Israelis fire on parents of injured British peace activist
The Independent, May 6, 2003
The parents of a British peace activist who was shot in the head by Israeli troops came under fire themselves as they travelled to the spot where their son was critically injured. Anthony and Jocelyn Hurndall were in a British diplomatic convoy entering the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip when Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint fired a shot, which passed narrowly over the top of their vehicles.

Israeli Troops Wound Two Civilians In Gaza, Heighten Offensive On Ramallah
International Press Center, May 6, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, May  6,2003  (IPC)- A Palestinian child was wounded as Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened early Tuesday their heavy machine guns at Palestinian-owned houses in the Al-  Burij refugee camp, middle of Gaza Strip. Hadeel Al Tawil13, was shot with two live bullets in her foot and right hand, due to which she was transferred to hospital, Palestinian hospital officials at  Al Aqsa local Hospital said.

Israel Seeks Changes in 'Road Map' Plan
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel will not move forward on a U.S.-backed peace plan until Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lays out his objections in an upcoming meeting with President Bush, a senior Israeli official said Tuesday.

Israel Arrests Palestinian Security Chief in Gaza
Arab News, May 6, 2003
GAZA CITY, 6 May 2003 — A colonel in the Palestinian preventive security services was arrested by the Israeli Army at a Gaza Strip checkpoint yesterday, Israeli and Palestinian security officials said. Col. Suleiman Abu Mutlak was arrested by Israeli forces manning a checkpoint near the Gush Katif Jewish settlement block in the south, Palestinian officials said.

Israeli navy blasts Palestinian fishing boat out of water, arrests two crew
SpaceWar, May 6, 2003
The Israeli navy on Tuesday blew up a Palestinian fishing vessel that had strayed too close to a Jewish settlement on the Gaza coast, and arrested the two men on board the vessel, security sources on both sides said.

Assassination Attempt On Arafat’s Life: Official
Islam Online, May 6, 2003
GAZA CITY, May 6 (IslamOnline.net) – The Palestinians frustrated assassination attempt on President Yasser Arafat’s life by a poisonous substance, a Fatah official told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, May 6.  “The poisonous white powder was sent by mail to the president’s office, but was discovered before being handed out to the office and now the results of tests on it have yet to be announced,” The Fatah Central Committee Member Abbas Zaki claimed, quoting what he alleged was an informed Palestinian source.

Breaking News: Curfew Imposed on Tulkarem
International Press Center, May 6, 2003
16:00 Israeli occupying forces (IOF) imposed curfew on the city of Tulkarem, and prevented all incoming and outgoing traffic until further notice. (IPC).

Israeli killed, 2 seriously hurt in West Bank shooting attack
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
The military wing of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in the West Bank which killed one Israeli and wounded two on Monday night.

Prosecution Witnesses Defend Barghouti
Arab News, May 6, 2003
TEL AVIV, 6 May 2003 — Three Palestinians testified yesterday in a Tel Aviv court during the trial of Marwan Barghouti, but the prosecution witnesses said they had confessed under duress, and defended the West Bank Fatah leader.

A Hopeless Life for Palestinians in Lebanon's Refugee Camps
Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2003
SHATILA REFUGEE CAMP, Lebanon — The road to Mideast peace wends through this Palestinian shantytown, a warren of lost hopes and misplaced dreams where Amer Akar lights another cigarette, contemplates her life and asks: "What future? I am a daughter of war." Akar was born here, as were her children, and at 33 she already has aged beyond her years.

Stop Attacks on Medical Relief Services
Palestine Monitor, May 5, 2003
The Israeli occupying army invaded two medical relief clinics and Training Centers in Nablus and Ramallah. They caused serious damage to the buildings, destroyed computers and furniture as well as breaking doors, and stole equipment. During this attack the Israeli occupying army arrested Dr Mohammed Skafi (43) who is the Head of Emergency Services and First Aid at Medical Relief.

Palestinians evicted as Iraqis come home
Sydney Morning Herald, May 6, 2003
Hundreds of Palestinian families who have lived in Iraq for more than 50 years are finding themselves on the streets after being evicted from their homes after the fall of Saddam Hussein. More than 35,000 Palestinians who lived in Iraq since they were displaced from their homeland upon Israel's founding in 1948 have enjoyed Saddam's protection, often housed in the homes of Iraqis evicted by authorities for opposing the government, or in government property.

