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قضايا الدولة" تطالب رشيد وعز وعسل برد 660 مليون جنيه للدولة

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خالد سعيد رحمة الله عليه

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الرئيس الأمريكى باراك أوباما

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الدكتور محمد البرادعى

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الرئيس السابق حسنى مبارك

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الخميس، أبريل 04، 2013

Egypt navy intercepts arms-laden ship from Israel: security

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Egyptian navy forces seized aship carrying heavy weapons as it entered Egyptian territorialwaters in the Red Sea late on Wednesday, three security sourcestold Reuters on Thursday. (AFP)

Egypt's navy on Thursday seized a weapons-laden ship and detained its crew who had set off from the Israeli port of Eilat en route to the African country of Togo, security officials said.

Officials said the navy intercepted the ship, "which was flying the flag of an African country," after it strayed into Egyptian territorial waters.

The ship, with a crew of 14 and a cargo of 105 crates of unspecified weapons and ammunition, belonged to an African security company, the officials said.

The crew and vessel will be held in the Red Sea port of Safaga until the authorities ascertain whether the weapons were being smuggled, the officials added.
 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Egypt-navy-intercepts-arms-laden-ship-from-Israel-security-.html
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Tight security at Tunis airport for Salafist sheikh arrival

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Imed ben Salah, also known as Abou Abdallah Ettounsi, was arrested on March 21 and ordered out of Egypt, according to local press reports, for organizing the falsification of documents to help jihadists travel to combat zones. (AFP)

Extra security forces were deployed Thursday at Tunis airport after radical Islamist websites called for a big turnout to welcome a Salafist sheikh evicted from Egypt for falsifying travel papers for jihadists.

Police manned checkpoints around the airport to keep Salafists away from the building, an AFP photographer reported, while armed police with dogs patrolled the arrivals hall.

No incidents were reported by late morning, except the arrest of a bearded man.

Imed ben Salah, also known as Abou Abdallah Ettounsi, was arrested on March 21 and ordered out of Egypt, according to local press reports, for organizing the falsification of documents to help jihadists travel to combat zones.

His flight to Tunis was due to arrive early on Thursday afternoon.

Since its January 2011 revolution, Tunisia has witnessed a proliferation of jihadist groups, which have been blamed for a wave of deadly attacks, notably on the U.S. embassy in Tunis last September that left four of the assailants dead.

Tunisia's government has warned of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda's North African franchise infiltrating the country's borders and trafficking weapons, notably to northern Mali.

Also Read: 'Quarantine her!' Top Tunisian Islamist says topless girl needs stoning

Tunisia's Salafists fail to stop 'Harlem shake' at school

The judiciary opened an investigation in mid-March into a network recruiting and sending Tunisians to fight Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces alongside Islamist insurgents.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2013/04/04/Tight-security-at-Tunis-airport-for-Salafist-sheikh-arrival-.html
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Abbas slams burning of Qatar emir effigy

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President Mahmud Abbas slammed the burning of an effigy of Qatar's emir in the West Bank. (AFP)

President Mahmud Abbas on Thursday slammed the burning of an effigy of Qatar's emir in the West Bank, saying it did not reflect the opinion of the Palestinian leadership or people.

"The burning of an effigy of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani does not represent in any way the position of the state of Palestine, Fatah or the Palestinian people," he said in a statement carried by the news agency WAFA.

Abbas added that Palestinians "respect the leaders of Arab countries and do not [seek to] interfere in their internal affairs."

Students linked to Abbas's Fatah party hanged and burned an effigy of the Qatari emir in the city of Tulkarem on Thursday in protest at the Gulf state's foreign policy in the region.

Qatar proposed a mini-summit to reconcile the secular Fatah and its bitter rival the Islamist Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, at an Arab League summit in Doha in March.

The Gulf state has also pledged to invest $400 million in rebuilding Gaza after repeated Israeli military operations against the besieged enclave.

Hamas's spokesman on Thursday demanded that Abbas arrest the perpetrators of the effigy incident.

