Israeli troops kill six Palestinians in Gaza Strip, West Bank
Al-Bawaba, April 3, 2003
At least six Palestinians were killed early Thursday in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Four Palestinians were killed and eight others were wounded in the early hours of Thursday during an Israeli incursion in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Gaza doctors said. Occupation troops left Rafah shortly after dawn.

1000's in Jenin march for Saddam; IDF kills six in territories  
Haaretz, April 3, 2003 
Thousands of Palestinians in Jenin were marching in streets Thursday to show their support for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Israel Radio reported. The demonstration also marks one year since the Israel Defense Forces "Operation Defensive Shield" in the West Bank city.

The Largest of Its Kind: IOF Razes Nine Buildings and Several Shops in Occupied Jerusalem
International Press Center, April 3, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, April 3, 2003 (IPC + WAFA)- - Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished nine residential buildings and several shops, all owned by Palestinians, in the holy city of Jerusalem and its suburbs, in what was considered as the largest demolition campaign by the occupation authorities in Jerusalem.

Israel Sprays Arab Residents With Chemical Substances in Negev
International Press Center, April 3, 2003
Southern Negev, 3 April, 2003 (IPC)-- Israeli light planes carrying toxic chemicals raided on Wednesday  20,000 Dunum of arable lands inhabited by the 48 Arab residents of Negev, and sprayed prohibited chemicals over the area. Tens of Arab residents were hospitalized because of inhalation the chemical substances. Some of them suffered suffocation as they tried to use the gas masks they possess for use in the case of chemical war.

Breaking News: Tanks and Armored Vehicles Terrorize Tubas
International Press Center, April 3, 2003
19:20 Israeli occupation forces (IOF) invaded the city of Tubas, backed by a large number of tanks and armored vehicles. IOF soldiers chased citizens and forced the shops to close, and spread fear and terror among the civilian population.

IDF to permit return of 1,000 Palestinians distanced in arrest sweep
Jerusalem Post, April 3, 2003 
The IDF intends to let more than 1,000 men from the West Bank town of Tulkarm return to their homes soon, once an arrest sweep for terrorist suspects is completed. The men aged 15 to 40 were rounded up for questioning on Wednesday in a local schoolyard, in a raid that netted 12 terror fugitives who were taken into custody.

Sources: Palestinians receive “Nazi-like treatment” in Israeli concentrations camps
Palestinian Information Center, April 3, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Palestinian jurist sources reported on Thursday that Israeli Prison Authority (PA) and army jailers have dramatically stepped up their maltreatment of Palestinian political prisoners in Israel’s seven concentration and detention camps.

Israeli occupation dynamite home in Hebron
Palestinian Information Center, April 3, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Israeli occupation forces last night dynamited the home of a Palestinian family whose son the Israeli apartheid regime says is suspected of carrying out resistance attacks on Zionist targets.

Histadrut: General strike to commence on Wednesday
Haaretz, April 3, 2003 
The heads of Israeli workers' unions announced Thursday that a general strike, encompassing 500,000 workers, would be launched on Wednesday, after a meeting between Histadrut labor federation chairman Amir Peretz and Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aimed at reaching a compromise on the government's proposed economic austerity program, ended with no agreement.

Jerusalem Churches organize sit-in
Palestinian Information Center, April 3, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Christian sects in the occupied holy city of Jerusalem yesterday staged a sit-in at the Church of Holy Sepulcher’s plaza to express solidarity with the Iraqi people and to declare condemnation of the Anglo-American aggression.

Supreme Court Dismisses Adalah's Petition Seeking Equal Representation for Arab Citizens of Israel on Boards of Directors of Governmental Companies
Adalah, April 1, 2003
Yesterday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Adalah in December 2001 demanding equal representation for Arabs citizens of Israel - women and men - on the boards of directors of governmental companies, in accordance with the 1993 and 2000 amendments to the Governmental Companies Law (1975). The petition named as respondents Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and several other government ministers.

