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King: Jordan ready to fight any threat from Syrian conflict

Rodica — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:02:36 GMT

Jordan's King Abdullah said on Sunday the kingdom was ready to fight to protect itself against any threat to its security from the escalating civil war in neighboring Syria. He was speaking as Jordanian and US forces proceeded with joint military exercises with the participation of 17 other countries. Diplomats say the exercises, which entered their second week, aim to send a strong message to Syrian President Bashar Assad. "If the world does not help as it should, and if the matter becomes a danger to our country, we are able at any moment to take the measures to protect the country and the interest of our people," King Abdullah told military cadets at a graduation ceremony in southern Jordan. He also saluted members of his country's armed forces who helped over the last year undertake a massive humanitarian relief operation to bring across the border hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing bombardment in their villages and towns and seeking a safe haven. A Pentagon spokesman said on Saturday Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved a Jordanian request for American F-16s and Patriot missiles to remain in the Western-backed kingdom after the end of the military maneuvers. The decision to put Patriot batteries - an air and missile defense system - in Jordan has particularly angered Russia, Assad's main international ally, which accuses the West of fanning the conflict in Syria.

US: Syrian regime chemical arms threatens to sabotage political solution

Rodica — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:59:30 GMT

The United States say the Syrian regime's use of chemical arms against rebels, and the growing involvement of Hezbollah in the conflict show that President Bashar Assad threatens to put a political solution out of reach. US Secretary of State John Kerry made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart. Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says the US evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria apparently does not meet stringent criteria for reliability. In Syria, fighting continued. Regime forces directed air and artillery fire at rebel strongholds in Damascus and surrounding areas. The Syrian army also bombarded several villages in the Homs region in the center of the country, Aleppo in the north and Dera in the south.

Netanyahu on Iran vote: We're not deluding ourselves

Rodica — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:03:00 GMT

A day after the surprise victory by Hassan Rohani in Iran's presidential election was announced, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed pessimism regarding the possibility that the Islamic Republic might change its nuclear policies. "We do not delude ourselves," Netanyahu said during Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting. "The international community mustn't be tempted into wishful thinking. We must remember that in any case, (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the one determining Iran's nuclear policy." "We must keep in mind that the Iranian leader (Khamenei) disqualified the candidates who did not hold his radical views. Among those he did allow (to run), the candidate who was seen as the least affiliated with the regime was elected. But we are still talking about someone who refers to the State of Israel as the 'great Zionist Satan,'" the PM told the cabinet meeting. The Israeli leader said that sanctions on Iran should be increased to pressure Tehran to end its suspect nuclear program. "The more pressure increases on Iran so will the chance of ending Iran's nuclear program which remains the biggest threat to world peace," Netanyahu said. "The only thing that brought about a temporary freeze of Iran's nuclear program was its fear of an attack in 2003." Tourism Minister Uzi Landau warned that the election of a seemingly moderate Iranian president would "only make it more difficult to convince the world of Iran's true nature," adding "we must do everything so that Iran, under this guise of moderateness, does not race toward a bomb. I hope they won't be gullible in the West and take their foot off the pedal in light of the election results." Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz was more hopeful in light of the "atmosphere which proved that the Iranian nation is optimistic and seeks dialogue." Although Rohani is considered as a relative moderate and had the backing of Iranian reformists, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is the ultimate authority on all state matters and key security policy decisions - including nuclear efforts, defense and foreign affairs - remain solidly in the hands of the ruling clerics and their powerful protectors, the Revolutionary Guard. Speaking at Ynet's studio, Kadima Chairman MK Shaul Mofaz said that Rohani will be more willing to take steps toward the West but will not stop the nuclear program. "Our policy should be responsible and deliberate. Israel should rely on a working premise that there is no change to Iran's nuclear program. The military option should be the last after talks and sanctions, but shouldn't be off the table," he said. Ynet analyst Ron Ben-Yishai explained that Khamenei still determines Iran's overall policy. He said "the greatest immediate danger is that the West will not continue with the sanctions, or will ease them as a gesture to Rohani." However, Ben-Yishai claimed, Iran fears the US is preparing another "sanctions package" in case Iran will not change its policy soon. Meanwhile, Yuval Steinitz, Israel's minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, said that sanctions on Iran should be increased to pressure Tehran to end its suspect nuclear program, despite the election of a reformist-backed president, as nuclear efforts remain firmly in the hands of ruling clerics. "It's good to see the Iranian people protest against the radical regime," Steinitz said. But he cautioned, "As long as we don't see a change it's better to be wary and not celebrate prematurely." Steinitz is close to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and is responsible for monitoring Iran's nuclear program. He said he doubted that the election of the new president will soften Iran's stance in its nuclear standoff with the west. "Therefore the international community needs to work hard to tighten sanctions and present a clear ultimatum to Iran in order to maybe bring about change," Steinitz said. "The Iranians today are very close to the red line, they are about a year or less to a first (nuclear) bomb," he said. Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be an existential threat, citing Iranian calls for Israel's destruction, its support for anti-Israel terrorist groups and its missile and nuclear technology. Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, a claim that Israel and many Western countries reject Israel has said that it prefers diplomacy and sanctions to end Iran's nuclear program but has hinted that military action would be an option if other peaceful attempts fail. It has called on the international community to issue a clear ultimatum to Iran to curb its nuclear program. Rohani's predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on multiple occasions made references to the destruction of the Jewish state.

