IOF Kill 2, including Student, in Raid on W. Bank High School
Palestine Media Center, April 24, 2003
Israel Detains ISM Member, Bars Journalist from W. Bank  -- April 24, 2003 - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians and wounded three others after raiding a school in Karawat Bani Zeid village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah...Also on Thursday, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) said that its coordinator, Osama Qashoo, and an Italian journalist, Thomaso Besavi, were detained earlier Tuesday by Israeli occupation soldiers in the northern West Bank refugee camp of Nour Shams.

Breaking News: Curfew, Confiscations in Tulkarem
International Press Center, April 24, 2003
15:35 Israeli occupying forces (IOF) imposed curfew on the city of Tulkarem, and prevented all incoming and outgoing traffic in the city. IOF troops also forcibly seized several citizens' cars in the city. (WAFA)

Israeli occupation army destroys 7 more homes in Gaza
Palestinian Information Center, April 24, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem -  The Israeli occupation army on Wednesday destroyed at least seven more homes in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

Israeli Army Chief Threatens Internationalists
CounterPunch, April 24, 2003
Passover Warning: "Get Out" -- Tzahal (Israeli Military Radio) Transcript of an excerpt from the program ''Open line with the Chief of Staff'': On Passover Eve, April 16, 2003 at 08:00, the program "Open Line with the Chief of Staff" was broadcast, during which Lt.-General Moshe Yaa'alon spoke with soldiers and commanders about current events.

Fatah, PFLP claim bombing attack at train station near Tel Aviv: One Israeli killed, at least 16 injured
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
A suicide bomber blew himself up Thursday morning at the entrance of the new train station in the city of Kfar Sava, some 20 km north of Tel Aviv. One Israeli was killed and at least 16 other people were wounded.

Changes in former cabinet are expected
Middle East Online, April 24, 2003
GAZA CITY - Palestinian prime minister-designate Mahmud Abbas will reveal the make-up of his new government on Monday at the latest, a Palestinian official said on Thursday. Abbas will not announce the line-up before the next parliament meeting, which is scheduled for Sunday or Monday, the official said on condition of anonymity Thursday.

Preliminary Palestinian Cabinet Set for Parliamentary Vote
Palestine Media Center, April 24, 2003
PNA, EU Urge ‘Immediate’ Release of ‘Roadmap’ -- Just six hours before a deadline for Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to announce the new ministerial line-up or step aside for a new premier, Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qurei said President Yasser Arafat and Abbas informed him that the new Cabinet was formed and the list of ministers is ready for presentation to parliament.

PA report: 890 Palestinian captives suffering various diseases
Palestinian Information Center, April 24, 2003
Gaza - The Palestinian Authority’s ministry of prisoners affairs has issued a report indicating that 890 Palestinian detainees in Zionist jails were suffering from various diseases and not receiving proper treatment.

Israel to Invite New Palestinian Premier
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel will invite Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas to Jerusalem to discuss restarting the stalled peace process once a new Palestinian Cabinet is in place, an Israeli official said Thursday.

One Palestinian Civilian Killed, Three School Boys Arrested in Hebron
International Press Center, April 24, 2003
HEBRON, Palestine April 24, 03, (IPC)- A Palestinian civilian was killed Wednesday in a mysterious explosion took place in his own house in Hebron town of Ethna. Shalaby Tamezy was killed and two others were wounded following a house explosion, Palestinian medical affirmed.

Jihad leaders nabbed in Jenin and Nablus
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
Crack units of the Israel Defense Forces yesterday arrested the military leaders of the Islamic Jihad organization in both Jenin and Nablus, as well as a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Qalqilyah.

PMO: no pledge given on Arafat's freedom of movement
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
The Prime Minister's Office released a statement Thursday saying that Israel had not made any pledge to allow Yasser Arafat freedom of movement in exchange for his agreement to compromise on the make-up of the new Palestinian Authority cabinet, Israel Radio reported.

