25 may 2012 osint levant tracker

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TheCENTCOM This OSINT publication contains foreign mediaderived entirely from open sources in andaround the CENTCOM AOR.

25 May 20

EGYPT

Live Updates: Final Results Unfold in Several Cities: Egypt IndependentResults from polling stations across Egypts 27 governorates began to roll in late Thursday night and early Fridaymorning following the countrys most competitive presidential poll in history. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Independent;Daily; Undetermined).

Muslim Brotherhood says its Candidate Mursi will Face Shafiq in Presidential Run-Off: Al ArabiyaEgypts Muslim Brotherhood has announced that its candidate Mohamed Mursi won through to a run-off next monthin the countrys first free presidential election against former air force chief Ahmed Shafiq, who was deposed leaderHosni Mubarak's last prime minister. . (Source: Dubai, UAE; Owned by MBC Group, Intl (Large Iraqi following);Neutral; Daily)

US Senate Approves Cutting Egypt Aid by $5 Million, Cites NGO Activists Bail: Ahram OnlineUS senators subtracted $5 million from aid provided to Egypt on Wednesday, to reimburse the US Treasury formoney it paid to bail out American pro-democracy activists facing charges there earlier this year. (Source: Cairo,Egypt; Daily; Neutral)

Italian Company Eni Makes Big Oil Discovery in Egypt: Al Masry Al YoumItaly's oil and gas major Eni has made a big oil discovery in the Western Desert of Egypt, part of the group'sstrategy of refocusing exploration activities in the country by targeting deeper plays in the Western Desert region. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Independent; Daily; Undetermined).

Palestinian Killed in Egypt's Sinai: Maan News AgencyA Palestinian man died late Thursday and his brother suffered injuries during a brawl in the Egyptian city of El-Arish, security officials told Ma'an. (Source: Bethlehem, Israel; Funded by Dutch and Danish ForeignMinistries; anti-Zionism / anti-West)

ISRAEL / GAZA

Israeli Mood Turns against Migrants: Al JazeeraHundreds of Israelis took to the streets in south Tel Aviv on Thursday to protest against the mass migration fromSudan as a result of the strife in the African nation. (Source: Doha, Qatar; Independent; Website of the TVNetwork; Claim Neutrality)

US Report Criticizes Palestinian Security Forces: Maan News AgencySecretary of State Hillary Clinton released the US State Dept.'s annual report on human rights Thursday, criticizingPalestinian security forces for abusing detainees and restricting civil liberties. (Source: Bethlehem, Israel; Fundedby Dutch and Danish Foreign Ministries; anti-Zionism / anti-West)

Swastikas Sprayed on Ancient Synagogue Near Jericho: YnetSwastikas, Palestinian flags and "Palestine is ours" slogans were spray-painted on the ancient synagogue inNaaran near Jericho overnight. (Source: Israel, Yedi'ot Media Group)

JORDAN

19 Countries Take Part in Jordan's 'Eager Lion' Drill: The Jordan TimesKing Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces, on Thursday attended a military drillperformed by units taking part in "Eager Lion 2012" exercise in Shidiyeh, located in the Kingdom's southern region.(Source: Amman, Jordan; Independent; Neutral)

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: [email protected]

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Army, Security Agencies Freeze JD150m worth Projects: The Jordan TimesPrime Minister Fayez Tarawneh on Thursday said the security agencies have decided to expand their austeritymeasures by freezing JD150 million worth of construction projects. (Source: Amman, Jordan; Independent;Neutral)

LEBANON

Man with Ties to Al-Qaeda Arrested after Deadly Beirut Standoff: The Daily StarA gunman with ties to Al-Qaeda was arrested Thursday in Beirut after an hours-long standoff with Lebanesesoldiers that also claimed the lives of two men, security sources said Thursday. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon;Independent; Daily, Except Sunday; Neutral)

Kidnapped Lebanese Men 'Safe and Well': Al JazeeraA Syrian Islamist religious leader says he is mediating the release of a group of Lebanese Shia men who werekidnapped in Syria's northern city of Aleppo two days ago. (Source: Doha, Qatar; Independent; Website of theTV Network; Claim Neutrality)

Freed Islamist says Lebanon Can't Snub Sunnis over Syria: Al Sharaq Al AwsatA Lebanese Islamist whose arrest on suspicion of helping arm Syrian rebels sparked deadly sectarian fighting inLebanon says his release shows Lebanese authorities cannot afford to anger Sunni Muslims who back their co-religionists fighting in Syria. (Source: London, England; pan-Arab daily news; Pro Arab)

Tehran to Stand by Lebanon against any Israeli Attack: Iranian Official: The Daily StarLebanon: Irans military attach said Friday that Tehran would stand in the face of any Israeli aggression againstLebanon. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Independent; Daily, Except Sunday; Neutral)

Qortbawi: Issue of Islamist Detainees Originated with Previous Government: Now Lebanon

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said the issue of Islamist detainees in Lebanese prisons did not emerge duringthe current governments mandate. The case of the detained Islamists arrested following the Nahr al-Bared eventsstarted in 2007 and not with Prime Minister Najib Mikatis government, Qortbawi told Al-Jadeed television station. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Privately Funded / Independent; Liberal)

SYRIA

Live Blog on Developments in Syria: Now LebanonSeveral anti-regime protests are taking place, gunfire was reported in several areas, regime forces reportedly firedat protesters in several areas, report says 6 civilians were killed on Friday, Outgoing opposition leader said thedeeply divided Syrian National Council failed the Syrian people. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Privately Funded /Independent; Liberal)

Assad says Syrian Government can Resolve Crisis: NaharnetSyria's embattled President Bashar Assad said on Thursday his government is capable of finding a way out of thecrisis gripping his country, as he met with a visiting Iranian government minister. (Source: Lebanon, Englishedition of A Nahar, Liberal)

Free Syrian Army says Protecting Protests its Top Priority: Al ArabiyaThe opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) has said the protection of peaceful protests is its top priority, as it outlinedits goals and structure in declaration released on Thursday. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Owned by MBC Group, Intl(Large Iraqi following); Neutral; Daily)


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Ban Tells CNN Annan Plan is Syria's Only Choice: Al Sharaq Al AwsatU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan is the only option right nowfor ending the violence in Syria. (Source: London, England; pan-Arab daily news; Pro Arab)

Six Killed in Syria; Protests Hit Damascus and Aleppo, Activists Say: Now LebanonSyrian regime forces killed six civilians on Friday, as democracy activists took to the streets of Damascus andAleppo, Syria's two largest cities, a monitoring group reported. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Privately Funded /Independent; Liberal)

EDITORIALS

FSA Secures Defection of Entire Battalion: Al Sharaq Al AwsatFree Syrian Army [FSA] spokesman Colonel Khalid al-Hammoud informed Asharq Al-Awsat that 203 soldiers havedefected from the regime, including 3 officers from the al-Qatifa area, which is close al-Qalamoun in the RifDimashq Governorate.(Source: London, England; pan-Arab daily news; Pro Arab)

Class Divisions Emerge in Alexandria Vote: Al Masry Al YoumDespite long lines and hot weather, people in Egypts second-largest city, ventured to polling stations to vote in thecountry's first free and fair presidential election. (Source: Cairo, Egypt; Independent; Daily; Undetermined).

Irans Great Game in Afghanistan; Fears NATO Withdrawal may Lead to Civil War: Al ArabiyaWith most foreign combat troops set to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014, Iran is using the media in the war-ravaged nation to gain influence, a worrying issue for Washington. Nearly a third of Afghanistans media is backedby Iran, either financially or through providing content, Afghan officials and media groups say. (Source: Dubai,UAE; Owned by MBC Group, Intl (Large Iraqi following); Neutral; Daily)

Brotherhood Makes Claims as Egypt Polls Close: The Egyptian Gazette

Millions of Egyptians, choosing their leader freely for the first time in their history, voted on Thursday with theMuslim Brotherhood saying their candidate had an early lead over fellow Islamists and rivals who served oustedPresident Hosni Mubarak. (Source: Cairo, Egypt, Morning Daily)

Supporting Documentation:

EGYPT (Top)

25 May 2012Egypt IndependentLive Updates: Final Results Unfold in Several Cities

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Results from polling stations across Egypts 27 governorates began to roll in late Thursday night and early Fridaymorning following the countrys most competitive presidential poll in history. Voting confirmed analysts' suspicionsthat only five of the thirteen candidates face the possibility of advancing into a run-off. Those garnering significantsupport were the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohamed Morsy, Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq,former Brotherhood leader Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, Nasserist Hamdeen Sabbahi, and the former head of theArab League, Amr Moussa.

11:30 am: Secular candidates are leading in results coming in from the Red Sea, Qalyubiya and South Sinai.

