Cheers, Cannons Welcome Russian Missile Cruiser in Alexandria
Russia and Egypt
According to them, all is as it was – they still are officially allies of the US, still cooperate with its intelligence agencies and would still welcome American economic largesse.
But the very fact that the Egyptian leadership felt bound to articulate and accentuate a business-as-usual message indicates that its business agenda is anything but usual. The very fact that high-level and high-profile Russian visits are taking place for the first time in a very long time, replete with pomp and circumstance, attests quite loudly that things are hardly quite what they were.
It is not difficult to pinpoint the triggers for change.
The ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood regime was greeted with undisguised American displeasure and was followed by Washington's decision to suspend much of the $1.3 billion earmarked for military aid to Egypt each year.
Egyptian government spokesmen described this as "wrongheaded" and vowed that Cairo would "not surrender to American pressure."
US Secretary of State John Kerry sought to punctuate the American moves with the assurance that this wasn't "a withdrawal from our relationship." Yet he was as unconvincing as the official Egyptian assurances that the Russian ministerial visits signify no policy departure on Cairo's part.
John McCain: Kerry a 'Human Wrecking Ball' in Middle East
News from America 8:40 AM
In various interviews this week, and after meeting with Israeli officials, McCain sharply criticizes Obama administration's policies.
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"We lost influence, we lost power. We are seen as helpless," McCain said in an interview with the Arabic language Al-Hurra TV. He specifically criticized US Secretary of State John Kerry, saying he was disappointed with the way Kerry has dealt with countries like Syria, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the Israeli-Arab conflict.
Earlier Thursday, McCain fired at US Secretary of State John Kerry's policies in the Middle East at a public forum for The Atlantic....
US President urges Congress to hold off on new sanctions, but still "leaving all options on the table."
Defense/Security 3:43 AM 11/15/2013
Poll: Most Israelis Believe IDF Can Strike Iran On Its Own
A poll by Yisrael HaYom this week reveals that most Israelis think that the IDF is strong enough to begin a military strike against a nuclear Iran - without US support.
Over 2/3 of respondents (65%) believe that Israel should oppose a deal - which would reduce Iran's economic sanctions in exchange for a reduction in its nuclear capabilities - between Iran and the P5+1. Only 16.1% support the move. Talks for a possible deal are set to resume on November 20.
More than half of respondents (52.1%) support the position of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in disagreements with the US over Iran, a number which jumps to a staggering 84.4% in the religious sector. Overall, Netanyahu's approval rating stands steady this week at 41.5%, with Opposition leader Shelly Yechimovich (Labor) at a distant second of 10%.
Regarding an Israeli strike against Iran without US intervention, 52.4% of respondents support the move; 68.8% believe that the IDF has enough military might to succeed on its own.
The poll also suggests that most Israelis would prefer that the IDF continues its gas mask distribution program. 58.7% believe that the program is still necessary, while only 23.2% support recent IDF statements canceling the initiative.
Report: Kerry Letter Supporting Gaza Flotillas Misread
A Maariv report published earlier this week claiming that US Secretary of State John Kerry issued a letter of support for an extreme leftist Gaza march has been denied by the US State Department.
A State Department official reportedly told The Blaze, "The letter from then-Senator Kerry regarding the humanitarian mission in Israel and the Palestinian territories was a form letter that was auto-penned — standard constituent mail that congressional members send out as a common practice," the official said. "Senator Kerry never saw it, nor did his senior staff see it. It was put together by his Boston office, and would also not have involved senior staff members on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."
"Moreover, the text of the letter has nothing to do with the flotilla incident or even Gaza. It focuses purely on a humanitarian mission in Israel and the Palestinian territories in support of the peace process," the official concluded.
Maariv also published a copy of the offending letter, which circulated around several blogs in 2010.
More@ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/174045#.UoXSDSKSjHA
Video: IDF Humanitarian Delegation Arrives in the Philippines
After a long journey halfway across the world, the IDF's 148-member rescue team finally arrived on Thursday at the storm-ravaged Philippines.
The delegation will set up a field hospital where 500 patients will be able to receive the help they need.
Some reports place the death toll of Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall, at 10,000 people. The UN said on Thursday that the death toll was much lower, but nevertheless it stands at 4,460 people.
According to the statement, 920,000 people were forced to leave their homes because of the storm.
Along with the IDF, other groups, such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and IsraAID, have begun planning their response to the crisis.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit has posted some videos summarizing the delegation's first day in the Philippines.
More@ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/174041
Syrian Jihadists Behead the Wrong Man, then Apologize
Jihadist rebels in Syria had to ask for "understanding and forgiveness" after they beheaded the wrong man, the British Telegraph reports.
In a public appearance filmed and posted online, members of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), one brandishing a knife, held up a bearded head before a crowd in Aleppo.
The jihadists triumphantly described the execution of what they said was a member of an Iraqi Shiite militia fighting for President Bashar Al-Assad.
More@ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/174039
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