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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..

Two Palestinian Civilians Shot Dead by Israeli Troops in Gaza International Press Center 1/24/2004 GAZA, Palestine, January 24, 2004 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot dead Saturday morning two Palestinian civilians in the eastern part of Gaza City, as other troops thrust into the east of Abasan Town, southeast of the Gaza Strip. Ashraf Almobaied, 23, and Samir Almobaied, have been killed today morning as five Israeli military jeeps, patrolling the borderline with the Gaza Strip, east of Gaza City, opened their machine guns indiscriminately at an area close to a local Palestinian juice factory, Palestinian security sources told IPC in a phone call. IOF Wounds a Palestinian Teen Girl, Arrests Civilians as Jewish Settlers Seize Lands International Press Center 1/24/2004 RAFAH, Palestine, January 24, 2004 (IPC+ Agencies)-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and wounded Saturday morning a Palestinian teen girl in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, near the Palestinian-Egyptian borders. Sahar Abu Shawish 16, was wounded with a shrapnel in her hand after an IOF force, accompanied with two bulldozers, thrust into the Alsheout neighborhood, just close to the border line with Egypt, and demolished a Palestinian house owned by Barhoum family, medical and security sources said. Three settlers, two Palestinians lightly hurt in Hebron brawl Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 Five people were wounded when a brawl broke out between settlers and Palestinians in Worshippers' Alley in Hebron on Saturday. The three settlers and two Palestinians sustained light wounds in the scuffle, which took place on the way to the Tomb of the Patriarchs. According to the police, one of the settlers fired a warning shot into the air, after which security forces arrived at the scene and separated between those involved in the brawl. Earlier Saturday, two Palestinians were shot dead by Israel Defense Forces soldiers near the security fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Palestinian medics said. Occupation forces storm villages in Ramallah district Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Ramallah - Large numbers of Zionist occupation forces stormed at dawn today the village of Tarmsa’ya to the northeast of Ramallah city and broke into three houses. Local sources said that the army troops broke into and ransacked the houses of Jumaa Abu Aisha, 25, and his brother Walid, 27, and Nassim Hizma, 25, and took the three of them to a nearby settlement where they were beaten up then released. New Zionist incursion in Rafah Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Rafah - Zionist terrorist forces advanced into the southern area of the Gaza strip city of Rafah under cover of heavy machinegun fire that wounded a young girl. The army unit backed by five armored vehicles and two bulldozers headed into the Sha’ut and Barahma areas adjacent to the border strip with Egypt and demolished the house of Barhum family. Israeli troops kill 15 year-old boy in Gaza and invade Nablus again Palestine Monitor 1/23/2004 Israeli troops shot and killed a 15 year-old boy while he was collecting firewood on the Gaza Strip yesterday. Mohsen Aldaur from Jebalia in Gaza City went with five friends to collect wood for heating in an area east of the city. They were gathering wood when they were fired on with live ammunition by Israeli troops. Doctors in Gaza said that Mohsen had been killed by bullets all over his body. Zionist forces arrest three Palestinians in Jaba Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Jenin - Zionist occupation troops stormed the village of Jaba after midnight yesterday and arrested three Palestinian citizens after imposing a curfew on the town. The Zionist armored vehicles evacuated the town in the West Bank Jenin district at dawn. Breaking News: More arrests, settlers seize land south of Hebron International Press Center 1/24/2004 14:30—Five Palestinian civilians of the Qalqilia city have been arrested by Israeli troops in the West Bank town of Azzoun, WAFA reported. /14:00-- A group of armed Jewish settlers seize Palestinian-owned lands in the West Bank town of Yatta, south of Hebron, IPC correspondent reported. / 13:30-- A Palestinian teen girl shot and wounded by Israeli troops in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Palestinian security sources said. / 12:30-- Israeli occupying authorities to expropriate a Palestinian-owned land near the Al-Haram Alibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron, IPC correspondent reported.... 