Tuesday, March 17, 2015

3/17/15

Five things to know about the Israeli elections It won't be over until the ballots have all been counted - and even then anything could happen.

Islamic State quotes Quran in vow to blow up White House, conquer Rome and Spain "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. "

UN expert: Iran human rights worse since Rouhani elected A sharp rise in executions and crackdown on dissent is cause for concern for special investigator.

U.S. Omits Iran and Hezbollah From Terror Threat List An annual security assessment presented to the U.S. Senate by James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, has excluded Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah from its list of terror threats to U.S. interests, despite both being consistently included as threats in previous years.

Israel Walks Russia's Tightrope Israel has tried to convince Russia to draw back some of its military influence in the Middle East, but must be careful.

Arafat was not poisoned, French prosecutor says The French experts 'maintain that the polonium 210 and lead 210 found in Arafat's grave and in the samples are of an environmental nature.'

Hamas Says it Rebuilt Border Terror Training Facilities Hamas admits to rebuilding terror sites around Gaza since end of last war, even as Israel lets in dual-use cement, talks 5-year truce.

Palestinian Views of Israel's Elections Today Israel chooses a new leadership, and the Palestinian street has a deeply vested interest in the outcome of the ballot.

Four fallacies of EU foreign policy Any reader of EU foreign policy statements will be familiar with four maxims: the EU doesn't recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea; there's no military solution to the Ukraine conflict; Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad must go; and the EU supports a two-state solution on Israel and Palestine.

ISIS Launches Own Social Network; Site Shutters within 24 Hours Site specifically for the terror group tanks for privacy reasons, claims it is not directly associated with the Islamic State group.