Report about Osama's Son Viewed as Not Credible by Analysts

ByABC News
August 4, 2006, 1:52 PM

August 4, 2006 --

US Treasury Names Suspected Al Qaeda Fund-Raisers
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday named the Philippine and Indonesian branches of the International Islamic Relief Organization as fund-raisers for al Qaeda and other terror groups. (Reuters)

Philippines Says Kills Seven Militants in South
Philippine soldiers, backed by U.S. intelligence and equipment, killed seven members of a Muslim rebel group with ties to al Qaeda in fierce fighting on the southwestern island of Jolo, an army general said on Friday. (Reuters)

Israeli Warplanes Bomb Road Bridges North of Beirut
Israeli warplanes wrecked four bridges Friday along the coastal highway in north of Beirut in an apparent bid to further isolate Lebanon and pounded new targets in the southern suburbs in a blistering succession of early morning raids. (AFP)

Israeli Air Raid Kills 27 Civilians in Lebanon
An Israeli air strike killed at least 27 civilians in northeastern Lebanon on Friday and Hizbollah fired scores of rockets into Israel in an escalating conflict that world powers have failed to halt. (Reuters)

One Killed, One Critically Hurt in Katyusha Attacks
One person was killed as Hezbollah fired more than 135 Katyusha rockets into northern Israel on Friday afternoon. (Haaretz)

Iranian and Syrian Reactions to the Latest Developments in the Middle East Crisis
-In statements made over the last few days, various Iranian figures referred to Iran's connection to the war in Lebanon. Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai called to increase Iran's involvement in the war. Hujjat Al-Eslam Ali Akbar Mokhtashemi-Pour, one of the founders of Hizbullah-Lebanon, stated that the Hizbullah fighters had acquired some of their training in Iran. He added that Hizbullah is equipped with Zilzal-2 missiles and has the courage to use them. -Syrian government dailies harshly criticized the Arab leaders, saying that "they are not worthy of treading the ground they walk on, or of occupying the seats they occupy." The Arab leaders were also characterized as "the worst leaders the Muslim nation has ever had" since the dawn of the Islamic era. The following are excerpts from Iranian and Syrian reactions. (MEMRI)

Analysis: The Fate of Hezbollah between Syrian Interests and Iranian Bargaining
By Raghida Dergham
The Security Council will not agree to cease all hostilities for a period of time during which negotiations would be conducted to reach a framework for a political solution that would lead to a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.(Dar Al Hayat)

Analysis: Massacres in Qana: Israel's Error, Then and Now
By Avi Shlaim
Lebanon is the victim of the cruel geopolitics of the Middle East, with the massacre of innocent civilians a recurrent feature of Israeli military intervention in this fragile, democratic, multiethnic republic. The history of Israel's involvement in the affairs of its northern neighbor is replete with lessons about the perils of intervention. (International Herald Tribune)