IDF kills senior Hamas activist in Gaza missile strike
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces fired three missiles at a vehicle in northern Gaza City on Thursday afternoon, killing senior Hamas activist Iyad El-Bek, 30, who was also involved in an organization established by Al-Qaida. No other casualties were reported as a result of the missile strike. IDF troops also killed a 30-year-old Palestinian man near Khan Yunis before dawn Thursday in disputed circumstances.

Israel Killed 6 Palestinians In 24 Hours
Islam Online, May 8, 2003
GAZA CITY, May 8 (IslamOnline.net) - Israeli occupation forces shot dead three Palestinians early on Thursday, May 8, raising the death toll to seven in the last 24 hours. A 30-year-old Palestinian was shot down by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis and breathed his last upon arrival to hospital, Palestinian medical sources told IslamOnline.net.

New Israeli military Declaration Targets ISM
International Solidarity Movement, May 8, 2003
In addition to stipulations of not holding the Israeli Government responsible for the death of internationals, the declaration specifically states that the individual signing can have no connection to the International Solidarity Movement(ISM).  -- As of Thursday, May 8, humanitarian organizations working within the Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine began receiving a new declaration created by the Israeli military.  This document (included below) demands signature of all international groups working within the Gaza Strip and any internationals attempting to enter the Gaza Strip.

Israel ready to reopen Syria peace talks
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, says that he is ready to reopen peace negotiations with Syria. The move comes three years after talks broke down over the Israeli-occupied Golan heights, and Mr Sharon says that the new talks will be held "without preconditions".

Alert: Tulkarem Camp Attacked
International Solidarity Movement, May 8, 2003
Approximately one hour ago, soldiers of the Israeli military occupied the UNRWA high school in the Tul Karem refugee camp in the West Bank of Occupied Palestine.  Soldiers ordered the high school caretaker to open the school in order for the military to set up inside.

Internationals, Israelis and Palestinian Farmers Injured in Attack by Armed Settler
Palestine Chronicle, May 7, 2003
"The settlers 'seemed to appear from nowhere,' according to Anna from IWPS, and began running at the groups screaming and shouting 'Nazis, Nazis' .." -- As two Internationals, five Israelis and 10 Palestinian farmers, including 3 elderly women, plowed the fields of the West Bank village Sawiya Wednesday morning, up to 20 armed settlers with a German Shepherd from the illegal colony of Eli descended and began attacking them.

Autopsy: Cameraman Hit by Israeli Troops
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - A British cameraman killed last week in the Gaza Strip was shot from the front, according to an autopsy that suggests he was hit by Israeli troops. The autopsy report was released Thursday by Israel's national forensic institute. Associated Press Television News footage showed the crew waving a white flag and yelling that they were British journalists as they approached an armored Israeli army bulldozer.

Hamas vows revenge after senior activist assassinated by Israel in Gaza Strip
Al-Bawaba, May 8, 2003
An Israeli helicopter gunship fired two missiles at a car in Gaza City on Thursday, killing at least one person, Palestinian police sources and witnesses said. Two of the missiles struck the car and a third landed nearby in the street, witnesses said.

Elon: My talks in Washington are about tourism, not road map
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON - Tourism Minister Benny Elon said yesterday that most of his discussions during his U.S. visit have focused on affairs directly related to tourism. During the cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon criticized the fact that Elon had left for the Washington the previous night and planned to lobby members of Congress against the American road map, contrary to official Israeli policy.

With ‘Roadmap’ Only Days Old, Settlers Begin Enlarging Illegal Colonies
Palestine Media Center, May 8, 2003
May 8, 2003 - In contravention with the newly launched, internationally-endorsed “roadmap” to peace, Israeli settlers on Wednesday laid the cornerstone of a new Jewish settlement project in the occupied West Bank at the illegal Beit El settlement, near Ramallah.

UN: Occupation forces demolish 74 Palestinian homes monthly
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Gaza - The UNRWA today announced that the Zionist occupation forces’ destructive campaigns in the Palestinian lands had so far led to the displacement of around 12,000 Palestinians.

