascus

At a time when Iran is investing the Nuclear Deal to develop its fleet, U.S. media sources renewed fears that Iranian air companies linked to the Revolutionary Guards would use those jets to send weapons and fighters to Syria.
A report published by Forbes said Iranian commercial aircraft routinely violate international aviation rules by transporting arms and military personnel to Syria, and therefore, “selling aircraft to Iran will expose manufacturers to the risk of becoming complicit in such activities.”
Forbes said Iran was trying to ink a deal to buy up to 500 aircraft over the next decade.
The magazine said: “Iran remains the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in the world and is still number one on the recently-released Basel Anti-Money Laundering Index Report of 2016, which assesses the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing in 149 countries.”
The report coincides with the comments of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who expressed his country’s worries regarding Iran’s transfer of weapons to Yemen.
Also, the international community is worried from an Iranian activity towards refueling conflicts in Arab countries, which Tehran says was protecting its security and national interests.

Israeli to be extradited to US over sale of military parts to Iran

The Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday rejected an appeal by an Israeli man against extradition to the US, where he has been charged with selling arms — including spare parts for fighter jets — to Iran.
Arye Eliyahu “Eli” Cohen, 66, from Bnei Brak, was arrested at the request of the US authorities at Ben Gurion Airport in May 2014, as he was trying to flee the country.
Cohen had been indicted in a federal court in Connecticut for illegally exporting spare parts for F-4 and F-14 combat aircraft to Iran, illegally moving military equipment out of the US and money laundering.
If convicted, Cohen could face up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for breaking laws prohibiting the sale of arms to Iran.
The Supreme Court said in a statement Sunday that Cohen should be rendered to US authorities “in order to stand trial for the commission of federal offences of trading military spare parts with Iran.”

Bennet: Iran Deal Is ‘Going Well’

Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.) said the Iran deal is “going well,” and that it is “obvious” that billions in sanctions relief to the Islamic Republic could go to support terrorist activities.
Bennet, a supporter of the deal, gave an interview with the Denver Post to discuss the nuclear agreement a year later, and how it is affecting his reelection campaign.
“I think the deal is going well, so far,” Bennet said. “Obviously, we have to be vigilant. … Some people say, ‘Well, how can you trust Iran and do a deal with Iran?’ The whole point is that I don’t trust Iran. I don’t trust Iran. That’s the point.”
Since the deal was signed last year, Iran has launched ballistic missiles in violation of a United Nations resolution, expanded its terror network in Latin America, violated international law by detaining U.S. sailors, and prepared to reopen nuclear sites that were shut down as part of the deal.
Bennet said Iran has adhered to the terms of the deal “in general.”
“I think they have violated United Nations sanctions with respect to ballistic missile activity, and that’s why as part of my consideration of the deal, I introduced a bill—that has not passed yet—with Sens. (Ben) Cardin and (Chuck) Schumer, who both opposed the Iran deal, to track Iran’s use of funds and track their support for proxy terrorist activities and state in clear legislative language that all options including military force remain on the table,” he said.

Turkey accuses Syrian Kurds of ‘ethnic cleansing’

Turkey on Monday said it would continue targeting a Syrian Kurdish militia in Syria if it failed to fulfill promises to retreat east of the Euphrates River, accusing the group of ethnic cleansing.
“The YPG (People’s Protection Units) first of all… needs to cross east of the Euphrates as soon as possible. So long as they don’t, they will be a target,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
“In the places where it has moved, the YPG forces everyone out — including Kurds — who do not think like it does and carries out ethnic cleansing,” he added.
Ankara had said it had killed 25 Kurdish “terrorists” on Sunday as it pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Islamic State jihadists and the YPG.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 40 civilians were killed in Turkish shelling and airstrikes, claims that were strongly rejected by Ankara.

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