House demolitions in East Jerusalem: updated 
Alternative Information Center, April 3, 2003 
Today the Jerusalem Municipality demolished seven homes in Sur Baher, East Jerusalem, and another two houses are currently (4.30 p.m. local time) under threat of demolition. Earlier today the army has declared the land around one of the houses slated for demolition a 'closed military zone' in order to prevent resistance, and the military commander on the spot said that "one who comes close will get a bullet."

Qassam Brigades blast Mirkava tank
Palestinian Information Center, April 3, 2003
Gaza - The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas’ armed wing the Qassam Brigades yesterday managed to blast a Zionist Mirkava tank that was advancing into the Rafah area in the south of Gaza Strip.

Jewish Groups Call on Congress to Pass Rachel Corrie Bill
Common Dreams, April 2, 2003
WASHINGTON - April 2 - Several grassroots Jewish peace organizations today urged Members of Congress to support the Rachel Corrie Resolution (H.Con.Res. 111). Rachel Corrie was a 23 year-old American peace activist who was killed by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bulldozer while attempting to protect a Palestinian home from demolition through an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in the Gaza Strip on March 16.

Court rejects petition on Arab directors in state-run firms 
Haaretz, April 3, 2003 
The High Court of Justice yesterday rejected a petition filed by Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, to order the government to increase the number of Arab men and women who serve on the board of directors of state-run corporations.

Six killed in Israeli raids
BBC, April 3, 2003
The Rafah raid came hours after a pro-Iraq rally -- Six Palestinians have been killed after a night of clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Israel radio confirmed Palestinian reports that four young men died when the army launched a raid with tanks, bulldozers and helicopters on the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza.

Six Killed, Eight Injured In New Israeli Incursions
Islam Online, April 3, 2003
More victims, more hatred, the world no more cares -- GAZA CITY, April 3 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In a fresh Israeli army raid overnight, six Palestinians were killed and eight injured in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Palestinians: man killed, another wounded by IDF in Gaza strip
Jerusalem Post, April 3, 2003
Palestinian police report that a citizen of Gaza, 20, has been killed and another man wounded by IDF fire not far from the border fence east of Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp.

Authorities wreck 16 homes, buildings in East Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post, April 3, 2003 
The authorities demolished 16 houses and other structures in Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem on Thursday, media reports said.

Adalah Continues to Seek Criminal Investigation into ILA Following Further Spraying of Toxic Chemicals on Naqab Crops
Adalah, April 3, 2003
Yesterday, 2 April 2003, Adalah sent a second letter to the Attorney General requesting a criminal investigation into the southern branch of the Israel Lands Administration (ILA). Yesterday morning, the ILA once again sprayed toxic chemicals on crops belonging to unrecognized Palestinian Bedouin villages in the Naqab (Negev). The crops sprayed yesterday belong to the villages of Umm Batin, east of Omer; Al-Mekiman, south of Lagiyya; A'ojan, west of Lagiyya; A'araqeeb, south of Rahat; and Sa'wa and Umm Heran, both east of Hura.

Israeli occupation army attacks Palestinian towns, kills 7 in 24 hours
Palestinian Information Center, April 3, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Israeli occupation forces, backed by some 40 tanks and helicopter gunships, attacked early Thursday a Palestinian refugee camp near Rafah at the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, killing at least four civilians and injuring eight others.

Tulkarem: Israeli Army Invades Tulkarem Refugee Camp; Stand-Off Outside Hospital
International Solidarity Novemnet, April 2, 2003
In the small hours of this morning the Israeli Army and border police invaded Tulkarem Refugee Camp with attack helicopters, tanks, APCs, hummers (special forces vehicles) and hundreds of soldiers and border policemen. After taking control of the camp, they began to round up the camp's entire male population between the ages of 15 and 45.

