U.S. Accused Of Killing 39 In Sudan Strike
366343A government minister in Sudan is accusing the United States Air Force of killing dozens of people in that north African country this past January – but the semi-official American version of the story is very different.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin has been told that Israeli aircraft carried out the attack. Israeli intelligence is said to have discovered that weapons were being trucked through Sudan, heading north toward Egypt, whereupon they would cross the Sinai Desert and be smuggled into Hamas-held territory in Gaza.
In January, the U.S. signed an agreement with Israel that calls for an international effort to stop arms smuggling into Gaza. Hamas was showering rockets on Israeli towns, and Israel had responded by invading Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the December-January war, and 13 Israelis lost their lives.
Continue »
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin has been told that Israeli aircraft carried out the attack. Israeli intelligence is said to have discovered that weapons were being trucked through Sudan, heading north toward Egypt, whereupon they would cross the Sinai Desert and be smuggled into Hamas-held territory in Gaza.
In January, the U.S. signed an agreement with Israel that calls for an international effort to stop arms smuggling into Gaza. Hamas was showering rockets on Israeli towns, and Israel had responded by invading Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the December-January war, and 13 Israelis lost their lives.
Continue »
In Latest Blog Post, Castro Criticizes Obama
(AP Photo/Jose Goitia)
In a post on Cuban Web site www.cubadebate.cu entitled "Deciphering the Thinking of the New United States President," Castro takes Mr. Obama to task for saying that returning Guantanamo to Cuban control would depend on whether it might have even a minimal impact on U.S. defense capacities.
Castro also criticizes Mr. Obama for saying that Cuba would have to make concessions first – a position Castro characterized as "demanding a change in its political system, a price Cuba has fought against paying for the last half century."
Castro reiterates Cuba's position—that the base is occupied against the will of the Cuban people and "violates the most elemental principles of international law". It's within the U.S. president's power to return the base, writes Castro, and not to do so is an "act of arrogance and an abuse of his immense power against a small country."
Continue »
Israeli Analyst: "Not Close" To Objectives
CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips interviewed Israeli military analyst Alon Ben-David at the Israel-Gaza border. Following is a partial transcript of that interview.
Alon Ben-David: We are at the beginning of the second phase of this operation where the idea is to give Hamas a sense of a genuine threat on the regime inside Gaza so we have Gaza encircled by the IDF…. I am not sure that this is a point where we want them to be. I think that Israel is trying to create a more stronger effect of deterrence on the other side so we are not quite there yet, the question I think is if we are going to go to the third phase or the second will suffice to reach those objectives.
Mark Phillips: What's the third phase?
Alon Ben-David: The third phase naturally will be expanding the ground operation. You see the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists. Right now I think there is still genuine desire to avoid that third stage. However, I think if we approach the end of this week without coming close to the objectives set for this operation….
Continue »
Alon Ben-David: We are at the beginning of the second phase of this operation where the idea is to give Hamas a sense of a genuine threat on the regime inside Gaza so we have Gaza encircled by the IDF…. I am not sure that this is a point where we want them to be. I think that Israel is trying to create a more stronger effect of deterrence on the other side so we are not quite there yet, the question I think is if we are going to go to the third phase or the second will suffice to reach those objectives.
Mark Phillips: What's the third phase?
Alon Ben-David: The third phase naturally will be expanding the ground operation. You see the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists. Right now I think there is still genuine desire to avoid that third stage. However, I think if we approach the end of this week without coming close to the objectives set for this operation….
Continue »
Israeli Troops Gather At The Gaza Border
An Israeli armored column has formed just a couple miles from the Gaza border, begging the question: will ground troops follow the air strikes on Hamas strongholds in Gaza? CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips filed this video report for CBSNews.com from just a stone's throw from those Israeli armored vehicles:
