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Three Grad rockets fired on Ashkelon

Three Grad rockets were fired Wednesday, towards Ashkelon, from Gaza Strip. Two landed in open areas near the city and another landed in the nearby Hof Ashkelon region. No injuries or damage was reported.

 

 Source:
http://www.debka.com/newsupdate/4746/

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Obama: Striking Syria carries risk of hitting chemical weapons sites - Alarabiya.net English :: Fron

U.S. military action against Syria would carry the risk of inadvertently hitting a chemical weapons site, President Barack Obama told to PBS television in an interview on Monday.

"Have we mapped all of the chemical weapons facilities inside of Syria to make sure that we don't drop a bomb on a chemical weapons facility that ends up then dispersing chemical weapons and killing civilians, which is exactly what we're trying to prevent?" AFP news agency quoted Obama as saying during the interview.

Obama further expressed skepticism over whether setting a no-fly zone or waging a major military offensive against Damascus would save lives or change balance of power on the battlefield.

Supporters of a bold intervention in Syria failed to understand the complexity of the situation as there is no one simple solution, Obama said. "If you set up a no-fly zone, that you may not be actually solving the problem," he added.

Obama' show of skepticism over military action in Syria comes after his deputies announced plans to arm vetted Syrian rebels last week.

 Source:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/18/Obama.html

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Suicide bombs kill 31 in Baghdad attacks :: Herald Sun

Violence has surged across Iraq recently, with May the deadliest month in Iraq since 2008, sparking fears of a revival of the brutal sectarian war that left tens of thousands killed in 2006 and 2007.

 Source:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/suicide-bombs-kill-31-in-baghdad-attacks/story-fni0xqll-1226665928565?utm_source=feedburner .

Gulf source: Saudis European supplying missiles to Syria rebels - Israel News, Ynetnews ::

Saudi Arabia, a staunch opponent of President Bashar Assad since early in Syria' conflict, began supplying anti-aircraft missiles to rebels "on a small scale" about two months ago, a Gulf source said on Monday.

The shoulder-fired weapons were obtained mostly from suppliers in France and Belgium, the source told Reuters. France had paid for the transport of the weapons to the region.

 Source:
http://warsclerotic.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/gulf-source-saudis-european-supplying-missiles-to-syria-rebels-israel-news-ynetnews/

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Putin and Obama set to spar over Syria arms at G8 :: JPost :: Israel News

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland - US President Barack Obama faces what could be a frosty G8 meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday after the Russian leader clashed with the West over plans to arm Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar Assad.

At their first private face-to-face meeting in a year, Obama will try to convince Putin to bring Assad to the negotiating table but the Russian leader has shown little sign of compromise.

 Source:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Putin-and-Obama-set-to-spar-over-Syria-arms-at-G8-316802

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BBC News - Syria blast at Mezzeh military airport in Damascus

A huge blast has been reported in the western Mezzeh suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus.

Syrian state TV said the blast was caused by "a terrorist attempt to target Mezzeh military airport".

Unconfirmed reports said around 20 soldiers were killed or wounded in the explosion.

Mezzeh military airport is an important strategic installation and plays a significant role in distributing the government's military supplies.

Activists said a big fire was raging inside the airport and that ambulances were heading to the scene.

The UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said that a car bomb had been detonated targeting a military checkpoint near the airport.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22930386

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