I. JPOST - Egypt deploys troops along Gaza border
With Israeli permission, Egypt sets up troops to avoid infiltrations by terrorists, Hamas across Gazan border. Egyptian security forces beefed up their presence along the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a bid to stop Hamas operatives from crossing between the two countries amid concerns that terror groups will take advantage of the anarchy in Egypt to launch attacks against that country and Israel. Israeli defense officials said the troop increase was undertaken in coordination with the Defense Ministry because, under the peace treaty between the countries, Egypt is not allowed to deploy large numbers of soldiers along its border with Israel. The deployment came amid reports that Egypt had also ordered Hamas to cease all its tunnel activities along the Philadelphi Corridor. On Sunday, a number of Hamas operatives, including the group’s commander for Khan Younis, escaped from a jail in Egypt and were believed to be making their way back to the Gaza Strip. “The Egyptians are cracking down on Hamas,” a senior Israeli defense official said on Sunday. Throughout the day, the IDF and Defense Ministry held consultations regarding the continued unrest in Egypt. Senior Israeli politicians and officials were in touch with Egyptian government officials, and contact was established directly between Israel and Egypt’s new vice president, Omar Suleiman. Israel’s concern is that the Muslim Brotherhood will use the ongoing demonstrations to garner public support and eventually take over Egypt. Israeli officials who were in touch with Egyptians on Sunday expressed confidence in Suleiman’s ability to take control of the military and prevent a regime change. “This is the end of Hosni Mubarak’s presidency, but the situation could be brought under control by Suleiman,” the senior defense official said. Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Sunday to discuss the situation.
Egypt's main airport remained in disarray Tuesday as it struggled to cope with the massive exodus of thousands of foreigners on dozens of evacuation planes. Passengers said airport staff was scarce, food supplies were dwindling and flight information was non-existent. Some police were even demanding bribes before allowing foreigners to board their planes. At least 18 charter flights had left Cairo early Tuesday, ferrying more than 1,500 foreigners to European locations, an airport official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to brief the media... The United States sent in nine charter flights Monday to Cairo and more were slated for Tuesday... National carrier EgyptAir has been canceling about 75 per cent of its flights because it is unable to field the necessary crew amid the 17-hour emergency curfew imposed on the Egyptian capital. Even having a ticket was no guarantee that tourists could get on a flight... The U.S. State Department said it has evacuated more than 1,200 Americans aboard government-chartered planes, and expects to fly out roughly 1,400 more in the coming days. Flights on Monday carried U.S. citizens from Cairo to Larnaca, Cyprus, Athens and Istanbul. Other countries that sent planes to Egypt include: China: At least 265 Chinese evacuees were expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported. China has sent six planes to Egypt, including one that left Tuesday to bring back 220 Hong Kong in Luxor. South Africa: About 40 South Africans were expected home Tuesday after diplomats went to Cairo to meet with EgyptAir managers. Iraq: Three planes were sent to Egypt — including the prime minister's plane — to bring home for free those who wish to return. An Austrian military plane carrying German, French, Czech, British, Swiss, Chilean and Austrian nationals landed in Vienna on Tuesday morning. Germany and Britain, which have thousands of citizens in Egypt now, have not called for evacuations of tourists.
III. THEPARLIAMENT - UN head voices optimism on latest Cyprus talks
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has voiced optimism that a "workable, mutually beneficial solution" can be found to the Cyprus problem. The official was speaking after a meeting between the two sides, which he described as "spirited and substantive", saying they had "contributed to clearing the air on several key issues". Resolution of the long-running dispute is seen as crucial in setting the pace of Turkey's possible accession to the EU. Failure to find a resolution means Turkey's EU ambitions will continue to be thwarted... However, Ban Ki-moon said after the latest meeting in Geneva that the two sides of the divided island had made progress in their peace negotiations... The UN head said he had emerged from the talks with a "renewed sense of optimism. "There has been progress since we last met in November," Ban said after the meeting with Cypriot president Demetris Christofias and Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. "Based on these discussions it is clear that the two leaders worked to move closer together through a range of bridging proposals." He said the two sides had also agreed to intensify the negotiations through a series of additional meetings in the coming weeks and that he would "continue to take stock of progress and to encourage the parties in further narrowing the differences". He added, "As recent surveys have shown, both communities in Cyprus want more than talks; they want a solution. The leaders have heard that message and they are acting. I welcome the steps that the leaders have taken which give a clear indication of their commitment to reunifying Cyprus as soon as possible. "At the end of February I will be providing the security council with a report on the state of the talks. I will closely follow the efforts of the leaders in the coming weeks as they reach further convergences across all chapters. I am certain that if the constructive spirit that I have witnessed continues, I will have a positive report to submit."
