02/29/12

* Israel's security situation worst in decades The Arab revolts and an emboldened Iran have created the most precarious security situation for Israel since the end of the Cold War.

* Hezbollah: Israeli attack on Iran would set Middle East ablaze An Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear program would set the Middle East ablaze, possibly drag in the United States.

* Palestine's UN upgrade coming back on EU agenda The EU should get ready for Palestine's renewed push to upgrade its UN status and stop calling for "illusory" peace talks with Israel.

* Top Al Qaeda Commander, Wanted for 9/11, Caught in Cairo Egyptian security officials have caught senior international Al Qaeda terrorist Saif al-Adel.

* WikiLeaks: Russia Gave Israel Codes for Iran's Missiles Russia gave Israel codes for breaking Iran's missile defense system in return for codes of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Israel sold to Georgia.

* US Fears Terror Attacks by Iran if Israel Strikes An Israeli strike on Iran would probably prompt Iranian-backed terrorist attacks.

* Syria official vows Homs quarter to be 'cleaned' within hours Syrian troops advanced Wednesday on a key rebel-held area in the central city of Homs.

* Netanyahu: Nuclear Iran Would Choke World Economy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned a nuclear-armed Iran would exercise de facto control the major Gulf oil producers and "choke" the global economy.

* ADL: Farrakhan's Hate Speech 'Textbook Example' of Anti-Semitism Minister Louis Farrakhan, the racist leader of the Nation of Islam, once again echoed the anti-Semitic propaganda of which he has been widely accused.

* North Korea agrees to nuclear moratorium North Korea has agreed to suspend uranium enrichment, as well as nuclear and long-range missile tests, following talks with the US.

02/28/12

* Israel won't warn U.S. before Iran strike Israeli officials say they won't warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

* Hizbullah's Demands, Schools Teach 'Resistance' Hizbullah and its allies have 'taken advantage' of their role in the government in order to force public schools and the Lebanese University to dedicate a one-hour session for teaching the history of 'Resistance'.

* Rep. West Warns of 'Holocaust' Rep. Allen West, a Republican from the state of Florida, warned that Israel could become the site of a "second Holocaust" if the United States does not take further actions.

* Arab MKs: Harming al-Aqsa will lead to global jihad Right wing Knesset Members on Sunday attacked Arab-Israeli lawmakers for taking part in the International Conference for Defense of Jerusalem.

* Al Qaida in Iraq: 'No way out of' coming civil war with Shi'ites Al Qaida in Iraq has taken responsibility for a series of strikes against Shi'ite targets.

* Louis Farrakhan warns of racial hatred that could lead to attempts to kill President Obama In a fiery lecture to thousands of followers of the Nation of Islam on Sunday in Chicago, Minister Louis Farrakhan warned that racial hatred could lead to attempts to assassinate President Barack Obama.

* Kenyan airstrikes drive al-Shabab terrorists from Somalia strongholds After months of delay often bogged down in muddy fields, Kenyan troops are finding their footing to become a valuable asset in the fight against al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia.

* Van Rompuy: National parliaments are EU institutions Tasked with approving bail-outs, national budgets and labour market policies which can affect the stability of the eurozone, national parliaments are similar to European institutions.

* Internet radicalizes U.S. Muslims quickly Young American Muslims can become radicalized online very quickly and with few warning signs, becoming potential terrorists before federal agencies can identify them.

* War games: Tel Aviv missile drill Security officials are taking the threat of long-range rockets being fired at central Israel from the Gaza Strip seriously.

02/27/12

* Afghan Taliban set off car bomb at Jalalabad airport A Taliban suicide car bomber has killed at least nine people and wounded 10 others in an attack at Jalalabad airport in eastern Afghanistan.

* Iran's Gamble – The Proliferation Sprint How long would it take for Iran to enrich enough uranium for a strategically useful nuclear weapon - and are there obstacles in its path?

* Rivlin to Russia: Stop Iran developing nukes Mofaz tells Russian counterpart to prevent weapons from being sent to Syria, says nuclear Iran dangerous for whole world.

* US officers should hang over Koran incident Al Arabiya: Iranian commander says White House should be burned; Afghan ministry worker suspected of killing US officers.

* Abbas urges Arabs to fight Judaization of Jerusalem At Int'l Conference for the Defense of Jerusalem in Qatar, PA president calls on Arabs and Muslims to flock to Jerusalem.

* Israel has destroyed Iran nuclear infrastructure WikiLeaks begins releasing cache of 5 million emails from US intel firm; email cites Israeli agent casting doubt on Iran attack.

