Israeli Army Strikes at Palestinians; 7 Are Shot to Death
New York Times, April 4, 2003
JERUSALEM, April 3 — In a series of military strikes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians today, and soldiers blocked more than 1,000 Palestinian men and boys from returning home for a second day as the army scoured a refugee camp for wanted men. And on the outskirts of East Jerusalem, sending up clouds of dust, the Israeli authorities used jackhammers and backhoes to crush more than a dozen Palestinian homes and other buildings that they said lacked permits.

Israeli West Bank raids resume
BBC, April 4, 2003
Tanks withdrew from Tulkarm camp... but rolled into Jenin -- At least four Palestinians were injured as Israeli troops continued their hunt for suspected Islamic militants in central Gaza, local witnesses have said. The injuries occurred when the Israeli forces - backed by tanks and helicopters - raided the Nusseirat refugee camp, triggering exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians, reports said.

Sixteen House Demolitions in Jerusalem
Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, April 3, 2003
The Israeli Daily newspaper, Ha’aretz, said that a total of 16 homes were demolished in The Jerusalem area today. Activists went one of the demolition sites and this is their story.

Breaking News: Palestinian shot in his car at checkpoint
International Press Center, April 4, 2003 
19: 00— A Palestinian youth Ahmed A’bed Tafish, 22, was shot and injured this evening when his car, he was traveling in along with two of his female relatives, came under direct fire by Israeli occupation forces near Al-Matahin checkpoint in the outskirts of Khan Younis City, IPC correspondent reported.

U.S.: Prevent settlers moving into new E. J'lem neighborhood
Haaretz, April 4, 2003
The United States has been pressuring Israel not to allow residents of a new Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem take up occupancy of the their homes, according to a report on Army Radio on Friday.

Bush Meets Resistance on Mideast Plan
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
Key Hill Allies Call for Greater Commitment to Israel's Concerns About Road Map -- "Several key Republicans said Bush has privately assured them that he agrees with them." -- President Bush's latest bid for a Middle East peace deal is running into unexpected resistance from key allies in Congress. Republicans and Democrats are pressing the White House to adopt a more staunchly pro-Israel stance, even if it feeds the perception the United States is too closely aligned with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government.

UN agency protests Israeli military’s occupation of refugee camp girls’ school
United Nations News, April 3, 2003
3 April – The main United Nations agency providing assistance to Palestine refugees today protested the Israeli military’s occupation of a girls’ school in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, calling it a flagrant violation of international law.

Beilin: Expulsion of Tul Karm men `conjures up chilling memories'
Haaretz, April 4, 2003
Left-wing leaders angrily denounced the eviction of all the men from the refugee camp in Tulkarm. Yossi Beilin, chairman of the Shahar movement, said the uprooting of Tulkarm's menfolk "conjures up chilling memories" and that "only a twisted mind could have come up with such a plan."

Amendment to Belgian war crimes law delayed; suit against Sharon stands
Haaretz, April 4, 2003
The ruling coalition in Belgium has failed to pass amendments that would have curtailed the controversial law seeking to prosecute war crimes and genocide perpetrators from around the world, Israel Radio reported Friday.

U.S.: After Iraq, we'll deal with other radical Mideast regimes
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
A communique received in Jerusalem from the American administration this week says the United States is operating with strong resolution to neutralize the Iraqi threat to Israel. After the war, the message continued, the United States will deal with other radical regimes in the region - not necessarily by military means - to moderate their activities and fight terrorism.

Britain clamps down on imports
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
Tony Blair's government tightened the screws on Israel's illegal West Bank settlements yesterday by warning British food and agricultural importers that they will now be liable for taxes on zero-rated goods which are not genuinely Israeli.

Palestinians, Israelis and internationals launch international campaign against wall 
Alternative Information Center/Aheret, April 4, 2003 
Beginning Saturday, April 5, Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists will challenge the wall by encamping on threatened lands in the area of Salfit. Villagers supported by internationals and Israelis will lead a peaceful march to the fields under threat of confiscation where tents will be erected to accommodate meetings and to house the villagers and activists who will sleep in the peace camp to protect the threatened groves.

Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank march in support of Iraq
Jerusalem Post, April 4, 2003
Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza and the West Bank on Friday after Muslim prayers, chanting in support of Saddam Hussein and warning President George W. Bush that "Islam's fighters" would defeat him.

Court orders public defender to represent Marwan Barghouti
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
At the recommendation of the Supreme Court, the public defender's office has withdrawn its petition to release itself from defending Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian Tanzim leader arrested by Israel on March 29 last year. Presentation of evidence is scheduled to start Sunday in Barghouti's trial, which began last August.

Israel Captures Islamic Jihad Leader
Crosswalk.com, April 4, 2003
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Israel arrested two wanted Palestinian militants in a two-day sweep that ended on Friday. The operation included the controversial removal of a thousand men from a Palestinian refugee camp.

'Indo-Israeli nexus' cause for concern, says Pak.
Salaam.co.uk, April 4, 2003
ISLAMABAD April 3. The Pakistan Interior Minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, has alleged that the ``growing Indo-Israeli nexus'' is a cause for concern in South and West Asia. Speaking on the Pakistan Television (PTV) programme `News Night' late on Tuesday, he claimed that there was concern among the Arab countries that the Israeli leadership might exploit the situation in Iraq to intensify its suppression of innocent Palestinians.

Terrorizing Tulkarem
International Solidarity Movement, April 3, 2003
The invasion of Tulkarem refugee camp continued today unabated. The enormous military presence is accompanied by tanks, APC's hummers, bulldozers, and jeeps.    Soldiers continued  to hold all of the over 1000 men that they rounded up yesterday Either they are in the UNRWA girls school in Tulkarem, or at a school in the Nur Shams refugee camp, or have been driven in trucks several miles from the camp, where they have been dumped off  and told not to return for 3 days.

Boy, 14, shot in the back in renewed Israeli incursions that leave six dead
The Independent, April 4, 2003
Six Palestinians have been killed in another eruption of violence in the occupied territories. One was a 14-year-old boy, shot in the back by Israeli soldiers near his home in the West Bank city of Qalqilya.

'Where shall we go, to Baghdad?,' deported Tul Karm men ask IDF  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
In a side room in the mosque of Nur Shams refugee camp in Tul karm, a few bearded young men were toiling over giant pots. They were preparing lunch for the newly-arrived refugees, their neighbors from the Tul karm refugee camp, who on Wednesday were forced out of their homes by the IDF.

Seven Palestinians Injured in an Israeli Assault on the Nusirat Camp
International Press Center, April 4, 2003
NUSIRAT CAMP, Palestine, March 4, 2003, IPC + WAFA-- Israeli occupation forces baked with tanks and three bulldozers forced their entry into the refugee camp of Nusirat in the Middle Area of Gaza Strip today dawn, Palestinian security sources reported.

Israelis Round Up 1,000-Plus at Camp
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
TULKARM, West Bank, April 3 -- The Israeli military rounded up most of the Palestinian men in the Tulkarm refugee camp early Wednesday morning, handcuffed and interrogated them in a local school, then herded them into trucks and left them outside the city, according to accounts today by men from the camp.

Six killed in Israeli raids on West Bank
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
1,000 boys and men detained in seized UN school -- Israeli forces have killed six Palestinians, including a 14-year-old, and detained more than 1,000 boys and men in two days of raids on the occupied territories.

IDF ends Tul Karm operation after key arrests  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
The IDF began moving out of Tul Karm Friday morning and allowed residents to return to their homes, following the capture and arrest of Tanzim and Islamic Jihad heads in the West Bank refugee camp. The IDF also imposed a curfew on Jenin Friday morning and began conducting searches there, Israel Radio reported.

IDF troops kill seven in territories  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed seven Palestinians in the territories yesterday. Four Palestinians were killed and eight others were wounded early yesterday morning when dozens of vehicles, tanks and bulldozers entered the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The troops pulled out of Rafah shortly after dawn.

