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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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Map of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

VIDEO
BBC:
Gap Between CIA
And Bush Stories
posted 10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Region As
Unsettled As It's
Ever Been
10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
"No compromise
here"
posted 10/8/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Another Gaza
Attack
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
PA's Erekat: We
Need International
Protection Now
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Khalil Shikaki, CPR:
'Chances slim for
negotiation'
posted 9/28/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Arafat HQ
Destroyed
posted 9/25/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Nine Palestinians Killed In Gaza
posted 9/24/02

VIDEO
Konscious:
Metal of Dishonor
The Face of US
War on Iraq
posted 9/18/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Sabra & Shatila
Is Sharon A
War Criminal?
posted 9/13/02

VIDEO
CBC:
Israeli
Army Was
Embarrassed
By Release
of Video
released 3/18/02
posted 9/6/02

Video Archives

Conflict..

IOF Invades Rafah, Wounds Four Palestinians and Uses Civilians as Human Shields in West Bank International Press Center 1/10/2004 RAFAH, Palestine, January 10, 2004 (IPC + WAFA) - - The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) invaded today evening the city of Rafah, south of Gaza Strip, and demolished a house there, as four Palestinian citizens were wounded in Nablus and others were held as human shields during raids in Beit Reema. Palestinian security sources told IPC correspondent that the Israeli occupying forces invaded today evening the Al Salam neighborhood in Rafah City, and demolished a Palestinian home there....Meanwhile, the Bani Zaid Al Gharbiya town hall issued a press statement today, calling relevant international and local human rights bodies to intervene and stop the occupying forces from using the Palestinian citizens in the town as human shields. IOF Thrusts into Jenin, Arrests Civilians, Attempts to Assassinate a Fatah Member International Press Center 1/10/2004 JENIN, Palestine, January 10, 2004 (IPC + Agencies)-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) lunched on Friday morning an onslaught on Jenin City and its camp,arresting 17 Palestinian citizens and attemptingto extra-judicially assasinate a Fatah member. Eyewitnesses said that a contingent of Israeli troops, backed by 20 tanks, swept deep intothe western parts of Jenin City, specifically,Al Hadaf neighborhood, Wadi Barqeen and the vicinity of the graveyard are and indiscriminately opened heavy gunfire towards civilians’ houses....Elsewhere, west of Nablus, the residents of Raphedia area were confined into their houses under curfew for the third day in row and the soldiers held any vehicle trying to pass through Raphedia street, IPC correspondent reported. Landmines: Palestine's hidden danger Al-Jazeera 1/10/2004 All over Gaza, large well-illustrated billboards sporting the UNICEF logo can be seen alongside major streets and busy intersections. They show photos of Israeli-made bombs and mines, and carry a single in-your-face message: “Landmines and suspicious objects are a danger that threatens us all!Do not try to get near them!”....UNICEF representatives say the occupied West Bank and Gaza are littered with landmines dating back to the 1967 invasion. Most of the declared minefields lie on the Jordanian-West Bank border, as well as in the Jordan Valley-areas that Israel considers strategic lines of defence....At least 23 children have been killed by landmines or UXO planted by the Israeli military in the occupied Palestinian territories since the start of the Intifada in September 2000. Al-Aqsa Brigades commander injured in clash with IDF in Jenin Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 The Al-Aqsa Brigades commander in Jenin, Zakariya Zbeidi, sustained light-to-moderate injuries in an exchange of fire with Israel Defense Forces troops, Israel Radio reported Saturday. The radio quoted Palestinian sources as saying that Zbeidi was injured Friday, and was treated at a hospital in the West Bank city. The IDF swept into Jenin early Friday morning, arresting at least 15 Palestinians and trading gunfire with militants, witnesses said. Head of Fateh’s Al-Aqsa Brigades walks away from Israeli assassination attempt Palestine Monitor 1/10/2004 But undercover unit kill 23 year old Khaliliyeh -- Zakeriya Azubadee the head of al-Aqsa Brigades in the West Bank yesterday survived an Israeli attempt on his life. Israeli occupation forces invaded the Jenin refugee camp with the intention of assassinating the prominent al – Aqsa leader but Azubadee escaped when clashes broke out between the invading soldiers and his supporters. A statement issued by the al-Aqsa Brigades said Azubabdee suffered gun shot wounds to his back and right arm. 10 Palestinians were arrested in this invasion of the refugee camp. US plan to hunt Hizbullah in Lebanon most likely to fail Daily Star 1/10/2004 BEIRUT: A mooted Pentagon plan to deploy US Special Forces in the Bekaa Valley to hunt Hizbullah targets is bound to backfire, analysts warn, saying it would boost support for the party and encourage global attacks against US interests. Instead, they say Washington should encourage Israel to take up Syria’s offer of a resumption of negotiations because a peace deal between the two countries is the surest way of neutralizing Hizbullah’s militant activities. The Washington Post reported this week that US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld could send “hunter-killer” teams of Special Mission Units into the Bekaa and Somalia to root out and destroy “terrorist” cells. Tulkarem School Student Death Toll: 27 Killed and Tens Wounded International Press Center 1/10/2004 TULKAREM, Palestine, January 10, 2004 (IPC)-- Ever since the eruption of Al Aqsa Intifada, the Israeli occupying forces waged an unabated war with no day passing by without bloodletting and violence....IPC correspondent in Tulkarem reported that the student death toll went up to 27 including a girl below 18 years old. The deaths have been mostly caused during the frequent IOF incursions into the city, which took place at a time the school students were walking to their schools early morning....chief of the student educational activities in Tulkarem: “the Israeli occupying forces calculatingly entered into the schools on the purpose of wrecking the equipment and structures inside, a policy that premeditated to illiterate the Palestinian people." Eyewitness in Rafah: Devastation continues Rafah Today 1/8/2004 Breaking news: the weather is very cold now. It is raining and the people are leaving their houses in Hay Al Salam becuse of shooting from Isareli watching towers. Today they killed 47 yeras old man "Mahmoud Al Kurd" in Rafah Refugee Camp, leaving a dozen children who he cared after. Still Israeli incursions continues. The Israeli Army attached one of the houses in West Rafah that belonged to Jaber Abu Shosha and two other houses were demolished in the south of Rafah Refugee Camp. News Briefs: Troops invade Hebron, Nablus siege tightened, 60 prisoners stage hunger strike International Middle East Media Center 1/10/2004 Troops invade several areas in Hebron: Earlier this morning, the army attacked several houses east Hebron in the West Bank. Locals mentioned that the army supported by many armored vehicles attacked several neighborhoods in Hebron and forced the people out of their homes, later on soldiers started to interrogate the people and treated them in provocative way. / Nablus , the same scene for more than 25 days: The military attacks against Nablus and the surrounding areas continued today against several parts of the city and the surrounding refugee camps. Today, military vehicles and tanks tightened their siege over the city and blocked its roads. / Sixty political detainees on Hunger Strike: More than sixty detainees in a detention camp in the west bank entered today their third day of hunger strike.

