British Journalist Killed in Gaza Strip
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - A freeland British journalist was shot and killed Friday night while filming a documentary in the southern Palestinian city of Rafah, witnesses said. The journalist, whose identify was not released, was the third foreigner injured or killed in Rafah in the last two months.

Israel to bar pro-Palestinian activists from entering country  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
Israel will from now on bar pro-Palestinian activists from entering the country and will try to expel at least some of the dozens of activists who are already here, according a new plan drafted by the Israel Defense Forces and the foreign and defense ministries. Most of the activists, who come from Europe, Canada and the United States, belong to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

ISM: Israeli army wants us to leave because we are providing witness its atrocities
International Solidarity Movement, May 2, 2003
The International Solidarity Movement supports non-violent resistance to the illegal and brutal occupation of Palestine. Palestinians have long been at risk of death, imprisonment and torture when they engage in acts of peaceful resistance.

Bombers posed as peace activists
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
The Britons who mounted the suicide attacks in Israel attempted to join the peace movement as cover for their activities, the Guardian has learnt.
As Israeli police mounted a manhunt for the alleged failed British suicide bomber Omar Khan Sharif, fearing he would attempt another attack, human rights sources told the Guardian that Sharif and his accomplice Asif Mohammed Hanif, arrived at the offices of the International Solidarity Movement in Rafah and made contact with its members just days before the bombing.

U.S. to seek quick Security Council backing for 'road map'  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
UNITED NATIONS/RHODES - The United States urged the United Nations Security Council on Friday to call on Israel and the Palestinians to start implementing the new internationally-brokered "road map" to Middle East peace, but Syria said it had not received the plan and needed more time.

IOF Wound Three Citizens, Detain Others One Day After “Labor-Day” Massacre
International Press Center, May 2, 2003
Occupied Palestinian Territories, May 2, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)- - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) wounded three Palestinians and detained others during separate attacks on the Palestinian territories, only one day after the delivery of the “Roadmap” peace plan.

New Israeli Incursion In West Bank, U.S. Urges Restraint
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
JENIN, West Bank, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A day after 13 Palestinians were killed in a major raid on Gaza City, the Israeli army launched a brief incursion in the Palestinian territories Friday, May 2, as Washington issued a rare call on its ally to stem the civilian deaths.

US has asked Syria to ‘dismantle’ Hezbollah: Rice
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
Remarks come as Powell due in Damascus for talks to address US concerns about support for ‘terrorist’ groups. -- JERUSALEM - The United States has demanded that Syria "dismantle" the militant Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was quoted as saying in an Israeli newspaper Friday.

Burying Their Dead, Palestinians Vow Resistance
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
GAZA CITY, May 2 (IslamOnline.net)  - As blood still spills over the rubble of Palestinian houses razed during the Israeli massive raid that claimed the lives of 13 Palestinians, including a 2-year-old toddler and 15-year-old boy on Thursday, May 1, Palestinians vowed unabated resistance to the long-standing Israeli occupation.

Boy, 2, among 14 killed by Israeli troops
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
Israeli troops killed 14 Palestinians yesterday, including two boys aged 2 and 13, as the government promised a series of "confidence building measures" in reply to Wednesday's presentation of the road map to peace. The measures will include the release of up to 60 Palestinian prisoners and the dis mantling of up to 12 illegal outposts.

Occupation forces beat a Palestinian judge
Palestinian Information Center, May 2, 2003
Nablus - Israeli occupation forces began to beat the judge Rasmi Alsaid, head of one of the Nablus courts after he tried to cross an Israeli checkpoint situated on the west entrance to the city near the village of Beit Aiba.

Palestinian Premier Warned on Disarmament
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Firing rifles into the air and hoisting bodies over their heads, tens of thousands of Palestinians filled the streets Friday to mourn 12 people killed in an Israeli raid, and warned their new prime minister against any attempts to disarm militants.

Palestinian Factions Resume Talks In Cairo Next Week
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
CAIRO, May 2 (IslamOnline.net) – Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, are to meet in Cairo next week to resume talks that had began late in January, well informed Egyptian political sources told IslamOnline.net on Friday, May 2.

