Excerpts: Jordan re Israel 'state terrorism' charge. U.S. military aid to
Lebanon. Russian air support helps Syria October 10, 2015

+++SOURCE: Naharnet Lebanon) 10 Oct ’15:”Jordan Parliament Accuses Israel of
‘State Terrorism’, by Agence France Presse

SUBJECT:Jordan Parliament re ‘state terrorism’ charge

FULL TEXT:The Jordanian parliament Saturday[10 Oct] accused Israel of "state
terrorism" against the Palestinian people after its forces shot dead seven
Gazans and wounded more than 140 others in the coastal strip.

"The Israeli enemy, sapping the rights of the Palestinians on their own
lands... and over their holy places, is exercising state terrorism before
the eyes of the whole world," parliament charged in a statement carried by
state news agency Petra.

The legislators in Jordan, one of only two Arab countries along with Egypt
to have a peace treaty with Israel, condemned "the crimes committed by
Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza".

After several days of deadly clashes in the West Bank and Israel, violence
spread Friday to the Gaza Strip, where seven Palestinians were killed and
145 wounded in border clashes with the army.

The Palestinian casualties were the result of "barbaric and racist" Israeli
military actions that violated international and humanitarian laws, the MPs
charged.

They accused the international community of "not lifting a finger to halt
these racist and detestable policies that are pushing the region and world
towards more violence and instability".

Jordan's Information Minister Mohammed Momani, for his part, warned that the
Israeli actions could "destroy all peace efforts in the region".

+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon)10 Oct ’15:”U.S.Delivers Hellfire Missiles,
Precision Munitions to Lebanese Army”, by Naharnet Newsdesk

SUBJECT: U.S. military aid to Lebanon

FULL TEXT:The United States delivered Friday[9 Oct] a new shipment of
Hellfire missiles and artillery munitions to the Lebanese army, the U.S.
embassy said in a statement.

“Ambassador David Hale visited Beirut Airbase this morning to inspect
America’s latest delivery of 'Hellfire' missiles and artillery munitions to
the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),” it said.

The shipment included 50 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and 560 artillery
rounds, including some precision munitions.

“This represents $8.6 million worth of U.S. security assistance to Lebanon
and boosts the LAF’s ability to secure Lebanon’s borders against violent
extremists,” the embassy said.

The Hellfire air-to-ground missiles are used on Cessna Caravan aircraft
previously delivered to the army by the U.S.

The missiles “allow the LAF to strike confirmed insurgent positions without
exposing themselves to return fire,” the embassy explained.

“The other artillery rounds include laser guided projectiles – the first
munition of its kind in the LAF’s arsenal – which will provide the LAF with
a precision-strike capability at significant stand-off ranges,” it said.

The embassy noted that “today’s munitions delivery demonstrates America’s
sustained commitment to ensure that the Lebanese Armed Forces has the
support it needs to be the sole defender of Lebanese territory and its
borders, and is answerable to the state and to the Lebanese people through
the state.”

In August 2014, the army fought deadly battles with Syria-based extremists
from the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front groups in the northeastern border
town of Arsal.

Several countries boosted their military aid to Lebanon in the wake of the
clashes.


+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 10 Oct.’15:”Syria Regime Advances with Russian
Air Support”, by Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: Russian air support helps Syria

FULL TEXT:Syrian government forces captured a village from rebels in the
central province of Hama Saturday[10 Oct] as they pressed a ground operation
backed by Russian air support.

In the northern Aleppo province, rebels battled to reverse an advance by the
Islamic State group that brought the jihadists to within a few kilometers
(miles) of Syria's second city.

And Washington said it would resume talks with Russia over ways to avoid
military accidents in Syria's increasingly crowded airspace.

In Hama, regime forces seized Atshan village from opposition fighters,
including Islamists and al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front, state television
and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group, reported heavy fighting
around Atshan as they sought to push northwest and take a neighboring
hilltop.

With support from Russian air strikes, they appear to be targeting the town
of Khan Sheikhun, just across the provincial border in Idlib and on a
highway connecting Aleppo and Damascus.The road is cut by rebel forces in
several places north of Khan Sheikhun.

Hama province has been a key target for Russian air strikes that began on
September 30, along with parts of the neighboring provinces of Latakia and
Idlib.

- Russia hits 'terrorist' camps -

The strikes appear intended to prevent any advance by the Army of Conquest
alliance, which includes Al-Nusra, that holds Idlib and has sought to push
into Hama and Latakia.

In Moscow, Russia's defense ministry said Saturday[10 Oct] that its forces
had hit 55 IS targets in the past 24 hours.

It said the latest strikes -- in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Raqa and Idlib
provinces -- destroyed 29 training camps for "terrorists", 23 defensive
positions, two command centers and an ammunition depot.

Rebels and their backers say Hama, Idlib and Latakia have little or no IS
presence, and accuse Russia of targeting moderate and Islamist opposition
fighters more than the jihadist group.

The Observatory also reported heavy fighting Saturday[10 Oct] between
government forces and rebels in northern Latakia province.

Russian warplanes struck both Latakia and Idlib Friday and Saturday, [9,10
Oct]including a raid in Idlib that destroyed a base belonging to a rebel
group that has received U.S. weapons, it said.

In Aleppo province, Islamist rebels including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham
group recaptured one of several villages seized by IS in a Friday[9 Oct]
advance, the Observatory said.

The monitor added that rebels were battling to retake a second village from
the jihadist group, which now has forces within 10 kilometers (six miles) of
Aleppo city.

The IS offensive has brought the jihadists closer than ever to Aleppo,
threatening to further complicate the situation in Syria's one-time
commercial capital, long divided between government and rebel control.

- U.S.-Russia airspace talks -

The regime holds western Aleppo and the rebels hold the city's east.

Elsewhere in the province, the Observatory said a powerful blast ripped
through an explosives factory and weapons depot in the IS-held town of
Al-Bab.

The cause of the explosion was unclear, although unidentified warplanes were
seen overhead at around the time of the blast.

Russia's air campaign in Syria has angered rebels and their backers, while
complicating efforts of the U.S.-led coalition that is also targeting IS in
the country.

On Friday[9 Oct], the Pentagon said it would resume talks with Moscow aimed
at preventing military accidents in Syrian airspace, after it received a
response to U.S. proposals.

"Department leaders are reviewing the Russian response and talks are likely
to take place as soon as this weekend," spokesman Peter Cook said.

Also Friday[9 Oct], Washington acknowledged it had decided to "pause" a
controversial program to train and equip Syrian rebels to fight IS.

SourceAgence France Presse

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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA