9th grade Palestinian boy arrested at 3:45 am, soldier leans close and whispers ‘F*ck your mother’ as they haul him off

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/protesters-attack-israeli-of-ethiopian-origin-in-rally-against-african-migrants-1.433435 

Israel is the most naive and racist country in the West, Gideon Levy
Racist, because in no other country can politicians make remarks about migrants as they do here and still remain in office another day; naive, because only now has Israel discovered the problem that has been facing the “first world” for years. Only in Israel can a parliamentarian from the ruling party describe the migrants as a “cancer,” and, far worse, it is only in Israel that she could do so knowing that her contemptible racism would merely gain her support.

Israel believes US-Jordan aid cut could lead to instability
Media sources in Israel have revealed that the government in Tel Aviv is opposed to any cut in aid from the US to Jordan, fearing that it could lead to instability in the regime in Amman. The concerns have been raised as the US considers such action in order to put pressure on Jordan to send a new ambassador to Israel. “Israel does not want the intervention of the United States to put pressure on Jordan to return its ambassador to Tel Aviv,” officials told the Jerusalem Post. The anonymous officials pointed out that bilateral relations with Jordan in security and intelligence are good, even though the absence of an ambassador from Amman “is not a good sign”.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/3814-israel-believes-us-jordan-aid-cut-could-lead-to-instability

Hahaha: Israel says Hamas as strong as Hezbollah
The Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has an armed force to rival that of Israel’s Lebanese foe Hezbollah, the head of the Shin Bet security service said on Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-hamas-strong-hezbollah-210137489.html

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/fear-of-arrest-still-prevents-israeli-officials-from-visiting-britain-1.433452?localLinksEnabled=false  

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=490576 

I was just reading a 2007 interviewSheldon Adelson gave to the Kahanist Jewish Press.  In it, he rejects the idea of a two-state solution, which is not news.  But the rejection of any rights for the Palestinian people, and his imputation of genocidal intentions to the Palestinians raises the question: how would Adelson resolve the conflict?  In fact, I wonder whether any interviewer has asked him.  If not, they should.  Because the passage below is friggin’ scary: “There won’t be a two-state solution; there won’t be a one-state solution. The Palestinians want a “no state solution” for the Jews. They don’t want Jews at all. So all of this balagan about the settlements – it’s not about the settlements. It’s something to delay having to sit down and negotiate over a table that will have to lead to a conclusion that they will never agree to. They will have to agree that this is the end of the conflict and they will have to surrender what they call their “right of return to Israel proper.” They will never do either of those things. They don’t want the Jews or any other religion to be alive, so how are they going to get to the point of peace? There isn’t a Palestinian alive who wasn’t raised on a curriculum of hatred and hostility toward the Jews. So how can you talk about giving up land? They publicly acknowledge that they have a multi-phased program. They’ll do it in steps: They’ll take the West Bank, then they’ll take a piece of the Galilee, and piece by piece they’ll want the rest of the land of Israel. There’s no chance for peace, and the settlements are just a red herring issue.

Facebook Bans Israeli Graphic Artist for Biting Political Cartoons, Richard Silverstein
Looks like the folks at Facebook have more to worry about than their plummeting stock price (off 28% since the IPO last week).  In recent days, Facebook suspended the account of the Israeli graphic artist, Mysh, about whom I wrote a post a few days ago.  It seems that some of the brilliant political graphics I praised in that post must’ve offended the delicate sensibilities of the pro-Israel crowd.  I’m guessing there was a movement to complain about the images.  And Facebook’s nanny patrol took a look at them and agreed.  At least three images have been removed from Facebook and Mysh’s account was suspended for 24 hours as “punishment” for being such a bad boy and saying such mean things (and referencing the Holocuast) about the Israeli pogromists who assaulted African refugees in Tel Aviv a few days ago.

Outraged Over Atrocities (Unless They’re Ours), John LaForge
In the war fever being ramped up against Syria, there is broad public indignation over the massacre of more than 100 civilians in the town of Houla last weekend. Would that the U.S. diplomatic corps and the commercial press were equally outraged over our own military’s atrocities. While details of the Syrian massacre are unclear and still subject to dispute, Canada, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Australia, Germany, Spain and the United States have expelled Syrian diplomats in protest. The State Department called the rampage “despicable” and complained about a regime that could “connive in or organize” such a thing. The department was silent on the U.S. killing four years ago of just as many Afghan civilians, including 60 children, in Azizabad. A draft UN Security Council press statement said about the Aug. 22, 2008 bombing that member nations “strongly deplore the fact that this is not the first incident of this kind” and that “the killing and maiming of civilians is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.” The crime wasn’t decried as a “massacre” by our foreign office which finds it easier to denounce indiscriminate attacks when the enemy du jour stands accused.

