organization:army

Israel ’planned Iran attack in 2010’ | World news | guardian.co.uk
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/05/israel-planned-iran-attack-claim

Israel’s prime minister and defence minister ordered the country’s military to prepare for a strike against Iran’s nuclear installations two years ago, according to a television documentary to be aired on Monday.

But the order was not enacted after it met with strong opposition from key security chiefs, the military chief of staff and head of the Mossad, the programme in the TV series Uvda [Fact] claims.

It says that, following a meeting of selected key ministers and officials, Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak decided to order the army to raise its level of preparedness to “P Plus”, a code signifying imminent military action.

But the army chief Gabi Ashkenazi and Mossad head Meir Dagan, who were both present at the meeting, opposed the move. According to the hour-long Channel 2 programme, Dagan told Netanyahu and Barak: “You are likely to make an illegal decision to go to war. Only the cabinet is authorised to decide this.”

#Israël #Iran

A new Nakba looms as Israel plans ethnic cleansing of Palestinian village in the Negev

Anger and worry prevails amongst the people of Umm Al-Hayran, a Palestinian village in the Negev Desert following a decision by the Israeli Building Council to expel villagers in order to build a settlement for extremist Jews. An appeal by the humanitarian groups on behalf of the villagers was refused last week by the Israeli National Council for Planning and Construction.

Around 1,000 people will be affected by the latest bout of Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land. The District Committee for Planning and Construction in Beersheba has approved a proposal for a Jewish settlement called “Hayran” on the land belonging to Umm Al-Hayran village. This will not be the first time that the families in Umm Al-Hayran have been expelled by the Israelis. They used to live in the Zebala Valley in the Negev from where they were expelled by the nascent Israeli state; in 1956 they were uprooted again and forced to move to the site of Umm Al-Hayran. The current threat first arose in 2004, when the Israeli state accused the villagers of living illegally on state land.

Israel doesn’t “recognise” villages occupied by around 90,000 Bedouin living in Southern Palestine. As a result, their homes are regarded as “illegal” by the state and they can be demolished at any time.

Residents of such “unrecognised” villages do not receive any basic services or amenities provided by the state, including electricity, proper roads, health facilities, schools or water supplies.

Commenting on the latest decision, lawyer Suhad Beshara of the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adala) said that the decision made by the appeal committee is part of the official policy of confiscating Bedouin land in the Negev. The intention is not only to provide land for Jews but also to be able to gather together the Bedouin communities in one place. According to Ms. Beshara, the authorities’ decision confirms that the villagers of Umm Al-Hayran have no rights in the village to which the Israeli government itself moved them in 1956.

The Palestinian law specialist clarified that the village of Umm Al-Hayran was established in its current location by order of the Israeli military authorities in 1956 after the army expelled its people by force from their homes in the area of Zebala valley. “They have established themselves with proper homes,” she said, “and they have invested all their efforts in order to resume their social and tribal lives which were shaken every time they were expelled from their land.” Today, a hundred and fifty families, totalling one thousand people, live in the village, all from the Abu Alqean tribe.

“We’re ready to die defending our land,” said the Mayor of the village, Saleem Abu Alqeaan. “They want to expel us and claim that our buildings are illegal, and they deprive us of all services; they even denied us drinking water in order to push us to leave the village and expel us.”

Mayor Abu Alqean added that the villagers refuse to accept the decision and that they will not leave their land even if the Israelis use force to expel them: “We have sworn to die on this land and we will not leave it this time, like previous times, and we will defend our land and our village with all our might and with all our means, because if they succeed in getting us out, the same tactics will be applied to other villages in the Negev which are not recognised by Israel.”

Commenting on the decision of the Israelis to name the proposed settlement “Hayran”, the mayor accused the Israeli government of trying to hijack Palestinian history in the area. “They want to make it look as if there is an old Israeli presence in the Negev,” he added.

Knesset Member Ibrahim Sarsoor, the head of the United Arab Bloc for Reform, condemned the government’s move. “This is yet another attack on the Arab presence in the Negev of the kind which has been taking place since the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948,” said Sarsoor. “It poses a serious threat to the already poor relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel.”

He pointed out that there is a systematic Israeli policy of uprooting the Arab presence in the Negev Desert. The latest decision, he insisted, shows how the Israeli government can act against its Arab citizens with impunity and with no just, legal or moral reason.