27 children and 3 paramedics amongst the 142 Palestinians murdered by Zionists in the final quarter of 2003 Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Al-Khalil - The independent Palestinian authority defending citizens’ right has said that 142 Palestinians were martyred at the hands of Zionist occupation forces in the last quarter of 2003. The authority’s 8th report on Zionist violations of citizens’ right in the period 1/10/2003 to 31/12/2003 said that 27 of the martyrs were children and seven were assassinated. Three paramedics were among the martyrs, the report said, noting that they were killed while treating the wounded in various Palestinian areas. Resistance fighters killed in Gaza Al-Jazeera 1/24/2004 Israeli troops have shot and killed two members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the east of the occupied Gaza Strip. The men were gunned down near a border fence separating the densely populated sliver of land from the state of Israel. The Israeli army said the pair had been shot in an unauthorised zone they had entered near the barrier. Neither of the men was carrying weapons but the Israeli army said it had recovered binoculars and mobile phones, items it claims suggested they were intending to plan or carry out an attack. Israeli Troops Kill Two Palestinians, New Peace Moves Islam Online 1/24/2004 GAZA CITY, January 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in Gaza City Saturday, January 24, as a U.S. diplomatic team prepared for a trip to the region to try to repair the tattered Middle East peace roadmap. The two Palestinians were shot dead in the eastern part of Gaza City, Palestinian security sources told IslamOnline.net. A Palestinian mother becomes a human bomb Al-Jazeera 1/24/2004 Reem Rayashi became Gaza’s first Palestinian female bomber when she detonated herself at the Erez border crossing dividing Israel from the Gaza Strip earlier this month. Rayashi left in her wake four dead Israeli soldiers, two orphaned children and a society deeply divided over her act. The unorthodox version of an incident that has otherwise played itself out hundreds of times spurred a myriad of unanswered questions among the people in Gaza.

Diplomacy..

Israeli Prisoner Swap to Happen Tuesday The Guardian 1/24/2004 JERUSALEM (AP) - A prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas will take place within a week, with Arab prisoners to be swapped for an Israeli businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers, a German mediator and a lawyer for two of the prisoners said Saturday. Report: Israel believes U.S. willing to examine PM's plan Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 Israel believes that the United States is willing to examine Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan for a unilateral disengagement in the West Bank, Israel Radio quoted sources in Jerusalem as saying Saturday. The radio said that the initiative was discussed during recent meetings held in Washington by Sharon's bureau chief, Dov Weisglass. According to the sources, this is a change in U.S. policy regarding the unilateral plan. FM calls on Palestinians to negotiate barrier route Jerusalem Post 1/24/2004 Israel is ready to make changes in the controversial barrier built in the West Bank, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Friday at the World Economic Forum held in Davos. "If we reach agreement with the Palestinians and we agree with each other to move the fence, it's movable," said Shalom, who is attending the World Economic Forum. Too late for two states? Part I The Guardian 1/24/2004 More than three years into the intifada, the Palestinian situation seems worse than ever: the weekly death toll, the poverty and now the wall. So has the uprising failed? And how can suicide bombings ever be justified? Seumas Milne had exclusive access to leaders across the political spectrum - from president Yasser Arafat in his devastated compound to the underground strategists of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He found an unprecedented willingness to compromise - but a growing belief that the wall will scupper the best ever hope for peace. Israeli-American Cooperation to Remove Apartheid Wall from ICJ Agenda International Press Center 1/24/2004 GAZA, January 24, 2004 (IPC + Al Quds Al Arabi)-- The American administration and the Israeli government have been reportedly coordinatinga response to the hearings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in which they intend to remove, or at least undermine the issue of the Apartheid Wall Israel is building around and through the West Bank. Al Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reported, quoting Israeli informed sources, that the American President's national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice, met with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bureau chief, Dov Weisglass, last night, in which Rice informed Weisglass and his accompanying delegation that the American administration supports the Israeli position that rejects discussing the issue of the Apartheid Wall in the ICJ at the Hague. Turkey to mediate between Israel, Syria Jerusalem Post 1/24/2004 Turkey has been given the go-ahead by both Israel and Syria to mediate between them to revive peace talks. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement at the World Economic Forum at Davos. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is expected to begin shuttle diplomacy in the coming few days. Saudi peace initiative: Arab states to absorb refugees FreeRepublic.com 1/24/2004 According to a new peace initiative being prepared by Arab states, Israel will negotiate a peace agreement with all the Arab states, and not just with the Palestinians, and Arab states would absorb Palestinian refugees. The Kuwaiti newspaper Al Siyasa reported Saturday that the initiative, led by Saudi Arabia, would include "declarations of peace agreements between all Arab states," which will bring an end to the conflict between Israel and the Arabs. The states would declare a normalization in their ties with Israel, including the appointment of ambassadors. Obeid defends Hizbullah after UN urges calm Daily Star 1/24/2004 Annan asks security council to extend unifil’s deployment for another 6 months -- The fragile stability of South Lebanon has been threatened by a surge of violence in the last six months, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) released Wednesday. In a report to the UN Security Council urging another six-month extension to the mandate of the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, Annan said neither Israel or Lebanon had fully heeded calls to avert incidents. Hizbullah commander vows resistance Daily Star 1/24/2004 Hizbullah’s commander in southern Lebanon, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, asserted on Friday that the resistance had the right to defend Lebanese sovereignty. Speaking during a veil-wearing ceremony organized by Hizbullah’s women’s committees in Sidon, Qaouk said that Israel wanted to exploit America’s war in the region and Arab weakness to make gains on the Lebanese track. He said that resistance would continue regardless of all other developments, adding that its role was to confront Israeli pressure and provocations. Report: Prisoner swap to take place in Germany Jerusalem Post 1/24/2004 The Israeli-Hizbullah prisoner exchange is slated to take place in Germany, but the details of the swap are not clear, Israeli officials told Yediot Ahronot's website 'Ynet' on Saturday evening. Israel, Hizb Allah agree on prisoners swap Al-Jazeera 1/24/2004 Israel has agreed on a prisoner exchange with the Lebanese Shia armed group Hizb Allah for the return of an Israeli businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers. Zvi Rish, the Israeli lawyer that represents two Lebanese armed fighters, told the Associated Press on Saturday his clients and other prisoners from Arab countries would be freed in exchange for Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers - all kidnapped by the Lebanese group Hizb Allah in October 2000. Israeli officials: Prisoner swap with Hezbollah likely this week Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 The German mediator involved in the prisoner exchange swap deal with Hezbollah, Ernest Uhrlau, confirmed Saturday that the deal between Israel and the militant group based in Lebanon was completed. Israeli sources in Jerusalem said Saturday that the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah was likely to take place on Thursday. Israel prisoner deal 'is agreed' BBC 1/24/2004 A prisoner exchange has been scheduled for Tuesday between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The deal is expected to involve the release of several hundred Lebanese, Palestinian and other Arab prisoners in exchange for Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum. The bodies of three Israeli soldiers are also expected to be handed over. President Arafat to the Guardian: “Israeli Apartheid Wall Leaves no Place for Two-state Solution” International Press Center 1/24/2004 RAMALLAH, Palestine, January 24, 2004 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat told the British newspaper "The Guardian" in an interview published Saturday that time is running out for two-state solution in the shadow of continued Israeli construction of the Apartheid Wall and settlement activities throughout Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps. Chinese Foreign Minister Opposed to Israel’s Apartheid Wall Brazilian Parliamentarians Say the Wall is ‘great jeopardy International Press Center 1/24/2004 GAZA, Palestine, January 24, 2004 (IPC+WAFA)-- Chinese Foreign Minister, Le Chou Chi,said that his country is opposed to Israeli building of an Apartheid Wall, making clear that Israel as ‘an occupying power’, should abide by international laws and conventions including the Fourth Geneva for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Chi was responding to a letter on the Apartheid Wall issue sentto him by his Palestinian counterpart Nabil Sha’th, WAFA News Agencyreported. Assad says peace can be reached with current Israeli gov't Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 Syrian President Bashar Assad told the London-based Arabic daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that he was not convinced that attaining peace with Jerusalem required internal political changes in Israel, and said peace negotiations between the two nations could