New York Jewish Times On-Line

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter provides aerial security in Afghanistan.

Photo by Johnny R. Aragon / U.S. Army Photo

Afghanistan, Pakistan to Increase Security on Border
The Pakistani government is looking at a proposal by Afghanistan to create a joint force tasked with combating insurgents along their shared border, the Afghan defense minister said.
“We should have a combined joint task force for coalition, Afghan and Pakistan to be able to operate on both sides of the border, regardless of which side,” Abdul Rahim Wardak told reporters at the Pentagon.
Wardak said the concept of the joint task force was discussed a month and half ago at a tripartite meeting with prospective partner nations, including Pakistan. “They say they are looking at it,” Wardak said of the government in Islamabad. (Full Story)

World Leaders Call for Efforts to Curb Growing Global Financial Crisis
UNITED NATIONS (VOA) — World leaders have expressed growing concern over the turbulent state of the global economy, calling for united action to stop it from worsening. From United Nations’ headquarters in New York.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the meeting warning that the world faces multiple crises and urged the international community to take a united approach in resolving them. (Full Story)

Troops Dismantle Drug Nest, Deal Blow to Taliban Finances
(AFPS) Coalition and Afghan forces today dismantled a drug-making facility in southeastern Afghanistan and destroyed 44 tons of hashish in what military officials say is a major blow to funding terrorists in the country.
“Todayâs discovery clearly demonstrated the links between the Taliban and drug trafficking,” said Army Col. Greg Julian, U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman. “The huge amount of drugs destroyed today will greatly hinder the Talibanâs ability to fund their ongoing, hopeless struggle to subjugate the Afghan people.” (Full Story)

U.S. Military Jury Sentences al-Qaida Aide to Life in Prison
(VOA) A military jury at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has sentenced an al-Qaida operative to life in prison for conspiracy, solicitation for murder, and material support for terrorism.
Authorities announced Ali Hamza al-Bahlul’s sentence on Monday, just hours after they announced that he was convicted on Friday. Bahlul can appeal his sentence if he chooses to do so. (Full Story)

Chinese Delegation Begins Historic Five-Day Visit to Taiwan
(VOA) A Chinese delegation has begun a five-day visit to Taiwan aimed at boosting economic ties between the two longtime rivals.
Chen Yunlin, who heads China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, arrived in Taipei Monday and is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit the island since the two sides split during a civil war in 1949.
Chen and his 60-member delegation is expected to focus on finding ways to cooperate in fighting the global financial crisis, and opening cargo shipping links. They also will discuss expanding direct passenger and cargo flights. (Full Story)

U.S., Iraqi Forces Seize Weapons Caches, Detain Suspects
(AFPS) Coalition and Iraqi forces seized weapons caches throughout and captured suspected terrorists in Baghdad during operations over the past several days.
Yesterday, U.S. soldiers of the 25th Infantry Divisionâs Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, joined Iraqi soldiers in seizing a cache north of Baghdad. The cache included 90 mm projectiles, 122 mm projectiles, a 120 mm mortar, powdered aluminum, explosives, sulfur, washing machine timers, batteries, radios, red detonation cord, and an assortment of insulated wires. (Full Story)

South Korea to Spend Nearly $11 Billion to Stimulate Economy
SEOUL (VOA) — South Korea has announced a robust government spending plan to prevent its economy from slowing down too rapidly, as a result of the worldwide financial crisis. With a potential drop in exports on the horizon, this is the latest move by Seoul to shield Asia’s fourth-largest economy from the global credit squeeze. VOA’s Kurt Achin has more from the South Korean capital.
South Korean government ministers announced a spike in government spending plans Monday, aimed at stimulating the economy in the face of global slowdown. (Full Story)

RIA Novosti Photo

Libya ‘Ready to Host Russian Naval Base’
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Libya is willing to host a Russian naval base as a means of security against any possible U.S. attack, a Russian business daily said on Friday.
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi will pay an official visit to Russia at the invitation of President Dmitry Medvedev from October 31 to November.
The Kommersant newspaper cited a source close to the preparations for the visit as saying that the Libyan leader was planning to raise the naval base issue during talks with the Russian leadership. (Full Story)

Gatesâ Nuclear Message Resonates in Research, Engineering Community
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gatesâ concerns raised this week about the state of the nuclear weapons program and a “serious brain drain” at laboratories that design and develop them is resonating within the research and engineering community.
It’s also giving hope that the program, which some thought had lost its luster, is regaining its priority status. (Full Story)

Seven Police Injured in Blast in Ingushetia in North Caucasus
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Seven police officers were injured after two bombs went off near a private house in the Republic of Ingushetia in Russia’s restive North Caucasus region, a local police source said on Sunday.
A home-made bomb went off early on Sunday in the courtyard of a pensioner’s house in the town of Ordzhonikidzevskaya in the Sunzha district. No one was injured in the blast, the police source said over the phone.
However, when a police squad arrived at the scene, a second bomb exploded, leaving seven police officers shell-shocked, the police source said. (Full Story)

