Wolf Blitzer called this report “very disturbing” on CNN yesterday, especially since it relates to the so-called “core al-Qaeda” that has supposedly gotten sidelined for the junior varsity — at least as far as Barack Obama is concerned. Arrests in December uncovered an AQ plot to attack the American embassy in Tel Aviv and other targets in Israel, in a plot that came from the supposedly neutered Ayman al-Zawahiri himself. Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet announced the arrests and the plot yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgqkm9RyT4Y

It is the second time in recent months that authorities claim to have halted an al Qaeda attack planned by Palestinian militants, according to Israeli media. In November, authorities claimed three Palestinians with ties to al Qaeda were killed by Israeli troops during a gunfight in the West Bank, according to the reports.

The Israeli intelligence agency alleged Wednesday Iyad Halil Mohammad Abu Sara of East Jerusalem is “the relevant member” of the three-man operation, a statement released by Shin Bet’s media office said.

Abu Sara was allegedly recruited by al Qaeda to go to Syria for training and return to Israel, where he was to connect with others who were to have entered the country using forged Russian documents, the statement said. …

Abu Sara allegedly mapped routes to the convention center and had checked out the U.S. Embassy.

He also was accused of planning an shooting rampage on a bus going from Jerusalem to Ma’ale Adumim, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. As part of the plan, according to Shin Bet, the attack would include shooting out the wheels of the bus in an attempt to overturn it.

The connection to the jihadis in Syria has Israel worried:

Oreg said Israel would be particularly disturbed by the role of the Syrian-backed jihadists in the alleged plot.

“It seems that the three recruitees were about to go to Syria, where they would have been trained to construct explosive mobile devices and would be joined, on their return, by foreigners, who are attracted to the Syrian jihadi arena,” Oreg said. “This isn’t a lone wolf. We know what al-Qaeda is capable of, so this is a big development.”

Exactly. This demonstrates why so many here in the US were skeptical of American intervention on behalf of the rebels in Syria at all. Advocates insisted that they could distinguish between true rebels against Bashar al-Assad and the AQ-linked jihadis with whom they allied, but John McCain unwittingly demonstrated what a fool’s errand that would be. The so-called moderates ended up engulfed by the jihadis, who are now running rampant and using Syria as a base of operations against Israel.

And contrary to what Obama claims, these “jayvee” networks are taking orders from the captain of the varsity squad:

Three Palestinians plotted with Al Qaeda to attack the U.S. Embassy in in Tel Aviv and storm other targets in Israel, authorities announced Wednesday.

The men — two from Jerusalem and one from the West Bank — were recruited by an operative based in the Gaza Strip who worked for Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet said, describing the plans for mayhem as “advanced.” …

Shin Bet said they plotted to kidnap a soldier and shoot up an Israeli bus in the occupied West Bank. Another plan allegedly involved shooting out the tires of a bus and then gunning down passengers and ambulance workers.

One of the suspects also plotted to set up an Al Qaeda cell in Palestine, Shin Bet said.

Thankfully, the Israelis seem a little more up to speed on the threat of AQ than Obama is.