Source: Hamas' Meshaal Sets Sights on Brotherhood Post

Hamas' out-going politburo chairman is leaving the Palestinian terrorist group to take a "high position in the Muslim Brotherhood movement," a "well-informed source in Hamas" told the Nazareth-based Arabic-language Al-Sinnara last week.

The move would see Khaled Meshaal—the longtime Damascus-based leader of Hamas—transition to a new, more international role, as head of the "Supreme Council of the [Brotherhood] movement." The Council is said to be "responsible for political issues," according to the report. It remains to be seen whether the article is referring to the group's Guidance Bureau, which largely deals with the movement's political affairs, or with another body altogether.

If true, the news would help explain why Meshaal has been so adamant about not seeking re-election. Earlier reports noted that the group made an official plea for Meshaal "to reconsider" his stance.

"This is a public matter that the Hamas institutions should decide, and not an individual person," the group said.

Not a day later, an informed Palestinian source told Ynet that Meshaal's request to withdraw from the one-man race was denied by the group's Shura Council, and that he would indeed continue to serve as the politburo chief.

It has been speculated that if Meshaal exits, the post could go to Hamas' Gaza-based Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, or Hamas' original political bureau chief, Mousa Abu Marzook.

Hamas has been in a state of flux in recent months, and unrest in Syria could force the group to find a new home base for its political leadership.

Meshaal's purported move appears to have the blessing of higher-ups in the Brotherhood. According to the Al-Sinnara source, longtime Brotherhood spiritual advisor, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, is in support of the leadership jump.

Dissidents Claim Iranian Forces Captured in Syria

Syrian rebels posted a video on Friday showing captured members of the Iranian Revolutionary guard who they claimed had participated in repressing the Syrian revolution. The Syrian government's unending killing of civilians and the use of foreign fighters has sparked dissident outrage in Syria and abroad.

Hizballah fighters were invited to fight alongside Iranian Revolutionary Guard members earlier this week, to prevent the fall of an Iranian military facility just outside of Syria's capital of Damascus, Haaretz reports, citing an Al-Arabiya television report. Both foreign armed groups stand to lose a strategic ally if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad falls.

Leading Syrian dissident organization, the Syrian National Council [SNC], also recently announced that it has agreed to fund the roughly 20,000 to 30,000 rebels active throughout Syria, and to help them unify their military command. The decision, prompted by the violence of Syrian government units, illustrates the military dimension that has engulfed the formerly civil conflict.

Other dissidents showed their frustration with government violence in less subtle ways over the past few days. Pro-democracy protesters in Cairo stormed the local Syrian embassy Friday, smashing windows and tearing down the nation's flag. Gunmen elsewhere in Syria kidnapped 11 Iranian pilgrims Friday, symbolizing popular anger at Iranian influence in the country.

Pentagon, Monuments Shooter Pleads Guilty

A former marine reservist who waged a spree of overnight shootings targeting military monuments and facilities, including the Pentagon, in the fall of 2010 pleaded guilty Thursday to three felony charges.

Yonathan Melaku was arrested in the middle of the night last June as he moved to an area of Arlington National Cemetery where veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried. His backpack contained black spray paint, which investigators say he planned to use to deface grave markers, and a notebook in which he had written about the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.

Melaku, a naturalized American citizen from Ethiopia, wanted "to create fear and terror, which is what terrorists do," prosecutors said, by attacking military sites with impunity. His bedroom closet at home also contained bomb making materials. He videotaped at least one of the shootings, wearing black mask and shouting "Allahu Akbar" after he fired.

Melaku faces 25 years in prison for the shootings, which caused an estimated $111,000 in damage to the federal facilities. Although his initial attacks injured no one, authorities stated that the discovery of the bomb suggested an uptick in Melaku's violent aims

CSU Reinstates Israel Study Abroad Program Despite Protests

In a blow to anti-Israel activists, the chancellor of California State University (CSU) is disregarding a letter sent last month asking him not to reinstate an Israel Study Abroad Program.

