Israel, the mid-east, and Russia

[Shammu]

UN Sanctions Against Iran Will Not Affect Russian Military Cooperation With Tehran — Official

Created: 13.07.2006 18:37 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 18:44 MSK, 10 hours 31 minutes ago

MosNews

Possible UN sanctions against Iran will not affect Russian-Iranian military cooperation, Russia’s foreign minister said Thursday, RIA Novosti news agency reports.

Sergei Lavrov said military and technical cooperation between Russia and Iran “is conducted fully in accordance with international norms.”

At the end of 2005, Russia signed a $700-million contract on supplies of 29 Tor-M1 air defense systems to Iran.

The Tor-M1 is a fifth-generation integrated mobile air defense system designed for operation at medium, low and very low altitudes against fixed/rotary wing aircraft, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle), guided missiles and other high-precision weapons.

Despite strong criticism from the United States, Russia has maintained that the systems could be used only to protect Iranian air space.

UN Sanctions Against Iran Will Not Affect Russian Military Cooperation With Tehran — Official

[Shammu]

 Hamas Leader Flees Egypt on Warnings of Israeli Strike
03:30 Jul 14, '06 / 18 Tammuz 5766

(IsraelNN.com) A senior Hamas leader fled Egypt for Syria Thursday night after Egyptian authorities warned that Israel planned to target him. Mohamed Nazal was in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials, including chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman.

Nazzel works out of Damascus, where he returned at 7 p.m. Egypt has been trying to mediate between Hamas and Israel to secure a release of Arab prisoners from Israeli jails in return for adducted IF soldier Gilad Shalit.

Hamas Leader Flees Egypt on Warnings of Israeli Strike

[Shammu]

Iran Attacking Israel Is Really Attack on U.S.

Thursday , July 13, 2006

By John Gibson

If you ever wondered whether it was worth all the trouble to keep Iran from getting a nuke, look at the news today.

When Hezbollah attacks Israel — or attacks anybody — it is Iran that is really doing the attacking.

If Iran can get the world to the brink of a war with just a few conventional explosives, a militia of irregulars and some suicide bombers, think what they could do with a real nuke.

Iran is attacking Israel, but it is really attacking us. That's because it knows that the U.S. will come to Israel's aid if things get really rough and eventually any Iran-Israel clash will get very rough.

So then the U.S. would have to decide about entering the fray in some way and Iran then has what it wants: a direct confrontation with the "Great Satan."  (I really hate America being called that....... DW)

Some people like to see the situation as a grouping of separates: The U.S. has a War on Terror, and Israel has a war with Hezbollah and Hamas, and Iran is threatening from a distance.

No, Iran is the puppeteer here pulling the strings and causing trouble.

You might find some experts to disagree with me. You'll definitely find a few experts who agree with me.

Whatever. The point is: Watch what happens. When the Iranians get nukes this ruckus we're witnessing today will look like a walk in the park. If the Iranians get their nuke which they can strap to their missiles, they can make good on their promise to remove Israel from the map and to bring the world economy to a standstill by blasting, or threatening, the Mideast oil fields.

Iran Attacking Israel Is Really Attack on U.S.

[Shammu]

Saudi Arabia criticizes Hizbullah
Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST    Jul. 14, 2006

In a significant move, Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's political heavyweight and economic powerhouse, accused Hizbullah guerrillas - without naming them - of "uncalculated adventures" that could precipitate a new Middle East crisis.

A Saudi official quoted by the state Saudi Press Agency said the Lebanese Hizbullah's brazen capture of two Israeli soldiers was not legitimate.

The kingdom "clearly announces that there has to be a differentiation between legitimate resistance (to Israel) and uncalculated adventures."

The Saudi official said Hizbullah's actions could lead to "an extremely serious situation which could subject all Arab nations and its achievements to destruction."

"The kingdom sees that it is time for those elements to alone shoulder the full responsibility for this irresponsible behavior and that the burden of ending the crisis falls on them alone."

