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Daybreak: Hariri Indictments Revealed

Plus AJC controversy, movement (maybe) on Shalit, and more in the news

by
Marc Tracy
August 17, 2011
Shalit, from a video released in October 2009.(Getty Images)
Shalit, from a video released in October 2009.(Getty Images)

• The special U.N. court unsealed its four indictments in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. They contain much circumstantial evidence but no smoking gun, and target four Hezbollah members who cannot be located. [AP/NYT]

• Trouble at the American Jewish Committee, with executive director David Harris forced to repudiate its director on anti-Semitism and extremism’s statement that use of federal law to combat anti-Israel activism on campuses is wrong. [Jewish Journal/JTA]

• Hamas leader Khaled Meshal met yesterday in Cairo with officials from the Palestinian Authority and Egyptian intelligence. Is Gilad Shalit involved? [Haaretz]

• Iran expressed openness to a Russian proposal to restart nuclear negotiations through a series of small concessions on each side. [AP/NYT]

• Syria is using diplomats to harass and intimidate anti-regime protesters in other countries, including the United States, because they are charming that way. [WSJ]

• A bill proposed by Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, could withhold U.S. funding from certain Israeli military units if they are found to engage in human rights violations. [Ben Smith]

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.