Senator Arrested on Federal Public Corruption Charges
BOSTON, MA (FBI) — Eight-term Massachusetts State Senator DIANNE Wilkerson was arrested this morning on public corruption charges stemming from her acceptance of more than $20,000 in cash payments to introduce legislation in the State Senate.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Boston Field Office and Police Commissioner Edward Davis of the Boston Police Department announced today that DIANNE Wilkerson, 53, of 74 Howland Street in Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested on a federal Complaint charging her with attempted extortion under color of official right and theft of honest services as a State Senator. (Full Story)

Armed Palestinians Aim Anti-Tank Missles At IDF Forces
On Friday, October 31st, armed Palestinians aimed and fired two anti-tank missles at IDF forces stationed near the Gaza Strip. No injuries or damage was caused.
During the morning hours, IDF forces identified the armed Palestinians and their weapons. They opened fire and called for additional forces. The terrorists fled the scene after firing the missiles.

Fourth Pipe Bomb at Hawara Checkpoint This Month
(IDF) On Friday, IDF forces manning the Hawara checkpoint just south of Nablus caught a suspicious Palestinian youth carrying a fully loaded pipe bomb. The youth, age 17, arrived to the checkpoint from the direction of Nablus. He was stopped by Givati Brigade soldiers and a Military Police unit that were stationed at the checkpoint. The forces ordered him to halt all movement until they had detonated the pipe bomb in a controlled manner. Afterwards, the Palestinian youth was taken by security forces for questioning. (Full Story)

Ancient Elah Fortress at Khirbet Qeiyafa.

Hebrew University Photo

Earliest Known Hebrew Text Unearthed at 3,000 Year Old Judean Fortress
(IDF) The earliest known Hebrew text has been discovered in an ancient city overlooking the area where David slew Goliath. The finding predates the Dead Sea Scrolls by 1,000 years.
According to Professor Yosef Garfinkel, the Yigal Yadin Chair of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, this is the only site in Israel where one can experience a story of the Young David in its historical context. “The chronology and geography of Elah Fortress at Khirbet Qeiyafa create a unique meeting point between the history, historiography and origins of the early Davidic Kingdom,” said Garfinkel. “This is the oldest Judaean city uncovered to date, and its very construction has unprecedented implications on our understanding of this era.” (Full Story)

NASA and Korea to Work Together for Future
(NASA/JPL) During a meeting Thursday at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) in Seoul, Korea, NASAâs Assistant Administrator for External Relations, Michael F. OâBrien, and MESTâs Director-General for Big Science, Munki Lee, signed a joint statement of intent identifying potential interest in cooperation in civil space and aeronautics activities.
According to the statement, the two agencies agree to conduct discussions to identify new cooperative activities related to space exploration, Earth science, planetary science, human space flight and aeronautics research. The fundamental goal of these discussions will be to advance the interests of both nations through cooperation in space and aeronautics programs. A joint report is expected eight months from todayâs signing. (Full Story)

Senator John McCain Releases Stance on Israel
“The State of Israel stands as a singular achievement in many ways and not the least is its achievement as the great democracy of the Middle East…We were brought together by shared ideals and by shared adversity; we have been comrades in struggle and trusted partners in the quest for peace. We are the most natural allies and like Israel itself – that alliance is forever.” (John McCain, AIPAC Policy Conference 2008, Washington, DC)
“I know it’s unusual for a Democrat to be endorsing a Republican…political parties are important in our country. But they’re not more important than what’s best for our country.” (Senator Joe Lieberman)
For nearly three decades John McCain has enjoyed a strong love, friendship and appreciation for Israel and her citizens. His affection for and understanding of the myriad of complex issues confronting the Israeli people runs deep, as does our nation’s long alliance with the State of Israel. (Full Story)

Soldiers Help Iraqi Neighborhood Councils Step Up
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — The soldiers of Company C, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, a mix of armor and infantry, assumed responsibility for the majority of southern Baghdadâs Risalah community, an area made up of 12 neighborhoods and home to about 250,000 people, in October 2007.
The companyâs third deployment to Iraq took the soldiers to the Iraqi capitalâs Rashid district and introduced them to an area recovering from the violence and turmoil of Iranian-backed groups and other enemy operatives trying to impose their will on the Iraqi people. (Full Story)

RIA Novosti Photo

Russian Warships Head to the Atlantic, Caribbean
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — A Russian naval task force departed Monday on a tour of duty in the Atlantic Ocean, including joint naval drills with the Venezuelan navy in November, a Navy spokesman said.
“A naval task force from the Northern Fleet, comprising the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko, and support ships, left the Severomorsk base early Monday to conduct training exercises in the Atlantic,” Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said. (Full Story)

Pakistan Says 60 Suspected Militants Killed in 2 Days of Fighting
(VOA) Pakistan’s military says its soldiers have killed about 60 suspected militants in two days of fighting in the northwest of the country. Security officials say at least 10 suspected militants were killed in the Bajaur area Tuesday, while more than 50 insurgents and one soldier were killed in clashes outside Peshawar a day earlier.
Officials say the fighting is part of the continuing offensive against suspected al-Qaida-linked militants in the region. (Full Story)