Palestinian civilian martyred after settler opened fire near Jenin
Palestinian Information Center, May 2, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - medical sources in the city of Jenin stated that a Palestinian worker, Raiq Masood Draghma (31) from the village of Tayaseer was martyred after a Jewish settler opened fire on a group of Palestinian workers as they were getting ready to cross near an Israeli checkpoint on their way home.

Strike scaled down; shekel hits 15-month high against dollar  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
Negotiating teams from the Histadrut labor federation and the Finance Ministry met Friday to discuss the government's emergency economic plan and the unions' strike action, which crippled the country for two days earlier this week.

PA to establish security council
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
PA Chairman Arafat sets up national security body in violation of 'road map'  -- With the swearing-in of the new Palestinian cabinet on Wednesday came a presidential order from Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for the establishment of a national security council to oversee all the PA's security mechanisms, including the counter-security apparatus, the uniformed police and the civil guard.

4 cops indicted for Hebron killing
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
Four Border Policemen were indicted yesterday for killing a 17-year-old Palestinian in Hebron four months ago. Three of the suspects implicated themselves. The murder was videotaped, but the tape has apparently been destroyed, according to testimony.

Breaking News: IOF Bulldozing Arable Land South of Rafah
International Press Center, May 2, 2003 
18:50- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) bulldozed several dunums of arable lands in Al Brasil neighborhood, south of the city of Rafah, security sources reported. (WAFA)

12 Palestinians arrested
Palestinian Information Center, May 2, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - an Israeli soldier stated that occupation forces began an arrest campaign of suspected Palestinians in different areas of the west bank after warnings by the Israelis, ordering the Palestinian activists to stop resisting Zionist occupation.

Occupation forces block entrance to Bethlehem and arrest in the process
Palestinian Information Center, May 2, 2003
Bethlehem - Israeli occupation forces denied access to cross Bethlehem, especially in the Madbasa and the Fawaghira area in the centre of the city. According to Palestinians in both areas, large numbers of occupation forces in the early hours of Thursday morning began to comb wide areas in search of what they claim to be wanted Palestinians, which resulted in numerous youth arrests.

Israel Kills 12 Palestinians Including Two-Year-Old Toddler, Two Teenagers
Palestine Chronicle, May 2, 2003
GAZA CITY - In order to kill a "targeted" Hamas activist, the Israeli occupation forces stormed Thursday, May 1, a densely populated Gaza City area, cordoned off a four-storey building and massacres other 12 Palestinians, including a two-year-old toddler and two teenagers.

US, Annan criticize Israeli raid on Gaza
Al-Bawaba, May 2, 2003
The United States urged the Israeli military on Thursday to exercise restraint after 13 Palestinians were killed, including a two-year-old toddler in a raid on the Shajayia neighborhood of Gaza City. "We deeply regret the civilian casualties that occurred today in Gaza," State Department spokeswoman Jo-Anne Prokopowicz said.

Sharon’s Reply to Road Map
Arab News, May 2, 2003
GAZA, 2 May 2003 — Twelve Palestinians, including a two-year-old boy, were killed yesterday when Israeli forces raided a Gaza neighborhood shortly after the release of a Middle East peace road map. The tank and infantry raid sent a strong signal to a “Quartet” of US-led mediators and to the new Palestinian government that Israel would press ahead with such operations despite the new proposal to end 31 months of bloodshed.

State Attorney to meet with A-G on criminal probe of Sharon  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
State Attorney Edna Arbel said Friday that she would discuss with Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein allegations made Wednesday in State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg's annual report that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon knowingly violated government rules that prevent conflicts of interest by ministers and deputy ministers.

