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Egypt’s Military Council Protects its Power Under President-elect
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Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the body that took control of the government following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, has solidified its position in the government of President-elect Mohamed Morsi (pictured) by naming its head, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, to serve as the defense minister. In a statement by its spokesman on Wednesday, SCAF fired across the bow of the Muslim Brotherhood, the leading party and party of the president-elect, warning it will not rescind a constitutional amendment it created to justify its own position by granting itself broad legislative powers. But what is not clear is whether SCAF is willing to relinquish power once a new legislature is elected. Earlier this month, a judicial panel threw out the results of the recent parliamentary election. SCAF, which has said it will not allow elections until a new constitution is in place, controls the process through which the new constitution will be written.
Intercepted Russian Attack Copters Will Reach Syria; Turks Add Anti-Aircraft Guns at Border
The refurbished attack helicopters bound for Syria that were intercepted and returned to a Russian port earlier this month will be delivered to Syria after all. The incident triggered a back-and-forth between US Secretary of State Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov reminiscent of Cold War rhetoric. Clinton originally accused Russia of sending weapons to Damascus that are then turned on opponents of the regime, but the Russians insisted that the choppers were already Syrian possessions, just out for repair. On Thursday, a Russian defense official said the attack helicopters are heading back to Syria without saying how or when the shipment will be made. It is widely assumed that the helicopters and other military equipment will be flown in this time. Turkey has followed-up its placement of tanks on its border with Syria with the addition of anti-aircraft guns on Thursday. Tension between the two governments has not subsided in the aftermath of last Friday’s shooting down by Syria of a Turkish American-made, Israeli-improved, F-4 Phantom fighter jet.
Hamas Says Israel Behind Killing of Senior Operative in Damascus
Hamas on Wednesday announced that one of its senior Damascus-based operatives was killed in his apartment. The announcement gave no indication of the circumstances surrounding what is being called an assassination, but did accuse Israel of being behind the killing. The victim, Kamal Ranaja, served as a top aide to Hamas terrorist Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, who was killed in Dubai in 2010. His death was also blamed on the Israelis, but the accusation was never substantiated. This time, however, a new scenario relating to the unrest in Syria is circulating. Syrian opposition sources suggest that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad ordered the hit on Ranaja as punishment and to send a warning to Hamas for its failure to stand by Assad in his fight against his opposition.
Taliban Show 17 Pakistani Heads from Cross-border Raid in Gruesome Video
The Taliban released a video on Wednesday that pictured 17 human heads spread out on white sheet in front of masked fighters holding confiscated weapons. The group said the heads were detached from Pakistani soldiers captured when Taliban executed a cross-border raid into Pakistan from Afghanistan this week. The gruesome video was provided to the Associated Press by a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban. The apparent purpose of the horrific exercise was to demonstrate the failure of Western-backed efforts to eradicate the terrorists from the region. The video’s narrative warns that the killing will continue until the Pakistani government breaks from the United States and sharia (Islamic religious) law is imposed in Pakistan. Also on Wednesday, a bomb exploded inside a railway station in southwest Pakistan killing five and wounding twenty.
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