Coalition Forces Apprehend Suspects, Take Down Bombing Cells
(AFPS) Coalition forces apprehended five suspected members of an Iranian-backed terrorist group today during two separate operations in New Baghdad, and captured seven wanted men and 18 additional suspects in operations yesterday and today throughout Iraq, military officials reported.
Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted suspected key members of the Khataib Hezbollah network in two separate locations today. The network allegedly funnels weapons and materiel into Iraq from Iran, which is then used to conduct attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces, officials said. (Full Story)

Narcotics Trade Fuels Afghanistan Insurgency
LOS ANGELES — The poppy trade that fuels terrorists and insurgents in Afghanistan is a problem that must be addressed but doesnât have a military solution, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said last night.
Speaking at a dinner hosted by the Pacific Council on International Policy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said the narcotics trade serves as the baseline for Afghanistanâs economy.
Farmers in a country that ranks among the poorest in the world, Mullen said, have little choice but to cultivate poppy to sell to insurgents, who turn profits from opium trade on the black market despite Afghan drug laws and national drug controls. (Full Story)

Steel Rises, New Yorkers Rebuild Lives on 9/11 Anniversary
NEW YORK, New York (VOA) — Visitors to New York will find construction underway on a memorial and museum at the former site of the World Trade Center, destroyed seven years ago in the September 11 terror attacks. Nearly 3,000 people died that day, most of them in the collapse of the World Trade Centerâs twin towers. Seven years later, the work of rebuilding is also ongoing in the lives of survivors, as they remake their own lives while remembering those who were lost. (Full Story)

Family Members, Survivors Remember at Pentagonâs 9/11 Memorial
A group of family members, survivors and first responders shared their thoughts about 9/11 while visiting the nearly completed Pentagon Memorial here yesterday.
Tom Heidenberger, 62, lost his wife, Michele, when American Airlines Flight 77 plunged into the Pentagonâs west wall on Sept. 11, 2001. Michele was the senior flight attendant aboard Flight 77, said Heidenberger, a former commercial airline pilot who lives in Chevy Chase, Md. (Full Story)

New York Guardsmen in Afghanistan to Commemorate Terror Attack Anniversary
CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan — Men and women of the New York Army National Guard who served at Ground Zero are commemorating the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in Afghanistan this year. A ceremony is planned tomorrow at this base in the Afghan capital of Kabul, and it will be timed to coincide with the first plane strike at the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. EDT.
More than 1,700 members of New Yorkâs 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are serving here with Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, part of Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan. Its mission is to mentor and train the Afghan National Army and police, and provide assistance to the government of Afghanistan and its people. (Full Story)

US, Pakistan Shift Approach in Bin Laden Hunt
(VOA) An American newspaper says U.S. and Pakistani officials are shifting tactics in their search for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, intensifying the use of unmanned, but lethal, spy planes in western Pakistan.
The Washington Post Wednesday quotes the officials as saying the number of missile attacks by pilotless Predator drones in Pakistan has more than tripled in the past year. They say Pakistani officials reported 11 such strikes this year, compared to three strikes in 2007. (Full Story)

RIA Novosti Photo

Four Years On, Russia Remembers Beslan School Tragedy
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Russia marks the fourth anniversary of the Beslan school tragedy during which 331 people died, including 186 children. One of the most shocking and widely publicized events in recent world history began on September 1, 2004 when a group of terrorists seized School No. 1 in the town of Beslan, 30 km northwest of Vladikavkaz, the capital of the Russian republic of North Ossetia.
September 1 is known in Russia as the ‘Day of Knowledge’ and is when schoolchildren all over the country return to or begin their studies. (Full Story)

U.S., Pakistani Military Leaders Meet Aboard USS Lincoln
U.S. and Pakistani military leaders continued their ongoing dialogue about the war on terrorism during a meeting aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters today his meeting with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani armyâs chief of staff, was constructive and focused on the challenges posed by extremists in the federally administered tribal area and the North West Frontier in Pakistan. The Taliban and al-Qaida are using the areas to plan and train for attacks in Afghanistan. (Full Story)

USS Kearsarge Delivers International Aid in Haiti USS KEARSARGE (AFPS) — Aerial delivery of relief supplies to Haiti began from USS Kearsarge Sept. 8, as three helicopters launched from the flight deck to transport food and water to areas suffering from the after-effects of tropical storms Fay, Gustav and Hanna and Hurricane Ike.
U.S. Southern Command directed the U.S. 4th Fleet to divert the amphibious ship from its humanitarian and civic assistance mission in Colombia to assist the U.S. Agency for International Development in mitigating human suffering and loss of life, officials said. (Full Story)

Bomb Kills Pro-Syrian Lebanese Politician East of Beirut
(VOA) Lebanese officials say a bomb has killed a pro-Syrian Druze politician east of the capital, Beirut.
Officials say Sheikh Saleh Aridi was in a car when the bomb went off Wednesday in the village of Baissour.
Aridi is the first public figure to be assassinated in Lebanon in about a year. The attack comes days before Lebanon’s pro-Western and pro-Syrian factions are due to begin talks on national reconciliation.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has called for the dialogue to start on September 16.
The Druze sect is an offshoot of Islam and makes up less than 10 percent of Lebanon’s population.