CSU Northridge Professor David Klein organized a campaign which garnered signatures from more than 80 CSU faculty and staff and dozens of students.

The letter cites "Recognized leaders and prominent intellectuals [who] have compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians to Apartheid in South Africa." For years anti-Israel activists have tried to delegitimize the State of Israel with the fallacy that Israel is an "apartheid state," while disregarding the fact that Arab-Israelis can vote, serve in the Israeli parliament and on the Supreme Court, and can be found in nearly every sphere of Israeli life.

The letter also argues that there are "Additional dangers to U.S. citizens" from "Israeli military forces." One example cited is the death of Furkan Dogan, who was "on the humanitarian aid flotilla."

Dogan was a Turkish-American and one of the nine killed during the May 2010 flotilla to Gaza. He was on the boat of the Mavi Marmara, belonging to the Islamist Turkish organization IHH. Leaders of the IHH-owned ship launched a premeditated attack on Israeli commandos when the Israeli Navy attempted to intercept the ship before it reached Gaza. Following repeated warnings, Israeli commandos boarded the ship and were immediately attacked with clubs, knives, hammers and other weapons. IHH has extensive ties to Hamas and is under consideration for designation by the U.S. State Department.

Signatories of the letter include members and leaders of the radical group Students for Justice in Palestine and the Islamic student group Muslim Students Association, created by the American Muslim Brotherhood. Another signatory, Zahra Billoo, is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA).

But the argument failed to sway Chancellor Charles Reed. "Ideally, we want to give students the opportunity to study abroad wherever they want," CSU spokesman Erik Fallis said.

The CSU Israel Study Abroad Program was suspended in 2002 following a travel warning issued by the U.S. State Department in the wake of the second Intifada. The program resumes this fall and is open to students at CSU's 23 campuses across California.

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty To Plotting Attack on Military Recruiting Center

A Maryland man pleaded guilty Thursday to attempting to blow up an Army recruiting center near Baltimore.

Antonio Martinez, a Muslim convert who also goes by Muhammad Hussain, was arrested on Dec. 8, 2010, in an FBI sting after he tried to detonate a car bomb at the Armed Forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Md. The bomb, supplied by federal agents, was inert.

"We're catching dangerous suspects before they strike, and we are investigating them in a way that maximizes the liberty and security of law-abiding citizens," U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in a press release issued by the Department of Justice. "That is what the American people expect of the Justice Department, and that is what we aim to deliver."

According to the plea agreement, Martinez first raised the subject of attacking military targets with an undercover informant. In recorded conversations with the informant, Martinez expressed his anger toward America, his belief that Muslims were being unfairly targeted by the U.S. military, and his desire to commit jihad to send a message that American soldiers would be killed as long as the U.S. continued with its "war" against Islam. He also told the informant that "jihad was not only in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but also in the United States."

Martinez was later introduced by the informant to an FBI agent posing as an "Afghani brother" who would assist him in the operation.

Martinez attracted law enforcement attention when he posted messages on his Facebook page espousing his radical beliefs.

"The sword is cumin the reign of oppression is about 2 cease," he wrote in one.

Prosecutors believe that Martinez was radicalized on the Internet through websites including the now-defunct RevolutionMuslim.com, a website which promoted global jihad.

Martinez was also inspired by the teachings of American-born radical Yemeni cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki. In a Facebook message, Martinez wrote:

"I love Sheikh Anwar al Awlaki for the sake of ALLAH. A real inspiration (sic) for the Ummah, I don't care if he is on the terrorist list! May ALLAH give him Kire ameen."

Awlaki, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in Yemen last September, was tied numerous terror plots targeting America, including the Fort Hood massacre, the Christmas Day bomb plot, and the failed Times Square plot. As part of the plea agreement, Martinez faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced April 6.

Egypt Blocks American's Departure

At a time when the Obama administration has discussed speeding up U.S. aid to them, Egyptian authorities are blocking some Americans from leaving the country.