05 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Abbas-slams-burning-of-Qatar-emir-effigy-.html
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Lebanese ‘most dangerous’ suspect in Iran-linked spy cell in Saudi: report

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On March 26, Saudi Arabia said it arrested 18 people for Iran-linked espionage activity. (AFP)

A Lebanese national is considered the "most dangerous" among 17 other suspects arrested in an Iran-linked espionage cell in Saudi Arabia, the London-based Asharq al-Awsat reported Thursday.

The Lebanese detainee, a businessman who holds a European passport, is described by the newspaper as "the central, and most dangerous, player within this spy network."

There is also an Iranian in the cell, who is a media figure and is known for his religious seminars. However, details were not given regarding the private satellite channel he appears on.

The Iranian is a PhD student in the current affairs department at the Islamic University of Medina. He is reportedly Sunni, not from the Shiite sect which most Iranians adhere to.

Investigations into his background are ongoing.

"It is not yet certain whether he was directly and consciously involved with the espionage cell, or whether this is part of an Iranian attempt to falsely implicate him," the newspaper reported.

The other 16 detainees are Saudis, one of whom has worked in the main branch of a high-profile Riyadh bank, and has over 35 years of banking experience.

Another is said to be a university professor in Riyadh, with a master's degree and doctorate in education from the United States.

Another suspect is a doctor working in a major hospital in Riyadh as a renal consultant in the children's ward.

The doctor reportedly used his position to provide information about important Saudi figures receiving treatment in the hospital.

In its first official allegation against Iran, the Saudi Interior Ministry on March 26 said the arrested suspects had direct connections with Tehran.
 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Lebanese-most-dangerous-suspect-in-Iran-linked-spy-cell-in-Saudi-report.html
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Hezbollah threatens regional security: Lebanese Sunni cleric

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The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah "has become a dangerous militia, threatening the region's security as well as civil peace," Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir told Al Arabiya TV. (Al Arabiya)

The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah "has become a dangerous militia, threatening the region's security as well as civil peace," Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir told Al Arabiya TV, in comments to be broadcast Friday on the weekly program "Point of Order."

Acting as "Iran's party," Hezbollah "assaults all the Lebanese, even free-thinking Shiites," added Assir, who is the imam of Belal bin Rabah mosque in Sidon, southern Lebanon.

Many politicians, including Hezbollah, deal with Sunnis as if they are a "defeated sect in Lebanon," by appointing and removing the Sunni prime minister at will, said the cleric.

He described "Iranian hegemony on all Lebanese" as more dangerous than the Israeli occupation.

However, he said he does not support the Israelis or favor an attack by them against Iran, and is not calling for the disarming of a resistance.

"We want a defense strategy. Hezbollah was the party of the resistance, but it changed its principles when it used its weapons internally in Lebanon and in Syria," said Assir.

The door is open to dialogue with Hezbollah, he added, lamenting that "arms control political life in Lebanon."

Assir accused Sunni politicians of using extremism as a scarecrow to frighten others and present themselves as a moderate substitute.

"I'm with empowering the legal government and giving it full control over weapons, along with a defense strategy," he said.

"I want to live in peace with all other religious sects. We don't have any negative position towards any sect. Our problem is only with the Iranian project."

05 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Hezbollah-threatens-regional-security-Lebanese-Sunni-cleric.html
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Air France fined after forcing pro-Palestinian activist off flight

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Europe's main airlines faced a wave of passenger fury during the campaign after cancelling some 300 tickets following heavy Israeli pressure. (AFP)

A French court on Thursday ordered Air France to pay a 10,000 euro ($12,800) fine for having ordered a pro-Palestinian activist off a flight to Tel Aviv because she was not Jewish.

 The court also ordered the French flagship carrier to pay 3,000 euros in damages to the passenger and her legal fees.

Horia Ankour, a nursing student, had attempted to fly to Israel from France last April to take part in the "Welcome to Palestine" campaign, which saw hundreds of activists seek access to Israel in a bid to travel to the Palestinian territories.

Europe's main airlines faced a wave of passenger fury during the campaign after cancelling some 300 tickets following heavy Israeli pressure.