Blair: Peace process just as important as getting rid of Saddam  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003
British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday said that progress in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians was just as important as getting rid of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

U.S. tells EU it's serious about Mideast road map 
Haaretz, April 4, 2003
BRUSSELS - The United States told European leaders yesterday 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.

Q1 tax receipts indicate 2.8% fall in economic activity
Globes, April 3, 2003
Ministry of Finance tax receipt figures, particularly net VAT, show an annualized 2.8% fall in first quarter economic activity, despite a 9.4% rise in net VAT receipts in March. The March rise is a one-time phenomenon, due to the preparations for the war in Iraq, and the public’s shopping spree for sealed rooms.

EU leaders resume visits to Israel, PA 
Haaretz, April 4, 2003
After a few months' hiatus, European statesmen are resuming their visits to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Europeans wish to show their support for Abu Mazen, following his appointment as Palestinian prime minister, and to pressure Israel to help him succeed in office.

Analysis / A tough week for Israel's Arabs  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
Israel's Arab population began this week by demonstrating pride in commemoration of Land Day, but ended the week shrouded in the revelation of legal steps being taken against members of their community who are suspected of involvement in terrorist activities.

Palestinian Christian Urges Compassion
Come and See, April 4, 2003
"What if someone came to you in the U.S. and said, 'God told me this home belongs to me -- get out'?" -- Hanna Massad is the pastor of the only evangelical church on the Gaza Strip. He spoke at a John Brown University chapel service Thursday. His hope was to portray Palestinians in a different light, to "show the other side of the coin, the one you don't see on CNN. They don't show you the root of the problem, only the symptoms."

Please Help Prevent Another War Crime by Remembering Jenin
International Solidarity Movement, April 3, 2003
On 3 April 2003 Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank began a twelve day operation using tanks, armoured bulldozers, Apache helicopters and F-16 fighters against the people of Jenin Refugee Camp and the Palestinian resistance fighters who defended their homes armed only with rifles and home made pipe bombs.

Israeli academic to bring criticism of Jewish state to KC
Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, April 4, 2003
Despite the fact that, in the most recent Israeli elections, the Likud party won an overwhelming mandate from the citizens of Israel, not all Israelis welcomed the retention of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.  "Israel's gravest danger today is not the Palestinian Authority or even Hamas and Islamic Jihad," says Neve Gordon, a professor of political science at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheva and an Israeli peace activist. "Indeed, Israel's gravest danger is the fascist-ization of its society."

ICRC efforts continue in Palestinian territories
Jordan Times, April 4, 2003   
AMMAN — In addition to intensified operations in the Iraqi war zone, the International Federation of the Red Cross (ICRC) continues to extend relief to Palestinians in the occupied and autonomous territories.

Coffee to go  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
Like the American coffee chain, Starbucks, which will close its branches in Israel at the end of the week, one of the largest fast-food chains in the world, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which has 5,000 branches in the United States and 6,000 in other countries, also failed here. Starbucks marketing experts and managers like to use the story of the failure of KFC in Israel as an example of the main problem with globalization: The encounter between an international brand (usually American) and the local culture.

Indo-Israel lobby active to make Pak next US target: Interior ministry
Pakistan News Service, March 21, 2003
ISLAMABAD, March 21 (PNS): Interior Ministry has presented a sensitive report to President General Pervez Musharraf reflecting that Hindu lobby in collaboration with Israel is actively launching a campaign to make Pakistan next target of US with reference to terrorism. The lobby is also propelling the nefarious propaganda that America can never eliminate Al-Qaida network and other terrorist groups unless the extremist groups including Al-Qaida network are targeted in Pakistan, report disclosed.

New RAW Chief Is First Israel Trained
Pakistan News Service, April 4, 2003
NEW DELHI, India: Apr 04 (PNS) - C. D. Sahay, who took over as the fifteenth chief of the Research and Analysis Wing of the Cabinet secretariat, India's external intelligence agency, on Monday is the first RAW chief to have undergone training with Israeli intelligence, in addition to training in the United Kingdom.

