Daily Headlines

IDF reinforcing West Bank troops ahead of 'Nakba'

The IDF began reinforcing its troops in the West Bank on Wednesday ahead of demonstrations that the defense establishment fears will break out over the weekend ahead of May 15. Several Palestinian groups have called for large demonstrations along Israel’s various borders in mid-May ahead of Nakba Day – “the day of the catastrophe” – which is the Palestinian commemoration of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Expectations are that the demonstrations will start on Friday.

The demonstrations, if launched, would come just weeks before a massive protest flotilla sets out for the Gaza Strip. The Foreign Ministry is working to convince the international community to stop the flotilla, and the navy is preparing operational plans to stop it.

The IDF has begun establishing rapid response teams and is identifying vantage points throughout the West Bank that could be used to contain Palestinian demonstrations.

Assad threatens Israel with war

Egypt's military rulers promised Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshaal to let him transfer his base, command center and residence from troubled Damascus to a new haven in the Gaza Strip as an inducement for signing the Palestinian unity agreement with Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah on May 4.

In Damascus, Bashar Assad's close confidante Rami Makhlouf threatened that Syria would go to war against Israel in reprisal for US and Europe backing for the uprising.

In an interview with the New York Times Wednesday, May 11, he said: "If there is no stability here, there's no way there will be stability in Israel. No way, and nobody can guarantee what will happen after, God forbid, anything happens to this regime."

According to DEBKAfile's intelligence sources, the transfer of Khaled Meshaal lock, stock and barrel, from Damascus to Gaza serves the diametrically opposite interests of the current Egyptian and Syrian rulers alike. It was agreed between them - out of totally different considerations - during several visits to the Syrian capital by the new Egyptian intelligence minister Gen. Murad Muwafi from mid-March to late April:

For Cairo, the relocation of the Hamas epicenter to Gaza is pivotal to Egypt's return to an active role in the Palestinian arena, whereas Damascus sees the strengthened Hamas presence in Gaza as a key instrument for implementing Makhlouf's threats.

Lieberman Asks Why World Ignores Syria and Interferes in Israel

Why does the world ignore dictators in Iran and Syria but interferes with democracy in Israel, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman wondered out loud in his Independence Day remarks to members of the diplomatic corps Tuesday. President Shimon Peres was present during his speech.

The Foreign Minister said, “The repression that has met the demonstrations in Syria, Yemen, Libya and elsewhere in the region can not possibly be justified. However, it remains confusing why the international community intervenes in Libya, but not in Syria or Iran. What conclusions are we to draw from this seeming inconsistency?”

Lieberman also questioned the sincerity of the Palestinian Authority's seeking a mutual agreement with Israel in order to establish the PA as an independent country.

“That an organization with a charter that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel through violent Jihad – and aspires to a world without Jews, not just Zionists and Israelis, but Jews – should be thought of as partners to Fatah tells us more about Fatah than it does about Hamas.

PA official: Palestinian unity government to be formed in 10 days

A top Palestinian official said on Tuesday that a new unity government between recently reconciled Hamas and Fatah will be formed in 10 days.

Palestinian leaders plan to ask the United Nations General Assembly in September to recognize a Palestinian state in all the lands Israel occupied in 1967. Fayyad has made it clear that in the event that Israel and the Palestinians do not reach a negotiated settlement, a Palestinian state will be declared unilaterally.

Global disaster impact rises in 2010

The global impact of natural disasters took a turn for the worse in 2010 with an uptick in fatalities and economic damage, according to a report released Tuesday.

There were 385 natural disasters worldwide last year that killed more than 297,000 people, affected over 217 million others and caused $ 123.9 billion in economic damages, according to the Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2010.

The number of victims increased from 198.7 million in 2009 to 217.3 million in 2010, while economic damages from natural disasters in 2009 were $47.6 billion.

In terms of economic impact, the Chilean earthquake of Feb. 27, 2010, ranked highest with $30 billion in damages. The floods and landslides in China from May to August ranked second, costing $18 billion.

The Haiti earthquake, which caused damages of $8 billion, was especially destructive in view of the country's already impoverished economy.

Rival Currencies Take Aim at Dollar's Dominance

The dollar is losing its position as the world's leading currency, but it's not only the euro which will benefit. In the future, economists predict, up to five different currencies will dominate the global financial system.

In reality, the US currency is currently plagued by an acute bout of weakness. Its exchange rate has stabilized at around $1.50 to the euro, which is not far from the low point that it reached before the outbreak of the financial crisis. Since the beginning of the year, the dollar has lost 13 percent against the euro.

The decline in the value of the dollar on the currency markets, however, is merely an indication of a profound global development. The dollar is in danger of losing its role as the global reserve currency and the world's benchmark unit for exports.

Al Qaeda Issues New Threat Against U.S.

The international Al Qaeda terrorist organization has issued a new threat against the United States, just 10 days after its founder and mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was assassinated by U.S. Navy SEALs

"Do not think that the case is over?” al-Wahishi warned. “What is coming is even worse. What awaits you is more intense and more damaging. You will bite your fingers and regret the days of Sheikh Osama bin Laden,” he said, according to the message translated by the U.S. Center for Monitoring Islamic Websites

Eye in the sky: The flying robot intelligence system set to replace the CCTV camera

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No - it’s the terrifying new flying robot that it set to replace the CCTV camera.

The Aeryon Scout is equipped with the world’s most sophisticated intelligence systems to track down criminals and spy on the public

Users simply point to a place on Google Maps on its touch-screen controller and the robot flies there at 30mph to record high quality video that can be beamed to an iPhone in real-time.

The Scout can go up to 500ft above the ground and can zoom in to a close-up from a 300metres away, meaning it may not even be seen while on a mission.

The four rotor blades also ensure it is practically silent when hovering.

According to Aeryon, the Scout has the ‘most sophisticated and highest quality aerial intelligence available today’.