Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Yellowstone Region Has High Earthquake Probability
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsIdaho Statesman
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

While the U.S. 'Reviews,' EU Calls for Disarming Hamas
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hamas terrorists parade rocket

Flash 90

Though the United States is still Israel's "best friend," it is the European Union which called again today for ''all terrorist groups in Gaza to disarm."

The EU statement, issued in Brussels after a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on Friday, declared that a "return to the status quo prior to the latest conflict is not an option."  

Israel is pleased with the EU's call for disarming Hamas. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said, "Israel welcomes the [EU] ministers' repeated calls for the terrorist organizations in Gaza to disarm."

"A commitment to the principle of demilitarization, which will be implemented by an effective monitoring mechanism, will ensure that the situation changes fundamentally," Palmor added.

On the other hand, the two top US Administration officials - President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry – have made it clear that disarming Gaza is not a priority. Asked if the Obama Administration endorses the Israeli demand to disarm Hamas, a top National Security official said only that "one would hope" that "some form of demilitarization" would be a result of a ceasefire. And Kerry didn't even go that far; all he said was, "All of the issues of Gaza would be on the table."

The Senate, on the other hand, has been outspoken about the need to disarm Hamas. It has not passed any formal resolutions to this effect, but many Senators have gone on record in favor of making this an integral feature of any ceasefire.

On Thursday, the day before the EU statement, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf spent several long minutes attempting to reconcile the Administration's "review" of munitions deliveries to Israel and the "no change" in the general policy towards Israel. Specifically, she said, "Given the crisis in Gaza, it’s natural that agencies take additional care to review deliveries as part of an interagency process. That is by no means unusual and, again, does not indicate any change in policy."

She then said this was not actually a "review," but rather "taking a second look."

Challenged as to the purpose of a "second look" if there was no policy change, she again called it a review, then later changed it to "looking again," etc.

Back and forth the point was belabored; one reporter asked, "If you’re undertaking a review with a lowercase ‘r’, or a second look or – again, whatever you want to call it – that that would stand to reason that perhaps at the end of that look that you might make some kind of policy change."

Harf negated this, and so on and so forth, until finally one impatient correspondent asked, "Can we go to Ukraine, please?"

U.S. Pressuring PA not to Sue Israel for 'War Crimes'
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

International Criminal Court

Reuters

A report on Monday reveals that America and other Western countries are pressuring the Palestinian Authority (PA) not to carry out its threat of suing Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for "war crimes."

PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki last Saturday threatened "we will go to the ICC, and put our signature on it. Very soon we will be a (sovereign) state. That is enough for the court to start an investigation."

However, citing inside sources in the ICC and among the PA's lawyers, The Guardian reports strong US and Israeli pressure on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas not to take such actions, or else risk cutting his own purse-strings.

The report comes as tensions have been rising between Israel and the US; just last Wednesday night reports revealed that US President Barack Obama's administration blocked a weapons transfer to Israel, and ordered greater scrutiny on future transfers.

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the PA needs to submit a new declaration, and cannot resubmit the 2009 charges of "war crimes" against Israel in then-Operation Cast Lead, a complaint that was rejected because the PA has no status as a state.

"War crimes" suits go both ways

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who was ICC prosecutor during the 2009 lawsuit, told The Guardian "if Palestine wants to accept jurisdiction, it has to submit a new declaration."

Such a declaration would first require the PA and Hamas to reach a consensus following their unity pact, and would also leave them open for investigation of "war crimes," not just Israel. Indeed, Hamas has openly been using Gaza citizens as human shields, even exhorting Gazans to serve as human shields in TV messages.

"I heard all the arguments. I received different Oxford professors who were explaining the different and many times opposing arguments, and I concluded that the process should...go first to the UN. They should decide what entity should be considered a state," Moreno-Ocampo added to The Guardian.

In a recent interview, the PA's envoy to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) admitted the PA has no hope of pressing charges against Israel in international courts, because PA and Hamas terrorist groups are far worse violators of international law themselves.

The UNHRC has itself launched a committee to investigate "war crimes" allegations against Israel, an investigation that Nobel laureate Professor Yisrael (Robert) Aumann on Monday said amounted to anti-Semitism

U.S. Police Go Military With 1033 Program
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsDW
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The shooting of Michael Brown has revived debates about race and policing in the US. Not just over the killing - but the response to the protests that followed and what's being called the "militarization" of the police.

The civil rights legend John Lewis expressed what many Americans were thinking: "This is not China or Russia or the Congo. This is America." His statement came after Wednesday night's turmoil in Ferguson, when the streets of the Missouri town were transformed into a conflict zone.

It wasn't just the tear gas, smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails that proved shocking. It was the sight of armored vehicles on American streets, surrounded by officers armed so heavily they looked like they were going to war.

US President Barack Obama interrupted his vacation to call for calm. Attorney General Eric Holder - leading the White House's response to the situation - said, "At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message."

'Small armies'

The shooting of teenager Michael Brown triggered days of protests and riots in Ferguson

It's a concern that has been echoed across the political divide. "We need to de-militarize the situation," said Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat.

"Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies," wrote Republican Senator Rand Paul in Time Magazine.

At the heart of this process of "militarization" is a Pentagon program that has channeled billions of dollars worth of surplus weapons, vehicles and even aircraft from the military to law enforcement agencies all over the United States - virtually free of charge. It's known as the 1033 program.

Military surplus - for free

Run by the Defense Logistics Agency, the program has its roots in the early 1990s, as a means of providing local agencies with equipment for use in the "war on drugs." It was expanded later in the decade and is now subject to "few limitations and requirements," according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The program's website hails its own scope: "If your law enforcement agency chooses to participate, it may become one of the more than 8,000 participating agencies to increase its capabilities, expand its patrol coverage, reduce response times, and save the American taxpayer's investment." And with US combat forces now long out of Iraq and soon leaving Afghanistan - there is a lot of surplus equipment going for free.

Small town police force?

The incentive to militarize

From M16 rifles to Mine-Resistant Ambush Protection Vehicles (MRAPs) - there's plenty on offer for cash-strapped police forces. And they only have to pay the cost of delivery and maintenance.

There is even an incentive to put their new equipment to use - and fast. The ACLU highlights a clause in the Memoranda of Agreements between states and the DLA requiring the recipient to "utilize property within one year or schedule its return."

The ACLU said the 1033 program encourages not just escalation on the streets of Ferguson but countless SWAT team deployments that never go reported: forms of "militarization" that disproportionately target the black community.

Congressman Hank Johnson said it is time to end this process. He has drafted a "Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act," which he said will "end the free transfers of certain aggressive military equipment to local law enforcement." His spokesman told DW that the bill does not seek to scrap the 1033 program altogether. But he said it would limit the types of weapons on offer - as well as boosting accountability.

Ferguson regroups

Back in Ferguson, the police response demilitarized dramatically on Thursday night after Governor Jay Nixon weighed in. But there is no sign the equipment seen on the suburb's streets will be returned to sender.

DW asked the spokesman for Missouri's Department of Public Safety if the police would ever have been able to afford - or even obtain - such gear without access to government programs like 1033. He would only say that Missouri was no special case: "This is a national program available right across America."

Some Progress in Russia - Ukraine Talks
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Foreign Ministers from Russia and the Ukraine have ended “difficult” talks vis-à-vis the Ukraine crises, with no concrete advances having yet been made, as clashes continue on the ground, but that “some progress” had come out of it so far, according to sources out of Germany, which is hosting the talks.

“The talks are difficult, but I think and hope we have made some progress on certain points,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said following a meeting with Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, the Ukraine’s Pavlo Klimkin, together with French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

“Despite the difficulties, we do see some sort of progress,” a French diplomatic source confirmed to AFP.

Significant Earthquake Swarm Hits Iceland
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsWired
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The view of Barðarbunga in Iceland from the slopes of Askja. Photo by Dave McGarvie, used by permission.

It has been over 3 years since the last eruption in Iceland. However, there are signs that an eruption might be in the works near remote Barðarbunga. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) is reporting two major earthquake swarms that started up on the morning on August 16 and continues to roll into August 17. Right it seems that there are two separate earthquake swarms producing small earthquakes and has now eclipsed the May 2014 swarm in terms of number of earthquakes. There are no indications that an eruption has started at Barðarbunga, but some roads have been closed as a precaution because any eruption would likely produce a jökulhlaup (glacial outburst flood) as both swarms are occurring underneath Vatnajökull. This ice cap is also the home of the last Icelandic volcano to erupt, Grímvötn. There was some foreshadowing of that eruption before the explosive event, but many earthquake swarms in Iceland don’t directly lead to an eruption. An overflight of the area performed today doesn’t suggest much in the way of eruption either but the IMO has put Barðarbunga and the area around it on elevated alert.

 

The last confirmed eruption from Barðarbunga was back in 1910 (Author’s note: As Jon Frimann in the comments below correctly points out, this 1910 eruption was from Loki-Fögrufjöll, which is near Barðarbunga but not the same edifice. However, these two eruptions are likely linked to the same subvolcanic system. The last confirmed eruption from the Barðarbunga edifice was in 1794), although since then there have been numerous unconfirmed eruptions that may not have breached the surface of the ice cap under which the volcano resides. Complicating matters, the earthquake swarms are not occurring directly underneath Barðarbunga, but rather to the east. Now, this is also not unexpected in Iceland where fissure eruptions of basalt have occurred in places away from known volcanoes (such as Laki in 1783) and we don’t have a great idea of exactly what lies underneath some of these massive ice caps. If the eruption is related to the Barðarbunga system, it could be interesting as the 1910 eruption was a mix of both basalt and rhyolite. Not only that, but Barðarbunga was the source of the Thjorsa lavas that erupted 25 cubic kilometers of basalt ~8,500 years ago – the largest basaltic eruption in the Holocene. There is no signs that would suggest that anything remotely close to this is in the works at Barðarbunga right now, but the volcano has quite a storied history of eruptions.

Curious how to pronounce Barðarbunga? Dave McGarvie (an Open University lecturer – if you want to know about Icelandic volcanism, follow him @subglacial) suggests “b-OW-r-tha-boon-ga” as the way to go. Special thanks to Dave for some of the information in this post and the excellent shot of the volcano.

Security Establishment Officials Said Sunday That There Was An Unprecedented Cyber - Attack on Israel
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Security establishment officials said Sunday that there was an unprecedented cyber-attack on Israel from Iran during Operation Protective Edge, including the brief hijacking of the Israel Defense Forces’ Twitter account.

The targets were mostly civilian websites and systems, rather than military or national infrastructure networks, Channel 2 reported.

A defense source said that the attack caused no significant damage and reiterated that critical systems were well protected. Nonetheless, the source added, the scale of the attack was impressive.

“In terms of the scope and kinds of targets that they tried to get to, we haven’t seen an attempt like this before,” the unnamed official said. “This time, the Iranians made a significant effort.”

The source called for the establishment of a unified cyber body inside the defense establishment, which will be better able than the current apparatus to use the resources that Israel possesses to defend itself.

He also suggested a thorough review of the access to information sites — such as that of the IDF Spokesperson, the Home Front Command, and the IDF’s Twitter account — to prevent hijacking of accounts such as those that took place during the fighting.

At the beginning of July, the IDF’s Twitter account sent out a fake message reporting that two rockets from Gaza had hit the Dimona nuclear reactor and had caused a leak. The message was followed by another reading “Long live Palestine.” Within minutes, the IDF regained control of the account and published an apology.

In January, an Israeli cybersecurity expert claimed that Israel was subjected to an attack via email messages infected with a virus that enabled hackers to take control of computers. One of the machines that fell victim was in the Defense Ministry, he said.

Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 in an effort to stem rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and destroy a network of tunnels dug by Hamas under the border, which were used by terrorists to infiltrate Israel

Rick Warren, Jean Vanier, and the New Evangelization
Aug 18th, 2014
CommentaryRoger Oakland Understand the Times, International
Categories: One World Church;Contemporary Issues

The Warren- Arroyo EWTN interview that aired on YouTube April 11, 2014 provided many insights regarding the “New Evangelicalism” that is presently unfolding. Rather than lines being drawn in the sand, walls are coming down and ecumenical unity is being established. If Rick Warren and his followers represent the direction many former “Protestants” are headed, it is only a matter of time for the coming One World Ecumenical Religion to be established. The Jesuit plan to bring the “separated brethren Home to Rome” will have been accomplished. Those who refuse to follow will be singled out and considered “heretics.” Is it possible that persecution for these “resistors” is in store?

One revelation that came out of the interview was the fact that Warren and his Saddleback Church had hosted a delegation from Rome to discuss the New Evangelization Program. Apparently a number of Roman Catholic delegates were observing the Warren-Saddleback Purpose Driven Program in order to gain ideas and insight for the Roman Catholic New Evangelization Plan initiated by Pope John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict and Pope Francis.

The following question was asked by Raymond Arroyo:

The Vatican recently sent a delegation here to Saddleback—the pontifical council—the academy for life. Tell me what they discovered and why did they come? This is a sizeable group.

Warren’s response was immediate and enthusiastic. He said:

It was. They were about 30 bishops from Europe. One of the men had been actually trained and mentored by Jean Vanier, which is an interesting thing because we have a retreat center here and my spiritual director, who grew up at Saddleback, actually went and trained under Jean Vanier too. So I am very excited about that.

While the term “spiritual director” or the name Jean Vanier may not mean much to you unless you are versed on contemplative mystical spirituality, this admission by Warren provides conclusive evidence of his endorsement of Roman Catholic monastic mysticism and all that goes along with it. The fact he mentions he has his “own” spiritual director located at Saddleback who was trained under the leadership of Jean Vanier is even more significant.

Norway and Egypt Gathering Funds to Rebuild Gaza
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Norweigan FM Borger Brende and Binyamin Netanyahu

Flash 90

Norway announced on Monday that a group of international donors are to meet in Cairo to pledge funds for rebuilding the Hamas stronghold of Gaza, as soon as a truce deal is reached.