250 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Bethlehem - The Palestinian prisoner’s club has said that 250 Palestinian captives serving various prison terms in the Beer Sheba jail had gone on an open-ended hunger strike since 4/5/2003.

UNRWA: House Demolitions hit 12,700 in West Bank and Gaza Strip
United Nations News, May 7, 2003
Copenhagen – The total number of Palestinians made homeless by Israeli’s military demolition campaign climbed above 12,000 this month following a rapid acceleration of the policy in Gaza during the first quarter of this year.

Sources: Palestinian factions close Damascus offices
Al-Bawaba, May 8, 2003
Informed Palestinian sources have confirmed to Al Bawaba that four Palestinian factions have decided to close their Damascus offices in response to escalating tensions between Syria and the United States.

Palestinian groups reject Israeli allegations about Al Qaeda involvement in their struggle
Al-Bawaba, May 8, 2003
Palestinian groups described Israel’s allegations that Palestinian resistance movements being aided by Al Qaeda as attempts by Israel to “elude the world and label the Palestinian struggle as terrorism.”

Palestinians reassert right of return, remember 530 towns and villages obliterated by Zionists
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Thousands of Palestinians on Monday toured the sites of their former towns and villages from which they were expelled at gunpoint by Jewish forces when the Zionist state of Israel came into existence fifty five years ago.

Armed Palestinian dies in attempt to attack IDF post in Gaza
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
An armed Palestinian in a booby-trapped car was killed in the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening while attempting to blow up an IDF tank after at least one Palestinian began shooting at a group of soldiers.

FBI Focus Increases On Hamas, Hezbollah
Washington Post, May 8, 2003
Ruling Enables Intensified Probes -- Wielding new powers granted by a six-month-old federal court decision, the FBI has greatly intensified decade-old investigations of alleged U.S. supporters of the Islamic Resistance Movement and Hezbollah terrorist groups, according to government officials.

IOF Assassinate Palestinian in Gaza, Execute Another in Nablus
International Press Center, May 8, 2003
Palestine, May 8, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)- - Two Israeli helicopter gunships assassinated noon today a Palestinian citizen in Gaza City, Eyad Al Baik, 30, member in Hamas movement, as well as extra-judicially executing another citizen in the city Nablus.

Breaking News: Child Dies of Wounds Inflicted By IDF Two Months Ago
International Press Center, May 8, 2003
18:15 Medical sources at Rafidia hospital in Tulkarem announced that a Palestinian child, Ahmad Al Hamshari, 13, died today of wounds sustained during an IOF incursion to Tulkarem refugee camp two months ago.

Israeli occupation assassinate a Hamas resistance fighter
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - The Israeli occupation army on Thursday assassinated a Gaza youth on suspicion of taking part in the resistance against Israel’s colonialist occupation of the Palestinian homeland. Palestinian sources said an Israeli helicopter gunship fired three missiles at a car in which the youth was riding, destroying his car and killing him instantly.

Autopsy of British cameraman shows he was killed by IDF fire
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
British journalist James Miller, who was shot dead last week in the Gaza Strip town of Rafah, was hit by IDF fire, not by Palestinian fire, according to an autopsy carried out at by the Forensic Institute, Israel Radio reported Thursday.

Palestinian Toddler Gunned Down by IOF
Palestine Media Center, May 8, 2003
12,000 Palestinians Made Homeless by Israel: UNRWA  -- May 8, 2003 - A Palestinian toddler was killed Wednesday when Israeli tanks opened fire at residential neighborhoods in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. Witnesses said Elian Bashiti, 18 months old, was hit in the head by a bullet and later died at a local hospital.

Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine May 8, 2003
Palestine Media Center, May 8, 2003
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a toddler in the town of Khan Younis and two men in various locations in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, a 22-year-old woman died of wounds she sustained earlier during an IOF military raid on Khan Younis last week.

Brother of Fatah official shot in Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp
Al-Bawaba, May 8, 2003
A masked gunman opened fire outside the home of a Fatah official in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday, seriously wounding his younger brother, camp security sources said.