In the Red Sea Governorate, Nasserist Hamdeen Sabbahi is first with 22,384 votes, followed by former ArabLeague chief Amr Moussa with 18,651 and former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq with 18,042. Former Brotherhoodmember Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh ranks fourth with 16,328 votes, followed by Muslim Brotherhood candidateMohamed Morsy with 15,593.Out of 224,453 eligible Red Sea voters, 94,273 cast their ballots, equal to 43 percent.

In the Delta governorate of Qalyubiya, Shafiq is top with 260,169 votes, followed by Morsy with 192,145, Sabbahiwith 150,880, and Abouel Fotouh with 106,423 and Moussa with 127,625.

In South Sinai, Moussa is first with 6,910 votes, followed by Morsy with 4,895, Abouel Fotouh with 4,305, Shafiqwith 4,102, and Sabbahi with 3,839.

10:30 am: Final results have just come in from the largely rural governorate of Daqahlia. There, former PrimeMinister Ahmed Shafiq is ranking first with 420,264 votes, followed by Nasserist Hamdeen Sabbahi with 391,143votes. Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy has 387,300 votes, former Brother Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh248,540 votes, and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa 199,805.

The police and armed forces are deploying forces outside vital institutions and squares in Daqahlia in case of riots

or demonstrations by people objecting to the election results, in particular Islamic and revolutionary groups.

A Muslim Brotherhood official told Reuters this morning that Morsy will enter a run-off vote next month with Shafiq."It is clear that the run-off will be between Mohamed Morsy and Ahmed Shafiq," the official told Reuters. Thegroup's governing body was meeting to determine campaign strategy for the run-off, scheduled for June 16 and 17,he said.

The official said that with votes counted from about 12,800 of the roughly 13,100 polling stations, Morsy had 25percent, Shafiq 23 percent; Abouel Fotouh had 20 percent and Sabbahi 19 percent.

Reuters pointed out that official results are not due to be announced until next week, but representatives of thecandidates are allowed to watch the count, enabling them to compile their own tally. It said the vote marks the finalstep in a messy and often bloody transition to democracy, overseen by a military council that has pledged to hand

over power to a new president by 1 July.

9:30 am: Morsy is leading in results that have emerged from the upper Egyptian governorate of Aswan, fromFayoum, 130 km south of Cairo, and from the southwestern governorate of New Valley.

In New Valley, Morsy leads with 15,901 votes, followed by Abouel Fotouh, who won 13,780 votes. Moussa is thirdwith 9,528 votes, followed by Sabbahi with 7,612 votes. Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq is last with 6,438votes. In that governorate, 54,000 out of 142,000 eligible voters cast their ballots.


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In Aswan, Morsy has won with 60,495 votes, followed by Moussa, who won 59,790 votes. Shafiq is third with45,813 votes, former Brotherhood member Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh followed with 44,795 votes. Sabbahi won41,686.

In Fayoum Governorate, Morsy won by a large margin with 47 percent of votes (288,848 votes), followed by AbouelFotouh who won 27 percent (168,413 votes). Shafiq came in third place with 75,042 votes, followed by Sabbahiwho won 37,804 votes. Moussa came at last with 32,476.

7:30 am: More final results start appearing. In Port Said, where initial indicators showed that Sabbahi is heading thepolls, final results say the same thing. Sabbahi won 104,929 votes, followed by Shafiq who won 40,948 votes.Morsy followed with 38,982 votes and then Moussa who won 37,274 votes.

In the Delta's Gharbiya, Shafiq is leading, followed by Sabbahi and Morsi. Shafiq's votes were at 421,411 votes,while Sabbahi's were at 308,424 and Morsy's were at 245,438, according to Al-Ahram.

In the most recent aggregation published in Al-Ahram out of 2265 polling stations nation wide (of more than 13,000polling stations nationwide), Morsy is leading the polls with 25.8 percent of the votes, followed by Shafiq who got20.6 percent, then Sabbahi, 19.5 percent, former Brotherhood leader Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, 18.2 percentand finally Moussa, 18.2 percent.

The Freedom and Justice Party Facebook page runs a more updated count out of 6661 polling stations, wherebyMorsy is still leading by 30.8 percent. The ranking meanwhile is identical to Al-Ahram's, with Shafiq following (22.3percent), then Sabbahi (20 percent), then Abouel Fotouh (17 percent), then Moussa (11 percent).

6:30 am: Final results from several governorates are unfolding. The results of all Qena's voting stations have beenreleased. Abouel Fotouh is leading the polls at 26 percent, followed closely by Morsy at 25 percent. Shafiq, Moussaand Sabbahi came third, fourth and fifth at 21 percent, 19 percent and 10 percent respectively.

In the Mediterranean city of Matrouh, Abouel Fotouh leads in the final polling results, with 52 percent of the vote,followed with a big margin by Morsy, who got 11 percent of the votes, and Moussa who won 8 percent. 65,725 of203,733 eligible voters cast their ballots in Matrouh between Wednesday and Thursday.According to Al-Ahram, the city of Damietta in Egypt's Delta has witnessed also a victory for Abouel Fotouh, with106,219 votes, followed by Sabbahi who got 105,877 votes, while Morsy came third at 105,610.

In the upper Egyptian city of Beni Soueif, Morsy led with 260,041 votes, followed by Abouel Fotouh who reaped121,919 votes, while Shafik got 119,524 votes.

5:30 am: Morsy is leading in many polling stations across the nation. In North Sinai, initial results put him at thelead, with 41 percent of the vote, followed by Moussa, who came in at 22 percent. Former Brotherhood memberAbouel Fotouh came third at 19 percent, followed by Shafiq at 10 percent. Morsy's initial victory in North Sinai

contradicts expectations of voters' preferences to strongmen of the old regime.

Morsy has also done well in Fayoum, according to the state-run Al-Ahram, where he reaped 46 percent of thevotes, followed by Abouel Fotouh at 27 percent. Shafiq came third at 13 percent, Nasserist candidate Sabbahi at6.5 percent and Moussa at 5 percent. The results come from 286 polling stations out of 380.

Morsy is also leading in Giza, according to Al-Ahram, with some 113,000 votes, followed by Sabbahi who gathered51,000 votes. Shafik and Abouel Fottouh came third and fourth respectively.


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5:00 am: Initial results in the upper Egyptian city of Qena show wide contradictions with initial expectations,particularly in the leading position of the Muslim Brotherhood, for whom the south is not traditionally a stronghold. InQena, there are about 1.5 million eligible voters. Eight out of the nine polling districts' results have been released.

In Markaz Qena, a mostly rural area, home to 89 polling stations, Morsy led with 12,733 votes followed by Moussa,who came at 11,524 votes. Abouel Fotouh came third with 7,025 votes while Shafiq won only 5,509 votes. Sabbahicame in the fifth place with 3,813 votes. The total number of voters registered at these 89 polling stations is210,804, out of whom only 42,762 cast their ballots.

In the biggest polling station in the main city of Qena, traditionally a stronghold for the formerly ruling NationalDemocratic Party, Abouel Fotouh's supporters erupted in celebration after initial results were announced. AbouelFotouh reaped 632 votes, followed by Shafik with 623. Sabbahi came third with 515, Moussa with 361 and Morsywith only 337 votes.

According to local journalists attending the vote counting in different stations in Qena, Abouel Fotouh came secondin Farshout, northern Qena, followed by Morsy. He also led the polls in Qus, followed by Moussa and then Morsy.In Waqf, Morsy led instead, followed by Abouel Fottouh and Moussa, while he came second in Abu Tesht,preceded by Moussa. Qeft gavs Moussa another victory as he led the polls of the city with 5027 votes, followed byAbouel Fottouh with 4153 votes, Morsy with 3627 votes, Sabbahi with 2749 and Shafik with 1599 votes. In Naqada,however, Shafik led the polls, followed by Morsy and then Abouel Fottouh. Shafik is also a winner in NagaaHammdi, one of Qena's most densely populated areas. He reaped 24,570 votes there, followed by Morsy, who wasat 20,389 votes. Abouel Fottouh, Moussa and Sabbahi came next.

4:30 am: Sabbahi is scoring first in several districts, according to initial districts-based results.

According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, in the Dossouq district, Kafr al-Sheikh, from where Sabbahi hails, vote countinghas just been sealed. Sabbahi reaped 25,597 votes, followed by Morsy, with 14,517 votes and Moussa, with 1959

votes. Abouel Fottouh is next at 3901 votes and former Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq is at 3698 votes.

In the East Alexandria district, Sabbahi also led with 43,310 votes, followed by Moussa with 24,343 votes. AbouelFottouh came third with 21,405 votes and Shafik got 16762 votes, sending Morsy to the fourth rank at 13003 votes.This resonates with Al-Ahram's results from 100 polling stations in Alexandria, out of a total of 691 stations.Sabbahi is confidently leading the polls with 82725 votes, which puts him at 34 percent of the votes. He is followedby Abouel Fottouh, who only comes at 19 percent of the votes though. Morsy and Moussa are next with 17 percentand 15 percent respectively.