* Putin assassination plot foiled: Russian officials Ukrainian security services have thwarted a plot to kill Russian PM Vladimir Putin, Russian officials say.

* How likely is an asteroid strike? A report suggests that there should be 91 deaths every year from asteroid strikes, but what are the chances of that actually happening?

* Film gives inside look at neo-Nazi music scene 'Blut muss Fliessen' (Blood Must Flow) examines role of music in violent far-right subculture.

* War games: Tel Aviv missile drill Senior officials to take part in drill simulating explosion of two rockets in central Israel

02/25/12

* Iran military official: Only burning White House can make up for burning Koran The Muslim world should not accept an apology issued by U.S. President Barack Obama over the burning of Korans in an American base in Afghanistan, a top Iranian military commander said.

* Iran defense minister: Attack will lead to Israel's collapse Iran's defense minister says an Israeli attack will lead to Israel's collapse.

* Nato pulls out of Afghan ministries after Kabul attack Nato has withdrawn all its personnel from Afghan ministries after two senior US officers were shot dead in the interior ministry building in Kabul.

* 'Chaotic' meeting exposes divisions on Syria A first meeting of the Friends of Syria group has highlighted divisions inside the coalition and among Syrian opposition leaders.

* State Department quietly warning region on Syrian WMDs The State Department has begun coordinating with Syria's neighbors to prepare for the handling of President Bashar al-Assad's extensive weapons of mass destruction if and when his regime collapses.

* Greek bail-out threatened by Germany-IMF stand-off Greece's second bail-out still faces hurdles as Germany and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wait to see who moves first on financial commitments related to the deal.

* Syria crisis: Red Cross resumes Homs evacuation bid The Red Cross says it is resuming its attempts to rescue more Syrians trapped by shelling in the city of Homs.

* Hamas ditches Assad, backs Syria revolt Leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas turned publicly against their long-time ally President Bashar Assad of Syria.

* Fayyad: World's inaction allows Israel to kill Palestinians, expand settlements StalevdencyawsInaction by the international community emboldens Israel to kill unarmed Palestinian protesters, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said.

* Arabs Riot Over 'Temple Mount Takeover' Arabs rioted for a second day Saturday, at a funeral for an Arab who was allegedly killed by IDF fire.

02/24/12

* Expert Warns of Waqf's Dangerous Plans for Temple Mount Archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar warned on Thursday about the plans of the Muslim religious authority, the Waqf, for the Temple Mount.

* 'March to Jerusalem' to Amass 1 Million Arabs to Border Deja Vu? Another "March to Jerusalem" aims at rallying one million people to march on Israel's borders from surrounding countries.

* Danon peddles bill to annex Judea and Samaria Former Yesha leader Naftali Bennett urges Likud to make annexation of Area C an election platform.

* Police Quell Muslim Riot on Temple Mount Dozens of riot police were deployed to quell a Muslim riot on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday.

* Afghanistan Koran protests claim more lives Thousands of enraged Afghans have taken to the streets for a fourth day, after US soldiers inadvertently set fire to copies of the Koran.

* Syria unrest: Opposition seeks arms pledge The main Syrian opposition group has asked for rebel fighters to be allowed to import weapons.

* Jew-hate prevents peace Has the world gone upside down? Again and again we hear US President Barack Obama and numerous other leaders call on Israel to make sacrifices to help facilitate a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

* Security and Defense: Taking a 'bridge loan' Most security officials agree the IDF can successfully hit Iran's nuclear program. But how close is Israel to attacking?

* Senators Back Netanyahu in Pentagon Row US Senator John McCain backed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week in a growing divergence of views with Washington on how to confront Iran's nuclear program.

* J'lem construction frozen ahead of PM's US visit Days before he takes off for Washington DC, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to ensure that there are no causes for embarrassment when he is sitting with Obama in the Oval Office.

02/23/12

* 'Highest level of Syrian gov't ordering atrocities' Syrian forces have shot dead unarmed women and children.

* Barack Obama apology to Afghanistan over Koran burning In a letter to President Hamid Karzai, Mr Obama expressed his "deep regret" and said the incident earlier this week was a genuine mistake.

* Peres on Iran: When We Say 'All Options,' We Mean It President Shimon Peres addressed the Iranian threat Thursday in a speech before the annual Jerusalem meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

* Taliban to Afghans: Kill foreigners over Quran burnings The Taliban urged Afghans Thursday to target foreign military bases and kill Westerners in retaliation for burnings of copies of the Quran at NATO's main base.

* DIA director: China preparing for space warfare Army Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, disclosed new details of China's space weapons programs last week.