Out of Jail, Bahraini Activists Nabeel Rajab and Zainab Alkhawaja Urge End to U.S.-Backed Crackdown
We go to Bahrain to speak with two recently released political prisoners, Zainab Alkhawaja and Nabeel Rajab, both jailed for protesting the U.S.-backed monarchy. Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was released on bail after being held for nearly a month. “We always thought that America and Bahrain’s good relations would benefit our fight for freedom and democracy in our region, but it has turned out to be opposite,” he says. “They are supporting a dictator here, the oppressive regime… We have to suffer for being a rich region.” Alkhawaja, who was jailed in April after protesting the detention of her father, Abdulhadi, vows: “We are going to carry on protesting … It doesn’t matter if we get arrested five, six, 10 times, it’s not going to stop. In the end, we have sacrificed a lot for democracy and freedom.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/5/31/out_of_jail_bahraini_activists_nabeel

Bahrain’s War on Doctors: Tortured Neurosurgeon Faces Trial For Treating Injured Protesters (video)
In this Democracy Now! video interview, Nabeel Hameed, one of three neurosurgeons in Bahrain, speaks on the human rights situation in Bahrain.  Dr. Hameed is one of the Bahraini physicians and nurses who were arrested and tried for treating anti-government protesters during the crack downs in February 2011.   After his arrest, he was tortured and imprisoned for three months.  He and the other Bahraini medical professionals charged with various offenses in connection with treating the injured await trial in the Bahraini courts.
http://bahraincoordinatingcommittee.org/2012/05/29/bahrains-war-on-doctors-tortured-neurosurgeon-faces-trial-for-treating-injured-protesters-video/

Bahraini opposition leaders ‘tortured’ in detention
Two Bahraini opposition leaders and human rights activists have said they have been tortured during their detention in the country’s prisons. In an appeals court on Tuesday, Hassan Mushaima and Abduljalil al-Singace made the complaint to the civilian court on the first day of their retrial. A military court has sentenced the two activists to long prison terms for their role in Bahrain’s revolution. Thirteen defendants, seven of whom face life terms, are being retried in a civil appeals court. Prominent rights activists Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who ended his 110-day hunger strike on Monday, is also among the defendants. Khawaja did not appear in court because of poor health.The next court session is scheduled on June 5. The kingdom has been the scene of anti-regime demonstrations since February 2011. Scores of people have been killed and many others have been arrested during the revolution.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/243714.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Bahraini Activists Abused for Role in UN Human Rights Review
Bahrain’s opposition delegates who attended the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations office in Geneva faced a huge backlash after criticising the country’s “deplorable human rights record”.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/346441/20120529/bahrain-activists-fear-campaign-abuse-taking-part.htm#ixzz1wOKECmYE
 
Bahrain urged to free remaining prisoners of conscience
Bahrain must immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, Amnesty International said after a court in the capital Manama let the prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab out on bail on Monday. The Bahraini authorities have banned Rajab, the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, from travelling abroad and he is due to return to court in June on charges related to his activism – which Amnesty International says should be dropped. Also on Monday, jailed human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja ended a 110-day hunger strike. Al-Khawaja and 12 other opposition leaders remain behind bars on charges related to their roles in peaceful pro-reform protests in 2011. Amnesty International considers all of them to be prisoners of conscience. “The ongoing detention and trials of these prisoners of conscience shows that behind Bahrain’s thin veneer of reform, little has changed in practice and the human rights crisis is far from over,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme Director. “The Bahraini authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all remaining prisoners of conscience, drop the charges against those awaiting trial for peaceful protest and lift the travel ban on Nabeel Rajab.”
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/bahrain-urged-free-remaining-prisoners-conscience-2012-05-29