Sam Lahood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, was not allowed to leave Egypt Saturday, Politico reports. Lahood runs the International Republican Institute (IRI)'s Egypt program and was involved in monitoring the country's recent elections. The IRI was among 17 non-governmental organizations raided by military authorities last month.

Lahood was told he was listed on a government "no-fly" list keeping him from leaving Egypt. He and the others listed "now find themselves caught in a power struggle between the United States and Egyptian governments over the country's future direction," Politico reports.

Direct efforts by President Obama and senior officials have not broken the stalemate.

"We are disappointed that these restrictions were imposed," an unnamed State Department official told Politico, "and we are working with the government of Egypt to lift them and allow these Americans to come home as quickly as possible. We hope to have this issue resolved within the next couple of days."

Michal Posner, a top State Department human rights officer, said the situation could affect U.S. aid to Egypt. "Obviously, any action that creates tension between our governments makes the whole package more difficult," he said.

The Dec. 29 raid on the NGO offices prompted a group of senators to threaten drastic cuts in future U.S. aid.

IRI President Lorne Craner said that, thus far, American pressure about the NGO raids has yielded little.

"That's very worrisome when there's been that much engagement by the U.S. government and the Congress, and there's no movement on behalf of the Egyptians," he said.

Egyptian officials have indicated they were concerned about "foreign influence" in their elections. Other NGOs raided include the Freedom House and the National Democratic Institute. Both the Republican and Democratic Institutes were created by Congress.

Sanctions Hit Iran Hard

Although European Union sanctions on Iranian oil won't kick in until July 1, their passage has already compounded Iran's currency crisis, accelerated runaway inflation and heavily threatened the economy, Reuters reports. The resulting chaos puts additional pressure on the regime, which ignores the pain of Iran's public at its own peril.

Following the EU passage of a ban on Iranian oil imports on Monday, Iranians have rushed to sell off their country's plummeting currency in favor of dollars and gold. The value of the rial dropped 50 percent less against the dollar in the past month, prompting one senior Iranian politician to describe the crisis as worse than that experienced during the eight year Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s.

The EU action is part of a growing set of economic sanctions intended to curtail Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded by raising interest rates in Iranian banks. But the sudden decision hasn't helped businesses or the average Iranian, and has instead compounded angst about the sanctions. Iran has also threatened to close a critical juncture point for oil shipments, the Strait of Hormuz, increasing the possibility of military conflict.

Although Iranian-ally China has railed against sanctions, they plan to capitalize on them to negotiate a better price for Iranian oil. Oil supplies more than 50 percent of Iran's national budget, and the lower prices will hit any military preparations by the Islamic Republic.

Convicted NC Jihad Cell Member Allegedly Wanted Witnesses Killed

Court records unsealed Monday accuse a former member of a North Carolina jihad cell of plotting to kill witnesses who testified against him at his federal trial.

Hysen Sherifi was sentenced earlier this month to 45 years in prison for conspiring to attack targets overseas and engage in military-style training. Sherifi was also accused of plotting with the terrorist cell's alleged ringleader, Daniel Patrick Boyd, to attack U.S. military personnel and their families at the Marine Corp Base located in Quantico, Va. Sherifi is imprisoned at the New Hover County Detention Facility in North Carolina.

According to federal authorities, Sherifi asked for help in hiring a hit man to kill several people, including three witnesses who testified against him at his trial and an inmate who allegedly defrauded him of money. But the person he sought help from is a confidential law enforcement informant. Sherifi told the informant that he wanted pictures of the dead bodies and severed heads to warn other potential witnesses not to testify against him.

Details of the "murder-for-hire scheme" were provided in separate affidavits filed against Sherifi's brother, Shkumbin Sherifi, and Nevine Aly Elshiekh, identified in the documents as Sherifi's friend. No charges have been filed against Sherifi related to the new plot.