Stressing that the expulsion decision is “the biggest witness to the racism of Israeli governments’ policies towards the Arabs,” Sarsoor said that it confirms that ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population is an integral part of Israel’s Zionist ideology. “In short,” he concluded, “it is a policy of apartheid, pure and simple.”
Related articles

Army Demolishes Four Homes In the Negev (imemc.org)

IDF Failure Allows Hezbollah-Iranian Drone to Overfly Israeli Cities, Military Bases Tikun-Olam Tikun Olam-תיקון עולם
►http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2012/10/08/idf-failure-involving-hezbollah-iranian-drone

IDF Failure Allows Hezbollah-Iranian Drone to Overfly Israeli Cities, Military Bases

by Richard Silverstein on October 8, 2012 · 0 comments

in Mideast Peace

The IDF displayed yet another embarrassing failure in defending the homeland yesterday regarding the Iranian drone launched under the auspices of Hezbollah from Lebanon. Yediot’s Alex Fishman, one of the few forthright Israeli defense reporters notes (print only) that the aerial vehicle was allowed to fly over Israeli airspace for 20 minutes before it was downed. If you take into account IDF spokesperson Avital Leibovich’s claim that the army was tracking the drone for 20 minutes, that means it hadn’t a clue about the drone until it crossed into Israeli airspace. Imagine the most advanced army in the Middle East cannot track a slow-moving drone launched from Lebanon and flown for a long distance over the Mediterranean. Among the Israeli sites it overflew were population centers and military bases. It was only 18 miles (he calls it “spitting distance”) from Dimona when it was felled. Several years ago, a Hezbollah balloon flew directly over Dimona before it too was shot down. Note that this is supposed to be restricted airspace.

Fishman, whose IDF sources are excellent reports that the drone was manufactured by the Iranian aviation industry and used Iranian technology.

So despite the praise offered by Ehud Barak, reassuring the population that the army had the nation’s back and that there was nothing to worry about–there is very much to be worried about. The IDF, like most armies, isn’t just fighting the last war, it’s fighting the war before that. When Sinai militants attacked Eilat last year, Israeli intelligence hadn’t a clue that this might happen. The only terror attack it planned for was from Gaza. That the attack was launched from Egypt caught the IDF with their pants down. The Israeli response was so haphazard that one of its units invaded Egypt and killed five Egyptian police officers. Similarly, last month’s Sinai attack that killed 16 police officers and brought an Egyptian armored personnel carrier a mile into Israel also represented an intelligence failure.

Israeli intelligence is afflicted with a failure of imagination. It always underestimates the enemy. It rarely anticipates what it will do, where and how it will attack. Israel is so used to fighting battles and wars on its terms, that it has stopped trying to understand the enemy in any more than a superficial way. This failure not only sells the nation’s defense short, it characterizes Israel’s inability to understand the needs and interests of its erstwhile enemies.

Israel is like a fish out of water. It sees itself, in Ehud Barak’s infamous phrase as a “villa in the jungle.” That is, an advanced western country plopped down in the middle of the Middle Eastern jungle. Yet it is nothing of the sort. Israel is rather a schizoid country with an economy that apes the west in some ways, but structurally is closer to that of the oligarchic capitalism of Russia. It fancies itself a western democracy, but behaves little better than the Iranian Islamist theocracy.

Israel as presently constituted can never integrate into the region. In fact, it doesn’t want to integrate. It believes it can maintain this charade of specialness and separateness forever. Until it can’t. These military-intelligence failures are only a symptom of that.

Lebanon arrests clan member over kidnappings
►http://gulfnews.com/news/region/lebanon/lebanon-arrests-clan-member-over-kidnappings-1.1071599

Lebanon’s army said on Saturday its forces raided a southern district of Beirut and arrested a member of a powerful Shiite clan which claims responsibility for the kidnapping of 20 Syrians and a Turkish businessman.

“Army forces carried out a raid to execute arrest warrants against individuals that were linked to kidnappings ... The army arrested a number of wanted, including Hassan Meqdad,” an army statement said, without mentioning the kidnapped.

The Meqdad clan abducted the men on August 15 in what they said was a response to the capture of one of their kinsmen in Damascus by the Free Syrian Army, the armed wing of a revolt which aims to topple Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

…et encore des milices: People’s Committees in Syria: Patrolling Local Borders
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/peoples-committees-syria-patrolling-local-borders

Faced with these threats, the youths of Mazzeh and other pro-regime regions did not sit idly by. Now they stay up at night in specific points, taking shifts to guard their neighborhoods, not having faith in the army checkpoints which often stop passers-by and search them.