Sharon Slows Down ‘Roadmap’ Process, Undercuts Powell’s Visit
Palestine Media Center, May 8, 2003
The Palestine National Authority (PNA) accused Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government of slowing down movement on the newly published “roadmap” for peace in the Middle East, thus rendering US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s visit at the weekend fruitless.

Syria: Mideast peace requires 'total retreat' by Israel
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
Lasting peace in the Middle East depends on a "total retreat" by Israel from the territories it seized in the 1967 war, Syria's ambassador to Spain said Wednesday.

New demand from Sharon puts peace plan at risk
The Independent, May 8, 2003
Concern is mounting that the American-backed "road-map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians may be wrecked by demands from Ariel Sharon, Israel's Prime Minister.

PM Abbas Letter to US Envoy Highlights Danger of Israel's Failure to Accept Road Map
Palestine Media Center, May 8, 2003
In a letter sent yesterday to William Burns, Assistant US Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas warned that Israel’s refusal to accept the Road Map will undermine Palestinian efforts to achieve peace with Israel.

Sharon to urge Powell to press PA
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is planning to tell U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that the U.S. must pressure the Palestinian Authority to take real steps against terror, just as it is pressuring Syria to cease supporting terrorism, government sources said last night before Powell's arrival for a shuttle mission between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Zinni pessimistic about 'narrow path' of road map
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
On March 1, retired Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni announced his resignation as the special U.S. envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Not many remembered that he was still holding the official position, even though his last visit to the region was before last year's Park Hotel seder massacre.

Labor Party remains rudderless as Peres fails to win appointment
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
Labor Party leaders did not manage to decide in a meeting Thursday afternoon how their party should be run following Amram Mitzna's resignation as chairman.

Palestinians imprisoned in isolated cells to start hunger strike
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Ramallah - The prisoners’ supporters society yesterday said that four Palestinian prisoners in the Beer Sheba prison had decided to start a hunger strike as of early next month.

Peretz, Netanyahu to meet as public sector sanctions continue
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut labor federation Chairman Amir Peretz will meet today in an effort to reach an agreement that will end the public-sector labor sanctions that began last week.

Patrols begin on first 11 kilometers of operational separation fence
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
The tank battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Yaakov Banjou recently received a first-of-its-kind assignment: It will be patrolling the first operational section of the security fence separating Israel from the West Bank.

Immigration to Israel down 45% as gov't slashes benefits
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
Immigration to Israel has dropped by 45 percent in the first four months of 2003, compared to the same period last year, a senior official in the Jewish Agency said Thursday, blaming the dramatic decline largely on the government's move to slash immigrant benefits.

Wages still shrinking: Down 6.7% to NIS 6,929 in January-February
Globes, May 8, 2003
Central Bureau of Statistics figures show that the recession and high unemployment rate are still pushing down wages. The average gross salary in February amounted to only NIS 6,929, a decline of 6.7% in real terms, compared with February 2002.

Number of employees down 2.3% at start of 2003
Globes, May 8, 2003 
The number of employees has been falling steadily for 18 months. -- Israel’s economy is continuing to shed workers. Employment fell to only 2.28 million in February, 2.3% less than at the end of 2002 - a loss of 54,000 jobs in two months.

33% fewer Israelis traveled overseas in Q1
Globes, May 8, 2003
The downtrend in overseas travel by Israelis has been continuous since Operation Defensive Shield in March 2002. -- The recession in Israel is affecting the middle classes, and even the top income decile. Only 443,000 Israelis traveled overseas in the first quarter of 2003, down 33%, compared with the corresponding period in 2002.

Palestinians savour bitter memories as Israel celebrates its 55th birthday
Jordan Times, May 8, 2003   
JABALYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip — Torn apart by a potent mix of anger, sadness and to certain extent resignation, the Palestinian refugees of Gaza were still holding onto their dream of a return to their destroyed homes as Israel celebrated its 55th birthday on Wednesday.