The funds are to be raised under the proxy of Egypt and Norway, and will be transferred to Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Norweigan Foreign Minister Borge Brende declared Monday according to AFP.

"We cannot expect the international community to finance reconstruction once again" without prior conditions, Brende said, noting the three counter-terror operations since 2008 caused by Hamas terror wars against Israel.

However, Brende's conditions consisted of pressing Israel to remove its blockade on the Hamas terror enclave, saying "keeping people hemmed in and on the brink of famine will not guarantee the security of Gaza's neighbors."

Norway has already been taking the lead in pushing for the demands of the Hamas terrorist organization, announcing recently that it and Turkey would be willing to operate a seaport in Gaza. Turkey reportedly surpassed Iran in 2012 as Hamas's lead financial sponsor.

Hamas's demand for a seaport, as well as for an airport in Gaza, have been reportedly postponed for discussion a month after a truce deal is reached in Cairo.

Hamas has already made clear that such a truce deal would only be meant to plan for the next terror war on Israel, preparations that would be aided by international funds and construction materials which could be used to build more terror tunnels.

The promise for international funds come as the current ceasefire between Israel and Gaza is set to expire on Monday at midnight, prompting preparations in Israel for renewed rocket fire including the cancellation of train service from Ashkelon to Sderot.

Norway has been highly critical of Israel around Operation Protective Edge, with Brende in July calling on Israel as an "occupier" to show "restraint" in the escalation leading up to the current conflict.

“As the occupying power in the West Bank, Israel has a special responsibility under international law. Neither statements of its intent to step up its settlement policy in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which is in violation of international law, nor major offensives against Gaza are the way forward," claimed Brende.

Nobel Prize - Winner Says Unhrc Gaza Probe Simply 'anti-semitism'
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Prof. Yisrael Aumann

Flash 90

Nobel laureate Professor Yisrael (Robert) Aumann is not surprised by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) decision to investigate "war crimes" accusations against Israel.

According to Aumann the decision stems not from a concern over "the occupation" or about any Israeli treatment of Arab residents of Gaza - rather, according to the Nobel prize winner, the source of the investigation is anti-Semitism, pure and simple.

That appraisal is supported by the fact the Canadian law professor William Schabas, appointed to head the committee, has been vocally blatant in his anti-Israel bias.

Speaking to Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio), Aumann said foreign committees like that of the UNHRC "receive false information from Hamas and Israeli sources," such as the far-left New Israel Fund.

"Anti-Semitism exists, and today it has just donned a different form. We've returned to Europe in the 19th, 18th and 17th centuries, dozens and hundreds of years. The cause of that is the hatred and jealousy over the success of the Jews in all they set their hands to, and that the Jews succeed in preserving their identity," stated Aumann.

Indeed, recent studies found that anti-Semitic incidents worldwide in July rose by 383% as compared to the same month the previous year.

Remarking on the 2005 Disengagement Plan that led to the rain of rockets on southern Israel, Aumann remarked "we are in the middle of a war that we brought on ourselves. We brought Hamas to Gaza after we expelled ourselves from Gaza."

"Many saw that those who conducted the intifada succeeded, and therefore they propose putting them in charge," said Aumann, referring to how the Disengagement came after the 2000 Second Intifada, asserting that terror was rewarded via the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif.

London Store Removes Kosher Food to 'Support Gaza'
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A British supermarket chain is at the center of an anti-Semitism row, after a Jewish shopper found that the Kosher section had been completely removed, and was told by the store manager that Kosher food has been taken down because "We support Gaza."

Anti-Israel demonstrators had picketed the branch of Sainsbury's in Holborn, central London, in a pattern of aggressive calls to boycott Jewish-made Israeli goods, calls that often spilled over into violence.

In one incident Saturday, anti-Israel activists trashed a Tesco store in Hodge Hill while waving Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags, throwing produce on the ground and closing the establishment for several minutes. Likewise protests outside Tesco stores in Greater Manchester, Blackburn and Luton were reported.

The Sainsbury's move to empty the Kosher section was discovered that same Saturday by Jewish actor Colin Appleby, who posted a photo of the empty shelves on his Facebook page.

Appleby recounted what he had been told by the store manager, triggering a firestorm of criticism with many noting that many of the Kosher goods were not even from Israel, and that the move was pure anti-Semitism as it clearly targeted Jewish shoppers.

Jonathan Sacerdoti, a Jewish customer and British journalist, called Sainsbury's on Sunday to register his shock over Sainsbury's decision, to which he was told the store decided to remove the Kosher goods out of fear that protesters would "take Kosher products off the shelf" and wreak havoc.

"Why is it considered a good reaction to remove products of interest to Jews from the shelves when there’s going to be some sort of violent intervention rather than to stop the violent intervention?" asked Sacerdoti. "If I told you I was going to go into the store and start trashing Halal products from the shelves, would you remove them all?"

"Of course not," responded the Sainsbury's telephone operator. After being pressed by Sacerdoti she refused to call the incident a "mistake," later refusing to comment on her statement that the store would not remove Halal products when faced with an identical threat.

A recording of the interchange from Sacerdoti's Facebook page can be heard here:

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Upcoming Eruption in Iceland’s Vatnajökull?
A level of uncertainty has been declared in Bárðarbunga volcano, located in the northwestern Vatnajökull glacier, Southeast Iceland, due to an increase in seismic activity in the volcano.

Is it possible Temple wasn't on 'Temple Mount'?
“I suspect it will be built on the southeast ridge of the Temple Mount,” Klein told WND. “The First Temple was built on the southeast ridge, and the Second Temple was built on the southeast ridge (in a location about 600 feet from the present wall)...

Revival sparked by rabbi's revelation gains steam
He takes the book written by Pastor Carl Gallups and uses it to introduce to members of the Jewish community the truth of the Gospel. Porat calls it the “Kaduri Revival.”  

Ukraine: We destroyed Russian military incursion
Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine during the night, NATO and Ukraine said Friday, and the Ukrainian president said most of them were quickly destroyed by his troops.  

Struggling Liberia creates 'plague villages' in Ebola epicenter
To try to control the Ebola epidemic spreading through West Africa, Liberia has quarantined remote villages at the epicenter of the virus, evoking the "plague villages" of medieval Europe that were shut off from the outside world.  

UK Worship Artist Whose Songs Are Sung in American Churches Comes Out as Lesbian
“Since speaking out and blogging about equal marriage, there’s been a boycott of my songs. My income comes from royalties, so unless they’re sung, I lose my income, which has been difficult. It’s been deeply painful to see people writing off 15 years of my work, saying that it’s now tarnished.” Now, The Independent released an interview with Beeching on Wednesday, where the singer/songwriter/blogger came out as a lesbian herself.  

Islamic State militants execute 700 people from Syrian tribe
The Islamic State militant group has executed 700 members of a tribe it has been battling in eastern Syria during the past two weeks, the majority of them civilians, a human rights monitoring group said on Saturday.  

Norway: Gaza reconstruction aid conditioned on lifting of blockade
Oslo says funds will be given to PA President Abbas, and not to Hamas, and notes international donors conference to take place only after lasting ceasefire reached.  