Similarly, in the Abdeen district of Cairo, Sabbahi led with 10,051 votes, followed by Shafik with 8056 votes, thenMoussa, Abouel Fottouh and Morsy who reaped some 3484 votes.

Initial results from 43 polling stations out of 103 in the coastal city of Port Said show also that Sabbahi is leading

with 37,315 votes, followed by Shafik who was at 18,267 votes, then Moussa at 16,641 votes. Morsy came fourth at14,155 votes and Abouel Fottouh at 12,944 votes. A bigger estimate out of 96 polling stations in Port Said showsthat Sabbahi is still leading at 94,509 votes, followed by Shafiq at 37,440 then Moussa, then Abouel Fottouh.

4:00 am: More major estimates are being released. Al-Ahram, the flagship state-run newspaper, says that based onofficial tallies of 1,210 polling stations, Morsy has won 414,049, or 35.4 percent of the vote, with Shafiq in secondplace with 342,556 votes, or 29.3 percent. Abouel Fotouh won 24.3 percent and Sabbahi 18.8 percent, according toAl-Ahram's tally.


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Those results roughly track with the estimates of Rassd News, an independent newswire, which announced theresults of 3,046 out of the country's 13,000 polling stations. According to Rassd, Morsy is in first place, followed byShafiq, then Abouel Fotouh, then Sabbahi and finally Moussa. Morsi won 1.38 million votes in these pollingstations, well ahead of Shafiq's 867,469.

Results from local polling stations offer insights into voting patterns. In Manshiyet Nasr, Cairo, a poor and heavilyChristian area, Shafiq blew his competition out of the water, garnering 1,184 votes, while all the other candidatesremained in the double digits at polling station number seven at the Gabarty Primary School. At station number sixat the same school, Shafiq did similarly well, with 1,970 votes, while Sabbahi came in second with 86. Nearby, atstation 19 in the same Cairo neighborhood, Morsy lead the pack with 602 votes, with Sabbahi coming in next with552. Abouel Fotouh won 340 there, while Shafiq got 302 and Moussa only 111.

Shafiq has also captured a majority of votes at a polling station at the Othman bin Afnan School in Omraneya, Giza,with 971 votes, followed by Sabbahi with 765. Abouel Fotouh took 614 votes at that polling station and Moussa547. Morsy, for once, came in last, with 483 votes. In the Fifth Settlement polling station at the Fatma Anan School,Abouel Fotouh did the best, with 942 votes, compared to Shafiq's 895, Morsy's 794, Moussa's 700 and Sabbahi's693.

3:15 am: As sunrise approaches, larger vote tallies are starting to trickle in from the campaigns

A report issued by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party based on the results of 678 polling stationsnationwide puts its candidate, Morsy, in first place with 165,874 votes out of 467,717 valid votes.

Morsy is followed in the report by Shafiq with 103,648 votes. Abouel Fotouh comes next with 77,947 votes.Sabbahi, emerging as the dark horse of the elections, comes in fourth in this report with 53,941 votes followed byMoussa, who has come in similar low positions in all preliminary results so far, with 53,181 votes. As he presentedthe results on television, liberal MP Amr Hamzawy said that they should not be taken for granted since the locations

of the polling stations included was not mentioned, which affects the results.

At the same time, Sabbahi's campaign has released its tallies for the city of Mahalla, a major industrial city in theNile Delta with a large population of laborers, a constituency sympathetic to the Nasserist candidate. According tothe campaign, Sabbahi received 85,201 votes there, with Shafiq a distant second with 52,757. Morsy comes in thirdin the city with 47,346 ballots, followed by Moussa's 39,844. Abouel Fotouh seems to have struck out in theindustrial citadel, garnering only 39,125 votes, according to the Sabbahi campaign.

Egypt Independent's correspondent in the city during the voting period predicted that Sabbahi would do well there.However, an election monitor said, "The workers of Mahalla, and Egypt at large, are not united behind a singlecandidate."

3:00 am: Another substation of Old Cairo's Abul Saoud Prep School saw a turnout of 40 percent, and voters leaned

towards Sabbahi. His 886 votes were well ahead of the nearest competitor, Morsy, whom 554 citizens voted for.Abouel Fotouh came in third with 548 votes, while Shafiq earned 370 votes, and Moussa came in fifth with 242.

At Qaba School of Medinat Salam, voters also tended to vote for Sabbahi, who won 1,675 votes, beating Morsys1,636. Shafiq was in third with 1,421 votes, and Abouel Fotouh was in fourth with 1,132. Moussa finished fifth with537.

In the Cairo neighborhood of Sayeda Zeinab, most poll-goers at the Shagaret al-Dor School voted for Sabbahi,giving him 1,680 votes. Shafiq followed with 1,238 votes, Morsy with 808, Moussa with 579, and Abouel Fotouhwith 537.


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In the informal area of Bulaq al-Dakrur, Sabbahi won 849 votes while Morsy followed closely with 808 votes.Trailing the two candidates was Sabbahi with Abouel Fotouh with 584 votes, Shafiq with 566, and Moussa with 296.

Sabbahi won a landslide victory at a polling station in his home governorate of Kafr al-Sheikh. At the Saad Zaghloulschool, he won 1,217 votes, while Abouel Fotouh trailed far behind with 306 votes. Shafiq was in third with 232,while Morsy won 195 votes. Moussa came in fifth with 59 votes.

At stations nine and ten of the Gamal Abdel Nasser School in Manshiyet Nasser, Shafiq came in the lead with 711votes. Morsy came in second with 648, Sabbahi came in third with 569, Moussa in fourth with 408, and AbouelFotouh in fifth with 266.

In Ard al-Lewa, Sabbahis 2,943 votes were enough to beat Ahmed Shafiqs 2,133 votes. Sabbahis success couldbe due to the charity that his wife has operated in the area for some 20 years. Morsy came in third with 1,727 votes,while Abouel Fotouh came in fourth with 1,574. Moussa came in last among the front-runners with 945 votes.

2:30 am: Morsy's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) announced on their Facebook page that they will release theirtabulations of 41 percent of polling stations nationwide shortly. Their candidate is currently leading in most tallies ofthe national vote so far.

The Muslim Brotherhood has issued a press release praising the conduct of the election, but also making note ofsome violations at polling stations around the country, including unaccounted for ballots and assaults on supportersof the its candidate, Morsy. The Brotherhood also reported that thugs from the former ruling National DemocraticParty attacked voters at a polling station in Daqahliya Governorate.

It doesn't appear that these reported violations had much of a negative effect on Morsy.

1:30 am: In Hadiqa Village of Tama, Sohag, Shafiq's 807 votes were well ahead of Mohamed Morsy's 245. Moussa

was able to gain the support of 123 voters, while Sabbahi added 54 to his national total and Abouel Fotouh added112 to his.

At the polling station of the Imam Mohamed Abdu School in the Delta governorate of Qalyubia, Shafiq came outahead with 627 votes, while Sabbahi followed with 548. Moussa was third with 296 votes, and Abouel Fotouhearned the support of 198 voters. Morsy finished in fifth with 154 votes.

Sabbahi barely counts a victory in the vote count at the Fatima Anan School in Cairo's Fifth Settlement suburb, with1,062 over Abouel Fotouhs 1,040. Morsy comes in third with 565, followed by Shafiq with 442 and Moussa with261.

Votes counted at the Othman bin Afnan School in Sharqiya Governorate also put the Nasserist candidate in thelead with 569 votes followed by Abouel Fotouhs 317 and then Morsys 258, while 242 voters cast their ballots for

Shafiq and only 98 voted for Moussa.

In the village of Beba in Beni Suef, a rural governorate just south of Cairo, Morsy dominated the poll, bringing in598 votes, while his closest competitor, Shafiq, got less than half that at 250 and Abouel Fotouh won 107. Moussaand Sabbahi nearly tied for fourth place, with 38 and 35 votes respectively.

12:30 am: Voters at the Manshiyet Ghali polling station in Sharqiya governorate voted overwhelmingly for Shafiq,with his 422 votes placing him well ahead of his nearest comeptitor, Morsy, who garnered 86 votes. They werefollowed by Abouel Fotouh, who won 64 votes, Sabbahi with 20 votes, and Amr Moussa with four votes.


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However, at the Tahrir School in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Qena, Shafiq was edged out by AbouelFotouh, who won 492 votes to the former Air Force general are 480. Morsy followed with 285 votes, while Moussaand Sabbahi earned the support of 284 and 261 votes, respectively.

Moussa was the favorite at the Waqsa polling station in Sharqiya, winning 509 votes. Shafiq was next with 295,while Morsy followed with 285, Abouel Fotouh with 81, and Sabbahi with 35 votes.