Diplomacy..

PM Qurei' Proposes Bi-National State Amidst Israeli Fury and US Opposition International Press Center 1/10/2004 GAZA, January 10, 2004 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmad Qurei' declared that he would push for a bi-national state including all the lands of historical Palestine if his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon seizes more lands in the West Bank. PM Qurei' was speaking in an interview with Reuters news agency on Thursday, where he said that the Israeli "Apartheid solution by putting Palestinians into cantons. Who would accept this?" FM Sha’th Demands Ceasefire Declaration by the European Union International Press Center 1/10/2004 GAZA, January 10, 2004, (IPC + Agencies)-- Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Nabil Sha’th, called on the European Union to help reach a ceasefire declaration in the Middle East. Sha’th was speaking to reporters on Friday, following a meeting with the EU’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, in Brussels, within efforts to reactivate the "Road Map" peace plan and break the impasse facing the situation. FM Sha’th was quoted as saying that the EU help in containing the current situation is "necessary at the moment." PMO denies leaking Libya talks to scupper diplomatic efforts Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 The Prime Minister's Office on Saturday denied a report that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sabotaged the attempts by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom to renew ties with Libya, by having his aides leak details on meetings between Libyan and Israeli officials, Army Radio reported. "The Prime Minister was updated on all the details of the talks and the relations between him and the Foreign Minister are good," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Gov't sources: Qureia can't take steps needed to renew talks Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 Senior government sources in Jerusalem on Saturday said that Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) is incapable of creating the conditions required to renew peace negotiations, in particular in regard to security matters. "He isn't capable of doing anything under any conditions," they said. Contacts to coordinate a meeting between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Abu Ala are currently completely frozen. Dov Weisglass, head of the Prime Minister's Office, continues to hold phone conversations on occasion with his Palestinian counterpart, Hassan abu-Libda, but the talks contain little substantive material. Powell defends Sharon's barrier Washington Times 1/9/2004 The Bush administration yesterday dismissed a Palestinian threat to pursue a shared state with Israel if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon goes ahead with a security barrier that would cut off parts of the West Bank. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell defended Mr. Sharon, saying the barrier is only a contingency plan in the event that the Palestinians fail to become a "reliable partner." Mofaz to Syria: remove Hizbullah from borders Jerusalem Post 1/9/2004 Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has reportedly sent a message to the Syrian government via a visiting American diplomat, Channel 2 reported Friday night. According to the report, Mofaz wrote the Syrians that Israel would not start negotiations with Damascus as long as Hizbullah is arrayed along Israel's northern border, and the offices of terrorist groups in Syria remain open. Syria seeks US help in reviving peace talks with Israel Al-Bawaba 1/10/2004 Damascus urged Washington on Saturday to use its influence and help revive peace talks with Tel Aviv. "Syria wants the United States to work seriously for a resumption of the peace process with Israel at the point where it broke down," the official Ath-Thawra newspaper said. "Syria wants the United States to play an honest, neutral, objective and credible role... and not allow Israel to miss this opportunity, as Sharon tried to do by saying the negotiations must start from scratch," the paper said. Report: PA leaders discuss unilateral establishment of state Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 The Palestinian leadership has discussed the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state unilaterally, Israel Radio reported on Saturday. According to the radio, the issue was discussed in a meeting Friday held in Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat's Ramallah headquarters and attended by members of the PLO executive committee and the Fatah leadership....Powell: "Mr. Sharon ... is looking for reliable partners he can work with and his plans that he has spent some time presenting recently suggest what he feels he might have to do if he doesn't have a reliable partner," Powell said. Sheikh Yassin: We refused American ceasefire offer Palestinian Information Center 1/10/2004 Gaza - Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader and founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has said that his Movement had turned down an American proposal entailing a halt of resistance attacks within the Zionist entity for one year in return for Washington pressures on Tel Aviv to halt