* Putin tells stadium rally 'battle' is on for Russia A crowd of thousands has heard Vladimir Putin deliver a strongly patriotic speech at a Moscow stadium as he bids for re-election as president of Russia.

* 'Hamas will demand key positions in unity gov't' Hamas will demand that members of its organization fill key roles in the unity government with Fatah.

* Russia warns Israel not to attack Iran Russia warned Israel on Wednesday that attacking Iran would be a disastrous and played down the failure of a UN nuclear agency mission to Tehran.

* Official Palestinian Authority TV Glorifies Terror Official Palestinian Authority TV has twice recently broadcast a song that glorifies the use of terrorism to achieve statehood.

* El Al Map' Returns' Israel to 1948 Armistice Lines A brochure distributed to Russian tourists by El Al 'turns back the clock,' showing Israel without Judea, Samaria and the Golan.

02/22/12

* 'Iran missiles may be able to hit US in 2-3 years' Iran may develop inter-continental missiles that can reach the east coast of the United States in two to three years.

* The Decline of the American Superpower? "It is unfortunate that the United States considers Israel a strategic liability, rather than a strategic asset," noted Israeli think tank director Daniel Rothschild said.

* Russia boosts arms sales to Syria despite world pressure The biggest importer of arms to Syria, Russia sold Damascus nearly $1 billion worth of arms including missile systems last year.

* Dozens killed in Syria as top military officer defects with hundreds of soldiers A senior Syrian military officer has defected from the forces of President Bashar Assad's regime.

* Prosor: Western Africa is Hizbullah's Power Base Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council on Tuesday that western Africa has become Hizbullah's "powerbase."

* US troops now in 4 African countries to fight LRA U.S. troops helping in the fight against a brutal rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army are now deployed in four Central African countries.

* Karzai urges calm as six die in Afghan Koran protests The U.S. embassy said its staff were in "lockdown" and travel had been suspended as thousands of people expressed fury over the burning.

* China's arming of Iran poses threat to U.S. Navy in Gulf China is helping Iran render the U.S. naval presence in the Gulf increasingly costly and dangerous.

* Abbas, Mashaal in Cairo to form unity government Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday began a three-day visit to Cairo.

* Tunisia, Egypt Islamists signal bigger religion role After months of reassuring secularist critics, Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Egypt have begun to lay down markers about how Muslim their states should be.

02/21/12

* Despite warnings, quiet at the Temple Mount The Temple Mount was relatively quiet on Tuesday, despite preparations for clashes between right-wing Jewish activists and Muslim worshippers at the Al Aqsa Mosque.

* Analysis: Undermining Israel Following failed efforts to argue and persuade, the Americans seem to be taking a new approach – trying to undermine Israel's confidence in its military capabilities.

* Iran warns of preemptive strike if threatened Iran would take preemptive action against its enemies if it felt its national interests were endangered.

* Egyptian Official: War with Israel, US in Three Months Egyptian Presidential Candidate Tawfiq Okasha declared last week that the Egyptian Army will engage in armed warfare against Israel.

* Eurozone agrees to Greek bail-out, but doubts remain After a 14-hour meeting eurozone finance ministers and bankers have agreed on a second bail-out package for Greece.

* Nato apologises for Afghan Koran 'burning' Announcing an inquiry, US Gen John R Allen said any "improper disposal" of religious materials was inadvertent.

* Gush Katif Dinner Commemorates Unilateral Disaster In 2005, under the government of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel withdrew from 21 communities in the Gaza Strip.

* Masked Syrian Rebels Raise Rifles Armed and masked rebels are organizing as Assad extended his crackdown on his political opponents on Tuesday.

* Archaeologists bringing Jerusalem's ancient Roman city back to life If you look at a map of the Old City of Jerusalem, you'll notice something odd.

* Ancient plants back to life after 30,000 frozen years Scientists in Russia have grown plants from fruit stored away in permafrost by squirrels over 30,000 years ago.

02/20/12

* Netanyahu to meet Obama at White House in March Washington announces first meeting of leaders since September after PM meets Obama's National Security Advisor Tom Donilon in J'lem, amid heightened US concern over Israeli attack on Iran.

* Syrians sense war in Damascus while Assad tries to score points Syrians report electricity shortages in Homs and Damascus, as Syrian President Bashar Assad tries minimizing pressure by a referendum on changes to the constitution that do not satisfy the opposition.

* Ex-Netanyahu Chief of Staff: Let Israel Attack "How can Israel not attack Iran?" asks former Netanyahu aide Bennett on Fox News. Iran is an "octopus of terror."

* British FM joins appeal to Israel: Don't hit Iran PM avoids subject in speech to American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem after meeting with US National Security Adviser Donilon.