EU's Chris Patten praises Palestinian reform
Jerusalem Post, May 6, 2003
The European Union's External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten on Tuesday praised reform efforts by the Palestinian Authority to root out mismanagement and said the EU remained committed to providing more financial aid.

Quartet divided over peace monitoring
EU Observer, May 6, 2003
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Representatives of the Quartet are meeting this week in an attempt to surpass deep divisions over how to monitor the road map's implementation, a key factor in the process, as it decides the sequence of events.

Pro-Palestinian activists enforce a mock checkpoint in centre of Amsterdam
The Electronic Intifada, May 5, 2003
The Netherlands has its own way of commemorating the Second World War and celebrating the country's liberation from five years of occupation. Unlike most countries, the Netherlands sets aside two days to mark these events. The first is a day of solemn commemoration; the second a day of public rejoicing with the young at the centre of attention.

Abdel Razeq: "Israel Trampled Over All Signed Agreements by Detaining Abu Motlaq"
International Press Center, May 6, 2003
During a press conference held in the premises of the International Press Center (IPC) in Gaza, Mr. Hesham Abdel Razeq, Minister of the prisoners affairs, sparked the campaign for solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners, named after the latest Palestinian political figure to be arrested, Mr. Salman Abu Motlaq.

PNA: Israel Has Yet to Accept, Approve ‘Roadmap’
Palestine Media Center, May 6, 2003
PM Abbas Meets with Burns ahead of Powell Visit  -- May 6, 2003 - Ahead of an upcoming visit by the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell next week, the Palestine National Authority (PNA) announced that visiting US envoy William Burns did not convey to the Palestinian side that Israel has officially accepted and approved the internationally – adopted “roadmap” to peace in the Middle East.

UK envoys held at gunpoint by Israelis
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
Tom Hurndall's father: "There's a complete lack of control. They fire without warning" -- Israeli forces opened fire above a British embassy convoy and held it at gunpoint in Gaza while it was carrying diplomats and the family of an English peace activist left in a coma by an Israeli bullet. Two armoured Range Rovers with diplomatic plates were forced to halt as they drove through the Abu Houli crossing on Sunday, even though British officials had notified Israeli forces of their arrival 10 minutes earlier.

Israeli Soldiers Shoot At Parents of Injured British Pacifist
Islam Online, May 6, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, May 6 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The parents of a British peace activist who was shot in the head by Israeli occupation forces came under fire themselves as they traveled to the spot where their son was critically injured, a leading British newspaper said Tuesday, May 6.

Shot peace campaigner’s father vows to find truth
Hampstead and Highgate Express, May 6, 2003
THE father of Thomas Hurndall, who was shot in the Gaza Strip four weeks ago, has said he has “little confidence” in the Israeli military’s investigation into the incident. Anthony Hurndall, who has been by his son’s hospital bedside since the shooting on April 11, told the Ham&High it was “reasonably clear” that Thomas came under fire from Israeli soldiers and pledged to find out exactly what happened.

Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine May 6, 2003
Palestine Media Center, May 6, 2003
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) wounded two Palestinians in the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem. IOF also detained a Palestinian in Hebron and raided a medical center in Nablus.

Israeli Army Carries a Wide Campaign of Arrests in Palestinian Cities
International Press Center, May 6, 2003
BETHLEHEM, Palestine, May 6, 03, IPC+ WAFA-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Tuesday dawn a Palestinian citizen resident of the village of Al- Shawawra in the district of Bethlehem in West Bank.

Sharon adviser: Israel will not implement road map until after Bush meeting
NewJersey.com, May 6, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel will not move forward on a U.S.-backed peace plan until Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lays out his objections in an upcoming meeting with President Bush, a senior Israeli official said Tuesday.

Sharon: U.S. to discuss Israel's reservations on 'road map'
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
Israel's reservations on the diplomatic 'road map' will be discussed in Washington in the upcoming days, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview to Israel Radio on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Abu Mazen Meets Burns In Ramallah
International Press Center, May 6, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, May 6, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- Palestinian Prime Minister,  Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) met Monday the US envoy for the Middle East, Assistant Secretary of State William Burns in the presence of a number of Palestinian cabinet  ministers in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Palestinian PM to William Burns: Palestinians Well on Their Way to Road Map Implementation
Palestine Media Center, May 6, 2003
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas stressed Palestinian accomplishments in Road Map implementation during a Ramallah meeting today with William Burns, Assistant US Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.