start while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was still in power. Rantisi: no ceasefire without Zionist withdrawal Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Occupied Jerusalem - The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, has reiterated its apposition to unilateral ceasefire with the Zionist regime as long as its occupation troops remain entrenched in Palestinian population centers. This position was voiced Friday by Hamas’ chief spokesman in Gaza, Dr. Abdul Aziz al Rantisi, who pointed out that the movement would never agree to a unilateral cease fire not involving complete Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian population centers. Arafat Warns: ‘Time Is Running out’ for Two-state Solution Palestine Media Center 1/24/2004 ‘They Can't Replace Me … We Are Not In Afghanistan!’ -- Palestinian President Yaser Arafat, in an interview with the British liberal daily newspaper The Guardian on Saturday, warned that “time is running out” for a two-state solution for peace in the Middle East, blaming the double impact of the Apartheid Wall Israel is building on occupied Palestinian land in the west Bank and the spread of the illegal Jewish settlements for undermining the prospects of a future Palestinian state. Two-state plan at risk, warns Arafat The Guardian 1/24/2004 The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, has declared that "time is running out for the two-state solution" to the Middle East conflict - in an exclusive interview with the Guardian - because of the impact of Israel's "security barrier" and settlement expansion on the viability of a future Palestinian state. US Facing ‘Great Difficulty” in Reviving ‘Roadmap’ Talks Palestine Media Center 1/24/2004 Progress on Peace Hard while Sharon Preoccupied by Bribery Scandal -- Ahead of a visit to the region by two top US diplomats, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage admitted that the United States is facing “a great deal of difficulty” in reviving the Palestinian - Israeli peace talks because Israel is intent on not compromising and the Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei “is not able or willing to make any tough stands on the question of security.” Israeli bribery scandal overshadows peace talks Daily Star 1/24/2004 Shaath: Confusion delays key decisions -- Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said Friday it would be hard to make progress on peace while Israel is preoccupied by a bribery scandal unsettling Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government.“It’s very difficult to produce deeper decisions, especially now that the Israelis are going through this period of corruption charges against Sharon and a possible change of the Israeli government,” he told reporters at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Cheney Seeks Europe's Help In Democratizing Mideast Islam Online 1/24/2004 DAVOS, Switzerland, January 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney urged Europe on Saturday, January 24, to join the United States in promoting democracy in the Middle East and beyond as the key to defeating terrorism. In a speech intended to heal the rift between the U.S. and Europe over the U.S.-led Iraq war, Cheney told a gathering of political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum that Washington was committed to supporting "those who work and sacrifice for reform across and the greater Middle East", reported Reuters. Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees discuss their affairs Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Cairo - Arab officials supervising Palestinian refugee presence in the Arab countries surrounding occupied Palestine are to meet in Cairo tomorrow to discuss affairs of those refugees. The conference concludes sitting on Wednesday at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo. Chairmen of departments concerned with Palestinian affairs in the host Arab countries: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt in addition to Palestine attend the conference along with concerned organizations. Israel warns US on road map; US dispatches diplomat Navhind Times 1/23/2004 Reuters Washington Jan 23: Ahead of weekend talks in the West Asia with a senior United States diplomat, Israeli officials told the White House that prospects for reviving a US-backed peace plan looked bleak. “Everybody is disturbed that there are no signs of positive movement,” an Israeli official said after a high-level White House meeting, adding: “The American assessment is no different.” Talks on alternative Mideast peace plan in France in March or April ReliefWeb 1/23/2004 LYON, France, Jan 23 (AFP) - The next round of talks on an unofficial Middle East peace plan known as the Geneva Initiative will take place in the eastern French city of Lyon in March or April, the city's mayor said Friday. "Lyon will play host to the second round of negotiations on the Geneva Initiative in an effort to push the Middle East peace process forward," Socialist mayor Gerard Collomb told reporters.