* Peace talks wait to see if Hamas, Fatah unite Diplomatic source: PA documents demand 98.1% of West Bank territory, describe internal security plans.

* Eurozone Greek bailout talks begin in Brussels Eurozone finance ministers are holding talks in Brussels aimed at securing a second vital bailout for Greece.

* Iranian warships dock at Syrian port after crossing Suez Canal Press TV reports the arrival of two Iranian warships at the Syrian city of Tartous; crossing of the Suez Canal is the second in a year by Iranian warships.

* Iran to hold military drills to protect nuclear sites Iran has announced it will hold military exercises to boost protection of its nuclear sites.

* Abbas meets Hamas officials, seeks to speed unity PA president briefs Hamas representatives on reconciliation accord; Abbas tells China official Israel to blame for failed talks.

* US Army War College Prof: Iran A Menace to Region Iran is a "menace" to the entire Middle East and must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, a US war College professor warns.

02/18/12

* US officials believe Iran sanctions will fail, making military action likely Officials in key parts of the Obama administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear program.

* Hamas, insurgents basing SAMs in Sinai for attacks on Israel Islamic insurgents have deployed surface-to-air missiles in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for attacks on Israel.

* Iranian warships arrive at Syrian port' Ships from Iran's 18th fleet cross Suez Canal, dock in Syria for second time in a year.

* Top Obama aide heads to Israel for talks on Iran US President Barack Obama's top security aide will visit Israel for two days of talks on regional issues including Syria and Iran.

* IDF on Alert Following Attacks from Gaza Rocket and missile fire from Gaza put the IDF on high alert on Friday evening.

* U.S. drones flying over Syria to monitor crackdown The United States is flying unmanned reconnaissance planes over Syria to monitor the regime's escalating crackdown on dissent.

* Iran claims its navy enters Mediterranean as tensions with Israel grow The claim, released through the official Iranian news agency, came at a time of growing speculation that Israel will launch airstrikes against Iran's nuclear program.

* Assad: Conflict is ploy to divide Syria Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday blamed 11-months of turmoil in which his forces have cracked down on pro-democracy protesters as a ploy to split the country.

* Stronger budgetary surveillance laws up for agreement EU finance ministers meeting next week are set to sign off a first agreement on laws that would strongly increase Brussels' power to instruct eurozone countries on how to spend their national budgets.

* Iraqi PM orders security review of Syrian border Iraq's prime minister says all intelligence or tips about weapons smuggling and insurgent travel from Iraq to Syria must be investigated.

02/17/12

* Is Israel gearing up for an attack on Iran? Israel's motivations for a potential strike on Iran's nuclear facilities are obvious.

* Hamas Threatens Israel, Says it Will 'Pay the Price' The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, threatened Israel on Thursday and announced that the Jewish State will soon pay the price.

* Intel Official: Iranian Missiles Could Hit Nearby U.S. Targets, Europe Iran has the ability to fire missiles at U.S. targets in the Middle East and "temporarily" close a key sea transit route.

* U.S. intelligence officials: Iran not about to abandon nuclear program, but unlikely to provoke conflict The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said Thursday that Iran is not close to abandoning its nuclear program.

* Libyans still feel insecure one year after Gadhafi's fall Libyans took to the streets on Friday to celebrate the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Muammar Gadhafi.

* Stronger budgetary surveillance laws up for agreement EU finance ministers meeting next week are set to sign off a first agreement on laws that would strongly increase Brussels' power to instruct eurozone countries.

* Security Officials: More Attacks Coming Israeli counterterrorism officials warned Friday that Iran and its terror confederate Hizbullah are plotting more attacks on Israelis abroad.

* Bombardment of Syrian city 'intensifies' after UN vote One opposition group said the bombardment was the heaviest since troops launched attacks on anti-government strongholds 13 days ago.

* Israelis Refrain from Visiting Turkey as Turks Tour Israel The 18th International Mediterranean Tourism Market show in Tel Aviv included a booth which tried to encourage Israelis to visit Turkey.

* NATO to stay out of Syria, even with a UN mandate NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Western alliance had no intention of intervening in Syria.

02/16/12

* Iran Threatens West with 'Heavy Casualties' Just hours after Iran announced it would be expanding centrifuge operations at the underground Fordo nuclear facility near Qoms, the Islamic Republic continued to threaten the West.

* IDF fears Syria attack as pressure builds on Assad Israel concern hones in on recent reports that Assad is using nerve gas against the new opposition.

* 'Iran cultivating L. American ties beyond Venezuela' Iran is cultivating relationships beyond Venezuela to make sure its toehold in Latin America stays secure.