CHANCE OF MINOR STORMS
NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on August 18th when a faint CME is expected to strike Earth's magnetic field head-on.  

Obama has a great round of golf; General Green not so much
On Martha’s Vineyard, his Commander in Chief was playing golf with celebrities on Martha’s Vineyard. That tells you all you need to know about the contempt Obama has for the men and women in uniform.  

3.6-Magnitude Quake Hits Southern California
A small earthquake has struck the San Bernardino Mountains but no damages or injuries are reported. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-3.7 quake struck at 9:55 p.m. It was centered 4 miles north of Big Bear City at a depth of about 4 miles.  

Strong earthquake hits Iran near Iraqi border At least 250 injured
Local authorities said they fear the quake may have caused widespread destruction in rural areas. The 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit at a depth of around 10 kilometers (6 miles) in an area 36 kilometers southeast of the Iranian city of Abdanan, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by a series of aftershocks.  

Nepal and India floods leave many dead
At least 160 people are reported to have been killed in floods and landslides following days of torrential rain in Nepal and northern India. In Nepal, officials said at least 101 people were known to have died after rescuers found four more bodies. More than 130 people are still missing. In northern Indian states severe flooding after rainfall left at least 60 dead and entire villages marooned.  

Ferguson protests: National Guard sent to Missouri unrest
The US state of Missouri is sending the National Guard to the town of Ferguson as protests escalate over the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Governor Jay Nixon signed an order to "help restore peace and order and to protect the citizens of Ferguson". The move came as police clashed with angry demonstrators shortly before a second night under curfew began.  

Nato chief warns Russia against 'green men' tactics
Philip Breedlove, Nato’s top military commander, has said that if Russia does what it did in Crimea to a Nato state, it would be considered an act of war against the alliance. “...If foreign forces seep into Nato territory, and if we can demonstrate that this approach is an aggression - then this means Article V [of the Nato treaty on collective defence]...this means a military response to the actions of the aggressor”.  

Iran attempted large-scale cyber-attack on Israel, senior security source says
Iran attempted to conduct a large-scale cyber-attack on Israeli civilian communications during the war with Hamas this summer, a senior security source revealed on Sunday. “This is not something we have seen before, both in terms of scope and the type of targets. They targeted communications infrastructure that belong to the civilian sector in Israel,” the source said.  

Israel pessimistic agreement will be reached by expiration of cease-fire at midnight
A day before the midnight expiration of a five-day ceasefire, Israel sent out clear messages on Sunday that it will respond massively to any type of fire from Gaza and not tolerate a long-term “war of attrition.” “It is not clear whether there will be an agreement,” a senior diplomatic official said as the Israeli and Palestinian delegations held indirect talks in Cairo.  

No response to calls for ceasefire in Libyan capital
Libyan factions traded gunfire and shells in various parts of Tripoli on Sunday, ignoring international appeals for a ceasefire to end more than a month of fighting.  

Kurdish fighters push to retake Mosul Dam from Islamic State militants
Iraqi Kurdish forces say they now control much of the Mosul Dam in the north of the country, have wrested it away from Islamic jihadists. The Peshmerga fighters were aided by US and Iraqi aircraft bombing militant targets.  

Police Use Tear Gas to Clear Streets of Ferguson
Police used tear gas to clear protesters off the streets late Sunday, a week after demonstrations against the fatal police shooting of a black Missouri teenager filled this St. Louis suburb with angry, defiant crowds. The latest confrontation unfolded hours after Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a federal medical examiner to perform another autopsy on a black Missouri teenager who was fatally shot by a white police officer.  

Ukraine says its troops make breakthrough in rebel stronghold
Ukrainian forces have raised their national flag over a police station in the city of Luhansk that was for months under rebel control, Kiev said on Sunday, in what could be a breakthrough in Ukraine's efforts to crush pro-Moscow separatists.  

Netanyahu says undeterred by Hamas warnings
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday any deal on Gaza's future had to meet Israel's security needs, warning Hamas it faced "harsh strikes" if it resumed firing into the Jewish state.  

Pope makes plea for Koreas to unite as 'one people'
Pope Francis wrapped up the first papal visit to Asia in 15 years on Monday, urging the divided Koreas to reject suspicion and confrontation and unite as "one family, one people".  

Lapid: We Can't Say That Protective Edge Has Ended
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

At this morning's (Monday) Yesh Atid faction meeting, Minister of Finance, Yair Lapid, addressed the topic of Operation Protective Edge, saying, "About a month and a half ago we had to go ahead with Operation Protective Edge, and it is still not possible to declare that the operation has ended.  The campaign can only be declared as over when the residents of the south have full security and quiet restored to them."

"We cannot agree to place ourselves in the position where after a short period of time we find ourselves subject to more violence time and time again. All future agreements must be based on the dismantling of the Hamas infrastructure, and ensuring that full control of funds invested into Gaza Strip are applied to rebuilding it, and I am proposing the establishment of an international committee to achieve these goals.  We cannot allow any diplomatic agreements without broad international support, as any other attempt will surely revert into the cycle of violence we have experienced," he said.

Israel Pessimistic Agreement will be Reached By Expiration of Cease - Fire At Midnight
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Netanyahu told his cabinet ministers that Hamas was mistaken if it thought that it could cover its military defeat over the last month with a diplomatic achievement.

A day before the midnight expiration of a five-day ceasefire, Israel sent out clear messages on Sunday that it will respond massively to any type of fire from Gaza and not tolerate a long-term “war of attrition.”

“It is not clear whether there will be an agreement,” a senior diplomatic official said as the Israeli and Palestinian delegations held indirect talks in Cairo.

If no agreement is agreed upon, the official said, there are two possibilities. The first is that no cease-fire extension or agreement is reached by Monday at midnight, and Hamas renews its firing. “If that happens,” he said, “Israel’s response will be strong.”

He said an example of Israel’s likely reaction was last weekend’s breakdown of the cease-fire, when Hamas fired mortars at Israel and the IAF responded by hitting 170 terrorist targets inside Gaza.

The other possibility is that the cease-fire lapses, but the firing does not resume, in which case efforts would continue to find a longer-term arrangement, the official said.

But Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told his cabinet ministers at the opening of the weekly Sunday cabinet meeting that Hamas is mistaken if it thinks it can cover its military defeat over the last month with a diplomatic achievement.

In an apparent response to Hamas’s threats to engage Israel in a long war of attrition if its demands were not met, Netanyahu said further that “if Hamas thinks that we cannot stand up to it over time, it is mistaken.”

“In the turbulent and unstable Middle East in which we live, it is not enough just to have more strength, you also need determination and patience,” he said. “Hamas knows that we are very strong, but perhaps it thinks we do not have enough determination and patience. And here it is making a big mistake as well.”

Netanyahu said that Israel is a “strong and determined” nation, whose citizens and soldiers showed “amazing resilience and fortitude” during the Gaza operation and which will stand “steadfast and united” until “quiet and security” are returned to the country’s citizens.

