Teenage Hamas militant killed in shootout with Israeli army
Sydney Morning Herald, April 29, 2003
A 17-year-old militant from the radical Islamic group Hamas was killed yesterday in a shootout with the Israeli army in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian security officials said.

Police capture Islamic Jihad head in Jenin
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
Undercover Border Police officers Monday afternoon captured the head of Islamic Jihad in Jenin, Abu Ali Kasey, and arrested three other suspects in the West Bank city, Israel Radio reported.

Israeli Ambassador to US Calls for 'Regime Change' in Iran, Syria
CommonDreams, April 28, 2003
WASHINGTON - The Israeli ambassador in Washington called for "regime change" in Iran and Syria on Monday through diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions and what he called "psychological pressure." Ambassador Daniel Ayalon said the U.S. invasion of Iraq and overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein helped create great opportunities for Israel but it was "not enough."

Israeli: Palestinians Must Drop Demand
Washington Post, April 28, 2003
JERUSALEM - Israel will not take any permanent, concrete actions toward achieving peace in the Middle East unless the Palestinians "unequivocally" withdraw their demand that millions of Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to their original homes, a top Israeli official said Monday.

Israeli Occupation Troops Lift Curfew on Qalqilya After 'Night of Terror'
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
"Occupation troops, backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, had invaded the town Saturday evening amid heavy gunfire, apparently for the purpose of terrorizing the townspeople .." -- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (IAPNews) - Israeli occupation forces on Sunday lifted a tight lockdown on the Palestinian town of Qalqilya in the West Bank after what residents described as a “night of terror.”

Arafat calls on Fatah members in PLC to support Abu Mazen's cabinet
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat called on Fatah members in the Palestinian Legislative Council Monday night to support the new cabinet that incoming Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) will present Tuesday.

Palestinian Juvenile Prisoners Live in Tragic Circumstances
International Press Center, April 28, 2003 
RAMALLAH, Palestine, April 28, 2003, IPC-- The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club described the conditions of the Palestinian juveniles imprisoned in Israeli jails as tragic as they are subjected to inhumane treatment and called on related parties to help those prisoners.

Histadrut decides to start general strike at 6 A.M. Wednesday  
Haaretz, April 28, 2003
The Histadrut labor federation decided Monday to begin a general strike at 6 A.M. Wednesday morning, and the treasury decided to significantly reduce the planned public-sector salary cut.

US warns Israel: Pass plan or no loan guarantees
Globes,  April 28, 2003
The US will decide if Israel kept its promise to pass the economic plan "in general" after the Knesset vote. -- Disagreements arose in Friday’s US-Israeli talks on the loan guarantees and their terms in Washington. The Bush administration is insisting that Israel implement the Ministry of Finance’s economic plan in full.

Mofaz: All illegal outposts to go
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
"All of the illegal outposts will be evacuated," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz declared yesterday at the weekly cabinet meeting. Mofaz said the staff work in preparation for this mission should be completed within two weeks.

Israeli High Court rules to permit the Israeli army’s use of flechette shells
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, April 27, 2003
As further evidence of the seemingly unconditional support of the Israeli judiciary for the Israeli military and its actions, the Israeli High Court this morning issued a decision effectively permitting the Israeli military’s use of flechette anti-personnel tank shells against Palestinian civilians.

Almost half of Likud MKs join `Yesha lobby'
Haaretz, April 28, 2003
Eighteen of the 40 currently serving Likud Knesset members have joined the West Bank and Gaza Strip settlers' lobby, which was founded by MK Yehiel Hazan, himself a resident of Ariel and the settlers' representative in Likud.

Japan FM rejects Powell appeal not to meet Arafat; Abu Mazen demands Israel to lift Arafat travel ban
Al-Bawaba, April 27, 2003
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi rejected an appeal from US Secretary of State Colin Powell not to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat when she visits the Middle East, Israel Radio reported Sunday.

Israeli 'Terrorist' Brigade Discovered In Hebron
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
HEBRON - An Israeli Coast Guard brigade is responsible for the organized break-ins, robbery and torture of the Palestinian residents of the West Bank city of, Israeli investigations revealed Saturday, April 26. At least 20 Israeli soldiers have been questioned to date.

Sharon to foreign ministers: If you meet Arafat, you won't see me  
Haaretz, April 28, 2003
Israel will inform the visiting diplomats that it views meetings with the Palestinian leader as very grave -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom decided yesterday that Israel will not boycott meetings with foreign ministers visiting the country, who also meet with Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.

Peaceful activists caught in fight
Christian Science Monitor, April 28, 2003
Protesters recently killed or injured in the Palestinian territories highlight the perils of peaceful protest -- JERUSALEM – The death of one foreign activist and serious injury of two others has underscored the growing presence and potential of nonviolent protest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even as it shows the limits of such movements in a war zone.

IOF Demolishes a House in Qalqilia and Arrests Citizens in Khan Younis
International Press Center, April 28, 2003
QALQILYA, Palestine, April 28, 2003, IPC + WAFA– Israeli occupation forces demolished Monday dawn the house of Rafeeq Sameih Hamad in the besieged city of Qalqilya and reduced it to a pile of rubbles, IPC correspondent said.

Breaking News: Troops Arrest 30 Palestinians in Khersa Village
International Press Center, April 28, 2003
13:30 IOF troops have arrested 30 Palestinian civilians from Khersa village, south of Hebron city, IPC correspondent said. 

IDF evacuates illegal outpost in West Bank near Adurayim
Haaretz, April 28, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday evening evacuated an illegal settlement outpost in the West Bank near the Adurayim military base. The outpost, which is unpopulated, had a mock antenna and a large cargo container.

Britain Delivers Sharp Rebuke to Sharon Over Segregation Fence
Palestine Media Center, April 27, 2003
Britain has sharply criticized Israel over the building of a unilateral “segregation fence” sandwiching the entire West Bank from the east and west, as pressure mounted on the Israeli premier Ariel Sharon to accept the “roadmap”, which, according to American sources, could be published as early as next week.

Blasts rock Palestinianrefugee camp in Lebanon
Haaretz, April 27, 2003 
SIDON - Three hand grenades and a small bomb exploded in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp yesterday, causing damage but no injuries, Palestinian officials said.

Meet the New Palestinian Authority Cabinet
MIFTAH, April 28, 2003
By PLO Negotiations Affairs Department -- The Palestinian Authority (“PA”) Prime Minister designate, Mahmoud Abbas, will submit the following Cabinet to the Palestinian Legislative Council (“PLC) for a vote of confidence currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, 2003 at noon.

Nationalist, Islamic Movements Warn Abbas' Government Against ‘Bowing to Zionist Pressure’
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Palestinian nationalist and Islamic movements on Sunday warned the new Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas against bowing to Israeli and American pressure.

Agreement to Grant Israel $10 Billion by US to be Signed this Week
Palestine Media Center, April 27, 2003
An agreement to grant Israel $10 billion in loan guarantees from the US is expected to be signed this week, following a series of visits to Washington earlier this year by Israeli delegations, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported on Sunday.

Hizbollah guerillas fire at Israeli planes over Lebanon
Sydney Morning Herald, April 29, 2003
Israeli warplanes flew over southern Lebanon yesterday, drawing fire from Hizbollah guerillas, Lebanese security officials said. The officials said two Israeli warplanes flew over the eastern, central and western sectors of south Lebanon, including the town of Nabatiyeh and the coastal city of Sidon.

Barghouti Removed From Court for Disrupting Trial
Arab News, April 28, 2003
TEL AVIV, 28 April 2003 — Marwan Barghouti, the West Bank Fatah leader accused by Israel of terrorism, was removed from court yesterday as his trial resumed with testimony of people who had witnessed attacks he is charged with masterminding.

PM at Holocaust service: Jews can only achieve security through strength
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
The murder of six million Jews has demonstrated that the Jewish people can only achieve security through strength, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday night at the official ceremony marking Holocaust Martyrs` and Heroes` Remembrance Day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem.

Abu Mazen tells Europeans he'll declare end to armed struggle
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
Palestinian Prime Minister designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has told European diplomats he will use his inaugural speech to declare an end to the use of arms to achieve Palestinian national aspirations.

PFLP calls PLC to reject new Palestinian cabinet; Palestinians, Israeli soldiers wounded in West Bank
Al-Bawaba, April 28, 2003
Palestinian prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has introduced some changes to his new cabinet in an attempt to appease supporters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat ahead of a vote of confidence in the Palestinian Parliament, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

Israel to `wait and see' before offering any gestures to PA
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared at the cabinet meeting yesterday that he is committed to reaching an accord with the Palestinians, but Israel will wait to see "concrete steps" taken by the new government of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) before offering any gestures toward the Palestinians, security sources emphasized yesterday.

Nablus Incursion, ISMer Injured With Nerve Toxin, ISMer detained
International Solidarity Movement, April 26-27, 2003 
Israeli Army Kills 1, Injures 7 During Incursion Into Nablus --  April 26: The Israeli army moved into the Balata refugee camp in Nablus and killed one unarmed civilian and injured seven others. / Israeli Army Injures ISM Activist With Liquid Nerve Toxin -- April 26: "The soldiers fired an unidentified substance at them, which hit one of the activists in the eye causing him to lose consciousness several times...As of today, he has not regained the use of his eye." / ISM Activist Detained by the Israeli Army - April 27: At 1:00 PM today..the Israeli army detained Jerome, an activist with the International Solidarity Movement.

ISM: Deportation / Checkpoint Love / Rachel Corrie Scholarship Fund
International Solidarity Movement, April 27, 2003 
1) Palestinian Deportation Hearing (Please Act), 2) Checkpoint Love Story, by Amer Abdelhadi, 3) Rachel Corrie Scholarship Fund from the Palestine Childrens Welfare Fund

The Power of Principle - Tribute to heroes
International Solidarity Movement, April 28, 2003   
The ISM was nominated, by our friend Beverley Britton, and was a finalist for this, the Oscar Romero Award. The award deservingly went to Ishai Menuchin, Chairman of Yesh Gvul - an organization of soldiers who refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories.

Israeli Troops Kill 1, shoot 2, and arrest 4 in Jenin
International Solidarity Movement, April 28, 2003   
At approximately 2:00 PM on Monday April 28, 2003, Israeli troops entered the refugee camp in Jenin. They were evidently searching for four members of Islamic Jihad. During the incursion they shot and killed 17 year old Muresab Ibrahim Jaber and shot a 12 year old boy named Samer Suse in the leg and another in the shoulder

Bush: Abu Mazen is a man dedicated to peace
Haaretz, April 27, 2003
U.S. President George Bush yesterday expressed confidence in Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and said he would invite him to the White House "one of these days." Secretary of State Colin Powell is to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority at the end of the week.

Curfew in Qalqilyah; relative quiet persists
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
The Israel Defense Forces yesterday imposed a curfew on Qalqilyah and a number of isolated shooting incidents occurred in an otherwise relatively quiet day in the territories, with no casualties reported.

Israeli troops capture senior Palestinian militants
News & Observer , April 28, 2003
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) - Israeli troops on Monday captured two Palestinian militants responsible for a suicide bombing in Israel last week. The fugitives were holed up in a three-story residential building in Nablus and were caught after a gun battle and a six-hour standoff.

Court: Int'l law does not ban use of flechettes 
Haaretz, April 28, 2003
Attorney representing IDF: According to estimates made by IDF commanders in the Gaza Strip, the use of flechette shells is necessary, and has no adequate substitute. -- The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that international law does not bar the Israel Defense Forces from using flechette shells. According to the court, an international treaty restricting the use of conventional weapons, which Israel ratified in 1995, does not ban flechette use.

Nablus raid yields arrests
The Courier-Mail, April 28, 2003
ISRAELI troops stormed into the West Bank city of Nablus and arrested the local leaders of two armed militant groups which claimed a suicide bombing in Israel last week, Palestinian and Israeli security sources said.

Powell Waiting to Travel to Middle East
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell kept an eye Monday on the Palestinian Parliament, hoping it would confirm a Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and clear the way for a Powell visit to the Middle East to push for establishment of a Palestinian state.

Arafat backs new Palestinian cabinet
Sydney Morning Herald, April 29, 2003
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the leadership of his mainstream Fatah faction will throw their weight behind the new cabinet of prime minister-designate Mahmud Abbas in an upcoming confidence vote, foreign minister Nabil Shaath said yesterday.

Abbas ultimatum imperils peace plan
Sydney Morning Herald, April 29, 2003
The refusal by the Palestinian prime minister-designate, Mahmoud Abbas, to meet the United States President, George Bush, in Washington until Israel allows Yasser Arafat to travel outside the West Bank is threatening the Middle East peace process that Mr Abbas's appointment was supposed to re-start.

Sideline Arafat at Your Peril: Abbas
Arab News, April 28, 2003
RAMALLAH, West Bank, 28 April 2003 — Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that he would not visit foreign capitals to discuss peace moves until Israel allowed President Yasser Arafat to travel freely again.

US takes lead role in peace plan
Sydney Morning Herald, April 28, 2003
The United States would take the driver's seat in monitoring the implementation of a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, with European, United Nations and Russian diplomats playing a secondary role, according to a draft document assigning tasks to the parties involved.

Sha’th: “The Roadmap will be Presented Next Day of Confidence Vote to the New Palestinian Government”
International Press Center, April 28, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, April 28, 2003, IPC+ Agencies -- Dr. Nabil Sha’th, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation stated on Saturday that the representative of the Quartet committee, sponsor of the Middle East peace process, told the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) that the “Road Map” would be unveiled on Wednesday.

Arafat: Sharon not ready to pay the price for peace
Al-Bawaba, April 28, 2003
Yasser Arafat insisted on Monday he would not be sidelined by a Palestinian political shakeup and said his old nemesis, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was not ready to pay the price for peace.

Berlin bus hijacker demands Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories
Al-Bawaba, April 28, 2003
German police said on Monday a Lebanese man who hijacked a Berlin bus on Sunday evening with a knife had made political demands before surrendering, following a 45 minute stand-off.

King Abdullah: Israeli-Palestinian conflict blocks democracy in Arab countries
Al-Bawaba, April 27, 2003
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict stands in the way of Arab states embracing democracy, even if they one day have a democratic Iraq as an example, Jordan’s King Abdullah said Sunday.

Israel is happy to see a major strategic threat removed
Al-Jazeera, April 27, 2003 
Israel's military intelligence chief said on Saturday the removal of Saddam Hussein had eliminated a major strategic threat to the Jewish state and put pressure on its two enemy neighbours, Syria and Lebanon.

I won't travel until Arafat can, says PM-to-be
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
The Palestinian prime minster designate, Mahmoud Abbas, has said he will turn down invitations to Washington DC and other foreign cities until Yasser Arafat is given freedom of movement by the Israelis.

Israel plays safe with snowballing peace process
Sydney Morning Herald, April 28, 2003
With hopes growing for a breakthrough in the 31-month Middle East conflict Israel yesterday prepared for an international peace plan that Washington has pledged to release after the new Palestinian reformist cabinet is sworn in this week.

Israeli Army Opposes Swift Withdrawal
Arab News, April 28, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 28 April 2003 — Israel’s Defense Ministry and the chief of staff are against a swift withdrawal of Israeli forces from reoccupied West Bank cities as a goodwill gesture to the new Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Mahmud Abbas, officials said yesterday.

'The Israelis still kill, so why should we stop?'
The Observer, April 27, 2003
Leader of 'Martyrs Brigade' sees the road map for peace in Palestine as another dead end -- It can take a day for a Palestinian to travel the short distance from Ramallah to Nablus. So Ahmed Khaled Khatib is unlikely to have heard that Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestinian Authority, and his Prime Minister-designate, Mahmoud Abbas, had agreed on a Cabinet acceptable to the international community before setting off.

Survey: Israeli interest rate is world’s highest at 8.7%
Globes,  April 28, 2003
Israel Association for the Self-Employed: The interest rate is bankrupting businesses. -- Israel’s bank interest rate is the world’s highest, according to the Israel Association for the Self-Employed economics department, headed by Dr. Roby Nathanson. 

Accountant petitions court against Metzger's appointment
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
A Tel Aviv accountant petitioned the High Court of Justice on Monday against the appointment of Rabbi Yona Metzger as Ashkenazi chief rabbi.

Police try to reassure a Bnei Brak shocked by attacks on Torah scrolls
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
When the flames were brought under control, the walls of the synagogue were found to have been daubed with abusive graffiti: "Everything is because of the long wigs," "We'll take revenge on you" - and slogans denouncing Ashkenazi Jews.

Shays says Iraq rebuilding, Palestinian-Israel conflict urgent
Stamford Advocate, April 28, 2003
NORWALK, Conn. -- U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, the first member of Congress to visit war-torn Iraq, says the military victory there could be "marred" if rebuilding that country is not made a top priority.

Israeli officer speaks out in Montpelier
Times Argus, April 28, 2003
[Montpleier, VT, Apr. 27] The Six-Day War of 1967 between Israel and its Arab neighbors has never ended, contends Stav Adivi, a major in the reserves of the Israeli Defense Force. This war, now in its 36th year, “is the essence of the Israeli-Arab conflict.” Adivi spoke at Vermont College Sunday to an audience of more than 100 people who came to hear why he has become a “refusenik.”

Terror leaders in jail still incite attacks
Haaretz, April 27, 2003 
Strikes by the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet on the Palestinian terror networks, especially since Operation Defensive Shield exactly one year ago, have led to an exceptional situation, in which many more prominent terrorists are locked in Israeli facilities than there are at large.

Analysis / Boosting the new PM, isolating Arafat
Haaretz, April 27, 2003 
The government is getting ready for the changes that will follow the expected swearing in of the new Palestinian government under Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) in Ramallah this week.

Ultra-Orthodox may have the edge in Jerusalem mayor race  
Haaretz, April 27, 2003 
The ultra-Orthodox rabbis of Jerusalem, led by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv, the leader of the Lithuanian stream, will decide this week whether to field a mayoral candidate of their own for the first time.

Israel Wants EU to be Sidelined in Mideast Deal: Report
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
BRUSSELS - A diplomatic dispute over the formalities of publishing the long-awaited 'road map' for peace in the Middle East may see the EU's role in the process severely curtailed. Israel is said to be demanding that the 'road map,' agreed upon by the international community, be presented to them only by the United States, reports the internet online 'EUOBSERVER'.

Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine April 28, 2003
Palestine Media Center, April 28, 2003
Israeli occupation Forces (IOF) detained two Palestinians after injuring them in the West Bank city of Nablus. Meanwhile, IOF destroyed a house in the northern West Bank town of Qalqilia. Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians in O. East Jerusalem.

Abu Mazen: Cabinet Will Set its Priorities in Lifting Siege on Arafat
International Press Center, April 28, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, April 28, 2003, IPC+ WAFA-- Palestinian designate Prime Minister Abu Mazen stated Sunday that it is too early to discuss traveling agenda to meet international dignitaries.

Other Middle East news

Fighting is over but the deaths go on
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
Guardian investigation reveals mines have killed up to 80 civilians since the conflict ended -- Unexploded ordnance and landmines littering northern Iraq have killed or maimed more people - many of them children - since the end of the war than during the fighting, a Guardian investigation has revealed.

UN Food Ships Converge on Iraq as Health Teams Fan out Across Country
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
UNITED NATIONS - United Nations relief agencies reported today that a fleet of food ships was converging on the Middle East in the race to ensure rations for Iraq's 27 million people next month while local health teams were fanning out inside the country to deliver essential medical supplies.

Iraq Delegates Agree to Meet In a Month
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An all-day meeting of U.S. administrators and delegates from Iraq's political factions agreed Monday to convene a larger conference within a month that will select an interim government for the war-torn nation.

Aid convoy heading to Iraq from Syria
Al-Jazeera, April 27, 2003
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has sent an aid convoy into Iraq through Syria for the first time since the US-led military campaign began last month.

Iraqis emulate Palestinians by stoning troops
The Independent, April 27, 2003
A tactic of the Palestinian intifada has spread ominously to Iraq, less than three weeks after US tanks rolled into the middle of Baghdad. American troops are coming under attack from Iraqi children throwing stones, replaying scenes from the West Bank and Gaza Strip that were broadcast on state-run television before the fall of Saddam Hussein.

US bars access to oil ministry, power plant
Al-Jazeera, April 27, 2003 
While many Iraqis began returning to work, oil ministry employees were wondering why US forces, heavily guarding their offices, barred them from re-entering the building on Saturday. It was also unclear why a Baghdad power station had apparently been booby-trapped by occupation troops.

Iraqis demand restoration of utilities
Al-Jazeera, April 27, 2003
US officials commissioned to rebuild post-war Iraq said on Saturday they were working hard to restore badly needed water and electricity amid public rage due to the slow pace of the progress.

U.S. Heaps Pressure Anew On Syria Over WMD
Islam Online, April 28, 2003
Powell’s visit to Syria, according to observers, could make or break U.S.-Syrian relations -- THE HAGUE, April 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Again the United States is refueling its recently-softened tone against Syria, with a high-ranking U.S. official Monday, April 28, expressing Washington’s worries that Damascus has ‘active chemical weapons programs’.

Militants' Crude Camp Casts Doubt on U.S. Claims
Truthout/Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2003
Ansar al Islam's bases show that the Al Qaeda surrogate posed no serious threat beyond its mountain borders, despite what Powell asserted before the war. -- DAGA SHERKHAN, Iraq -- In this mountain crease beyond the orchards, a stream meanders past abandoned houses scattered with prayer caps, sunflower seeds, religious scrawling, a ski mask, spent bullet casings and the remote control for a half-finished bomb.

200 Iraqis Released From POW Camp
Arab News, April 28, 2003
CAMP BUCCA, Iraq, 28 April 2003 — Clapping for joy and chanting “we love Bush,” some 200 Iraqi prisoners of war were released yesterday from the main POW camp of the US-led forces into a new life free of Saddam Hussein.

Turkey Denies Sending Forces Into N. Iraq
Arab News, April 28, 2003
ANKARA, 28 April 2003 — Turkey denied yesterday that it had sent special forces and arms into Kurdish-held northern Iraq in a bid to fuel unrest and pave the way for a Turkish peacekeeping mission.

Iraq weapons chief becomes 13th official captured on US hit list
The Independent, April 28, 2003
Allied forces in Iraq may be a step closer to discovering the truth on Saddam Hussein's missing weapons arsenals with the capture of General Hussam Mohammad Amin, a senior figure in the toppled regime who served as the liaison between Baghdad and United Nations weapons inspectors.

Blair: Europe Should Not Stand Rival To U.S.
Islam Online, April 28, 2003
LONDON, April 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Washington’s all-time ally British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Monday, April 28, that any attempt by Europe to act as a rival polar power to the United States would be "dangerous and destabilizing" for the world.

Saddam Still Alive, At Large: Aziz
Islam Online, April 28, 2003
BAGHDAD, April 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Iraq's former deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has said he saw Saddam Hussein and his two sons alive after the two air strikes mounted by coalition forces to kill him, according to press reports.

Chalabi's men hand 'rescued' artefacts back to museum
The Independent, April 27, 2003
Dozens of tablets and statuettes believed to have been among those looted from the Iraqi National Museum were returned yesterday after being "seized" by followers of Ahmed Chalabi, the man the Pentagon is grooming to lead the country.

Franks: Iraqis Turning Over Museum Pieces
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar (AP) - Gen. Tommy Franks said Monday that coalition forces have begun recovering artifacts looted from Iraqi museums - thefts that sparked international criticism that the United States could have done more to protect such sites.

Iraq's Choice to Be Islamic State, Says Straw
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
LONDON - British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has distanced himself from US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declaring that an Iranian-style Islamic government in Iraq "is not going to happen." If a majority of Iraqis, which are Shia, wanted an Islamic state "I wouldn't do anything about it personally - this is their choice," Straw said.

UN Moves to Assume Key Role Coordinating Relief Effort in Iraq
Palestine Chronicle, April 28, 2003
UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations is preparing to assume a central role coordinating international efforts aimed at providing aid to war-ravaged Iraq, a spokesman for the world body said today.

Washington Heads for New UN Row Over Control of Oil Wealth 
CommonDreams/Times/UK, April 28, 2003 
A TRIUMPHANT United States plans to press home its advantage this week by seeking Security Council support for a resolution that effectively would sideline the United Nations in Iraq and transfer the country’s oil wealth to a new Iraqi government.

Marsh Arabs ambivalent about returning to their lost paradise
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
Resting by the green river bank at Qurna, which was reputed to be the Garden of Eden, Qassim Khalaf voiced his sorrow at the paradise lost, the land of the marsh Arabs. "The marshes were a source of fish, reeds and birds," he said wistfully, adding: "There are no marshes left. The water has dried up."

After 13 years fighting Saddam, Lord of the Marshes wants his country back
The Guardian, April 28, 2003
Guerrilla leader who became a legend emerges from hiding -- For 13 years he was a defiant symbol of Iraqi resistance. Hunted in vain by Saddam Hussein's militia, the legendary guerrilla fighter Abu Hattem fought an extraordinary campaign against the Iraqi regime from his secluded bases in the poisoned marshland of southern Iraq.

Lack of Data Slowing Cluster Bomb Cleanup
CommonDreams/Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2003
Group says it needs U.S. help to find and destroy unexploded devices that continue to take victims. -- TARJELLA, Iraq — Kurdish sappers scouring the countryside for thousands of unexploded U.S. cluster bombs search with wooden stakes, gut instinct and the help of any survivors who stumble upon the lethal weapons.

Coalition forces should leave Iraq: Kuwait
Times of India, April 27, 2003
CAIRO: The US and British forces should leave Iraq once a new Iraqi government is formed, Kuwait's foreign minister said here on Saturday.

Iraqi civilians intend to take Gen. Franks to court in Belgium
Al-Bawaba, April 28, 2003
Iraqi civilians are preparing to take US commander Gen. Tommy Franks to court in Belgium, accusing him and other US military officials of war crimes in Iraq, it was reported Monday.

As Iraqi Clerics Go Home, Talk of Schism With Shiite Hard-Liners in Iran
New York Times, April 28, 2003
QUM, Iran, April 26 — A black-turbaned Iraqi cleric, his belongings packed in a small blue bag sitting at his feet, led about 50 clerics in prayer. Kneeling on red Persian rugs, the men, many of whom who had spent the last two decades in Iran, gathered to catch the train that would take them to Iraq.

US forces detain Baghdad ''mayor''; Four US soldiers wounded in shooting attack
Al-Bawaba, April 27, 2003
The U.S. military arrested Mohammed Mohsen al-Zubaidi in Baghdad on Sunday. Al-Zubaidi was a returned exile associated with the opposition Iraqi National Congress who had declared himself mayor of Baghdad without sanction from U.S. occupation authorities.

Two UK soldiers released in Syria
Haaretz, April 28, 2003 
Two British soldiers who were at war in Iraq and crossed into Syria were recently released from Syrian custody after a surprise visit to Damascus by British Foreign Office minister Mike O'Brien two weeks ago. It remains unknown how the two crossed into Syria and were captured.

Aide: Blair, Putin to Discuss Iraq
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
MOSCOW (AP) - Postwar Iraq will be a central theme of talks between President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Tony Blair outside Moscow on Tuesday, a Putin aide said Monday.

U.S. to Move Air Base to Qatar
New York Times, April 28, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 27 — The United States is shifting its major air operations center for the Middle East from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, the first step in what is likely to be a significant reduction of American forces in Saudi Arabia and a realignment of American military presence in the region, senior military officials said today.

U.S. Hopes to Reduce Its Presence in Gulf
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
DOHA, Qatar (AP) - The United States plans to reduce its military presence in the Persian Gulf region now that Saddam Hussein is gone, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday.

Saddam's Birthday Marked Without Fanfare
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) - Saddam Hussein's hometown loyalists celebrated his 66th birthday Monday with blood oaths and vows of devotion, three weeks after the U.S. military drove him from power. In Baghdad, residents scorned the ousted leader and swapped rumors that he would surface for a final birthday attack.

Soldiers Consider Whether to Join Again
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Sgt. Jeff Newland was ready to retire after a miltary career spanning three decades that included tours in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. But another war foiled his plan.

Bush Declares Iraq Democracy Can Flourish
The Guardian, April 26, 2003
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - President Bush told Iraqi-Americans Monday he is confident democracy can flourish in Iraq and said people who were skeptical about the war were wrong.

Rumsfeld in euphoria as Shiites protest ''lack of representation''
Al-Bawaba, April 28, 2003
The U.S.-led war in Iraq was a historic success that will influence military spending and doctrine for decades, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told cheering troops Monday. The military, he said, used "an unprecedented combination of power, precision, speed, flexibility, and, I would add, compassion."

Ellsberg Continues Campaign 30 Years After His Own Fight 
CommonDreams/Seattle Times, April 28, 2003
HE ALTERED the Vietnam War by releasing classified information. Now Daniel Ellsberg wants others to do the same to change the course U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Basra church leader hopes warm rapport with Muslims outlasts Saddam
Jordan Times, April 28, 2003   
BASRA, Iraq (AFP) — With Western troops in charge of Iraq, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of the country's second city Basra is working to sustain warm relations with the Muslim majority but also keeping a distance from coalition forces.

Seventh person charged with plotting to wage war against U-S troops
WTVO News, April 28,2003
Portland, Oregon-AP -- Federal officials are charging a seventh person in an Oregon group accused of helping al-Qaida and Taliban forces fight the U-S. The 39-year-old man (Maher Hawash) is charged with conspiracy to levy war and two counts of conspiring to provide material support to the two groups.