WORLD AT WAR: 5.13.16 - ISIS to Israel: "We're coming very soon"

ISIS to Israel: "We're coming very soon" - www.debka.com 

 

The last 48 hours (May 7-8) have seen a major escalation of the ISIS threats against Israel, debkafile's intelligence and counter-terrorism sources report. In a coordinated maneuver by all of the ISIS commands in the Middle East, the terrorist organization simultaneously released at least 10 videos that it said showed ISIS forces on their way to attack targets in Israel.

 

 All of the videos refer to the Palestinian issue, Jerusalem and the timing of the attacks. In each one, the narrator claims the terror organization did not forget the Palestinians, and will not neglect them anymore; describes Jerusalem as "a bridge to Islam"; and threatens an impending attack, saying "We're coming, and coming very soon" accompanied by images of fighters from the ISIS affiliate in the Sinai are shown.

 

 It was not the first time for the ISIS propaganda machine to threaten hostilities against Israel, but it was the first time for the threat to be issued simultaneously from every province or city where ISIS is located in the Middle East. The videos included ones from Raqqa, the ISIS capital in Syria; Mosul, the terrorist organization's capital in Iraq; the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt; Derna in eastern Libya; and central Libya, where according to debkafile's  counter-terrorism sources ISIS controls a huge 300-kilometer area including the Mediterranean coast on the Gulf of Sidra.

 

 Our sources report that every video contains the following sentences: "We know that the Egyptian army is being helped by Israeli intelligence and the Israeli Air Force in its war against us"; "We also know that Israel set up intelligence networks within the population of the Bedouin tribes in the Sinai"; and "From now on we will take action against Egyptian and Israeli targets as one."

 

debkafile's intelligence sources report that these comments are intended to counter efforts by the Egyptian military to establish anti-ISIS militias among the Bedouin tribes. This came after American counter-terrorism experts advised the Egyptian military to operate the same way that the US operates among the Sunni tribes in western Iraq's Anbar province, where US military instructors are setting up local militias to prevent ISIS fighters from entering or passing through areas under the tribes' control.   

 

 Our sources report that three Bedouin anti-ISIS militias have been established in the Sinai so far: the "Sons of Sinai", "Unit 103"; and the "Death Squad". 

 

 Meanwhile, the ISIS affiliate in the Sinai carried out one of its boldest terrorist attacks on Sunday, May 8, killing eight Egyptian policemen including an officer, in the Cairo suburb of Helwan. Four masked terrorists with automatic weapons jumped out of a commercial vehicle that had blocked a minibus transporting the policemen, fired hundreds of bullets at the minibus, killing everyone inside, and then fled the scene. Western counter-terrorism experts monitoring ISIS-Sinai estimate that it not only has the ability to carry out terrorist attacks in major Egyptian cities, but also against Israel.

 

'Hamas digging more tunnels, wants next round of fighting in Israeli territory' - http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Hamas-digging-more-tunnels-wants-next-round-of-fighting-in-Israeli-territory-453611

 

Shin Bet says teen suspect involved in tunnel-digging arrested, divulges information on the group's efforts.

 

Hamas is continuing to dig attack tunnels and is closely following Israel's efforts to uncover such tunnels, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has gleaned from the interrogation of an operative from the group's military branch.

 

The Shin Bet announced on Tuesday that it has arrested a minor who was enlisted into the ranks of Hamas prior to summer 2014's Operation Protective Edge and was active in the organization's efforts to dig tunnels that would infiltrate into Israeli territory.

 

News of the arrest comes after the IDF uncovered two Hamas attack tunnels entering into Israeli territory in the past month. Another Hamas operative involved in the organization's tunnel enterprise was also recently arrested and shed light on the group's efforts to dig into Israel.

 

The teen whose arrest was announced on Tuesday hails from the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza and was arrested last month attempting to cross the border fence into Israel.

 

He belonged to the northern division of the Kassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing. According to the Shin Bet, the suspect said during his interrogation that he was trained to infiltrate, enter structures and place explosive devices in keeping with Hamas's strategy of ensuring that the next round of fighting will take place in Israeli territory.

 

The suspect divulged information on the structure of Hamas tunnels intended to be used by the group's elite tunnel unit in times of emergency and the location of tunnels in Gaza, the Shin Bet stated.

 

He also allegedly told his interrogators about Hamas's efforts to keep their tunnel-digging activities secret, such as  avoiding leaving the tunnels in their dirt-covered "work clothes," and covering up any signs that they had been in a tunnel.

 

The suspect took part in placing explosive devices in tunnels to prevent IDF soldiers from entering them and even stored explosives at his home, the Shin Bet said.

 

The Israeli security agency said that the suspect is one of many being interrogated who is providing intel on Hamas's tunneling efforts.

 

US, Russia aim to 'decapitate' Syrian military - http://www.debka.com/article/25405/US-Russia-aim-to-'decapitate'-Syrian-military-

 

The US, Russia and the Syrian rebels started discussions this weekend over the composition of a list of Syrian generals who will be dishonorably discharged over war crimes they committed during the country's civil war, debkafile's military and intelligence sources say in an exclusive report.

 

 The generals will not face trial at an international tribunal over their war crimes. They will be able to leave Syria along with their families and their possessions, just like President Bashar Assad and his clan.

