Palestinian
Boy Killed - Diplomatic Convoy Attacked
Palestine Chronicle, May 27, 2003
"A Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman said its representative to the Palestine National
Authority (PNA) and a colleague had come under Israeli fire at a Gaza roadblock
on Monday .." -- GAZA CITY - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian
child in Karawat Bani Zeid village, near Ramallah city and another man in the
northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical and security sources said. IOF raided
Karawat Bani Zeid and randomly opened fire on Palestinian houses, killing 11-year-old
Samer Arrar, witnesses said.
Israeli
Forces Kills a Palestinian Child in Tulkarim
International Press Center, May 27, 2003
TULKARIM, Palestine, May 27, 2003, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed Tuesday
morning one Palestinian child in the town of Al-Rass, near the northern West Bank
city of Tulkarim. Palestinian medical sources affirmed, Mohammed Awad, 16, was
shot with live bullets in his body, due to which he was killed.
Boy
Killed in Tulkarem, Jenin Invasion, The Verge of Deportation
International Solidarity Movement, May 27, 2003
Israeli Army Kills Unarmed Palestinian Boy, Wounds Three Others -- Israeli forces
shot and killed sixteen-year-old Mohammed Nazim Amin Mahmoud, a citizen of the
United Arab Emirates while he was coming home from school..in downtown Tulkarem
today. ISM volunteers witnessed the soldiers denying passage to the ambulance
until the boy bled to death. / ISM volunteers report that the entire city of Jenin
is currently under curfew. / Americans Mike Johnson..and Matteo Bernal..are currently
in transit to Ben Gurion, Airport awaiting deportation as of 7:15PM Monday evening.
Bush
to hold Middle East summit
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
Israeli army fires on European diplomats leaving Palestinian area as US pushes
the pace on road map -- George Bush will meet Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders
in the Middle East early next month to push forward the US-driven "road map" to
peace after its conditional and reluctant approval by the Israeli cabinet on Sunday.
Hamas
'ready to offer new ceasefire'
The Observer, May 25, 2003
Militants rekindle hopes for Middle East peace process -- Palestinian militant
group Hamas is on the verge of renewing its offer to end attacks in Israel as
the efforts to renew the United States-sponsored peace process gain pace.
Israeli
Army Raids Jenin, Sharon Hints End To Occupation
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
"I think that the idea of keeping 3.5 million Palestinians under occupation is
the worst thing..," Sharon -- JENIN, West Bank, May 27 (IslamOnline.net &
News Agencies) – Israeli army staged a raid Tuesday, May 27, with tanks
and other armored vehicles into the West Bank city and refugee camp of Jenin,
as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon signaled he is serious about reaching a
peace deal with the Palestinians with an end to the long-standing occupation.
Abbas
pulls out of 'road map' meeting
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
The Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has pulled out of Israeli-Palestinian
talks on the US-driven "road map" announced earlier today by his Israeli counterpart,
Ariel Sharon. Mr Abbas cited "scheduling difficulties", but the cancellation of
the meeting, which was to be held tomorrow, was interpreted as an indication that
the Palestinian leader does not see any value in meeting Mr Sharon.
Sharon:
Road map doesn't require settlement freeze
Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday that he has an understanding with the
United States government that settlements, including illegal outposts, would be
dealt with on a "separate track," from the road map.
Likud
leader condemns army abuses
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
A leading Israeli politician has accused soldiers of "gross violations of human
rights" in the occupied territories, and the army high command of indifference
to the abuses. The unprecedented accusations came from Michael Eitan, a former
cabinet minister and leader of Ariel Sharon's Likud party, as he chaired hearings
of the Knesset's law committee.
Breaking
News: Child Dies of Wounds Sustatined Last Thursday
International Press Center, May 27, 2003
21: 00-- A thirteen-years-old child Kamal Nawahda, from Yamoun town in Jenin district,
died today evening of head injuries he sustained last Thursday by Israeli direct
gun shot.
"Mother
of all Demonstrations" paralyzes Jerusalem
Globes, May 27, 2003
50,000 people participated in a huge demonstration in Jerusalem against the economic
plan and pension reform organized by the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor
in Israel) and social organizations. The demonstration’s slogan was “The
government is gambling with our pensions on the stock market.”
Zionist
occupation bulldozes 54 houses in Jerusalem this year
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Zionist occupation authorities have demolished 54 Palestinian
houses in the occupied city of Jerusalem since start of 2003, according to a Palestinian
center catering for Jerusalemite affairs.
Qassam
missiles target Sharon’s ranch
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
Gaza- The mayor of the so-called Siderot Jewish settlement built on Palestinian
lands occupied in 1948 has revealed that Palestinian Qassam missiles fired from
the Gaza Strip targeted the ranch of Zionist premier Ariel Sharon.
Humanitarian
and development aid to the Palestinian people of Gaza denied
Palestine Monitor, May 26, 2003
AIDA calls for free and unrestricted movement for all humanitarian and development
workers -- On May 10th 2003, the Israeli authorities denied access through the
Erez crossing to all individuals without diplomatic passports, thereby effectively
barring humanitarian aid and development workers from the Gaza Strip.
Gaza
Physicians Protest against Israeli Practices
International Press Center, May 27, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, May 27, 2003 (IPC Exclusive)-- Dozens of Palestinian paramedics,
accompanied by ambulances, took part Monday morning in a rally in Gaza streets,
in protest against the Israeli excessive measures against local and international
medical staffs.