Bethlehem Deportees Urge Home Return
Islam Online, May 8, 2003
Palestinian deportees hope for an end to their one-year plight -- GAZA CITY, May 7 (IslamOnline.net) - Palestinian deportees from the West Bank city of Bethlehem reiterated calls for returning home one year after the deal to end five-week Israeli siege of Church of Nativity pushed them into exile in 2002.

Lebanon arrests 3 Palestinians for links to bombings
Haaretz, May 8, 2003
BEIRUT - Three Palestinians suspected of links to a string of bomb attacks against Western fast food outlets were arrested overnight Thursday in Lebanon, which also charged eight more men - including two Palestinians - in connection with the bombing spree. Two of the men arrested were also charged with involvement in an attempt to assassinate the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon and attack the U.S. embassy.

Aqsa Foundation warns of serious dangers against holy Mosque
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Sheikh Ra’ed Salah, head of the Aqsa foundation for reconstruction and maintenance of Islamic holy shrines, has underlined that recent statements voiced by Zionist commander of the occupied Jerusalem police force reflected the sad fact that the holy Aqsa Mosque was under complete Zionist sovereignty.

Islamic award to Sheikh Salah
Palestinian Information Center, May 8, 2003
Um Al-Fahm - The Islamic movement’s delegation returning from Scotland handed Sheikh Ra’ed Salah, the leader of this movement in the 1948 occupied areas, an honorary award. The delegates had participated in the fifth international academic conference on Beitul Makdes (Jerusalem) during which the conferees decided to grant the award to Sheikh Salah out of appreciation towards his great efforts and accomplishments in service of Beitul Makdes and the Aqsa Mosque.

UN Palestinian rights committee welcomes Road Map peace plan
United Nations News, May 7, 2003
7 May – A United Nations committee on Palestinian rights has welcomed the formal launching of the Road Map, the new Middle East peace initiative by the diplomatic Quartet - the UN, United States, Russian Federation and European Union - based on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli-Palestinian Road Map plan is “historic window of opportunity” – Annan
United Nations News, May 8, 2003
8 May – The Road Map plan for peace between Israelis and Palestinians was “a historic window of opportunity” opening up “after a terrible period of death and destruction on both sides of the conflict,” United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in a message issued at a meeting on Arab-Israeli peace.

Other Middle East News

WHO warns of Iraq cholera outbreak
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
A severe shortage of clean drinking water has left southern Iraq facing a mass cholera outbreak, the World Health Organisation warned today. Seventeen cases of the potentially fatal disease have already been identified in Basra, which is controlled by the British military. WHO experts believe that there are already at least 10 times that number of victims.

US urges UN to lift Iraq sanctions
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
The US today suspended trade embargoes against Iraq, and urged the UN to lift 10-year-old sanctions as part of its post-war reconstruction plan.

A Radioactive Mess
AlterNet, May 6, 2003
While American experts say there is no telling what may have been looted from a nuclear research facility in Baghdad, an Iraqi nuclear engineer who was one of the founders of the facility says he has witnessed the spread of nuclear contamination firsthand.

Hostility toward U.S. troops is running high in Baghdad Casualties, crime and lack of services breed anger
USA Today, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD -- Having easily won the war for Iraq, the United States has yet to win the peace. Iraqis say they view the U.S. military occupation with suspicion, anger and frustration. Many even say life was in some ways better under the regime of Saddam Hussein: The streets, they say, were safer, jobs more secure, food more plentiful and electricity and water supplies reliable.

Iraqis suspicious of American intentions
Times of India, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD: Women in the Iraqi city of Falluja dress in long black shawls and sit in the back room of their homes to hide from what they say are the "half-naked" US soldiers spying on them with X-ray vision goggles.

US seeks UN action over Iranian 'weapons'
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
Washington is pressing the UN to take action against Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons development programme, it was reported today. The US has accused Iran of secretly embarking on a programme to enrich uranium at Natanz in southern Iran, which it fears could be used to make nuclear weapons, in contravention of an international treaty.