EU Applauds Mideast Peace 'Road Map'
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
RHODES, Greece (AP) - European Union foreign ministers agreed Friday the ``road map'' to peace in the Middle East must be fully implemented and not sidetracked by a debate over the fate of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Arafat Remains Key Player: European FMs
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
RHODES, Greece, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Against a backdrop of mounting American and Israeli calls to sideline Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, especially after the appointment of his Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, European foreign ministers underlined Friday, May 2, that Arafat remains a key player in any bid to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Hamas defies roadmap, vows revenge for Gaza killings
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
Radical Islamic group Hamas promised bloody retribution Friday for an Israeli raid that left one of its leaders and 11 other people dead a day, as thousands gathered for their funeral in Gaza City.

Powell heads to Syria looking for Middle East change
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
State Department's annual ‘Patterns of Global Terrorism’ report heavily criticizes Damascus, Beirut. -- US Secretary of State Colin Powell heads for Syria Friday at the start of a major push for the new Middle East peace "roadmap," already under pressure after a deadly Israeli raid on Gaza City.

All mapped out  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
Feeling betrayed by their once-sympathetic prime minister, members of the Yesha Council prepare for the coming struggle and describe visions of a world without Islam  -- The settlers in the territories are fed up with having to confront a new peace plan every few months.

Analysis / Operations continue in anticipation of U.S. pressure  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
IDF actions in the territories continue, in anticipation of U.S. pressure to halt operations  -- The swearing-in of the Palestinian government on Wednesday was received with a wave of pessimistic predictions expressed by the Israeli security establishment.

Public opposes strike, cuts  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
Fifty-three percent of people are against the strike, while 32 percent are in favor of it, the poll shows. There is greater opposition on the right, while left-wingers are split equally between backing the strike and opposing it.

16 Palestinians killed in Gaza, West Bank  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
Sixteen Palestinians were killed and nine soldiers injured during Israel Defense Forces operations in the West Bank and Gaza yesterday. Thirteen of the fatalities happened during an IDF raid on the Sajayia neighborhood of Gaza City. This was also where all the Israeli casualties occurred.

Schools, banks to reopen as strike scaled down
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
Histadrut Chairman Amir Peretz faced down an angry meeting of union leaders last night, saying that he had acceded to President Moshe Katsav's request to scale down the general strike into sanctions.

Some illegal outposts get reprieve after settlers buy disputed land
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
In some cases, the sellers were flown overseas at the settlers' expense, some of them to South America, allegedly for fear of being harmed by Palestinian Authority agents. Settler sources said the difficult economic situation of most Palestinians makes it easier to buy their land now.  -- Several illegal outposts earmarked for evacuation will not be dismantled after all because the settlers bought the land from the Palestinian owners. The Jewish councils in the West Bank managed to raise funds to purchase the land on which many of the outposts were located, as well as land near other outposts.

Road map lobbyists in U.S. move into high gear
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
WASHINGTON - An hour after the road map was officially delivered in the Middle East, lobbying groups - both for and against the peace plan - sprang into action. Letters that had long been waiting for the president and his top advisers were sent and the lobbying went into high gear.

Elon to U.S. to challenge Bush vision  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
Minister to present plan, says that Jordan is Palestinian state -- Tourism Minister Benny Elon left last night for the United States, where he will try to persuade members of congress that a Palestinian state in the spirit of President George Bush's vision will only feed terrorism and that Jordan is Palestine.

Authors of Middle East road-map prepare for hard sell
The Independent, May 2, 2003
Widespread scepticism greeted the "road-map" that was handed to Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Wednesday after the swearing in of the Palestinian government, headed by Mahmoud Abbas. For a document that had been so long in gestation and so loudly trumpeted in advance, its publication was low key in Washington, London, Brussels and Moscow, the capitals which worked on its formulation.

International Day of Action for Justice in Palestine, June 5, 2003
International Solidarity Movement, May 2, 2003
On June 5, 2003, the thirty-sixth anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, we call for linked actions by Palestinian, international, and Israeli peace groups to protest the escalating violence against the Palestinian community and international human rights workers in the occupied territories.

Abu Mazen's enormous task
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 1 - 7 May 2003
Mahmoud Abbas this week unveiled to the Palestinian parliament his roadmap to independence. It received the bloodiest of welcomes, writes Graham Usher in Jerusalem.