Iraq War News

'Liberated' city where looters run wild and death stalks the streets
The Independent, April 4, 2003
The third floor of the Saddam Hospital in Nasiriyah is not a place to linger. The corridor floors are filthy with water and grime, the plastic cover sheets on the beds are smeared with blood. The thick air tastes of decay and excrement, and it is all one can do not to retch.

Massacre At Hilla: An Eyewitness Report 
Common Dreams/Democracy Now!, April 4, 2003 
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! Host: Agence France Press correspondent Nayla Razzouk reports seeing cluster bomblets all over a neighborhood, though the Pentagon has denied using them in Hilla. However, the Pentagon has just admitted that they used them elsewhere in Iraq.

Amnesty, Activists Blast Cluster Bomb Use
Arab News, April 4, 2003
LONDON/BAGHDAD, 4 April 2003 — International human rights watchdog Amnesty International and British campaigners yesterday slammed the indiscriminate use of cluster bombs by the US/UK invading forces in Iraq on Wednesday. The Amnesty warned that the use of cluster bombs will lead to the indiscriminate killing of civilians.

UN, Red Cross Alarmed by Civilian Casualties
Arab News, April 4, 2003
GENEVA, 5 April 2003 — International aid agencies yesterday said they were alarmed by the number of civilian casualties in the war in Iraq and their inability to reach many of the wounded.

US Risks Postwar Chaos by Forging Tribal Alliances
Arab News, April 4, 2003
KUWAIT CITY, 5 April 2003 — A paucity of credible opposition figures has prompted the United States to team up with Iraqi tribal groups and rebel fighters against Saddam Hussein in an echo of its controversial alliances with Afghan warlords.

Baghdad Braced for Final Showdown
Arab News, April 4, 2003
Robert Fisk, The Independent - BAGHDAD, 4 April 2003 — All day, I had asked myself about the supposed American assault-to-come on Baghdad. Where were the panicking crowds? Where were the food queues? Where were the empty streets? True, the motorway to the airport was a spooky, lonely journey. But the center of Baghdad was more lively than for many days.

Bombings Affecting Pregnant Women Badly
Arab News, April 4, 2003
BAGHDAD, 4 April 2003 — When 22-year-old Hind began to bleed heavily yesterday morning, her mother rushed her to hospital for a premature delivery which doctors warn is increasingly becoming the norm under relentless US-British bombardment of Baghdad.

Iraq latest: At-a-glance
BBC, April 4, 2003
BBC News Online charts the latest developments in the Iraq conflict. [All times GMT and approximate] Friday, 4 April 1900: Arab satellite TV Al-Jazeera resumes work in Iraq after authorities lift ban imposed on two of its reporters. 1845: Iraqi state news agency says two Iraqi women were responsible for Friday's suicide attack which killed coalition forces.

UN aid staff return to Iraq
BBC, April 4, 2003
Foreign UN humanitarian staff have returned to Iraq, for the first time since Kofi Annan pulled them out on security grounds last month. An 11-person team from three agencies, including the children's fund Unicef and the World Food Programme (WFP), are assessing the humanitarian situation in the southern port town of Umm Qasr.

Contrary to Policy, US Forces Occupy Schools and Church
Common Dreams/Christian Science Monitor, April 4, 2003
Experts say the move, which began four days ago in a northern Iraqi town, may violate international law. -- This reporter witnessed the Humvees stopping outside a girls' school - currently closed because of the war - heaving their backpacks over a cement fence into the playground. On the roof of a Christian church next door, US troops were setting up communications equipment.

Bush, Blair to Hold Summit in N. Ireland
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - With their troops overtaking Iraq, President Bush and wartime ally Tony Blair plan to meet in Northern Ireland next week to discuss the battle against Saddam Hussein's forces and their plans for the nation after shooting stops.