At another polling station in Sharqiya, in Riyadh, Abu Kebir, Shafiq's 330 votes bested Morsy's 322. Sabbahi andAbouel Fotouh mustered a third of that, with 91 and 89 each, respectively, while Moussa only was able to get 17votes.

At Abu Dokhan School in Beba, Beni Suef, Morsy and Abouel Fotouh led with 99 and 93 votes, respectively.Moussa was in third with 28 votes, while 26 residents cast their votes for Ahmed Shafiq, and 18 voters choseMoussa.

At Hasim Selim School in Khanka, Qalyubia, Morsy's 158 votes were enough to beat out Shafiq's 97. AbouelFotouh was able to garner the support of 67 voters, while Moussa's 51 votes and Sabbahi's 45 rounded out fourthand fifth place.

Old Cairo's Abul Saoud Prep School was a much larger polling station, with over 3,500 voters. Most voters optedfor secular candidates. Shafiq, with 836 votes was followed by Moussa's 809 votes. Sabbahi earned the votes of718 poll-goers. The Islamists, Morsy and Abouel Fotouh, won 594 and 551 votes, respectively.

Two voters were enough to push Moussa's 609 votes ahead of Sabbahi's 607 a Medina School in the DokkiNeighborhood of Giza. Shafiq followed with 505 votes, while Abouel Fotouh gained 466 and Morsy was at thebottom of the front-runners with 157 votes.

25 May 2012Al ArabiyaMuslim Brotherhood Says its Candidate Mursi will Face Shafiq in Presidential Run-Off

(U) The Brotherhood said their candidate Mohamed Mursi, left, was leading after 90 percent of the votes werecounted. (Reuters)

Egypts Muslim Brotherhood has announced that its candidate Mohamed Mursi won through to a run-off next monthin the countrys first free presidential election against former air force Chief Ahmed Shafiq, who was deposed leaderHosni Mubarak's last prime minister.


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The Brotherhood said their candidate was leading after 90 percent of the votes were counted. The powerfulBrotherhood is sing their formidable nationwide network to tally votes. It is confirmed with us that a runoff vote willbe held between Dr. Mohamed Mursi and General Ahmed Shafiq, according to the numbers available to us, theIslamist group said in a statement. In a surprise development the Brotherhood reported that Shafiq, which it hasrepeatedly described as a remnant of the old regime, was winning in Sharqiya Province, the hometown of theMuslim Brotherhoods candidate Mursi.

The Brotherhood said their candidate, Mursi, was followed by Shafiq, and Nasserist politician Hamdeen Sabbahi inthe third place.

Moderate Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, whorepeatedly appeared as front runners in the opinion polls prior to the elections, came in the fourth and fifth places,consecutively winning 17 and 11 percent, according to the Muslim Brotherhood statement.

Just hours after polling stations closed at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) Thursday, Essam al-Erian, vice chairman of theIslamist groups Freedom and Justice Party, told reporters, I am confident that as first indications show, ourcandidate is leading.

The experience of waiting for an electoral result that has not been predetermined is a novel one for citizens of theArab worlds most populous nation, where years of presidential votes always produced the same winner.

This time around, 50 million eligible voters were given the chance to choose between 12 candidates in a race thathas been largely free of the violence and fraud that often marred elections before the January-February 2011revolt.

Electoral commission officials said turnout was around 50 percent over the two days of voting on Wednesday andThursday, with some voters queuing for hours to cast their ballot.

In schools and other institutions around the country, representatives from Egypts electoral commission carefullysorted the ballots, each printed with the name, photograph and electoral symbol of the candidates, into neat piles.

Official tallies are not scheduled to be announced until May 27.

The election seals a tumultuous military-led transition from autocratic rule marked by political upheaval andbloodshed, but which also witnessed democratic parliamentary elections that saw Islamist groups score a crushingvictory.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in power since Mubaraks ouster, has vowed to restore civilian rule bythe end of June, after a president is elected, but many fear its withdrawal from politics will be just an illusion.

The army, with its vast and opaque economic power, wants to keep its budget a secret by remaining exempt fromparliamentary scrutiny, maintain control of military-related legislation and secure immunity from prosecution.

Mubarak, 84 and ailing, is being held in a military hospital on the outskirts of Cairo where he awaits the verdict ofhis murder trial on June 2.

The former strongman, ousted in a popular uprising last year, is accused of involvement in the killing of some 850protesters during the uprising and of corruption.


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24 May 2012Ahram on LineUS Senate Approves Cutting Egypt Aid by $5 Million, Cites NGO Activists Bail

(U)File Photo: One of the 14 Egyptian activists accused of working for unlicensed non-governmental organizations(NGOs) and receiving illegal foreign funds, speaks with American Robert Becker (L) of the National DemocraticInstitute (NDI) in a cage during their trial in Cairo March 8, 2012. (Reuters)

US senators subtracted $5 million from aid provided to Egypt on Wednesday, to reimburse the US Treasury formoney it paid to bail out American pro-democracy activists facing charges there earlier this year.

"I'll be darned if I am going to give them (the Egyptian government) that money," Leahy said.

The total value of US aid to Egypt is around $1.7 billion per year.

The Senate foreign aid subcommittee approved a total of $52.1 billion for the State Department and US foreign aidfor the 2013 fiscal year that starts in October.

That was $2.6 billion below the Obama administration's request. House appropriators recently approved even lessmoney - $48.3 billion.

In late December, the Cairo offices of at least five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were raided by officialsfrom Egypts public prosecution office backed by police and military personnel.

Egyptian authorities are still conducting investigations into local and foreign employees who worked for Cairo-basedNGOs in receipt of overseas funding.

25 May 2012Al Masry Al Youm

Italian Company Eni Makes Big Oil Discovery in EgyptItaly's oil and gas major Eni has made a big oil discovery in the Western Desert of Egypt, part of the group'sstrategy of refocusing exploration activities in the country by targeting deeper plays in the Western Desert region.

The discovery, at the Emry Deep exploration prospect, located in the Meleiha Concession 290 kilometers southwest of Alexandria, is estimated at 150-250 million barrels of oil in place and will require further appraisal drilling,Eni said in a statement on Thursday.


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The full field development foresees an early production phase from the current well to be followed by the drilling ofother development wells in 2012 to reach a production level of approximately 10,000 barrels of oil per day incoming months.

Production will be routed to the nearby treatment facilities of Meleiha field, Eni owns a 56 percent working interestin the Meleiha Concession. Russia's Lukoil holds a 24 percent stake and Japan's Mitsui owns 20 percent.

25 May 2012Maan News AgencyPalestinian Killed in Egypt's SinaiA Palestinian man died late Thursday and his brother suffered injuries during a brawl in the Egyptian city of El-Arish, security officials told Ma'an.

The man, identified only by his initials NM, was from Gaza. He was taken to El-Arish hospital but did not survive. Itwas not immediately clear how he was injured.

His brother suffered minor injuries, the security sources said, Egyptian police have opened an investigation.

ISRAEL / GAZA (Top)

25 May 2012Al JazeeraIsraeli Mood Turns against MigrantsHundreds of Israelis took to the streets in south Tel Aviv on Thursday to protest against the mass migration fromSudan as a result of the strife in the African nation.

Some Israelis now want the government to tighten the rules on immigration, and to even send the migrants backhome.

Tensions have been building for months as migrants are blamed for an increase in burglary and crime.

The protesters shouted "Sudanese go home" - a reference to the thousands of Sudanese who have travelledthrough Egypt to Israel. Many were smuggled into the country via the Sinai Peninsula.

Israeli politicians are now responding to this fear and anger, with the interior minister trying to push a mass-expulsion order through the courts.

25 May 2012YnetSwastikas Sprayed on Ancient Synagogue Near Jericho


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(U)Desecrated synagogue in Naaran

Swastikas, Palestinian flags and "Palestine is ours" slogans were spray-painted on the ancient synagogue inNaaran near Jericho overnight.

Public Diplomacy Minister Yuli Edelstein condemned the act and remarked it was no wonder the Palestiniansdesecrate an ancient synagogue "after destroying and desecrating Temple Mount remnants."

The Minister added, "The incident reaffirms the belief that Jewish holy sites must be under Israel's sovereignty."

The ancient synagogue in Naaran was built in the Sixth Century and attracts both worshippers and pilgrims. Thecompound contains an ancient mosaic and archeological treasures.

On Friday, a group of worshippers was shocked to find that the site had been vandalized. "I was shocked to see thedestruction," said Dr. Yoel Elitzur who led the group. "It turns out that general values of respect for antiques meannothing to these savages. The site must be placed under Jewish control as soon as possible."

Members of a group organizing visits to the site expressed outrage over the vandalism and lack of Jewish securityat the synagogue.