Joint US-Israeli contingency plan: '18 chemical targets in Syria'

Rodica — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:06:00 GMT

While the US prepares to arm rebels and after its confirmation that the Syrian army has used chemical weapons and crossed the much debated "red line", Time Magazine published a detailed account of how and when the US and Israel plan to destroy President Bashar Assad's chemical weapons stockpile. According to the report, the two countries have formed a number of contingency plans in case Assad's regime falls or rebels near the weapon caches, mandating a speedy Western response, in an attempt to prevent Syria's weapons of mass destruction from falling into the wrong hands. In the report, senior Israeli intelligence officials are quoted as telling Time that one of the possible scenarios for the attacks – which supposedly target some 18 different caches – is a sudden disappearance on Assad's part, either as a result of his death, fleeing to another country or going into hiding. In any case, if Assad's regime should collapse, it is possible that the two states would launch a targeted attack on 18 different weapon stockpiles where chemical weapons are known to be stored. In addition, as part of such a scenario, search operation would also be enacted in attempt to locate and destroy any such arms which might have already reached radical al-Qaeda affiliated rebels. According to Time's report, the Israeli official stressed that it has yet to be decided whether Israel or the US would conduct the attack. What is clear is that according to the Israeli, the American plans include placing ground forces in Syria and launching a number of attacks, promising such arms are indeed neutralized. On Friday, CNN reported that the White House had decided to arm the rebels with light weapons, ammunition and possibly anti-tank missiles as well; however, further details have yet to be published or confirmed. According to the Israeli official quoted by Time, America's intelligence has known for some time that Assad's forces have used chemical weapons. They further said that America was privy to the same information that prompted Military Intelligence Commander Brigadier-General Itay Brun to announce on April 23 that sarin gas was used during the civil war. “We are sharing,” the official said. “We have our cards on the table with the Americans for a long time. They’ve had all this information.” However, only two days ago did the US administration confirm that indeed such weapons were used in at least two separate incidents in Aleppo. The Israeli is further reported as telling Time that the transfer of American F-16 jets to Jordan as well as the placement of US Patriot missiles – allegedly as part of a military exercise – were intended as a message to Syria. “It’s a clear, purposeful, presence of a strike force near the border of Syria,” he noted, adding: “I think it’s a message, a clear message,” not only to Syria, but also to Iran, as the force is “only a short leap (from) the Gulf.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday any attempt to enforce such a no-fly zone over Syria using F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missiles from Jordan would violate international law. "There have been leaks from Western media regarding the serious consideration to create a no-fly zone over Syria through the deployment of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and F-16 jets in Jordan," said Lavrov, speaking at a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart. "You don't have to be a great expert to understand that this will violate international law," he added. As part of the more candid cooperation between the Israel and the US, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon met with his American counterpart, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

US considering Syria no-fly zone near Jordan border

Rodica — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:08:00 GMT

The United States is considering setting up a limited no-fly zone in Syria, possibly close to the southern border with Jordan, two senior Western diplomats in Turkey said on Friday. "Washington is considering a no-fly zone to help (President Bashar) Assad's opponents," one diplomat said. He said it would be limited "time-wise and area-wise", without giving details. On Thursday, US officials announced that the administration has concluded that Assad's regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, against the opposition seeking to overthrow him. The officials said earlier intelligence assessments that indicated Assad likely used such weapons had now been corroborated. Syria's foreign ministry said the United States was lying about the chemical weapons to give it an excuse to intervene in the country's two-year-old civil war. "The White House...relied on fabricated information in order to hold the Syrian government responsible for using these weapons, despite a series of statements that confirmed that terrorist groups in Syria have chemical weapons," it said. "The United States, in resorting to a shameful use of pretexts in order allow President Obama's decision to arm the Syrian opposition, shows that it has flagrant double standards in the way it deals with terrorism." Meanwhile, France said that establishing a no-fly zone in Syria was unlikely for now because of opposition from some members of the United Nations Security Council. "The problem with this type of measure is that it can only be put in place with approval from the international community," French foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot told journalists. "A decision from the United Nations Security Council is needed, and not just any decision," he said. A Chapter 7 resolution authorizing military action was needed and that was unlikely to be passed, he said. White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said in statement that President Obama has decided to provide direct non-lethal assistance to Syria’s Supreme Military Council.

Netanyahu: Recognition of Jewish state not precondition for peace talks

Rodica — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:13:00 GMT

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would be willing to launch direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians without preconditions in order to reach a historic agreement that would end the conflict. Speaking to reporters in Warsaw alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Netanyahu said the time has come to end the "squabbling over preconditions" and resume negotiations. "Israel is ready for the resumption of direct negotiations for peace without preconditions. I think it is time to stop squabbling over preconditions. I think we have to start peace talks immediately. My goal is to see a historic compromise that ends the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians once and for all," the PM stated. Netanyahu said that such a peace entailed a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes Israel as the Jewish state and "ironclad security arrangements for Israel." "I believe that these are the elements for peace. I don't pose them as preconditions for negotiations. I look forward to enter those negotiations without preconditions without delay. I am ready for such a peace. I hope the Palestinians are ready too," Netanyahu declared. Netanyahu kicked off a two-day visit to Poland, which Germany's Nazis occupied during World War II and where they committed the worst crimes ever against the Jewish people, with a stern warning about a potential Holocaust from Iran. The PM told the press conference the upcoming "so-called" Iranian presidential election will "change nothing" in the Islamic republic's quest for nuclear weapons and that the regime will continue to pursue a bomb aimed at destroying Israel. Iran insists its uranium enrichment program has only peaceful goals. Iran's election overseers have approved a list of would-be hopefuls, most of them loyalists favored by both the theocracy and the military, and any future president will likely side with the supreme leadership's nuclear aspirations. "This is a regime that is building nuclear weapons with the expressed purpose to annihilate Israel's 6 million Jews," he said, alluding to the number of Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. "We will not allow this to happen. We will never allow another Holocaust." Israel considers Iran its greatest threat because of its support of Islamic terror groups, its arsenal of long-range missiles and primarily its advanced nuclear program. Netanyahu's comments in Warsaw carried added significance since they came a day before he travels to the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz in southern Poland, where he is to inaugurate a new pavilion meant to educate visitors about the Holocaust and the Nazi Germany's quest to exterminate the Jewish people. Netanyahu and a team of five ministers met with their Polish counterparts and discussed security in Israel's neighborhood, including the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians, the conflict in Syria and a series of bilateral issues such as Poland's possible purchase of Israeli armaments. Israel has been urging Poland, as a member of the European Union, to declare the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah a terrorist organization. During the press conference, Netanyahu contrasted the painful Jewish history of the past in Poland with the current strong relations between Poland and Israel. "The histories of our peoples are intertwined over thousands of years, in great achievement and also in great tragedy," Netanyahu, whose father was born in Warsaw, said. "We are both shaped by our past and we are both focusing together on shaping our future." Tusk concurred, saying "we speak a common language with Israel." The Germans carried out the Holocaust to a large extent in occupied Poland, because it had Europe's largest Jewish population and it was at the heart of a railway network that allowed the Nazis to easily transport Jews there from elsewhere in Europe. Many Israeli leaders are children of Holocaust survivors and Israel has the world's largest population of survivors. In recent years, Poland has become one of the friendliest states to Israel. Auschwitz remains the most vivid symbol of the cruelty of Nazi Germany's genocide of World War II. The world marks its International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, to coincide with the date of Auschwitz's liberation in 1945. The new exhibit Netanyahu will inaugurate will, for the first time, present Auschwitz in the larger context of the Nazis' systematic attempt to exterminate Europe's Jews. More than 1 million Jews died in Auschwitz and the adjacent Birkenau death camp in gas chambers or from starvation, disease and forced labor. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the most notorious of a system of death camps that Nazi Germany built and operated in Poland. Netanyahu also has an emotional connection to the Holocaust, or Shoah, although he has faced criticism for citing it frequently in the context of current events, notably regarding the potential nuclear threat from Iran. For years, Netanyahu has used his annual address on Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day to caution about the danger of a nuclear Iran and vowing that "never again" will the Jews be powerless to defend themselves. "We will never forget the victims of the Holocaust, we will never forget the ultimate crime against humanity," he said Wednesday. "And we will never forget our obligation to prevent this from ever happening again." Adressing the mounting tensions along the border with Syria, Netanyahu said Israel is not taking sides in the civil war between, but reserves the right to act in case its national security is threatened.