* Time for honest audit of EU-US relations With pressure coming from every direction, the EU and the US now, more than ever, need an honest discussion about their partnership.

* ZOA: End Discrimination Against Jews On Temple Mount Now The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) this week sent a sharply critical letter to Knesset members government ministers, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, demanding that Jews have the right to "unfettered access and freedom" to pray on the Temple Mount .

* Ancient Tel Shiloh: Proud to be a National Heritage Site Although it excluded the Patriarchs' Cave and Rachel's Tomb from its list of national heritage sites, the Israeli government has decided to recognize Tel Shiloh.

* 'You must sleep with a gun under your pillow' The terror attack in New Delhi, the attempted attack in Tbilisi and the botched bombing in Bangkok over the past 24 hours have propelled Israeli diplomats abroad into a state of emergency.

* Israeli library uploads Newton's theological texts He's considered to be one of the greatest scientists of all time.

* Putin Wants To Win Presidency On The First Ballot Russian presidential aspirant Vladimir Putin has confronted a dilemma: Should he seek a victory on the first ballot, or should he defer victory and win in a runoff on the 2nd ballot?

* 'Egypt to hold presidential poll in May' Egypt's first presidential election since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown a year ago will be held by late May.

02/15/12

* ZOA: Jews Cannot and Will Not Remain Silent The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) issued a press release on February 13, imploring the Israeli government to stop police and Muslim Wakf discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount.

* FM: Israel knows how to handle Iranian threat Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday met with the Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic and Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic.

* State Dept.: Russia and Iran still arming Bashar al-Assad Russia and Iran are continuing to send arms to the Syrian regime that can be used against protesters.

* PA 'Double Talk': Song Wishes for a World Without Israel Twice in the past two weeks, official Palestinian Authority TV has broadcast a song which expresses longing for a world without Israel.

* Nuking our Nukes President Obama has ordered the Pentagon to consider cutting U.S. strategic nuclear forces to as low as 300 deployed warheads.

* Mormons baptise parents of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal The Mormon Church has apologised for posthumously baptising the parents of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal.

* 500m children 'at risk of effects of malnutrition' Half a billion children could grow up physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years because they do not have enough to eat.

* Eurozone states want Greece out, says Venizelos Some eurozone countries no longer want Greece in the bloc, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said.

* Video: Assad Blows Up Oil Pipeline; Children Starving The brutal bombardment of Homs Wednesday became even more unbelievable as an oil pipeline was blown up and hungry family scavanged for food.

* After Five Years Of Self Imposed Exile Tony Blair May Be Back Don't look now, but Tony Blair may be on the verge of a political comeback.

02/14/12

* Israel blames Iran for Bangkok blasts An Iranian man was critically injured by his own bomb in a series of blasts, raising fears he and two countrymen accomplices had planned an attack.

* 'Iran, Hezbollah seeking to harm Israelis globally' Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday accused Iran and Hezbollah of carrying out Monday's terror attacks in India and Georgia.

* Israeli attack on Iran would be complex operation If Israel attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, the strike would probably take the form of a complex air assault.

* Muslim Brotherhood Warns U.S. Aid Cut May Affect Egypt's Peace Treaty With Israel A top Muslim Brotherhood official has warned that any cuts in U.S. aid to Egypt could affect Cairo’s peace treaty with Israel.

* USS Abraham Lincoln in Strait of Hormuz voyage The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, close to the coast of Iran, for the second time in recent weeks.

* The Israel Project: 'American Hispanics are the most hostile toward Israel' Americans of Hispanic origin, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, are relatively hostile towards Israel.

* Ahmadinejad's Iran is the new best friend of Israeli settlers The red-bordered headline on Israel's weekend newsstands was as jarring for its calm, consumer-guide choice of wording as for the subject matter, which was, in essence, a countdown to Armageddon.

* Newsweek: Israel keeping U.S. in the dark on Iran attack Mossad head Tamir Pardo's visit to Washington around two weeks ago was meant to evaluate how the United States would react if Israel decided to attack Iran's nuclear facilities on its own.

* EU countries want UN peacekeepers in Syria Libya-type military strikes in Syria are still "out of the question," but France, Italy and the UK have backed a call to send in UN peacekeepers.

* Barroso to China: EU is not falling apart European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has told the Chinese public that the EU is going to become a fully-fledged "political union" after the financial crisis.

02/13/12

* Car bombs target Israel envoys in India and Georgia Bombers have targeted staff at Israeli embassies in India and Georgia, officials say, with Israel accusing Iran of masterminding the attacks.

