Biblical countries, in the news.

[Shammu]

Arab media watch: Where is al-Manar?

How is Hizbullah TV station being managed? London-based newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat tries to locate center of operations. This week in Arab press: Criticism of Hizbullah, accusations against Syria and purported Israeli spy ring exposed in Lebanon
Roee Nahmias

The mystery behind al-Manar: According to a report in the London-based newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat, no one knows where Hizbullah television station al-Manar is being broadcast from since it went underground after Israeli attacks.

Apparently not even guests interviewed on al-Manar programs know where the headquarters are, “in keeping with complicated regulations which prevent them from knowing the precise location,” the pan-Arab newspaper reports.

Phone calls to the station are not a simple matter either, as all its employees have changed their phone numbers. Therefore, the newspaper reports, to reach senior al-Manar employees by phone, one must pass through a complex chain of communications, mostly cellular. Thus, the location from which Hizbullah TV broadcasts remains a riddle even to some of its employees, and broadcasts are done from numerous locations to maintain secrecy.

A spokesman for the station, Ibrahim Farkhat, said al-Manar had prepared protocol for broadcasting during emergency situations. He noted the station was in a “terrific” state, despite the “difficult circumstances on the ground.” Al-Manar’s broadcasts were somewhat disrupted, however, by Israeli Air Force strikes on the station, which can be felt in its simplified broadcast schedule and hasty and meager news reports.

Spy games: In the meantime, reports continue regarding the exposure of an Israeli spy network by Lebanese intelligence.

Lebanese journal al-Intiqad on Friday reported that a group of Israeli operatives were caught with communications equipment used to track cell phone conversations.

The operatives arrested are citizens of various countries, the report claimed, including Lebanese, Iraqi, Palestinian, Syrian, Sudanese, Egyptian and others. Among other things, their operations allowed Israeli intelligence to track certain targets, such as particular cars.

‘Hizbullah feared Lebanese prosperity’: The Arab media also included some voices of criticism against Hizbullah. Huda al-Husseini, a columnist in al-Sharq al-Awsat, wrote an article this week under the headline: “Bombing of Haifa led to ruin of Lebanon.”

“Before the order to kidnap the two Israeli soldiers, the Lebanese economy had started to lift its head, investments were streaming in,  real estate prices rose, and prosperity could be felt in every corner. But all of this recovery constituted a challenge to the Hizbullah thought processes. Lebanese people of all ethnicities were beginning to return to their state before the war and before the invasion of the idea of the Iranian Islamic revolution. Lebanese like to earn and live well, and this very much threatened the outlook Hizbullah is based on,” al-Husseini wrote.

“Hizbullah's preparation for this war began years ago. The organization trained and stocked up on weapons from Iran and Syria,” she wrote, adding that Israel served Lebanon true destructive blows only after Hizbullah attacked Haifa.

Al-Husseini criticized the words of a Hizbullah minister, who said: “We’ve exchanged the period of tourism for the period of heroism,” saying: “These are nice words, but what is really needed is a brave initiative to save Lebanon, for example, for Hizbullah to declare a unilateral ceasefire.”

Syria’s gains: Some, on the other hand, allude to accusations against Syria for the current crisis, in their failure to agree to draw borders in which the Shebaa Farms belong to Lebanon and not Syria, to justify Lebanon’s demands that Israel withdraw from them.

Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi claimed in an interview for al-Sharq al-Awsat that “If Syria agreed to draw the border, we could go to the UN Security Council as a strong step and work to achieve our demands. If Israel then refused to withdraw from Shebaa Farms, Hizbullah resistance could fulfill its duty by being supported unanimously in Lebanon and having international legitimacy. But Syria refused and here comes Israel instead supported by international legitimacy and opens its aggressions.”

Arab media watch: Where is al-Manar?

[Shammu]

 Rice Cancels Planned Visit to Beirut
11:06 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Following foreign agency reports that over 70 people have been killed in an IAF aerial assault in Kafr Qana in Lebanon, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has canceled her planed visit to the Lebanese capital.

Rice met on Saturday night and Sunday morning with senior ministers in Israel and was scheduled to meet with state leaders in Beirut as she hopes shuttle diplomacy efforts will result in a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

Galei Tzahal (Army) Radio reports that “security concerns” following the Qana incident have prompted Rice to cancel her trip.