"The historic mosaic is an important testament of our people's history. A people that do not guard their past have nofuture. If the IDF is incapable, we will protect the synagogue with our bodies."

Other elements in the Right said that the incident could cause an escalation. MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union)called on the Shin Bet and Israel Police "to treat the desecration of the synagogue as if it were a mosque otherwisethe government will inspire a series of Price Tag acts."

25 May 2012Maan News AgencyUS Report Criticizes Palestinian Security ForcesSecretary of State Hillary Clinton released the US State Dept.'s annual report on human rights Thursday, criticizingPalestinian security forces for abusing detainees and restricting civil liberties.


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The 2011 report's sharpest criticism was leveled at the Hamas government which controls Gaza, but it also notedalleged violations by the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and Israeli occupation in the West Bank.

It said the three most egregious violations across the occupied territories were arbitrary arrest and associatedtorture and abuse, restrictions on civil liberties, and government impunity in Gaza.

Among human rights problems under the Palestinian Authority, the report said, were the unlawful killing of an Israelisettler in Nablus and the abuse of detainees in overcrowded detention facilities.

"Corruption, although reduced from previous years, remained a problem," the report added.

It also noted that societal discrimination and abuse against women, discrimination against persons with disabilities,and child labor remained serious problems.

The report's harshest criticism was focused on Gaza, where it accused Hamas security forces of killing, torturing,arbitrarily detaining, and harassing opponents, Fatah members, and other Palestinians with impunity.

Hamas also significantly restricted freedom of speech, religion, and movement of Gaza Strip residents andpromoted gender discrimination against women, the report charged.

Israel, meanwhile, used excessive force against civilians, abused Palestinian detainees, and made improper use ofsecurity detention procedures and incommunicado detention. Its forces also demolished Palestinian property,limited freedom of expression and assembly, and placed severe restrictions on movement.

"The PA, Israeli, and Hamas authorities took minimal steps to address impunity or reduce abuses. There werereports that the IDF and Hamas did not adequately pursue investigations and disciplinary actions related toviolations," the report said.

The US funds and equips the Israeli military as well as the Palestinian security services in the West Bank but hasno relations with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization.

The annual report records the state of human rights around the world. It has been produced since the 1970s by USembassies and consulates with the assistance of human rights groups.

"These reports ... make clear to governments around the world: We are watching and we are holding youaccountable," Clinton told reporters Thursday. "And they make clear to citizens and activists everywhere: You arenot alone. We are standing with you."

Amnesty report

The State Dept.'s report came a day after Amnesty International accused Palestinian security forces of abusingdetainees with impunity and using excessive force against demonstrators.

The London-based rights group issued its annual report Wednesday, accusing the Fatah-run Palestinian Authorityand Hamas security forces of arbitrarily detaining each other's supporters.

"In both areas, security forces tortured and otherwise ill-treated detainees with impunity; in Gaza, four detaineesdied in custody," an excerpt from Amnesty's 2012 report explained.


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The report also said women and girls continued to face discrimination in law and practice and to face gender-basedviolence, including murder, committed by male relatives.

JORDAN (Top)

25 May 2012The Jordan Times19 Countries Take Part in Jordan's 'Eager Lion' Drill

(U) Military personnel participate in the "Eager Lion 2012" exercise on Thursday in the Kingdom's southern region(Photo by Raad Adayleh)

His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces, on Thursday attended a militarydrill performed by units taking part in "Eager Lion 2012" exercise in Shidiyeh, located in the Kingdom's southernregion.

The Monarch, who was accompanied by HRH Prince Feisal, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal AlZaben and several high ranking officers from participating countries, was briefed on the activities of themultinational joint military exercise, a Royal Court statement said.

The drill included several field exercises with the use of live ammunition and featured fighter planes and helicoptersfrom the Royal Jordanian Air Force and a number of participating countries.

With 19 countries taking part in the drill and more than 12,000 participants, "Eager Lion 2012", which started onMay 7 and is scheduled to continue until May 30, is part of a long history of multilateral military exercises in Jordan,organizers have previously said.

25 May 2012The Jordan TimesArmy, Security Agencies Freeze JD150m Worth ProjectsPrime Minister Fayez Tarawneh on Thursday said the security agencies have decided to expand their austeritymeasures by freezing JD150 million worth of construction projects.

During a Lower House session, in which Tarawnehs government won a vote of confidence, the premier toldlawmakers that the Jordan Armed Forces have decided to cut down their expenses on construction projects by


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JD100 million to address the budget deficit.

In a move to address the difficult economic situation, Tarawneh also said that the Public Security Department, theGendarmerie Department and the General Intelligence Department have also decided to cut down theirexpenditures on construction projects by JD50 million.

Also on Thursday, Jordan Customs Department (JCD) Director General Maj. Gen. Ghaleb Sarayreh, his deputyand assistants decided to deduct 15 per cent of their salaries in favour of the Treasury, starting from the end of thismonth for a period of six months, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Sarayreh also announced that 10 per cent of the salaries of JCD directors will go to the Treasury.

Senators on Thursday decided to donate 15 per cent of their salaries to the Governorates Development Fund.

The decision was taken during an Upper House session in which senators called on the government to rationalizeconsumption and work out solutions to the widening budget deficit.

Deputies on Wednesday agreed to deduct 15 per cent of their salaries for the Treasury to address the difficulteconomic situation, for six months starting the end of May.

Earlier this week, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and officers with the rank of majorgeneral decided to do the same.

Public Security Department Director Lt. Gen. Hussein Majali, Director General of the Gendarmerie Department Lt.Gen. Tawfiq Tawalbeh, and their deputies and assistants followed suit on Tuesday.

Last week, the government announced a set of austerity measures to address the state budget deficit, under which

the salaries of the premier and other Cabinet members will see 20 per cent cuts.

LEBANON (Top)

24 May 2012The Daily StarMan with Ties to Al-Qaeda Arrested after Deadly Beirut Standoff

(U)A damaged vehicle following a shootout between authorities and gunmen on Thursday, May 24, 2012. (TheDaily Star/Mohammad Azakir)


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A gunman with ties to Al-Qaeda was arrested Thursday in Beirut after an hours-long standoff with Lebanesesoldiers that also claimed the lives of two men, security sources said Thursday.

The apprehended gunman, Hani Ash-Shanti who holds a Lebanese passport, is part of a 13-member groupaffiliated with Al-Qaeda and is said to have been linked to the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister RafikHariri, the sources said.

The early morning standoff was sparked after two gunmen at an apartment in Caracas began firing at members ofthe police who had been dispatched to the area following the sound of gunfire.

In response, the Lebanese Army, backed by Armed Personnel Carriers, was called in and the military cordoned offthe area.

Taking up positions around the building, the army ordered the gunmen to surrender themselves.

After refusing to heed the armys calls, the gunmen began shooting and hurling hand grenades at soldiers.

At 6:15 a.m., an army team stormed the apartment and traded fire with the gunmen, killing one of the men andwounding the other.

Four Lebanese soldiers, including an officer, were also wounded in the exchange of fire.

Upon inspecting the apartment, the army also discovered the body of a dead man, who security sources said hadbeen killed during a dispute at the apartment over a Syrian woman, Gharam al-Hussein.

25 May 2012

Al JazeeraKidnapped Lebanese Men 'Safe and Well'A Syrian Islamist religious leader says he is mediating the release of a group of Lebanese Shia men who werekidnapped in Syria's northern city of Aleppo two days ago.

The abduction of the men has caused international allies and adversaries of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tosound an alarm about a spread of sectarian violence across Syria's borders.

"They are well and safe, we are trying to secure their release, but the Syrian army shelling of the area has beenblocking it so far," Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zoaby, head of the Free People of Syria group, told Reuters news agency onThursday.

Zoaby said the kidnappers will issue a video or recording of the kidnapped men soon to show they were well. He

said the kidnappers want to hand the men to the Lebanese authorities.

The female members of the Lebanese pilgrims' group caught up in Tuesday's kidnapping were not seized andreturned to Beirut, the Lebanese capital, the next day.

The Free Syrian Army, the biggest armed group seeking to overthrow Assad's government, said on Thursday it wasmaking "every effort" to locate and release the group of pilgrims.

"The leadership is making every effort to find out where the abductees are, and to make sure they are freed,"Colonel Kassem Saadeddine, FSA's official spokesman, said in a statement.


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He reiterated that the FSA had no involvement in this week's kidnappings, and condemned "all kidnappingoperations, regardless of their nationality or religious belief or sect".

The rebels play down the sectarian element in their 15-month-old uprising. But the spread of Sunni-Shia violence inLebanon this past week has highlighted the destabilizing potential of the conflict pitting Syria's Sunni majorityagainst Assad's Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam whose leaders have allied with Shia Iran.