Israeli
Troops Blow Two Houses in Hebron, Raze Lands in Khuza’
International Press Center, May 27, 2003
HEBRON, Palestine, May26, 2003 (IPC+ Agencies)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF)
blew up Sunday night two houses owned by Hesham Al Takrouri and Mujahed Al Ja’bari
of Hebron city, Sawt Al Hurriya Radio said.
Israelis
Shoot at Diplomatic Cars in Gaza - Sources
New York Times, May 26, 2003
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot at a convoy of diplomatic vehicles at
a military roadblock in the Gaza Strip on Monday, twice hitting the windshield
of one of the cars but causing no injuries, diplomatic sources said.
Human
rights group higlights Israeli murder of Palestinian children
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
The Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group has published a report highlighting
the nearly daily acts of murder of Palestinian children by the Israeli occupation
army. The report titled "Children vs. the Israeli Occupation Army" examines the
the murderous killings of several Palestinian children at the hands of the the
Israeli troops.
Canadian
activist saved from deportation
Come and See, May 26, 2003
A Canadian peace volunteer about to board a Toronto-bound plane at Ben Gurion
airport late Thursday evening was saved from deportation by a last-minute court
injunction issued by the Israeli Supreme Court. Greg Rollins, 30, of Surrey, B.C.,
had been detained in an Israeli prison since Sunday for being in a closed Israeli
military zone in the West Bank town of Hebron without authorization.
Israeli
Army Demolishes Palestinian Homes in Beit Hanina and Hebron
Islamic Association for Palestine, May 26, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian home in Beit Hanina
today, which was inhabited by 7 people. The owners of the home, Faris and Othman
Masouda, said the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality refused to give them construction
permits.
1
Killed, 2 Injured in West Bank Violence
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli troops shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy
and critically wounded two children, ages 7 and 9, during confrontations Tuesday
in the West Bank as Israeli and Palestinian leaders postponed their summit on
a new Mideast peace plan.
A
Review of Temporary Detention Centers
Palestine Media Center, May 22, 2003
DCI Palestine - Child Prisoner Briefing: OVERVIEW: In this months briefing, we
review conditions in three of twelve 'temporary' Israeli interrogation and detention
centres, where Palestinian children are being held in cramped sordid conditions
with inadequate food, sleeping materials and sanitation, to say nothing of family
visits, education or healthcare. Torture and beatings are the norm in these facilities,
even for children as young as 13 (see Case Studies).
Back
in Political Forefront
Washington Post, May 27, 2003
Iran-Contra Figure Plays Key Role on Mideast -- A cycle of disgrace and redemption
has brought one of Washington's most accomplished -- and controversial -- bureaucratic
infighters back to the center of U.S. foreign policy decision-making. When Elliott
Abrams stood in front of a federal judge in October 1991 and pleaded guilty to
two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress, few imagined
he would ever return to government.
Hamas
fires rocket at Zionist targets
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - The Islamic Resistance movement, Hamas, has fired a Qassam
rocket at the western Zionist settlement of of Sderot Tuesday, Zionist sources
reported.
Israeli
army raids Jenin
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
Jenin - The Israeli Occupation Army staged a raid Tuesday with tanks and other
armoured vehicles into the West Bank city and refugee camp of Jenin, as well as
three nearby villages, Palestinian security sources said.
Olive
branches lie buried in Gaza Strip
Palestine Monitor/The Scotsman (UK), May 26/21, 2003
Israeli tanks and bulldozers withdrew from Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip
yesterday, leaving destroyed farms and local residents stunned and angered by
one of the most devastating punitive actions in two and a half years of fighting.
The olive branches lying in the dirt appeared a fitting metaphor for the peace
process - despite the "friendly" first telephone conversation the White House
reported yesterday between George Bush, the US president, and the new Palestinian
prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine May 27, 2003
Palestine Media Center
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinian children in the West Bank
and a man in the northern Gaza Strip. IOF also opened fire at a diplomat convoy
as it was leaving the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. Israel Demolish
Houses in E. Jerusalem. Another House Demolished in Hebron.
Hear
Palestine, May 27, 2003
Hear Palestine
NEWS: Tulkarem: Another School Boy Shot Dead / Khan Younis: 2 Residents Wounded
in Heavy Israeli Military Attack / Nablus: 3 Children Wounded, 1 Critically in
Beit Forik; Arrests in Balata / Jenin: Boy Wounded during Israeli Military Invasion
/ Hebron: 5 Children Wounded in Explosion; Child Severely Beaten; Home Demolished
/ Qalqilya: Land Confiscation amidst Tight Military Siege / Ramallah: Heavy Military
Presence at Entrances to City
Hear
Palestine, May 26, 2003
Hear Palestine
NEWS: Ramallah: 9-Year Old Shot Dead in Qarawat Bani Zeid Village / Ongoing Military
Operation in Tulkarem / Jerusalem: Israeli Army Demolishes Home in Beit Hanina
/ Hebron: 2 Homes Demolished; Dozens Damaged / Deir al-Balah: Israeli Soldiers
Demolish Home and Water Well / Israeli Army Invades Toubas and Tamoun
Israeli
stocks soar on roadmap vote
BBC, May 26, 2003
Mr Sharon won the cabinet vote only narrowly -- Shares on Israel's premier stock
market have surged in the wake of news that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's cabinet
has approved the international "roadmap" to Middle East peace. Despite the fact
that almost half the cabinet voted against, amid a welter of objections, investors
took heart and rapidly wiped out almost all the losses seen in early May.