Bahraini activists ask appeals court for freedom
The two Bahraini opposition activists Hasan Musheime and Abdel Jalil Al-Sankis say they were ‘tortured’ in detention and called on the judge to release them as they face charge of plotting to overthrow the Sunni monarchy
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/43234/World/Region/Bahraini-activists-ask-appeals-court-for-freedom.aspx

BCHR calls on international community to keep attention on Bahrain
(BCHR/IFEX) – London/Geneva, 25 May 2012 – UN member states expressed strong concerns over Bahrain’s human rights record during the second cycle of their Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva on Tuesday. States issued a total of 176 recommendations, a marked improvement from the 9 recommendations issued by states when Bahrain was the first state chosen for review in the first cycle in 2008. This indicates that states are taking the UPR process more seriously and know they cannot let Bahrain’s human rights abuses pass without censure.
http://www.ifex.org/bahrain/2012/05/28/upr_session/

Bahrain protesters call U.S. ‘great satan’
MANAMA, Bahrain, May 28 (UPI) — Shiite demonstrators in Bahrain have turned their anger toward the United States amid calls demanding the end of the Sunni-led monarchy in their country. Shiites protesting in Manama Sunday cried out the slogan of Iran’s late leader Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, “America the great satan,” the Bahrain News Agency reported Monday. The protesters claim the White House is backing the Sunni monarchy and destroying all hope for real reforms, the news agency said. Banners at the demonstration said: “[U.S. President Barack] Obama supports the killers, not democracy and freedom” and “U.S. interests come before our freedom.”
http://m.upi.com/m/story/UPI-23281338209630/

Egypt

Rights group requests investigation into Morsy’s statements ‘against Copts’
The Egyptian Center for Human Rights has requested that the attorney general investigate statements of Mohamed Morsy and other leaders of the Freedom and Justice Party and the Muslim Brotherhood that accused the Copts of betraying the revolution by voting for Ahmed Shafiq. Before the election, the church had announced that it was impartial toward all presidential candidates.

 The center considers Morsy’s statement an irresponsible act that fuels sectarianism in society, saying that Coptic votes were distributed among Shafiq, Amr Moussa, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, despite their different orientations.
http://www.egyptindependent.com/node/880046

April 6 Youth Movement works to build national coalition against Shafiq
The April 6 Youth Movement called Wednesday on national players and presidential hopefuls who didn’t make the runoff to join a  coalition against the “counter-revolution” and prevent the Mubarak regime from being reproduced. The movement is holding meetings to form the coalition to block the revival of the collapsed regime through “rigged elections,” Ahmed Maher, a founder of the movement, said in a statement. Maher warned that any “dissent to consensus and the coalition will harm the entire country,” stressing that the Muslim Brotherhood has a great opportunity to show a sign of goodwill, but must partner with everybody. Maher extended the call to former hopefuls Hamdeen Sabbahi and Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, as well as Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy, who is competing in the runoff with former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq.
http://www.egyptindependent.com/node/880971

Egypt Islamist candidate vows break with old ways
The Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate for the Egyptian presidential runoff promised Tuesday he would break sharply with the ways of ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak, a day after angry protesters burned down the headquarters of his challenger who served as prime minister in the old regime.
http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-islamist-candidate-vows-break-old-ways-211629788.html

Egypt’s notorious emergency law lapses
Egypt’s notorious emergency law, in force since 1981, has lapsed at the end of a two-year extension passed by ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s parliament.
http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-notorious-emergency-law-lapses-134220034.html

Mubarak’s sons face fresh charges
Gamal and Alaa Mubarak charged with making unlawful profits through dealings in shares in Al Watany Bank of Egypt.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/201253015721650320.html

Saudi ambassador denies crown prince visited Mubarak
Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed al-Qattan on Tuesday denied reports printed in an Egyptian newspaper that Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz visited former President Hosni Mubarak in the medical center where he is detained.