Rice Cancels Planned Visit to Beirut

[Shammu]

 Sirens Continue to Sound in Northern Israel
11:11 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Air raid sirens are sounding at this time in Karmiel and the Druse community of Beit Jon. Residents are instructed to enter safe rooms and shelters.

Sirens Continue to Sound in Northern Israel

[Shammu]

 IDF Spokesperson’s Office on Qana Incident
11:35 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) The Office of the IDF Spokesperson a short time ago released a statement that residents of Kafr Qana in Lebanon were warned and urged to leave their homes and the area, ahead of Israel Air Force aerial assaults.

IDF officials explained that following days of Katyusha rocket launches from the Lebanese village, the decision was made to attack from the air but all residents were urged to leave before the assault took place.

IDF Spokesperson’s Office on Qana Incident

[Shammu]

 Lebanon Seeking to Escalate Qana Incident
11:51 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr released a statement on Sunday denying the accuracy of IDF reports that terrorists fired Katyusha rockets at Israel from Kafr Qana.

“What do you expect Israel to say, that she killed 40 women and children?” stated Murr in his response to Israel’s official explanation to the event.

The Office of the IDF Spokesperson released a statement that Qana residents were urged to leave the area ahead of the aerial assault which was compelled by ongoing Katyusha rocket attacks from that location.

Lebanon Seeking to Escalate Qana Incident

[Shammu]

 Over 80 Rockets Fired into Israel Sunday Morning
12:05 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Military officials report over 80 rockets were fired into Israel on Sunday morning resulting in light injuries to 4 people and tens of others requiring treatment for anxiety and hysteria.

Over 80 Rockets Fired into Israel Sunday Morning

[Shammu]

 Rice Met Senior Officials on Sunday Morning
12:15 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met earlier on Sunday morning with senior Israeli officials, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz.

In her meeting with Livni, Rice addressed ongoing ceasefire efforts that would include the deployment of an international “stabilizing” force to include Lebanese and French forces.

Mr. Peretz briefed Rice on ongoing IDF activities against Hizbullah, calling the situation a war against “Iran’s most forward outpost.”

Peretz stated there are many armies in the world which do not have the number of missiles held by Hizbullah, stating that when the battle is over, Hizbullah and Hamas will be significantly weakened.

Rice Met Senior Officials on Sunday Morning

[Shammu]

 Rockets in Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon
11:54 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766
by Hillel Fendel

Sunday morning wave of Katyushas hits northern Israel, causing injuries, sending tens of thousands into shelters. The IDF hit targets in Lebanon, including a house in terrorist-stronghold Kafr Kana.


Some 25 Hizbullah-fired Katyusha rockets smashed into northern Israel's Kiryat Shmonah and vicinity this morning, hitting at least one building. Seven rockets hit Acco, wounding ten people, while in Nahariya, a Magen David Adom medical team evacuated two wounded, including one who was hit by shrapnel. More rockets were fired at Haifa, Kfar Blum and elsewhere.

Over the course of the Sabbath, close to 100 Katyushas landed in Tzfat, Carmiel, Acco, Nahariya, Maalot, Tiberias, Kiryat Shmonah and elsewhere. Though tens of thousands of people were forced to spend yet another Sabbath in their shelters, only one person was injured by the rockets. Heavy damage was caused to medical facility in Acco.

Tens of other thousands of people have left their homes for central and southern Israel.

The official count of Katyusha rockets that have hit Israel in the past 19 days: over 1,750. Of these, close to a quarter fell, as they were intended, in populated areas, killing 19 civilians. In addition, nearly 1,100 people have been wounded, including 66 in critical or "moderate" condition, and 43 people are still hospitalized.

On Friday, for the first time, Hizbullah fired a much higher-quality Katyusha, known as a Fajr-5. The Fajr is a long-range missile with a particularly heavy explosive payload, and five of them landed as far south as the Beit She'an-Afula area. No one was hurt.

In Kafr Kana, Lebanon, a three-story building bombed by the IDF was totally destroyed, killing at least 50 people, many of whom were in the shelter below. Israel has repeatedly warned civilians in the area to leave, but Hizbullah terrorists, who used them as "human shields," prevented them from doing so.

A senior Israel Air Force officer said that the army has been bombing the area for three days because of dozens of Katyushas fired from the village. Some of the Katyushas hit an Israeli hospital.