Netanyahu said that Hamas suffered a harsh military blow, which included the destruction of the attack-tunnel network it spent years building, the killing of “hundreds of terrorists,” the interception of thousands of rockets, and the prevention of terrorist attacks from the “land, sea, and air.”

“If Hamas thinks that by a continuation of a drizzle of rocket fire we will make concessions, it is mistaken,” Netanyahu said. “As long as quiet is not restored, Hamas will continue to take very hard blows.”

Netanyahu stressed that the Israeli delegation to the indirect talks in Cairo is working under “very clear directives” to insist on Israel’s security demands. “Only if there will be a clear answer to our security needs will we agree to any understandings,” he said.

Diplomatic sources said that one of the key messages Netanyahu conveyed during the cabinet meeting, and which he will repeat in the upcoming days, is the need for patience in the war of nerves Hamas is waging with the Israeli public.

A subtext of this message is that the Gaza operation is not yet completed, that more time is needed, and that the greater the patience and resolve of the country, the greater the chance that Israel will be able to achieve its goal of long-term security for the South.

Netanyahu briefed his ministers on the situation in Gaza, as did Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen.

One of the problems in the negotiations, it has emerged, is that the Palestinian delegation to Cairo – made up of Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad representatives – is not a united group. For instance, while the Palestinian Authority under Fatah accepted the Egyptian proposals weeks ago, this was not binding on Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

And even among Hamas, there are differences of opinion between its leader Khaled Mashaal, who sits in Qatar, and the leadership in Gaza, which is more eager to come to an agreement. According to Israel, meanwhile, Qatar should be viewed as a state sponsor of terrorism, since it is Hamas’s main financial backer.

Before the cabinet meeting, disparities between some of the key ministers became apparent, with Finance Minister Yair Lapid promoting his idea for an international conference, and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett saying that Israel should halt the talks in Cairo.

Lapid, who is to travel to Germany for two days on Wednesday and promote the idea of an international conference as a vehicle for a long-term resolution to the Gaza crisis, said the outline of any agreement needed to be that there would not be a rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip without its disarmament, and there would not be a cease-fire agreement without quiet for the residents of the South.

Bennett called for an immediate end to the indirect negotiations with Hamas, saying that a situation where Israel is “biting its nails waiting for the answer of a murderous terrorist organizations must end.”

He said that Israel should immediately cease the talks, and adopt the following formula: “Yes to humanitarian aid to Gaza, no to terrorism.”

Under this formula, Israel would allow the passage of food and medicine to Gaza’s residents “without limit,” but would act “without limits” as well toward any weapons factory or terrorist tunnels found, or against any Hamas leaders.

Israel must extract a heavy price from Hamas for firing on its citizens, he said, adding that “any other arrangement that will tie our hands will bring the next war closer.”

Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said that the most important element Israel must insist on is the demilitarization of Gaza. He said that Israel must not accede to Hamas’s demands for a seaport or airport, saying that this would be nothing more than “duty free for rockets and missiles. This would mean that if up until now we suffered from Grad and Fajr missiles from Gaza, in the future it would be Scuds.”

One official said that Hamas is pushing for a seaport because this would allow Iranian ships to dock and unload weaponry. Likewise, he said, Iran is very keen on securing access to a Mediterranean port.

In a related development, Israel agreed to lift the fishing ban it clamped on Gaza during the military operation, and will now allow fishing up to three miles from the coast.

Meanwhile, the head of the Palestinian delegation to the cease-fire talks in Cairo expressed hope that an agreement over a permanent truce with Israel would be reached in the coming hours.

Azzam al-Ahmed, a senior Fatah official and head of the delegation, was speaking shortly after holding talks in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence officials and other members of the Palestinian team from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

“We won’t accept any weak agreement,” al-Ahmed said. “Any deal should meet the demands and goals of the Palestinian people, first and foremost halting the aggression, lifting the siege, and launching work to rebuild the Gaza Strip.”

He added that the Palestinian delegation would hold a meeting late Sunday with Egyptian intelligence officials to hear about the Israeli reply to the demands.

Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials reiterated their refusal to make concessions on their demands.

Izzat al-Risheq, a Hamas member of the delegation, said the Palestinians would not give up the rights of their people “who made sacrifices for the resistance.”

He said that the Palestinian delegation’s goal is to “solidify the victory of the resistance with a political victory at the indirect talks in Cairo.”

Iraq: Kurdish Forces Retake Mosul Dam from 'Islamic State'
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A member of Kurdish Peshmerga forces takes aim on frontline with Islamic State

Reuters

Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq have retaken the country's largest dam from Islamic State forces, in an important strategic advance.

Backed by US air support Kurdish fighters ended IS's 11-day control of the dam, which gave them effective control of northern Iraq's water and electricity supply. There were also fears the Islamists could use the dam to flood neighboring towns and villages to drive out opposition to its rapid advance.

The retaking of Mosul dam is the biggest reversal for the Islamic State - formerly known as ISIS - since it swept through Iraq, taking the second city of Mosul and embarking on a campaign to "cleanse" the area of all non-Sunni-Muslim communities.

Kurdish forces encountered fierce resistance, but were eventually able to drive out the jihadis.

US President Barack Obama defended his decision to authorize air strikes against IS to enable the Kurds to capture the dam, saying that in doing so he was defending key American interests.

"The failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians, threaten U.S. personnel and facilities - including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad - and prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services to the Iraqi populace," the White House said in a statement. 

"These operations are limited in their nature, duration, and scope and are being undertaken in coordination with and at the request of the government of Iraq." 

A small contingent of American special forces are also operating on the ground to help direct the air strikes, Kurdish officials say.

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid continues to be delivered to thousands of Yazidis trapped in the Sinjar Mountains while fleeing IS's ultimatum to convert or die. The ancient Yazidi community has been particularly targeted by the Islamic State, with reports of large-scale massacres and systematic rape drawing concerns of an impending genocide if rapid action is not taken.

IDF Preparing for Possible Resumption of Rocket Fire
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Rocket barrage from Gaza

Reuters

The IDF is preparing for a possible resumption of rocket fire from Gaza on Monday evening, as the current five-day ceasefire is set to expire.

The ceasefire is set to expire at midnight, but Hamas has been known to violate truces before they officially expire.

The high alert for Monday evening comes in the wake of estimates of diplomatic sources in Jerusalem that the chances of a lasting ceasefire deal before Monday night are very slim.

Earlier on Sunday, as truce talks in Cairo continued, Israel pre-empted any agreement by unilaterally offering Gaza a concession and lifting a ban on fishing in the Hamas enclave.

Gaza fishermen have been blocked from their work since July 8, during the Hamas terror war on Israel, which has included several attempts to infiltrate Israel by sea.

Nevertheless, "as a sign of goodwill, Israel has allowed fishing off the Gaza Strip up to 3 nautical miles," an Israeli government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Over the past eight years, Israel has set a six-nautical-mile limit for Gaza's fishermen when tensions were lower, restricting it to three miles when hostilities have escalated.

During the operation fishing was cancelled altogether due to the security threats. Besides using the sea for infiltrations by gunmen into Israeli territory, Gaza terrorists often try to smuggle weapons into the Hamas stronghold under the guise of fishing vessels.