targeting Hamas leaders. The Sheikh, in an interview with the German news agency (DPA), said that the Egyptian delegation that recently visited Gaza had carried the American offer but “we refused this request”. PLO Reacts to Sharon’s Plan, Stresses Right to Declare State Palestine Media Center 1/10/2004 Israel Slams, US Rejects, Iran Welcomes Qurei’s Bi-national Suggestion -- Reacting to the Israeli unilateral action threat, the Palestinian Leadership asserted Friday that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has the right to move towards declaring the Democratic State of Palestine on all land occupied by Israel in 1967, including Al Quds Al Sharif (Holy Jerusalem) as its capital, as Israel lambasted, the US rejected and Iran welcomed Prime Minister Qurei’s suggestion of a bi-national state if negotiations fail. PLO Stresses its Right to Declare State on All Territory Occupied in 1967 Palestine Media Center 1/10/2004 The Palestinian Leadership asserted Friday, following a meeting chaired by President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has the right to move towards declaring the Democratic State of Palestine on all the land occupied by Israel in 1967, including Al Quds Al Sharif (Holy Jerusalem) as its capital. The Leadership also condemned Israeli unilateral actions. “Unilateral actions are rejected by all the concluded accords, to which the government of Israel should adhere, and they are internationally-rejected as well,” said a statement released by the official news agency WAFA on Friday. ‘Secret’ contacts between Libya, Israel prompt debate Daily Star 1/10/2004 Officials argue on validity of leaks -- BEIRUT: Recent leaks to the press on secret contacts between Libya and Israel have generated a debate on the validity of this eventuality, with some attacking the Arab country for opening up to an old foe while others say such contacts could not be true. A US-based Libyan opposition group accused the Libyan government Friday of making secret contacts with Israel, saying the Libyan leader would do anything to remain in power. Sharon calls on Syria to stop arming militants Daily Star 1/10/2004 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon responded to growing calls for resuming peace talks with Syria by insisting Damascus stop supporting armed militant groups, as Israeli security sources said Syrian planes that flew earthquake relief aid to Iran had returned with weapons for Hizbullah. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi dismissed the charge as a “baseless and a sheer lie.” Gaddafi Jnr.: Libya has 'no confrontation' with Israel Jerusalem Post 1/10/2004 Even as Libyan-Israeli talks apparently ceased due to leaks of their existence, Saif al-Islam, son and presumed heir of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, told Aljazeera.net on Thursday that Libya no longer considers Israel a security threat nor is Libya in a confrontation with Israel. And although Libya has reportedly chastised Israel for leaking news of the Libyan-Israeli diplomatic initiative, al-Islam told the Arabic-language network that the leaks were spread not by Israel but by envious Arabs. Palestinians may demand a 'one-state solution' The Independent 1/10/2004 In a move that could transform the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qureia has warned that he will demand a single state with equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians, if Ariel Sharon goes ahead with his threat to annex parts of the West Bank and unilaterally impose a border on a Palestinian state. Mr Qureia's plan, if implemented, could mean the end of the "two-state solution", the vision of a Palestinian state alongside Israel that formed the basis of the Oslo peace process and has been at the heart of all peace accords since. Saudi, Jordanian monarchs meet on peace process, Iraq Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 RIYADH - Saudi Arabia and Jordan discussed on Saturday ways to help revive Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and avoid the break-up of neighboring Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, officials said. Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, and King Abdullah of Jordan "talked about the need for Arabs to be pro-active in the peace process as the international community is not doing much," Jordanian Foreign Minister al-Marwan Muasher said. Israel Fumes Over Bi-National State Solution Islam Online 1/9/2004 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, January 9 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israel lambasted Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei Friday, January 9, charging that the Premier’s talk of a bi-national state if negotiations fail is a direct threat to the very existence of the Jewish state. Meanwhile, Israeli troops continued their sweep of the West Bank for what it calls “suspected militants”, arresting several Palestinians, including an official in Jenin of Yasser Arafat's ruling Fatah party, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP)...."This is nothing less that a threat to put an end to the state of Israel as a Jewish state, and we categorically reject it," a high-ranking official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Human Rights..