Rockets in Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon

[Shammu]

Bicycle and oil deals cement Chavez's ties to Iran

By Alireza Ronaghi Sun Jul 30, 2:03 PM ET

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez enveloped his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a bear hug on Sunday and the two men backed their anti-U.S. rhetoric with deals on everything from bicycles to oil.
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In a typically verbose speech, robust ex-paratrooper Chavez lambasted their common enemy, Washington.

"If the U.S. empire succeeds in establishing its dominance, there will be no future for humanity. Therefore we should save humanity and end the American empire," Chavez told a crowd at the University of Tehran.

Chavez also criticized the current offensive by
Israel,
Iran's arch-enemy, against Lebanon as "both fascism and terrorism." This chimed with the view of Iran's president who has compared Israel's conduct to that of Adolf Hitler.

A beaming Ahmadinejad presented Chavez with the golden "High Medallion of the Islamic Republic of Iran" and slipped a blue sash around his chest.

"Mr Chavez is my brother, the brother of the whole Iranian nation and of all freedom-seeking people in the world," he said.

"He is a perpetual warrior against the dominant system, a worshipper of God and a servant of the people," he added.

Chavez and Ahmadinejad are both ex-military populists who take a hawkish price stance in the
OPEC oil cartel. They enjoy a close personal rapport.

Both countries frequently boast they are steeled for any military assault the United States may launch.

Venezuelan Energy and Mines Minister Rafael Ramirez echoed the leaders' defiant attitude by threatening to cut oil exports to the United States if Washington did not drop its hostile stance toward Chavez's administration.

MORE THAN RHETORIC

But there was more than Yankee-bashing to the visit, and the Venezuelan delegation signed several Memorandums of Understanding on joint work in the oil industry and housing.

Iran and Venezuela also signed deals on jointly making bicycles, medicines and industrial moulds, and pledged to cooperate in aviation and on environmental issues, though details on all these contracts were hazy.

Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh said the Iranian firm Petropars would invest $4 billion in two Venezuelan energy projects.

Petropars is already certifying some tarry crude in the Orinoco Belt and is looking to develop reserves there. It also wants to supply training and services to the Norte de Paria offshore gas field.

A planned deal for Venezuela to export gasoline to Iran was canceled. Industry Minister Alireza Tahmasbi told Reuters this was because of problems over pricing and quality.

The contract had attracted considerable interest because of confusion over whether Iran is going to cut gasoline imports from September 23.

Iranian investors have already poured $1 billion of investment into Venezuela, mainly in sectors such as energy, construction and tractor-building.

Carmaker Iran Khodro said it would start making its Samand model in Venezuela in October.

Although commercial deals are proceeding, some analysts have said that Chavez's dependence on the United States as a major buyer of his oil will probably prevent him from striking any arms deals with Tehran.

Chavez visited Moscow before Iran, and on Thursday Russia said it had sold Venezuela 77 aircraft and helicopters as part of a long-term package of arms deals worth over $3 billion.

Bicycle and oil deals cement Chavez's ties to Iran

[Shammu]

Iran's Ahmadinejad signals hardening of nuclear stance

by Hiedeh Farmani Sun Jul 30, 3:24 PM ET

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's president signaled that Israeli attacks against the Palestinian territories and Lebanon were causing Iran to harden its stance in the international row over its nuclear programme.

"We are examining the package, considering our interests and definitive legitimate rights and will announce our views at the appointed date," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said of an international offer of incentives in exchange for a halt to sensitive atomic work.

"But the incidents in Lebanon and Palestine have influenced our examination," said the president, whose country is a major supporter of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement as well as the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Ahmadinejad also asserted that "the government is determined to fully exploit the rights of the Iranian nation," signalling Tehran's continued unwillingness to freeze its controversial uranium enrichment programme.

Iran says it only wants to enrich uranium to the levels needed for reactor fuel and that this is a right enshrined by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"Nuclear energy is clean and renewable, and all nations have the right to use it," said Ahmadinejad, who was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Enrichment can also be extended to make weapons, and lingering questions over the nature of Iran's work has prompted a series of demands for a moratorium.

Iran had also threatened Sunday to bin the international proposal -- which was drawn up by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany -- if the UN Security Council passes a draft resolution demanding that Tehran freeze enrichment by the end of August.

Iran had said it will take until August 22 to reply the offer that was handed to Tehran on June 6, prompting the Security Council to reinforce demands for an enrichment freeze.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Tehran could "revise" its policies, implicitly warning that future access for UN inspectors could end. He also said the proposed UN resolution would "worsen the crisis in the region".