Mixed
response to Israeli decision
BBC, May 25, 2003
During the cabinet meeting that preceded the vote, Israeli leader Ariel Sharon
said 14 reservations about the plan were non-negotiable - and a resolution rejecting
the right of return to Palestinian refugees was passed by 16 votes to one. --
sraeli attempts to qualify the proposed ban on settlement-building have met with
anger -- The White House on Sunday hailed the Israeli cabinet's acceptance of
the internationally-backed plan for peace as "an important step forward". But
its response chimed awkwardly with Palestinian expressions of resentment at the
Israeli imposition of conditions on its endorsement of the so-called roadmap.
Bush
'to chair' Mid-East summit
BBC, May 26, 2003
United States President George W Bush is likely to hold a summit with the Israeli
and Palestinian prime ministers in Jordan next week, Israel says. Israeli Foreign
Minister Silvan Shalom said the talks would focus on implementation of the international
peace initiative known as the roadmap. He was speaking at the beginning of a Euro-Mediterranean
summit in Crete.
Sharon
signals 'occupation' end
BBC, May 27, 2003
Sharon has been a pioneer of the settlement movement -- Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon has signalled he is serious about reaching a peace deal with the
Palestinians. Mr Sharon indicated a willingness to withdraw from the West Bank
and Gaza - unusually for him describing Israel's military presence in the Palestinian
territories as an "occupation".
PM
redefines his use of 'occupation' after A-G rebukes him
Haaretz, May 27, 2003
Sharon noted that Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein had rebuked him for using
this term, pointing out that the legal position adopted by all Israeli governments
since 1967 is that the West Bank and Gaza are "disputed territories" rather than
"occupied territories." -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday backtracked
on his use of the word "occupation," which he had used four times at a meeting
with Likud MKs on Monday to describe Israel's presence in the territories...."I
meant it is undesirable for us to rule over a Palestinian population."
Sharon-Abbas
Meeting Postponed, Palestinian Boy Killed
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
JENIN, West Bank, May 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - While Israeli
occupation forces stepped up daily aggressions by gunning down a Palestinian teenager
in the northern West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem on Tuesday, May 27, an expected
meeting between Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abass and his Israeli counterpart
Ariel Sharon was postponed.
Hamas:
Road-map American lifeboat to the Zionist entity
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
Nablus - Sheikh Ahmed Al-Haj, one of the Hamas Movement leaders in the Nablus
district, has described the American peace plan called the Road-map as a lifeboat
meant to rescue the Zionist entity from its ordeal.
CIA
officials meet with Palestinians over road map implementation
Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2003
CIA officials met Tuesday with Palestinian security officials in the West Bank
city of Ramallah to help pave the way for the implementation of the Palestinian
obligations according to the 'road map' peace initiative, The Jerusalem Post has
learned.
Qaddoumi:
Palestinian guns should be kept intact
Palestinian Information Center, May 27, 2003
Tunis - Farouq Qaddoumi, head of the PLO’s political department, has opined
that the Oslo agreements had affirmed that such peace settlements “mercilessly
crush the weaker party”. Qaddoumi, who was on his way to Tehran to attend
the Islamic foreign ministers conference scheduled to open there on Wednesday,
said that the attempt to halt Palestinian resistance would be a “grave mistake”.
Diplomatic
Overdrive to Revive Peace in the Region
International Press Center, May 27, 2003
Palestine, May 27, 2003, (IPC + Agencies)-- Intense international diplomatic efforts
have been exerted to revive the peace process in the region following the American
pressure on the both sides the Israeli and the Palestinians to implement the road
map right a way.
PNA
Urges Sharon to Translate Words into Deeds
Palestine Media Center, May 27, 2003
The Palestine National Authority (PNA) said Monday that the implementation of
the internationally–adopted “roadmap” for Middle East peace
is the “real test” to vindicate the credibility of Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon’s statements that “to keep 3.5 million people (Palestinians)
under (Israel’s) occupation … can’t continue endlessly.”
Sharon
hits back at Likud's criticism
Middle East Online, May 27, 2003
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told members of his right-wing
Likud party on Monday that Israel cannot keep 3.5 million Palestinians under occupation
forever and should make every effort to reach a political settlement. "I think
that the idea of keeping 3.5 million Palestinians under occupation is the worst
thing for Israel, for the Palestinians and also for the Israeli economy," the
website of Israeli daily Maariv quoted him as saying.
PM
Sharon's 14 Road-Map "Red Lines"
Israel National News, May 26, 2003
Yesterday's Cabinet vote in favor of the Road Map made it contingent upon 14 "comments"
that Israel submitted to the Americans. The exact wording of the resolution...As
a public service, Arutz-7 publishes the essence of the 14 reservations below,
as received from, and first publicized by, IMRA (www.imra.org.il)...
Certain
'road map' won't work, religious party sticks with Sharon
Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2003
The National Religious Party will not leave the coalition following the passing
of the 'road map' in the cabinet Sunday, since there is no doubt that the Palestinians
will not succeed in upholding their side of the agreement, NRP MK Shaul Yahalom
said Tuesday.
Israeli
reservations on peace plan unveiled
Financial Times, May 27, 2003
Israel's detailed reservations about the Middle East "road map" finally leaked
out on Tuesday after weeks of being kept under wraps by government officials.
Sharon
accuses Abbas of soft approach to terrorists
Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted Tuesday as criticizing Palestinian Premier
Mahmud Abbas as being too soft with terror groups. Israel Radio said Sharon told
Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Abbas was not being tough
with terror group leaders. He is holding "heart-to-heart talks" with them, instead,
Sharon is quoted as saying.
