n a statement on Al Manar television Wednesday, Hezbollah said it will respond to an Israeli air strike on Monday night that hit near the Bekaa Valley village of Janta on the Syria-Lebanese border. The Lebanese Shiite militant group said, "The new aggression is a blatant assault on Lebanon and its sovereignty and its territory" and continued that it would choose the appropriate time and manner in which to respond. Israel has not confirmed the strike, however an anonymous senior Israeli security official told Time Magazine that Israeli warplanes struck a convoy transporting surface-to-surface missiles from Syria into Lebanon in efforts to prevent the weapons from reaching Hezbollah. Hezbollah's statement noted material damage but denied reports that the air strike targeted artillery or rocket bases or caused any casualties. Security sources reported two trucks transporting missiles and a missile launcher were hit, and that four members of Hezbollah were killed. Additionally, Lebanese security sources said they believed any strike that occurred hit Syrian territory, however, Hezbollah's statement suggested the attack may have taken place on Lebanese soil. While sources have reported at least six Israeli attacks on Syria in 2013, if confirmed, this would be the first case of an Israeli air strike on Lebanese territory since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
Syria
Syrian troops have killed 175 rebels in an ambush in the Eastern Ghouta region of the capital of Damascus, according to state news agency SANA. The attack was seemingly the most severe against opposition fighters in months and reportedly mainly targeted fighters from the Islamist groups al-Nusra Front and Liwa al-Islam. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 70 fighters were killed in the ambush, though noted the number could be much higher. It also mentioned that Hezbollah fighters carried out the attack along with government forces. The leader of al Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front Abu Mohammed al-Golani has delivered an ultimatum to rival faction the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to accept arbitration to end infighting within five days or it would be expelled from Syria "and even from Iraq." The warning has come two days after the killing of al Qaeda envoy and Ahrar al-Sham commander Abu Khalid al-Suri in an attack blamed on ISIL. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the world has failed Syria, and that the crisis has become a "threat to all." He stated a robust international strategy and the withdrawal of all foreign fighters was necessary to end the conflict.
Headlines
- An Egyptian court has tried in absentia 26 people and sentenced all but one to death over allegations of forming a terrorist group with the aim of attacking the Suez Canal.
- Turkey's President Abdullah Gul approved a law Wednesday that would increase government control over the judiciary in a move seen by critics as part of a response to a recent corruption inquiry.
- Egypt's army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will stay on as defense minister quelling expectations that he is about to announce a presidential bid as Prime Minister Ibrahim Melhlib said he will name a new government within days.
- Jordanian lawmakers have called for the cancellation of a peace treaty with Israel and riots have erupted in Jerusalem over a Knesset debate on expanding Israeli control over religious sites.
Arguments and Analysis
'Another Election in Libya?' (Tarek Megerisi, Sada)
"The Constitutional Declaration drafted by Libya's National Transitional Council was a small document destined to have a big significance. For within its text -- notably articles 17 through 30 -- lay the vision and framework for the political system that would support the transition. However, this structure has since proved incapable of supporting the weight of Libya's transitional problems. Its mandate -- to produce a constitutional authority by February 7, 2014 -- lies in tatters, and a constitutional assembly is still being formed as the country splits on different visions for the country's future. The Constitutional Declaration clearly provided for the General National Congress (GNC) as the country's ultimate authority. However, other than a provision to appoint a transitional executive authority and article 26's subordination of this executive to the "instructions and directions" of the GNC, the Constitutional Declaration failed to provide any direct responsibilities for either body, nor any clear delineation of power. And the increasingly likely GNC re-election alone is unlikely to address this issue.
The GNC exploited the lack of a clear division of powers to exert its influence over the transitional government from the beginning, evidenced through the debacle of former Prime Minister Mustafa Abu-Shagour's brief tenure. GNC members undermined the very figure they had elected, using their powers to force him out when it became clear his cabinet would not be a mere reflection of the contemporary power groups in the GNC -- as indeed these various groups were demanding. Moreover, conflicts between parliamentary groups, the office of the president, and the various ministries consistently undermined important initiatives ranging from security development to local government reform. Meanwhile, political groups continuously sought to brand political initiatives and solutions as their own in order to cultivate the image that they are the decisive group in Libyan politics and thus have a right to rule. These attempts to dominate the political scene are the result of the lack of clear responsibilities assigned to different bodies -- be they parliamentary committees, plenary sessions, the executive, or the judiciary. The absence of a clear division of power caused confusion, which facilitated this inter-factional competition that worsened as time went on."
'Looting Along Syria's Borders Prevents Already Scarce Aid From Getting Delivered' (Sophia Jones, Huffington Post)
"Truck drivers waiting along the border, some of whom have traveled more than a month to get here, say the most common good transported to Syria right now is food. They speculate that about half of all the goods consist of humanitarian aid coming from NGOs and aid groups all over the world. The other half, they say, are goods for trading with businessmen across the border: cars, electronics, heavy machinery, building materials. Syrians waiting to cross from Turkey -- on some days, dozens, on others, thousands -- also carry supplies, such as medicine for family members or money for weaponry.
Rumors abound as to who is responsible for the looting. Some Syrians and Turks along the border say extremist rebels are robbing trucks in order to gain control of refugee camps (where aid means power), while others say more moderate rebel groups are capitalizing on a desperate situation. Many, like Ameen, say the refugees themselves are stealing, hungry and desperate for aid that is not evenly distributed. Then there are whispers of Turkish businessmen turned war profiteers, crossing the border to try their hand at black market trade."
--Mary Casey & Cortni Kerr
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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