RIA Novosti Photo

Russia Says Navy Ready to Thwart Any Threat to Security
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Russia’s Navy remains a strong force capable of repelling any attack by a potential aggressor, a Navy spokesman said.
“The Navy remains a serious deterrent prepared to thwart any threat to Russia’s national security, and if necessary provide an adequate response to any act of aggression,” Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.
Russia announced on Tuesday it will send a naval task group, comprising nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy (Peter the Great) and support ships, for a sortie in the Atlantic Ocean, and to participate in joint naval drills with the Venezuelan navy in November. (Full Story)

Iraqi Surge Was Keystone to Success in Iraq
At the end of 2006, Iraq seemed on the verge of a civil war. Al-Qaida was inciting divisions between Sunni and Shiia Iraqis. The newly elected government seemed ineffectual. Militia groups roamed neighborhoods and intimidated those who did not agree with them.
More than 100 U.S. servicemembers per month were being killed in fighting in the country. Today, that number has dropped dramatically, thanks largely to the troop surge and a new strategy that senior military officials credit with laying the groundwork for success throughout Iraq. (Full Story)

Afghan Forces Detain Three Suspects
(AFPS) With support from coalition forces, Afghan troops detained a suspected insurgent and heavy-weapons facilitator today in the Tarin Kot district of Afghanistanâs Oruzgan province, military officials reported.
The suspected facilitator is a former Afghan National Police checkpoint commander and is accused of supplying insurgents in Oruzgan province with heavy machine guns and rockets, as well as aiding suicide bombers. The arrest was made as part of ongoing Afghan investigations to remove corrupt individuals from positions of power, officials said. (Full Story)

Marines Look for Breakthroughs While Developing New Vehicles
The Marine Corps, like the Army, is “still waiting for that technological breakthrough” needed to build a combat vehicle thatâs light and agile but also protects crewmembers inside, the Marine Corps commandant said yesterday.
“So we continue to wait,” while exploring best options available now, Marine Gen. James T. Conway told reporters during a Pentagon news briefing.
Both the Army and Marine Corps have sent mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, with their V-shaped hull that deflects underbelly blasts away from the crew compartment, into Iraq and Afghanistan. The 10,000th MRAP rolled off the assembly line in early July, marking a milestone for the joint MRAP program that began as a Marine Corps initiative. (Full Story)

Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Over 100 Enemy Fighters
(AFPS) Afghan and coalition forces killed more than 100 enemy fighters during combat operations in Afghanistanâs Helmand province over the last three days, military officials reported.
Afghan and coalition forces were conducting security patrols related to an ongoing operation in the province when they were attacked multiple times by insurgents using small-arms, rocket-propelled grenade and mortar fire, sparking numerous engagements, officials said. (Full Story)

Marines Stay Focused on Afghan Police Mission
U.S. Marines in Afghanistan face daunting challenges in legitimizing the Afghan police and turning them into an effective counter-terrorist force, but perseverance and focus have served them well, a Marine officer said.
“Probably the biggest challenge has been the size of our area of operations,” Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard D. Hall, commander of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, said during a call with online journalists and military bloggers. “And to answer how weâve overcome that challenge, I summed it up in one word: Marines.” (Full Story)

Security Advancing, Closer to Mission Success in Iraq
BAGHDAD — The view from the sky indicates the tide in Iraq may be turning. Soldiers of 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, made the move from Camp Taji to Camp Stryker at the Baghdad International Airport about a month ago. Army Maj. Parker Frawley, the unitâs operations officer, said the squadron already is seeing the difference U.S. forces are making across Iraq.
In Camp Taji, 4-3rd ACR was involved in an intense battle for Sadr City. The soldiers fought daily, to defeat Iranian-backed “special groups” in Baghdadâs Sadr City district and to eliminate the indirect-fire threat to Baghdad. (Full Story)

Admiral Fallon, U.S. Navy Commander CENTCOM, Speaks Before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the U.S. Coalition’s Presence in the Horn of Africa
The nations of the Horn of Africa, Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, and the Seychelles, are plagued by border tension, insurgencies, corruption, terrorist infiltrations, and poverty. Moreover, Coalition pressure on al-Qaida and other extremist networks in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere increases the potential for some of these terrorists to migrate to the Horn as a place to plan, conduct, and coordinate terror attacks. (Full Story)

U.S., Pakistani Leaders Build Relationship
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN – U.S. and Pakistani military leaders continued their ongoing dialogue about the war on terrorism during an August 26 meeting aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters today his meeting with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani armyâs chief of staff, was constructive and focused on the challenges posed by extremists in the federally administered tribal area and the North West Frontier in Pakistan. The Taliban and al-Qaida are using the areas to plan and train for attacks in Afghanistan. (Full Story)