Three groups of conscientious objectors to work together Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 Three organizations of Israel Defense Forces reservists who refuse to serve in the territories are expected to join forces and work together. The announcement from the groups - signatories of "The Courage to Refuse" letter, which was signed by officers and soldiers refusing to serve in the territories, signatories of the pilots' letter, who refuse to participate in attempts to assassinate senior wanted men in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and the 13 reservist soldiers and officers in the IDF's elite Sayeret Matkal unit also refusing to serve in the territories - is expected to take place at a joint demonstration the three movements are planning at the Kissufim junction on Friday. Palestinian prisoners in Salem jail on hunger strike Palestinian Information Center 1/10/2004 Bethlehem - Palestinian detainees in the Zionist military detention center “Salem” have gone on hunger strike to protest their inhuman detention conditions and savage torture. Lawyer of the Palestinian prisoner’s club, Muhanad Al-Kharaz, said after visiting a number of captives in Salem that the prisoners were complaining of constant assaults and humiliations. Israeli soldiers plan demonstration at Gaza The Times of India 1/10/2004 JERUSALEM: Israeli soldiers, who are against serving in the Palestinian territories, have united in a new movement 'The Courage to Refuse' and plan to hold a big demonstration next weekend at the Gaza crossing. The movement is supported by dozens of soldiers, airforce reserve pilots who signed a letter of protest last month and five reservists of the elite Chief-of-Staff special forces commando unit who have recently declared their refusal to serve in the territories, a media report said on Friday. World Food Programme United Nations 1/9/2004 [excerpt] - Palestinian Territories -- (a) In the last two weeks of December there was a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, aerial attacks in Gaza and serious incursions in the West Bank and southern Gaza. The situation was particularly severe in Nablus, where many sections of the city remained under curfew for three weeks to this date. Closure of the city entrances has also been strict, formidably hampering movement. It is reported that the Israeli incursion into the city resulted in the killing of 19 Palestinians, the total destruction of five Palestinian homes, and the partial destruction of 60 homes rendering 20 families homeless. Another 20 families are displaced because their buildings are under the danger of total collapse. This has urged the WFP to prop up its operations in the city, as many affected families are in dire need for emergency assistance. Also, the situation has put limitations on WFP activities and have a stressful impact on the working conditions of staff.

Economy..