Human Rights..

Parents of activist killed in refugee camp criticize inquiry Seattle Post-Intelligencer 1/24/2004 DEARBORN, Mich. -- The parents of an American activist crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer in a Palestinian refugee camp criticized the Israeli government for not releasing the investigation report and renewed calls for an independent examination of their daughter's death. Rachel Corrie, 23, of Olympia was killed March 16 while trying to prevent the bulldozer from razing the home of a Palestinian pharmacist in Rafah, along the border with Egypt. An Israeli army investigation concluded Corrie's death was accidental. Officials said the driver of the machine could not see the woman. The impact of the Separation Barrier on refugees in Jerusalem Electronic Intifada/UNRWA 1/23/2004 This report aims to outline the impact that construction of the separation barrier will have on the operations and delivery of UNRWA's services in the Jerusalem area. The report is intended as an early assessment - as construction of the barrier continues - and as the first in a series of regular updates on the conditions of refugees in the area. Furthermore, the profile of some localities will be regularly presented, in order to draw attention on particular conditions of isolation and 'livelihoods restrictions' resulting from the barrier's construction. UNRWA Condemns Israeli House Demolitions in Rafah Palestine Media Center 1/24/2004 Israel’s Apartheid Wall Severely Affects Lives of Palestinians in Jerusalem -- UNRWA appealed on Thursday to the international community for new funds to build shelters for nearly 600 people left homeless by Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) demolition of Palestinian houses in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah and criticized the building of Israel’s Apartheid Wall in occupied east Jerusalem. Israel lifts restrictions on Palestinians heading abroad via Jordan ReliefWeb 1/23/2004 JERICHO, West Bank, Jan 23 (AFP) - Israel lifted Friday a day-old ban on Palestinian males between the ages of 16 and 45 heading abroad via Jordan without prior Israeli permission, Palestinian civil affairs minister Jamil al-Tarifi said. The minister gave no explanation for the Israeli change of heart, saying only that the Palestinian authorities had been notified by their Israeli counterparts. Palestinian Prisoners Launch One-day Hunger Strike Due to Harsh Detention Conditions International Press Center 1/23/2004 RAMALLAH, Palestine, January 23, 2004 (IPC+ Agencies)-- About seven thousand Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israeli prisons and detention camps declared Thursday they would launch a one-day hunger strike in protest of their harsh detention conditions in Israeli prisons. Sources at the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) were quoted as saying that all Palestinian prisoners being detained by Israel in various Israeli prisons and detention camps started Thursday a hunger strike to demonstrate unease regarding harsh detention conditions they are going through, particularly medical negligence by the Israeli authorities. Mosleh Family: Prisoners in Their Own Home and Terrorized by IOF International Press Center 1/13/2004 DEIR ELBALAH, Palestine, January 13, 2004 (IPC + WAFA)-- The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) continues to pursue its arbitrary practices against civilians in all Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps. As part of these practices, IOF has caused the suffering of Mosleh Palestinian family, which is living in the Al-Karara Village, south of Deir El- Balah, middle of Gaza Strip. As darkness falls, IOF practices the most violent inhumane acts against such a family, that turned their house into a prison. OCHA occupied Palestinian territory humanitarian UPDATE ReliefWeb/OCHA 1/19/2004 16 DECEMBER 2003 – 19 JANUARY 2004 -- New barrier construction and land confiscation .. Analysis of easing of movement restrictions .. update on Nablus after military operations .. statistics

Economy..