Analysis: Carrot-and-stick reigns supreme in the territories
Haaretz, April 3, 2003 
One of the subjects that the representatives of the quartet will be discussing today in Brussels is what they call "the seven microcosms." A western diplomat who has been closely following the subject says this a cleaner euphemism for what the South Africans used to call "homelands." Every city (apart from Jericho) has been made into a kind of protectorate that is dependent on the good graces of the military commander who controls it.

News from the microcosm  
Haaretz, April 3, 2003 
One of the subjects that the representatives of the quartet will be discussing today in Brussels is what they call "the seven microcosms." A western diplomat who has been closely following the subject says this a cleaner euphemism for what the South Africans used to call "homelands."

Palestinians Recall Bitter Memories of ‘Jeningrad’ 
Palestine Media Center, April 3, 2003
April 3, 2003 - A year ago, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched the fiercest military onslaught on the occupied Palestinian territory, rendering many Palestinians killed and detained and much of the infrastructure destroyed.

Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine April 3, 2003
Palestine Media Center, April 3, 2003
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed six Palestinians, including four who were slain after an Israeli Apache gunship fired a missile at a residential neighborhood in Rafah. IOF also killed a 14-year-old boy in Qalqilia and demolished dozens of houses in the occupied territory. IOF Invade Rafah, Kill 4 Citizens / 14-Year-Old Killed in West Bank / IOF Demolish More Houses, Detain 2 Citizens

Still Absent, The Disappearance of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs
Badil, April 3, 2003
2002 US State Department Country Report on Israel -- On 31 March 2003 the US State Department released its 2002 annual report regarding the status of internationally recognized human rights in countries that receive foreign assistance from the United States and in all other foreign countries that are members of the United Nations. The 2002 report includes no significant improvements concerning reporting on the basic human rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons.

Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 27 March-02 April 2003
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
As the US-British War on Iraq Began, Israeli Human Rights Violations in the OPT Continued / 10 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including two children, were killed by Israeli forces / Two of the victims bled to death / Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas, accompanied by indiscriminate shelling / The Israeli retaliatory campaign continues against families of wanted Palestinians and those who allegedly have carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets  / Over 1200 Palestinians have been detained / The severe siege of the OPT has continued

Palestinian Health Ministry: “Israeli Troops Killed 101 Palestinians including 26 children in last March”
International Press Center, April 3, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, April 3, 2003 (IPC+ WAFA)-- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF), as part of their continued offensive against the Palestinian people, killed in March, 2003 alone 101 Palestinians including 26 children, Palestinian Health Ministry’s Department of Information declared Wednesday.

Israel accused of 'exploiting' war
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat today accused Israel of using the war in Iraq as cover to attack the Palestinians.

Sharon made safe by Belgian vote on war crime law
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
The attempt by Palestinians to have the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, tried in Belgium for war crimes seems to have been finally ruled out by a Belgian parliamentary vote to water down the contentious legislation involved.

Palestinians mark Jenin anniversary
iAfrica.com, April 3, 2003
"In 1948, the Iraqis liberated Jenin from the Israeli army," says a young Palestinian wearing a headband of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, his voice muffled by the thick woollen balaclava. "Today we are marching for Iraq and in memory of the battle in Jenin refugee camp," he says. "There is a big connection between Iraq and Jenin — they can learn from what we did here a year ago."

Images of suffering are too familiar
MSNBC/Washington Post, April 3, 2003  
Palestinian students see the war through a different lens -- ABU DIS, West Bank, April 2 —  Maysa Samarah, the 21-year-old daughter of a Palestinian nut vendor, spends three hours every weekend crossing the five Israeli military checkpoints between her university and her West Bank home town just nine miles away. So when Samarah watches the daily images of American soldiers frisking Iraqis at roadblocks, or tanks clanking through city streets, or children bloodied by shrapnel from missile strikes, she does not see a foreign war. She sees her own war.