Saudi Arabia's comments on the crisis came after most moderate Arab governments reacted with relative restraint to Israel's offensive in Lebanon, condemning attacks on civilians and infrastructure but also implicitly criticizing Hizbullah.

Saudi Arabia criticizes Hizbullah

[Shammu]

IDF bombs Hizbullah stronghold in Beirut

Following day in which two Israelis were killed, some 100 injured in Katyusha attacks on northern communities, IAF attacks Hizbullah stronghold in southern suburb of Lebanese capital. Earlier, main highway linking Beirut to Syrian capital attacked; jets struck at least five separate times along different points of international route, Lebanese security source says
Hanan Greenberg

Lebanon petrol tanks on fire

Night attack in Beirut: Israeli planes struck a bridge in the southern suburb of Beirut, a Hizbullah stronghold, and the fuel stores of the Jiyyeh power plant south of the city early on Friday, witnesses and security sources said.

Hizbullah's television station al-Manar said there were several injuries from the attacks, which started fires in the area.

The Lebanese Army responded with anti-aircraft fire. Residents heard at least three strikes. Lebanese security sources also reported that Israeli planes struck the main highway leading to Beirut's international airport and south Lebanon.

Other news reports said a playground where Hizbullah leaders hold rallies for thousands of their supporters was also targeted.

Israel Defense Forces officials confirmed that the army had struck targets in Beirut. 

Earlier, Israeli planes struck the main highway linking Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus, a Lebanese security source said.

The jets struck at least five separate times along different points of the international route, the source said.

Hizbullah Attacks
Northern Israel under attack; missile fired at Haifa / Ahiya Raved

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties and witnesses said the road was clear of traffic after earlier congestion as tourists fled Lebanon to neighboring Syria.

Israeli officials said on Thursday that Israeli forces planned to strike the key highway as part of an assault aimed at retrieving two soldiers seized by Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas.

Israel had already bombed Lebanon’s airports and blockaded the country from the sea, bringing trade and tourism to a halt.

Lebanese officials said Israeli aircraft dispersed thousands of leaflets above the Shiite-dominated areas of southern Beirut warning citizens to stay clear of Hizbullah offices and operatives.

"For your own safety and because of our desire not to harm any civilians who are not involved (with Hizbullah), you should refrain from staying in areas where Hizbullah is present and operating," said the Arabic-language leaflets, signed "The State of Israel".

'We have no intention of seeking revenge'

Eyewitnesses said hundreds of residents were seen leaving the capital.

IDF sources said several senior Hizbullah members have gone into hiding.

“We assume Hizbullah will continue to launch attacks, also on Haifa, but at the end of the day the organization will be defeated,” one official said.

Beirut’s Dahiya neighborhood, a Hizbullah stronghold, has been marked as the IDF’s key target for the next 24 hours.

The organization maintains several weapons cashes and its headquarters in the neighborhood.

“We have no intention of seeking revenge, but to simply strike what is dearest and most important to Hizbullah,” a military source said.

The security establishment decided to intensify the attacks in Lebanon after a 122 millimeter missile was fired at Haifa.

“This is a simple upgraded Katyusha,” an army source said. “Hizbullah has more of these Katyushas, and it may launch them.”

'We must remain patient'

The IDF rejected Hizbullah’s claims that it was not behind the missile attack, saying it had proof the organization did in fact launch the missile toward Haifa. A similar Katyusha was fired just hours earlier at Carmiel.

Lebanon has asked for an immediate ceasefire, but a senior Northern Command officer said “we do not intend to respond positively until the operation’s objectives have been attained. The resident of the north understand this and are willing to accept the disruption of their daily lives, including the cancellation of summer camps.

“We must remain patient; the operation began only 24 hours ago,” he said.

IDF sources said that after Hizbullah stated that “If Beirut or its suburbs will sustain Israeli attacks, we will attack Haifa,” it will not show restraint in its actions against the organization.

“We hold Lebanon, which allows Hizbullah to operate from its capital, responsible for the attacks on the north,” an IDF official said.