Border Policemen arrested in killing of Hebron teen attacked other Palestinians
Jerusalem Post, April 24, 2003 
Four Israeli border policemen arrested last week on suspicion of killing a 17-year-old Palestinian in the West Bank city of Hebron four months ago in an apparent revenge attack had assaulted and injured at least two other Palestinians earlier that day, court documents released Thursday showed.

International solidarity activists demonstrate against Zionist crimes
Palestinian Information Center, April 24, 2003
Rafah - Members in the international solidarity movement for the protection of the Palestinian people organized a massive march a couple of days ago under the slogan “no to the murder of Palestinians” and “no to the murder of foreign peace activists”.

Iran frees last Jewish 'spies'
BBC, April 24, 2003
Iran has released a final group of Jews jailed for spying for Israel, its foreign minister says. The five had been serving sentences of up to 13 years.

Suicide bomber hits rush hour station
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowded railway station in central Israel today, killing a security guard who tried to prevent him from entering the building.

Children in Temporary Detention Center in Inhumane Conditions For Over One Month
Defence of Chidren International - Palestine, April 22, 2003
Gross Violation of Child Rights: At least 7 Palestinian children have been detained for over three weeks in inhumane temporary detention conditions at Bet El military base just outside Ramallah. Eleven children are living and sleeping in an area of 5 square metres. They are allowed to take a 30 minute break just once a week.

Guard killed, 13 hurt in suicide bomb attack in Kfar Sava  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003
Alexander Kostyuk, a 23-year-old security guard from Bat Yam, was killed and at least 13 others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the new Kfar Sava railway station at around 7:20 A.M. on Thursday. Kostyuk is survived by his parents and a younger sibling.

Palestinians: Two people killed by IDF gunfire near Ramallah  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
The troops fired at high school students after they began throwing stones at them -- Palestinian sources reported early Thursday afternoon that two Palestinians, including a teenager, were killed by IDF gunfire and five people were wounded in the village of Qarawat Bani Zeit, near Ramallah.

Israeli troops raid a school in Ramallah; kill a schoolchild and a taxi driver
LAW Society, April 24, 2003
Today, Thursday, April 24, 2003, Israeli troops raided Qarawat Bani Zeid High School in Qarawat Bani Zeid in Ramallah district, killed a schoolchild and a taxi driver and wounded a schoolchild.

Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in West Bank
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
Palestinian sources reported early Thursday afternoon that two Palestinians, including a teenager, were killed by Israeli gunfire and five people were wounded in Karawat Bani Zeid village near Ramallah.

Israeli Troops Storm a School and Kill Two in Ramallah
International Press Center, April 24, 2003
RAMALLA, Palestine, April 24, 2003, (IPC)-- Two Palestinian civilians, a student and a pedestrian, were killed Thursday noon and three others were wounded as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed a secondary school in the village of Qarawett Banizaid, north of Ramallah.

Two Palestinians killed by IDF fire
Jerusalem Post, April 24, 2003
Palestinians reported that Fakar Azat, a 17-year-old high school student, and Osama Sharif, 24, were killed by IDF gunfire and five were wounded when a mob threw stones at soldiers at Qawasat Bani Zeid near Ramallah on Thursday.

Zionists detain more Palestinian civilians
Palestinian Information Center, April 24, 2003 
Occupied Jerusalem - Israeli occupation forces continued the criminal daily practice of “rounding up” Palestinian civilians and dumping them into detention camps.

Israeli Bulldozers Demolish Six Houses in Gaza
International Press Center, April 24, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, April 23, 2003, (IPC)--Israeli occupation forces (IOF) destroyed Wednesday morning six Palestinian owned houses in the middle of Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said. Several tanks and bulldozers incurred into the Al-Mughraga hamlet, in the middle of the Gaza Strip, and destroyed five houses leaving more than 40 Palestinians homeless, Palestinian security directorate reported.

PNA Condemns Israeli Killing of School Boys and Explosion in Kfar Saba
International Press Center, April 24, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, April 24, 2003, (IPC)-- Palestinian National Authority, PNA condemned today the explosion occurred Thursday morning, in the city of Kifar Saba that led to the death of one Israeli and injuring others.