Treasury plans boost for low-wage earners Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 Finance Minister Bejamin Netanyahu plans to raise the net income of salaried workers who earn between the minimum wage and the average wage - from about NIS 3,300 per month to NIS 7,000 - by NIS 170 a month. Netanyahu intends to bring his proposal to the Knesset Finance Committee for approval next week. Histadrut spies on its own workers Ha'aretz 1/9/2004 The Histadrut labor federation hired private investigators to follow its own workers, according to information disclosed in an audit committee meeting this week. The Histadrut hired the Modi'in Ezrahi private investigation firm to carry out the work. Participants at the audit committee meeting said that the investigations were ordered after certain workers were suspected of having their time cards stamped by others, and did not actually report for work.

People..

Breaking the code Ha'aretz 1/8/2004 Exactly two years ago, when Said Kashua was 26, his first book, "Dancing Arabs" (Modan Press), a collection of short stories, became a best-seller. It was on Israeli best-seller lists for nearly three months and international success followed soon after. The book was translated into Italian, German, French and Dutch and an English translation is due to appear in the United States in a few months....Yes, I passed some tough admissions exams," he says, "but I've always harbored the suspicion that I was nonetheless accepted because of statistics, as the token Arab." Several stories in "Dancing Arabs" describe his experiences trying to fit in as an Arab in a Jewish dormitory. High Hurdles for Palestinian Athletes On Road to Olympics Washington Post 1/8/2004 Raad Awisat clambered out of the swimming pool on a biting night this week and immediately broke out in goose bumps. His 25-yard-long pool is sheathed in low-hanging plastic sheeting to retain heat during the winter. But the low-tech barrier has proved no better at keeping in warmth than it is at keeping out the icy rain that drips through cracks in the tin roof. Raad, 16, is one of two athletes who will represent the Palestinians this year at the Olympic Games in Athens. Through film, group seeks to put ‘human face on war’ Daily Star 1/9/2004 Would-be documentarians seek funds to complete project about Iraqi exile’s return home -- BEIRUT: They came together from a common desire to spread a message ­ a very different one than was being reported by the US media ­ to make films, and to use the medium of film to spread their message. Nine US-based activists, all students and professors, and the majority Arab-Americans, got together in June and formed a collective called InCounter Productions. InCounter’s first venture was Iraq, and the group’s first film is called About Baghdad. Anti-war play scorches Bush and the case for war Daily Star 1/10/2004 Tim Robbins’ Embedded takes aim at US troops, presidential strategists and military-controlled media -- LOS ANGELES: Tim Robbins’ black comedy, Embedded is a thinly disguised satire of the US invasion of Iraq. The play focuses on three elements: enlisted US troops, presidential strategists labeled “the Cabal,” and journalists who accept military censorship of their dispatches.There are no revelations during the 82 minutes that Embedded unfolds; in fact, it is a rehash of stories emanating from Iraq since March 19. However, when observed through the prism of Robbins’ sarcastic wit, the play makes for big time entertainment and hilarity. Room for optimism Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 8 - 14 January 2004 The idea of democratisation through theatre has an unmistakable whiff of sixties idealism. However, the Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed (CTO), which traces its beginnings to Brazilian founder Augusto Boal's experiments with social theatre in the late 1960s, has thrived well beyond the lifespan of a youthful folly. It is steadily propagating its practices through five continents. Carrying its infectiously earnest mission to Egypt is Geo Britto, a member of Boal's core group, who was invited to conduct workshops in Cairo and Alexandria by actor/director Nora Amin, a former intern at the centre in Rio de Janeiro. The power of the picture: dangerous beauty in medieval manuscripts Daily Star 1/10/2004 The problems of good renditions were equal to the dangers of poor ones -- That the pursuit of beauty can be dangerous to human health has long been known, whether it’s caused by silicone or diet pills. But..George Saliba talked about...the relationship between illustrations and scientific texts, specifically medieval manuscripts....Saliba gained prominence in the academic world thanks to his decades-long research on the history of Arabic and Islamic science, and his thesis that this science came as a rejection and correction of Greek science, rather than just its translation and preservation through Europe’s Dark Ages, a topic he talked about in a lecture two weeks ago at the Bibliotheque Orientale. Palestinian Swimmer Trains for Olympics Miftah 1/10/2004 Teeth chattering and lips blue from the cold, 17-year-old Palestinian Raad Aweisat took a deep breath and dived back into the chilly three-lane swimming pool for a few more laps. Huge nylon sheets surround the pool on all sides, creating a makeshift natatorium and keeping in the minimal heat, but the room has no ventilation, and the smell of chlorine soaked the hall. "It's not perfect, but it's made an Olympian of my son," said Aweisat's mother, Amaal....Palestinians gained International Olympic Committee recognition in 1993 after the Israeli-Palestinian peace accords. A Palestinian team competed at their first Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. In Gemmayzeh, a pied piper named Nicole brings the crowd along on a trip aboard her magic swirling ship Daily Star 1/8/2004 Chicago jazz musician says she is just a flute player (never a ‘flautist’), but to some her music means so much more -- The song begins low, the tempo slow, the notes mere breaths of sound. They are evenly pitched, and held for several beats. Then the rhythm hitches, and jumps off track, as the time signature goes weird and the chords begin walking strange changes to the bridge. Jewish passenger complains Arab airline lacks kosher food Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 Wellington - A former New Zealand Jewish community leader has complained that Dubai-based Emirates Airlines will not serve kosher food on its flights, a newspaper reported Saturday....The paper said that a spokeswoman for Israel's El Al airline said it did not serve Moslem halal food on its flights.

