A worldwide advisory published in Washington Wednesday, Oct. 12, warned UScitizens to beware of Iranian-instigated terrorist attacks following the uncovering of an Iran-directed plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir and bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies. The US holds Iran accountable for its actions, said Attorney General Eric Holder, following which Tehran accused the US of warmongering. Iran believes the Shalit deal will start cutting it out of Palestinian affairs and may act to torpedo it.

 Tuesday night, Oct. 10, the Israeli cabinet approved the accord with Hamas for the release of Gilead Shalit  by a majority of 26. Three ministers opposed the deal – Avigdor Lieberman and Uzzi Landau of the Israel Beteinu party and Moshe Yaalon of Likud. To buy the Israeli soldier's freedom – probably next week – Israel will hand over 1,027 Palestinian terrorists so cutting short the multiple life sentences of 280 mass murderers responsible for hundreds of Israeli deaths. Hamas leaders pledge more kidnappings until all 8,000 jailed Palestinians are freed.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asked the full government Tuesday night, Oct. 11 to endorse deal with Hamas for bringing Gilad Shalit home within days although the price agreed is heavy: 1,000 jailed Palestinian terrorists, including 60 convicted for multiple murders. debkafile discloses that deal was the outcome of a secret accord between US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and, Hamas' Khaled Meshaal providing for the Hamas bureau's transfer from Damascus and gradual withdrawal from ties with Tehran.

 

The claim Friday by Field Marshall Mohamed Tantawi, head of the military junta ruling Egypt, of "complete security on the Sinai Peninsula" was belied Monday, Oct. 10, by the Israeli Counterterrorism Bureau's warning against travel to Sinai for Sukkot. As Cairo lets Sinai security go by the board, the Netanyahu government leans over backwards to pretend business with Egypt is back to normal – even after armed Bedouin cut the trade route between Egypt and Israel through Sinai three weeks ago.

Five days after defeating a Western-backed UN Security Council resolution condemning Bashar Assad's savagery against his opposition, Moscow turned the heat on him by inviting an opposition delegation for a visit Monday, Oct. 10 and offering to host talks between the Syrian government and the opposition umbrella Syrian National Council.  Syrian Foreign Minister Wallid Moallem threatened unspecified "tough measures" against any countries recognizing the council, fearing a repeat of the Libyan rebel NTC exercise which toppled Muammar Qaddafi.

Targeted assassinations now dominate Bashar Assad's savage confrontation with the popular opposition to his rule. The White House finally told the Syrian ruler to step down for the first time as 50,000 Syrian Kurds clashed with security forces at the funeral of the popular Kurdish leader Mashaal Tammo, 53, slain  by masked men at his home in Qamishli, northern Syria Friday, Oct. 7. debkafile: The killers were members of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Directorate acting on direct orders from Assad.

War tensions between Turkey, NATO and Syria shot up again Tuesday, Oct. 4, with the announcement from Ankara that Turkey embarks Wednesday on a 10-day "mobilization" exercise in the southern province of Hatay along the Syrian borderwhere 7,000 Syrian refugees are sheltering. A visit by the Turkish prime minister is also expected. Earlier, debkafile reported exclusively that Bashar Assad had been threatening for three months to destroy Tel Aviv within six hours of an attack on Syria.

Turkey's assertiveness has raised the concern of NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and its fellow allies. Since Thursday, Sept. 29, Turkish warships have been harassing Israeli merchant vessels in waters off Cyprus, debkafile's military sources report, ordering them to change course in a bid to assert Turkish mastery in the eastern Mediterranean. Israel has sent warplanes to fly over the areas of the incidents.
Western naval sources say the situation is getting explosive enough to spark a major confrontation.

Helped by highly sophisticated contraband weapons smuggled out of Libya, Iran and Hizballah are getting the Palestinian Hamas equipped for another round of hostilities with Israel. debkafile's military sources report that Sunday, Sept. 25, Egyptian security forces homed in near Ismailia on a large half-empty cache of advanced Libyan SA-24 anti-air infrared missiles (a version of the US Stinger). They grant Hamas high-, medium- and low-altitude capabilities. Many of the empty crates had also contained sea mines.  

Amid spiraling Pakistani-US tensions, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday, Sept. 25, recalled Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar from New York shortly after she warned the US against "hot pursuit" of terrorists on Pakistani soil. Pakistan's army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani held a "special" meeting of top commanders "to review the security situation" – exacerbating the sense of crisis. debkafile: Pakistan appears to be steeling itself for a possible military clash with US soldiers after being accused of harboring and running terrorists.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week coolly moved his country towards an armed clash with Israel – not just over the Palestinian issue, but because he covets the gas and oil resources found opposite Israel's shores. He has ordered Turkish warships to enter the eastern Mediterranean in the belief that by breaking Israel's Gaza blockade, he will win kudos as the first Muslim leader to challenge Israel militarily on behalf of the Palestinians and Arab acclaim as the big shot of the region.