Israel says no to offer of talks from Syria
The Telegraph, May 6, 2003
Israel has rebuffed Syrian offers to resume stalled peace talks, officials said yesterday. According to the newspaper Maariv, the Syrian overture was discussed just before the outbreak of the war in Iraq at secret meetings in Jordan between Maher Assad, the Syrian president's brother, and Eytan Ben-Tsur, a retired Israeli diplomat.

Sharon ready to meet Syria without preconditions
Middle East Online, May 6, 2003
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday he had received several messages concerning Syria's offer to restart negotiations with the Jewish state.

Sharon and Mofaz adopt a `wait and see' approach to negotiations with Syria
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom will reassess the possibility of restarting talks with Syria in another month, once it becomes clear "where the Syrians stand" in the regional and international arena, the Prime Minister's Office said yesterday.

Analysis / Feelers from Damascus
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
The various feelers that Syria has put out over the past few weeks about renewing the dialogue with Israel are cause for a certain amount of astonishment. If the Syrians indeed want to renew peace negotiations, why did they turn to businessman and former diplomat Eitan Bentzur instead of trying one of the secure channels?

US satellites monitor Israel's roadmap compliance over settlements: report
HiPakistan, May 6, 2003
JERUSALEM, May 06: US satellites are checking that Israel is fulfilling its peace plan obligations by freezing settlement expansion and dismantling outposts in the West Bank, the Maariv newspaper said today.

Ben-Eliezer pledges to back Peres as temporary Labor chair
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
In a meeting Tuesday morning, former Labor Party chairman Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Shimon Peres he will support his appointment as temporary chairman to replace Amram Mitzna, who announced his resignation as party chief Sunday evening. Peres, the party's elder statesman, promised Ben-Eliezer that he will not run for the chairman's position when elections are held for a permanent appointment.

Austerity package violates child rights law, says advocacy council
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
The government's austerity plan does not include a report on its adverse effects on children - as required by law - the National Council for the Child said yesterday, informing Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid and Knesset legal adviser Anna Shneider that in its opinion the economic plan must therefore be amended and presented freshly to the plenum though it passed its first reading last week.

Egypt urges Mid-East truce
BBC, May 5, 2003
A senior Egyptian Government official has called on the Palestinians to implement a six-month moratorium on anti-Israel violence in order to kick-start a new peace process. Dr Usama al-Baz, the senior political adviser to Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, said that suicide bombings targeting innocent Israelis did not advance the Palestinian cause.

Only soup kitchens are booming in an Israel devastated by the intifada
The Independent, May 6, 2003
When Eliahu Bahima started working as head cook at the soup kitchen behind the glossy Jerusalem central bus station a year and a half ago, he served 50 free lunches a day. Now he is feeding 500 of Israel's poor – unemployed, homeless, pensioners and immigrants.

With continued Israeli policy of demolishing, breaking in, detention, Sharon stipulates stop to Intifada before talks on Road Map
Arabic News, May 6, 2003
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns started his meetings with Israeli officials to discuss the Road Map while the Israeli occupation forces yesterday detained 26 Palestinians during inspection operation and demolishing of houses in various parts of the West Bank under the charge of their residents resisting occupation.

New Israeli ambassador in Jordan
Arabic News, May 6, 2003
Jordan yesterday approved the decision of the Israeli government to nominate Yaqoub Haddas Handlsman to be its extraordinary ambassador to Jordan.

Mubarak greets Israel for national day
Middle East Online May 6, 2003
JERUSALEM - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has sent a rare message of congratulations to his Israeli counterpart Moshe Katsav for the Jewish state's national day, officials here said Monday.

Palestinian fishing boat blown up off Gaza coast
Jerusalem Post, May 6, 2003 
The Israeli navy blew up a small Palestinian fishing vessel off the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, security sources said. An Israeli naval patrol spotted a small vessel in an area Israel has declared off-limits to Palestinian vessels, the army said. The Israeli sailors called on the fishermen to surrender, took them captive and then blew up the boat "as a precautionary measure," the army said.