International..

U.S. Plans to Establish Diplomatic Mission in Libya Washington Post 1/10/2004 The United States is preparing to dispatch up to a dozen diplomats and intelligence officers to Libya to establish a U.S. mission that will help oversee the dismantling of the North African nation's programs for weapons of mass destruction, U.S. officials said yesterday. The move would create the first U.S. diplomatic presence in Libya since May 1980, when a dozen American staff members closed the embassy and slipped out shortly before the building was sacked and burned. U.S. Reaches Accord to Use Turkish Base to Rotate Troops Washington Post 1/10/2004 Turkish and U.S. authorities have agreed on terms for the United States to use a large air base in Turkey for ferrying thousands of U.S. troops and equipment into and out of Iraq over the next few months, officials said yesterday. A detailed accord for use of Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey was negotiated in recent weeks, ahead of the start this month of what U.S. military officials have described as the most complex U.S. troop rotation since World War II, the officials said. Iran says has no plans to start talks with U.S. Ha'aretz 1/10/2004 TEHRAN - Iran said on Saturday it had no plans to start talks with its long-time adversary the United States, and that U.S. policy towards the Islamic Republic must change. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday Iran's acceptance of U.S. aid after the Bam earthquake had opened up opportunities for dialogue between the foes although there was no reason to expect a quick political rapprochement. "Now there is no plan for starting negotiations," said Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi. "U.S. policy towards Iran must change, getting rid of its hostile atmosphere." Rice: No Evidence Iraq Moved WMD to Syria The Guardian 1/9/2004 WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States has no credible evidence that Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria early last year before the U.S.-led war that drove Saddam Hussein from power, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Friday....``We're going to follow every lead on what may have happened here,'' Rice said. ``I don't think we are at the point that we can make a judgment on this issue. There hasn't been any hard evidence that such a thing happened. MPs and peers in Camp Delta plea The Guardian 1/10/2004 More than 50 peers, including four retired law lords, and 85 MPs including the former foreign secretary Robin Cook, will file an unprecedented brief with the US supreme court on Wednesday in support of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The "amicus curiae" ("friend of the court") brief, signed by peers and MPs from all parties, is the first ever to be filed by UK parliamentarians with the US's highest court. Hijab Ban Opponents Gear Up For World Protests Day Islam Online 1/10/2004 CAIRO, January 10 (IslamOnline.net) – Tens of thousands of people will march to French embassies and diplomatic missions around the world on January 17, in a collective appeal for Paris to backtrack on a decision to ban Hijab in public schools and state institutions. "Muslim organizations and global civil advocacy groups in more than 25 countries nodded in approval to show up for support in this day," Mohamed Nasser Al-Atrash of France’s Muslims Party told IslamOnline.net. Report: Low R&D hinders Arab World’s economic progress Al-Bawaba 1/10/2004 Progress in the Arab World has been restrained due to lack of attention to Research and Development (R&D). Average spending on R&D by Arab countries is estimated at 0.2 percent of total Arab gross domestic product (GDP), the lowest in the world and eight times lower than the world average, according to a Madar Researcy study. Assad receives new US ambassador to Syria Jerusalem Post 1/10/2004 Despite American threats of imposing sanctions against Syria if it does not cooperate further in the war on terrorism, President Bashar Assad on Saturday accepted the diplomatic credentials of a new U.S. ambassador, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported. The new ambassador, Margaret Scobey, succeeds Theodore Kattouf, whose tenure ended in August Syrian-Lebanese relations in focus  Daily Star 1/10/2004 Head of People’s Assembly leads 22-member delegation to Beirut -- The head of Syria’s People’s Assembly (Parliament), Mahmoud al-Abrash, accompanied by a 22-member parliamentary delegation, arrived in Beirut on Friday for a four-day official visit designed to “strengthen” bilateral cooperation and establish a “parliamentary understanding” between