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Monday, September 10, 2007 

Turkey confirms Israel's invasion of Syria did happen, and complains

Syria said it happened, Israel denied it.

Then an Israeli minister hinted it might have happened.

Now Turkey has confirmed it.

Turkey has "requested information" from Israel about Israeli fuel tanks dropped inside Turkey, near the Turkey-Syria border.

We know that the air invasion happened at Tell Al-Abyad, right on the Turkish border. We also know that the Israeli jets dropped something (munitions/fuel tanks) on their way out.

Israel has refused to respond to the Syrian claims, and the Turkish request.

القضاء اللبناني يؤكد أن الجثة الموجودة لدى الأمن ليست للعبسي

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Lebanon militant leader not among camp dead: DNA test
Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:25AM EDT
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of the Fatah al-Islam group was not among fighters killed by Lebanese troops at a refugee camp this month and he might have escaped, the public prosecutor said on Monday.

Palestinian guerrilla Shaker al-Abssi was believed to have been killed when Lebanese troops seized control of the Nahr al-Bared camp on September 2 and ended a 15-week battle that killed more than 400 people.

At the time a Fatah al-Islam prisoner identified a body as Abssi's as did his wife and family members. The Lebanese army ran DNA tests after taking blood from his relatives.

A statement from the public prosecutor's office said the DNA tests showed the body's sample did not match those from Abssi's children and brother.

"Thus, the body preserved in the morgue of Tripoli Governmental Hospital does not belong to... Shaker al-Abssi," the statement signed by the public prosecutor said.

The statement quoted the confession of a Yemeni militant who said he escaped the camp on September 1 with Abssi and others.

"Shaker al-Abssi was in good condition and was wearing a suicide belt and carrying a Kalashnikov rifle, magazines and hand grenades," the statement quoted the Yemeni as saying. He was captured after losing contact with Abssi.

Abssi was sentenced to death in absentia for the killing of a U.S. diplomat in Jordan in 2002. He was later jailed in Syria before setting up Fatah al-Islam in north Lebanon last year.


© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Reuters journalists are subject to the Reuters Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.

Ghaleb Majadele is not a Jew so we are not really let him know what we are meaning...he is like the child that no one wants to play with him ...
so...find another source in the next time .

Well...the previous comment refers to "Israel (almost) admits the air invasion did take place"...

Rare mistake...

Widow of Hollywood Director-Producer Moustapha Akkad Sues Global Hyatt Corporation for Wrongful Death
09.10.07, 2:31 PM ET

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A wrongful death lawsuit was filed today in the Circuit Court of Cook County by Sooha Akkad, the widow of Hollywood director-producer Moustapha Akkad (executive producer of Halloween), against Global Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation. A guest at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Amman, Jordan, Akkad was killed by a terrorist's bomb in the hotel's lobby in 2005. Mrs. Akkad and the Akkad Estate are represented by Thomas A. Demetrio and Daniel M. Kotin with the Chicago, IL. law firm of Corboy and Demetrio, P.C. and Browne Greene and Geoffrey S. Wells with the Santa Monica, CA. law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP. Jeffrey Siegel, Administrator of the Estate of Moustapha Akkad, deceased, and Sooha Akkad vs. Global Hyatt Corporation, et. al., Case Number 2007 L 9489.

On November 9, 2005, Akkad, who lived in Los Angeles, was in Jordan with his wife, Sooha Akkad, to attend a wedding and was staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Amman. They were in the lobby of the hotel, along with their daughter, Rima Akkad, when a suicide bomber detonated explosives which had been strapped to his body. Akkad was seriously injured and died two days later from his injuries, Rima Akkad was killed instantly, and Sooha Akkad survived the attack but was seriously injured.

At approximately the same time on November 9, 2005, suicide bombers also detonated explosives at the Radisson and Days Inn hotels in Amman. All three suicide bombers were members of al-Qaeda in Iraq and affiliated with Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In an Internet statement released after the bombings, Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attacks which resulted in the deaths of 62 people and hundreds of injuries.