Witnesses: Dozens Killed in Hit Near Baghdad
Reuters, April 3, 2003
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Dozens of Iraqis, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the village of Furat near Baghdad airport on Thursday evening in what witnesses said was a U.S. rocket strike, a Reuters reporter said. He said more than 120 people were wounded in the attack on the village, which lies between the airport and the Iraqi capital. Iraqi officials put the total death toll at 83, but it could not be independently confirmed.

House and Senate Approve War, Anti-Terror Funds
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
The House and Senate, eager to show support for American troops in combat, last night overwhelmingly approved measures to provide nearly $80 billion to finance the war in Iraq, strengthen defenses against terrorism at home and help financially troubled airlines. The votes were 93 to 0 in the Senate and 414 to 12 in the House.

Iraq Costs Will Overwhelm U.S., U.N. Official Says
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
UNITED NATIONS, April 3 -- A senior U.N. relief official said today that the overwhelming financial and political costs of rebuilding Iraq after the war would force the United States to eventually grant the United Nations and the international community a broader hand in shaping the country's future.

Iraq Promises 'Unconventional' Attack
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
With thousands of frightened residents fleeing Baghdad and U.S. troops in control of its airport, the Iraqi information minister promised Friday that his nation's military would launch an ``unconventional'' counterattack against the coalition troops....Asked if that meant the use of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, he quickly said no. ``What I meant are commando and martyrdom operations in a very new, creative way,'' al-Sahhaf said.

Marines Say 2,500 Iraqi Guards Surrender
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar (AP) - U.S. Marines have reported that about 2,500 Iraqi Republican Guards surrendered between Kut and Baghdad, U.S. Central Command said Friday.

Saddam Message Shows He May Have Survived
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - References to a downed U.S. helicopter in Saddam Hussein's video message Friday suggest it was made after the strike aimed at killing him, a U.S. intelligence official said. The message provided some of the strongest evidence yet that the Iraqi president survived the attack.

IraqWar.ru Report
IraqWar.ru, April 3, 2003
April 3, 2003, 1301hrs MSK (GMT +4 DST), Moscow - During the last and today early morning the coalition continued its advance toward Baghdad that it had begun three days ago. Units of the 3rd mechanized Infantry Division, failing to quickly capture the town of Al-Khindiya, blockaded it with a part of their forces and moved around the town from the east to reach Al-Iskanderiya by the morning. It is know clear right now whether the US troops were able to take the town of Al-Musaib or if they went around it as well. The overall [coalition] progress in this direction was about 25 kilometers during the past 24 hours.

Lights go out in Baghdad as US sends in special forces
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
American ground forces were close to seizing Saddam International Airport on the outskirts of Baghdad last night after slicing rapidly through Republican Guard opposition to come within six miles of the city, US military officials said.

The fight for the airport
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
The US claims to have captured Saddam international airport, but the battle for control is far from over -- Saddam international airport, 10 miles to the west of central Baghdad, appears to be mainly in American hands today, after a fierce battle in which 320 Iraqi soldiers died, according to the US military.

US finds 'suspect vials'
BBC, April 4, 2003
US troops say they have found thousands of boxes of unidentified white powder and some nerve agent antidote at an industrial site south-west of Baghdad. They also said they discovered documents in Arabic, which apparently explain how to carry out chemical warfare.

Saddam urges Iraqis to defend Baghdad
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, this morning urged the people of Baghdad to defend their city as advancing US troops seized Baghdad airport - just a 15-minute drive from city centre.

Iraqi forces have partially regrouped near Khazer
Middle East Online, April 4, 2003
NEAR KHAZER, Iraq - Iraqi forces were hunkered down near the strategic northern junction of Khazer Friday morning, despite being pounded by air raids overnight and a day of fierce fighting with Kurdish and American forces, Kurdish fighters said.

Where a taxi home costs a life
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
Michael Howard reports on the plight of Iraqi Kurds trying to make their way to safety in the north -- Marwan Bitlisi (not his real name) and his two female passengers were almost home. The 35km journey north-east from Mosul had been tense but uneventful.