Ankour was taken off the plane in the southeastern city of Nice after an Air France employee asked whether she had an Israeli passport and then, when she replied "no," whether she was Jewish.

When the 30-year-old answered "no" again, she was escorted from the flight.

French prosecutors had backed her in the case, saying it was a clear case of discrimination.

Air France had said her name was on a list of undesirables provided by Israeli authorities and it was certain she would not be allowed into the country.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/04/04/Air-France-fined-after-forcing-pro-Palestinian-activist-off-flight.html
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Egypt’s Mursi due in Khartoum for ‘historic’ visit

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi arrives in neighboring Sudan for a visit Khartoum termed historic. (Reuters)

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi arrives in neighboring Sudan on Thursday for a visit which Khartoum termed historic but an analyst said should have come sooner.

The two-day trip is the Muslim Brotherhood leader's first to Sudan, which Egypt jointly ruled with Britain until 1956.

Mursi was elected last June after a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Official media in Sudan said Mursi is to hold talks with his fellow Islamist, President Omar al-Bashir, as well as political party leaders and members of the local Egyptian community.

"It is a historic visit because of the strategic depth of the relations between the people of the two countries, and both leaders are elected," Emad Sayed Ahmed, Bashir's press secretary, told AFP.

"On the contrary, it comes too late," University of Khartoum political scientist Safwat Fanous said, noting Mursi had already visited several other countries including India and Pakistan.

Bashir's press secretary said the visit follows up on talks which the two leaders held in Cairo last September.

Mursi was due to land at about 1300 GMT.


 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Egypt-s-Mursi-due-in-Khartoum-for-historic-visit-.html
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Syrian regime troops appeal for immediate aid in Daraa

A military base in Daraa, in northern Syria, has been a site of fierce clashes between rebels and the Syrian regime. (Al Arabiya)

A medical regime battalion in Al-Raqqah, in northern Syria's Daraa area, appealed for aid claiming 80 members of armed division 17 had been killed and another 250 injured.

The battalion has reportedly called on the Syrian regime command to intervene, in the next 24 hours, describing the situation in Raqqa as both 'critical' and deteriorating.

"We have no water, no food and no electricity. The injured are dying of gangrene due to lack of medical aid," the battalion said.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Free Syrian Army seized control of a military base which belonged to battalion 49 in Daraa's countryside after regime troops withdrew, following a siege and fierce clashes with oppostition fighters.

The significance of the base is the fact it lies in the center of Daraa, which is in the north of the country, and is located between the towns of Alma and Kherbet Ghazleh. The base also allegedly has large arms' warehouses.

The regime has used the base to shell Daraa particularly the towns of Alma and Kherbet Ghazleh. The shelling has not only caused a lot of destruction but has displaced most residents to the point that almost 30,000 people which lived in both the towns have fled.

Battalion 49 is also known has been referred to as battalion of death because of the alleged brutal acts of murder and torture its members reportedly committed.

The FSA's blocked the international road that linked Damascus to Amman about a month ago, which prevented supplies from reaching the battalion. This gave the FSA the upper hand and the eventual control over the military base.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Syrian-regime-troops-appeal-for-immediate-aid-in-Daraa.html
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Body of another Palestinian teen shot in W.Bank clash found: medics

A stone-throwing Palestinian protester is carried away after he was injured by a rubber bullet fired by Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron April 3, 2013. (Reuters)

The body of a second Palestinian teenager shot in a West Bank clash with Israeli troops was discovered at first light on Thursday, said Palestinian medical and security officials.

They named the dead youth as Naji Balbisi, 17, a cousin of 16-year-old Amer Nassar who was also shot dead in the clash at a military roadblock at Tulkarem in the north of the Palestinian territory, the officials said.

The Israeli military confirmed the discovery of a body early Thursday at the site of the previous night's clash, during which, according to a spokesman, Palestinians hurled petrol bombs at the army position and troops fired in response.

"Following further searches and investigations conducted in the area the body of one of the perpetrators was found," the spokesman told AFP.

Nassar's body was taken away by Palestinians during the clash.

