Support the Egyptian Army And The Non-Terrorists in Syria!
Nothing will prevent the final War of the Age of the Gentiles
But the US Is Faced With Making a Choice Twixt Lesser Evils
Muslim Brotherhood is more dangerous to US national Interest
As Syria Terrorists are more dangerous to US national Interest
US Can Work Much Better With Egyptian Army & Non-Terrorists
Than With The Muslim Brotherhood & the Syrian Al-Qaeda Links
August 16, 2013
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
Begin Excerpts from Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs/ Daily Alert
August 15, 2013
Excerpt 1 – New York Times
Hundreds Die as Egyptian Forces Attack Islamist Protesters
David Kirkpatrick
Egyptian security officers stormed two encampments packed with supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday in an assault that killed hundreds and set off a violent backlash across Egypt. As President Adli Mansour declared a state of emergency, the Muslim Brotherhood called on Egyptians to rise up in protest.
Islamists attacked at least a dozen police stations around the country, according to the state news media, killing more than 40 police officers. They also lashed out at Coptic Christians, attacking or burning at least seven churches. The assault prompted the resignation of the interim vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei. (New York Times)
Excerpt 2 – Washington Post
At Least 421 Killed in Egypt
Abigail Hauslohner and Sharaf al-Hourani
(Washington Post)
Excerpt 3 – Christian Science Monitor
Egypt Cracks Down on Jihadi Sandbox in Sinai
Christa Case Bryant
The Egyptian military has a freer hand to crack down in Sinai after deposing President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood last month. “The Army for the longest time has been holding back from interfering in Sinai,” says Sameeh, a high-ranking security official in northern Sinai. “The elements in this area fear that they might lose this [strategic area] now that we have deployed more tanks and we’re putting more effort into clearing this area, so obviously they are going to fight back.”
Sinai militants killed 16 Egyptian soldiers in August 2012 near the Egyptian town of Rafah. “A year ago there were the killings in Rafah, and Morsi promised that he would get back at those people who killed those soldiers,” says Sameeh, the general, in a phone interview. “And nothing was ever done.”
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which is also referred to as Ansar Jerusalem, is “the most important and dangerous” militant group operating in Sinai, says Maj. Aviv Oreg (res.), former head of the Al-Qaeda and Global Jihad desk in the Israel Defense Forces’ military intelligence branch. It consists mainly of local Bedouin but also some foreign jihadis and was behind last year’s Rafah attack on Egyptian soldiers, Oreg says. Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has also claimed responsibility for at least three rocket attacks on Eilat over the past year.
Daniel Nisman of the Israel-based security consultancy firm Max Security Solutions says there are about 1,500 jihadists in Sinai, broken down into 15 to 20 cells with varying ideologies, some of which are in line with al-Qaeda. Oreg says he’s not aware of any formal al-Qaeda presence in Sinai, though some of the groups are in contact with al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is originally from Egypt. (Christian Science Monitor)
Begin Excerpt from YNet News
Israel keeps to sidelines as Mideast deteriorates into bloodshedAs Egypt’s death toll rises to 638, mysterious bombing hits Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold, Israeli defense official insists ‘Israel will continue in its non-involvement policy’
Attila Somfalvi
August 16, 2013
At the wake of violent days both in Beirut and Cairo, Israel maintains its reserved stance on the unrest at its borders.
“Hezbollah has been hurt, but Israel will continue in its non-involvement policy and will not take sides, also in regards to Cairo,” a senior defense establishment official clarified on Thursday.
“We’ve no interest to be perceived as supporters of either side.”
Against the backdrop of Hezbollah’s relative successes in the Syrian civil war as a supporter of Bashar Assad, the hit the Shiite group suffered in its own base – the Dahiyeh quarter in Beirut – came as a necessary backlash in the eyes of some in the Israeli defense echelon.
“Nasrallah significantly intervened in the Syrian war and is no longer perceived as ‘Lebanon’s protector,’ but as Assad’s man, and now he is paying the price,” said the same official.
Though Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman and other top Lebanese politicians pointed a finger at Israel for orchestrating the car bomb, a so far unknown Sunni group took responsibility for the attack, which claimed the lives of 20 people.
‘Hezbollah weakens, attacks will continue’
“Hezbollah and Nasrallah’s situation isn’t good,” a State official added. “Criticism against Hezbollah is growing in light of its involvement in Syria and the fighting seeping into Lebanese territory. Hezbollah is weakening and forecasts are that the attack against the organization will continue.”
Meanwhile, violence in Egypt has dropped on Thursday and the curfew has been limited – but top Muslim Brotherhood officials vowed that the movement will not desist and urged its followers to take back to the streets in protest after Friday’s prayer.
“We’ll protest across the country and shed the blood of any police and army officer in the streets,” a member of the Brotherhood’s political arm promised.
After US President Barack Obama’s announcement cancelling the joint drill with the Egyptian army, the Americans issued a travel alert for Egypt and urged its citizens staying in the country to leave it immediately.
Wednesday’s official death toll has so far risen to 638, and the number of wounded leaped to 3,994, according to the Egyptian Health Ministry.
Israeli interest – calm on all fronts
“We stay on the sideline as far as Cairo goes – this is an internal Egyptian matter,” said an Israeli source.
“Our interest is focused on the Sinai Peninsula, where global jihad operatives are. What’s happening in Egypt is troubling, but it’s internal. The fact they’re occupied with their own internal affairs so far had no effect on the war conducted in Sinai.”
He added that Israel was considering all the possible scenarios, including another regime shift. “No one knows what’s going to happen. It’s impossible to analyze.”
Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet’s defense analyst, explains that the Israeli interest is for the Egyptian unrest to calm down, and similarly for tumults in other neighboring countries.
Every failing state increases the terror threat on Israel, and actually an attack on Hezbollah boosts the chances for civil war in Lebanon, which, like in Egypt, Israel would rather avoid.
Civil wars, political instability and economic hardship – these are the main factors for terror on the Israeli borders. All these factors are currently in motion in the countries that went through the Arab Spring, as well as in Lebanon.
Without internal conflict, stability and economic prosperity return – from which Israel benefits as well.
Yoav Zitun contributed to this report
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