‘Who’s thinking of Palestine?’
The Sudbury Star, April 3, 2003
Distrust of U.S. stems from what they see as double standard, local Muslims say -- Life - Watching news coverage of the latest coalition strike on Iraq, Nashaat Taha of Sudbury sits in front of the television, fearing for the safety of his family in Baghdad, while Diyai Rayan, also of Sudbury, worries for his family in nearby Palestine.

Powell tells European leaders U.S. serious about 'road map'
Haaretz, April 3, 2003
BRUSSELS - The United States told European leaders on Thursday it was determined to carry out a long-awaited Middle East "road map" or peace plan but could not impose it on the Israelis and Palestinians.

Rubinstein tells Olmert he can't suspend 'Sabbath' inspectors  
Haaretz, April 3, 2003 
Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein on Thursday ordered Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert not to suspend the work of inspectors who issue fines to businesses that employ Jews on the Sabbath, which is illegal according to current law, Israel Radio reported.

Made in Israel, but you can't buy it here
Haaretz, April 3, 2003  
The Communications Ministry is not allowing next-generation computers equipped with Intel's new Centrino mobile technology to be imported into the country. The Centrino family of products, incorporating technology developed at Intel Haifa, was launched on March 12 with a $300-million publicity blitz.

Mitzna, Ben-Eliezer square off in key vote
Haaretz, April 3, 2003  
The Labor Party's central committee will today elect the party's bureau in the shadow of the battle between party chairman Amram Mitzna's camp and his opponents, the former party chairman MK Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and his ally MK Ephraim Sneh.

Palestinian unemployment falls sharply in last quarter of 2002
Haaretz, April 3, 2003  
The last quarter of 2002 saw a sharp decline in Palestinian unemployment figures in the territories, according to a survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Treasury proposes fewer dismissals but bigger pay cuts 
Haaretz, April 3, 2003  
The Finance Ministry is willing to reduce the number of state employees to be dismissed if the Histadrut labor federation agrees to higher wage cuts among the employees who will remain, Minister Meir Sheetrit has told Haaretz in an interview.

 

 

Poor pay with their lives in cratered suburbia
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
Yesterday's strike took out two homes of an extended family of about a dozen. Tuesday's raid destroyed the local school, and on Monday a poor baklava seller, pitied by the entire neighbourhood, lost his wife, mother, sister, nephew, and two sons to American missiles.

Three killed as maternity hospital is hit by bombs
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
A maternity hospital operated by the Red Crescent in Baghdad was severely damaged yesterday when a trade centre on the opposite side of the street was struck during bombing raids.

Exclusive: Western Journalists Beaten, Starved by Americans
Arab News, April 3, 2003
KUWAIT CITY, 3 April 2003 — Two Western journalists have arrived safely back in Kuwait City after being arrested, beaten up and deprived of food and water in Iraq — by members of the US Army’s military police.

UK forces use cluster bombs
BBC, April 3, 2003
The bombs spread over a wide area -- British forces say cluster bombs have been used in the Iraq conflict but not in built up areas in and around Basra. Military commanders insisted the highly controversial munitions have not been fired near Iraq's second city after reports British gunners in southern Iraq had used them.

Blair Condemns U.S. Threats To Syria, Iran
Islam Online, April 3, 2003
LONDON, April 3 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Differences between London and Washington over the future of the Middle East intensified when British Prime Minister Tony Blair implicitly condemned the Pentagon's bellicose language against Syria and Iran.

Turkey allows America to use supply route for troops
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
Turkey finally agreed last night to allow the shipment of food, fuel and medicine to American forces fighting in northern Iraq after a damage-limitation meeting between the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, and Turkish leaders in Ankara.

US Marines Learn Israel’s Ways
Palestine Chronicle, April 3, 2003
"Videotapes of Israel’s military onslaught on Jenin a year ago have been shown to US officials, depicting methods of house-to-house searches and learning the new Israeli tactics of blowing 'rat' holes .."  -- JENIN REFUGEE CAMP - As Palestinians brace themselves for the first commemoration of the Israeli invasion of the West Bank’s most devastated refugee camp, word is out that an Israeli expert has theoretically guided US Marine Officers through the putrid alleyways of Jenin’s refugee camp to give them a sense of what street fighting will be all about in Baghdad.

