3/24/15

* US test-fires intercontinental missile in California An intercontinental ballistic missile was fired early Monday from a facility in California, the US Air Force announced, saying the tests were a message to the world about Washington's nuclear capabilities.

* Tajik Muslims in Islamic State threaten jihad at home and at Kremlin "One masked militant said that the video was the militants' final address from Syria and Iraq and that their next video could be filmed 'from the mountains of Tavildara in central Tajikistan, or the Tajik capital, Dushanbe - or even from the Kremlin.'"

* South Syrian rebels say Assad foes are supplying more arms Mainstream rebels in southern Syria say foreign states have stepped up weapons supplies to them since Damascus launched an offensive early last month to regain the frontier zone near Jordan and Israel.

* Top White House official calls for end to '50-year occupation' White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough called for the end of Israel's "50 year occupation" and doubled down on the Obama administration's critique of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a warmly received speech to the lobbying group J Street in Washington Monday.

* Military Officials Say Hezbollah on the Brink of War The Lebanon-Israel border has been relatively quiet over the past several months, with no incidents recorded since January.

* 'Cubs of the Caliphate' - ISIS recruits 400 children since January Islamic State has recruited at least 400 children in Syria in the past three months and given these so-called "Cubs of the Caliphate" military training and hardline indoctrination, a monitoring group said on Tuesday.

* Was There a Nazi Hideout in Argentina? An Argentine archaeologist who discovered what he thinks was a hideout built for German Nazis to flee to after World War II said Monday more dark secrets may be buried there, AFP reported.

* West Bank hasbara: Settlers host Israeli diplomats A large group of Israeli ambassadors and diplomats, who will soon leave for missions abroad, met on Monday with leaders of settler groups in the West Bank for an educational tour as part of their preparations for their trip overseas.

* Islamic State Steps Up Recruitment of Women and Girls Around 10 percent of foreigners who have traveled from abroad to join the Islamic State (IS) are women and girls, according to a new report that sheds light on the terror group's increased efforts to recruit women into its ranks.

* IDF places training for war back at top of priorities IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot has issued a directive ordering the military to place training for war at the top of its priority list.