U.S. Adviser Warns Syria on Iraqi WMD
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
MADRID, Spain (AP) - The United States would be forced to act if it discovered that Damascus allowed Iraq to hide weapons of mass destruction in Syria during the war, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said in an interview published Wednesday.

Poland rethinks troops' mission in Iraq
Financial Times, May 7, 2003
Poland is reconsidering its plans to command one of the three military zones the US has provisionally designated for the multinational stabilisation force in Iraq, as the legal and military implications become more apparent.

US wants Turkey on side over Iran, Syria
MSNBC, May 8, 2003
May 7— A senior Bush Administration official has called on Turkey to give greater backing to Washington’s hard line policies regarding Iran and Syria. Speaking to Turkish television Tuesday, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz also said that the US had been disappointed in the failure of Ankara to support allied efforts in the war against neighbouring Iraq.

Kharrazi: Iran wants better ties with US
Al-Bawaba, May 8, 2003
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has said the Islamic Republic wants to improve relations with the United States, the official IRNA news agency said on Thursday.

U.S. Senator Accuses Syria Of ‘Money Laundering’
Islam Online, May 8, 2003
Kerry asked Bush to declare Syria and Lebanon 2 states accused of money laundering dedicated to “terrorism” -- WASHINGTON, May 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – U.S. senator John Kerry urged Wednesday, May 7, U.S. President George W. Bush to take “strict measures” to stop the flow of money used in financing the so-called “international terrorist organizations”.

U.S.-Turkish Tension Over Iraq Mounts
Islam Online, May 8, 2003
"Let's have a Turkey that instead of looking with suspicion at everything that goes on in northern Iraq ... steps up and says we made a mistake," Wolfowitz -- ANKARA, My 8 (IslamOnline.net) - Turkey and the United States exchanged accusations concerning the war against Iraq in a new sign of mounting tension characterizing relations between the two allies.

Two American Soldiers Killed in Baghdad
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Two American soldiers were killed Thursday in separate attacks - at least one of them a bold daylight shooting - in Baghdad, military officials said. At least one other soldier was injured when a U.S. vehicle hit an explosive in part of the city believed to have been cleared of land mines.

Coalition Forces Have Released 7,000 POWs
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Coalition forces have released some 7,000 prisoners captured during the war in Iraq, defense officials said Thursday.

Trailer found in Iraq 'was bioweapons lab'
The Independent, May 8, 2003
American and British experts have concluded that a trailer found by Allied forces three weeks ago in northern Iraq was a mobile bioweapons laboratory, a senior Pentagon official said yesterday.

US planners forgot about Iraqi nukes
Times of India, May 8, 2003
NEW YORK: The genius of Donald Rumsfeld and his deputies in the Defence Department is currently among the mainstream media's favourite themes. According to the convention viewpoint, their military strategy in Iraq was practically flawless, their political instincts are masterful and their philosophical grounding is deep. They are just undeniably brilliant.

Protests over health chief as cholera hits Basra
The Independent, May 8, 2003
A total of 17 confirmed cases of cholera were reported yesterday by the World Health Organisation in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. The number of confirmed cholera cases pointed to a probable outbreak of the waterborne disease among "several hundreds of people", the World Health Organisation said.

'Pro-Saddam' protesters storm town hall in Shiite holy city
Jordan Times, May 8, 2003
KARBALA, Iraq (AFP) — Around 50 protestors stormed the town hall in the Shiite Muslim pilgrimage city of Karbala on Wednesday, breaking doors and windows before being dispersed by Iraqi police. Deputy Mayor Ali Abdul Hussein Kammuna said the assailants were connected to the ousted regime of President Saddam Hussein and angry at their exclusion from the new city council established by the Shiite clergy after US troops seized the area a month ago.

Iraqi bank manager says Qusay not to blame
Times of India, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD: A top Iraqi banker has denied a news report that accused Saddam Hussein's younger son Qusay, of taking $1 billion from Iraq's Central Bank. He insisted that the money was looted by professional thieves, UPI reports.

Officials: Group Was to Kill Ambassador
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - A terrorist network led by a Yemeni national planned to kill the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon earlier this year by firing a rocket-propelled grenade into his car, judicial officials said Thursday.