 The independent Al-Watan daily, which is owned by Mohamed Amin and edited by Magdy el-Gallad, had said that certain dignitaries and Arab leaders, including the Emir of Kuwait, Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, and the Saudi crown prince visited Mubarak.


http://www.egyptindependent.com/node/879936

Egypt on edge before verdict in Mubarak trial
CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptians could hardly believe their eyes when Hosni Mubarak went on trial for complicity over the killing of protesters last year, but those who toppled him doubt Saturday’s verdict will deliver justice for the almost 850 who died. Still less will it deal with the legacy of an autocratic ruler who ran a police state that rode roughshod over human rights for 30 years until popular frustration exploded. “Justice will not be achieved,” said Ahmed el-Fekky, who was blinded in his left eye during the protests against Mubarak.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=491108

A day in the life of Hosni Mubarak behind bars
One of the most striking incidents mentioned in the report was when a nurse was talking to her co-worker in a loud voice and the former president’s wife Suzanne told her, “If you raise your voice again, I will chop off your head.” The nurse replied, “I haven’t done anything wrong for you to threaten me like this.” Suzanne was infuriated at the nurse talking back and slapped her on the face. The nurse started screaming and Mubarak’s guards hurried to investigate the matter. After they checked, one of the officers told Suzanne, “Please calm down, Madam. Don’t forget that things are not the way they were before.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/30/217549.html

The Lede Blog: Despite a Frustrating Election, One Young Egyptian Remains Hopeful
For relatives and friends in the reporter Mayy el-Sheikh’s world, the recent first-round results of the landmark election in Egypt — which produced a two-way run-off — emotions ran the gamut from optimism to despair, and from hilarious to depressing.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/despite-a-frustrating-election-one-young-egyptian-remains-hopeful/

The Lede Blog: A YouTube Appeal to Egypt’s Diaspora From the Muslim Brother Who Would Be President
Readers who are curious about the Egyptian presidential candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood but are hampered by their lack of Arabic can get a sense of the man by watching a video message he recorded in English, appealing for the support of the Egyptian diaspora.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=1fe625b5f20e18e1d9356162353aa4c9

Inside Story – Is Egypt’s revolution under threat?
Two men. One post. An unhappy nation. Protests have followed the first round of Egypt’s presidential election. The race is now down to two men — Ahmad Shafiq and Mohammed Morsi. It appears that Egyptians have a stark choice between a former military man with links to a regime they fought so hard to remove and a candidate whose message appeals to the devout, but who makes some of the country’s 82 million people uneasy. So what does this mean for the Egyptian revolution? Guests: Ahmed Naguib, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Rami Khouri.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzUAOg5FcPM&feature=youtube_gdata

Bomb attacks in Iraq kill 18 people, wound 53
Bombs exploded at a crowded Baghdad restaurant and a near police patrol Thursday, among attacks that killed at least 18 people and wounded 53 in Iraq’s bloodiest day in more than a month, police and hospital medics said.
http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-attacks-iraq-kill-18-people-wound-53-134711096.html

Iraq president rebuffs move to unseat premier
Lawmakers say a broad alliance of political opponents of the Iraqi prime minister has failed to persuade the country’s president to take a first step toward unseating the premier.
http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-president-rebuffs-move-unseat-premier-184617681.html

Iraqi police to take over Baghdad security
Iraqi police will take over responsibility for security in Baghdad from the army from July, a statement said on Tuesday, a move that has been delayed several times over concerns over their capabilities.
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/29/217346.html

Saddam Hussein’s daughter plans to publish his memoirs
One of Saddam Hussein’s daughters is looking for a publishing house to release her father’s handwritten memoirs.
http://news.yahoo.com/saddam-hussein-daughter-plans-publish-memoirs-211606200.html

Tareq Aziz: A Son’s Plea, Felicity Arbuthnot
Iraq’s former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Tareq Aziz, (76) who largely ignored his already ailing health before the illegal 2003 invasion of his country in order to travel and argue eloquently against the embargo’s crippling toll on the population, and later attempt to avert invasion, has now been imprisoned – in the country he loves and for which he fought verbally with passion and tenacity – for nine years. His son Ziad, who with his family, in addition to the pain of his father’s incarceration, now bears the burden of exile, has fought tenaciously for his father’s release, but very rarely speaks publicly of the family’s ongoing grief at his plight. It is a measure of his fears for Tareq Aziz that he has sent a letter, expressing deep fear and concern for his father following his family’s visit to Iraq to see him, to a group affiliated with the Brussels Tribunal including human rights, legal, medical organizations, asking for all possible assistance in resolving the situation.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2012/05/tareq-aziz-a-sons-plea/

Lebanon

Lebanese Abductees between Miqati, Raad and Turkish Ambassador
Turkish envoy says Ankara hasn’t stopped its mediations in the case of the abductees and was doing its best to facilitate their release.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=57289&cid=23&fromval=1