Israeli
settlers vow: 'We will never leave'
The Independent, May 27, 2003
Leaders of the 226,000 Jewish settlers of the West Bank and Gaza Strip vowed yesterday
to thwart evacuation of their homes, which would end their dream of a biblical
state from the Jordan to the sea.
Israel
clears first hurdle, but vast obstacles lie ahead
The Independent, May 26, 2003
Ariel Sharon, Israel's Prime Minister, cleared the first hurdle yesterday. His
Cabinet accepted the international road-map for peace with the Palestinians. That
qualified acceptance allows him to avoid a clash with Israel's main ally, the
United States, and shifts responsibility for the next steps back on to the Palestinians.
For Washington, the immediate goal is now in sight: to get peace talks up and
running while postponing the difficulties to a later date.
De
Villepin Tells Palestinians, Israelis to Seize Opportunity for Peace
Palestine Media Center, May 27, 2003
May 27, 2003 - France’s Foreign Minister, who wrapped up a visit to the
Middle East Monday, urged both Israelis and Palestinians to “seize this
opportunity” and return to negotiations, in reference to the internationally
- adopted “roadmap” to peace, which envisions an end to the ongoing
conflict with the creation of a Palestinian state in 2005.
Syria
calls for roadmap's enlargement
Middle East Online, May 27, 2003
CHERSONISSOS, Crete - Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara called Tuesday for
the Israeli-Palestinian peace "roadmap" to be enlarged to find a comprehensive
Middle East settlement that includes Syria and Lebanon. "The roadmap... has to
address the Lebanese and Syrian tracks," Shara said on the sidelines of a Euro-Mediterranean
conference on the Greek island of Crete.
Euro-Med
Forum: Syria, Lebanon Part Of Mideast Peace
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
CHERSONISSOS, Crete, May 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - European and
Mediterranean ministers urged Israel and the Palestinians on Tuesday, May 27,
to immediately implement the U.S.-backed roadmap to end months of bloodshed and
asserted that "a comprehensive peace (in the Middle East) must also include Syria
and Lebanon".
Syria
sends minister to EU meeting with Israel
Jordan Times, May 27, 2003
HERAKLION, Greece (R) — Syria sent its foreign minister on Monday for the
first time in three years to a non-UN meeting attended by Israel in an action
that diplomats saw as a new plus for the Middle East peace roadmap.
Sharon
Defends Peace Plan Against Critics in Likud
New York Times, May 27, 2003
JERUSALEM, May 26 — In the face of scathing criticism from his own right-wing
party, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today staunchly defended his support for the
latest Middle East peace effort. "Ruling three and a half million Palestinians
cannot go on indefinitely," he declared.
Abbas
- Sharon Talks Delayed Before Mideast Summit
New York Times, May 27, 2003
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers delayed Tuesday
a meeting on the U.S.-backed ``road map'' to peace, but dismissed any talk of
a new rift ahead of a summit with President Bush.
The
Mideast Thicket Continues to Test Bush's Leadership
New York Times, May 27, 2003
WASHINGTON, May 26 — The phrase "arc of crisis" was coined by President
Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, after a revolution
in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It described the religious fervor,
instability and strategic and economic importance of the world from South Asia
to the Mediterranean.
Background
/ Road map rips apart Israel's right
Haaretz, May 27, 2003
Less than four months ago, elated Israeli hawks, stating that Israel had at long
last internalized the bitter lessons of failed peace efforts and Palestinian terror,
toasted the rise of the most hawkish government the Jewish state had ever seen.
Bush
set for Mid-East peace push
BBC, May 27, 2003
Bush has decided to take a more hands-on role in the peace process -- US President
George W Bush will hold talks with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers
in Jordan next week, Jordan has confirmed. The summit aimed at promoting the US-backed
peace plan for the Middle East known as the roadmap will be hosted by Jordan's
King Abdullah II, Information Minister Mohammed Adwan said.
Israel
Rules Out 3-way Summit In "Hostile" Egypt
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
An Israeli official accused Egypt of "continuing to lead a campaign throughout
the Arab world for the boycott of Israeli products" -- OCCUIPED JERUSALEM, May
26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
will not meet with U.S. President George W. Bush and Palestinian Premier Mahmud
Abbas in Egypt, a high-ranking Israeli official said Monday, May 26.
Mideast
summit with Bush takes shape
Jordan Times, May 27, 2003
ARIEL SHARON told his stunned country Monday he was determined to reach a peace
deal and end 36 years of rule over the Palestinians — the strongest sign
yet that the prime minister's endorsement of the Mideast peace roadmap may have
been more than a ploy to deflect international pressure.
Gov't:
No decision yet on venue of peace summit
Jordan Times, May 27, 2003
AMMAN (JT & AFP) — The government on Monday said there was no decision
yet on the venue of a possible peace summit between US President George W. Bush
and the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers.
Jordan:
Bush to attend separate summits in Sharm and Aqaba
Haaretz, May 27, 2003
U.S. President George W. Bush is scheduled to meet Arab and Israeli leaders in
two summits next week in a bid to reinvigorate Mideast peacemaking, Jordanian
Information Minister Mohammad Affash Adwan said Tuesday. Bush will meet several
Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah
II, in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Adwan said.
Palestinian
Students Warn Israel Not To Allow Jews Into Al-Aqsa
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
NABLUS, West Bank, May 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Around 5,000
Palestinian students demonstrated in this West Bank town on Monday, May 26, vowing
to keep Jews out of Al Aqsa mosque compound, which is the third holiest site in
Islam.