Ceremonies commemorate 21,540 fallen soldiers
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
"It is my duty to eliminate war in the country and bring security and peace. It is our duty to the people of Israel and the bereaved families,” Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday afternoon at the main memorial ceremony for the 2,000 victims of terror at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem.

Settlers' Independence Day march will not go through Palestinian villages
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
A mass Independence Day march planned by settlers to take place Wednesday will be confined to settlements only and will not go through Palestinian villages or open areas, the IDF and the Kedumim council agreed Tuesday.

Ya'alon: Good chance of internal revolution in Iran  
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
Lieutenant General Moshe Ya'alon, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, sees the recent developments in the Palestinian Authority as "an authentic internal development, and the battle has not yet been decided."

Population of Israel 6.7 million - eight times what it was in '48
Haaretz, May 6, 2003
Over the past year, Israel's population grew by 2 percent to stand at 6.7 million, eight times what it was when the state was declared. Some 81 percent - 5.4 million - are Jews, the Central Bureau of Statistics said yesterday. This is 38 percent of the world's Jewish population which now totals 13.3 million.

Making of a martyr
Martin Bright and Fareena Alam
The Observer, May 4, 2003
From pacifism to jihad -- As the drizzle descended on Hounslow mosque last Friday, it was not hard to see why Asif Mohammed Hanif might have wanted to spend the summer in the Middle East.

'Welcome to Palestine': Pilot
Australian Daily Telegraph, May 6, 2003
"WELCOME to Palestine," said an Alitalia pilot as he landed in Tel Aviv, causing a stir among passengers and the airline's Israeli employees, a spokesman for the company said. "We have not spoken to the captain," said the Israeli company spokesman, Orly Segal. "But if this did happen it will not go over quietly."

55 Years of the Palestinian Nakba 1948 - 2003 Nakba Memorial Events in Palestine
BADIL, May 5, 2003
In this period of great concern about new political initiatives aimed at de-legitimizing Palestinian refugees’ demand for their rights (return, restitution and compensation) as enshrined in international law, Palestinian refugees in all parts of Palestine/Israel have taken the lead in organizing public events to commemorate the Palestinian Nakba.

Campaign for the COMMEMORATION OF THE 55th ANNIVERSARY of the PALESTINIAN NAKBA on Palestinian Television Stations
BADIL, May 1, 2003
Between 1 – 15 May 2003 local TV stations in Palestine, members of the Ma’an Network, will present a series of films documenting the Palestinian Nakba. Films will be broadcast daily starting from 08:00 p.m. by the following TV stations... Among the film productions scheduled for presentation are...

Massacre remembered
NorthJersey.com, May 4, 2003
For Palestinians whose parents were forced to flee their villages as the state of Israel was created in 1948, Deir Yassin is a name they have known all their lives. Early on the morning of April 9, 1948, two groups of Jewish fighters attacked the village, killing more than 100 of its 700 inhabitants. Families were lined up against walls and shot; women were beaten and raped.

Grassroots International Protection for the Palestinians
Palestine Monitor/GIPP, May 5, 2003
The Grassroots International Protection for the Palestinian People (GIPP) is a peaceful and nonviolent solidarity movement. It expresses its utmost concern over the recent incident on the 30th April 2003, which took the lives of innocent civilians in Tel Aviv due to a suicide bombing by a person with a British passport.

West Bank ranked one of the most dangerous places for journalists, but US media is silent!
Palestine Media Watch, May 5, 2003
PMWATCH - May 5, 2003 -- On Friday, April 11, 2003, when it became more or less certain that Saddam Hussein's regime had fallen and that the war had crossed the point of no return, The New York Times published an op-ed in which CNN's chief executive of news, Eason Jordan, confessed that CNN had for years suppressed news and cowered under Iraqi threats in order to maintain a presence in Iraq. 

Other Middle East News

US troops 'encouraged' Iraqi looters
BBC, May 6, 2003 
Did US troops do enough to halt theft? --- General Tommy Franks is threatened with a Belgian war crimes trial alleging US troops failed to prevent looting in Iraq. BBC News Online uncovers evidence suggesting his soldiers even egged on some looters....When the college called on the patrolling US forces to help, not only did they refuse, some eyewitnesses allege the troops even encouraged the looters to storm the campus.