Coalition Forces Detain Suspects in Iraqâs Hamrin Mountains
(AFPS) Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists yesterday and today as they continued to run down the al-Qaida in Iraq network, especially in the Hamrin Mountains region, where they detained four wanted men, military officials reported.
One of the wanted men, captured yesterday near Qara Tappa with one alleged associate, is believed to be a senior advisor for al-Qaida in Iraq operations around the Hamrin Mountains. Three other wanted men in the region were captured in an operation today, along with one additional suspect. (Full Story)

Senior Hamas Terrorist Shihab Na’atsha Killed in Arrest Operation
(IDF) Tonight in Hebron, Shihab Na’atsha, a senior operative of the Hamas terror organization in the city and among the designers of the double terror attack in Dimona about half a year ago, was killed by IDF forces during an arrest operation.
IDF, Border Police and ISA forces carried out a joint operation this evening in Hebron to arrest wanted persons. During the attempted arrest of Na’atsha, Hamas terror operatives opened fire and launched explosive devices at the forces. The apartment where the terror operative was located housed explosives that were intended to be used in terror attacks. (Full Story)

Georgia Urges OSCE to ‘Respond’ to Expansionist Russia
VIENNA (RIA Novosti) — Georgia’s foreign minister accused Russia on Thursday of expansionist behavior and urged the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to take appropriate measures.
Russia officially recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia on Tuesday despite Western warnings, saying the move was needed to protect the regions following Georgia’s August 8 attack on South Ossetia. (Full Story)

Engel Gets 100% for Supporting Middle Class
WASHINGTON, DC — For the fifth consecutive year, U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel received a 100 percent rating from the non-partisan Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI) for his votes on legislation supporting the middle class.
Since 2003, the DMI has issued annual scorecards analyzing the impact of domestic legislation on Americaâs current and aspiring middle class, and evaluating members of Congress based on their votes on this legislation. For each of those years Rep. Engel has received 100 percent for his voting record. (Full Story)

ICE Fights Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling
(ICE) Human trafficking and human smuggling represent significant risks to homeland security. Would-be terrorists and criminals can often access the same routes and utilize the same methods being used by human smugglers. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementâs Human Smuggling and Trafficking Unit works to identify criminals and organizations involved in these illicit activities.
Human Trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery. (Full Story)

Southern Wall of Jerusalem from the Second Temple Period Discovered in Excavations on Mt. Zion
The Southern Wall of Jerusalem, dating to the time of the Hasmonean dynasty, was discovered on Mount Zion.
(IFM) An exciting discovery in Jerusalem, constituting extraordinary remains of the wall of the city from the time of the Second Temple (second century BCE-70 CE) that was built by the Hasmonean kings and was destroyed during the Great Revolt, and also the remains of a city wall from the Byzantine period (324-640 CE) which was built on top of it, were uncovered in an extensive excavation that is currently underway on Mount Zion. The lines of these fortifications delineated Jerusalem from the south in periods when the ancient city had reached its largest size. (Full Story)

Leopard Project Moves Pipes Aside
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Southern Primorye Territory is to host a guarded nature reserve for 30 Amur leopards (P. pardus orientalis), the world’s rarest big cats. To this end, the route of the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline will be altered, costing its builders another $3 billion. But there is one more facility jeopardizing the leopard project – a gas pipeline, which is planned to be laid across the nature reserve.
Amur leopards have long, thick fur that allows them to survive in northern territories. They are disappearing before our very eyes: there are as few as 40 Amur leopards left on earth: 30 of them live in Russia, and the rest in China. If poachers kill just two or three more females, the population will never be restored. (Full Story)

Vets Treat Hundreds of Animals in Kenya
MANDA BAY, Kenya (CJTF-HOA) — A Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa civil affairs team worked side by side with host nation veterinarians and other locals to vaccinate and treat more than 400 animals for various ailments during a veterinary civil action program that kicked off on Manda Island in Kenya’s Lamu District.
Members of CJTF-HOA’s 350th Civil Affairs Command, Functional Specialty Team, joined their local partners at a “cattle crush” and attended to 441 goats and sheep and a dozen dogs brought to the VETCAP by local herdsman. (Full Story)

Iran Says Bushehr Nuclear Plant to Go Online in October
TEHRAN (RIA Novosti) — The Bushehr nuclear power plant being built in Iran will be launched in October, a high-ranking Iranian nuclear official said.
Russia is building the $1-billion facility, Iran’s first nuclear power plant, in the south of the country in accordance with a 1995 contract, and under UN supervision as Iran is under international scrutiny over its compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation regime. (Full Story)

US Pushing for New UN Sanctions Against Zimbabwe
(VOA) A U.S. draft resolution is being circulated at the United Nations that calls for new travel and financial sanctions against Zimbabwe’s government in response to that nation’s political crisis.
A copy of the draft resolution obtained by VOA calls for freezing the assets and restricting the travel of President Robert Mugabe and 11 other top Zimbabwe government officials. The proposed resolution also seeks to expand an arms embargo against the government. (Full Story)