The killings come ahead of the funeral later Thursday in the southern West Bank city of Hebron of a Palestinian who died in an Israeli prison on Tuesday.

News of Maisara Abu Hamdiyeh's death provoked widespread Palestinian anger and sparked clashes Wednesday in the West Bank -- particularly in Hebron -- between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians.

Abu Hamdiyeh was diagnosed with throat cancer and died after serving 10 years of a life sentence for attempted murder.

The Palestinian leadership has accused Israel of medical negligence despite moves by the prison service to secure his early release on compassionate grounds.

Palestinian militants launched several rockets into southern Israel and Israeli aircraft struck targets in the Gaza Strip Wednesday in the heaviest exchange of fire between the sides since a cease-fire ended a major flare-up last year.

"We will not allow shooting of any sort [even sporadic] toward our citizens and our forces," Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief of staff, said in a statement.

By nightfall Wednesday, calm appeared to have returned. A small al-Qaida-influenced group was suspected. The rocket fire coincided with unrest in the West Bank over the death of a Palestinian prisoner.

Yaalon said he holds the Islamic militant Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, responsible for all such attacks from the seaside strip.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Body-of-another-Palestinian-teen-shot-in-W-Bank-clash-found-medics-.html
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Stop ‘insulting, humiliating’ top Sunni authority: Azhar cleric to Brotherhood

Stop 'insulting, humiliating' top Sunni authority: Azhar cleric to Brotherhood

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood must stop "humiliating and insulting" the Sunni Muslims' top religious authority, Al-Azhar, a cleric from the highly-revered establishment told Al Arabiya Wednesday in an interview aired on Al Arabiya's Panorama program.

"Al-Azhar has never been insulted like it was today, not from the French, the Brits, not from the Turks, not from the Mamaleek," Sheikh Ahmed Karima said.

The spat between the Brotherhood and the center of Islamic learning was heightened when the principle of Egypt's al-Azhar University, Osama al-Abed, was dismissed on Wednesday amid student protesting after alleged food poisoning struck more than 500 students.

The university students surrounded the religious institution the same day to demand the grand mufti, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, also step down.

"I am saddened over the sacking of Osama al-Abed," he told Al Arabiya, saying that he only expresses his "own personal view."

Al-Abed was made to manage the university on his own with little resources amid student protests, Karima said, adding that this was because the Brotherhood-led government wanted to put more pressure on the sacked principle.

"Osama Al-Abed has worked hard during tough times… he had no deputies for the past seven months, he has managed the university on his own."

If Al-Abed was dismissed, so should the Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, for he is also responsible of Al-Azhar affairs, Karima said.

The cleric accused the Brotherhood of exploiting the food poisoning incident, saying: "The escalation of the situation has nothing to do with the poisoning of students' stomachs but the poisoning of students' brains."

He said the Brotherhood is bribing students and the Salafists were working hard to influence the students' way of thinking.

"On Fridays, students are taken by buses to see Salafist sheikhs who accuse Al-Azhar of blasphemy."

The cleric also accused the Brotherhood of giving a "militant man," such as the Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniye, a platform inside the Al-Azhar establishment.

He said Al-Azhar will never forget the "martyrs" who were killed to liberate Sinai from Israeli occupation, adding he rejected Egypt be embroiled with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.


 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Stop-insulting-humiliating-top-Sunni-authority-Azhar-cleric-to-Brotherhood.html
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Syrian refugees in Jordan raise concerns of citizens

In the northern Jordanian city of ar-Ramtha, there are plenty of Syrian refugees who have fled their home from the ongoing violence, which – the U.N. says – has killed more than 70,000 people.

Abdullah – a Syria refugee – is lucky because he found a job that can help provide for the family.

"I have the responsibility of taking care of 6-7 families. If I don't work, how am I supposed to feed them?" said Abdullah.

There are more than 475,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, and that number keeps increasing. The constant flow of refugees from Syria may result in declaring the Jordanian area a "disaster area," in which the large number of refugees has become an economic, social and security burden to the country.

Some ar-Ramtha residents have welcomed the refugees, while others were unhappy about their presence.