* Arab Spring: EU influence at risk Egypt on Saturday marked the first anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak, with crowds blocking the streets of Cairo and demanding that the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces delivers on its promise to transfer power to civilian rule.

* Al-Qaida calls on Muslim world to support Assad opposition forces New video of terror group's chief Ayman al-Zawahri urging the ouster of Syria's 'cancerous regime' follows report of al-Qaida links to recent series of bombings in the country.

* Iran Offers Aid to Palestinian Authority to Defeat Israel Iran tells Gaza’s Hamas leader Haniyeh it is offering “scientific and technological experience” to the PA for a “victory” over Israel.

* Krauthammer: Israel Will Not Tolerate Threats of Annihilation Krauthammer: "Israel was established to prevent a second Holocaust, not to invite one"; says strike on Iran is inevitable.

* Haniyeh: No compromise, only armed resistance Hamas PM wraps up Iran visit, saying the "gun is our only response" and that "the path of resistance continues."

* Saudi writer may face trial over Muhammad tweets Hamza Kashgari's comments seen as blasphemy in homeland; deported by Malaysia 4 days after fleeing death threats.

* eBay sale of 'Western Wall stones' prompts outcry in Jewish world Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich lodges official police complaint over the fraudulent sale, calls any use of Kotel stones a violation of both religious and modern law.

* Copts Protest Eviction of Christians from Shabrat Hundreds of Coptic Christians staged a protest at Egypt's parliament after 8 Copt families were forcibly evicted from Shabrat

02/11/12

* 'Idol' of Holocaust underpinning Israel is smashed: Iran Iran has broken the "idol" of the Holocaust underpinning the creation of the Israeli state and US hegemony.

* 'Egypt seizes Gaza-bound anti-aircraft missiles' Security forces intercept weapons cache in northern Sinai believed to be slated for smuggling into Strip.

* Syrian Armored Forces Move Nearer to Israel According to reports from the Free Syria Army, the Syrian military has moved forces stationed in the southern part of the Syrian Golan Heights closer to Israel.

* Lebanon fears Syria uprising may spill across border The recent clashes that have raged in northern Lebanon have raised concerns that the 11-month unrest in Syria might spill over into its smaller neighbor.

* Hamas Will 'Never Recognize Israel' Gaza de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, says the terrorist group will "never recognize Israel" and "the resistance will continue."

* Vatican besieged by leaks, conspiracies The Vatican is being besieged by near-daily leaks of confidential documents and tabloid-style reports.

* Iran to unveil 'great nuclear achievements' Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, says "great" nuclear achievements will be announced in the next few days.

* Syrian military hospital chief 'killed in Damascus' The head of a Syrian military hospital has been killed by members of an "armed terrorist group" in the capital Damascus, the state news agency says.

* Al-Qaida behind recent terror attacks in Syria Al-Qaida's branch in Iraq carried out two recent terrorist attacks in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

* PA rejects Israeli incentive package The Palestinian Authority has recently rejected an Israeli "incentive package" meant to encourage the PA's return to the negotiating table.

02/10/12

* Anonymous threatens cyber crusade against Israel International hacker group Anonymous released a video on YouTube overnight Thursday threatening to launch a crusade against the Israeli government, who it accused of committing "crimes against humanity."

* Egyptians rally against military rulers outside ministry Thousands rallied outside Egypt's defence ministry on Friday demanding the military rulers' ouster on the eve of a planned civil disobedience .

* Turkey FM: Israeli military strike on Iran would be a disaster Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday that an Israeli strike on Iran would be disastrous and should not be an option.

* Lieberman: Abbas poses obstacle to peace Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman met with 15 UN ambassadors from across the world in New York on Thursday.

* Turks torpedo Israel Navy participation in NATO op Turkey has torpedoed an Israeli plan to contribute an Israel Navy missile ship to a NATO mission in the Mediterranean Sea.

* 44% of Americans support strike against Iran Americans are more likely than Europeans or Middle Easterners to support a strike against Iran.

* Russia accuses West of arming Syrian rebels Without specifying which nations he is accusing, Moscow's deputy FM says Western countries are arming and advising rebels.

* The Pope will die within a year: Vatican 'assassination fears' revealed The Pope will die within the next 12 months, a senior Vatican figure has reportedly claimed amid fears of an assassination plot.

* Somalia's Al Shaba'ab Officially Joins Al Qaeda Somalia's Shaba'ab has officially joined the international Al Qaeda terrorist organization.

* Tensions flare in Athens ahead of austerity vote Anti-austerity protesters threw rocks and petrol bombs at police on Friday (10 february) in Syntagma Square outside parliament.

02/09/12

* 'Iran must attack Israel by 2014' Khamenei strategist releases document providing legal, religious justification for annihilation of Jewish people.