UNESCO Fears Iraqi Heritage Razed By Strikes
Palestine Chronicle, April 3, 2003
"We have received information indicating that the museum of Tikrit (the hometown of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) has been damaged, as well as the museum of Mosul and a palace in Baghdad containing a collection of objects from the monarchy..." -- PARIS - The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said Wednesday, April 2, it has received "alarming information" that historical sites in Iraq may have been damaged by continuous Anglo-American bombings, despite numerous pleas for Washington to preserve them.

Iraqi children maimed at play
Jordan Times, April 3, 2003       
HILLA — Five-year-old Nader should not have been out playing last night. He now sits on a hospital bed with a bandage covering one eye after stepping on an explosive south of Baghdad. The boy rests his head on his elbow on the bed's metallic bar while looking out from the window with his left eye.

TV pictures of civilian casualties take Arab anger to new height
Jordan Times, April 3, 2003       
CAIRO — Television pictures of bleeding children and weeping mothers in Iraq, beamed into millions of homes, have raised the level of anger on the Arab street over the US-led war launched two weeks ago. “It hurts the hearts, it stirs up hatred of Americans and it's better that way,” said an Egyptian economics student, Sherif, commenting on footage aired daily on Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite television.

Arabs See Israel's Hand Behind U.S. War in Iraq
Reuters, April 3, 2003
CAIRO (Reuters) - Long-standing Arab suspicions that Israel's interests are guiding U.S. policies in the Middle East have gained momentum since Washington's troops invaded Iraq. Many in the Arab world believe that as well as a U.S. desire to control Iraq's vast oil resources, the war is driven by a powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington out to destroy one of the main threats to the Jewish state. Israel dismisses the charge as a "conspiracy theory."

For Israel Lobby Group, War Is Topic A, Quietly
Washington Post, April 1, 2003
At Meeting, Jerusalem's Contributions Are Highlighted -- This week's meeting in Washington of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has put a spotlight on the Bush administration's delicate dance with Israel and the Jewish state's friends over the attack on Iraq.

Khatami: Iraq war was driven by ''Zionist lobbies''
Al-Bawaba, April 3, 2003
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami warned on Thursday that the U.S.-led military assault on Iraq would increase violence and extremism in the world.

White House signals bigger role for UN in postwar government
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
The White House appeared to signal yesterday that it might be willing to accept a greater role for the United Nations in the interim postwar government of Iraq than previously indicated, including a special UN representative with civil administration powers.

Powell Seeks Partners for Postwar Iraq
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)- Secretary of State Colin Powell assured the NATO allies and the European Union Thursday that the Bush administration seeks a partnership with the United Nations for the reconstruction of postwar Iraq.

Rumsfeld Rejects Postwar Iraq Team
Arab News/Washington Post, April 3, 2003
WASHINGTON, 2 April 2003 — Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has rejected a team of officials proposed by the State Department to help run postwar Iraq in what sources described as an effort to ensure the Pentagon controls every aspect of reconstructing the country and forming a new government.

US and EU clash over UN Iraq role
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
"Old Europe" confronted the US today over the nature of international involvement in the reconstruction of Iraq, but their differences were not found to be "irreconcilable", according to Nato's secretary-general, Lord Robertson.

Pentagon Vetoes New Task Force to Take Control of Baghdad 
Common Dreams/The Independent, April 2, 2003
The parallel internal war in Washington over Iraq flared again yesterday when the Pentagon vetoed a list of senior officials proposed by the State Department to help to run the country once Saddam Hussein has been overthrown. The proposed team is understood to have included several present and former high-level diplomats, including ambassadors to Arab states, who would have joined what amounts to a cabinet under the retired General Jay Garner, named by the Pentagon to head an interim administration.