Russia to Deliver Six Mi-35 Attack Helicopters to Indonesia
JAKARTA (RIA Novosti) — The Indonesian Armed Forces will soon receive a delivery of six Russian Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters, the Antara national news said.
Nikolai Kireyev, head of the state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport’s office in Jakarta, said 15 Indonesian pilots and technical specialists have been undergoing training at the Kazan helicopter manufacturing plant in Russia’s Volga area since March 2008. (Full Story)

Italian Defence Minister Visits Deployed Troops in Afghanistan
(NATO) The Italian Minister of Defence, Ignazio La Russa, along with the Italian Chief of Defence, General Vincenzo Camporini, and Italian Joint Operational Commander, Lieutenant General Giuseppe Valotto, visited the Italian troops deployed in Regional Command West. This visit is the first for Mr. La Russa after he recently took over his duty as Minister of Defence.
Once his plane landed at Herat airport, the Italian defence minister was welcomed by RC-W Commander Brigadier General Francesco Arena and rendered with honours by a national joint platoon. Minister La Russa came in RC-W Headquarters just for a short call with Brigadier General Arena and then he went on to address the Italian troops. (Full Story)

Palestinian Terrorists Arrested, Killed; Israelis Wounded in Attack
(IFM) During this past week, IDF forces continued operating against terror infrastructures in the regions of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley. IDF forces arrested 53 wanted Palestinians in the area, among them three Tanzim terror operatives who were involved in producing explosive devices. Additionally, nine explosive devices were detonated at IDF forces in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
Three Israeli civilians were shot and wounded – severely, moderately and lightly – while hiking near the Israeli community of Halamish in Judea and Samaria. The wounded were initially treated on location and later evacuated by helicopter for further medical treatment in hospital. (Full Story)

Afghan ISAFâs Turkish Battle Group Changes Command
KABUL, Afghanistan (NATO) — ISAFâs Turkish Battle Group in Regional Command Capital held a change of command ceremony at Camp Dogan on June 26 where Lieutenant Colonel Ayhan Saygin, Turkish Battle Groupâs commander, handed over command to Lieutenant Colonel Murat Atac.
The commander of RC-C, Brigadier General Federico Bonato, led the ceremony. The Turkish Kabul Embassy Counselor Erdogan Odabas, Kabul Governor Haci Din Muhammed, local Malekâs, and Afghan civilians also attended the ceremony. (Full Story)

Israel Reopens Gaza Border Crossings After Day without Rocket Fire
(IFM) Israel reopened four Gaza crossings and for the first time in a year allowed the transfer of dry cement for construction.
A Kassam rocket fired from northern Gaza landed in an open field near Kibbutz Miflasim in the western Negev as dozens of teenagers were celebrating the beginning of summer vacation at the kibbutz’s pool. No injuries or damage were reported.
Israel views the rocket fire as a clear and flagrant violation of the understandings of the “state of calm.” FM Livni: “I do not care which organization fired the rocket, Israel must respond militarily and immediately.” (Full Story)

Six Killed in Militant Attacks in Chechnya in North Caucasus
GROZNY (RIA Novosti) — Three police and three civilians have been killed in two separate clashes with militants in the North Caucasus Republic of Chechnya, a local law-enforcement official said.
A police officer and a civilian were killed when attackers opened fire on the police station in the village of Elistanzhi in the southern Vedeno district in the early hours.
In a separate attack, another two policemen and two civilians were ambushed and killed in a forest near the village of Roshni-Chu in the Shatoi district also in southern Chechnya.
Chechnya saw two Kremlin-led military campaigns in the 1990s-early 2000s against separatist forces. Although the active phase of the operation was completed, frequent militant attacks occur in Chechnya and neighboring republics.

STEREO Creates First Images of the Solar System’s Invisible Frontier
GREENBELT, Maryland (NASA/JPL) — NASA’s sun-focused Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, twin spacecraft unexpectedly detected particles from the edge of the solar system last year. This helped scientists map the energized particles where the hot solar wind slams into the cold interstellar medium.
The two STEREO spacecraft were launched in 2006 into Earth’s orbit around the sun to obtain stereo pictures of the sun’s surface and measure magnetic fields and ion fluxes associated with solar explosions. (Full Story)

Village of Hope Students Keep Canals Flowing in Iraq
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq — Students of the Village of Hope in Hawr Rajab, Iraq, began cleaning irrigation canals in the area June 26 in an effort to improve the flow of fresh water to nearby farms.
The Village of Hope is a program that teaches construction skills to former members of the “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group. The new skills help them transition to other productive jobs in their community. (Full Story)

Russia Delivers 3,000 Tons of Flour to North Korea
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) – Russia completed the delivery of almost 3,000 tons of flour to North Korea.
The Russian government resolved to send the shipment as part of Russia’s voluntary contribution to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) for 2008.
“The first deliveries of the humanitarian load…arrived in North Korea on June 11 and will be distributed among the population through WFP structures,” the statement says.

