Iraqi Refugees Underground Economy: The Sex Trade in Damascus | Foreign Policy

Posted by Matt in March 9th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Middle East, Syria, damascus, Deborah Amos, Elderly Parents, Female Headed Households, Foreign Policy, Glimpse, iraq, Iraqi Exiles, Iraqi Refugee, Iraqi Refugees, Jobs, Led, Refugee Agency, Refugee Crisis, Sex, Sex Trade, SexTrade, survival, Syria, Underground Economy, Underground Sex

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of the Iraqi exiles in Syria had turned to the sex trade for survival. In Damascus, refugees were not permitted to hold jobs. As resources dwindled, many were led into the underground economy. Female-headed households accounted for almost a quarter of the refugees registered with the U.N. refugee agency. Widowed, divorced, or [...]

New Syrian-supplied weapon enables Hizballah to shoot down Israeli aircraft

Posted by Matt in March 3rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, Syria, Caution, Cruise-Missiles, damascus, Debkafile, Drones, Espionage, helicopters, hezbollah, Hizballah, Igla, Israeli Aircraft, Military Sources, New Weapons, Surface To Air, Surface To Air Missiles, Surveillance Aircraft, Syria, Terrorism Security, Transports, Warplanes, Weather Conditions

Syria has defied Israel’s caution that handing over new strategic weapons to the Lebanese Hizballah would compel Israel to strike targets inside Syria. debkafile’s military sources disclose that Damascus has just smuggled across the border a number of Russian-made IGLA-S surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting low-flying F-16 warplanes, drones, helicopters, cruise missiles, transports and surveillance [...]

Dinner in Damascus: What Did Iran Ask of Hizballah?

Posted by Matt in March 3rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Colleague, Counterterrorism Blog, damascus, Fly, Fly On The Wall, hezbollah, Hizballah, Iran, Lebanese Border, Lebanon, Schenker, Target

My colleague David Schenker and I argue in an article on the state of Hizballah that a successful Hizballah attack against an Israeli target — whether on the Israeli-Lebanese border or abroad – to avenge the assassination of Imad Mughniyah two years ago last month could set off another round of fighting similar to that [...]

Nasrallah Dines with Assad and Ahmadinejad in Damascus – ABC News

Posted by Matt in February 26th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Middle East, Abc News, assad, Criminal Regime, damascus, Defense Sources, Grand Victory, hezbollah, Iranian President Mahmoud, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Israel, Israeli Territory, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Met, Palestinian Factions, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Range Missiles, rockets, Syrian Capital

Lebanese defense sources estimate Hezbollah now boasts between 40,000 and 50,000 rockets including long range missiles capable of striking much deeper into Israeli territory.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also met Thursday with leaders of several different Palestinian factions based in the Syrian capital and yet again made threats against Israel.
“This criminal regime is [...]

Syria wants Iranian troops guaranteed for front against Israel | DEBKAfile

Posted by Matt in February 23rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Syria, ahmadinejad, Allies, assad, damascus, Debkafile, Defense Pact, Espionage, Guarantees, Hamas, Hizballah, Iranian Troops, Khaled Meshaal, Military Forces, Militia Units, Nasrallah, Political Secretary, Shoulder To Shoulder, Syrian Soldiers, tehran, Terrorism Security

Ahmadinejad is due to meet all three of Iran’s allies in Damascus Thursday: Assad, Nasrallah and Hamas political secretary Khaled Meshaal. He will find them refusing to go to war against Israel without clear guarantees from Tehran that Iranian military forces will fight alongside them. They want Tehran to abide by their mutual defense pact [...]

Syria warns Israel new Mideast war would be catastrophic – Haaretz

Posted by Matt in February 20th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Favorites, Forecasts, Israel, Middle East, Syria, War, damascus, Foreign Minister, Francois Fillon, French Prime Minister, haaretz, Israel, Israel News, Israel War, Israeli Cities, Middle East War, Mideast War, Naji, New War, Otari, Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Repercussions, Syria

Syria’s prime minister warned Israel Saturday that any new Middle East war would be catastrophic for the region and beyond.
Premier Naji al-Otari told reporters after meeting with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon in Damascus, that a new war will have dangerous repercussions not only in the Middle East but also on the international level.
Syria’s [...]

Syria is no different from Hamas or Hezbollah – Haaretz – Israel News

Posted by Matt in February 15th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Syria, damascus, Future War, haaretz, Hamas, hezbollah, Israel, Israel News, Israelis, Population Centers, Population Israel, Syria, Syrian Foreign Minister, Terrorism, Weak Point

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem recently told Israelis that “you know that war at this time will reach your cities.” The statement bolsters the recognition that the Syrian strategy in a future war will be based on targeting population centers in Israel. It seems that after the enemy’s attempts to act through conventional military means [...]

Israel is accused of waging covert war across the Middle East – Times Online

Posted by Matt in February 12th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, Covert War, Current, damascus, Explosion, Hamas, Iranian Officials, Israel, Israel War, Killings, Middle East Times, Photographs, Spate, Speculation, Syria, Tourist Bus, Tyre

The current spate of killings began in December when a “tourist bus” carrying Iranian officials and Hamas members exploded outside Damascus. The official report by Syria claimed that a tyre had exploded but photographs surfaced showing the charred remains of the vehicle — prompting speculation that a much larger explosion had taken place.
Israel is accused [...]

Hamas official warns of risk of war – Monsters and Critics

Posted by Matt in February 10th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Middle East, War, damascus, Hamas, Hamas Leader, Jersualem, Monsters And Critics, Risk, Syria

A Syria-based Hamas leader on Wednesday warned ‘there could be war at any time,’ as the row between Damascus and Jersualem continued to escalate.
Hamas official warns of risk of war – Monsters and Critics

Fiery rhetoric fuels Mideast war fears – UPI.com

Posted by Matt in February 10th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Middle East, War, damascus, Foreign Minister, hezbollah, Inflammatory Rhetoric, Lebanon, Lieberman, Many Fear, Middle East, Mideast War, Militia, Regime, Regional Conflict, Syria, Upi

Tough-talking Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has raised the temperature in the Middle East by warning the Damascus regime it will fall if Syria gets involved in the regional conflict that many fear is now brewing.
As the inflammatory rhetoric on both sides becomes more strident, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon has gone on alert.
Fiery rhetoric [...]