Iran recruits Somali pirates to replenish Hamas arms stocksDEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 13, 2009, 12:38 PM (GMT+02:00)  Somali pirates help fellow Islamists DEBKAfile's military sources reveal a secret war waged by the US, Israel and Egypt to shut down Iran's serpentine maritime routes through the Red Sea and Suez for refilling Hamas' depleted arsenal by sea. After Hamas lost an estimated 60 percent of its weapons stocks to Israeli bombardments, Iran enlisted Somali pirates to step up the flow of smuggled hardware to Gaza. Tehran is rearming the Palestinian Islamists at top speed to persuade them to carry on the war against Israel and not surrender to Egypt's ceasefire terms. | ||
A Russian naval task force led by aircraft carrier docks at Syrian portJanuary 13, 2009, 2:35 PM (GMT+02:00)  Admiral Kuznetsov carrier heads east The force, which includes the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Admiral Levchenko destroyer and the Nikolay Chiker salvage tug, was due to call in at the Syrian port of Tartus Monday, Jan. 12 after carrying out joint exercises with the Turkish navy last week. DEBKAfile's military sources report that the arrival of the Russian flotilla in wartime is significant given Syria's role as one of the staunchest backers of Hamas which is embroiled in a war against Israel further down the coast in Gaza. | ||
Hosni Mubarak whips up an Arab front against Hamas
When Hamas-Damascus clamped a veto on his Gaza ceasefire ultimatum Monday, Jan. 12, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak acted fast: He summoned an Arab summit for setting in motion a plan for an inter-Arab force to monitor the Philadelphi Corridor. Arab foreign ministers meet in Kuwait Friday, Jan. 16, to prepare the summit for next week.
This step shrinks to a few days the time left for Israel's military progress to set the pace of events in the Gaza conflict. At the moment, Israel can still present the Arab rulers with a military fait accompli in the Gaza Strip, after flattening hundreds of Palestinian buildings separating the town of Rafah from the Philadelphi corridor.
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Hamas-Gaza bows to Damascus leaders' veto against Egyptian ceasefire terms
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
January 12, 2009, 6:46 PM (GMT+02:00)
IDF poised for next stage
The Gaza Hamas faction failed Monday, Jan. 12, to persuade its Damascus leaders to accept the Egyptian ceasefire terms and was ordered to carry on fighting in the Gaza Strip.
It is now up to the Israeli defense cabinet to decide whether Israeli forces stand still on their present battle lines or go forward to the crunch, which means entering Gaza City proper and capturing the Philadelphi smuggling corridor.
DEBKAfile's intelligence sources report that Egypt has signaled discreetly that it is not averse to Israel broadening its operation in Gaza.
Earlier Monday, Jan. 12, DEBKAfilereported:
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Two Israeli-Arab lists barred from February poll - for "supporting the enemy"
January 12, 2009, 11:05 PM (GMT+02:00)
Israel's Central Elections Committee voted Monday, Jan. 12, in a stormy session to exclude the United Arab List and Balad from participating in the Feb. 10 general election. The High Court must rule on their appeal by Friday, the final date for registering Knesset lists.
The ruling Kadima and Labor factions supported the ban's petition by the opposition Israel Beitenu and the National Union, which argued that Balad rejects Israeli statehood on principle.
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January 12, 2009, 9:55 PM (GMT+02:00)
Eight days before ending his two terms in office as US president, George W. Bush said: "There is still an enemy out there who wants to attack America and Americans." That is the most urgent threat facing Barack Obama.
On the Gaza conflict, Bush said: I'm trying for a sustainable ceasefire that stops Hamas firing rockets into Israel. "The choice is for Hamas to make. The best way to achieve it is to work with Egypt to stop the smuggling of weapons used by Hamas to fire those rockets." Israel has a right to defend itself.
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