* U.S. military beginning review of Syria options Although the U.S. focus remains on exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria, the Pentagon and the U.S. Central Command have begun a preliminary internal review of U.S. military capabilities.

* US Forces Assassinate Al Qaeda Chief in Pakistan US forces have assassinated an Al Qaeda terrorist chief in a targeted air strike in Pakistan.

* Hizbullah for first time announces Iran as sole source of funding, arms Hizbullah has asserted that its only means of financial and military support stem from Iran.

* Anti-Semitism in the Presbyterian Church Church's Facebook page includes anti-Israel, anti-Semitic content; accusing Jews of controlling politics, media; causing economic crisis.

* Iran sends toy drone to Obama An Iranian toy company is sending a pink replica of a US spy plane captured in December to US President Barack Obama.

* Assad forces mull use of chemical weapons in Homs, opposition says Syria's military has begun stockpiling chemical weapons and equipping its soldiers with gas masks near the city of Homs.

* Syrian Armored Forces Move Nearer to Israel The Syrian Army moved forces stationed in the Golan Heights and they are now closer to Israel.

* Israel hopes world rejects Palestinian unity gov't Amid continuing uncertainty regarding what the Doha agreement between Fatah and Hamas actually means, Israel is stepping up its demand that the international community not accept an unreformed Hamas as part of the Palestinian Authority government.

* US Officials Say Israel Backing 'Terrorists' US officials say deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident armed, funded and trained by the Mossad.

02/08/12

* Iran: US, Israel vulnerable to counterattack Senior Revolutionary Guard official vows Iran will pursue its objectives without considering US policy of "carrot and stick."

* Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike? Foreign embassies in Israel have recently started to formulate contingency plans to evacuate their citizens from the Jewish State in case of a missile attack on Israel.

* Seeking refuge in fortress Lebanon Pictures on opposition websites show Free Syrian Army soldiers crossing a stream separating their country from northern Lebanon.

* Hamas's Gaza-based leadership challenges Palestinian unity deal Hamas's Gaza-based leadership challenged on Wednesday a Palestinian reconciliation deal signed by the Islamist group's political chief in exile.

* Is Bold Alligator Eyeing Tehran? Diplomatic sources say Iran is accelerating uranium enrichment as the United States and eight other countries stage a major amphibious exercise against a fictional nation that looks suspiciously like Iran.

* A-Jad in Tehran's Hot Seat Iran's palriament on Tuesday announced it would summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questioning over a long list of alleged policy failures.

* NASA Tutorial: 'Capital of Israel is Tel Aviv' The United States was the first to put a man on the moon -- but apparently its space agency is unable to figure out where the capital of Israel is on Earth.

* America and Eurasia 'to meet at north pole' America and Eurasia will crash into each other over the north pole in 50-200 million years time, according to scientists at Yale University.

* UN Human Rights Chief: 'End Killing in Syria Now' The head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Navi Pillay, has called on the international community to "take effective action" to stop the killing in Syria.

* EU concerned about potential instability in Jordan With all eyes on violence in Syria, some EU countries are becoming increasingly concerned about the risk of instability in Jordan.

02/07/12

* Syria crisis: Russia 'wants Arab League role' Visiting Syria, Mr Lavrov said Damascus was ready for a larger Arab mission to monitor peace efforts.

* Fatah's Facebook Features Terrorist 'Martyrs' Fatah, the Palestinian Authority's ruling party, has thrown all caution to the wind and praises terrorists on its new and official Facebook site.

* US Prof. Tells Newsweek Israel Must Attack Iran – Now The Iranian Threat is like the Arab world's threat to destroy Israel in 1967, and Israel must attack Iran now.

* Appeals court rules Calif. gay-marriage ban unconstitutional A federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California's same-sex-marriage ban unconstitutional.

* Hizbullah Chemical War Threat to Israel If Assad Falls The expected fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime may be Hizbullah's gain of chemical and biological weapons.

* Iran Ready to 'Stop Oil Exports to Europe' Ramin Mehmanparast, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said that the latest sanctions on Iran, intended to hinder the country's ability to conduct international commerce, are part of a "psychological war."

* EU to keep paying new Hamas-linked government The EU has said it will keep on giving money to the Palestinian authorities despite their new deal with Hamas.

* Greek leaders to meet as euro exit openly discussed Pressure is rising on Greece's national unity government to agree tough reforms demanded by the country's lenders.

* Palestinians slam selection of Abbas as PM in unity deal Palestinians across the political spectrum Tuesday criticized the Qatari-sponsored Hamas-Fatah reconciliation agreement.