"By putting pressure and trying to intimidate Iran, no country will achieve anything. On the contrary, the situation will worsen," Asefi said.

"If tomorrow they pass a resolution against Iran, the package will not be on the agenda any more," he said of the proposal, which offers Iran the prospect of multilateral talks on trade, diplomatic and technology incentives if it complies.

"Issuing this resolution will worsen the crisis in the region."

When asked to elaborate on what specific measures Iran might take, Asefi replied: "They know what I am talking about."

Iranian leaders have already warned they could halt cooperation with inspectors from the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and even quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

They have also played up Iran's regional clout and oil wealth.

A text of the proposed UN resolution was distributed to the 15 council nations on Friday, and US ambassador John Bolton told reporters that a vote could be held early in the week.

If Iran continues enriching uranium, "the next step will be the consideration of sanctions in the Security Council, and it would be our intention to move forcefully to get those sanctions adopted," Bolton said.

The first stage would be political and economic sanctions, diplomats stressed, pointing to a vote within a few days.

"My hope is that we will be able to adopt it by Monday," said French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, whose country holds the rotating council presidency for July.

The United States and its allies believe that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb, and US
President George W. Bush said Friday Tehran "will not be allowed" to achieve its wish.

Russia and China have led opposition to any mention of sanctions in the UN resolution.

Moscow's ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, stressed the new resolution would not threaten sanctions and that it was "an invitation to dialogue" with Iran.

Iran's Ahmadinejad signals hardening of nuclear stance

[Shammu]

 Lebanese Army Opens Fire on IDF Helicopters
22:47 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Lebanese army soldiers opened fire on IDF helicopters attempting to land in the Bekaa Valley Sunday night and prevented them from landing, according to Lebanese sources quoted by Reuters News Agency.

The helicopters flew away without damage after apparently trying to land Israeli soldiers near a town in the area. It was the first reported firing by the Lebanese army on the IDF since the Hizbullah terrorist war began July 12.

Israel has said it will not attack the Lebanese army on condition that it does not aid Hizbullah terrorists.

Lebanese Army Opens Fire on IDF Helicopters

[Shammu]

 Saudi Arabia Transfers $46 Million to PA
22:58 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia met with Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas Saturday at a Red Sea resort and said he is transferring to the PA $46 million. The amount is one half of the country's annual commitment.

There were no reports on whether any part of the money would be funneled to Hamas elements. The United States has threatened sanctions against anyone funneling money that ends up in the coffers of the Hamas-led legislature.

Saudi Arabia also has pledged to the PA 250 million dollars for reconstruction.

Saudi Arabia Transfers $46 Million to PA

[Shammu]

 IDF May Not Have Caused Kana Deaths
20:50 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Senior IDF officers told reporters a short time ago that there is a contradiction in the timing of the bombing of the village of Kana and reports of the explosion that killed more than 50 civilians and set off world-wide condemnation of Israel. Air Force Commander Amir Eshel left open the possibility that Hizbullah terrorists blew up the building or that an unknown cause set off explosives which were stored in the structure.

He explained that recorded information shows that Israeli Air Force planes bombed the building between midnight and 1 a.m. and that the next attack at 7:30 a.m. was up to 500 yards away. He said reports of the killing of civilians came around 8 a.m. "It is not clear what happened" between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m., he said.

Brigadier General Ido Nehushtan pointed out that Hizbullah terrorists have fired more than 150 rockets from the village of Kana since the beginning of the war.

IDF May Not Have Caused Kana Deaths

[Shammu]

 Olmert To Convene Security Cabinet
23:28 Jul 30, '06 / 5 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is to meet with the security cabinet Monday evening. The bombing and civilian deaths at the village of Kana will be among the prime subjects to be discussed. The IDF has said it is not clear what caused the explosion that killed 60 civilians, including two dozen children. Officers said it is not certain that Air Force bombings were responsible for the deaths.

The ministers also will discuss IDF operations in Lebanon. Last week, they approved a massive call up of reserves but vetoed a wider ground assault in Lebanon at this time.

Olmert To Convene Security Cabinet

[Shammu]

 IDF To Clear New Security Zone by Thursday
00:11 Jul 31, '06 / 6 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) A senior military source said Sunday evening that the IDF plans to complete by Thursday the clearing of all Hizbullah terrorist posts within a mile of the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The strategy is to establish a new security zone in the area, enabling soldiers to identify and shoot at any terrorist who approaches the border.

IDF To Clear New Security Zone by Thursday