Jordanian citizens were concerned about their chances of employment with the presence of so many refugees, calling on the government to find an "appropriate solution to hosting" the guests.

"My son, for example, was working in one of the factories. He used to earn 250 Dinars. The Syrians came and agreed to work for 150 Dinars, some even for 100 Dinars. So the problems have increased here in the area and unemployment has increased for children of the country," said a Jordanian citizen.

Ar-Ramtha, once known for its trade of Syrian goods, is now suffering, especially after its ties with Daraa were severed due to the violence taking place in the latter city.
 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/04/Syrian.html
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Cairo’s U.S. embassy scares easily? Jon Stewart tweet deleted after Brotherhood spat

Cairo's U.S. embassy scares easily? Jon Stewart tweet deleted after Brotherhood spat

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo temporarily disabled its Twitter account after posting a link to a video of popular U.S. satirist Jon Stewart criticizing Egypt's decision to summon an Egyptian comedian.

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo temporarily deactivated its Twitter account Wednesday and deleted a link to a video of popular U.S. satirist Jon Stewart criticizing Egypt's decision to summon an Egyptian comedian.

Stewart mocked Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi and defended fellow popular Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef, who the public prosecution summoned for allegedly insulting Islam and the presidency.

The embassy's Twitter account was reactivated but without the post after Egyptian authorities objected to the tweet, U.S. officials said, according to The Guardian.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, could not answer any further questions because they were not allowed to publicly address the matter, added the report.

Mursi's office replied to the embassy's post, tweeting: "It's inappropriate for a diplomatic mission to engage in such negative political propaganda."

The Freedom and Justice Party – Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement to which Mursi belongs – also commented on the U.S. post, tweeting: "Another undiplomatic & unwise move by @USEmbassyCairo, taking sides in an ongoing investigation & disregarding Egyptian law & culture."

The decision to take down the embassy's page was a unilateral one by the U.S. envoy in Egypt, a U.S. official – who asked his name not be disclosed – told Foreign Policy.

The Twitter-sphere reacts

Twitter blew up Wednesday following the U.S. embassy's decision to delete the post.

"Am I crazy or are more and more tweets getting deleted from the @USEmbassyCairo timeline? Only one tweet since March 24, can't be right," Max Fisher said.

Others criticized the embassy for caving in to Muslim Brotherhood pressure.

"Message to MB from @USEmbassyCairo deletion fiasco: US will bend when @EgyPresidency complains loudly enough," David Kenner wrote.

An Egyptian blogger, Arabist, tweeted: "Can't believe entire @USEmbassyCairo account was deleted. Appeasement!"

Once the embassy's Twitter account was up and running and again, a little humor ensued with the Arabist's greeting: "Welcome back @USEmbassyCairo we missed you."

"Really @USEmbassyCairo, you missed Easter by a few days with this resurrection," Kenner again tweeted.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/03/Cairo-s-U-S-embassy-scares-easily-Jon-Stewart-tweet-deleted-after-Brotherhood-spat-.html
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Qatar mall scene of another blaze

A woman places flowers at Villaggio Mall in Doha May 29, 2012. (Reuters)

Qatar's Villaggio Mall, in which a deadly fire erupted last year killing 19 people, was reportedly victim of another blaze Wednesday, Arabian Business reported.

A shopper, who was at the scene, told Arabian Business that the fire started near Entrance 2 of the complex in a retail store.

Meanwhile, the Qatari Interior Ministry said via its Twitter account that the center of the mall was evacuated due to a malfunction in one of the AC units. It said there were no injuries but did not confirm whether a fire actually erupted.

In May last year, 13 children, among whom were two-year-old triplets, were killed in Qatar's Villaggio Mall after an electrical fault resulted in a fire breakout in a nursery.

In October, Al Arabiya released some confidential files entitled 'Syrian Leaks' based on official documents obtained from Syrian opposition sources.

The leaked documents claim that the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad has set the blaze on Doha's Villagio mall to "embarrass" Qatar for supporting the Free Syrian Army.