The
story of Hiba, 19, a suicide bomber. Can the road-map put an end to all this?
The Independent, May 27, 2003
Even her family is baffled that Hiba Daraghmeh insisted on covering herself from
head to toe in a dark brown, all-enveloping robe at all times. The white veil
she also wore - a badge of Islamic fundamentalism - concealed her head, mouth
and nose. Only her almond-coloured eyes were visible to the outside world.
“Yediot
Ahronot”: Finance Ministry planning to sell third of IAI in 2004
Globes, May 27, 2003
Israel Aircraft Industries stated yesterday that it was unaware of any specific
plan for privatizing the company. -- Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot”
reports that the Ministry of Finance is planning to begin privatizing Israel Aircraft
Industries (IAI) in 2004. One third of the company’s shares will be sold
in the first stage.
Military
service objector to stand trial
Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2003
The court-martial of conscientious objector Yonatan Ben-Artzi is due to resume
in Jaffa military court Wednesday. Ben-Artzi is expected to show up in civilian
clothes despite an order from the judge, Col. Avi Levy, to don a uniform out of
respect for the court.
Israel
chairs Conference on Disarmament
Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2003
Fifty-five years after gaining independence, Israel on Tuesday chaired its first
major international meeting, presiding over the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament.
Report:
Bulgarian FM nixes Arafat meeting after Rivlin threat
Haaretz, May 27, 2003
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy on Tuesday canceled a meeting scheduled
with Yasser Arafat at Muqata in Ramallah after Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin threatened
to not show up for his meeting with Passy if he when through with the meeting
with the Palestinian leader, Army Radio reported.
Mass
J'lem protests called against pension reform
Haaretz, May 27, 2003
Thousands of employees from the private and public sectors, backed by retirees,
answered the call of the Histadrut and demonstrated in Jerusalem on Tuesday against
the government's decision to bring its proposed reforms in pensions to a second
and third reading in the Knesset.
Four
U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq, Iraqis More Furious
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Four U.S. soldiers were
killed and six others wounded amid a flare-up of resistance activity and street
violence Monday, May 27, that highlighted the continuing dangers in Iraq.
Demobilised
Iraqi soldiers step-up protests at pay-off by coalition
Jordan Times, May 27, 2003
BAGHDAD (AFP) — Demobilised Iraqi soldiers have stepped-up their protests
against the US-led coalition's decision to offer them just a single severance
payment amid growing concern about the threat of so many jobless young men on
the streets.
UN
chief warns of anti-American backlash in Iraq
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
The UN's most senior humanitarian official in Iraq warned yesterday that US attempts
to rebuild the country were overly dominated by "ideology" and risked triggering
a violent backlash. Ramiro Lopes da Silva said the sudden decision last week to
demobilise 400,000 Iraqi soldiers without any re-employment programme could generate
a "low-intensity conflict" in the countryside.
UN
nuclear experts to return to Iraq this week
Middle East Online, May 27, 2003
IAEA's inspection team is to cooperate with US authorities to investigate looted
nuclear site in Iraq. -- VIENNA - The UN's nuclear watchdog agency is to send
an inspection team back to Iraq this week to investigate a site where nuclear
material disappeared after looting, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Iraq
Firefight Leaves 4 Dead, 9 Injured
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) - Gunmen opened fire on American troops at a checkpoint early
Tuesday, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding nine others in the troubled town
of Fallujah - a hotbed of support for Saddam Hussein's fallen Baath Party, the
U.S. military said.
Iraqis
Unhappy With U.S. Signals
Washington Post, May 26, 2003
Interference From Americans Among Challenges for Post-Hussein TV --BAGHDAD --
Putting Iraqi television back on the air has proved to be no simple matter, from
the electrical outages to the makeshift staff assembled in the postwar chaos.
Telephones do not work, and news is hard to confirm. And then there is the dispute
over the editorial influence of U.S. occupation authorities.
Iraqis
Frustrated by Shift Favoring U.S.-British Rule
CommonDreams/New York Times, May 26, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 25 — The sudden shift in postwar strategy in favor of
an American and British occupation authority has visibly deflated the Iraqi political
scene, which earlier this month was bustling with grass-roots politicking and
high expectations for an all-Iraqi provisional government.
UK
forces disband Basra council
BBC, May 26, 2003
UK forces in control of southern Iraq have disbanded the city council in Basra,
headed by a controversial local leader accused by many residents of having close
links to Saddam Hussein's regime. It is to be replaced by two bodies - an interim
committee dealing with the technical tasks of reconstruction, and a civic forum
of political leaders which will work on setting up a democratic local government.
'Iraq'
halts Russian and Chinese oil deals
BBC, May 26, 2003
The US-run Iraqi administration has cancelled or suspended three oil contracts
with Russian and Chinese firms signed by the ousted government of Saddam Hussein.
Thamir Ghadhban, the US-appointed de facto Iraqi oil minister, said on Saturday
all pre-war contracts would be re-evaluated and new deals announced soon.
Hu,
Putin Want Larger U.N. Role in Iraq
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
MOSCOW (AP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin
called for a central United Nations role in rebuilding Iraq as they held talks
on Tuesday aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership they formed after
decades of rivalry.
Two
More Most Wanted Iraqis Captured
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Coalition forces captured two more wanted Iraqis over the weekend,
bringing to 27 the number of the top 55 former members of Saddam Hussein's regime
in custody, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.