Shekel reels as foreigners react to Sharon scandal Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 News of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's alleged involvement in a bribery scandal sent the shekel sinking against foreign currencies Thursday. The dollar climbed by a steep 0.7 percent against Wednesday's representative rate to NIS 4.453. Earlier in the day, it had been up almost 1 percent. Dealers reported lively action as companies and foreigners snapped up greenbacks, shedding shekels as the political uncertainty escalated and share prices on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange continued to plunge for the second straight day. 20 farms shut after suspected traces of foot and mouth found Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 Fears of the spread of foot and mouth led to the closure of 20 farms around Israel on Saturday, after a truck that had visited each of the sites was suspected of having traces of the highly-contagious cattle disease on its wheels. Foot and mouth poses no threat to humans and affects cattle only, but can lead to the extermination of entire herds. Cautious optimism over state of economy Maariv 1/23/2004 Unemployment seems to be slightly down, and less rubber checks going around -- The latest report published by BDI Ltd. (Business Data Israel), a major provider of economic reports and analyses shows that Israeli economy is starting a gradual recovery, after over three years of recession and deflation. The first piece of good news is that unemployment seems, for the first time in over two years to be dropping, albeit at a miniscule rate. 2 US investors intend to compete for Discount Bank acquisition Globes 1/22/2004 The Ministry of Finance is keeping the bidders’ identity a secret, fearing that publicity will make them abandon the acquisition. --Sources inform “Globes” that two separate US investors have each signed a declaration of intention to bid for the state’s controlling interest in Israel Discount Bank (TASE:DSCT)....As far as is known, the two investors are Americans with an affinity for Israel.

People..

The strong, beautiful voice of the marginalized Daily Star 1/24/2004 Egyptian singer has 1st commercial release, 8 years after his death -- The year 2003 witnessed a number of significant events, none of which is the subject of this article. Rather, I want to write about a CD that came out that year. The CD is a collection of songs by the late Egyptian singer and composer Sheikh Imam, a man who was a saga in and of himself. He was born in July 1918 and lost his sight when he was two months old.Sheikh Imam did not become active as a composer till 1962, when he met the poet Ahmad Fouad Najm. Sabri: Zionist fence construction points to Arab weakness Palestinian Information Center 1/24/2004 Occupied Jerusalem - The Khatib (preacher) of the Aqsa Mosque for this week has lashed out at the Zionist racist fence in the West Bank that turned the Palestinian areas in isolated cantons and a big prison. Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, said in a Khutba (sermon) at the Friday congregation that the Zionist entity, with unlimited American support, was adamant on construction of the separation fence ignoring all objections and denunciations.

International..

Head Of U.S. WMD Search Team In Iraq Quits Islam Online 1/24/2004 WASHINGTON, January 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In another major embarrassment to the Bush administration, the head of a U.S. team searching for Iraq's alleged weapons resigned, saying he did not believe Iraq possessed any chemical or biological weapons. David Kay, who leads the so-called Iraq Survey Group (ISG), told Reuters Friday, January 23, that he came to realize that there were no such weapons in Iraq. "I don't think they existed," he said over the phone. IAEA urges Iran to halt more uranium enrichment activity Ha'aretz 1/24/2004 DAVOS - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) pressed Iran on Saturday to suspend more activities related to enriching uranium, a technology that can be used to make nuclear weapons. "I am advising them that it would be good to have a very generous, comprehensive suspension," Mohamed ElBaradei told Reuters after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Strong euro seen to be changing trade patterns Daily Star 1/24/2004 Importers likely to switch to cheaper US-made goods if trends continue -- The euro, which symbolizes the relative economic and political unity of Europe, is coming under increasing pressure from an ever- weakening US dollar. Over the past four months, the euro has sharply appreciated in value against many currencies, including the dollar. This means that the 12 countries in the euro zone will have great difficulty competing with US-made goods. Syria Copmpletes CW Warheads Middle East Newsline 1/24/2004 WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Syria has completed chemical warheads for its arsenal of Scud-based missiles. U.S. officials said Syria, with help from North Korea, has succeeded in designing and installing CW warheads for the Scud B, Scud C and Scud D missiles. This provides Syria with warheads that can reach distances from 250 to nearly 700 kilometers. Bechtel lands Qatar airport deal BBC 1/24/2004 Qatar has signed a contract with US engineering giant Bechtel to build a new airport for its capital Doha. The scheme is expected to cost a total of about $5bn. Passenger handling capacity will be boosted to 12m when the first phase is completed by 2009. Israel-trained troops won't go to Karbala Bangkok Post 1/25/2004 [Thailand] - The army has decided to scrap a plan to send troops to Iraq with experience in desert farming gained in Israel, to end concerns about possibly upsetting the Iraqis, Defence deputy spokesman Palangkoon Klaharn said. The Israel-trained soldiers would be replaced by a team of 12 troops who have been involved in development programmes in royally-initiated farm projects in the country, Maj-Gen Palangkoon said. The group will leave for Karbala in March. US poll: Majority opposed to resettling settlers Jerusalem Post 1/24/2004 Americans are overwhelmingly convinced that the Palestinians have not met the Bush administration's conditions for statehood, and a vast majority is opposed to resettling all Jews from the West Bank and Gaza Strip inside the Green Line. The findings, from a poll commissioned by the Zionist Organization of America that was conducted in mid-January, found that 67.4% of 1,000 Americans surveyed say the Palestinians have not met the conditions outlined by President George W. Bush for statehood, including fighting terrorism and ending incitement, and 66.6% are against expelling all Jews from their homes in the territories. VP Cheney says Iran next target for democracy Maariv 1/24/2004 Speaking at Davos, he calls on Europe to join US in promoting democracy in Iran. -- US Vice President Richard Cheney called on Europe to join forces with the US in pressuring Teheran to implement reforms that would insure the Iranian people had a government that would heed its demands. U.S. Mulling Hizbullah Strikes RadioFreeUSA/Jane's Intelligence Digest 1/23/2004 US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld is considering plans to expand the global war on terrorism with multi-pronged attacks against suspected militant bases in countries such as Lebanon and Somalia... Sending US troops into lawless Somalia would not be new, nor is it likely to cause serious diplomatic waves. Covert US forces have periodically infiltrated the country over the past two years in order to conduct surveillance and even snatch [Al Qaeda] suspects... Comic Prosecuted for Anti-Semitic Remarks The Guardian 1/24/2004 PARIS (AP) - A well-known French comic will be prosecuted for on-air antics that included dressing up as an Orthodox Jew and decrying an ``American-Zionist'' axis, the Paris prosecutor's office said Friday. Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala's performance, which drew criticism from the French prime minister, came during a prime-time TV show, ``On Ne Peut Pas Plaire a Tout le Monde,'' (``You Can't Please Everybody'') on Dec. 1. Looking east, Indian naval power grows in the Arabian Sea Daily Star 1/24/2004 India signed a $1.5 billion deal with Russia on Tuesday to buy a refurbished aircraft carrier with MiG-29 attack jets, making it the only Asian state with that kind of naval firepower. It underlined New Delhi’s plans to be the dominant power in an oceanic region that includes the Arabian Sea and the vital oil routes to the Far East and China, India’s longtime adversary. Canadian Journalist Caught in 'Post-9/11 Witch Hunt' Radio Free USA 1/24/2004 When police raided an Ottawa journalist's office and home this week because of an article she wrote about a Canadian deported from the United States to face torture in Syria, it was a reminder how closely this country has followed the U.S. lead in the "war on terrorism." Just four months after Sep. 11, 2001, Canada's Parliament passed sweeping legislation, the Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-36), which amended 19 existing laws and allowed authorities to suspend long-held judicial rights to combat vague threats. Storms pummel Middle East, flood roads, close airports KUSA News 1/23/2004 BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Heavy rains swept across parts of the Middle East on Friday, flooding roads, downing power lines and forcing airports to close. But in Egypt, Jordan and Israel it was dust storms that raised havoc, forcing airports to close and sending dozens of people to hospitals with breathing problems. Heavy rains flooded streets in Beirut and caused power failures in many parts of the country.

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