Keep Jerusalem United
Speech by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel can succeed!
We can succeed in every field – in building a prosperous economy, in developing advanced technology, in fostering excellence in education, in creating a strong society, in combating crime and violence and in so much more.
Some of these efforts are already underway. The free market reforms we implemented filled the state coffers with billions of shekels that can now be directed toward helping those who are truly needy.
With courageous leaders who can make tough decisions and implement fundamental reforms, we can finish the job.

Pentagon Worker Remembers 9/11 in Her Own Way
Cheryl Irwin says she can tell those who were at the Pentagon the day terrorists flew a commercial jet into its walls. They are the ones who, while standing in its open center courtyard, will look up at a passing commercial jet and pray it continues flying by.
Irwin is one of thousands here who will commemorate the terrorist attacks tomorrow in their own way. She will not be at her desk.
In an ironic twist of fate, her best friend happened to be at the World Trade Center plaza that same morning. So, on the dayâs anniversary every year, the two take leave from their jobs and travel together.

Russian Jews Choose People of the Year
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti, by Marianna Belenkaya) — The presentation of the Man of the Year 5766 title by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia was held, as the world’s Jewish community celebrates Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.
Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar said: “Presenting the Man of the Year title during the Hanukkah week has become a tradition.”

New U.S. E-Passports: Terrorists Next Weapon?
(ITToolbox) In a few short months, all new US passports are going to go RFID. These passports will have an embedded RFID chip containing all your personal information. The US State Department has made it a point to convince the populous that strong security measures have been taken to prevent ‘data theft’.
Let’s examine these safeguards, shall we?

The Agenda of Islam – A War Between Civilizations
(TI) The war has started a long time ago between two civilizations – between the civilization based on the Bible and between the civilization based on the Koran. And this must be clear.
There is no Fundamental Islam
Fundamentalism is a word that came from the heart of the Christian religion. It means faith that goes by the word of the Bible. Fundamental…

Musharraf: Muslims Must Correct Western Misperceptions About Islam
(VOA) Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says the Muslim world must correct Western misperceptions created by clerics about Islam as a religion that fosters militant extremism.
He told a meeting of the World Islamic Economic Forum in Islamabad the rise in extremism in the Muslim world has been caused by semi-literate clerics who hold sway over the masses. He said this is the critical malaise that spawns terrorism.

Searching for Moral Truth or Ex-Nazi’s Negative PR
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti, by Anatoly Korolyov) — On the eve of publishing his autobiographical book Peeling the Onion, Nobel Prize winning author Gunter Grass made a sensational statement that he had served in the Waffen SS in 1945.
It all looks like suicide, but it is very effective…
Grass had for many years pushed the pedals of morality and anti-Fascism, asserting his moral authority. His brilliant talent made it more convincing.

Will Olmert Give Up Sderot Too?
(DEBKAfile) No sooner had Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert taken off for London, Paris and Berlin – against the advice of security experts – when defense minister Amir Peretz vetoed the IDF high commandâs package of comprehensive measures to scotch the ongoing Hamas all-out missile offensive.

E-Homo Sapiens: Already at the Door
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti, by Alexander Narinyani) — Man has entered a new phase of evolution. As we enter the gateway to the information technology world, that world is also entering us.

Russia Getting Rid of Floating Chernobyls
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti, by Viktor Litovkin) — I’d like to start with some figures. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union built more nuclear-powered ships than any other country – about 250 nuclear missile submarines, five surface ships, including several heavy missile cruises of the Admiral Ushakov class, eight ice-breakers, the most famous of which bore Lenin’s name, and one lighter carrier ship Sevmorput.
But no infrastructure was built for scrapping these ships after decommissioning.

Take Action to Prevent ‘Growingâ Problem
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) — It was just two months ago when I sat in my friendâs living room sharing pictures from her past. It was her high school year book, 1967, and something very striking caught my eye.
“Wow, all of you were skinny!”
My friend laughed, and staring at the picture responded, “You are right, I had not thought or noticed it.” Not one adolescent in her senior class appeared overweight.

The Million Person Gap: A Critical Look at Palestinian Demography
(BESA) Population statistics and predictions of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) are unreliable. A BESA study that subjects Palestinian demography to rigorous analysis shows that the 2004 Palestinian population of the West Bank and Gaza stood at 2.5 million; not the 3.8 million claimed by the Palestinians. The 1997 PCBS population survey – which has been widely used as the basis for subsequent studies – inflated numbers by including over three hundred thousand Palestinians living abroad and double-counting over two hundred thousand Jerusalem Arabs included in Israelâs population survey.

The Delusion of U.S. Aid
Before Israel disburses the billions of dollars in US aid – to defray the cost of another Israeli retreat (“Realignment”) – the US has to approve such an aid package. However, the chance of approving such a package is identical to the chance of Israel receiving US financial aid for previous retreats from Southern Lebanon, Northern Samaria and Gaza – Zero!

Funding Abu Mazen’s Hate Education
Abu Mazen’s hate-education has benefited from US foreign aid ($3BN), which has been extended – since 1994 – to the Palestinian Authority (PA), to Palestinian NGOs (all of which are controlled by the PA) and to international organizations, which assist the PA (e.g. UNRAW).
The Palestinian Terrorist Act 2006 (H.R. 4681) – introduced by Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Tom Lantos – would stop such misused funding to the PA.