Arab Fighters Flock To Iraq To Fight Americans
Dar Al-Hayat, April 3, 2003
Loaded with a small duffel bag's worth of clothes and plenty of faith, Mohammed, a thin man with an overgrown beard, is going to Iraq to perform what he says is a religious duty - holy war against the American invaders. "The Americans have come to occupy Muslim land. I am going to fight them and I will not stop at anything," he said.

Exclusive: Sources in Baghdad indicate Saddam alive, hidden, and in command
Al-Bawaba, April 3, 2003
A number of reliable sources inside Baghdad report that two days before the start of the war Saddam disappeared into a hidden command center, in a location unknown even to his ministers.

Extremists Seen Gaining in Iraq War
Arab News, April 3, 2003
CAIRO, 3 April 2003 — US President George W. Bush sees the invasion of Iraq as an extension of his “war on terror”, but many in the Middle East believe Osama Bin Laden will be one of the unintended winners.

French try to repair relationship with US
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
Politicians fear over poll showing 1 in 4 backs Saddam -- Leading French politicians, apparently seeking to rebuild bridges with Washington, warned yesterday against mounting anti-Americanism in France and stressed that the US remained one of the country's most valued allies.

King Abdullah condemns killing of Iraqi civilians
Al-Bawaba, April 3, 2003
Jordan's King Abdullah speaking out against the Iraq war for the first time "strongly condemned" civilian casualties caused by the conflict.

King: Jordanians united in condemning invasion
Jordan Times, April 3, 2003   
AMMAN (JT) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said the Jordanian leadership and people condemn the US-British invasion of Iraq and that the Kingdom would continue efforts to stop the ongoing war.

Powell: U.S. Must Lead Postwar Effort
Longview News-Journal, April 3, 2003
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)_ Secretary of State Colin Powell told Washington's European allies and friends Thursday the United States _ not the United Nations--must have the lead role in Iraq's postwar reconstruction.

US to 'exploit' mystery over Saddam's fate
BBC, April 3, 2003
American officials are reported to be intensifying their psychological operations in Iraq in an attempt to raise questions in Iraqis' minds about whether Saddam Hussein is dead or alive.

Murdoch: US must ditch 'inferiority complex'
The Guardian, April 3, 2003  
Australian-born media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has shown true American patriotism by declaring that it was important that the world learned to "respect" America. Referring to the American people as "we" , Mr Murdoch said the public was far too worried about what the rest of the world thought of the US's declaration of war on Iraq.

Bomb attack on Istanbul's British consulate
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
A bomb has exploded outside the British consulate in Istanbul, it emerged today. A Foreign Office spokesman said that the device was hurled at the building housing the visa section at 12.30am local time (2230BST), but caused only superficial damage.

Lawmakers Avoid Criticizing Bush on War
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Wary of appearing to second-guess the commander in chief, most lawmakers are carefully avoiding criticism of President Bush's handling of the war against Iraq.

U.S. Suggests Saddam Has Lost Control
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar (AP) - The U.S. Central Command said Thursday there was ``increasing evidence'' that Saddam Hussein's regime had lost control of its fighting forces and most of the Iraqi population.

Jordan tribes' despair over Iraq
BBC, April 3, 2003
Jordan's tribes find it hard to make their voices heard by their government  -- All over the Arab world, people follow developments in Iraq with a sense of impotence - mitigated slightly by reports of Iraqi resistance - but nevertheless a sense that events in their own region are happening beyond their control. Nowhere is this truer than among the indigenous inhabitants of Jordan - the tribal East Bank Jordanians, as opposed to the majority Palestinian population who have arrived since 1948.