A document dated in June sent by the head of the president's Special Security force, Syrian Major General Dhu al-Himma Shaleesh, to President Assad claimed the "success" of an operation he called "Villagio Blaze".
 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/03/Qatar-mall-victim-of-another-blaze.html
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Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian youth: West Bank officials

A Palestinian protester peeks at Israeli troops from behind old doors used as cover during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron April 3, 2013. (Reuters)

Israeli soldiers shot at and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian and wounded two others late Wednesday in the West Bank, Palestinian security officials said.

Amer Nassar took bullets to the head when Israeli soldiers opened fire in Tulkarem in the north of the Palestinian territory, after youths threw stones at an Israeli roadblock, they said.

Palestinian militants launched several rockets into southern Israel and Israeli aircraft struck targets in the Gaza Strip Wednesday in the heaviest exchange of fire between the sides since a cease-fire ended a major flare-up last year.

There were no casualties reported, but the violence nonetheless threatened to shatter the calm that has prevailed for more than four months. Israel's new defense minister issued a stern warning.

"We will not allow shooting of any sort [even sporadic] toward our citizens and our forces," Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief of staff, said in a statement.

By nightfall Wednesday, calm appeared to have returned. A small al-Qaida-influenced group was suspected. The rocket fire coincided with unrest in the West Bank over the death of a Palestinian prisoner.

Yaalon said he holds the Islamic militant Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, responsible for all such attacks from the seaside strip.

Airstrikes in Gaza

Israel launched an offensive against Hamas last November in response to an increase in rocket fire from Gaza. During eight days of fighting, Israel carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza, while Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. More than 160 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians, and six Israelis were killed in the fighting before Egypt brokered a truce.

In recent weeks, there have been several rocket attacks, including one as President Barack Obama was visiting Israel two weeks ago. Overnight Wednesday, Israel responded for the first time by striking a pair of empty fields in northern and eastern Gaza.

Around the time Yaalon was speaking on Wednesday morning, two more rockets exploded in the Israeli border town of Sderot, according to police. Air raid sirens sounded, and people on their way to work and school took cover. No injuries were reported.

The Israeli military said a total of five rockets were fired within 24 hours, including two that exploded prematurely inside Gaza.

Under the cease-fire, Israel pledged to halt its policy of attacking militant leaders and to ease a blockade it imposed on Gaza after the Hamas takeover in 2007. Hamas pledged to halt rocket attacks on Israel. A number of smaller militant groups also operate in Gaza, including groups that draw inspiration from the al-Qaida global terror network.

U.N. Mideast envoy Robert Serry appealed for calm in a statement. "It is of paramount importance to refrain from violence in this tense atmosphere and for parties to work constructively in addressing the underlying issues," he said.

Ihab Ghussein, the Hamas government spokesman, accused Israel of using the airstrikes to "divert the attention" from unrest in Israeli prisons. "They think that through escalation on Gaza front they can hide the truth," he said, and urged Egypt, the guarantor of the cease-fire, to intervene.

Hunger strikes

Palestinian prisoners have been rioting and hunger striking since a 64-year-old prisoner died of throat cancer on Tuesday. Palestinians blamed Israel for the man's death, saying he was not given proper medical care. The prisoner, Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, was serving a life sentence for his role in a foiled attempt to bomb a busy cafe in Jerusalem in 2002.

Einav Shimron Grinbaum, spokeswoman of Israel's health ministry, said an autopsy performed Wednesday found a cancerous growth in Abu Hamdiyeh's throat and secondary cancerous growths in his neck, chest, lungs, liver, and spinal cord. She said hospital records showed he was a heavy smoker. The head of the Palestinian pathological institute also participated in the autopsy, she said.

At protests across the West Bank Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of Palestinians threw rocks and rolled burning tires at soldiers, prompting a response with tear gas, the Israeli military said.

In Ramallah, protesters waved pictures of Abu Hamdiyeh and chanted "with our souls and blood we will redeem the prisoner."

Israel's chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, accused the Palestinian Authority, which governs in the West Bank, of exploiting the death to "resume popular protests."