Hundreds will March to Mas’ha to Defend the Peace Camp from the Apartheid Wall
International Solidarity Movement, May 2, 2003
On Saturday, May 3, Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals will unite and march from the village of Mas’ha to the site of a camp that was established a month ago to oppose the construction of the Apartheid Wall. Protesters from all three groups have maintained a continuous presence at the Mas’ha camp during this month, despite recent attempts to intimidate them by the use of dynamite and the building of a trench around the area.

Second British suicide bomber may be hiding in South Tel Aviv
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
While police in London yesterday questioned the two brothers of Asif Mohammed Hanif, the Briton who carried out the early Wednesday suicide bombing at a beachfront pub on Tel Aviv's seaside promenade, Israeli security forces continued the manhunt for his partner, Omar Khan Sharif. 

The trail of death that led from Britain to Israel
The Independent, May 2, 2003
Each morning, the rotund figure of Asif Mohammed Hanif left this ordinary house in suburban London to make his way under the scream of jets landing at Heathrow airport to attend business studies classes at a nearby college.

Modest activist's ideals 'closer to Hamas than Arafat'
The Independent, May 1, 2003
The community of worshippers at the Hounslow mosque in west London were coming to terms with the idea that one of their number may have been the suicide bomber who killed three people in a Tel Aviv beach café.

High Court rejects Israel Prize petition
Haaretz, May 2, 2003 
The High Court of Justice yesterday rejected a petition by painter Moshe Gershuni, who was demanding that Education and Culture Minister Limor Livnat be forced to explain her decision to deny him the Israel Prize because he wouldn't attend the awards ceremony.

Polite and caring sons who turned to terror
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
They were model sons, according to friends and family, who turned into men capable of inflicting murder and carnage. Yesterday, as the wounded from the Tel Aviv bar attack recovered in hospital, families in Derby and west London were coming to terms with the men's journey from anonymity to notoriety.

photos
Israeli incursion into Shojeya neighborhood in Gaza city on 01 May 2003
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Other Middle East News

Iraq situation critical, warn aid agencies
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
The Iraqi people will be forced to suffer more death, disease and fear if the coalition does not step up security to help humanitarian aid get through, relief agencies warned today.

Thousands of Iraqi Children Will Die Unless They Are Made Top Priority: UNICEF
Palestine Chronicle, May 2, 2003
UNITED NATIONS - Thousands of Iraqi youngsters will die and hundreds of thousands more will be injured, fall prey to disease, suffer abuse and exploitation or fall behind in school, unless all involved in shaping the post-war future make the battle to protect children the number one priority, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned today.

U.S. Wants Baghdad Police Back on Job
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's U.S. administrators have called on all Baghdad police officers to return to their jobs on Sunday, with a slight change of uniform, to help restore order in the disorderly capital city.

U.S., Britain Seek to Limit U.N Iraq Role
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
LONDON (AP) - The United States and Britain are preparing a resolution that would give the United Nations a role in humanitarian relief but not peacekeeping in Iraq, a senior Bush administration official said Friday.

US-UK forces must restore law and order in Iraq — Amnesty
Jordan Times, May 2, 2003       
AMMAN (JT) — “The US and UK as occupying powers in Iraq have clear responsibilities to restore law and order and are the current guardians of security,” said Ghanim Al Najjar, a member of the Amnesty International delegation in Iraq. Amnesty has witnessed widespread looting and the scavenging of public buildings in Basra and Umm Qasr, said the human rights watchdog.

Iraq Is Worst Place for Journalists
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Committee to Protect Journalists says Iraq, where nine journalists died in the first three weeks of the U.S.-led invasion, is the worst place in the world to be a journalist.

Rumsfeld Says Problems Lie Ahead in Iraq
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
LONDON (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Friday that much remains to be done in Iraq and that he doesn't know how large or how long a U.S. presence might be needed there.

Iraqi Experts May Hinder Oil Industry
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
LONDON (AP) - U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq's economically vital oil industry could be hindered by the refusal of key Iraqi experts to participate, analysts and oil professionals say.