IV. B92 - Belgrade, Priština talks in March?
A Belgrade newspaper writes today that negotiations on Kosovo between Belgrade and Priština could start in March. Daily Večernje Novosti quotes unnamed sources in Brussels and says in an article published today that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's associate Robert Cooper has been mentioned as a possible mediator. Cooper has been "nominated in principle" to represent the EU when the sides meet to negotiate, writes the newspaper. According to this, the EU is urging Kosovo Albanians to form a new government in Priština as soon as possible, so that the talks could begin next month. The daily writes that "the format of America's participation is still being considered", while the most likely option would be for a U.S. State Department representative "to offer expertise and advice to the Prišitna team". According to the newspaper's sources, the talks will take place in Brussels "with opening topics including air traffic, telecommunications, cadasters, and, maybe, the issue of the missing persons". The sources were quoted as saying that "thus far there has been no contact between Brussels and Moscow about the possibility for Russia to join the dialogue process". The article also says that the presence of a UN representative "also has not been ruled out". Meanwhile, the upcoming regular report on Kosovo, to be submitted to the UN Security Council by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, states that Belgrade and Priština are already talking about the missing persons, with UNMIK's mediation.
Germany's top security official on Tuesday said he will reduce the number of police officers patrolling railway stations and other public places since a terrorism warning last year, but made clear that a threat to the country still remains. Germany is a target for Islamic extremists, but the incidents that prompted the heightened security have been addressed, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said. Those included an unsuccessful attempt by al-Qaida's Yemeni offshoot to blow up two cargo planes over the U.S., and a report that Islamic extremists were planning an attack within Germany by the end of November, he said. "We will gradually reduce the visible security measures, but I can't see an 'all clear' in the foreseeable future," he said. Germany has no color-coded or numbered system for measuring security levels, as Britain and France do. It tends to be far more cautious in publicly discussing the degrees of threat, saying it could endanger efforts to prevent an attack. The European Union now has better methods of ensuring the security of aircraft cargo than it did at the time of the plane plot, and the possible attacks within Germany had not come to pass, de Maiziere said... Though Germany has escaped any major terrorist attacks like the Madrid train bombings of 2004 and the London transit attacks of 2005, at least two major plots have been thwarted or failed before they could be carried out.
VI. REUTERS - U.S. and Russia to finalize nuclear deal on Saturday
The United States and Russia will formally inaugurate their new START nuclear arms pact on Saturday, launching a deal that commits the two former Cold War foes to cutting their atomic arsenals. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will exchange the final ratification papers for the START treaty in Munich, where both will be attending an annual security conference, the State Department said on Tuesday. "With new START, the United States and Russia have reached another milestone in our bilateral relationship," a State Department statement said. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama signed the deal in April after a year of tough negotiations, a move that both sides cited as proof of their efforts to "reset" the relationship after several years of tension. The U.S. Senate approved ratification last month in a victory for Obama, and Russia's parliament gave its final approval in a unanimous upper house vote last week. The treaty commits the nations with 95 percent of the world's nuclear weapons to ceilings of 1,550 deployed strategic warheads in seven years, up to 30 percent lower than in the 2002 Moscow treaty. It will limit each side to 700 deployed strategic missiles and bombers and establish verification rules, absent since the U.S.-Soviet Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) expired in 2009, enabling them to keep tabs on each other's arsenals. Once the treaty takes effect, the two nations are to begin exchanging information about the status of their nuclear forces and, within weeks, hold the first on-site inspections of each other's nuclear arsenals in nearly two years.
VII. ORTHODOXWAYOFLIFE - The Inner State - According to Saint Marcarius the Great
If anyone in the world is wealthy, and he has a hidden treasure, then he will acquire all that he wants through this treasure and wealth. So it is with those who have found and who've already have the heavenly treasure (grace). For through this treasure they acquire every virtue, and accumulate even greater heavenly wealth for themselves. The Apostle says, we have this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7); that is, being still in the flesh, we were were they to find in ourselves the above mentioned treasure, the sanctifying power of the Spirit. He who has found and who has within himself this heavenly treasure of the Spirit is irreproachable, and accomplishes in purity every truth in accordance with the commandments and every virtuous deed without being compelled to do so, and without any difficulties. If we were to begin to implore God, we would begin seeking and asking that we too be given the treasure of His Spirit, and thus we would become irreproachable and abide in purity in all His commandments, carrying out every truth thoroughly and perfectly. It is necessary to force oneself to ask the Lord that He allow one to find and accept the treasures of the Spirit, to arrive at this condition without difficulty, and to carry out faultlessly and thoroughly all the commandments of the Lord with ease, which formerly could not be accomplished even with all one's strength. This treasure is acquired through diligent seeking, having faith and patience in one's labors throughout this seeking. It is necessary to ask God with sincere love and faith to allow us to find in our hearts His riches, in the power and efficacy of the Spirit... When the soul aspires to the perfection of the Spirit, after it has been entirely cleansed of all the passions, and, after it has arrived at the unity and dissolution with the Comforting Spirit in ineffable communion and being co-mingled with the Spirit, then it will be considered worthy of becoming spirit itself. Then it will become completely light, all-seeing, completely joyful, completely calm, completely loving, completely merciful, completely filled with grace and goodness. Saint Macarius the Great, Eighteenth Homily.