IDF bombs Hizbullah stronghold in Beirut

[Shammu]

War on Iran Has Begun

BY DAVID TWERSKY
July 13, 2006
New York Sun Times

TEL AVIV, Israel — The war with Iran has begun.

Just last Friday, Iranian President Ahmadinejad warned that Israel's return to Gaza could lead to an "explosion" in the Islamic world that would target Israel and its supporters in the West. "They should not let things reach a point where an explosion occurs in the Islamic world," he said.

"If an explosion occurs, then it won't be limited to geographical boundaries. It will also burn all those who created [Israel] over the past 60 years," he said, implicitly referring to America and other Western nations who support Israel.

Years from now, the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit will be regarded like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. Against the backdrop of Kassam rocket fire on Israelis living within range of the Gaza Strip, it was the fate of Corporal Shalit that triggered the Israeli return to Gaza, which in turn brought the Hezbollah forces into the game.

Israel is fighting two Iranian proxies on two fronts. It may, or may not, open a third front against a third Iranian proxy, Syria. It is from the Syrian capital that Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas, has been laying down Palestinian Arab negotiating conditions. Why listen to Mr. Meshaal? Because the Hamas troops are loyal to him, rather than to their erstwhile leader, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah, let alone the increasingly (as if that were possible) hapless Palestinian Arab leader, Mahmoud Abbas.

As one senior Palestinian Arab close to Mr. Abbas told me Mr. Meshaal believes that any resolution of this crisis, and of the wider crisis brought on by the surprising Hamas election win last January and the ensuing isolation of the Palestinian Authority from its European and American funding sources, must await the outcome of the discussions between Iran and the West over its nuclear enrichment program.

Perhaps a grand bargain is in the works, in which Tehran will forgo its nuclear weapons ambitions in exchange for Washington's recognition of its emergence as the new regional power. Every day, Iran grows more powerful; any deal should reflect Iran's growing importance. For example: forcing Israel to bargain for prisoner swaps, cutting the Israeli military advantage down to size, and scuttling both the possibility of unilateral disengagement in the West Bank (the preferred Israeli option) and renewed negotiations with weakened Palestinian Arab moderates (the option preferred by the Europeans).

Even more loyal to Tehran is the Hezbollah leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, whose forces yesterday kidnapped two more Israeli soldiers, opening up the second front. Sheik Nasrallah is warning Israelis that they must not think Lebanon is unprotected as it was in 1981 and 1982 when Israeli forces came pouring across the border to silence Palestinian Arab guns. Sheik Nasrallah's men are the recipients of tens of thousands of rockets — longer range and presumably more deadly than their roughly engineered younger Kassam cousins — that put central Israel in their range.

Each one of these players — Hamas inside Gaza and in Damascus, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Assad dictatorship in Syria — are chess pieces on the Iranian board. The pawn moves, drawing in the Israeli bishop; the Lebanese rook challenges; the Syrian queen is in reserve.

Just listen: A few weeks ago, the Swedish government announced that it would label Golan Heights wine as a product from "Israeli Occupied Syria."

The Swedes were oblivious to the little dance played out around a request by the United Nations that Syria demarcate its view of the 1967 border. Turtle Bay was aiming to push Syria to claim the Sheeba farms, a small tract held by Israel and claimed by Hezbollah for Lebanon. The United Nations recognizes Sheeba Farms as belonging to Syria; should Israel and Syria ever negotiate a peace treaty, it is clear the Security Council would expect Sheeba Farms to be returned to Syrian control.

The United Nations wanted Syria to assert its claim, in order to deny Hezbollah its basic raison d'etre — "liberating" all Lebanese soil from "the Israeli occupation forces."

Passed in 2004, Security Council resolution 1559 requires the dismantling of all Lebanese militias and their replacement by a Lebanese state army. Thus far, this has been as successful as the requirement by the Quartet (America, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations) that all independent Palestinian Arab terrorist groups and militias be disarmed.

Guess what? The Syrians refused. Just turned the United Nations down flat. Apparently Sweden is more passionate about asserting Syrian territorial rights than Syria itself.