28 Arrested at Alliant While Protesting Depleted Uranium Weapons 
Common Dreams/Minnesota Daily, April 3, 2003  
Protesters staged an act of civil disobedience at Minnesota’s largest military contractor Wednesday morning. The action at Alliant Techsystems in Edina, Minn., led to 28 arrests. Approximately 250 people participated in the protest. Not all protesters participated in civil disobedience, which consisted of trespassing on the grounds of Alliant’s corporate headquarters.

US-British Calculations on Iraq "Seriously Wrong": India 
Common Dreams, April 2, 2003
Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said that the United States and Britain had made a mistake in attacking Iraq and urged the UN Security Council to take the initiative to end the war. The US and British "calculations have gone seriously wrong," Sinha said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with AFP.

Al-Jazeera stops news broadcasts from Iraq
Al-Bawaba, April 3, 2003
Qatar-based TV al-Jazeera is stopping news broadcasts from Iraq after Iraqi officials barred two of its reporters from Baghdad. The station said no reason had been given by officials for banning the correspondents. It said it would continue to transmit live and taped footage from its offices in Baghdad, Basra and Mosul.

Al-Jazeera's Basra hotel bombed
The Guardian, April 2, 2003
A hotel in Basra being used as a base by al-Jazeera's team of correspondents in the city was shelled this morning, the Arabic TV news channel has claimed. The Basra Sheraton, whose only guests are al-Jazeera journalists, received four direct hits this morning during a heavy artillery bombardment, according to the Qatar-based broadcaster. No casualties were reported in the incident, but al-Jazeera said it would be writing to the Pentagon again to provide full details of the location of all its journalists and bureaux in Iraq.

Review: Both Sides Fired on Journalists
The Guardian, April 3, 2003
LONDON (AP) - A private security company's search of the site in southern Iraq where a British TV journalist was killed has established that his team came under fire from both coalition and Iraqi forces, their company, ITN televison, said Thursday.

Samar's story
The Independent, April 3, 2003
Samar Hussein was killed by a bomb that fell on dusty farmland miles outside Baghdad. But, as Kim Sengupta discovers, she is just one of this war's forgotten victims.

Saddam's army retreats to Mosul with heavy losses
The Independent, April 3, 2003
The Iraqi army's northern front began to collapse yesterday as troops pulled back in confusion to the city of Mosul after suffering heavy losses from US air strikes and fighting with Kurdish militia.

Arafat persuades Iraqis to release four journalists jailed on spying charge
The Independent, April 3, 2003
Four journalists and a peace activist who were missing for eight days inside Iraq have emerged safely – with the apparent help of Yasser Arafat.

In Berlin, TV Bolsters Opposition to Iraq Conflict
Washington Post, April 2, 2003
One in a series on how people around the world are perceiving the war in Iraq through their local media. -- Eight Germans watched intently as images from the war flashed across a small screen: a U.S. helicopter firing missiles, Iraqi prisoners with bags concealing their faces, a bombed-out Baghdad television facility, Saddam Hussein in a conference room, an American general briefing the press.

From Strife-Torn South, Reports of Fear, Isolation
Washington Post, April 2, 2003
BAGHDAD, April 1 -- At the Karkh bus station today, near the Ibn Buniyya Mosque, drivers loaded their ramshackle green buses with pilgrims, soldiers and families. The road is open, the drivers said, but two weeks into the war, travelers describe the cities of southern Iraq as besieged and beleaguered.

IraqWar.ru
April 2, 2003, 1335hrs MSK (GMT +4 DST), Moscow - Exceptionally difficult and unstable situation has developed on the US-Iraqi front by the morning of April 1. The coalition troops are persistently trying to take control of the strategic "triangle" Karabela - Al-Khindiya - Al-Iskanderiya. At the same time the coalition units are continuing their advance toward Al-Kut and An-nu-Manyah, but so far the US forces were unable to take any of these towns. To move forward the US units are forced to leave behind large numbers of troops needed to blockade the towns remaining under Iraqi control. The An-Najaf and An-Nasiriya garrisons are still involved in active combat deep behind the coalition forward