Beirut firefight

With sectarian tensions escalating in Lebanon, security forces stormed a building in Beirut early on Thursday aftera night-time shootout with armed men holed up inside an apartment.

The incident left two people dead and seven more wounded, Lebanese security sources said.

The cause of the clash, during which the men used hand grenades against the security personnel, was a "personaldispute" between at least one of the men and a woman in her early 20s, the sources said.

Lebanese soldiers stormed an apartment in west Beirut on Thursday in what was called a 'personal dispute'[Reuters]

The latest clashes in Beirut came after the weekend killing of two religious leaders at an army checkpoint in Akkar,a mainly Sunni Muslim region whose inhabitants are hostile to the Syrian government.

The killings ignited street battles in Beirut that left two people dead and 18 wounded.

Multiple violent incidents took place on Wednesday in several areas of Beirut.

Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia, a strong critic of Assad's rule, and Russia, which has defended him, have bothgiven warning that Syria's strife could reignite civil war in Lebanon.

"There is now ... a real threat of the conflict spilling over into Lebanon," Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister,said in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Given the history and ethnic and religious make-up of the population, and the principles on which the Lebanesestate is based, it could end very badly."

For his part, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has written an open letter to Michel Suleiman, Lebanon'spresident, saying: "Saudi Arabia is deeply concerned. Due to the gravity of the crisis and the possibility of it causingsectarian strife in Lebanon and bringing it back to the shadow of civil war, we are looking to your ... attempts tointervene to and the crisis ... and keep Lebanon away from foreign struggles, especially with the Syrian crisis

nearby."

25 May 2012Al Sharaq Al AwsatFreed Islamist says Lebanon can't Snub Sunnis Over SyriaA Lebanese Islamist whose arrest on suspicion of helping arm Syrian rebels sparked deadly sectarian fighting inLebanon says his release shows Lebanese authorities cannot afford to anger Sunni Muslims who back their co-religionists fighting in Syria


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Shadi al-Moulawi, freed on bail on Tuesday after being charged with membership of a "terrorist group", saidauthorities had gone too far in pressuring Sunnis in north Lebanon, which Damascus says is a base for attacksinside Syria.

"It's well known that the Sunnis in Lebanon have been facing many different forms of pressure since 2006," he saidin an interview late on Wednesday in the northern province of Akkar, a redoubt of conservative Sunnis sympatheticto Syria's rebels.

"This won't do any longer," Moulawi said. "The Sunnis will no longer stay quiet about the arrest of Islamists, attackson religious leaders".

He spoke after paying his respects to a Sunni cleric whose killing by Lebanese soldiers at a checkpoint in Akkarthis week ignited protests which spread to the capital and escalated into its worst unrest in years.

In a mountaintop mosque draped with black banners emblazoned with the Muslim mantra "There is no god butGod", Moulawi, a stocky man in his late 20s with a short but thick beard, said Syria's revolt also galvanized Sunnisin Lebanon.

"We ask almighty God to help this righteous revolution bring down the unjust Syrian regime, which has angeredMuslims, not just in Syria but Lebanon as well. Almighty God has decreed our brothers in Syria should be liberatedand our pride restored."

Lebanon's Sunni Muslims have seen their political influence eroded in recent years while the Shi'ite Hezbollah,backed by Syria and Iran, has increased its authority since fighting Israel to a standstill in 2006.

Hezbollah supporters overwhelmed Sunni fighters in Beirut two years later, and the group's political allies helpedbring down the government of Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri last year.

SYRIAN ARMS "LEFT TO SYRIANS"

Lebanese security forces apprehended Moulawi earlier this month after luring him to a clinic where a familymember was to be treated, immediately sparking confrontations between Islamists and Lebanese troops in the portcity of Tripoli.That fighting rapidly expanded to include residents of adjacent Sunni and Alawite districts of the city, the latterhome to supporters of Assad, and killed at least eight people.

Islamists who took to the streets after Moulawi's arrest said he merely helped Syrians fleeing the conflict. Heechoed that claim, dismissing accounts in Lebanese media he was arrested after prodding from U.S. officials citingintelligence linking him to al Qaeda.

"It's laughable ... As for the question of my relationship with al Qaeda, the judge has established that I don't haveone," he said. "They let me out on bail of 500,000 (Lebanese pounds, $333), that's the best evidence that there isno credible charge to condemn Shadi al-Moulawi."

He was quoted by Lebanese media at the time of his release disavowing a confession he said he had made underduress after being detained and told Reuters interrogators threatened to detain members of his family.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Beirut said the U.S. mission was unaware of Moulawi prior to his arrest.


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Judicial sources said Moulawi - who still faces charges despite his release on bail - was one of six accused peopleincluding a relative of a senior official from the Gulf state of Qatar, which has called for arming Syria's rebels.

They said the Qatari was allowed to leave Lebanon with his charge still pending. Moulawi denied any relationshipwith that person, saying: "From the very beginning of the interrogation this name was never mentioned to me, atall."

He also denied any role in funneling weapons to rebels in Syria, where 13 Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims werekidnapped this week by Syrian insurgents apparently seeking the release of rebel fighters held by Syrianauthorities.

"That's not our affair," he said. "Ours is solely about supporting Syrian refugees, and finding them safe shelter andfood. We leave this to the people of Syria, whose land it is."

25 May 2012The Daily StarTehran to Stand by Lebanon against any Israeli Attack: Iranian Official

(U) Lebanon: Irans military attach said Friday that Tehran would stand in the face of any Israeli aggressionagainst Lebanon.

We stand in the face of any Zionist aggression on Lebanese territory. We will support the [Lebanese] Army, thepeople and the resistance, Saeed Karimi told The Daily Star on the sidelines of a ceremony marking Resistanceand Liberation Day at the southern border village of Adaisseh.

He was responding to a question on growing fears Israel might carry out an attack on south Lebanon.

Not only that, but Iran will stand by all the defeated [people] in the world and shall waste no time in supportingthem, Karimi said.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of Lebanons three top leaders President Michel Sleiman, SpeakerNabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati as well as representatives of Hezbollah and Amal and a number ofsenior military officers and local deputies.

During the ceremony, participants unveiled a statue commemorating Lebanese Army soldiers who were killed in thevillage during cross-border clashes with Israeli troops in 2010.


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The uprooting of a tree by the Israeli army sparked shooting that left two Lebanese soldiers dead. A reporter for theLebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Assaf Bou Rahhal, was also killed, and Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shuaibwas wounded. One high-ranking Israeli officer was also killed in the exchange.

The statue - three hands holding an army helmet up high - was unveiled in the presence of Lebanese Army Chief ofStaff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman, representing Lebanese Army head Gen. Jean Kahwagi.

As the ceremony proceeded, Israeli troops in armored vehicles patrolled the border along the one-kilometer-stretchbetween Adaisseh and Kfar Kila.

Also Friday, Work by Israel on a cement wall along the border with Lebanon that commenced weeks ago nearedcompletion. Israel claims it needs the wall to boost security to its border town of Metula.

In the southern coastal city of Tyre, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel held a meeting Friday with senior Lebanesesecurity officials and local mayors.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn urged Lebanese to rally behind the Lebanese Army and support theresistance.

On the 12th anniversary of the victory over the Israeli enemy which was forced out our land, Lebanon is goingthrough a delicate and sensitive period in its history a period which requires all of us to ... rally behind the nationalarmy and support the resistance, Ghosn said in statement.

25 May 2012Now LebanonQortbawi: Issue of Islamist Detainees Originated with Previous Government

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said on Friday that the issue of Islamist detainees in Lebanese prisons did notemerge during the current governments mandate.

The case of the detained Islamists arrested following the Nahr al-Bared events started in 2007 and not with PrimeMinister Najib Mikatis government, Qortbawi told Al-Jadeed television station.

However, that does not mean that they should be left [in prison] without trial, he added.

Had the investigative judge at the time issued an indictment, the case would have now been in the hands of theJustice Council.

Islamists in Lebanon have been demanding the resolution of the issue of their colleagues detained in prisonswithout trial.

In 2007, fighting broke out between the Lebanese army and the Al-Qaeda-inspired group Fatah al-Islam in thenorthern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared.

Commenting on the latest security developments in the country, Qortbawi said that he will ask the government tocancel all firearm licenses.

Tension has been high in Lebanon the past two weeks after sectarian clashes left 10 people dead in Tripoli andstreet fighting in Beiruts Tariq al-Jedideh killed two people. Other security incidents, including a Wednesday nightshootout in West Beirut, have also raised fears.


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SYRIA (Top)

25 May 2012Now LebanonLive Blog on Developments in Syria13:56 an anti-regime protest began in Al-Dumayr outside Damascus. (S.N.N.)

13:55 an anti-regime protest began in Damascus neighborhood of Al-Zahara. (S.N.N.)

13:54 an anti-regime protest began in the Daraa town of Basra al-Sham. (S.N.N.)