Iran Cleric Urges Iraqi Suicide Attacks
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A leading Iranian cleric urged Iraqis to use suicide attacks to expel U.S. forces from Iraq and learn from Iran's Islamic revolution to set up a new government.

Sadr calls for Iraqi Christians to follow Islamic law
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
Veil the women, grow your beards, Iraqi Shiite clerics tell worshipers. -- Leading Iraqi Shiite clerics called in sermons Friday for alcohol to be banned and women to be veiled, with one luminary in this holy city urging that Islamic rules be imposed on the Christian minority.

Tension high in Iraq after week of bloodshed
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
Killings in Fallujah enflame sentiment over US occupation, general chaos that still reigns. -- Iraqis were readying for potentially tense Friday prayers after a week of mounting anger over the bloodshed that saw at least 16 Iraqi protesters shot dead by US forces.

Duri warns against victimising Baathists
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
DUBAI - Iraq's former ambassador to the United Nations warned Friday that the proposed Iraqi interim government would plunge the country into violence if it victimized members of the deposed regime of president Saddam Hussein.

Putin Says World Order Needs Formation
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the international community must decide what kind of world order it wants to take shape in the wake of the U.S.-led war on Iraq, which the Kremlin warned threatened to replace international law with a doctrine of might makes right.

U.S. Captures War Commander, Two Others
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Tracking the scattered vestiges of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime, the U.S. military announced Friday that three more members of its most-wanted ``deck of cards'' were in custody, including one of Saddam's most trusted aides and a top weapons-development official.

U.S. Forces In Iraq Are Staying Till "Work is Done": Bush
Palestine Chronicle, May 2, 2003
Bush delivered a broad and ominous warning -- ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN - U.S. President George W. Bush late Thursday, May 1, declared the war in Iraq "one victory" in a campaign to stamp out "terrorism" that still goes on, stressing U.S. forces are staying in Iraq till "work is done"..."Any person, organization, or government that supports, protects, or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent, and equally guilty of terrorist crimes," he added.

US forces kill one Iraqi in Tikrit; Two people detained in Najaf following shooting incident
Al-Bawaba, May 2, 2003
U.S. soldiers raided a dozen buildings in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tukrit Friday, killing one Iraqi and detaining about 20. U.S. officers claim members of Saddam's Baath Party are trying to reorganize to stage attacks on American troops, and one of the men detained Friday was described as a party official.

India, Pakistan Restore Full Diplomatic Ties
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
ISLAMABAD, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – After almost two years of heightened military and diplomatic tensions, Pakistan and India announced Friday, May 2, they were restoring full diplomatic ties and heading towards resumption of talks to settle half a century old disputes “for the economic and social betterment of their peoples”.

Iraq meeting under close scrutiny
BBC, May 2, 2003
Leaders of the five main Iraqi political parties have begun a series of meetings in Baghdad to discuss moves to establish an interim government in Iraq. It is the first time that the group - elected as a leadership council by the largely exiled Iraqi opposition earlier this year - has met in Baghdad.

Powell man tipped for Iraq job
BBC, May 2, 2003
The Pentagon's prominent role in Iraq has caused unease  -- A former US state department official is reported to have been appointed civilian administrator of Iraq. According to Newsweek magazine, Paul Bremer would have authority over Jay Garner, the retired general currently in charge of reconstruction efforts, who in turn currently reports to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

US makes two major Mideast moves
Christian Science Monitor, May 2, 2003
Announcements this week herald a reshaped region - but meet deep Arab skepticism -- AMMAN, JORDAN – This week, the US made two bold moves that could begin to reframe Arab perceptions about its Middle East role.

Powell Accuses Syria of Past Deceptions
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Accusing Syria of past deception about its Iraqi oil pipeline, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday that future relations hinge on whether Damascus takes sincere action toward becoming a Middle East peace partner.

Powell arrives in Syria for 'candid and useful discussion'  
Haaretz, May 2, 2003
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Damascus on Friday for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad on U.S. allegations that Syria supports terrorism. He also intends to encourage Assad's government to review some of its past policies in light of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's radical regime next door.