As the marines race past, the scars of war are left behind in one small town
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
As thousands of Iraqis in cars, coaches and trucks take the road out, troops speed past in a race for the capital -- The whole land stinks of burning. Seen from several miles away yesterday morning, Aziziya was marked by columns of thick grey smoke, like still tornadoes on the horizon.

Hawkish lawyer to oversee Iraqi ministries
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
The Pentagon selects group to take power -- A Pentagon lawyer who sought to have US citizens imprisoned indefinitely without charge as part of the war on terrorism will supervise civil administration in Iraq once Saddam Hussein is removed.

Role for Exile Leaders Urged
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
Rumsfeld Proposes Interim Authority In Southern Iraq -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has proposed to President Bush that an interim Iraqi authority composed of exile leaders be quickly installed in the southern part of the country now largely under U.S. control.

US $80bn war chest 'for allies only'
BBC, April 4, 2003
The US House of Representatives has approved almost $80bn (£51bn) in financing for the war in Iraq and the start of reconstruction.
But in a controversial amendment, congressmen insisted that none of the money for rebuilding should go to companies from France, Germany, Russia or Syria - countries seen as implacable opponents of the US pursuit of the war. The White House had lobbied against the amendment, but the bill was nonetheless passed by an overwhelming 414-12 majority.

'Rolling' Victory Key to U.S. Endgame
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
Controlling Territory, Halting Resistance Are Aims; Surrender Not Expected -- The Bush administration has devised a strategy to declare victory in Iraq even if Saddam Hussein or key lieutenants remain at large and fighting continues in parts of the country, officials said yesterday.

Powell Urges 'Leading Role' for U.S. After War
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
Foreign Ministers Fail to Reach Consensus on U.N. Involvement in Rebuilding Iraq -- BRUSSELS, April 3 -- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell asserted today that the United States and its allies in the Iraq war must "play the leading role" in deciding the country's postwar future, resisting pressure from European officials who say that granting a central role to the United Nations would confer legitimacy on the U.S.-led invasion.

France, Russia and Germany Want Role in Rebuilding Iraq
New York Times, April 4, 2003
PARIS, April 4 — A day after the United States and its European allies agreed on significant international cooperation in rebuilding Iraq, France, Russia, and Germany sought today to stake out as extensive a United Nations role as possible in reconstructing the shattered country.

Fear that 'sleepers' will destabilise new regime
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
Senior military officials have for the first time warned that Iraqi militia fighters may survive the war to emerge as "sleepers" who destabilise the postwar regime. While commanders say many regular Iraqi soldiers are likely to be rehabilitated into a national army, the paramilitary forces represent a much more dangerous threat.

Bill in Oregon Seeks to Jail War Protesters as Terrorists 
Common Dreams, April 4, 2003
PORTLAND, Oregon -- An Oregon antiterrorism bill would jail street-blocking protesters for at least 25 years in what critics consider a thinly veiled effort to discourage antiwar demonstrations.

Some Critical Media Voices Face Censorship
Common Dreams/FAIR, April 4, 2003  
NEW YORK - April 3 - Although the invasion of Iraq is being fought under the name "Operation Iraqi Freedom," it has constricted the range of expression sanctioned by media outlets within the U.S. Starting before the war began, several national and local media figures have had their work jeopardized, either explicitly or implicitly because of the critical views they expressed on the war.

U.S. Greens Urge the U.N. General Assembly to Invoke 'Uniting for Peace'
Common Dreams/Green Party of the United States, April 4, 2003  
WASHINGTON - April 3 - U.S. Greens have adopted a proposal to urge the United Nations to invoke Resolution 377 ('Uniting for Peace') in response to the invasion of Iraq by the United States. 'Uniting for Peace' allows the U.N. General Assembly to circumvent the veto of the Security Council and take action when a permanent member of the Security Council, in this case the U.S., commits an unprovoked act of military aggression.