Shiite
group ignores US demand to disarm militia
Sydney Morning Herald, May 26, 2003
The largest Shiite party in Iraq has refused to disarm its militia of 25,000 men
after a United States draft directive called for all armed groups except the Kurdish
peshmerga fighters to surrender their weapons. Relations between the Supreme Council
for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and US administrators in Baghdad were
at breaking point at the weekend after the group rejected moves to force the Badr
Brigade to disarm.
Arabs-Kurds
tension on rise
Middle East Online, May 27, 2003
A security zone set up by Saddam Hussein to protect Iraq's northern oilfields
from Kurdish guerrilla attack is vanishing as Kurds return to villages from which
they were deported nearly 30 years ago.
Seeing
Islam as 'Evil' Faith, Evangelicals Seek Converts
New York Times, May 27, 2003
GROVE CITY, Ohio — On a recent Saturday in a church fellowship hall here,
evangelical Christians from several states gathered for an all-day seminar on
how to woo Muslims away from Islam. The teacher urged a kindly approach: always
show Muslims love, charity and hospitality, he said, and carry copies of the New
Testament to give as gifts. The students, scribbling notes, included two pastors,
a school secretary and college students who said they hoped to convert Muslims
in the United States, or on mission trips abroad.
US
plans death camp
News.com.au, May 26, 2003
THE US has floated plans to turn Guantanamo Bay into a death camp, with its own
death row and execution chamber. Prisoners would be tried, convicted and executed
without leaving its boundaries, without a jury and without right of appeal, The
Mail on Sunday newspaper reported yesterday.
Demobilized
Iraqi Officers Threaten Protests, Suicide Attacks Against US
CommonDreams, may 26, 2003
A band of Iraqi army officers took to the streets of Baghdad to protest their
plight since the dissolution of the army by the US-led administration in Iraq,
warning of further protests and even suicide bombings if their situation was not
reconciled. "We demand the speedy establishment of a government, the return of
security, the rehabilitation of public institutions and the payment of wages to
all soldiers," former general Saheb al-Mussawi said in an address to around 100
former officers in central Baghdad.
U.S.
Plans Credit System for Sale of Goods to Iraq
New York Times, May 27, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 26 — The head of the occupation authority in Iraq, L.
Paul Bremer III, said today that the Central Bank of Iraq and a group of private
banks would begin providing "substantial" trade credits for exports to Iraq within
weeks.
US
accused of deserting diplomatic path in Iraq
Financial Times, May 26, 2003
France concluded in early January that the US had abandoned the diplomatic path
to disarm Iraq via the United Nations and was already determined to overthrow
Saddam Hussein. The conclusion, confirmed to the FT by French foreign minister
Dominique de Villepin, lay at the heart of the confrontation between the US-led
coalition and the anti-war camp championed by France, Germany and Russia. "I realised
then that those who wanted to make war had a free hand," Mr de Villepin said.
How
the US set a course for war with Iraq
Financial Times, May 26, 2003
In the first week of January, when most of the Paris elite was still on the ski
slopes, a top French diplomat delivered a blunt warning to his boss at the foreign
ministry in the Quai d'Orsay. Gιrard Araud, director of strategic affairs and
security, told Dominique de Villepin that the US administration was absolutely
intent on going to war in Iraq.
U.S.
To Evict Homeless Iraqis From Public Buildings
Islam Online, May 26, 2003
Iraqi families have no where to go if Americans force them out of public buildings
-- BAGHDAD, May 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The U.S.-led occupation
forces decided to evict Iraqis, driven homeless by the Anglo-American bombardment
of their country, including residential areas, from public buildings they have
been taking shelter in.
US
sends in extra troops to quell unrest
The Independent, May 27, 2003
A further 20,000 US troops are to be deployed in Iraq amid growing concerns that
there are insufficient forces to bring law and order to the country after the
American-led invasion. Over the next few weeks, troops from the 1st Armoured Division
will start to arrive, bringing the total number of US forces to about 163,000.
Ethnic
tension divides Kirkuk
BBC, May 27, 2003
From the old Iraqi TV building in Kirkuk, the new US-approved station, Kirkuk
TV, was broadcasting local news and messages from the Americans and local community
leaders in Kurdish, Arabic and Turkmen languages. The team that replaced the old
pro-Saddam staff packed up their equipment on Saturday and quit.
Unfulfilled
Promises Leave Iraqis Bewildered
Washington Post, May 27, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 26 -- Sitting in a battered Toyota Corona, Fadhil Murah wiped his
sweaty forehead with a soiled red rag. Behind him snaked a line of cars a half-mile
up Jadriya Bridge, waiting to fill up with gas. Ahead of him was another hour
he would spend waiting his turn. On a day of withering heat, his words punctuated
by a cacophony of car horns, he spoke glumly of his life and his city.
MP
flies to Iraq on human rights mission
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
The prime minister's special envoy to Iraq left for Kuwait today to begin her
mission to uncover human rights abuses by Saddam Hussein's regime.
Baghdad's
fall blamed on betrayal of Saddam
Sydney Morning Herald, May 27, 2003
Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was betrayed by three of his cousins, senior
military officers, and a cabinet minister, in moves that led to the fall of Baghdad,
former officials claim. They say Saddam's cousins ordered troops not to fight
against the United States-led coalition and issued reports saying that Saddam
was dead.