Powell arrives in Damascus to hold talks with Syrian leadership
Al-Bawaba, May 2, 2003
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has arrived in Damascus, where he is expected to ask the Syrian leadership to stop backing Hizbullah and Palestinian groups and instead support international peace efforts in the region.

Powell In Damascus For Talks On Iraq, Anti-Israel Groups
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
DAMASCUS, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In a bid to clear any misunderstandings and possibly defuse weeks of tension between Washington and Damascus over alleged Syrian ties to the ousted Iraqi regime and support for anti-Israel groups, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived here late Friday, May 2, for one-to-one talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

US says Libya, Syria reduce support for terrorism  
Jordan Times, May 2, 2003   
WASHINGTON (R) — The United States said on Wednesday Syria and Libya reduced their support for "terrorism" they remained on a US list of seven "state sponsors of terrorism" along with Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Sudan.

Bush makes carrier landing for TV address
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
President George Bush performed a triumphal and dramatic gesture to mark victory in the Iraq war, co-piloting a navy jet on to an aircraft carrier to underline his role as America's commander-in-chief, and steel the nation for more combat in the years ahead.

Pullout from Saudi Arabia part of new US regional strategy — analysts
Jordan Times, May 2, 2003   
“It was part of the new US regional strategy after victory in Iraq. The Americans appear set for a long stay in Baghdad. I believe it won't be less than 10 years,” Amri of the Jeddah-based independent think tank, told AFP. -- RIYADH (AFP) — The withdrawal of US forces from Saudi Arabia was not dictated by Islamic opposition but was part of a new regional strategy by Washington following the coalition victory in Iraq, analysts said on Wednesday.

Region Needs to be Consulted on Iraq Future: Jordan FM Warns US
Palestine Chronicle, May 2, 2003
LONDON - Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher warned the US Thursday that it was important to involve regional countries to help with the transition of power in Iraq and prevent further mistakes.

Tape Shows Exhausted, Confused Saddam
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - In what is purported to be his last known wartime speech - a video never before televised - Saddam Hussein appears exhausted, at times confused and seemingly resigned to defeat, but he tells Iraqis that God, somehow, will help them expel the American-British occupiers.

'Baghdad Backlash' Hit Labour in UK Polls
Palestine Chronicle, May 2, 2003
LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair's ruling Labour Party suffered a setback in Scottish, Welsh and local elections, largely due to a backlash against the war with Iraq with Muslims playing a leading role, according to an analysis of Thursday's polls.

Military bases to be moved east
The Guardian, May 2, 2003
The Pentagon is reported to be accelerating its plan to move tens of thousands from Germany to new bases in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. -- The US is planning to move tens of thousands of its service personnel from "old Europe" to the countries of the former eastern bloc, Pentagon plans reported in yesterday's Los Angeles Times.

State Department renews Saudi travel ban
Al-Bawaba, May 2, 2003
Citing increased security concerns, the United States on Thursday renewed a warning for U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Saudi Arabia. Information indicates that terrorist groups may be in the final phases of planning attacks against U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia," the State Department noted in a "travel warning."

Seeking security
Middle East Online, May 2, 2003
America's failure to provide basic protection is provoking demonstrations and seeding distrust says Mohammed Mashmoushi. -- The three-week occupation of Iraq by American and British troops has raised real questions - and, for Iraqis, real fears - about the political democracy, moral stability and prosperity the Iraqi people were promised after their liberation from Saddam Hussein.

Egyptian Man Fights U.S. For His Freedom
Islam Online, May 2, 2003
WASHINGTON, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In one of the cells of the free democratic United States, an Egyptian citizen is fighting for his freedom after he was abducted and held without charge only because he took a “wrong” turn. Abdelrehim Kewan insists that all he did was take a wrong turn last October and stop at Camp Pendleton to ask for directions, reported the cantonrep.com website Thursday, May 1, revealing the story of the Egyptian citizen.