Netanyahu: Israel cannot depend on international forces for its security

Rodica — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 11:36:54 GMT

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says the crumbling of the UN peacekeeping forces on the Golan underscores the fact that Israel cannot depend on international forces for its security. Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said such international forces can be part of arrangements, but cannot be the basic foundation for Israel's security. Netanyahu told the ministers that he spoke over the weekend with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed the situation in Syria, which is becoming more complex. Netanyahu stressed that Israel is not intervening in the civil conflict in Syria as long as the fire is not directed toward Israel. On the Palestinian track, Netanyahu said he will meet this week with US Secretary of State John Kerry and try to find an opening for negotiations with the Palestinians. Netanyahu said an agreement with the Palestinians would be based on the establishment of a demilitarized state that recognizes the Jewish state, and on solid security arrangements based on the IDF.

Security officials deny IDF threat to attack Syrian forces in buffer zone

Rodica — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 06:37:00 GMT

Israeli security establishment officials deny Israel threatened to attack Syrian forces after they entered the demilitarized buffer zone area on the countries' border during clashes with rebel fighters in the area of the Kuneitra crossing last week. An American blogger had made the assertion earlier, based on a document submitted to the Security Council by the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, who said during a meeting with the council in New York that the IDF and Syrian army were on the verge of the most direct military clash between the neighboring countriesin the past 40 years. According to the document, after the rebels' capture of Quneitra, the Syrian army put tanks and armored personnel carriers in the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan, which prompted the IDF to warn the UN disengagement observer force that if the Syrian army tanks movmenet continued in the demilitarized area, the IDF would take action. Subsequently, the message was conveyed to the Syrians, which in turn conveyed a message via the UN that ‏the presence of the tanks was solely for the purpose of fighting the armed members of the opposition and asked that the IDF not take action. The Kuneitra crossing was recaptured by Assad's forces several hours after the rebels seized control of it.

Jordan's FM coordinating position on Kerry’s efforts

Rodica — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 06:59:58 GMT

US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Jordan “within days” to continue efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nassar Judeh said in Ramallah on Sunday following talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. AFP quoted Judeh at a joint press commerce with PA Foreign Minister Riyad Malki as saying that “Kerry has been in Jordan three times already and he will be back for a fourth visit within days.” Judeh said his own visit to Ramallah was part of the “major effort by the Americans” to restart the negotiations. He also said the US was serious about ensuring Palestinian rights within the framework of a two-state solution. Judeh gave Abbas a letter from King Abdullah II concerning the latest developments in the diplomatic process, and said his visit was part of “coordination” between Jordan and the PA. The Jordanian minister told reporters that the kingdom was holding intensive contacts with several countries to support the efforts of the Palestinian leadership. Israeli officials said Jerusalem welcomed Jordanian participation in the diplomatic process. “We want them involved,” one government official said. “We think they have a positive influence. We welcomed them in the past, and continue to welcome their participation.” Yediot Aharonot reported on Friday that the US administration was promoting a formula for the Jordan Valley that would involve Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian control of the strategic area along the Jordan River. While Israel is demanding that it retain security control of the Jordan Valley in any agreement, especially in light of the regional uncertainty, the Palestinians are demanding full control of the area. PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat denied talk about joint Israeli-Jordanian control over the region. The Jordan Valley “is a Palestinian-Jordanian border and Israel has nothing to do with it,” Erekat said. He added that the Palestinians were opposed to any Israeli presence in the Jordan valley. Israeli diplomatic officials would not relate to the report. Abbas, meanwhile, facing increased pressure from the US administration to resume negotiations without preconditions, reiterated to Judeh his demand that Israel halt settlement construction, release Palestinian prisoners and accept the pre-1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution. A PA official said that Jordan had offered to host “exploratory” talks between the PA and Israel in Amman. The official said that Abbas was opposed to the idea “because such talks have not achieved anything in the past.” According to the official, the “Palestinian street” would turn against Abbas and the PA leadership if they agreed to return to the negotiating table unconditionally. Malki said that both the Palestinians and Jordanians were working toward making Kerry’s mission succeed. Erekat said that Kerry’s current efforts were not open-ended. He denied that Kerry was trying to arrange a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington next week.