Mossad is planning resounding assassinations
Palestinian Information Center, April 24, 2003
Tel Aviv - Chief of the Zionist foreign intelligence agency (Mossad) Meir Dagan is planning a series of assassinations in lines of Palestinian resistance combatants in addition to a number of renowned anti-“Israel” Islamic figures, according to Hebrew sources.

Senators Threaten Universities Critical of Israel with Funding Cuts
Palestine Media Center, April 24, 2003
A US congressman has proposed a law that, in effect, prohibits the criticism of Israel in American college campuses by threatening these universities with federal funding cuts if they are found to be permitting censure of the Jewish State on campus.

Arafat’s Last Minute Cave-In Secures Abu Mazen Cabinet
Arab News, April 24, 2003
RAMALLAH, 24 April 2003 — Palestinian President Yasser Arafat bowed yesterday to key Cabinet demands from his reformist premier-designate, clearing the way for the release of an international plan to tackle 30 months of Middle East bloodshed.

Middle East's 'political theatre'
BBC, April 24, 2003
After days of wrangling and intense international pressure, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas have reached a last-minute compromise on a new cabinet.

Palestinian Groups Vow 'Continued' Resistance
Islam Online, April 24, 2003
CAIRO, April 24 (IslamOnline.net) – As Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and prime minister-designate Mahmud Abbas broke their deadlock, Islamic resistance movements Wednesday, April 23, ruled out the new cabinet would stand up against the Intifada or succumb to Israel's calls for an end attacks against the Jewish state.

Egyptian Mediation Breaks Palestinian Cabinet Deadlock
Islam Online, April 24, 2003
RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat allowed prime minister-designate Mahmud Abbas to name Mohammed Dahlan as internal security minister in his new cabinet Wednesday, April 23, breaking their deadlock, presidential secretary Tayeb Abdelrahim said.

Arafat, Abbas OK New Palestinian Cabinet
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Yasser Arafat and his prime minister-designate, Mahmoud Abbas, ended their bitter standoff over the composition of a new Cabinet on Wednesday, clearing the way for a new Mideast peace initiative backed by Washington.

After the fall
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 17 - 23 April 2003
Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian leadership have felt the tremors from Iraq. But they have yet to make either change their ways.  --  "The conquest of Iraq has created a new situation in an old world," Ariel Sharon told Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper on Wednesday, one of a slew of interviews the Israeli prime minister has given for the Jewish Passover holiday.

US welcomes Arafat, Abu Mazen agreement, Hamas warns new government
Al-Bawaba, April 23, 2003
Omar Suleiman
Washington welcomed on Wednesday an agreement on a Palestinian Cabinet and said it looked forward working with Israel and the Palestinian prime minister-designate on resuming work on Middle East peace.

Press analyses Palestinian deal
BBC, April 24, 2003
Israeli newspapers were quick to react to the announcement that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, had reached a last-minute deal over appointments to the new Palestinian cabinet. Palestinian papers, however, were slower off the mark, and were less categorical.

Palestine: new deal could facilitate EU 'road map'
EU Observer, April 24, 2003
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A power-sharing agreement between leaders of the Palestinian Authority has raised the prospect of an EU-backed peace plan being presented to the world.

Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine April 24, 2003
Palestine Media Center, April 24, 2003
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians and wounded three others after raiding a school in the West Bank village of Qarawat Bani Zeid. IOF also bulldozed more Palestinians’ houses in the Gaza Strip and detained eight Palestinians in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Meanwhile, IOF detained a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and an Italian Journalist in Nour Shams refugee camp.

Spain helps restore Palestinian town Sebastia
MENA Report, April 24, 2003
A United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ceremony last week marked the completion of a renovation project in Sebastia, a town in the West Bank that is home to important archeological sites. The cornerstone was also laid for a health clinic that will serve seven neighboring villages.

Israel plans military privatisations
BBC, April 22, 2003
Israel's financial crisis has pushed the military into privatising non-combat elements of the forces and could lead to a reduced standing army. The new head of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) Technology and Logistics Branch, Major-General Udi Adam, announced the privatisation proposals on IDF Radio on Monday.

Iran says five Jews jailed for spying now free  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
TEHRAN - Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said on Thursday that five Jews convicted three years ago of spying for Israel had been freed from prison.

Painter Gershuni asks High Court to return his Israel Prize  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
Painter Moshe Gershuni, who was awarded the Israel Prize for art, only to have it rescinded because he refused to participate in the Independence Day state ceremony at which the prizes are awarded, yesterday petitioned the High Court to have the prestigious honor reinstated.

Abu Mazen, Arafat clinch last-minute deal
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
A last minute intervention yesterday by Egypt's intelligence services chief Omar Suleiman ended more than a week of crisis in the Palestinian leadership struggle when PA Chairman Yasser Arafat approved a government put together by prime minister designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).

Terror trauma affects 40 percent of children  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
Around 40 percent of Jewish children suffer from moderate to severe symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to a Tel Aviv University study, 15 percent of them report medium to serious symptoms, and 9 percent report clinical-grade symptoms....Another study, conducted by Adler center doctoral candidate Tamar Lavie in the summer of 2001, before Operation Defensive Shield, found that 70 percent of Palestinian children suffer from symptoms of post traumatic stress.

Economists expect negative inflation for April and May
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
The average of economists' projections for inflation is -0.15 percent each for April and May. For the next twelve-month period, the economists expect inflation to be 1.1 percent. Inflation projections for 2003 are about 1.8 percent - inside the government inflation target.

Treasury delays Knesset vote on austerity plan 
Haaretz, April 24, 2003
The head of the Histadrut labor federation's Trade Unions division, Shlomo Shani, said last night there had been "some progress" in the negotiations with the Finance Ministry, with the Histadrut leaders welcoming the treasury's decision to postpone submitting the economic austerity plan to the Knesset from Sunday to Wednesday next week.

Analysis / `The Americans won'  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
An East Jerusalem journalist, asked last night who won, replied: "Neither Arafat nor Abu Mazen. The Americans won." It's very possible that answer is an accurate reflection of Palestinian public opinion, which did not seem bothered by the struggle of the titans, Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), at the top over the past few weeks.

Analysis / Let the games begin 
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
Yesterday was a red-letter day for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. For two years, Sharon has insisted that he will not negotiate with "the dog, the murderer and the liar" Yasser Arafat and has called for his replacement with a "pragmatic" leader. With the establishment of a new Palestinian Authority government under Abu Mazen, Sharon has now got what he wanted.

Several senior officers disciplined for friendly-fire incident  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
A number of severe disciplinary measures have been taken against senior Israel Defense Forces officers following the conclusion of an investigation into the accidental killing of two Israeli guards in the Hebron area last month.

Marani heads to U.S. to wrap up financial aid, loan guarantees  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
Finance Ministry Director General Ohad Marani was to leave this morning for the United States to tie up the final details of the loan guarantees and financial aid to Israel with administration officials.

New PA government could bring Labor back into coalition  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
The establishment of a Palestinian government under Abu Mazen could hasten the chances of coalition changes in Israel, senior Labor Party sources say. According to these sources, it might be possible for Labor to join Ariel Sharon's government in the not-too-distant future if the prime minister seriously intends to move forward on the peace process.

Police plan to block worshipers from disputed church ceremony  
Haaretz, April 24, 2003 
Jerusalem police are gearing up to prevent the entry of thousands of Christian worshipers to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday, for fear of violence. Police believe there could be fighting between rival Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergy over conducting the "Sabbath of Light" ceremony that falls on that day.

Rallies to Support ISM by Palestinians and Israeli's
International Solidarity Movement, April 23, 2003 
Today at 11:30AM Palestinians from the Palestinian Children's Parliament and the Progressive Palestinian Youth Union  joined in solidarity with members from the International Solidarity Movement to protest the continued attacks on civilians by the Israeli army. Approximaely 200 protesters carried pictures of Rachel Corrie , Tom Hurndall and signs that read "Palestinians and Internationals are Targeted by the Israeli army".

Explosion rocks shop at Lebanese refugee camp
Jerusalem Post, April 24, 2003 
A pre-dawn bomb attack Thursday caused slight damages but no casualties at an electronic games and snooker shop in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, Lebanese security officials said.

Other Middle East News

Iraqi Children Die Quietly As Infections Spread
Islam Online, April 24, 2003
BAGHDAD, April 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - For five days Samya Ilihadi has prayed over her son like a machine at Baghdad's main children's hospital, waving a cloth over his sunken eyes and swollen belly to try to keep him cool.

Pilgrims threaten jihad against American forces
The Independent, April 24, 2003
The Shia pilgrimage to Karbala, one of the most potent and symbolic in recent Iraqi history, took on a strident political and martial note yesterday with demands for the establishment of an Islamic state and threats of a jihad against the "American occupiers".

Iraqi Kids Die as Infections Spread
Arab News, April 24, 2003
BAGHDAD, 24 April 2003 — For five days Samya Ilihadi has prayed over her son like a mechanical Madonna at Baghdad’s main children’s hospital, waving a cloth over his sunken eyes and swollen belly to try to keep him cool. Her five-month-old boy Hassan is just one of thousands of Iraqi children caught in a deadly outbreak of diarrhea and other infections which have erupted in the aftermath of the war.

The war has not ended
The Independent, April 24, 2003
In the aftermath of the Iraq conflict, the world's media have focused on the plight of Ali Ismail Abbas, who lost his arms to American bombs. But he is by no means the only victim. -- Anyone watching the television news over the past week could be forgiven for thinking that the conflict in Iraq is done and dusted and that – after the loss of 160 British and American soldiers and an estimated 5,600 Iraqi soldiers and civilians – it falls into the category of another small victorious war.

The Jordanian “inconvenience” of US-endorsed Iraqi opposition leader Chalabi
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
Returning to a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq after nearly four decades in exile, the self-appointed US-endorsed Iraqi opposition leader Ahmad Chalabi is at the center of controversy in his homeland and elsewhere throughout the Arab world.

US businessman to lead Iraq agriculture reconstruction efforts
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has named a Washington-based agribusinessman to head the department's agriculture reconstruction efforts in Iraq. In an April 21 press release, USAID said that Dan Amstutz will serve as senior ministry advisor for agriculture in the rebuilding effort and will coordinate the US Government activities in the sector.

Garner tours Kurdish areas; another Iraqi commander captured 
Al-Jazeera, April 24, 2003
As occupying United States forces continued with arrests of the top brass close to ousted President Saddam Hussein, his de facto successor Jay Garner toured Iraq to see the situation first hand.

U.S. Firms Secretly Bid to Uphold Law in Iraq
Los Angeles Times, April 18, 2003
WASHINGTON -- A subsidiary of El Segundo-based Computer Sciences Corp. is among a handful of U.S. defense contractors secretly invited to submit bids for a long-term contract to rebuild Iraq's national police force, prisons and judiciary, according to State Department officials.

Garner Holds Baghdad 'Town Hall' Meeting
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The ``governmental process'' in Iraq will be up and running by the end of next week and all ministries will have Iraqi officials at the helm as soon as possible, the American general in charge of rebuilding the country said Thursday.

US captures four top Iraqi officials
The Independent, April 24, 2003
American forces in Iraq have captured four more top officials of Saddam Hussein's former government — including the air defence force commander and the former head of military intelligence — bringing the total to 11.

British hope colonial past can inspire law and order
The Independent, April 24, 2003
Military lawyers are dusting down the system of law used during the 38-year British mandate in Iraq in an urgent effort to reach a workable interim criminal and civil code before a new constitution and legal system is agreed.

efence Secretary flies in as the British Army prepares to pull out
The Independent, April 24, 2003
Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, yesterday became the first member of a British or US government to visit Iraq since before the 1991 Gulf war.

US will oversee return of displaced Kurds
Salaam, April 24, 2003
As Jay Garner, the retired US general charged with administering Iraq, continued his tour of the north yesterday, Kurdish and US officials announced a commission to oversee the return of Kurds displaced by the former regime in favour of Arabs.

US Bridles as UN's Kofi Annan Calls It 'Occupying Power'
CommonDreams, April 24, 2003
GENEVA - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called today on the U.S.-led coalition to respect international law as the "occupying power" in Iraq, drawing immediate ire from U.S. officials.

Baghdad Slowly Getting More Electricity
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Electricity is slowly returning to Baghdad after a three-week blackout, but engineers warned Thursday the capital won't be fully powered again until they get parts to repair transformers and power lines damaged in the war.

Assailants Shoot At Marine Command Post
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
KUT, Iraq (AP) - Assailants fired on a U.S. Marine command post in two drive-by shootings Thursday amid rising tensions between U.S. troops and followers of a Shiite cleric who claims control of this southern city.

Media, Troops Investigated in Iraq Theft
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Members of the news media and U.S. soldiers are being investigated for taking art, artifacts, weapons and cash from Iraq, with criminal charges already brought in one case, federal officials said Wednesday.

U.S. Seizes Stolen Iraqi Artifacts From Marines, Reporters
Islam Online, April 24, 2003
WASHINGTON, April 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. Customs agents have seized stolen Iraq paintings and military weapons from U.S. journalists and troops returning from Iraq and charged one with smuggling, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday, April 24.

Kharazi dismissed Iranian infiltration of the Badr Brigade into Iraq
Middle East Online, April 24, 2003
TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi on Thursday warned US troops not to violate the "red line" of its border with Iraq, and voiced alarm over a reported ceasefire deal between the US and the Iraq-based People's Mujahedeen armed opposition group.

Iran not 'meddling' in Iraq
BBC, April 24, 2003
Iran has dismissed any suggestion that it might be interfering in post-war Iraq following a warning by the United States. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi declared Tehran was not seeking to push the political role of fellow majority Shia Muslims in Iraq at the expense of any other community.

Source: Iranians are already cooperating with Americans; Bader Brigade fighters not allowed to enter Iraq
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
An official at the Islamic Revolution Council in Iraq told Al Bawaba Thursday that none of its fighters from the Bader Brigade – the council’s military wing - have infiltrated into Iraq.

Kharrazi: No Iranian interference in Iraq
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
Iran rejected U.S. claims that Tehran was interfering in Iraq and said on Thursday it was not seeking to promote the political role of fellow Shi'ite Muslims in its western neighbor.

French FM urges Iran to sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin called on Iran to sign an additional protocol to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty that would allow unlimited inspections of any sites under suspicion.

Arab League wants active role in Iraqi reconstruction
Al-Bawaba, April 24, 2003
Arab League chief Amr Moussa is heading to Saudi Arabia on Friday as part of a broader regional tour to secure an active Arab role in Iraqi reconstruction and Arab-Israeli peacemaking in the aftermath of the war.

'Worse than 1967'
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 17 - 23 April 2003
Egyptian intellectuals: Arab regimes don't seem to be learning the right lessons from the occupation of Iraq -- A few days after President Hosni Mubarak's 19 March speech blaming the Saddam Hussein regime for the Iraqi crisis, 29 prominent Egyptian intellectuals -- representing a wide range of the political spectrum -- issued a statement announcing their "disagreement" with the president's position.

Robert Fisk Interview: Looking Beyond War
AlterNet.org/Democracy Now!, April 23, 2003
Amy Goodman: After spending a month in Iraq, could you describe your thoughts?  Robert Fisk: Well, my assumption is that history has a way or repeating itself. I was talking to a very militaristic Shiite Muslim from Nashas about only five days ago and a journalist was saying to him "do you realize how historic these days are?" and I said to him "do you realize how history is repeating itself?" and he turned to me and said "yes history is repeating itself, and I knew what he meant.