US Military Families Opposed to War Face a Dilemma
Arab News, April 4, 2003
NEW YORK, 4 April 2003 — Among Americans who oppose the war with Iraq, those with family members fighting in the conflict often find themselves isolated in an emotional struggle of their own.

Saudi fighters 'bound for Iraq'
BBC, April 3, 2003
Western intelligence sources say they have detected a small group of Saudi extremists trying to get into Iraq to attack coalition forces there. They say they believe the men are pretending to be aid workers and that they may be hoping to cross the border from Iran.

Anti-War Activists Join King Jr. March
The Guardian, April 4, 2003
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Marchers remembering the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King 35 years ago were joined Friday by anti-war demonstrators.

Kurdish Farmers Head Home As Iraqis Abandon Villages
Washington Post, April 4, 2003
Hussein's Forces Retreat, Leaving 'Arabized' Settlements Exposed  -- SHAMAMAR, Iraq, April 3 -- Amir Shaykhani would like to announce a name change for his home village. For 16 years, it has been called Hadidyin, an Arabic name, and populated only by Iraqi Arabs. From now on it will go by its Kurdish name, Shamamar, and soon Kurds will return to live here.

Groups Critical of Islam Are Waiting to Aid Iraq
New York Times, April 4, 2003
Two evangelical Christian organizations whose leaders have outspokenly denounced the Islamic faith are among the aid groups waiting at Iraq's borders to take humanitarian relief — and a Gospel message — to a nation whose people are predominantly Muslim.

The man who called Islam wicked is bringing aid and the Bible
Come and See, April 4, 2003
It could only happen with an American invasion. Poised behind the troops, waiting for a signal that Iraq is safe enough for them to operate in, are the evangelical Christians - carrying food in one hand and the Bible in the other.

Shiite religious leader denies issuing fatwa not to resist invasion forces
Al-Bawaba, April 4, 2003
The Shiite religious leader in the central Iraqi city of Najaf denied issuing a fatwa (religious decree) calling on the populace not to impede invasion forces, the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV reported. On Thurday, the US Central Command said Grand Ayatollah Mirza Ali Sistani had issued such a fatwa.

Iraqi TV shows 'Saddam walkabout'
icWales, April 4, 2003
Saddam Hussein was shown on Iraqi television tonight walking through cheering crowds in an apparent attempt to rally support and show the world he was still alive - and in control.

Solo voices in the Arab chorus  
Haaretz, April 4, 2003 
There are a lot of frayed nerves these days in the Arab states. Leaders aren't talking to other leaders, insulting messages are flying from state to state, official journalists are leveling accusations at other official journalists, young people on the campuses are just waiting for an opportunity to burst through the fences, and every day the war in Iraq gets creative new names: "war of aggression," "war of hatred," the "invasion of Iraq" and so on.

Jordan Bible Society start relief and evangelism campaign for Iraqi people
Come and See, April 4, 2003
While news of war in Iraq are heard, the Jordan Bible Society is starting a big emergency relief project in Iraq.

Arab-American held two weeks without charges
Duluth News Tribune, April 4, 2003
HILLSBORO, Ore. - An Arab-American software engineer at Intel Corp. has been seized by armed FBI agents and jailed in solitary confinement for two weeks without charges, friends say. "They haven't even questioned him once in the entire two weeks," said Steven McGeady, a former Intel executive who was Maher Hawash's boss.

PM summons US envoy to condemn Iraqi civilian deaths
Jordan Times, April 4, 2003
AMMAN — Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb on Thursday summoned US Ambassador Edward Gnehm to condemn the deaths of Iraqi civilians in Anglo-American attacks. “Jordan condemns the killings and destruction caused by the invasion of Iraq, and holds the United States, Britain and any other country taking part in the war in Iraq responsible for protecting innocent civilians in line with the Geneva Convention,” Abul Ragheb told Gnehm.

Anti-war Hollywood stars pay hefty price
Middle East Online, April 4, 2003
Sean Penn's opposition to war costs him film role, Madonna pulled the anti-war video release for fear of losing sales. --