* PA to submit Israeli sites to World Heritage List Failure to make progress during the latest round of talks between the Palestinians and Israel led the Palestinian leadership to examine new ways in which to gain recognition in the international arena.

02/06/12

* US Churches against the Jews: Heavenly Intifada Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Rick Perry, just to name a few, are all Methodists. The Methodist Church is radically anti-Israel.

* Iran can destroy Israel in 9 minutes Iranian blogger urges Tehran to exploit West's inaction to "wipe out Israel" by 2014; lays out strategy

* AYATOLLAH: KILL ALL JEWS, ANNIHILATE ISRAEL Iran lays out legal case for genocidal attack against "cancerous tumor"

* US closes embassy in Damascus due to Syria violence State Department announces that its embassy has suspended all operations, US ambassador to Syria has left country.

* Foreign intervention in Syria will ignite region Iranian FM Salehi says western pressure on Damascus part of Syria "paying the price of its resistance" to Israel.

* Why Did Russia and China Veto UN Resolution on Syria? Russia and China's fears of instability, investment losses and Muslim extremists are behind UN Security Council Resolution veto on Syria.

* Hezbollah will hit Israel if Syria attacked Hezbollah is prepared to attack should Western powers "interfere" in Syrian affairs, Lebanese official says.

* Former German president to honor anti-Semitic pastor Decision provokes outrage among Israeli and American NGOs.

* French official: Jerusalem to be capital of Palestine After "Jerusalem Post" query, French diplomats deny website remark.

* Hamas, Fatah agree on unity gov't; Abbas to be PM Mashaal says Fatah, Hamas "are serious" about ending division between the two rival factions.

02/04/12

* What Will An Israeli Attack on Iran Look Like? As the rampant speculations that Israel will soon launch a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities continue, a report on NBC on Friday revealed what such an attack may look like.

* U.S. 'Disgusted' With China, Russia Veto on Syria Resolution Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-backed proposal at the UN Security Council to condemn Syrian leader Bashar al-Assed.

* Iran says Europe oil ban won't halt its nuclear work Iran's oil minister said the Islamic state would not retreat from its nuclear program even if its crude oil exports grind to a halt.

* Security and Defense: Signs of the times On Sunday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz visited northern Samaria to inspect the military's deployment in what is possibly the most tense region of the West Bank.

* U.S. Worries Israel is about to Strike Iran – Washington Post U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta believes there is "a strong likelihood" that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June.

* Israel Warns US Jews: Iran Could Strike Here Israeli facilities in North America -- and around the world -- are on high alert.

* Russians defy cold, stage rival protests over Putin Tens of thousands of Russians assemble in Moscow to demand fair elections, march against Putin.

* 'Iran threats against Jewish targets in US growing' The threat against Israeli and Jewish targets in North America by Iran is on the rise.

* UN chief expects Israel at Mideast nuclear conference UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he expects Israel to attend an international conference on creating a Middle East nuclear-free zone.

* Merkel Seeks Help For European Finances Sanctions On Iran The visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel to China should be viewed as a Chinese-European summit.

02/02/12

* Ya'alon: Iran was working on US-range missile Vice Prime Minister says December explosion at Iran base occurred where long-range missile was being developed.

* IDF Intel Chief: 200,000 Missiles Aimed at Israel IDF Intelligence head Aviv Kochavi gave a chilling presentation Thursday morning at the Herzliya Conference on Israeli policy.

* 'Track down planners of cyber attacks at source' Leading internet security authority warns that Israel's defensive cyber measures are insufficient answer to threat.

* Mossad chief holds secret U.S. meetings on Iran nuclear threat, Senate panel reveals Mossad chief Tamir Pardo held secret talks with top U.S. officials in recent days.

* Iran, perceiving threat from West, willing to attack on U.S. soil, U.S. intelligence report finds An assessment by U.S. spy agencies concludes that Iran is prepared to launch terrorist attacks inside the United States.

* Iran launches Spanish TV channel Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has officially launched a Spanish-language satellite TV channel.

* Israel's cyber defense among world's best, new study shows A recent report released by McAfee and the Security and Defense Agenda Think Tank ranked Israel one of the most "secure" countries in the world in terms of cyber defense security.

* Greece seeks bail-out deal 'this week' to avert catastrophe Greece is seeking a deal with private lenders and the EU "by the end of the week" its prime minister said.

* Israel Vice PM: Military strike can hit all of Iran's nuclear facilities All of Iran's nuclear faculties are vulnerable to a military strike.

* Ban calls on Palestinians to stop firing rockets at Israel UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on Palestinians to stop launching rockets into Israel.