Bremer
gets ready to open Iraq for business
Sydney Morning Herald, May 28, 2003
The head of the occupying authorities in Iraq, Paul Bremer, says he is turning
his attention to rejuvenating and overhauling the Iraqi economy. Mr Bremer, who
took over the administration of Iraq two weeks ago, told a news conference on
Monday that occupation officials were talking with banks in the United States,
Britain and other countries to provide credit on favourable terms to foreign companies
that trade with Iraq.
Iraq
stashed illegal billions abroad, say bankers
Sydney Morning Herald, May 27, 2003
Iraq illegally stashed away billions of dollars in cash from oil deals with foreign
firms in Lebanese and Jordanian banks and some of the money is still there, senior
Iraqi and Arab bankers said.
U.S.
Alters Tactics in Baghdad Occupation
Washington Post, May 25, 2003
Less Threatening Posture Foreseen -- BAGHDAD, May 24 -- U.S. military commanders
plan to radically revise the approach taken by their occupation force in the next
few days, in part by more than doubling the number of patrols in the heart of
the Iraqi capital, senior U.S. Army officers said today. The makeover appears
to reflect a concern that U.S. troops occupying the city have been too reactive,
hunkered down in fighting positions.
US
rejects Iran nuclear denial
BBC, May 27, 2003
The US says it suspects Iran is linked to the Riyadh bombings -- The United States
has rejected Iranian denials that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons or harbouring
al-Qaeda fugitives. The reaction came as a meeting of top US officials due to
discuss US policy on Iran was postponed.
U.S.
Rejects Iran al-Qaida, Arms Denials
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration on Tuesday rejected Iranian denials
that it was developing nuclear weapons or harboring al-Qaida fugitives. But a
top Senate Democrat cautioned the White House to tone down its rhetoric.
Iran
will not be subject to US pressure
Arabic News, May 27, 2003
Spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hammed Redda Assefi, stressed today
that any peace project didn't guarantee the legitimate Palestinian rights will
not succeed. In a statement to reporters, he asserted that there is no chance
for achieving peace in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, indicating
that the aggressive Israel policy practiced by Sharon against the Palestinian
people is rejected.
Russia
To Complete Iran Nuclear Plant Despite U.S. Pressure
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
MOSCOW, May 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Russia reiterated Tuesday,
May 27, its determination to complete the construction of Iran's first nuclear
power plant despite mounting American pressures to scrap the project.
Asylum
protester sews up eyes
BBC, May 27, 2003
Mr Amini says he faces execution if he is returned to Iran -- An Iranian Kurdish
man living in Nottingham has sewn up his eyes, ears and mouth in protest at his
treatment by the Home Office. Abas Amini, 33, has been on hunger strike for a
week and doctors say he could die within days. He was granted asylum two months
ago but his protest was triggered by a Home Office decision this week to appeal.
Saudi
Wants Any National Arrested as Qaeda in Iran
New York Times, May 27, 2003
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, rocked by suspected al Qaeda attacks this month,
said Tuesday it hoped Iran would hand over any Saudi nationals if found among
a group of alleged al Qaeda members arrested by Tehran this week.
Bush
may take first step to Tehran regime change
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
Bush administration officials today look set to turn up the heat on Iran at a
meeting to consider whether to break off diplomatic contacts as a possible first
step to regime change in Tehran. The gathering was expected to give a wider airing
to calls from the Pentagon for destabilising Iran - a course of action so far
opposed by the state department, Britain and other governments.
Pentagon
adds to despair of Iran's reformers
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
The Pentagon's pronouncement that it would seek to "destabilise" Iran's Islamic
republic has given the country's clerics ammunition to portray their liberal opponents
as traitors. Hardly a day passes without warnings in the official press against
reformists accused of sowing divisions.
Biden
Urges Caution on Dealing With Iran
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration should adopt a go-slow approach on Iran
despite its allegations about an evolving nuclear weapons program and suspicions
that al-Qaida terrorist figures operate there, the senior Democrat on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee said Tuesday.
Tehran
defies US with nuclear program
Sydney Morning Herald, May 27, 2003
Iran has vowed to continue its nuclear program and is demanding that sanctions
against it should be lifted before it will agree to international inspections
of its nuclear facilities. After talks with the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer,
President Mohammad Khatami said Iran had the right to develop a nuclear energy
program.
Iran
tells women to button up
BBC, May 25, 2003
Iran's conservatives are cracking down on women's clothing ahead of the baking
summer. Clothing shops and factories have been given a written order to stop producing
clothes that stray from the strict female dress codes, the head of a clothing
trade union in Tehran told a local newspaper.
Turkey's
military chief warns pro-Islamist government of possible coup
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
The head of Turkey's armed forces warned the government yesterday that the possibility
of military intervention still existed and that the government should be sensitive
to the country's secularist constitution.
On
the release of Ibrahim al-Hamidi
Arabic News, May 27, 2003
..releasing Hamidi was "an administrative measure which does not mean that the
file of the case was wrapped up." -- The director of the London- based al-Hayat
office in Damascus Ibrahim al-Hamidi was released on Sunday at a "guarantee" after
he had spent five months and ten days in prison on charge of "false information"
according to his lawyer Mustafa Amin yesterday ( Monday).
Al-Assad
confers with the British delegation
Arabic News, May 27, 2003
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad received yesterdaythe delegation of the British-
Syrian Association of the British Parliament members joining representatives from
the Labor, Conservatives and Democrats parties. Talks during the meeting dealt
with the Syrian British relations and the positive impact of president's visit
to Britain on the continuity of this relation.