Prisons Authority spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said Abu Hamdiyeh was treated by Israeli specialists and died in a hospital in Beersheba. She said the prison service asked the parole board to release Abu Hamdiyeh last week after his cancer was diagnosed as terminal last, but the appeal was still being processed at the time of his death.

Weizman said almost all of the 4,600 Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel refused their breakfasts Wednesday morning in a symbolic act of protest.

After decades of conflict with Israel, the issue of prisoners is emotionally charged in Palestinian society. The Palestinians revere the prisoners as standing up to Israeli occupation. In Israel, the prisoners, who are serving time for crimes ranging from stone throwing to mass murder, are seen as terrorists.

In a separate development, Israel's defense minister issued a tough warning to battling forces in Syria, saying Israel would respond to any cross-border provocations.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military said a mortar shell exploded on its side of the frontier in the Golan Heights. The military said its soldiers returned the fire and said they scored a direct hit.

Mortar shells and machine gun fire have sporadically hit Israeli territory in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights since Syria descended into civil war following its March 2011 uprising.

"Israel has no intention of ignoring fire from Syria toward Israeli territory, incidental or not, and will respond with a firm hand," Yaalon said. "As far as we are concerned, the Syrian regime is to be held responsible for everything happening in its territory."

Israel, which has warily watched the fighting in Syria raging close to its frontier, is concerned that al-Qaida-linked groups fighting alongside the rebels could set their sights on Israel after the civil war ends.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/03/Taliban-kill-44-in-attack-on-Afghan-court-officials-.html
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Egypt court rules against handing Qaddafi cousin to Libya

An Egyptian court ruled against extraditing Muammar Qaddafi's cousin Ahmed Qaddaf al-Dam to Libya. (AFP)

An Egyptian court on Wednesday ruled against extraditing Muammar Qaddafi's cousin Ahmed Qaddaf al-Dam to Libya, where he is wanted on corruption charges, a judicial official said.

The administrative court said Qaddaf al-Dam, who was taken into custody last month, was under investigation for alleged crimes inside Egypt and should be tried there.

Qaddaf al-Dam, who had a senior role under Qaddafi before the dictator's overthrow and killing in 2011, was arrested in Cairo last month along with Libya's former ambassador Ali Maria and another Qaddafi-era official.

Qaddaf al-Dam remains in custody, but the two others have been handed over to Egypt's western neighbor.

The Libyan prosecutor's spokesman, Taha Baara, had told AFP that Tripoli had issued an international arrest warrant for Qaddaf al-Dam for "forging documents" and that the other two were wanted for "financial crimes."

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan told a news conference in Tripoli last month that Qaddaf al-Dam was among "several elements of the old regime" arrested in Cairo and wanted for "hostile acts" against the uprising that toppled Qaddafi.

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/03/Egypt-court-rules-against-handing-Qaddafi-cousin-to-Libya-.html
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Kerry to make new Middle East visit

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Middle East leaders. (AFP)

Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Istanbul this weekend before traveling on to Israel and Ramallah, a top U.S. official said Wednesday, on what will be Kerry's third trip to the Middle East.

Kerry will meet with top Turkish leaders to discuss the situation in Syria, before heading to Jerusalem and the West Bank on Monday and Tuesday.

He will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, adding Kerry wanted "to see what is possible" on the peace talks.

The visit to the Middle East has been added to a previously announced trip during which Kerry will also travel to London before heading to Asia for the first time as America's new secretary of state.

But Nuland dismissed the notion that Kerry might be ready to unveil a new initiative to try to bring together the Israelis and the Palestinians, with the peace process having stalled since late 2010.

"The secretary is not planning to put a big plan on the table," Nuland said, stressing this was to be a "listening tour."

"He will also be making clear that the parties have to want to get back to the table," she said, warning that "compromises and sacrifices" will have to be made on both sides.

On his first overseas trip since taking up the post, Kerry visited Egypt in early March for talks with Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.

He then accompanied President Barack Obama on a trip last month, before holding one-on-one talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership in Jerusalem and Amman on March 24.
 

04 Apr, 2013


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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/03/Kerry-to-make-new-Middle-East-visit-.html
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