Talks in Cairo are based on an Egyptian proposal, which reportedly was rejected by Hamas, and which puts off difficult issues such as a disarmament of Gaza and a Hamas demand for a Gaza sea and airport for a month after the truce agreement.

Hamas Threatens 'No Third Ceasefire Extension'
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Moussa Abu-Marzouk, Fatah's Azzam al-Ahmed

Flash 90

The truce talks have "returned to the starting point," a Hamas leader said Sunday night ahead of the current ceasefire ending Monday at midnight - a ceasefire he threatened would not be extended again.

Hamas Deputy Leader Moussa Abu-Marzouk, part of the delegation in the Cairo truce talks, claimed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu rejected the Egyptian truce proposal and submitted Israeli amendments that returned talks to the starting point, reports Channel 10.

Amendments submitted by the Hamas, Palestinian Authority (PA) and Islamic Jihad delegation were revealed on Monday. They include important changes on several major issues that were slipped in, such as the release of terrorists.

"Netanyahu is captive to internal contradictions. He went to war and lost, and didn't achieve the goals he set for himself. There are 24 hours left in the ceasefire agreed upon, and it will not be renewed for a third time. The Palestinian delegation will not give up on any of the rights of our people," said Abu-Marzouk.

While Israel has called for a disarmament of the terrorists in Gaza, truce proposals have not addressed that demand, leaving it to be discussed in talks a month after a truce deal when Hamas demands such as a sea and airport are to be discussed as well.

Apparently this point of disarmament is what Abu-Marzouk referred to in terms of the goals that haven't been achieved. The Israeli public has overwhelmingly been calling for the government to finish the job in Gaza, as seen in a 10,000-strong rally in Tel Aviv last Thursday.

A member of the Palestinian Arab delegation to Cairo told AP that the gaps between the sides remain significant, and that it is unclear if an agreement will be signed before the ceasefire ends.

"We are even less optimistic than in the past," said the official.

Hamas Network Exposed Plotting in Ramallah, Major Attacks on Israel
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsDebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Gaza Ceasefire Extended By 24 Hours
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

IDF soldiers outside Gaza

Flash 90

Israeli and Palestinian Arab negotiators agreed on Monday to extend a temporary ceasefire in Gaza by 24 hours to conduct more talks on a long-term truce, a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official told the AFP news agency.

The current five-day ceasefire was set to expire at midnight local time (2100 GMT).

"Both sides have agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire," the official with the Palestinian delegation in Cairo said.

Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem confirmed the extension, telling Kol Yisrael radio that at the request of Egypt, the ceasefire will be extended for another day so that negotiations on a permanent truce can continue.

Hamas had repeatedly warned it would not extend the ceasefire, pressing for immediate gains that would allow it to claim concessions from Israel after the four-week war in July and August.

However, reported AFP, the group has come under pressure from both PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt, which borders Gaza to the west.

The announcement of the extension came several hours after the Ma’an news agency reported that the two teams to Cairo ceasefire talks have signed their initials to a permanent ceasefire agreement.

The Al Mayadeen network reported, meanwhile, that the Israeli delegation returned to Israel and that neither side is interested in renewing the fighting, so the ceasefire that began Thursday is expected to hold.

On Sunday, the IDF was preparing for a possible resumption of rocket fire from Gaza at midnight Monday, as the ceasefire was set to expire.

The high alert for Monday evening came in the wake of estimates of diplomatic sources in Jerusalem that the chances of a lasting ceasefire deal were very slim.

Fortune 500 Company Boycotts Glasgow Over Palestinian Flag
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

PA flag

Reuters

Six hundred Americans have decided to boycott Glasgow - but this time, the move is in support and solidarity for Israel. 

A Fortune 500 company was due to bring the American delegation into the city - as well as thousands of dollars of tourist revenue - as a reward for the salesmen and women and their spouses, according to the Scottish Express.

However, the Vice President of the corporation, Richard Cassini, cancelled the trip entirely after Glasgow's city council decided to fly Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, or the terror umbrella group behind the Palestinian Authority) flags in "solidarity with the people of Gaza." 

“I was, until I read the article in the Scottish Express, and substantiated by the press all over the world, spearheading an event in Glasgow for 600 business visitors to be guests of your wonderful city," Cassini wrote to Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Sadie Docherty. “We were scheduling six days in Glasgow, three for business and three for leisure time." 

“Having read your statement endorsing Hamas and its leadership due to the number of Muslims in your city, I have decided to cancel all plans for our trip," he continued. "We are a Fortune 500 Company, so costs were really not a serious consideration, location was."

“Hopefully, the Muslim population that you so sincerely endorse will have the spending power of the very people you have chased away so well," he concluded. 

Over 1,500 emails and calls have been sent to the Glasgow City Council over the move, according to a spokeswoman, and the council claims that a delay in responses is due to the need to respond to each complaint individually. 

But Cassini has taken Docherty to task for not responding to the move, several days after the trip was cancelled, and sent her a follow-up email firing, “It appears that being Provost of a wonderful city such as Glasgow does not require the holder of said title to have any manners, or upbringing whatsoever.” 

Councilor Archie Graham eventually responded, stating that “Glasgow utterly abhors and rejects any forms of discrimination, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.”

However, silence continues from Docherty herself, who elected to fly the flag on August 8. Glasgow is "twinned" with the PA city of Bethlehem. 

“Glasgow is home to many friends of Palestine and this is a deeply distressing time for them," Docherty said at the time. “They represent a variety of ethnicities, political persuasions, faiths and none. However they are united by a common desire to support the Palestinian people."

“In solidarity with Bethlehem and Palestine, Glasgow City Council will raise the Palestinian flag on Friday 8th August," she continued. "We hope that peace can be found to ensure the human rights for the people of Palestine.”

Jewish leaders condemned the gesture, with Jewish Representative Council President Paul Morron saying that "flying the flag is the worst kind of gesture politics" and noting that it "does nothing to alleviate the suffering on either side of the conflict."

Economists Nervous About When U.S. Federal Reserve will Begin Raising Interest Rates
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsInternational Business Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

With the annual Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Economic Policy Symposium approaching this week, economists are expressing nervousness on whether the U.S. Federal Reserve will begin to raise interest rates before inflation sets in. With the U.S. unemployment rate at 6.2 percent in July -- more than a full point lower than July 2013 -- and private-sector earnings up 2 percent for hourly workers, a handful of Fed officials admit worry is justified, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

"The idea that the Fed might get behind the curve is a powerful one, and that's certainly been the history of the institution. People are right to worry about that," St. Louis Fed President James Bullard told the Journal.

Arun Raha, chief global economist for Eaton Corp. (NYSE:ETN), the Cleveland industrial manufacturer, said he's "nervous. Given the strength of the job market, manufacturing and nonresidential construction, it's about time they got rid of their low-rates-for-an-extended-period viewpoint."

Fed forecasts show interest rates beginning to move up next year, probably toward the middle of the year. The world's other central banks are waiting for the Fed to make the first move, the Journal said.

Yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes fell Friday to 2.345 percent, a 14-month low and a 3 percent drop from the beginning of the year. Yields had been expected to go up with the end of the Fed's $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program.

Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said he thinks nothing should change until the economy is on a firm footing, but Allen Sinai, president of Decision Economics, said any move would be more effective if it were pro-active rather than reactive.

"We look for new clues on how the Fed plans to gain greater control of the Fed funds rate as it tightens policy, while the system is still swimming in reserves as a result of the three quantitative easing programs undertaken," said Victoria Clarke, economist at Investec (LON:INVP).

With U.S. inflation figures due out Monday, the results could impact discussions. "We expect inflation data to test monetary policymakers' resolve before the end of the year, but do not expect that challenge to begin with the July report," Brian Jones, economist at Societe Generale (EPA:GLE), told Reuters.

Another major issue is the rising tensions in Ukraine. "Even if the issues today are resolved and there isn’t a shooting war, that ongoing tension between the Ukraine and Russia puts an underlying bid into the Treasury market," Lou Brien, market strategist at DRW Trading (NYSEARCA:DRW) in Chicago, told Reuters.

The three-day symposium begins Thursday and is expected to center on labor markets of major economies, Reuters reported. Janet Yellen is scheduled to deliver her first speech as Fed chairwoman. Also to speak are Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, Central Bank of Brazil Governor Alexandre Antonio Tombini and Bank of England Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent.

Benghazi: When America Switched Sides in the War on Terror and Armed Al - Qaida
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Daily Caller
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Center for Security Policy’s Vice President for Research and Analysis, Clare Lopez, says in this exclusive video interview with The Daily Caller that very few have seemed to care that America switched sides in the global war on terror when President Obama deposed an erstwhile ally in the Middle East and provided weapons to al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Focusing on this under-reported, critical shift in American foreign policy, Clare Lopez discusses how an American ambassador and others were killed in Benghazi on the anniversary of 9/11 because the Obama administration decided to promote and defend their narrative that “al-Qaida was on the run,” even as we were outright arming militants affiliated with the terrorist group.

Lopez spent 20 years as an undercover operations officer for the CIA. Believing she can now best serve her country in the policy arena, she has found a natural fit at a non-partisan non-profit that promotes American national security and foreign policy based on the principle of “peace through strength.”

This week, we feature part 1 of 2 of our video interview with Lopez on the topic of the Benghazi attacks. Lopez, who’s also a member of the Citizens Commission on Benghazi, says, “Benghazi is symbolic of more than just a disastrous foreign policy or a disastrous attack on our mission that took the lives of four Americans serving there and injured many more. Benghazi is not just what happened on September 11, 2012 either. Americans really need to care about Benghazi and what happened there because that is the place, and 2011 and 2012 was the time, when America switched sides in the war on terrorism.”

To her, the American decision to overthrow the head of a sovereign government, Muammar al-Gaddafi, and to instead support al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood laid the important framework for a resurgence of global jihad.

Lopez says when we supported the local Islamic forces, America flipped in the global war on terror and we, the U.S. government, turned on our erstwhile ally and provided funding, backing, intelligence, our participation in a NATO effort and weapons for rebel forces.

“We facilitated the flow of weapons to the Gaddafi opposition, and we knew the opposition was dominated by al-Qaida. It was led by the Muslim Brotherhood and the fighting militia was dominated by al-Qaida. That’s who we helped,” she explained.

Later in the interview, Lopez discusses the important, unanswered questions on Benghazi before, during and after the 2012 attack. She discusses the weapons transfers happening in Benghazi that were at the heart of the controversial change in American policy, and the significance of the capture and prosecution of Ahmed Abu Khattala.

In addition, Lopez discusses the significance of the Muslim Brotherhood giving a “kill order” to al-Qaida, showing significant “command and control” as the global jihadist forces began a resurgence.

Lopez ends by bringing viewers back to the fall of 2012. When the reality of the Benghazi attack came to light due to Judicial Watch’s “smoking gun email,” we now know the Obama administration scurried to promote a narrative that did not challenge the President’s reelection mantra “Osama bin Laden is dead and al-Qaida is on the run.” Lopez says, “It would not have suited, at all, to be defending against a nonexistent al-Qaida!”

She continues, “To admit that would be to admit a complete failure of American foreign policy, a complete failure and dereliction of duty by the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the President, Obama and the White House, to defend our mission and our people. And that, they could not allow.”

Amended Ceasefire Proposal Includes Terrorist Releases
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Mahmoud Abbas

Flash 90

The amendments to the Egyptian 11-point truce proposal submitted by the Palestinian Arab delegation in Cairo was revealed on Monday morning, hours ahead of the end of the current ceasefire at midnight.

The response to the Egyptian proposal submitted by the delegation, which includes Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Islamic Jihad, was published in the Palestinian Arab Sawa news agency and revealed by Walla!.

Comparing the document with the original 11-point proposal, the first clause calling for an immediate cessation of IDF action and strikes in Gaza remains untouched.

The second clause promising an end to attacks from Gaza on Israel remains as well - although the promise to stop the construction of terror tunnels is notably absent.

The third clause goes beyond the Egyptian proposal of Gaza Crossings being opened and specifically says "the blockade on Gaza will end." It also specifically calls for open trade between PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria with Gaza to include building materials, despite the use of cement to build terror tunnels.

It is worth noting that Hamas has clarified that any truce deal would be seen only as an opportunity to plan the next terror war on Israel.

The fourth clause adds to the call to have Israel coordinate with the PA about matters of finances and reconstruction of Gaza with matters of "the transfer of funds to different echelons," apparently in a return to the controversial proposal to have Israel pay the salaries of Hamas officials.

The fifth clause's call to eliminate the buffer zone on the Gaza side of the border is still present, but it no longer specifies that PA security forces will be deployed to secure the area starting January 1, 2015 as the Egyptian proposal stated. The buffer zone was meant to prevent terrorist infiltration into Israel.

The sixth clause still calls to expand the Gaza fishing zone to 12 nautical miles. Israel on Sunday lifted the ban of Gaza fishing to three nautical miles in a "goodwill" gesture, although the maximum zone in times of calm has been six nautical miles.

No notable change is discernible in the seventh clause, calling for Israel to assist in rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure and providing medical assistance.

Instead of calling for the PA, Israel and international organizations to provide basic products to rehabilitate Gaza and return displaced persons, the eighth clause now calls for the entry of building materials to Gaza to be eased according to a temporary defined schedule, still so as to return displaced persons. The change appears to remove some oversight in the process.

The ninth clause still has Egypt providing humanitarian aid and transferring funds to rebuild Gaza in a defined schedule, apparently referring to internationally donated funds gathered by Egypt and Norway.

The amendments drop the bombshell in an additional clause before the former tenth clause.

In the new tenth clause, the delegation calls for a "cancellation of the regulations that Israel fixed in the West Bank after June 12, 2014 (when the three Israeli teens were abducted and murdered), (including) the release of prisoners (arrested in Operation Brother's Keeper), particularly (Hamas) members of the (PA) parliament, and the release of the fourth batch of prisoners."