Mrs. Akkad alleges in the complaint that Hyatt was negligent in failing to responsibly protect its registered guests from foreseeable criminal attack and violence, failing to provide metal detectors, failing to provide adequate security, and failing to keep unauthorized individuals from accessing the interior of the hotel. The lawsuit was filed in Chicago, IL, which is Hyatt's world-wide headquarters.

According to Thomas A. Demetrio: "Security at the Grand Hyatt was wholly inadequate to protect its guests. Prior to November 9, metal detectors were located at the entrance to the Grand Hyatt but were removed by the hotel prior to the attack. The Grand Hyatt was one of the few hotels in Amman totally accessible from the street. On November 9 especially, heightened security measures at the hotel should have been in place since November 9 is a date that carries the same significance as September 11 in the United States due to the fact that in the Middle East and in many countries around the world the day number precedes the month number when written. Thus, November 9 becomes 9/11."

Browne Greene said: "The law is very clear. A hotel has a high legal duty to its registered guests to protect them from the foreseeable criminal acts of terrorists. On November 9, 2005, Hyatt should clearly have had heightened security - rather than the loose security that was in place. Our goal will be to see to it that the Akkad family has its day in court and that justice is served."

Moustapha Akkad was the executive producer of the Halloween horror films and produced and directed the movie, The Message, starring Anthony Quinn, about the Prophet Muhammad. Considered to be Syria's greatest film director, he was scheduled to go to Syria after the wedding in Jordan to be honored by the Damascus International Theater Festival.

Editor's Note:

Plaintiffs are represented by Thomas A. Demetrio and Daniel M. Kotin with the Chicago, IL. law firm of Corboy and Demetrio, P.C. (www.corboydemetrio.com); Tel: 312.346.3191 and Browne Greene and Geoffrey S. Wells with the Santa Monica, CA. law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP (www.greene-broillet.com); Tel: 310.576.1200.

1 of 1

Sources confirm Israeli airstrike on SyriaStory Highlights
Israeli airstrike last week may have targeted weapons stores, sources tell CNN

Operation may also have involved ground forces, U.S. and regional sources say

Syria says Israeli bombs were dropped on its territory

Israel Defense Forces has made no comment

Next Article in World »



From Christiane Amanpour
CNN Chief International Correspondent


(CNN) -- Israeli aircraft carried out an airstrike inside Syria last week, possibly targeting weapons that were destined for Hezbollah militants, according to sources in the region and in the United States.


Israeli soldiers deployed in the Golan Heights look toward Syria on September 7.

1 of 2 Syria reported that its aircraft fired on Israeli "enemy aircraft" that flew into northern Syria early Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces had no comment on the report, and have refused to comment further on the new revelations.

But the sources told CNN the military operation, which happened Wednesday into Thursday, may have also involved Israeli ground forces who directed the airstrike which "left a big hole in the desert" in Syria.

The strike may have targeted Hezbollah weapons coming into Syria or transiting through the country from Iran -- a pattern over the past three or four years which has occurred without any retaliation or action taken against it -- the sources said.

The Israeli government is very happy with the success of the operation, the sources said.

Sources in the U.S. government and military confirmed to CNN's Barbara Starr that the airstrike did happen, and that they are happy to have Israel carry the message to both Syria and Iran that they can get in and out and strike when necessary.

Right now, diplomats are rushing around the region trying to ensure the incident does not escalate.

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Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem and other Syrian officials have been putting out their version of events. The Syrian government said Israeli bombs were dropped on its territory and fuel tanks from Israeli jets were dropped on the Turkish side of the border.

Al-Moualem was in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Monday protesting this action and trying to get Turkey to support its desire to take Israel to the United Nations Security Council for the airstrike.

Israel fought a war with Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon last year after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers who are still being held. E-mail to a friend

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