The reason is simple: Iran does not want to deny Hezbollah the justification for maintaining its armed presence in southern Lebanon, along northern Israel, and Syria does Iran's bidding.

Ephraim Sneh, a former general and Labor Party leader who is the Israeli longest drawing attention to the approaching conflict with Iran, is saying that the current moment reminds him of the Spanish Civil War. The broader global forces are aligned; local actors are committed. It is a bloody test, a macabre dress rehearsal, for what lies over the horizon.

The war with Iran has begun.

War on Iran Has Begun

[Shammu]

Northern escalation Syria: a possible third front
By Ze'ev Schiff

Two weeks after the start of the IDF's extensive operation in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah opened a second front on the northern border. The second front, which could expand into Israel, started just as the first did - with the abduction of soldiers from inside Israel and the deaths of others.

Israel faces the danger of a third front if Syria steps in to assist Hezbollah. Strategically, Israel faces an extreme foursome: Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. Two extremist Islamic organizations considered terror organizations, and two states Washington names in the Axis of Evil.

Israel has no choice but to hold Lebanon responsible for what happens in its borders and for what comes out of it. Lebanon will likely wail as Israel strikes inside its territory and hits its infrastructure, but the Lebanese government must see itself as responsible for what Hezbollah does out of Lebanon. Particularly since Lebanon essentially rejected UN resolution 1559, which called for disarming the militia. Hamas and Hezbollah made the rules of the game with the ongoing rocket fire into Israel and the abduction of Israeli soldiers. If Israel loses in handling this, its strategic and military standing in the region will change and its deterrence of guerrilla warfare and high-trajectory weapons will be undermined.

From the moment the ground incursion into Gaza started, it was possible Hezbollah would try to help Hamas by attacking on the Lebanese border. This option was rejected by most military analysts. No unusual alert was evident.

In addition to the desire to help Hamas, Hezbollah has its own grudge to bear with Israel. On May 28, Hezbollah taunted Israel with a Katyusha barrage at an IDF base on Mt. Meron. In response, Israel immediately hit a number of Hezbollah positions along the border. It was clear that Hezbollah, whose leader has often declared his organization would abduct Israelis, was waiting for the right moment, which came yesterday. There is no need for (res.) Major General Giora Eiland to investigate the event in the north as he did the one in the south. It is better to focus on upcoming developments and the question of how to conduct a war on two and maybe three fronts. Hopefully Israel's leaders will give up the harsh words and exaggerated threats we have seen in the past two weeks.

Israel's options now are aggression on two fronts. Israeli would best act cautiously in order not to open a third front with Syria, unless Damascus taunts Israel.

Clearly Israel will strike Lebanese infrastructure related to Hezbollah and may expand its targets in its wrath. For years, Israel neglected the rocket system Hezbollah built in Lebanon with Iranian and Syrian help. It took no preventative measures against the convoys and storehouses of weaponry. We thought they would rust and now they are directed at Israel. There is also an absurd situation where we ignored Hezbollah positions adjacent to the border and to our Galilee communities. Some of those positions were once IDF outposts.

Israel must not allow Hezbollah to return to border positions. This is a clearcut defensive tactic and, in any case, Hezbollah is taking the offensive against Israel. Israel's operation in Gaza is not enough.

The Gaza front will become secondary if the fighting in the north expands. If Israel wants even partial international support, it must avoid causing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. After yesterday's events on the northern border, international efforts to mediate on the matter of the abductees and the prisoners will increase and address additional issues. In which case, Israel will have little time for a broad military operation.

Northern escalation Syria: a possible third front

[Shammu]

 Under-fire Syria 'ready for anything'

by Roueida MabardiFri Jul 14, 2:18 PM ET

Syria is bracing itself for "any eventuality" as the regime nervously eyes a relentless Israeli operation over the border in Lebanon and faces up to increasingly hostile US rhetoric.

"Syria is in confrontation with Israel. It is watching the situation and is ready to defend itself against any eventuality," said Elias Murad, editor of the ruling Baath party newspaper Al-Baath.