Should the U.S. Stop Foreign Aid to Palestinians?
The 11 year non-scrutinized annual US foreign aid to Palestinians has been counter-productive. It has not moderated the Palestinian Authority, has not averted PA anti-US hate education and incitement, has not produced a compliant PA, has not stopped homicide bombing (which have generated PA homicide-bombing family allowances) and has not caused Abu Mazen to end PA terrorism and stop harboring Hamas terrorists. Non-scrutinized US foreign aid to Palestinians has – unintentionally – nurtured the largest terrorist base in the Middle East, the Palestinian Authority.

On Hallowed Ground
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (USAFENS) — As an Air Force fighter pilot in England, Iâve been afforded a special perspective of America. Yes, America. On every mission I fly here I am literally surrounded by our American history. What I see are beautiful green fields, small English villages and hundreds of airfields. It is truly an amazing sight . . . an absolutely unique view of this Earth.

Is Israel Forgetting Jerusalem?
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my highest joy.”
Psalm 137
In July 2000, at Camp David, then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, offered one-half of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, to the Palestinian terror master, Yasir Arafat. Arafat said “no” and launched the second intifada.

Personal Recollection of the Expulsion from Gush Katif
Oct. 15 2005 (TI) — It is now almost 2 months since the pogrom, although it has taken me until now to sit down and write about it. Actually, I haven’t been able to sit down and read or write anything lately. I seem to have developed a short attention span and inability to concentrate. I am afraid I will not remember everything — people have a tendency to forget things that are awful. What I seem to have disengaged from are my emotions. I feel as cool as a cucumber and suddenly I find myself bursting out into tears for no apparent reason.

A Muslim in a Jewish Land
(MWT) As I boarded EL AL flight LY 0008 for Tel Aviv on November 14, 2005 with my wife, Kiran, my mind was busy arranging and re-arranging the list of things I intended to accomplish. I wanted to use my first visit to Israel to feel the strength of the Jewish spirit that refuses to give in to evil forces despite thousand of years of anti-Semitism. It was not Israel’s suicidal sacrifices that I wanted to investigate but the foundations of Israeli determination to live in peace.

Then and Now Americans Support Their Troops
The two of us were born more than 50 years and nearly 160 miles apart. But we are connected to each other — and to so many of our fellow Americans — in ways that easily surpass both age and geography.
We were born and raised in Kansas. Both of us are Army veterans. And both of us nearly lost our lives on the battlefield.

A Refugee in My Own Country
(TI) When Yael Ben Yaakov from Mevo Dotan in northern Samaria describes the brit milah ceremonies she held for her three sons in her home, she taps on the four tiles on which the chair the circumcision took place stood. “Here in Mevo Dotan my sons were circumcised. I held their bar mitzvah ceremonies here, and there,” she points toward the cemetery, “Zamir, my husband, who died eight months ago, is buried … Then, those who were murdered in [terror] attacks were buried.”

Eagle Eyes
In a world where Islamic extremists are involved in elaborate plans to force earth’s civilization into their vision of Islamic domination through terror attacks, people are being taught to pay attention to their surroundings, to be observant, and if suspicious activities are seen, report it to law enforcement officials. As we have seen since 9-11, what one man or woman reports can save many lives. People have found that things out of place can be reason for concern. Many citizens have also discovered thus far important oddities; such as a person behaving strangely in a certain setting or circumstance, a vehicle out of place, or a man nonchalantly trying to light his shoe on fire while on an aircraft. Observance and reporting suspicious activities is encouraged, as seen with the US military in Eagle Eyes.

The Impact of “Disengagement” on U.S. Interests
The impact of “disengagement” of Israeli land on U.S. interests prompts incidents of terrorism against Israel and confuses war on terror issues. Point one; the morally/strategically justifiable demolition of terror regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan is inconsistent with the creation/bolstering of a terror regime in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. The 1994-6 series of disengagement from 85% and 40% of the territory (and 100% and 95% of the population) of Gaza and Judea and Samaria have established the largest terrorist base in the world, led/harbored by PLO/PA graduates of terrorist camps in Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Libya and Tunisia. Since 1993 the PA has harbored anti-US terrorists. US GIs in Afghanistan and Iraq were encountered by Palestinian terrorists.

What Retreat from the Territories Means for Israel’s Water Supply
(TI) Except perhaps in a rain forest, deciding who controls the water supply has been a major direct and indirect reason for hostilities between neighbors since ancient times.
In the Holy Land, there is a long history of water disputes way back to the time when our fathers Abraham and Isaac were digging wells for water for their flocks, wells that were subsequently seized by the Philistines[1] based around the present-day Gaza strip under their king Abimelech. Eventually Abraham…

We Will Never Forget:

In tribute to those whose lives were lost on September 11th, 2001 and the heroes who continue to work around the clock, we dedicate this section to make sure this Holocaust of the 21st Century is never forgotten.