Danger Lingers in Pieces of an Abandoned Arsenal
New York Times, May 6, 2003
KIRKUK, Iraq, May 1 — Just over a week ago, five young boys — ages 6 to 12 — found an abandoned artillery shell outside this oil-producing city in northern Iraq and played a popular new game. They pried the shell open, extracted its explosive propellant — a mixture of gunpowder and cordite — and set it on fire. "We didn't know what they were," said Safa Hussain, the group's four-foot-tall, 12-year-old leader. The propellant exploded, severely burning the boys' faces and hands.

Garner to be replaced by former diplomat
The Independent, May 6, 2003
Jay Garner, the former general who was appointed Iraq's chief civil administrator, was on his way out last night as it became clear that Washington was dropping him in favour of a former diplomat equally close to the Bush government.

Bush may lift sanctions on his own, despite opposition
The Independent, May 6, 2003
The Bush administration is studying whether to lift US sanctions on Iraq unilaterally – a move likely to put it on a new collision course with France, Russia and other members of the UN Security Council. A legal team led by the National Security Council at the White House is examining such a step and its likely ramifications in international law, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

White House names team of exiles to run Iraq
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
The US has pinpointed five Iraqis to form the nucleus of a provisional government, but none is from the political and religious groups mushrooming in the country.

Iraq: US restructuring Baath units
Itar-Tass, May 5, 2003
TEHERAN, May 5 (Itar-Tass) - Americans are restructuring special paramilitary units of the former Baath Party of Iraq, intending to use them for suppressing possible protest actions of the Iraqi population. The military intelligence of the U.S. Army, FBI and CIA agents are working on the creation of the new special units, the IRNA news agency reported with reference to reliable sources.

EU Aid Official Urges U.N. Role in Iraq
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq (AP) - The European Union's top humanitarian aid official arrived Tuesday with a message of support for the Iraqi people and a proposal that the United Nations act as the ``cornerstone'' for coordinating aid across the country.

Saddam 'took $1bn from bank'
BBC, May 6, 2003 
Saddam Hussein ordered his son to take about $1bn in cash from the Iraqi Central Bank just hours before the first bombs fell on Baghdad, a newspaper has claimed. Treasury Department officials in the US confirmed that $900m in cash was taken from the bank at about 0400 local time on 18 March, but could not verify a New York Times report that Saddam Hussein's son Qusay and his father's personal secretary removed the money.

IRCS Donations Arrive in Iraq
Tehran Times, May 6, 2003
TEHRAN -- The first convoy carrying donation from the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) originating from Kermanshah arrived in Baghdad on Sunday, reported a press release issued by the representative office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Many withdraw from Mosul poll, council elected
The Indian Express, May 6, 2003
As the delegations chose their representatives, many of them announced that they were withdrawing from the election in protest that delegates were divided along ethnic lines. -- Mosul, May 5: Rival ethnic groups elected an interim council to govern Iraq’s third largest city on Monday in the country’s first vote since Saddam Hussein was ousted by US-led forces last month.

Iranian model of Islam not for Iraq: Shiite clerics
Times of India, May 6, 2003
QOM: Shiite clerics heading home to Iraq from exile in neighbouring Iran vowed Monday to preach a liberal model of Islam on their return, not the form practiced in hard-line Iran. Many Iraqi clerics fled their country to Iran to escape crackdowns on Shiite leaders by deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Iraqi Shi'ite leader likely to quit as party head
Times of India, May 6, 2003
TEHRAN: The leader of Iraq's biggest Shi'ite group is likely to quit his post to pursue a role above the post-war political party fray and give religious judgments on matters of state, a party official said on Monday.

Kubaissi Opposes Theocratic Regime In Iraq
Islam Online, May 6, 2003
Kubaissi nominated Al-Jilani family as a possible royal family to rule Iraq -- LONDON , May 6 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Dr. Ahmad al-Kubaissi, the head of Iraq 's Muslim scholars committee, stressed he does not support the establishment of a theocratic government in Iraq at present because this has nothing to do with reality on the ground.

'Liberated' Iraq Begins to Slip into Fundamentalist Hands 
Common Dreams/Globe & Mail, May 5, 2003
NAJAF, IRAQ -- Islamic fundamentalism is on the rise in Iraq, taking control of vital services and vying for a major say in the shape of Iraq's civilian government. The upsurge in Islamic sentiment is especially strong among followers of the Shia sect, who make up 60 per cent of Iraq's population of 24 million and were long persecuted by the regime of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, who was a member of the Sunni minority.

U.S. Struggles in Quicksand of Iraq
Common Dreams/Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2003
Continuing disorder is fueling skepticism and allowing competing political forces to fill the void. -- BAGHDAD — Nearly a month after Baghdad fell to U.S. forces, the reconstruction effort is struggling to gain visibility and credibility, crime is a continuing problem, Iraqis desperate for jobs and security are becoming angry and the transition to democracy promised by President Bush seems rife with risk.

Marines accuse Baghdad museum of hampering hunt for treasures
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
Search for exhibits held up by lack of help, taskforce says -- The search for the antiquities of ancient Mesopotamia looted as the US forces were occupying Baghdad is being hampered by strained relations between the US marine corps and officials of the Iraqi National Museum.

Iraq’s Gypsies Struggle For Life After Saddam’s Fall
Islam Online, May 6, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 6 (IsalmOnline.net & News Agencies) – Iraq’s gypsies are suffering continued harassment from nearby Baghdad tribes and were forced to flee their homes when U.S. forces trundled into the Iraqi capital and declared the downfall of Saddam Hussein.

Iraqi female fidayeen vow revenge
Times of India, May 6, 2003
BAGHDAD: The Bush administration, US soldiers, and the mostly-male media have little or no knowledge of what Iraqi women think about the invasion of their country. The views of some of these modern, educated, outspoken Iraqi women may come as a big surprise.

Oil exploration in Iraq still a pipe dream for Western companies  
Zawya, May 6, 2003
NEW YORK, May 05, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Now that Iraqi oil wells are pumping again and the industry is being rehabilitated after years of decay, there is little doubt the country's production will approach its peak of about 3.5 million barrels a day in just three years. While this will give an important lift to the Iraqi economy and supplement world supplies, international petroleum companies are more interested in what happens after that.

Likely Iraqi Leader: Belarus Aided Saddam
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
MOSCOW (AP) - A likely appointee to the interim Iraqi government said Belarus should be called to account for allegedly providing military aid to Saddam Hussein in violation of United Nations sanctions.

Qatar Appoints 1st Female Gov't Minister
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
DOHA, Qatar (AP) - In a further move toward democratic reform, Qatari Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Tuesday appointed the country's first female government minister, the official Qatar News Agency said.

Australian Special Forces Leave Iraq
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australian special forces who fought alongside U.S. and British troops to topple Saddam Hussein have left Iraq and will be home within weeks, the defense minister said Tuesday.

France helped Iraqis escape
Washington Times, May 6, 2003
(AP)  The French government secretly supplied fleeing Iraqi officials with passports in Syria that allowed them to escape to Europe, The Washington Times has learned. The passports are regarded as documents of the European Union and have helped the Iraqis avoid capture.

Turkey seeks to upgrade ties with Syria
Washington Times, May 6, 2003
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Turkey is seeking closer military and economic ties with Syria to regain Arab world influence damaged by the coalition's victory in Iraq, diplomats report. The recent visit to Syria by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has set the stage for a series of other meetings, including a trip to Turkey by Syrian President Bashar Assad, planned for September.

Russia: No evidence for Iranian secret nuclear weapons program
Al-Bawaba, May 6, 2003
Rejecting US claims, a top Russian diplomat said Tuesday there was no evidence that Iran had pursued a nuclear weapons capability in violation of the international nonproliferation agreement.

Iran Shrugs off U.S. Threats
Tehran Times, May 6, 2003
TEHRAN -- The Islamic Republic of Iran on Monday shrugged off a claim by the United States to isolate Tehran with an official asserting the policy had consistently failed. "The united States' plan to isolate Iran and even to create divisions between Iranians and their leader has been a failure," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamidreza Assefi told reporters.

