As Russian, Israeli and Saudi leaders discussed in Moscow the ramifications of the Arab uprising and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates talked in Tel Aviv with Israeli military chiefs, the Palestinian Hamas again ramped up its missile offensive on Israeli cities. Thursday, March 24, heavy Grad missiles hit Ashdod and Ofakim. In Moscow,DEBKAfile reports exclusively that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was working to set up a discreet meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
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The bomb which exploded Wednesday afternoon, March 23, near the No. 74 bus stop opposite Binyanei Haooma at Jerusalem's main northern entrance was detonated by remote control. It killed a female tourist and injured 30-40 passers-by and passengers. DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources report that the attack was professionally executed by a team of three to five with local aid from Jerusalem Palestinians. Intelligence and terror experts are certain a terrorist organization activated trained bombers and may do so again.
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Four days after the Western-Arab coalition decided Saturday, March 19 to enforce a no fly zone over Libya, only six Western warplanes - American, British, Canadian and French - are in the sky at any one time, DEBKAfile's military sources disclose. This is barely enough for a no-fly zone just over Benghazi. And so the anti-Qaddafi operation has run out of steam, slowed also by the falling-out between Washington, London and Paris over its nature and goals and the fading away of the Arab component.
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In an effort to contain spreading popular disorders against his regime, Syrian President Bashar Assad Monday, March 21, sent the 4th Armored Division commanded by his younger brother Maher Assad to suppress the three-day uprising in Darra (Deraa). The troops have also severed the South from Damascus and Jabal ad-Duruz where a demonstration is planned for March 26.
The White House condemned Syrian violence after 20 demonstrators were killed, 300 injured, by tear gas and live ammunition fire.
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