The reputation of these committees is not necessarily a good one. With the beginning of the unrest in Latakia, for example, there were many complaints regarding the mayhem caused by the ordinary citizens in these committees abusing the functions of security services and the army, particularly when they often stop people, ask them for identification papers and inquire about their destinations.

Airstrikes Push Syrians to Refugee Camps in Jordan
►http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/world/middleeast/airstrikes-push-syrians-to-refugee-camps-in-jordan.html

A former colonel in the army said he would not have defected to join the rebels had he known he would end up in a refugee camp. “We thought the regime would collapse in two months,” said the colonel, who gave his name as Mohamed Sultan.

“The Syrians are getting killed in a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” he said, referring to regional supporters of the two sides.

Army Arrests 18 Gunmen, Seizes Weapons in Tripoli
►http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51366-army-arrests-18-gunmen-seizes-weapons-in-tripoli

The army on Sunday arrested 18 gunmen and confiscated quantities of weapons and ammunition in the unrest-hit northern city of Tripoli.

Al-Jadeed television said the army arrested 10 gunmen from al-Mouri family and seized two truckloads of weapons and ammunition from a center belonging to the family in al-Zahriyeh neighborhood.

The army said in a statement that it raided al-Zahriyeh after gunmen opened fire at one of its patrols in the neighborhood.

“Army reinforcements were sent to the area, where they staged a major crackdown on the hideouts of the gunmen. Eighteen gunmen were arrested and quantities of weapons, ammunition and military equipment were seized,” said the statement.

The army also raided some locations in al-Qebbeh neighborhood after gunfire erupted there and seized quantities of weapons and ammunition, according to the statement.

“The detainees and the seized items were handed over to the relevant authorities for further action,” the statement added.

Fighting in Damascus: Bullets Through the Heart (Al Akhbar English)
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/fighting-damascus-bullets-through-heart

The sound of gunfire in the heart of the capital is unfamiliar to Damascenes. The capital had been spared the military operations underway elsewhere in the country, with life continuing more or less as normal, until Sunday. It began in the Palestinian refugee camps south of the city, where a funeral for fallen victims was followed by an outbreak of clashes between the security forces and armed men. The army responded the following day by shelling sites in the camp and the adjoining al-Tadamon neighborhood, in a barrage that could be heard in many parts of capital. Panic ensued in the vicinity, prompting local residents to flee their homes in large numbers. (...) Source: Al Akhbar English

Fighting in Damascus: Bullets Through the Heart
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/fighting-damascus-bullets-through-heart

He said the lightly armed opposition fighters who had emerged in the capital seemed to be in no position to take on the army. “As far as we can see, they have no military planning or knowledge of the situation on the ground,” he said. “They’re relying on zeal, but that can’t bring down a regime that has a cohesive army and can deploy massive firepower against fighters who mostly just have rifles and submachine guns.”

He said he doubted that a “zero hour” offensive was on the cards, adding that rumors could merely be “psychological warfare” – though he said they had left many people feeling alarmed.

He noted that opposition attempts to instigate widespread protests in the capital had been unsuccessful in the past, and Damascenes were no more likely to rise against the regime now. “It would be a mistake to expect such a thing, and to count on it as part of the ‘zero hour’ plan would just make things worse.”

Hamas figure assassinated in Syria, Israel accused
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hamas-figure-assassinated-syria-israel-accused

A senior Hamas member has been killed in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, a member of the group told AFP on Thursday, accusing Israel’s spy agency of being behind the attack.

Israel’s defense minister responded coyly to the suggestion, telling army radio: “I’m not sure that that’s necessarily right.”

Hamas said the member, Kamal Hussein Ghanaja, was killed on Wednesday.

“A group of people entered his home in Qudsaya ... where he was liquidated,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“According to our information, Mossad was behind the assassination,” he added, referring to Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.

Au rayon « pas de partenaire pour la paix », se souvenir que, tout juste la semaine dernière : Hamas ready for truce after Israel kills child
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hamas-ready-truce-after-israel-kills-child

Hamas said on Wednesday they were ready to sign up to an Egyptian-brokered truce after three days of Israeli airstrikes killed eight Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy.

Syrian rebels’ arsenal includes remote-controlled truck bombs

By AUSTIN TICE
McClatchy Newspapers

KAFER ZAITA, Syria — Late in the afternoon on the second day of the intense fighting that raged in Kafer Zaita for much of last week, a massive explosion rocked the small northern town. “Abdullah,” who commands a small unit of rebel fighters, smiled. “I was waiting for that,” he said. “We just sent them a little gift.”