Hezbollah, Syrian rebels clash on Lebanese soil

Rodica — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 23:29:13 GMT

Syrian rebels fought with gunmen from Lebanon's Hezbollah terror organization in a deadly clash on Lebanese soil overnight, a security official and local media said Sunday, in the latest sign Syria's civil war is spilling over the country's borders. It was the worst clash on Lebanese territory since the outbreak of the conflict more than two years ago. According to the Lebanese El-Nashra news site, 14 rebels and one Hezbollah were killed in the battles. The Lebanese TV station Al-Mayadeen, which is affiliated with Hezbollah and is therefore seen as sympathetic to the Syrian regime, quoted Lebanese security officials as saying 17 fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra, a radical rebel group linked to the global al-Qaeda terror network, were killed while trying to deploy rocket launchers in eastern Lebanon's Baalbek region, a Hezbollah stronghold near the border with Syria. Hezbollah and Syria's rebels fight on opposite sides inside Syria, and tensions between them have risen sharply since the Lebanese militia stepped up its armed support for President Bashar Assad's regime last month. Rebel fighters have threatened to attack Hezbollah bases in Lebanon, and on Saturday 18 rockets and mortar rounds hit Baalbek. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, Hezbollah apparently encircled and ambushed a group of Syrian rebels and allied Lebanese fighters whom they suspected of rocketing Baalbek a day earlier, said a Lebanese security official. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations and because the details were not yet clear. He said a Hezbollah fighter and several rebels were killed in the clashes in a remote area between Baalbek and the Syrian border. The growing tensions between Hezbollah and rebels trying to oust Assad are linked to a regime offensive against the rebel-held town of Qusair in western Syria. Hezbollah's involvement in the battle for control of the strategic town has exposed its growing role in the Syria conflict, prompting rebel threats to target Hezbollah's bases in Lebanon. Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq reported Saturday that a relative of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed recently during the fighting in Qusair. The paper quoted sources from the Free Syrian Army as saying the relative's name was Khader Nasrallah. Reports of his death were also published on several social networks, and a video purportedly documenting his funeral in south Lebanon was uploaded on YouTube. In Qatar, an influential Sunni Muslim cleric whose TV show is watched by millions across the region, fanned the sectarian flames ignited by the Syria conflict and urged Sunnis everywhere to join the fight against Assad. "I call on Muslims everywhere to help their brothers be victorious," Yusuf al-Qaradawi said in his Friday sermon in the Qatari capital of Doha. "If I had the ability I would go and fight with them." "Everyone who has the ability and has training to kill ... is required to go," said al-Qaradawi, who is in his 80s. "We cannot ask our brothers to be killed while we watch." He denounced Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, as "more infidel than Christians and Jews" and Shiite Muslim Hezbollah as "the party of the devil." Meanwhile, Lebanese security officials and the state-run news agency said Israeli warplanes flew at a low altitude over the capital Beirut, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the city of Baalbek. Israeli warplanes regularly enter Lebanese airspace. A security official confirmed the Sunday overflights and said they were among the most intense recently. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. There was no immediate comment from Israel. The flights come amid heightened regional tensions because of the civil war in Syria. Israel is believed to have carried out three airstrikes inside Syria this year said to be aimed at weapons meant for Hezbollah. Also Sunday, a car bomb killed at least three people in Jobar, a suburb of the Syrian capital of Damascus, said a Syrian government official who insisted on anonymity because he is not allowed to brief reporters. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition group, said the blast targeted a police station and killed nine Syrian soldiers. It said the al-Qaida-linked group Jabhat al-Nusra carried out the attack. Syria's state agency SANA blamed the blast on a suicide bomber, saying he blew up his explosive-packed car which was parked in the residential area. The Observatory and SANA said the explosion took place amid heavy fighting. Jobar is a scene of frequent clashes, with rebels trying to push from there toward the capital. The army has been conducting massive sweeps through opposition strongholds around Damascus, including Jobar.