He expressed fear of an "extension of the Israeli operation in the south of Lebanon or towards Syria," a move that would open a third front on top of Israel's continuing operations in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

An irate Israel has lumped Damascus together in an "axis of terror" with Iran over their backing for Hezbollah, whose capture of two Israeli soldiers sparked the Lebanon offensive that has already left more than 60 people dead.

The sabre rattling from Israel has been matched by comments from US President George W. Bush, already at odds with Damascus over its alleged role in the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

"Syria needs to be held to account" over the dramatic escalation of violence in the Middle East, Bush said in Germany on Thursday. "President (Bashar al-) Assad needs to show some leadership towards peace."

The Syrian newspaper ath-Thawra wrote that the only way to resolve the crisis was for Israel "to accept the conditions posed by the resistance," referring to a prisoner exchange steadfastly rejected by the Jewish state.

The dramatic escalation in Lebanon has sparked fears of an even wider conflict and fellow US arch-foe Iran lost no time in saying it would stand behind its under-fire Arab ally in the event of any attack.

"If Israel commits another act of idiocy and aggresses Syria, this will be the same as an aggression against the entire Islamic world and it will receive a stinging response," said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"The Israeli aggressions are a result of the weakness of a puppet regime that is on its way towards disappearing," he told Assad in a telephone conversation.

Israel has vowed to break Hezbollah and is also in open conflict in the Gaza Strip with Palestinian militant group Hamas, many of whose key leaders, like political supremo Khaled Meshaal, have found sanctuary in Syrian exile.

"The Hezbollah would not be able to operate in Lebanon without clear Syrian sponsorship," fumed Israeli foreign ministry official Gideon Meir, branding Iran the militia's "main benefactor."

"Consequently, Israel views Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran as primary elements in the axis of terror and hate, threatening not only Israel but the entire world," Meir added.

If Hezbollah has long-range rockets and "tries to hit Haifa with projectiles developed with Syria's help, Israel has no choice but to hit Damascus," Yuval Steinitz, the hawkish former chairman of the parliamentary defence and foreign affairs committee said.

Last month, Israeli warplanes overflew Assad's palace in northern Syria while the president was inside, an operation Syrian state television called an "aggressive act and an unacceptable provocation."

Israeli General Ido Nehushtan said that while Israel "cannot allow Hezbollah to continue to benefit from Syrian and Iranian support... for the moment we are concentrating on Lebanon because we were attacked from Lebanon."

US Syria expert Joshua Landis said that for all the US frustration with Syria, Damascus is feeling more confident than it has for years with the United States bogged down in Iraq and apparently failing to make headway with Iran.

"Syria is feeling strong. It can now go on the offensive. Damascus feels confident that Washington cannot counter-attack at this time. It has few arrows left in its quiver," said the University of Oklahoma professor on his website.

Under-fire Syria 'ready for anything'

[Shammu]

Ahmadinejad: Iran is out of Israel's reach
Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST    Jul. 14, 2006

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday that Israel could not harm Iran, even as it expanded its offensive into Lebanon to target the Iranian-backed Hizbullah, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

"Despite the barbaric and criminal nature of the occupiers of Jerusalem, the regime and its Western supporters do not even have the power to give Iran a nasty look," the agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in Osku, in northwestern Iran.

His declaration came just hours after he warned Israel against extending its Lebanon assault into neighboring Syria, saying such a move would be seen as an attack against the whole Islamic world. Ahmadinejad made those comments in a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Assad, to assure him of his support, IRNA reported.

Ahmadinejad: Iran is out of Israel's reach

[Shammu]

Jordan’s king meets Egyptian president to discuss Israeli incursions
(AP)

14 July 2006


CAIRO, Egypt - Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday in a hastily-called meeting to discuss escalating Mideast violence.

The two leaders of moderate, U.S.-backed Arab regimes - the only countries in the region to sign peace treaties with Israel - discussed the Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, which have killed 86 Palestinians in Gaza and 61 people in Lebanon, many of them civilians.