The affidavits allege Elshiekh visited Sherifi several times in his cell. Elshiekh identified herself as "Hysen Sherifi's friend" and provided the fake hit man the names, addresses, and photos of Sherifi's intended victims, two of which were witnesses at Sherifi's federal trial. She also provided $750.00 in cash to the fake hit man, nicknamed "Treetop" or "Tree" in the affidavits.

Nevine Elshiekh is listed as an instructor on the website for the Sterling Montessori Academy, a charter school in Mooresville.

Shkumbin Sherifi also met with the hit man and gave him $4,250 to cover expenses in carrying out the murders. The hit man confirmed with Sherifi's brother that the total amount given him was $5,000 but said he could only kill one person for the money.

"So you know that's only for one person. So you need to ask Sherifi which one he wanted killed. The black guy or Arab," the hit man is quoted in the affidavit saying.

Detention hearings have been scheduled for both Elshiekh and Shkumbin Sherifi at the federal court house in Wilmington on Friday.

Jordan Considers Israel Sanctions

Jordan is considering diplomatic sanctions against Israel, if Jordan-based negotiations with the Palestinians continue to stall or fail, according to Israeli news source Ynetnews. Along with the election of the Muslim Brotherhood as Egypt's dominant party, Israel is facing its greatest isolation in the region since it signed peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt.

Ynetnews cites London-based al-Quds al-Arabi, which claims that Jordan's King Abdullah is pressing Israel to "make significant concessions which will allow the Palestinian leadership to justify their return to the negotiating table." If Israel refuses, it faces a potential deterioration or even break in relations with Jordan. King Abdullah would then consider strengthening its relationship with the local Muslim Brotherhood opposition and even Iran.

Israel also faces uncertainty about its relationship with Egypt, where Islamist parties including the Muslim Brotherhood took nearly 70 percent of votes in recent elections. The Muslim Brotherhood has sent conflicting signals about maintaining Egypt's long-standing peace treaty with Israel, and has shunned communications with the Jewish state. The MB, like Tunisia's El-Nahda party and Turkey's ruling Islamist elite, has also welcomed Hamas back into diplomatic circles.

"Invasion" Seeks to Undermine Israel

Palestinian activists plan to invade Israel on foot from neighboring Arab states as part of a "Global March to Jerusalem," a report issued Monday by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center said.

Leaders of the Global March to Jerusalem (GMJ) say the event will take place March 30 and will involve "the crawling of hundreds of thousands of Arab and international supporters through the neighboring countries and into Israel…"

Marchers from around the world will meet in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon GMJ's website said. Massive marches will also be organized in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip toward Jerusalem. Organizers say the marches will be "peaceful," the Meir Amit report said, "but past experience … has taught that they have the potential for violence."

And organizers acknowledge that they "aim to make this march a turning point in the nature of the confrontation, with the occupation having to face millions of protesters and demonstrators demanding Freedom for Palestine and its capitol Jerusalem."

Activists involved in the march have ties to Hamas, including:

GMJ spokesman Zaher Birawi is a Hamas activist who lives in the UK and has also served as a spokesperson for various Viva Palestina convoys. Viva Palestina (VP) is a UK-based organization which has delivered millions of dollars to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Birawi also serves in leadership positions for Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood affiliated organizations in the UK.

Mohammed Sawalha is formerly a senior Hamas operational operative in the West Bank who fled to Britain. Sawalha played an active role in organizing the deadly May 2010 flotilla to Gaza. He is involved with the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK and is one of the UK signatories of the pro-Jihad February 2009 "Istanbul declaration."

George Galloway, the brainchild of the pro-Hamas organization Viva Palestina, plans on joining GMJ. Galloway discussed GMJ on his show The Real Deal, aired on Iran's Press TV station this month.

Iranian-born Paul Larudee is the co-founder of the California-based Free Palestine Movement and participated in the May 2010 flotilla to Gaza. The Free Palestine Movement is an endorser of GMJ's branch in North America (GMJ-NA) and serves as a financial conduit for of GMJ-NA. Larudee is a leader of GMJ-NA, and serves on the International advisory Committee for GMJ.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh promoted the march in a recent speech.

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