U.S. Official Discusses Iraq in Moscow
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
MOSCOW (AP) - A U.S. official sought Russia's support Thursday for the removal of economic sanctions against Iraq, which Moscow has said cannot be lifted until it is clear the country has no weapons of mass destruction.

"Special" Iraqi Court To Try Saddam, Aides: U.S.
Islam Online, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A "special" Iraqi tribunal could be set up to try toppled Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, if caught, and members of his regime for crimes against the Iraqi people, a top U.S. law official said Thursday, May 8.

Saddam Said Likely to Face Court in Iraq
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants are likely to face trial in an Iraqi court if they are captured alive, the U.S. adviser to Iraq's Justice Ministry said Thursday.

Evangelicals Condemn Anti-Islam Remarks
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Leading evangelical Christians for the first time have publicly condemned assaults on Islam by the Rev. Franklin Graham and other fellow religious conservatives and pledged to heal rifts with Muslims that threaten missionary work overseas.

Pentagon to Increase Team on Weapons Hunt
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - About 2,000 more experts are being sent to Iraq to help look for banned weapons as well as regime leaders, terrorists and more. The team is more than triple the size of the force now searching for weapons and larger than was previously described.

Bush Hopes to Duck Another U.N. Iraq Rift
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is preparing to engage in another U.N. showdown over its goals for postwar Iraq, but the president sees reason for optimism.

U.S. Commander in Iraq Urges Patience
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The American military officer in charge of postwar Iraq expressed satisfaction Thursday at the progress being made in the capital but warned against talk of quick solutions, saying they ``will not come overnight.''

Generals from about 15 countries discuss future of Iraq
Al-Bawaba, May 8, 2003
Generals from more than a dozen countries met in London Thursday to draw up plans for an international military stabilization force for Iraq, Britain's Defense Ministry said.

Associated Press Puts Violent Words in Iraqi Protesters' Mouths
The Memory Hole, May 8, 2003
AP's own photograph shows the sentence: "Sooner or later US killers we'll kick you out." But..AP reported it: "Sooner or later US killers we'll kill you" -- On 30 April 2003, the Associated Press newswire carried the photo above and a related article headlined, "U.S. Troops Fire on Iraq Protesters Again." The story concerned the second time US forces had shot Iraqis engaged in anti-US protests, this time killing two of them and wounding 18.

Libraries Rally Against USA Patriot Act
FOX News, May 7, 2003
PATERSON, N.J. — Librarians across the country are rising up against the USA Patriot Act (search), shredding records and making other attempts to thwart the legal framework in the war on terror.

Evangelical group pulling up, moving operations to Kirkuk
Jordan Times, May 8, 2003
AMMAN — After closing up its kitchen at the third country national camp outside Ruweished, the Jordanian Evangelical Committee for Relief and Development is gearing up for work in Kirkuk, Iraq, project organisers said Wednesday.

Cheney oil firm widens Iraq role
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
Halliburton, the company formerly run by the US vice-president, Dick Cheney, has been granted a far broader role in Iraq than previously disclosed and is already operating oilfields in the country, the US army admitted yesterday.

Saudi king agrees to human rights panel
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
Saudi Arabia - noted for its floggings, public executions and one of the least transparent justice systems - is to have its first independent human rights organisation.

The power behind the Bush throne will fight on
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
Despite heart and image problems, Cheney will run for vice-president in 2004 -- Dick Cheney confirmed yesterday what Washington had long assumed: that when President George Bush stands for re-election next year, the most powerful but least visible vice-president in US history will be standing by his side.

Bush Upbeat on Mideast Peacemaking
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush was upbeat Thursday about Mideast peace prospects, attributing his optimism to the appointment of a new Palestinian prime minister.

Doctor: Lynch Has No Memory of Ambush
The Guardian, May 8, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - It's unlikely that Pfc. Jessica Lynch will ever remember what happened in Iraq when her Army convoy was ambushed and she was taken as a prisoner of war, her doctor said Thursday.