 

 Our sources add that atop the list are the commanders of the Syrian air force who carried out the majority of the Assad regime's attacks on the rebels over the past five years, including the atrocities of the past few days.

 

 The sources say that the Americans and the Russians intend to "decapitate" the command but leave the military's structure in its current form while integrating rebel fighters and commanders into its units. The rebel commanders are to receive ranks equivalent to their current ones in the new Syrian army.

 

debkafile's exclusive report on Wednesday, May 4, that Russia is ready to discuss the terms for Assad's ouster surprised and stunned the political and military hierarchy in Tehran. In urgent consultations held the same day, it was decided to dispatch Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, to Moscow without delay in order to determine whether the report was accurate.

 

 The senior Iranian diplomat arrived in the Russian capital the following day and met with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the chief strategist of Russia's Middle East policy.

 

 Immediately after the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran will continue supporting Assad and the Syrian people in fighting terrorism, and make efforts to achieve success at intra-Syrian talks, namely the negotiations in Geneva between the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition. The Iranian diplomat did not say a single word about Assad's future.

 

 However, Moscow was one step ahead of Tehran. Shortly before Amir-Abdollahian deplaned in the Russian capital, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made a bombshell statement, saying "Assad is not our ally, by the way. Yes, we support him in the fight against terrorism and in preserving the Syrian state. But he is not an ally like Turkey is the ally of the United States."

 

 Our sources said it was a put-down for both Washington and Ankara, whose relationship has deteriorated recently.

 

debkafile's military sources report that Assad has not failed to notice the latest developments, and he continues to use Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah forces to attack the rebels in the parts of Aleppo that they control. This comes despite the announcement on Saturday, May 7, by Moscow and the Russian military in Syria that the ceasefire in the northwestern city had been extended by 72 hours.

 

 Assad is keeping the Syrian army in reserve to defend his regime against the US-Russian plan to depose him.

 

 

Iran threatens to sink US warships - By Tova Dvorin - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/212122#.VzNShI-cE2x

 

Islamic Republic's naval forces claim secret weapons arsenal at the ready to hit any US warship, brands America 'absolute evil.'

 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened to "drown" any US warships approaching Iran, a top general said Tuesday, according to state-controlled media.

 

"We have informed Americans that their presence in the Persian Gulf is an absolute evil," Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi stated to state media. "Americans are aware that Iran would destroy their warships if they take a wrong measure in the region."

 

He further threatened that the US would "lose control of everything" by drawing others into Middle-East affairs.

 

"There has never been normal conditions in the Persian Gulf and Americans can feel the presence of IRGC navy forces at any spot," he added.  "Iran's great power has forced US to consider creation of deterrent capabilities."

 

Fadavi also boasted that the West remains unaware of Iran's alleged naval capabilities, including surface-to-air missiles.

 

The threats surface just days after top White House adviser Ben Rhodes revealed the US deliberately misled the American public about the 2015 Iran deal.

 

While the public was led to believe talks began after the election of "moderate" Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, talks with Islamists in the country began far earlier, he said. 

 

In November of 2013, it was revealed that a preliminary deal between Iran and the West was made possible due to secret talks that the United States and Iran held for more than half a year and were authorized by US President Barack Obama himself. Those discussions were kept hidden even from America's closest friends, including its five negotiating partners and from Israel.

 

 

Hezbollah MP says Israel responsible for commander's death and is starting 'open war' - http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Hezbollah-MP-says-Israel-responsible-for-commanders-death-says-Israel-starting-open-war-453907

 

Former national security adviser to Netanyahu, Yaakov Amidror, said Badreddine's killing was good news for Israel but stopped short of saying Israel was responsible.

 

Nawar al-Saheli, a Hezbollah member of Lebanon's parliament, accused Israel on Friday of being responsible for the death of their top commander, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, and called the attack part of an "open war."

 

"We do not want to get ahead of the investigation, but there is no doubt that Israel was behind his death," the MP told Hezbollah-controlled TV station Al-Manar.

 

"The resistance will carry out its duties at the appropriate time," he added.

 

Cabinet minister Zeev Elkin, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declined to comment on the allegations in a interview with Army Radio.

 

Hezbollah has not publicly placed blame on Israel. The terror group confirmed Badreddine had been killed in a big explosion targeting one of its bases near Damascus airport, and an investigation was underway into whether it was caused by an air strike, a missile attack or artillery bombardment. It did not say when he was killed.

 

Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu, said Badreddine's killing was good news for Israel but stopped short of saying Israel was responsible.

 

"We don't know if Israel is responsible for this," he told Israel's Army Radio. "Remember that those operating in Syria today have a lot of haters without Israel."

 

"But from Israel's view, the more people with experience, like Badreddine, who disappear from the wanted list, the better," he said.

 

Israel considers Hezbollah its most potent enemy and worries that it is becoming entrenched on its Syrian front and is acquiring more advanced weaponry. Israel has struck Hezbollah targets in Syria several times since the conflict began in 2011.

 

Hezbollah, a political and military movement which is Lebanon's most powerful group, has grown stronger since forcing Israel to end its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000. The sides fought a 34-day war in 2006, their last major conflict.