Al-Jazeera
defends war reports
BBC, May 24, 2003
Controversial Arab news broadcaster al-Jazeera has said it was justified in showing
images of dead and captured coalition soldiers in the Iraq war. Al-Jazeera outraged
the British and US governments and drew widespread condemnation which led to its
journalists being banned from the US stock exchange.
Al-Jazeera
TV director general fired
Al-Bawaba, May 27, 2003
The director general of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television was sacked, Qatari
sources said Tuesday, amid allegations he cooperated with Saddam Hussein's intelligence
agents. According to AFP, Mohammed Jassem al-Ali served at the top job in the
station since it was launched in 1996.
Soldiers
may sue over 'Iraq War Syndrome'
BBC, May 27, 2003
Four soldiers are threatening to sue the Ministry of Defence, claiming they are
suffering symptoms akin to Gulf War Syndrome following the war in Iraq. The soldiers
are blaming their ailments - including depression, eczema and breathing problems
- on vaccinations they had before the war.
Gulf
War Syndrome 'does not exist'
BBC, May 25, 2003
There is no such thing as Gulf War Syndrome, an official scientific study has
concluded. The Medical Research Council (MRC) said there was "little evidence"
the illnesses of campaign veterans were caused by the multiple vaccinations they
received. The government-funded body also said there was no evidence of a link
between veterans' symptoms and the use of depleted uranium shells or nerve agents.
'Gulf
war syndrome' soldiers threaten legal action
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
Four soldiers have threatened to sue the Ministry of Defence after suffering symptoms
similar to "Gulf war syndrome", their lawyer said today. The men believe the vaccinations
they received before the war caused their symptoms, which include depression,
eczema, breathing difficulties and stomach problems.
Court
Rejects Post-9/11 Deportation Case
The Guardian, May 27, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will not review government
anti-terrorism policies that allowed secret deportation hearings for hundreds
of foreigners swept up after the Sept. 11 attacks. The court declined to hear
an appeal from New Jersey newspapers that sought information about people detained
in conjunction with antiterrorism investigations.
Three
Nuns and a Test for Civil Disobedience
CommonDreams/Boston Globe, May 27, 2003
Antiwar protesters resigned to prison in Colorado case -- DENVER -- Three Catholic
nuns facing prison time for an act of ''civil resistance'' and their supporters
say the government is persecuting them in order to quiet the antiwar movement.
''This is a dark time in our country, a time when there is only one truth in the
government and very little tolerance for dissent,'' said Ardeth Platte, one of
the nuns found guilty of sabotage for her actions at a Colorado missile silo in
October. ''We were speaking out against the crimes of our government and they
intend to punish us for that.''
High
Cost of Defense Plan Gets Little Discussion
Washington Post, May 25, 2003
Lawmakers of Both Parties Praise $400 Billion Package, Focus on Non-Financial
Issues -- It took a House Armed Services subcommittee a shade under 11 minutes
on May 7 to approve $1.7 billion more than the Pentagon had requested in its 2004
budget for bombers, missiles, transport planes and a variety of Navy and Marine
Corps programs.
Intra-Times
Battle Over Iraqi Weapons
CommonDreams/Washington Post, May 26, 2003
Could Chalabi have been using the Times to build a drumbeat that Iraq was hiding
weapons of mass destruction? -- A dustup between two New York Times reporters
over a story on an Iraqi exile leader raises some intriguing questions about the
paper's coverage of the search for dangerous weapons thought to be hidden by Saddam
Hussein.
Newspaper
reporters in row over Chalabi
Sydney Morning Herald, May 28, 2003
A row between two New York Times reporters over a story on an Iraqi exile leader
raises questions about the paper's coverage of the search for weapons said to
be hidden by Saddam Hussein. An internal email by Judith Miller, the paper's reporter
on bio-terrorism, acknowledges that her main source for such articles has been
Ahmad Chalabi, an exile leader who is close to senior Pentagon officials.
Turkish
military flexes muscles
EU Observer, May 27, 2003
As striving for membership of the EU threatens to unpick the country's ideological
stability, a top Turkish General has failed to rule out the possibility of another
military coup.
German
Probe Exonerates Muslims Of Terror Links
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
BONNE, May 27 (IslamOnline.net) - The Rasterfahndung investigation campaign targeting
Muslim minority in Germany has failed so far to find any hard evidence to bring
even one single Muslim to justice on terrorism charges, a leading German magazine
reported Monday, May 26.
Australia
plans to ban Hizbullah
Al-Bawaba, May 27, 2003
The Australian government said Tuesday that it is planning to ban the Lebanon-based
Hizbullah group, “due to intelligence suggesting members of the group have
been involved in various terror activities.”
ADC
sends letters to Ashcroft and Ridge to resolve LA8 Cases
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, May 23, 2003
"We write to urge you to terminate the government’s longstanding efforts
to deport a group of seven Palestinians and a Kenyan in Los Angeles. This case
is notorious in the Arab community, because from the outset the government admitted
that none of the individuals had committed any criminal, much less terrorist,
activity, yet they have been targeted for more than sixteen years for their alleged
political associations."
To Attorney
General Ashcroft - Acrobat format
To Secretary
Ridge - Acrobat format
ADC
Applauds Senate Vote Opposing Discrimination against Arab-Americans
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, May 23, 2003
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) commended the approval of
the full Senate by unanimous consent of a “sense of the Senate” resolution
(S.Res. 133) that recognizes the important role Arab Americans, Muslim Americans,
Sikh Americans, and South Asian Americans play in our society.
