US officials have agreed to let Iranian-backed militias take up positions in Syria less than ten kilometers from the Israeli Golan Heights, the Arabic daily Asharq Al Awsat reported Thursday.
The report appeared to back up Russian media claims that Moscow has ignored pleas from Israel to prevent Iran from exploiting Syria’s ongoing civil war to expand its military influence into Syrian territory.
The report said the US agreed that Iranian-backed militias could be positioned as close as 8-16 kilometers (five to ten miles) from the Jordanian border and the Golan Heights, less than half the originally sought 32 kilometers (20 miles) distance.
In July, the Times of London reported that Israel was pushing Russia and the US for an agreement that would prevent “Hezbollah or other Iranian-backed militias” from operating in the area, which would extend some 30 miles (48 kilometers) beyond the Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese terror group that acts as a proxy of Iran, has been fighting on behalf of the Syrian President Bashar Assad in his efforts to suppress a six-year long insurgency. Russia, an ally of both Syria and Iran, has also provided military assistance in the war.
The US negotiators also agreed to let Russian observers police the truce zones, angering other US officials and allies of America. In particular, Israeli officials are concerned that the Russian presence could limit its operations against targets in Syria, the report said.
Last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladmir Putin in Sochi and entreated him to curb Iranian military expansion in Syria.
On Friday Pravda reported that while Putin told Netanyahu at their talks that “Israel is also an important partner for Russia in the region,” he stressed that “Iran is Russia’s strategic ally in the Middle East” and declined to abandon Russia’s alliance with the Islamic Republic.
Israel has called on the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to remove a top officer in the Lebanese army from a command post on Israel’s northern border, accusing him of being a Hezbollah operative, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported on Friday.
Jerusalem asked UNIFIL to ensure that Major Yahya Husseini, who serves as a “liaison officer” for Hezbollah, be removed immediately from his position, the report said.
Hezbollah “planted” Husseini into the Lebanese army as part of its goal to increase the influence of the terror group within the army, Israeli sources alleged.
Israel said that Husseini maintains continuous contact with Hezbollah operatives, gets instructions from them, and hands over information to the terror organization.
The report said that to Israel’s knowledge, Husseini was the first senior member of the Lebanese army to work for Hezbollah.
The request to UNIFIL came as the UN on Wednesday extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission, which expired Thursday, giving its forces widened powers to address Hezbollah’s weapons buildup in the area.
France’s foreign minister warned Friday that North Korea could have the capacity to deliver a nuclear strike on the United States and even Europe “within months.”
Jean-Yves Le Drian called the situation following a string of missile tests by Pyongyang “extremely serious” and urged the reclusive state to turn to dialogue to ease spiraling tensions.
“We see a North Korea whose objective is to have missiles capable of transporting a nuclear weapon tomorrow,” Le Drian told RTL radio.
“In a few months, that will be a reality. At that moment, when it has the capability to hit the US, even Europe and at the very least Japan and China, with a nuclear weapon, the situation will be explosive.”
Early on Tuesday, North Korea fired an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 over Japan, prompting US President Donald Trump to say that “all options” were on the table in an implied threat of preemptive military action.
The UN Security Council denounced Pyongyang’s latest missile test, unanimously demanding a halt to its program.
Le Drian called on Pyongyang to “return to the path of negotiations” in a bid to ease tensions.
A joint mediation effort put forward by China and Russia would involve a mutual pause in both missile tests by North Korea as well as the joint South Korean-US military exercises by Seoul.
Pyongyang has also threatened to fire rockets towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.
8 comments:
This is off topic but still wanted to see what you guys make of strange occurrence here in Cleveland. I have been to 2 different locations where are lots of green leafy trees & a creek, but have not heard any bird song at all. Up here it's too early for birds to disappear. We should still be hearing blue jays, robins & sparrows. I have family in east TN and they too have heard no birds in trees. Anyone else notice this in their area? Hmmmm.
Christine, I live in Chicago, and had the same thought the other day. I haven't seen a robin in weeks. It's too early for them to leave...an early winter?
Hi Scott
Hello there. Thats interesting. I hadnt noticed but will see if its the same around here
Hi Sister Christine,:) Its not unusual, or "strange" at all, nor is it "too early". It is simply migration that begins in the last few weeks of August in Ohio.
Ohio-
August: Shorebird migration is in full swing throughout this month, with juveniles of several species outnumbering adults, especially toward the latter part of August. A few summer resident species begin to depart very early; for example, Orchard Orioles are mostly gone by late August, and numbers of Yellow Warblers drop sharply by the second half of the month. Staging numbers of swallows diminish by late in the month. The first migrant warblers from farther north usually show up in the first week of August, and by late in the month warblers are passing through in good variety and fair numbers. Along with the warblers, some other songbird migrants such as thrushes and vireos are moving in late August. Right at the end of August and beginning of September, there may be a notable movement of Common Nighthawks. "
Hi Brother Gary, :) Nope, its not to early for Robins to leave, or even stay for that matter :) We have Robins here that have left, some stay, and some hang out all winter, even in the snow! lol Silly Robins...
" Robins are “nomadic,” meaning they wander irregularly. The same individual robin may winter one year in Texas, one year in Florida, and one year in Wisconsin! You just never know with robins."
We still have a lot of birds here :) The Robins have been leaving for a few weeks now, they have thinned out. The males are more likely to stay, because come Spring, they already have their territory staked out. lol We still these birds outside our window so far :) - but they will start leaving soon...
Blue Jays
Blue Birds
Eastern Towee
House Finches
Golden Finches
Brown Thrashers
Doves
Hummingbirds
North Carolina Wrens
Downy Woodpecker
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker Woodpecker
Cardinals
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted titmouse
White-breasted nuthatch
Mrs. C, I have lived in the Cleveland area many years & I have never seen an evacuation of Robins, BlueJays or English sparrows before the end of August. Neither has my family in East TN. It's strange this is going on. Glad you have seen birds where you are. However,one might wonder why some areas have a change in migration so different than last year...
None of the birds, including the Robins, have left where I live in Canada. If we are having an early winter the geese start flocking but they are content. Christine, I have heard others make the same remarks about the birds in certain areas. You would know yourself if this is strange or not.
All I know is I am looking up!
Scott, thanks for your daily posting..be blessed!
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