Powell Says Lebanon Could Be Regional Model for Democracy, Free Trade
Washington File, US State Dept, May 6, 2003
Cites "new strategic situation" in the Middle East -- At a press briefing in Beirut on May 3, Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Lebanon "could be a model for democracy and freet rade in the region." Powell and Lebanese Foreign Minister Jean Obeid spoke to the press following Powell's meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, speaker of Parliament Nabil Berri, and Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

Ex-UN Arms Inspector Likens Iraq War with Hitler's Poland Invasion
Palestine Chronicle, May 6, 2003
"He added that Hitler claimed self-defense as a pretext to march into Poland, while Bush used the same excuse to attack Iraq on March 20 .." -- BERLIN - Former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Tuesday compared the US war in Iraq with Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland. Ritter claimed that American President George W. Bush and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler used "the same lie" to justify the military attack.

Iraqis Slam 'Unfair' Arab Media Reports On Volunteers
Palestine Chronicle, May 6, 2003
BAGHDAD (IOL) – Weeks after the end of the U.S.-led invasion of their country, Iraqis now stand up to defend themselves against a new campaign; this time launched by the Arab media. Many of national broadcasters aired stories of Arab volunteers who fought with the Iraqi forces accusing the latter of “selling out their country” for the U.S.-led forces who easily trundled into Baghdad to no fight.

Rumsfeld's soundbites take a back seat as he lashes out at waiting journalists
The Independent, May 3, 2003
Through a crack in the wall we could see Mr Hoon, head bowed, a virtual statue as the man behind the world's most powerful military machine let rip. -- The Donald Rumsfeld soundbite has become something of an institution since America began banging the diplomatic drum for war on Iraq. The tortured syntax, the rolling eyes and the faintly incomprehensible, slightly menacing utterances.

Kuwaiti Advert Discriminates Against Muslim Applicants
Arab News, May 6, 2003
RIYADH, 6 May 2003 — A Kuwaiti company has placed discriminatory advertisements in Indian newspapers, allegedly on behalf of the US Army, for the recruitment of candidates for jobs at the US base in northern Kuwait, explicitly barring Muslim applicants. US diplomats say an investigation is under way.

Lebanon military tribunal convicts Al-Qaeda suspects
Al-Bawaba, May 6, 2003
Lebanon's military tribunal has convicted three Lebanese and a Saudi for links with the Al-Qaeda network and sentenced them to three years in prison, judicial sources said Tuesday.

Galloway suspended from Labour Party
The Times, May 6, 2003
George Galloway has been suspended from the Labour Party today over comments that he made during the Iraq war. The MP for Glasgow Kelvin is the subject of "internal party investigations" into complaints that he brought the Party into disrepute during an interview on March 28 for Abu Dhabi TV.

Envoy Dubs US a Police State 
Common Dreams/The Times, May 6, 2003
THE strained relations between Germany and the United States took a turn for the worse yesterday after a senior Berlin diplomat was reported to have told Foreign Ministry colleagues that America was turning into a “police state”. The comments of Jürgen Chrobog, the State Secretary, reported in the German Focus magazine, threatened to disrupt intense diplomatic efforts to repair the relationship between Gerhard Schröder, the Chancellor, and President Bush.

US: Finding Iraq's WMD not a top priority
Middle East Online, May 6, 2003
US troops in Iraq say finding Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is not yet a top priority despite mounting pressure on Washington to justify the war with hard evidence.

Riyadh clears way for mega gas deals
Middle East Online, May 6, 2003
RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has cleared a major obstacle for signing final agreements with international oil majors for two mega gas projects, agreeing terms on associated power plants, the chief Saudi negotiator said Tuesday.

Pakistan to resume India links
BBC, May 6, 2003
Pakistan says air and land transport links with India will be restored shortly. Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali made the announcement in the latest sign of a thaw in relations between South Asia's two nuclear powers.

Voice of morality exposed as chronic casino loser
The Guardian, May 6, 2003
Revelation that he is a gambler who has lost millions of dollars in casinos in the past 10 years, playing slot machines and video-poker. -- When famous figures in America find themselves involved in personal scandals few commentators make it to the microphone faster than William Bennett, the country's leading public moralist.

Special Award: Day's Most Bogus News Story
Sources Say Jessica Lynch Has Amnesia
FOX News, May 5, 2003
NEW YORK — Rescued POW Jessica Lynch (search) says she can't remember anything about her time in captivity in Iraq -- a huge obstacle for military investigators who were hoping the 19-year-old soldier would be the key to revealing Iraqi war crimes, Fox News has learned. [Editor's Note: Be sure to see: The real 'Saving Pte. Lynch', Toronto Star, May 5, 2003]