Abdullah and Mubarak met, had lunch and then Abdullah left for Jordan a few hours later, Egypt’s official news agency reported.

Jordan and Egypt have taken a lead in efforts to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas amid infighting between his Fatah faction and the militant group Hamas, which runs the Palestinian government, as well as in Israeli-Palestinian clashes. Egypt has also played a mediating role in the current escalation between Israel and Hamas officials.

US President George W. Bush phoned Mubarak early Friday to talk about the escalations in Lebanon and Gaza, the agency reported.

The two leaders “tackled ways to contain the current exploding situation on the Lebanese stage” and violence in the Gaza Strip, it said.

The call could be an attempt by Bush to enlist Mubarak’s help in the Lebanon crisis as well.

Jordan’s king meets Egyptian president to discuss Israeli incursions

[Shammu]

Israel asks to buy US jet fuel for military aircraft

Fri Jul 14, 5:36 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon notified Congress of an Israeli request to purchase up to 210 million dollars in JP-8 aviation jet fuel for its military aircraft.

"The jet fuel will be consumed while the aircraft is in use to keep peace and security in the region," the Pentagon's Defense Security and Cooperation Agency said.

The notice to Congress came two days after Israeli fighter jets attacked targets in Lebanon, including the international airport in Beirut, following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerrillas.

The Pentagon said the sale would help "improve the security of a friendly country which has been, and continues to be, an important force for stability and economic progress in the Middle East."

The US Congress has 30 days to act to block the sale; otherwise, it is automatically approved.

Israel asks to buy US jet fuel for military aircraft

[Shammu]

Bush refuses to press Israel for truce

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent 1 hour, 10 minutes ago

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - President Bush refused to press Israel for a cease-fire in Mideast violence Friday, risking a wider breach with world leaders at a weekend summit already confronting crises with Iran and North Korea.

Flying here from Germany, Bush called the leaders of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan to explore ways to end three days of furious fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Turning aside complaints that Israel is using excessive force, Bush rejected a cease-fire plea from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.

"The president is not going to make military decisions for Israel," White House press secretary Tony Snow said. He said it was unlikely that either side would agree to a cease-fire now.

The eruption of Mideast violence moved prominently onto the agenda of the summit beginning Saturday.

In contrast with Bush's stand, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "No hostage-takings are acceptable ... but neither is the use of full-scale force in response to these, even if unlawful, actions. We will demand that all sides involved in the conflict immediately stop the bloodshed."

The summit is expected to issue a Mideast declaration, and the United States tried to shape it to be critical of Hezbollah and supportive of Lebanon's fragile government.

French President Jacques Chirac accused Israel of going too far. "One could ask if today there is not a sort of will to destroy Lebanon, its equipment, its roads, its communications," said Chirac, who has tried to patch relations with the U.S. after disagreements over the Iraq war.

Before traveling here from Rome, Italian Premier Romano Prodi said the spiral of violence was making a return to dialogue difficult. "We have regressed 20 years. If we go on like this, all efforts made in the past years will have been in vain," he said.

Bush met with Putin ahead of Saturday's opening of the annual summit of eight leading industrial powers. Despite political strains, the two leaders shook hands and hugged. "Solid friendship," Bush said of Putin as they and their wives went to dinner in a villa on the grounds of the opulent 18th century Konstantin Palace. The two leaders also will hold a news conference on Saturday.

Bush's firm support of Israel caused friction with allies as he seeks consensus against Iran and North Korea for their suspected nuclear weapons programs. The European Union has criticized Israel for using "disproportionate" force. From Russia to Spain, leaders voiced concern at the escalation of the conflict.

In Washington, Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), the Armed Services Committee chairman, urged the administration to be mindful of how Israel's response will affect the broader Mideast region.

While Israel was "the victim of provocative attacks," Warner urged the administration to "think through very carefully how Israel's extraordinary reaction could affect our operations in Iraq and our joint diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue."