“They” were the army forces who for two days had been attempting to break out of their stronghold in the center of the town, and the “gift” was a truck laden with what the rebels said was 660 pounds of a homemade explosive. The bomb tore a hole in the fortress wall and left a 4-foot-deep crater in the pavement.

Read more here: ►http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/11/2844234/syrian-rebels-arsenal-includes.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

AJA: 65 persons killed today #Syria by the security and the army, most of them are from #Hom

Syrian forces renew Homs assault, kill 35: activists

►http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20120610&t=2&i=617214024&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBRE85913D

The army bombarded opposition strongholds in the city of Homs and the towns of Qusair, Talbiseh and Rastan. Free Syrian Army rebels had been intensifying attacks on army patrols, roadblocks and missile batteries in the area, the Syrian Network for Human Rights and other opposition campaigners said.

Abu Qassem, an activist in Rastan, 25 km (15 miles) north of Homs, said at least 500 rockets and shells had fallen on the town since Saturday, and army helicopters were firing machineguns into the area

to read more
►http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/10/us-syria-crisis-killings-idUSBRE85907R20120610

#Hama: Intense clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the army of the regime near the Agricultural Mechanization building at Salamyeh Road

SNHR & DCHRS | Syria| Mr Annan’s Plan Violation Points*| Friday, 8 June 2012

The Syrian Network for Human Rights and Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies have documented more than 820 violation points of Mr Annan’s Plan on 08-06-2012, including live gunfire, artillery shelling, raids, and attacks on peaceful civilians. As a result, many people were killed, others were wounded and some were arrested.

Videos of Areas that witnessed violations of the Plan are:#Aleppo
Al-Atarib: burning crops by the army
►http://youtu.be/0IDmeYtS0o

Egypt Transition on Brink of Collapse
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/egypt-transition-brink-collapse

Every aspect of Egypt’s transition has been badly mangled over the past 16 months and its legitimacy has been seriously called into question. Calls are growing for the entire process to be dumped in favor of a fresh start without the army at the helm. What is more likely to happen is that political elites will not come together to take on the military council, but instead pursue their own interests; band-aids will be used in a bid to save a decapitated political process and the country will stagger clumsily into another phase of uncertainty. For its part, the revolution will continue its struggle confined to where it first began: on the streets.

AnonymousSyria
We don’t accept Yemeni solution to be applied in #Syria, unless it includes clear intention to dissolve security forces & rebuild the army.

The army storms Alqabun and 5 martyrs so far, and the security forces has stolen one corpse, and sounds of bullets and explosions can be heard clearly#damascus
دبابات الجيش تقتحم القابون وسقوط 5 شهداء حتى الآن وقام الأمن باختطاف احدىالجثث..ولا تزال اصوات الرصاص والانفجارات مسموعة بشكل واضح#syria

#Damascus Suburbs: Maliha: Security forces and regime army stormed the city. There are reports of clashes between the residents and the army and sounds of shelling and explosions are reported in the town

#Damascus : Al Qabun : the army storms the district with armored vehicles and randomly shoots towards the homes
Damascus
دمشق:: : القابون:: : جيش النظام يقتحم الحي بالمدرعات و يطلق النار بشكل عشوائي باتجاه المنازل

Yabroud, #RifDimashq:The army is raiding parts of the town after an episode of heavy shelling, and reports of casualties among the civilians

Breaking : fights between the FSA and the army in Al Quzaz and Hajar AL Aswad in the heart of #Damascus

rafaalmasri
#عاجل : اشتباكات بين الجيش الحر وقوات الأمن في القزاز والحجر الاسود في قلب دمشق #Syria @akhbar

Seems that the massacre of Al Qubair has some similarities with AL Hula in Homs. The army shells and after, shabbiha moves in with their cars. Seems also that some residents in the alawite villages around Al Qubair are involved in the killing.

edwardedark
friend i spoke to in Aleppo’s northern countryside: the army burnt our crops, all of them #Syria

LCC Idlib arabic page ; Ariha ; explosions shake the town from the army ckpts and sounds of artillery shelling the town and sounds of clashes in the northern side of the highway road

بل الزاوية ,جسر الشغور ,معرة النعمان,ادلب
أريحـــــــا ====== @ انفجارات تهز المدينة من قبل حواجز الجيش الخائن واصوات المدفعية تدك صمت المدينة .. الله أكبر اصوات اشتباكات عند طريق الاوتستراد في القسم الشمالي من اريحا