13:53 there is heavy gunfire in the Daraa town of Akraba. (S.N.N.)

13:52 an anti-regime protest began in the Aleppo town of Al-Bab. (S.N.N.)

13:51 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos neighborhood of New Aleppo. (S.N.N.)

13:50 Anti-regime protests began in Sahel al-Ghab outside Hama. (S.N.N.)

13:49 an anti-regime protest began in the Daraa town of Oum Walad. (S.N.N.)

13:48 Security forces gunfire injured two people in Houla near Homs. (S.N.N.)

13:47 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos Akhtreen. (S.N.N.)

13:46 Security forces opened fire on people leaving a mosque in Douma near Damascus. (S.N.N.)

13:45 Syrian forces opened fire on an anti-regime protest in the Daraa town of Enkhel. (S.N.N.)

13:44 an anti-regime protest began in Jableh. (S.N.N.)

13:43 an anti-regime protest began in the Damascus neighborhood of Al-Qadam. (S.N.N.)

13:42 an anti-regime protest began in the Aleppo neighborhood of Al-Fardous. (S.N.N.)

13:41 an anti-regime protest began in the town of Ehtymlat outside Aleppo. (S.N.N.)

13:40 an anti-regime protest began in Tal Mneen near Damascus. (S.N.N.)

13:39 an anti-regime protest began in the Aleppo town of Marea. (S.N.N.)

13:39 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos Al-Safeera. (S.N.N.)

3:38 an anti-regime protest began in the Daraa town of Taseel. (S.N.N.)

13:37 Anti-regime protests began in Kafr Zeita, Maardas, Khattab and Teebat al-Imam near Hama. (S.N.N.)

13:36 Security forces opened fire on an anti-regime protest in Abu Kamal. (S.N.N.)


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13:35 Al-Jazeera broadcasts live footage of an anti-regime protest in Syrias Daraa.

13:34 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos Masken Hanano. (S.N.N.)

13:33 Security forces opened fire on an anti-regime protest in the Daraa town of Kafr Shames. (S.N.N.)

13:32 Security forces opened fire on protesters in Daraas neighborhood of Al-Kashef. (S.N.N.)

13:31 an anti-regime protest began in Al-Hara, a town outside Daraa. (S.N.N.)

13:30 Security forces opened fire on anti-regime protesters in the Aleppo neighborhood of Salaheddine. (S.N.N.)

13:29 an anti-regime protest began in Edlebs Maarat an-Naaman. (S.N.N.)

13:29 Syrian security forces heavily deployed throughout Latakia, Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying.

13:28 Syrian soldiers defected from the army in Edlebs Maarat an-Naaman, activists told Al-Jazeera, adding thatexplosions and gunfire can be heard in the town.

13:28 Anti-regime protests began in Aleppos neighborhoods of Bustan al-Qusayr and Al-Marjeh. (S.N.N.)

13:27 Anti-regime protests began in Bayanoun and Al-Jeineh near Aleppo. (S.N.N.)

13:26 an anti-regime protest began in the Aleppo district of Al-Chaar. (S.N.N.)

13:25 an anti-regime protest began in the Damascus neighborhood of Al-Qaboun. (S.N.N.)

13:24 an anti-regime protest began in Houla near Homs. (S.N.N.)

13:23 People praying at the Al-Beekadar Mosque in Latakia began protesting against the regime. Protesters arechanting for freedom. (S.N.N.)

13:22 Anti-regime protests began in Aleppos neighborhoods of Salaheddine and Tareek Al-Bab as well as thenearby towns of Dabeq and Jarables. (S.N.N.)

13:21 Security forces opened fire on anti-regime protesters in Deir az-Zours neighborhood of Al-Matar. (S.N.N.)

13:20 Anti-regime protests began in Hayyan and Atarib near Aleppo. Protesters are saluting the Free Syrian Amryheroes. (S.N.N.)

13:19 Security forces are pursuing anti-regime protesters in Deir az-Zours Al-Mayadeen. (S.N.N.)

13:18 Anti-regime protests began in Deir az-Zour. (S.N.N.)

13:17 Al-Jazeera broadcasts live footage of an anti-regime protest in Syrias Amouda.

13:14 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos neighborhood of Al-Sukri. Protesters are calling for arming the FreeSyrian Army. (S.N.N.)

13:08 an anti-regime protest began in Aleppos Manbej. (S.N.N.)


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13:02 an anti-regime protest began in Abu Kamal. Protesters are calling for executing President Bashar al-Assad.S.N.N.)

11:56 Syrian regime forces killed six civilians on Friday, as democracy activists took to the streets of Damascusand Aleppo, a monitoring group reported.

11:29 an anti-regime protest began in Kobani. (S.N.N.)

10:38 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that there is no Plan B to resolve the crisis in Syria otherthan the peace plan proposed by international envoy Kofi Annan.

8:36 Syrian security forces killed 14 people in Hama since dawn, Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying.

8:07 Israel believes that Syrian rebels attempted to assassinate a number of top officials in Bashar al-Assadsregime on Sunday, senior Israeli officials told Haaretz on Thursday.

7:13 The UN General Assembly on Thursday unanimously gave UN human rights chief Navi Pillay a new two-yearterm despite Syria's complaints about her "hostile" attitude.

7:12 Diplomats from nearly 60 countries discussed Thursday a plan drafted by Germany and the United ArabEmirates to try to avoid a total collapse of Syria's economy in the face of 14 months of bloodshed.

7:00 MORNING LEADER: Outgoing opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun said Thursday that the deeply dividedSyrian National Council failed the Syrian people. His comments came as activists said regime forces continued toshell Rastan, and another 28 people died across the country. Meanwhile, the new Syrian parliament held its firstsession.

24 May 2012NaharnetAssad says Syrian Government can Resolve Crisis

Unclassified

Syria's embattled President Bashar Assad said on Thursday his government is capable of finding a way out of thecrisis gripping his country, as he met with a visiting Iranian government minister.


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"Syria has been able to overcome the pressures and threats it has faced for years and is able to get out of thiscrisis thanks to the strength of its people and commitment to unity and independence," Assad said, quoted bySANA state news agency.

Assad's remarks came during a meeting with Iran's communications and information technology minister, RezaTaqipour.

According to SANA, Taqipour delivered the Syrian president an invitation from his Iranian counterpart MahmoudAhmadinejad to attend a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held in Tehran in September.

Syria, Iran's principal ally in the Middle East, has been roiled by a 14-month uprising that has seen more than12,600 people killed, according to monitors.

Rebels accuse Iran of helping Syrian authorities in their deadly crackdown.

SANA said Thursday's talks dealt with the situation in Syria, with Taqipour "stressing that what Syria is undergoingcomes in the framework of a broader scheme aimed at the entire region."

The Iranian minister also "asserted Iran's firm stance in support of the Syrian people in the face of the extraordinarycircumstances they are confronted with," the agency added.

25 May 2012Al ArabiyaFree Syrian Army says Protecting Protests its Top Priority

(U) Members of the Free Syrian Army attend a meeting with United Nations monitors in Rasten. (Reuters)

The opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) has said the protection of peaceful protests is its top priority, as it outlined

its goals and structure in declaration released on Thursday. The rebel group, made up largely of dissidents from theregular army, also listed among its priorities helping the Syrian people obtain their freedom and referring tointernational courts those responsible for war crimes against the Syrian people.

The statement bears the title Founding Declaration and also explains the structure of the rebel army fighting thegovernment of President Bashar al-Assad.


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The rebel force consists of a temporary military council whose members are officers with the rank of major andabove, and whose leader is elected by the council for a three-month period which can be renewed only once, itsaid.

The FSA also pledged total commitment to international standards of human rights and said that its members andofficers are banned from membership in any political or religious faction.

It also promised it would not intervene in the political process after the fall of the Assad regime.

The statement came as the main opposition Syrian National Council, with which the FSA is affiliated, accepted theresignation of its first leader, Paris-based academic Burhan Ghalioun.

Ghalioun told AFP that the opposition had failed to live up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people since their uprisingagainst Assads rule began in March last year meeting with a deadly crackdown.

We were not up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people. We did not answer the needs of the revolution enough andquickly enough, Ghalioun told AFP, adding that the bloc was split between Islamists and secular activists.

Rights abuses

A U.N. investigation on Thursday said both sides in the Syrian conflict had committed serious human rights abuses,with government forces executing entire families in their homes and rebels torturing and killing soldiers andgovernment supporters.

The United Nations report into the 14-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad said government forcesroutinely drew up lists of wanted people and their families before blockading then attacking a village orneighborhood.

Entire families were executed in their homes - usually the family members of those opposing the government suchas the family members of Colonel Riad al-Asaad, it said, referring to relatives of the head of the rebel Free SyrianArmy.