the two neighboring countries. Egypt and Libya in visa row Al-Jazeera 1/10/2004 A diplomatic tiff simmered between Egypt and Libya on Saturday, after Cairo accused Tripoli of turning away hundreds of its citizens at the border between the two north African states. In retaliation, Egypt slapped reciprocal visa requirements on Libyans - although officials in both capitals were quick to play down the incident which some observers speculated was linked to Egyptian media reports critical of Libya. World Bank says Lebanon projects lagging Daily Star 1/10/2004 Lebanon has only spent $184.7 million, equivalent to 34.5 percent, of the total amount of its World Bank loans even though nine of the 13 projects were planned over four years ago, said the World Bank in its Third Quarter 2003 report on Lebanon.The 13 World Bank-funded Lebanese projects encompass areas such as health, education and environmental necessities and are designed to close the gap between the poor and the rich, increasing knowledge, creating an efficient infrastructure and preserving Lebanon’s cultural heritage. Palestinian refugees fight Canadian deportations Daily Star 1/10/2004 Changes in immigration laws have led to there being no clear appeal process for claimants -- This past September more than 1,000 people marched through Montreal chanting Palestinian slogans and singing traditional songs. They demonstrated to demand that the Canadian government stop all deportations of Palestinians. Since then, the demonstrations have grown.Montreal has become the center of a political campaign organized by more than 100 Palestinian refugees who are fighting their deportation from Canada. These refugees have fled to Canada, claiming asylum from both the refugee camps of Lebanon and Palestine. US accused of Iraqi cruelty Al-Jazeera 1/10/2004 The US-occupation army in Iraq has been slammed by a human rights group for being negligent in handing out compensations for Iraqis killed or injured by them. Occupation Watch, an international group of peace and justice organisations set up to monitor the conduct of occupying forces in Iraq, said the process for Iraqis to make claims was purposely opaque and often their treatment by the US military bordered on cruelty. "There is a culture of impunity," Occupation Watch's researcher Paola Gasparoli said on Saturday. U.S. Indicts Saudi Student Washington Post 1/10/2004 Internet Allegedly Used to Aid Terrorist Groups in Jihad -- A federal grand jury in Idaho yesterday charged a Saudi graduate student with conspiring to help terrorist organizations wage jihad by using the Internet to raise funds, field recruits, and locate prospective U.S. targets -- military and civilian -- in the Middle East. Sami Omar Hussayen, a doctoral candidate in computer science in a University of Idaho program sponsored by the National Security Agency, is accused of creating Web sites and an e-mail group that disseminated messages from him and two radical clerics in Saudi Arabia that supported jihad, or holy war. Justices to Hear Case of Citizen Held as Enemy New York Times 1/10/2004 WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 — The Supreme Court, significantly expanding its review of the Bush administration's treatment of those deemed "enemy combatants," agreed Friday to hear a challenge by an American of Saudi descent, Yaser Esam Hamdi, to his open-ended confinement at a military brig in South Carolina. Huge Movement of Troops Is Underway Washington Post 1/9/2004 The Pentagon has begun a shift of troops into and out of Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan that promises to be the most challenging movement of U.S. forces in more than half a century, military officials announced yesterday....[a spokesman] also acknowledged, in response to a question, that the rotation could offer an opportunity for greater U.S. offensive action, as incoming forces overlap with those due to exit, swelling the total number of U.S. troops in the country. US, Spain caught in Libya missile mixup Asia Times 12/12/2003 MADRID - The US government needs to explain why the missile shipment on a vessel intercepted a year ago on the high seas by the Spanish navy ended up in Libya, a spokesman from Spain's Defense Ministry said this week. The official was referring to declarations made by sources from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the Madrid daily El Mundo that claim 15 complete Scud missiles, a set of conventional warheads and 85 containers of chemical products - some 20 holding nitric acid - were ultimately delivered to Libya under a Washington decision.

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