22/03/2012

DAILY WORLD NEWS AND STRATEGIC TRENDS:

Egypt’s Brotherhood eyes end to Gaza blockade

The Muslim Brotherhood aims to open the Egyptian border with Gaza to commerce, a shift that would transform life for Palestinians there but which is hitting resistance from Egyptian authorities reluctant to change a longstanding policy.The biggest party in Egypt’s new parliament, the Islamists are not yet in government but have been seeking ways to ease the impact of restrictions imposed by Israel and Egypt on what passes in and out of the territory run by the Hamas group, an ideological offshoot of the Brotherhood.


Syrian Tanks Shell Damascus Suburbs

Two Damascus suburbs came under heavy tank bombardment on Wednesday following renewed rebel attacks on forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Artillery and anti-aircraft gun barrages hit the suburbs of Harasta and Irbin, retaken by Assad's forces from rebels two months ago, as army helicopters reportedly flew overhead.


 UN chief: Syria unrest could have global impact

BEIRUT (AP) — The "extremely dangerous" conflict in Syria could have global repercussions, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday, as fresh violence erupted and an al-Qaida-inspired group claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings in Damascus.

The uprising that began a year ago has transformed into an armed insurgency that many fear is pushing the country toward civil war.

‘West to launch package war in Middle East’

The West will launch a package war against Iran, Syria and Hezbollah as soon as they decide what to do with the Iranian nuclear program, Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of a London-based Arabic newspaper told RT in an interview.
Atwan also believes the West is not intervening in Syria because they are waiting to decide whether they are going to bomb Iran or not.

 


Former Mossad chief: Israel will know before Iran begins producing nuclear weapons

Discussions between Iran and the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program will begin on April 13, senior U.S. and EU officials informed Israel on Tuesday. The talks are likely to take place in Geneva.

Officials in Jerusalem estimate that Israel will allow at least three months for discussions, until the oil embargo on Iran comes into full effect in the beginning of July.

Asian states are world's largest arms buyers 

 New York, NY - China, India and South Korea - three of the most vibrant economies in Asia - are also beefing up their military arsenals with new weapons systems from the United States, Russia, Germany, France and the UK.According to the latest figures released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the world's five largest arms importers in 2007-2011 were all Asian states beating out the traditional frontrunners - the rich, oil-blessed Middle Eastern countries.

 

Buildings collapse as 800 homes damaged by violent Mexico quake 

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook Mexico on Tuesday afternoon, destroying hundreds of homes and causing people to flee their offices in panic. Despite the quake’s destructive power, no deaths have been reported.
The quake, which centered in the country’s south, reportedly injured nine people in the Mexican state of Oaxaca and two more in the Mexico City. In the state of Guerrero 800 homes have been damaged and 60 more collapsed, officials report.