Rise of Conscientious Objection
AlterNet.org, April 21, 2003
Although only a handful of them have gone public, several hundred U.S. soldiers have applied for conscientious objector (CO) status since January, says a human rights group.

WMD hunt may exclude UN - Hoon
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
The task of verifying whether or not Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction might not fall to the UN, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, said today. Mr Hoon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a country outside the coalition could carry out the task.

Iraq weapons 'will not be planted'
BBC, April 24, 2003
Jack Straw has dismissed suggestions that coalition forces would "plant" weapons of mass destruction to justify the war in Iraq. The UK foreign secretary said "immense care" would be taken to check the veracity of any weapons finds.

UK to aid Iraq DU removal
BBC, April 23, 2003
The UK Government says it will help to clean up depleted uranium (DU) ammunition in Iraq. The US has said it has no plans to remove DU debris, despite international recommendations for its retrieval.

Britain skeptical about Iraq UN inspectors
Middle East Online, April 24, 2003
LONDON - Independent verification of any Iraqi weapons of mass destruction may not fall to UN inspectors but rather to a country which is not part of the Iraq war coalition, Britain's Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said Thursday.

Garner plays down Shia demonstrations
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
Iraqi academics courted · US angry at Annan "occupiers" remark · Possible clue to missing US airman  -- The retired US general in charge of postwar Iraq said today that recent demonstrations protesting against the US presence there have been influenced by neighbouring Iran.

UN urges action on Iraq pollution
BBC, April 24, 2003
The United Nations says urgent action is needed to tackle an environmental crisis in Iraq worsened by war damage and increased pollution. A report by the UN's Environment Programme said the water and sewerage systems needed immediate repair and that pollution "hotspots" had to be tackled.

Jail gives up gruesome secrets
BBC, April 23, 2003
It was meant to be a straightforward job: check out one of Saddam Hussein's prisons and try to find relatives of some of the thousands of Iraqis who have gone missing during the dictator's brutal regime.  Instead we found something a bit more disturbing than that.

Under fire, Powell gets backing of Bush aides 
International Herald Tribune/New York Times  Thursday, April 24, 2003
After unity for war, split of diplomats and hard-liners reappears -- A senior White House official asserted Wednesday that Gingrich's criticism "was seen at the White House as an attack on the president, not an attack on Powell."  --  WASHINGTON Since the end of the war in Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell has come under intense fire from conservatives in the administration, in Congress and at policy institutes who have long favored less diplomacy and more muscle in the U.S. approach to the world.

Garner plunges into Iraqi politics
Middle East Online, April 24, 2003
Jay Garner, the US civil administrator for Iraq, plunged into the search for local leadership in Baghdad Thursday to work with the US occupation forces in rebuilding the country, saying he hoped to get government ministries up and running from around the end of next week.

Anti-war anger simmers in Paris
BBC, April 23, 2003
Little more than a month ago, the air in the streets of Paris crackled with anti-war sentiment. In the cafés, on the boulevards and in the markets, it was difficult to move far without being exhorted to accept fliers urging people to mass meetings and protest marches in a show of defiance against George Bush and Tony Blair.

US seeks to sideline France
BBC, April 24, 2003
American State Department officials say the United States may seek to exclude France from key decision-making within Nato in response to French opposition to the US-led war in Iraq.

Nato gears up for Iraq role
BBC, April 24, 2003
France has been wary of extending Nato's scope -- Nato has indicated it is ready to send peacekeeping troops to Iraq, but says it has not yet been asked to do so. The United States has been pushing for months for the alliance to take on a key post-war role in Iraq.

Alliances shifting as dust settles in Baghdad
EU Observer, April 24, 2003
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - 12,000 miles away but moving closer. Unhappy with the US for abandoning diplomacy in the run up to the war in Iraq, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, has signalled that her country may be turning toward the EU for diplomatic leadership.

