The editor of the London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 'Abd Al-Bari 'Atwan, wrote that the meeting in Damascus between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah was a war council, aimed at distributing tasks and formulating plans for a possible Israeli attack on Iran, Syria or Hizbullah, or on all three at once.
Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 27-28, 2010
In his report on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stated that Hizbullah's military forces constitute a violation of Resolutions 1701 and 1559, which call to disarm the Lebanese militias. He urged Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to renew the session of the National Dialogue Table, which is supposed to address the issue of Hizbullah's arms. He also pressed the Syrian and Lebanese governments to define their shared border and to tighten control over it.
Ban urged the Lebanese authorities to implement their decision to collect Palestinian weapons outside the refugee camps, and to dismantle the military camps of the Palestinian groups Popular Front – General Command and Fatah Intifada on the Syria-Lebanon border, which threaten Lebanon's stability. He called on Syria to cooperate with this move, and urged Israel to withdraw from the village of Rajar and to stop its air sorties over Lebanon's territory, which, he said, are a violation of 1701.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), February 28, 2010.
Source: Al-Jarida (Kuwait), February 28, 2010
In compliance with Hizbullah's demand, the authorities at the Beirut international airport have enhanced screening for passengers from the countries whose passports were used in the Al-Mabhouh assassination in Dubai. The British Foreign Ministry announced in response that it would examine the decision, and Ireland expressed "grave concern" about the heightened security measures.
It should be noted that, a few days ago, Hizbullah deputy secretary-general Na'im Qassem said that holders of European passports could pose a danger to Lebanon, and called to instate special measures to protect the Lebanese people.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), February 27, 2010
In response to Israel's decision to include the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb in the list of national heritage sites, the Qatari daily Al-Watan called for a general Palestinian intifada lead by the PA and supported by the Arab and Muslim countries.
Source: Al-Watan (Qatar), February 28, 2010
Jundallah has announced the appointment of Hajj Mohammad Zaher Baluch as the organization's new leader, instead of Abdolmalek Rigi, who has been captured by the Iranian authorities. According to the Iranian news agency Press TV, Baluch was captured at the Kirgizstan airport, where he was about to meet with U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrook to discuss joint action against Iran.
Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani called on the U.S. to address Iran's concerns over its ties with Jundallah.
Source: Press TV (Iran), www.khandaniha.eu, February 28, 2010
At the National and Islamic Solidarity Conference for the Future of Palestine, held February 27, 2010 in Tehran, Iran's Leader Ali Khamenei said that the Palestinian resistance has united the various Palestinian factions and strengthened their faith in God, and that it will bring "defeat and perdition" upon Israel and liberate the Palestinian homeland.
He stressed the need to build an Islamic new Middle East, and said that the U.S. will be defeated by the Palestinian people. He also condemned the Arab governments, saying that they endorse the Palestinian cause, but when they are called upon to help, they abandon the Palestinians to their fate.
The leaders of Palestinian factions who attended the conference thanked Iran for its support, and stressed that they will continue their resistance, since this is the only way to achieve victory over Israel. Hamas political bureau head Khaled Mash'al said that Israel will pass from the world, and PFLP-GC secretary-general Ahmad Jibril said that resistance is the way of the Prophet Muhammad, and that the resistance has created a new Middle East that starts in Tehran and spans the entire region.
Syria was represented at the conference by Haitham Sataihi, member of the Ba'th party leadership.
Sources: Mehr, Press TV (Iran), www.palestine-info.info, February 27, 2010; Al-Thawra (Syria), February 28, 2010
Khaled Mash'al and Islamic Jihad Leader Ramadan 'Abdallah Shalah with Khamenei
Image source: Website of the Supreme Leader (Iran)
Libyan leader Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi has said that jihad is a commandment and that Muslims may not relinquish it.
He said that while Al-Qaeda's actions that are incompatible with the religion should be opposed, it is an obligation to wage jihad by all means against the "infidel" Switzerland, because it is destroying mosques.
Qaddafi added that if Switzerland bordered Libya, he would fight it because it is hostile to Islam, and that every Muslim in the world who acts for Switzerland is an apostate.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, February 26, 2010
The U.S.'s first Islamic college, Al-Zaytuna, is to open for the 2010-11 academic year in California.
Zayed Shaker, one of the founders, estimated that about 20 students will enroll for the first year, and said that studies will be coed and open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
In addition to Islamic, Koran, and Arabic-language studies, students will also be offered humanities and social studies.
Hatem Bazyan, lecturer at UC-Berkeley and partner in the founding of the college, said that the founders seek to show how Islam can be integrated into the fabric of American life.
Source: Islamonline.net, February 24, 2010
Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath has said that currently there is no possibility of negotiating with Israel, and that it is better for the Palestinians to continue, for the next few years, to struggle in Bil'in and Nil'in, to build the institutions of the state, to rehabilitate Fatah, and to persecute Israel in the world.
Perhaps afterwards, he said, conditions will change and real negotiations will be possible.
Source: Al-Watan, Saudi Arabia, February 26, 2010
