Members of Egypt’s Shura Council said the aggression is in line with Israel’s continued efforts aimed at destabilizing the Middle East.

“The regional role of the post-revolution Egypt is different. All the state bodies, the president, parliament and the people are concerned about the sovereignty of all the neighbors, including Syria and Palestine, and it is evident in this period that Israel is exerting efforts to destabilize the region,” said Egyptian lawmaker, Mohamed Abdulrahman.

On May 5, the Syrian state television reported that Israel had attacked the Jamraya Research Center, located northwest of the capital, Damascus. The center had been targeted by another Israeli airstrike back in January.

The Israeli aggression came amid the ongoing crisis in Syria which according to the Syrian government is being orchestrated from outside the country and by a very large number of foreign-backed militants.

Later on the day, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi also condemned the attack, calling on the international community to help protect international laws and respect the sovereignty of Syria.

“All the Arab states must take a firmer stance toward Israel and its aggression against Syria and Palestine. We called on the president and foreign minister to take prompt action against this blatant aggression,” said Egyptian legislator, Ahmed Yousef.

Last Friday, Egyptians staged a demonstration against the Israeli air raids and its violation of Palestinians’ rights.

Different factions in Egypt have expressed their strong condemnation of the Israeli airstrikes and have called on the international community to take prompt action against Israel’s efforts to destabilize the region.

Protesters gathered outside the Qatari Embassy in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, and chanted anti-Doha slogans.

Demonstrators believe that Doha and Tel Aviv are meddling in Egypt’s domestic affairs after the 2011 revolution that toppled former dictator Hosni Mubarak.

On January 10, Doha said it had offered Egypt a lifeline of $.5-billion to help the North African country tackle its currency crisis.

“There was an initial package of $2.5 billion, of which $0.5 billion was a grant and two billion dollars a deposit,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani said in reference to the financial aid Qatar has provided Egypt with since the revolution.

“We discussed transferring one of the deposits into an additional grant so that the grants became one billion dollars and the deposits doubled to around four billion dollars,” he added.

The Egyptians have also held several massive protests across the country since the revolution, calling on the government to sever all the existing ties with Israel.

In September 2011, Egyptian protesters stormed the Israeli embassy in Cairo, forcing its staff to evacuate the building.

Egyptian security source says ‘spy for Israel’ tried to attain missiles used by Hamas to attack Jewish state; ‘spy network’ discovered a few days after Grad rockets fired from Sinai on Eilat

ed note–why would Israel want missiles that Hamas used, unless of course so that Israel could launch the missiles against herself in another false flag event to justify another Judaic bloodbath in Gaza.

ynet 

An Egyptian security source relayed on Wednesday to the Palestinian Maan news agency new details which he claims surfaced in the interrogation of the man arrested a few days ago in the Sinai Peninsula. The man allegedly stood at the head of a spy network, working in Israel’s favor there.

The source said that the accused is a 35-year-old Bedouin who admitted in his interrogation to passing along military, political and economic information to the Mossad.

The source told the Palestinian news agency that the information the man supplied revolved around protests that occurred in Egypt. In addition he was expected to attain missiles of the kind used by Hamas against Israel.

According to this source, the man lives in Rafah and receives $300 in exchange for each piece of information he passes and $1,000 for every important picture. Information on the movement and equipment of the Egyptian army in Sinai is reportedly given the highest prority.

Last Sunday, Major-General Samih Ahmad Bashadi, head of security in northern Sinai confirmed the reports according to which a spy network that operated in the area for Israel was discovered. On the same day, the Egyptian governmental newspaper al-Akhbar reported that this is a network that was revealed by the Egyptian security and included eight Egyptian and Palestinian citizens.

The same report claimed that the search for the man took four months, as he moved between Cairo and north Sinai. The report also said that the main defendant was confirmed by recordings of a phone conversation he held with Egyptian figures and with Mossad sources.

The network was discovered a few days after Grad rockets were fired from Sinai at Eilat. Hours after the firing, the Salafi extremist group that operates in the Gaza Strip and in Sinai, the Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem, released footage of the rocket fire.

On Thursday, Egypt will celebrate the “anniversary of the liberation of Sinai” in which the Egyptians commemorate the withdrawal of the last Israeli soldier from the Sinai Peninsula.

Christof Lehmann (nsnbc),- At a Press Conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Egypt´s President Mohammed Morsi stated, that Egypt was committed to finding a peaceful and legal solution to the crisis in Syria. Today, the official Egyptian State Information Service states, that Egypt has said no to a loan from the International Monetary Fond, IMF, because the IMF´s conditions were unacceptable. Earlier this year, prior to a state visit in India, Morsi pronounced that Egypt has aspirations for joining the BRICS. 

Presidents Morsi and Putin in Sochi. Is Egypt realigning itself to the middle ?

Since the discontinuation of the Soviet Union, the bilateral relations between Cairo and Moscow have slowly degraded. The main talking points on the agenda at the talks between Morsi and Putin were the revival of trade, commerce and economic cooperation between the two countries as well as the instability that has swept over Northern Africa and the Middle East since 2011.