Defiant, Paris rejects warning by Powell 
International Herald Tribune, April 24, 2003
WASHINGTON French officials responded brusquely Wednesday to an assertion by Secretary of State Colin Powell that France would be made to suffer for its opposition to the war in Iraq. Dominique de Villepin, Powell’s French counterpart, sounded a defiant tone in insisting that France would not be bowed by American pressure or threats.

Palacio’s Damascus visit brings allegations of being US’ chihuahua
EU Observer, April 24, 2003 
Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio has visited Syria, days after her President, José Maria Aznar, claimed Syria was not on Washington’s ‘to do’ list.

McCartney calls for cluster bomb ban
BBC, April 21, 2003
Sir Paul McCartney has called for a ban on cluster bombs being used in war, and insists only "time will tell" whether the coalition forces were right to go in to Iraq. Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live's Nicky Campbell, he described himself as a "pacifist" who had concerns about the way the war had been conducted.

Dixie Chicks 'get death threats'
BBC, April 24, 2003
The band say the backlash has gone "out of control" -- The Dixie Chicks have said they fear for their lives following the backlash against singer Natalie Maines' comments about US President George Bush.

Dyke attacks 'unquestioning' US media
The Guardian, April 24, 2003 
BBC director general Greg Dyke has delivered a stinging rebuke to the US media over its "unquestioning" coverage of the war in Iraq and warned the government against allowing the UK media to become "Americanised".

Children held at Guantanamo Bay
The Guardian, April 24, 2003
Children younger than 16 are being held as "enemy combatants" in the American detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, the US military admitted yesterday, a practice human rights groups condemned as repugnant and illegal.

After 'Decline,' U.S. Again Capable of Making Nuclear Arms
CommonDreams/Los Angeles Times, April 23, 2003 
The United States has regained the capability to make nuclear weapons for the first time in 14 years and has restarted production of plutonium parts for bombs, the Energy Department said Tuesday.

US troops kill Baghdad lions
BBC, April 22, 2003
Four starving lions which dug their way out of a Baghdad zoo have been shot dead by American soldiers, the military says. Two of the big cats lunged for the US troops who then fired at them, one soldier said.

Regional doubts over Garner's role
BBC, April 23, 2003
Arab newspapers continue to express doubts about the chances of success for Jay Garner, the retired US general charged with forming an interim administration in Iraq. What the papers widely regard as US-led "occupation" of the country also comes in for criticism, with warnings that the Iraqi people will not accept any foreign-imposed settlement.

Iraq's foreign debts in spotlight
BBC, April 24, 2003
The Paris Club of rich lending nations is meeting to decide how to deal with Iraq's foreign debts. The country accumulated several hundred billion dollars of debt while Saddam Hussein was in power. Now America is pressing Iraq's creditors to write off debts or reduce the amounts claimed to free up resources for reconstruction after the war.

Iranian actress escapes lashing
BBC, April 23, 2003
A well-known Iranian actress has been given a suspended sentence of 74 lashes for kissing a man during an awards ceremony. Gohar Kheirandish landed in court after kissing director Ali Zamani on the forehead.

Blair and King of Jordan in talks
icWales, April 24, 2003
King Abdullah of Jordan is meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street to discuss the Middle East peace process and the future of Iraq. Officials confirmed that the King was taking time out from a "private visit" to the UK to discuss the major issues with Mr Blair.

UNICEF poll produces a 'gold mine' of youth information
Jordan Times, April 24, 2003
88.3 per cent of educated females are unemployed — survey -- AMMAN — Jordan is not reaping the full economic benefit of citizens with higher education, as a significant number of educated youth are currently unemployed, according to a national study released Wednesday.

Press Union Hails Jordan's Scrapping Of Tough Amendment
Islam Online, April 24, 2003
CAIRO, April 23 (IslamOnline.net) – The Arab Union of Journalists hailed on Thursday, April 24, the Jordan's scrapping of a controversial amendment to the kingdom's press law that imposed heavy penalties for a range of violations, calling on other Arab countries to follow suit.