Al-Qaeda in Lebanon: Murmurs of Assassinations
Lebanese security agencies have strong evidence that al-Qaeda has been planning to target high level political and religious figures – including the speaker of parliament – with the aim of provoking sectarian strife.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/al-qaeda-lebanon-murmurs-assassinations?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

Exclusive: Veteran Lebanese fighter trains new generation of jihadis – for Syria
Longtime fighter Mustapha explains to the first Western reporter to visit his Bekaa Valley orchard camp how he is preparing eager Lebanese to take up arms against the Assad regime.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/1b4KpnOOdzk/Exclusive-Veteran-Lebanese-fighter-trains-new-generation-of-jihadis-for-Syria

To Hell With the Silent Majority
These are difficult days for the Lebanese. Nobody is standing on solid ground. Everyone behaves as though they know best about the ins and outs of the current situation. There’s no place for the unassuming. Every individual, group and faction believes it possesses the immutable truth, and that the others must either accept and yield to their views or be demonized.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hell-silent-majority?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

Saudi Arabia

Dennis Ross: Saudi king vowed to obtain nuclear bomb after Iran
Former U.S. official publicly confirms Saudi pledge, which would destroy nuclear non-proliferation regime.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/dennis-ross-saudi-king-vowed-to-obtain-nuclear-bomb-after-iran-1.433294?localLinksEnabled=false

Saudi backtracks on mixed sex working places
A Saudi court overturned on Wednesday provisions of a labor ministry circular that allowed saleswomen to work alongside men in shops, a lawyer told AFP. The court in Riyadh “abolished part of the decision by the ministry of labor which allowed shop owners to employ men and women in the same place,” based on a law suit filed by businessman, lawyer Mohammed al-Zamel told AFP. Zamel said the ministry had misinterpreted a 2011 royal decree in which King Abdullah limited work in lingerie shops to women only.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/saudi-backtracks-mixed-sex-sales-teams?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

10 voices for change in Saudi Arabia
From a conservative sheikh to a pioneering female pediatrician, these are just a few of Saudis who are vocally advocating for change in their country.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/sjWLx7ZpVQw/10-voices-for-change-in-Saudi-Arabia

Syria 

Half a million displaced in Syria; refugee numbers rise: U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – The estimated number of internally displaced Syrians has more than doubled to 500,000 since an April 12 ceasefire and the flow of refugees abroad has gathered pace again, U.N. officials said on Tuesday. The number of internally displaced people, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimate given to the U.N., was about 200,000 before the peace deal which both sides have broken. The number of refugees being assisted by the U.N.
http://news.yahoo.com/half-million-displaced-syria-refugee-numbers-rise-u-171956295.html

UN chief warns Syria; regime again shells Houla
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria on Thursday to stop its attacks, saying the U.N. observers monitoring the cease-fire were not there to watch the killing of innocent people. The warning came as activists reported that Syrian troops again shelled the country’s central region of Houla where more than 100 people were massacred last week.
http://news.yahoo.com/un-chief-warns-syria-regime-again-shells-houla-122042940.html

Troops and rebels clash, 39 killed in Syria: NGO
Fierce fighting erupted on Wednesday between regime troops and rebels near Damascus and in Homs province, a watchdog said, while reporting 39 more people killed across Syria.
http://news.yahoo.com/troops-rebels-clash-39-killed-syria-ngo-161037544.html

UN observers in Syria discover 13 bound corpses
U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/un-observers-syria-discover-13-bound-corpses-124748019.html

Syracuse University Filmmaker Killed in Syria
A Syrian filmmaker, who took a leave of absence from a fine arts degree program at Syracuse University to cover the carnage in his native country, was killed while filming in the war-ravaged city of Homs, the university’s chancellor said.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/syracuse-university-filmmaker-reportedly-killed-in-syria/

11-year-old played dead to survive Syria massacre
When the gunmen began to slaughter his family, 11-year-old Ali el-Sayed says he fell to the floor of his home, soaking his clothes with his brother’s blood to fool the killers into thinking he was already dead.
http://news.yahoo.com/11-old-played-dead-survive-syria-massacre-200513272.html

Some Questions on the Houla Massacre…and Beyond, As’ad AbuKhalil
It is not known who perpetrated the Houla massacre. It is certain though that both sides (the Syrian regime army and the gangs operating under the banner of the Free Syrian Army) have a record of brutality and disregard for human lives to qualify them to do the job. What is certain is that Houla was a propaganda blitz that dominated Western as well as Arab (Saudi-funded and Qatari-funded) media. The romanticizing of the so-called “Syrian Revolution” (the deeds of the Free Syrian Army and Syrian National Council and the Muslim Brotherhood deserve the label of revolution as much as George W. Bush deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and as much as Bashar Assad deserves to serve as president of Syria) clashes with the actual record of the armed groups operating under the umbrella of the FSA.