The rebels, who are increasingly armed and well-organized, have executed or tortured soldiers and governmentsupporters, said the U.N., whose investigators were not allowed into Syria and relied on interviews of victims andwitnesses.

Violence has raged despite a U.N.-brokered agreement on April 12 aimed at halting the bloodshed in Syria, whereAssad is confronting an uprising which began with peaceful protests but has become increasingly militarized.

25 May 2012Al Sharaq Al AwsatBan Tells CNN Annan Plan is Syria's Only ChoiceU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan is the only option right nowfor ending the violence in Syria.

Ban said in an interview Thursday with CNN's Christiane Amanpour that "at this time, we don't have any plan B."

The former U.N. secretary-general's plan calls for a complete cessation of violence but Ban said "unfortunately, thishas not been implemented."


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He said the deployment of U.N. observers to Syria has had "some dampening effect" but the violence hasn'tstopped. Ban said this requires "strong political will" by Syrian President Bashar Assad and full cooperation byopposition forces.

Ban said he spoke Wednesday to Annan, who said he will be going to Syria soon but no date has been fixed.

25 May 2012Now LebanonSix Killed in Syria; Protests Hit Damascus and Aleppo, Activists SaySyrian regime forces killed six civilians on Friday, as democracy activists took to the streets of Damascus andAleppo, Syria's two largest cities, a monitoring group reported.

In the central province of Hama, four people were killed early Friday by regime forces, including three teenagers, asthey guarded their farm in the village of Chizar, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, citing activists.

A fifth person reportedly died in the Sabounie district of the provincial capital.

An unspecified number of army soldiers were also wounded in clashes with deserters that erupted in Sahl al-Ghab,in the same region, the Observatory said.

In the southern province of Daraa, the birthplace of the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, a civilianwas reportedly killed in an ambush on the road to Saida.

Democracy activists meanwhile called for demonstrations on Friday under the slogan: "Our next rendezvous,Damascus," reflecting their desire to intensify their activities in the Syrian capital, despite the heavy presence thereof security agents.

Protests were reported at dawn in at least five residential neighborhoods in Damascus in support of the rebel FreeSyrian Army, made up largely of dissidents from the regular army, and calling for Assad's downfall.

"Al-Tadamon neighborhood will not bend," read one placard, while in Tabbale, the protesters called on "the Sheikhsof Damascus to distance themselves from the regime," according to videos posted by activists on the Internet.

"The Free Syrian Army, make the shabiha cowards flee," read another placard in the pro-rebel neighborhood of Al-Assali, referring to the paramilitary supporters of the Syrian regime.

On Thursday, violence across Syria left 34 people dead, including 24 civilians, one deserter and nine soldiers,according to the Observatory.

REGIONAL EDITORIALS (Top)

24 May 2012Al Sharaq Al AwsatFSA Secures Defection of Entire BattalionBy Suhaib Ayoub


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Free Syrian Army [FSA] spokesman Colonel Khalid al-Hammoud informed Asharq Al-Awsat that 203 soldiers havedefected from the regime, including 3 officers from the al-Qatifa area, which is close al-Qalamoun in the RifDimashq Governorate.

He added these defections took place after this operation was intensively pursued by FSA officers, convincing theentire battalion to leave the al-Assad army.

The FSA spokesman revealed that the battalion was subject to confrontation and bombardment by the Syrianarmy, with al-Assad regime forces targeting them with mortar strikes, resulting in the deaths of 5 soldiersotherswere able to flee with all of their equipment by marching through orchards and farms, and they have joined theFSA.

He added roles were given to the three officers as well as the soldiers, and they will begin military operations toweaken the Syrian regimes security apparatus.

FSA Colonel Khalid al-Hammoud described this defection as a great achievement for the FSA, adding that theFSA is still working hard to convince regime soldiers to defect from the al-Assad regime and join its ranks. Headded officers from Idlib and Homs have also defected, and this will be announced in the near future.

The FSA spokesman also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the FSA is now present in all governorates and regionsof Syria adding the ongoing defections from the Syrian army is an indication that the pillars of the Syrian army arebeginning to crumble. He stressed that this will weaken the Syrian regime, which strongly depends on themilitary.

He also asserted that the defections, which has included prominent army officers as well as soldiers, will inevitablylead to the Libyan scenario, and in the end only a minority of the army, belonging to the Alawite sect that is knownto be loyal to the al-Assad regime, will remain, and this includes the 4th Armored Division and the Republican

Guard which take their orders directly from the presidents brother, Maher al-Assad.

FSA Colonel Khalid al-Hammoud also told Asharq Al-Awsat that the reason behind the failure of our attempts toincrease the rate of defections is sectarian loyalty and the sectarianism present in the Syrian army, in addition tofears of criminal prosecution from the al-Assad regime although he did stress that defections continue to takeplace.

He added the Syrian regime has committed a grave mistake by involving the army in the killing of protesters,opening fire on the unarmed Syrian people.

For his part, spokesman for the Local Coordination Committee in Damascus, Mohamed Said, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the on-going defections represents a victory for the Syrian revolution, and a motivation for the Syrianopposition activists and soldiers to topple the al-Assad regime. He also stressed the necessity of on-going work to

convince more soldiers to defect from the regime adding defections serve to encourage the revolution to standfirm and continue to pursue the liberation of Syrian soil from the al-Assad regime. The Local CoordinationCommittee spokesman also called on Syrian soldiers to defect from the brutal al-Assad regime and join the ranks ofthe Syrian revolution in defense of the unarmed Syrian people.

25 May 2012Al Masry Al YoumClass Divisions Emerge in Alexandria VoteReem Abdellatif


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Despite long lines and hot weather, people in Egypts second-largest city, ventured to polling stations to vote in thecountry's first free and fair presidential election.

In Old Alexandria, where much of the city's working class lives and works in the downtown area, many voters toldEgypt Independent they would vote for Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi or moderate Islamist Abdel MoneimAbouel Fotouh.

There was a strong deployment of military police and naval forces across the city, especially around pollingstations.

On Wednesday, the first day of the first round of voting, military personnel cruised the coastal city in jeeps blaringold patriotic songs, encouraging people to vote.

In the downtown area of Bahary, which comprises Ras al-Teen, Tabya and Qait Bay, most voters are living on lessthan LE800 per month. People here primarily said they would vote for Sabbahi or Abouel Fotouh, because they aretired of being "robbed."

In this dense, urban district, many residents live in slums with poor plumbing along the Mediterranean, adjacent tothe prestigious 6th of October Military Beach Club. Some say their main concern is ensuring Egypt does not returnto the hands of former President Hosni Mubarak's cronies.

"How can [Ahmed] Shafiq and [Amr] Moussa have the guts to run when we know how much they corrupted thiscountry while staying loyal to the regime they were part of?" asked Tabya resident Hekmat Fahim, 54. "Where isthe social justice? I can guarantee that if they win their fates will be like [Mubaraks] and we will have anotherrevolution."

On Wednesday afternoon around the downtown district, many supporters of Abouel Fotouh and Muslim

Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy continued to campaign in violation of election regulations.

Abouel Fotouh supporters sitting in ahwas adjacent to Qait Bay Preparatory School surreptitiously handed outcampaign fliers as they offered to assist people in finding their polling stations using their personal laptops.

"Theyre handing us out these fliers," said Mostafa al-Sebaa, a shop owner in the area. "Shafiq and Moussacampaigners were here earlier; they bought some products from me and tried to convince people in my shop tovote for their candidates, then verbal arguments broke out between the two [groups]."

In Bahary, violations were reported regarding Abouel Fotouh, Morsy, and Moussa and Shafiq campaigners. Onewoman wearing a niqab and another veiled woman were stopping people nearby Qait Bay Preparatory School andencouraging them to for Morsy.

A local from the area who was casting his vote at the same polling station told Egypt Independent that he hoped aBrotherhood candidate would not make it to the runoff phase.

"Abouel Fotouh has a clear program. He's an honest man and has no political affiliation, he will work for us," said48-year-old Magdy Mohamed, a downtown resident. "No way will I vote for Morsy, we made the mistake of voting amajority of the Brotherhood into Parliament; they are doing nothing and are powerless."

Throughout the city, the Brotherhood and Salafi voters had a strong presence at voting centers.


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Many Salafi voters said they were supporting Abouel Fotouh. Nader Bakkar, spokesperson for the Salafi-orientedNour Party and an Alexandria native, recently announced that the party would back the Islamist candidate becausehis program "makes the most sense" according to the Salafi movement's teachings.

One young Brotherhood supporter circled around the Qait Bay Preparatory School polling station, smiling andencouraging people to vote for Morsy. Despite his support for the Brotherhood, however, he was eager toencourage other young voters not to waste their ballots.

"Even if you don't want to vote for an Islamist candi

25 may 2012 osint levant tracker

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