08/28/13

* Putin Orders Massive Strike Against Saudi Arabia If West Attacks Syria A grim "urgent action memorandum" issued today from the office of President Putin to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

* Syrian Official: If Damascus is Attacked, Tel Aviv Will Burn A senior official in the Syrian army warned the United States and its partners on Tuesday that waging a full-scale war on Syria would be reciprocated.

* Thin veneer of normalcy in Syria's wartime capital Even in the capital of a country torn apart by civil war, Syrians have to find some way to enjoy themselves on a hot summer weekend.

* Jerusalem approves limited call-up of reserve soldiers The Security Cabinet approved a limited call-up of reserve soldiers as preparations for a possible US strike on Syria.

* Iran's Khamenei: US intervention in Syria would be 'disaster' for Mideast Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday US intervention in Syria would be "a disaster for the region".

* Syrian hackers take down New York Times website, attack others Readers who tried to click on the New York Times' website got nothing but error messages Tuesday in its second major disruption this month.

* Senator warns Hizbullah may have chemical weapons; Jordan's king could be toppled The administration of President Barack Obama has been warned that Syria's chemical weapons could be dispersed and that Jordan could collapse.

* Baghdad bomb attacks leave scores dead A co-ordinated wave of bombings has torn through Shia Muslim areas in and around the Iraqi capital.

* Assad is in Iran Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and members of his family are in Tehran.

* End of Ethiopian aliya as final flight set to land in Israel The Jewish Agency is to bring the last of Ethiopia's Jews to Israel on Wednesday afternoon.