The last piece is a reference to the terrorist prisoner release "gestures" during the Israel-PA peace talks, which broke down in April before the last batch of terrorists was released, but after 78 terrorists had already gone free.

Clause eleven corresponds to the old tenth clause, saying talks will be completed in Cairo a month after the truce deal.

However, an important caveat was slipped into the clause, saying "afterwards the process of exchanging the prisoners and returning the two bodies (of Second Lt.Hadar Goldin and First Sgt. Oron Shaul hy''d) will be completed between the sides."

While AFP noted on Sunday that the return of the two bodies was being pushed off for the talks a month after the truce deal, it did not specify that the return of the bodies for a proper burial was being used as a trump card in pressing Israel to free terrorists.

The twelfth clause remains as the previous eleventh clause, saying discussions over establishing a sea and airport in Gaza will be held in the talks a month after a truce.

A final thirteenth clause is added in, saying "Egypt calls on both sides to uphold the understandings from 12:01 a.m. of August 14, 2014," a reference to the previous ceasefire extension in calling to maintain the lull in fighting.

Amended Ceasefire Proposal Includes Terrorist Releases

PA and Hamas delegation slips important changes into its amendments to Egyptian truce proposal.

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By Ari Yashar

First Publish: 8/18/2014, 10:23 AM

Mahmoud Abbas

Flash 90

The amendments to the Egyptian 11-point truce proposal submitted by the Palestinian Arab delegation in Cairo was revealed on Monday morning, hours ahead of the end of the current ceasefire at midnight.

The response to the Egyptian proposal submitted by the delegation, which includes Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Islamic Jihad, was published in the Palestinian Arab Sawa news agency and revealed by Walla!.

Comparing the document with the original 11-point proposal, the first clause calling for an immediate cessation of IDF action and strikes in Gaza remains untouched.

The second clause promising an end to attacks from Gaza on Israel remains as well - although the promise to stop the construction of terror tunnels is notably absent.

The third clause goes beyond the Egyptian proposal of Gaza Crossings being opened and specifically says "the blockade on Gaza will end." It also specifically calls for open trade between PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria with Gaza to include building materials, despite the use of cement to build terror tunnels.

It is worth noting that Hamas has clarified that any truce deal would be seen only as an opportunity to plan the next terror war on Israel.

The fourth clause adds to the call to have Israel coordinate with the PA about matters of finances and reconstruction of Gaza with matters of "the transfer of funds to different echelons," apparently in a return to the controversial proposal to have Israel pay the salaries of Hamas officials.

The fifth clause's call to eliminate the buffer zone on the Gaza side of the border is still present, but it no longer specifies that PA security forces will be deployed to secure the area starting January 1, 2015 as the Egyptian proposal stated. The buffer zone was meant to prevent terrorist infiltration into Israel.

The sixth clause still calls to expand the Gaza fishing zone to 12 nautical miles. Israel on Sunday lifted the ban of Gaza fishing to three nautical miles in a "goodwill" gesture, although the maximum zone in times of calm has been six nautical miles.

No notable change is discernible in the seventh clause, calling for Israel to assist in rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure and providing medical assistance.

Instead of calling for the PA, Israel and international organizations to provide basic products to rehabilitate Gaza and return displaced persons, the eighth clause now calls for the entry of building materials to Gaza to be eased according to a temporary defined schedule, still so as to return displaced persons. The change appears to remove some oversight in the process.

The ninth clause still has Egypt providing humanitarian aid and transferring funds to rebuild Gaza in a defined schedule, apparently referring to internationally donated funds gathered by Egypt and Norway.

The amendments drop the bombshell in an additional clause before the former tenth clause.

In the new tenth clause, the delegation calls for a "cancellation of the regulations that Israel fixed in the West Bank after June 12, 2014 (when the three Israeli teens were abducted and murdered), (including) the release of prisoners (arrested in Operation Brother's Keeper), particularly (Hamas) members of the (PA) parliament, and the release of the fourth batch of prisoners."

The last piece is a reference to the terrorist prisoner release "gestures" during the Israel-PA peace talks, which broke down in April before the last batch of terrorists was released, but after 78 terrorists had already gone free.

Clause eleven corresponds to the old tenth clause, saying talks will be completed in Cairo a month after the truce deal.

However, an important caveat was slipped into the clause, saying "afterwards the process of exchanging the prisoners and returning the two bodies (of Second Lt.Hadar Goldin and First Sgt. Oron Shaul hy''d) will be completed between the sides."

While AFP noted on Sunday that the return of the two bodies was being pushed off for the talks a month after the truce deal, it did not specify that the return of the bodies for a proper burial was being used as a trump card in pressing Israel to free terrorists.

The twelfth clause remains as the previous eleventh clause, saying discussions over establishing a sea and airport in Gaza will be held in the talks a month after a truce.

A final thirteenth clause is added in, saying "Egypt calls on both sides to uphold the understandings from 12:01 a.m. of August 14, 2014," a reference to the previous ceasefire extension in calling to maintain the lull in fighting.

'Breakthrough' Reported in Cairo Talks; Deal 'Initialed'
Aug 18th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Palestinians at Cairo talks

Reuters

The Israeli and Palestinian teams to Cairo ceasefire talks have signed their initials to a permanent ceasefire agreement, according to an unconfirmed report by Bethlehem-based Ma'an news.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Palestinian delegation in Cairo told the Al Quds newspaper Monday night that there has been a breakthrough in the talks that may make it possible to extend the ceasefire even before it expires at midnight tonight.

"The Egyptian mediator played an important role in the breakthrough,” the sources said, “in refusing the new Israeli demands through which Israel reinforced its objection to the Egyptian initiative.”

There has been no confirmation of this report from any other source.

The Al Mayadeen network reported, meanwhile, that the Israeli delegation returned to Israel and that neither side is interested in renewing the fighting, so the ceasefire that began Thursday is expected to hold.

Ahead of the deadline, Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas was travelling to Doha Monday for talks with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatar is a key backer of Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza. 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Israel will hit back hard if Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza resume, speaking just hours before the midnight expiry of a five-day ceasefire.

"We are ready for all scenarios... the army is ready to respond with force if the firing (of rockets) resumes," he said in a meeting with Defense
Minister Moshe Ya'alon in Ashdod.

According to the Prime Minister, the turbulent Middle East needs a combination of strength and perseverance.

"The IDF has a lot of power and, the eternal people are not afraid of a long road," he said. "It can take some time and patience, determination and perseverance," he said. "The combination of endurance and strength will help us to achieve the target of this operation - the achievement of peace and security for all citizens of Israel."

Defense Minister Ya'alon added that the self-defense operation in Gaza has not ended.

"Operation Protective Edge has not ended," Ya'alon said. "As we have committed [before], we do not stop until we bring peace and security."

"We are preparing for the results of the discussions in Cairo, to see whether it will bring peace, or whether anyone tries to challenge us in escalation," he added. "The army is ready respond strongly to any development. Hamas will not drag us to a war of attrition, and if it tries [to do so] it will receive it in kind."