By Matt Cantor
With Israel-Palestine talks potentially beginning next week , Israel will release some “heavyweight (Palestinian) prisoners in jail for decades,” says top minister Yuval Steinitz. Details are fuzzy, but it’s possible 350 prisoners could be released over several months, a Palestinian official tells the BBC ; some 100 of them have been in… …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Newser – Home
A senior Israeli official says world powers should give Iran an ultimatum to curb its nuclear program.
Yuval Steinitz, Israel‘s minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, issued the call on Sunday. He spoke a day after Iran and six world powers failed to agree at talks in Kazakhstan on how to reduce fears Tehran might use its technology to make weapons.
“The time has come to present the Iranians with a military threat or some kind of red line or unequivocal ultimatum by the entire world … in order to get results,” Steinitz told Army Radio.
He said the ultimatum should be “weeks,” without elaborating. Israel and the US have hinted at a military option if diplomacy fails.
Israel believes Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. Iran denies the charge.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
A senior Israeli official said Wednesday that it is “apparently clear” that chemical weapons were recently used in Syria, and that the alleged attack will be a main topic of conversation with visiting President Barack Obama.
The statement by Yuval Steinitz, the newly appointed minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, conflicts with U.S. assessments that there is no evidence behind accusations traded the day before between Syrian rebels and the Bashar Assad regime of a chemical weapons attack in a village in the north of the country.
Steinitz, who was speaking to Army Radio, did not say how he came to the conclusion that the weapons were used. He would not comment on whether it was Assad forces or the rebels that used them, saying it was not important.
A senior defense official told the Associated Press that he concurred chemical weapons had been used, basing that on intelligence reports. He would not elaborate. He spoke anonymously because he is not allowed to speak to the media.
Israel has repeatedly expressed concern that Syria‘s chemical arsenal could fall into the hands of anti-Israel militants like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, an Assad ally, or an al-Qaida-linked group fighting with the rebels.
Steinitz said that after Iran‘s nuclear program, the fate of Syria‘s chemical weapons is the second most urgent issue that will be discussed with Obama during his 48 hour visit that begins Wednesday afternoon.
“It is apparently clear that chemical weapons were used,” Steinitz said. “The fact they apparently used chemical weapons against civilians needs to worry us and shows the urgency of taking care of the issue,” he said.
Syrian rebels and Assad’s government blamed each other Tuesday for a chemical attack on a northern village. There have been many reports and rumors of such weapons being used throughout the war but no attack has yet been confirmed. The U.S. said there was no evidence chemical weapons were used.
The use of such weapons would be a nightmare scenario in the 2-year-old conflict that has killed an estimated 70,000 people, and the competing claims showed willingness by both sides to go to new levels to seek support from world powers.
President Barack Obama has declared the use, deployment or transfer of the weapons would be a “red line” for possible military intervention by the U.S. in the Syrian conflict.
The Syrian state-run SANA news agency said “a missile containing a chemical substance” was fired at the village of Khan al-Assal in Aleppo province by “terrorists” — the term it uses for rebels. Syria‘s Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad said 31 people were killed.
SANA added that more than 100 others were wounded, some of them critically, and it published pictures showing casualties, including children, on stretchers in what appears to be a hospital ward. None showed signs of physical injuries. The rebels quickly denied using chemical weapons and accused regime forces of doing so.
The Aleppo Media Center, affiliated with the rebels, said there were cases of “suffocation and poison” among civilians in Khan al-Assal after a missile was fired at the area. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
A senior Israeli official says it is “apparently clear” that chemical weapons were recently used in Syria, either by the rebels or by the government.
The Wednesday remarks by Yuval Steinitz, the newly appointed minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, conflicts with U.S. assessments that there is no evidence behind accusations Tuesday traded between rebels and the regime of a chemical weapons attack in a village in the north of the country.
Steinitz, who was speaking to Army Radio, did not say how he came to the conclusion that the weapons were used.
He said it will be a main topic in talks with visiting President Barak Obama. Israel has long expressed concerns that Syria‘s chemical stockpile could reach militant groups like Hezbollah or al-Qaida-inspired organizations.