Seeking Putin's cooperation on issues ranging from Iran and North Korea to terrorism and rising energy prices, Bush went out of his way to avoid criticizing Russia for what is widely perceived as backsliding on democracy and human rights.

In a meeting with social activists unhappy about the rise of authoritarianism, Bush called Putin "my friend" and said "our own government and our country took a while to evolve." Bush's muted words were in sharp contrast with Vice President Dick Cheney's complaint two months ago that Russia was cracking down on religious and political rights and using its energy reserves as "tools of intimidation or blackmail."

In a boon for Russia, the United States appeared to be close to dropping its objections to Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization, which sets rules for global commerce. The United States is the last country whose support Russia needs for membership. But U.S. officials have insisted on strong assurances in such areas as the protection of intellectual property rights to avoid some of the problems the United States now faces with China.

Bush's national security team was preoccupied with the situation in the Middle East, which was triggered when Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon crossed the border into Israel and captured two soldiers. Already fighting in Gaza to rescue a captured soldier, Israel launched a furious offensive in Lebanon, bombing its air and road links.

In his conversation with Lebanon's prime minister, Bush underscored that Israel has a right to defend itself, said Snow, the White House spokesman. He said Bush also said Israel should try to limit damage and spare civilian lives.

Saniora appealed to Bush to press Israel for a cease-fire, but he would not go along.

"It is unlikely that either or both parties are going to agree to that at this juncture," Snow said, "although we certainly hope that we get to a cease-fire soon and we hope that all parties work toward it."

While making appeals to Arab leaders, Bush did not call Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Snow said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and others.

The White House took heart in a statement by Saudi Arabia that the administration interpreted as saying that Hezbollah had acted irresponsibly and independently of the Lebanese government. The White House hopes Arab League foreign ministers, meeting Saturday, also will express concern about Hezbollah.

While summit leaders have been critical of Israel's use of force, Snow said one area of common ground as the summit works on a Mideast resolution "is that Hezbollah cannot act independently of the government of Lebanon."

Putin's foreign policy adviser, Sergei Prikhodko, said Russia was deeply worried "because elements of force, the absence of political measures and the use of tools of pressure that are inadmissible in international practice — the taking of hostages — changes the configuration of the situation in the region."

Bush refuses to press Israel for truce

[Shammu]

Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday strongly deplored Israel's strikes on Lebanon, saying they were "an attack" on a sovereign and free nation.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said Pope Benedict and his aides were very worried that the developments in the Middle East risked degenerating into "a conflict with international repercussions."

"In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence," he told Vatican Radio.

Israel struck Beirut airport again on Friday and bombed Lebanese roads, power supplies and communication networks in a widening campaign after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight.

Sodano said the Vatican condemned both "terroristic attacks" and military reprisals.

Hizbollah, which wants to trade its captives for prisoners held in Israel, has showered rockets across the frontier in its fiercest bombardment since 1996 when Israel launched a 17-day blitz against southern Lebanon and Hizbollah.

But Sodano reserved his harshest words for Israel.

"The right of defence on the part of a state does not exempt it from its responsibility to respect international law, particularly regarding the safeguarding of civilian populations," he said.

Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon

[Shammu]

Syria says supports Hizbollah against Israel
Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:57pm ET12


DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria will support its allies Hizbollah and Lebanon against Israel's attacks on the country, the ruling Baath Party said on Friday.

"The Syrian people are ready to extend full support to the Lebanese people and their heroic resistance to remain steadfast and confront the barbaric Israeli aggression and its crimes," a communiqué issued by the party's national command said.

Syria says supports Hizbollah against Israel

[Shammu]

 100s of PA Residents Enter Rafiah After Blowing a Hole in Border
18:55 Jul 14, '06 / 18 Tammuz 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Authorities report that hundreds of Palestinian Authority (PA) residents of the Rafiah area of Gaza have succeeded in entering the PA autonomous area after a hole was blown in the border partition.

They have been denied entry via the Rafiah Crossing since the kidnapping of IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit on June 25th.

100s of PA Residents Enter Rafiah After Blowing a Hole in Border