Earlier this year, prior to a planned state visit to India, Morsi stated, that Egypt has aspirations of becoming a member of the BRICS, leading to speculations, whether Egypt is planning to assume a similar role as it had during the 1950s and 1960s, where the country walked a tightrope between alignment with Moscow and Washington.  As a member of the non-aligned movement, Egypt may very well try to reassert its role as a regional power broker.

A closer alignment of Egypt with Moscow would make the country less dependent on US foreign policy and could, at least to a certain degree, counter the strong influence the USA is asserting over the Arab League through Qatar.

The little Gulf Kingdom has since 2007 grown into a veritable regional political superpower, which has stood and is standing behind many of the sweeping changes which have cast northern Africa and the Middle East into turmoil since 2011. Qatar and the USA are the primary powers behind the attempted subversion of Syria.

The question one may ask is, whether Morsi´s statement, that Egypt is committed to finding a peaceful and legal solution to the crisis in Syria is indicative of a more self-confident Egypt, and an Egyptian president who is aware of the fact that an alignment with the USA and Qatar, without playing the Moscow card, makes him as easily disposable of as his predecessor Hosni Mubarak.

There are also other signs which indicate that Morsi may be trying to reassert Egypt´s role as regional power and greater independence from Washington. Morsi´s ambitions to have Egypt become the “E” in something that could become the BRICS+E was one indication. Prior to his visit to India, Morsi also stated, that Egypt is planning to increase its relations with eastern and Asian countries.

Today´s rejection of the IMF´s loan, following talks with the Russian President in Sochi, are lending additional credibility to those who are arguing for an Egyptian realignment to the middle, and the recent signals from the BRICS, that it will create a BRICS development bank, are indicative of that Morsi may have substance behind the possible dream of a course change.

Asked about the reasons for turning down the IMF, Mosi said, “We seek to carry out clear changes in the government´s economic program to receive the loan and we are keen on the interests of the Egyptian citizens”. On of the greatest points of critique against Morsi, other than oppression of his political opponents were, that Morsi “already sold out Egypt and its people to the IMF and World Bank, before he even was elected”.  With backup from Russia and the other BRICS members however, Morsi would be less dependent on Washington´s and the IMF´s economic dictates. With the World Bank and IMF systems, as some analysts have it, close to exploding into an international scandal which could spell the beginning of the end of the Bretton Woods gentleman´s agreement, Morsi may be making a very wise decision.

Morsi showed true statesmanship when he said, that he is “seeking real investments in Egypt” and that“loans don´t solve problems and are just temporary solutions”. During his interview with Al-Jazeera Morsi also reiterated the importance of maintaining the integrity of Egyptian territory, stating, that “Egypt´s lands are not for sale and are prohibited for non-Egyptians”. 

While increased Egyptian self-confidence and increased assertiveness in the Arab League as well as Egypt´s possible influence for finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria may be plausible and welcome, he may still have to tackle internal problems. Consolidating the continuity and stability of the Egyptian government in times of sudden and comprehensive unrest and change may have made sweeping power grabs a tempting solution. As a long-term strategy however, a semi-dictatorial, Muslim Brotherhood influenced Egyptian government is as counter productive to the stability of Egypt´s society and government, as loans are counterproductive as a long-term strategy for economic growth.

During an interview with Al-Jazeera, Morsi also stressed that Egypt is maintaining good relations with Iran and that Egypt´s relations with Iran are not directed against anyone. Morsi reiterated, the importance of Iran´s role with regard to finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Syria.

The renewed ties between Cairo and Moscow may also indicate that Russia is planning to play a more active role throughout the Middle East, and that the Russian government is planning to reassert some of the influence Moscow has lost in the region during the last years of the Soviet era and the early 1990s.

A Russian fleet, composed of the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev and the two logistic warships Peresvet and Novelskoy, with a total number of 712 crew have entered the Iranian Army´s first naval zone in Bandar Abbas.

The three vessel´s visit is aiming at consolidating the relations between Iran and Russia and the expansion of interactions between the two countries in the field of naval security. The three Russian warships have left their home port Vladivostok for duty in the world oceans and are visiting Bandar Abbas en route to their operational destinations. The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced, that Russia has begun forming a separate Mediterranean squadron.

The visit of Egypt´s President Morsi to Sochi and the talks with Russian President Putin, Egypt´s interest in joining the BRICS, the rejection of the IMF loan, Morsi´s commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria while stressing the importance of Iran´s role as part of the solution, and Russian commitment to a stronger naval presence in the Mediterranean indicate that Egypt could be playing a key role in limiting the current US Middle East and Northern Africa Pivot. The rejection of the IMF loan and indications to more commitment to democracy could indicate, that Russian influence also has inspired the Muslim Brotherhood led government to bring its own house in order while considering to assume a greater regional role.

Official  confirms  reports  that  local  security forces expose espionage ring of nine people transferring information to Nazi Gestapo Mossad.