Syria Releases 500 Crisis Prisoners
Syria released Thursday 500 detainees who were arrested during the 15-month crisis and not involved in homicide acts.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=57479&cid=23&fromval=1

Another Lebanese man kidnapped on Syrian border
Updated 4:36pm: Another Lebanese man was kidnapped on the Syrian border on Thursday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, after protests erupted over further kidnappings on the previous day. Yehya Muhammad Flyti was reportedly abducted by armed Syrian gunmen near the Lebanese border village of Arsal, NNA added. Flyti’s abduction follows the Wednesday kidnappings of two Lebanese farmers near a border crossing, prompting scores of residents on Thursday to block the road to Syria in protest. Initial reports had suggested the two men had been detained Wednesday at the border crossing. But the
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanese-residents-protest-syria-border-kidnapping?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29
 

Syrian rebels call for peace plan to be declared a failure
If the Free Syrian Army abandons the peace plan, which they warned yesterday they might do, any vestiges of restraint – on either side – could vanish.

Syria rebels say they’re preparing for war
The opposition fighters have lost faith in Kofi Annan’s peace plan and are using the time to rearm for a bigger conflict when the cease-fire is declared dead.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/yUXTn3ZiuTY/la-fg-syria-rebels-rearm-20120531,0,4611470.story

Saudi Auction Sells Suicide Bombers for Syria
The father, Abu-Salah, receives 1.5 million Saudi riyals (roughly USD 400,000), for offering his son, Khaled, as “sacrifice”
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=57399&cid=23&fromval=1
 

Romney Condemns Obama’s Syria Policy

   
Israeli army ‘may act to stop Syria weapons smuggling’
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israel will consider using military action to intercept the transfer of weaponry or other weapons from Syria to groups like Hezbollah, an Israeli army official said Wednesday. Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan made the remarks during an anniversary conference marking Israel’s first war in Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post, an English-language Israeli daily, reported. He said the first challenge for Israel would be to obtain intelligence that such a transfer has taken place, but that once Israel knew it would need to consider action, the Post reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=490819

Israel’s Defense Minister Calls for More Action Against Assad
Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, on Wednesday praised the United States and other countries for ousting Syrian diplomats but said it was not sufficient.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=7ef2126d35338a2aed5b65190b49594b

Israel readies army on Syria border
The Israeli army is making preparations along its border with Syria in case Bashar Assad’s regime collapsed, an event which an army commander said could provide Islamist militants with a “warehouse of weapons” and a new operating base. “Syria is in civil war, which will lead to a failed state, and terrorism will blossom in it,” Major-General Yair Golan told a conference at Bar Ilan University. “Syria has a big arsenal.” Golan, commander of Israeli forces on the border with Lebanon and the frontline with Syria in the Golan Heights, told an audience at the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies that the situation in Syria put Israel at risk.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/israel-readies-army-syria-border?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

Top IDF officer: Terrorist threat in Syria could be directed at Israel
Speaking at Bar-Ilan University, GOC Command chief says Israel is waging a daily and indirect war with Iran through its proxies in the region.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/top-idf-officer-terrorist-threat-in-syria-could-be-directed-at-israel-1.433411?localLinksEnabled=false

Turkey expels diplomats as Syria denounces protest
Turkey and Japan expelled Syrian diplomats on Wednesday, joining the U.S. and several other nations in protesting a weekend massacre of more than 100 people in Syria, including women and children.
http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-expels-diplomats-syria-denounces-protest-105752589.html

Syria: Houran’s Brush With Civil War

U.S. Frustration on Iran and Syria Puts New Cards in Russia’s Hands, Tony Karon
Russia’s help will be crucial for President Barack Obama in addressing the crisis in Syria and the Iran nuclear standoff, but President Vladimir Putin is playing hard to get. Since resuming the presidency three weeks ago after a four-year, constitutionally mandated sabbatical in the role of Prime Minister, Putin pointedly snubbed the G-8 summit hosted by Obama at Camp David, instead sending Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev. Obama and Putin have finally agreed on a date and venue for a tête-à-tête, even if the timing is a little fraught: they plan to huddle on the sidelines of G-20 meeting in the Mexican city of Los Cabos from June 18 to 19. Curiously enough, the same dates have been chosen for the next round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China), which will be held in Moscow.

Hands Off Syria, Ivan Eland
The recent massacre by the Syrian government of 108 people, mostly women and children, will inevitably put intense pressure on a reluctant Obama administration to take out President Bashar al-Assad using force.
http://original.antiwar.com/eland/2012/05/29/hands-off-syria/

World News

Glenn Greenwald: Obama’s Secret Kill List “The Most Radical Power a Government Can Seize”
The New York Times revealed this week that President Obama personally oversees a “secret kill list” containing the names and photos of individuals targeted for assassination in the U.S. drone war. According to the Times, Obama signs off on every targeted killing in Yemen and Somalia and the more complex or risky strikes in Pakistan. Individuals on the list include U.S. citizens, as well teenage girls as young as 17 years old. “The President of the United States believes he has the power to order people killed — in total secrecy, without any due process, without transparency or oversight of any kind,” says Glenn Greenwald, a constitutional law attorney and political and legal blogger for Salon.com. “I really do believe it’s literally the most radical power that a government and president can seize, and yet the Obama administration has seized [it] and exercised it aggressively with little controversy.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/5/30/glenn_greenwald_obamas_secret_kill_list

Sesame Street composer: U.S. ‘perverted’ my music to torture prisoners
Christopher Cerf, creator of the children’s program The Electric Company and an award-winning composer who produced the theme song to Sesame Street, told a reporter recently that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) “perverted” his music “to serve evil” by using his most famous composition to torture of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/31/sesame-street-composer-u-s-perverted-my-music-to-torture-prisoners/

‘Ten Commandments’ Judge Roy Moore: Secularism leads to Sharia law
The man who is likely to be Alabama’s next chief justice is warning that secular government will lead to Islamic law in the United States. In an interview with conservative talk show host Steve Deace last week, Roy Moore opined that “a government that is denying God” was also allowing Sharia law to take hold. The Republican candidate explained that he had no regrets after the Alabama Court of the Judiciary was forced to strip him of the chief justice title in 2003 because he rejected a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/29/ten-commandments-judge-roy-moore-secularism-leads-to-sharia-law/

UAE: Free Blogger Activist
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should immediately stop any current deportation proceedings against a UAE blogger and activist, and free him from immigration-related detention. (Beirut) – Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should immediately stop any current deportation proceedings against a UAE blogger and activist, and free him from immigration-related detention, Human Rights Watch said today.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/05/28/uae-free-blogger-activist

United Arab Emirates Step Up Efforts to Counter Dissent
Security forces in the United Arab Emirates have now detained 15 men who have called for a more democratic political system, human rights groups and family members said.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=57751d45ceb674320c4b5e343ff67798

Amnesty urges Sudan halt stoning woman to death
Amnesty International appealed on Tuesday to Khartoum to halt the stoning of a 20-year-old Sudanese woman for adultery. Intisar Sharif Abdallah was convicted of adultery after being tried in a Khartoum court on May 13 and now faces the death penalty. She had initially pleaded not guilty, but admitted to the charges at a later hearing after she was reportedly beaten by her brother. Abdallah, who has three children including a four-month old baby who is being kept in her cell, is due to be stoned. Groups of men will throw rocks at her until she dies.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/amnesty-urges-sudan-halt-stoning-woman-death?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

Libyan women plunge into politics
Showing that women in Libya can be much more than just sexy bodyguards or accessories to murder, women are dipping into politics in the hope of drafting a constitution which protects their rights.
http://news.yahoo.com/libyan-women-plunge-politics-101941166.html

Dubai bans selling tobacco for 24 hours: reports
Nearly 300 stores in the Gulf emirate of Dubai will ban the sale of cigarettes for 24 hours on Thursday to mark the World No Tobacco Day, local media reported.
http://news.yahoo.com/dubai-bans-selling-tobacco-24-hours-reports-075307614.html

www.TheHeadlines.Org