Sinai security director, General Sameeh Beshadi confirmed Sunday reports that local forces have uncovered a Sinai-based espionage ring working for the Nazi regime.

The ring, consisting of nine people, Egyptian and Palestinian, was revealed by Egyptian security forces, the Egyptian Al Akhbar paper reported Sunday.

The man suspected to be a key operative in the group is reportedly a resident of the Egyptian city of Rafah. Egyptian forces have been trailing him for some four months, during which he has allegedly transferred military information to the Nazi regime.

The report further noted that the suspect was confronted with tapes of alleged telephone conversations he had both Egyptian and Nazi Gestapo Mossad officials.

Egyptian President Zionist puppet Mohammed Morsi said in an interview with Mossad Media Network Al-Jazeera Saturday that Egypt was committed to the ” peace’ accords it had signed with the Nazi’s in 1979, but stressed that true peace could not exist while the rights of the Palestinians are denied.

Ch. Lehmann (nsnbc),- Egypt´s President Mohammed Morsi is expected to visit Russia on 19 April 2013 for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the agenda are primarily talks about trade, economy, and cooperation on various areas, including tax evasion and the trade balance between the two countries. Also on the agenda are talks about the current instability in the Middle East.

Egypt has been a long-standing partner of the Soviet Union and later Russia. Relations between the countries have long been determined by specifity and the diversity of areas of cooperation, rather than by strategic alliances, but relations were more closely knit during the 1950s and 1960s after which Egypt became more closely allied to the USA. Relations began to flourish again in the mid-nineties, when relations between Egypt and Russia, after negotiations between Hosni Mubarak and Dmitri Medvedev in 2009, were reaching the level of a strategic partnership.

Subsequent to the wave of instability, that swept over northern Africa and the Middle East since 2001, relations have become more unstable, leading to several areas of cooperation falling behind or being neglected.

A report, released by the Egyptian Commercial Representation Office in Moscow outlines several current obstacles to trade and investments between the two countries. The report describes the Egyptian-Russian Business Council as dysfunctional and that Egyptian companies are failing to participate in Russian exhibitions. The report also calls tariffs, imposed on Egyptian agricultural produce as being exorbitant. The report further mentions failure to establish a Russian industrial zone in Egypt, for which an area of land was appropriated in Borg al-Arab in 2007.

The report, which is likely to be an outline of some of the agenda that  will be discussed by Morsi and Putin, also mentions a debt swap agreement from 1994, an agreement for preventing dual taxation from 1997, and an economic, scientific and technical cooperation agreement from 1992. Also on the agenda is the trade balance between the two countries which has been upset since Russia imposed a ban on the import of Egyptian potatoes in 2012.

Although not mentioned on any official document, it is likely that the two presidents also will be discussing the current political instability in Egypt and Egypt´s role with regard to Palestine and the establishment of a Free Trade Zone in the Sinai, as well as Egypt´s role with regard to the crisis in Syria.

ed note–someone please remind us how the Egyptians are ‘free’ after the great ‘Arab Spring’ whereby they kicked the tyrants out.

news.yahoo.com

Egypt is seeking to increase its previously-requested $4.8 billion loan from theInternational Monetary Fund to cover its soaring budget deficit, the planning minister said in comments carried by two local newspapers on Sunday.

“Egypt will intensify its efforts in the spring meetings of the IMF in the period from April 16-21 to receive additional funding to cover the financing deficit until mid-2015,” Ashraf El-Araby said in remarks carried by Al Masry Al Youm newspaper.

“There are ongoing discussions to increase the loan, estimated at $4.8 billion but it may rise, especially with the increase in the budget deficit to $20 billion,” he was quoted as saying.

The minister told Al-Mal daily financial newspaper that if a deal with the IMF is not reached before May, talks will be postponed until October when parliamentary elections are expected to start. AnIMF delegation is currently in Cairo for loan talks.

jpost.com

The Egyptian National Commission for the Protection of the Environment in North Sinai has accused Israel of causing pollution levels to rise in Sinai’s coastline, Egypt Independent reported this week.

The commission’s head, Abdallah Hijawy, claimed that since Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza strip, Jerusalem has removed major water pumps that were used to stop massive amounts of sewage from reaching Sinai, according to the report.

“In front of the international community, Israel is responsible for the service sector in the occupied lands,” Hijawy was quoted as saying, “even the color of the water has changed and the smell is terrible.”

According to the report, an increased level of pathogens in the Mediterranean, caused by industrial waste water excreted from Israel and the Gaza Strip, has raised human susceptibility to cancer and other diseases.

Hijawy said he plans to pursue a course of action through an international court, after being told by an Arish court that they had no jurisdiction in international cases such as these.

This is not the first time Israel has been accused by Egypt of interfering with the Sinai coast.

In 2010, reports surfaced claiming that the Israeli Mossad spy agency was being considered by Egypt as the possible perpetrators behind a shark attack which claimed the life of a female German tourist.

“What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark [in the sea] to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question, but it needs time to confirm,” South Sinai Gov. Muhammad Abdel Fadil Shousha was quoted as saying by the Egyptian state news site egynews.net.