IOF
Kills a Palestinian Youth and Destroys Farms in Gaza Strip
International Press Center, May 30, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, May 30, 2003, IPC-- A Palestinian youth Mohammed Abu Sebitan,
20, was killed early Friday by the Israel occupation forces near the city of Deir
Al-Ballah, in the middle of Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.
PM
tells Abbas will pull out of W. Bank cities, free prisoners
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Following the meeting Thursday between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian
counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, which both leaders described as "very positive", Sharon
said that he would order the IDF to pull out of the center of West Bank cities
and scale down its presence in the territories.
On
36th Jerusalem Day, Sharon vows to keep city united
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
"We will never concede Jerusalem. Never. As the prime minister of Israel, I am
proud of the right to be Jerusalem's protector." -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
yesterday promised not to redivide Jerusalem at an official ceremony marking the
36th anniversary of the city's unification.
PM
Abbas demands full control of Gaza and Ramallah now
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Prime Minster Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas met last
night and two key U.S. envoys were making their way to the region to begin preparing
for the summit the two premiers will hold with U.S. President George W. Bush next
Wednesday....The sources also said that Abbas demanded a solution to the siege
on Yasser Arafat in Ramallah, before next week's summit with President Bush.
IDF
kills Hamas man in Khan Yunis
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces killed a Hamas operative and arrested 29 other Palestinians
in the Gazan town of Khan Yunis yesterday. According to IDF sources, the dead
man, Mohammed Kidra, was shot when he approached the soldiers "in a suspicious
manner."
US
Arrests Palestinian Envoy in Iraq
Arab News, May 30, 2003
“They searched the embassy...They are targeting the embassy,” [Palestinian
charge d’affaires Najah Rahman] told reporters. -- BAGHDAD, 29 May
2003 — US troops detained a Palestinian diplomat in Baghdad yesterday, while
British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Kuwait and was expected to become
the first Western leader to visit Iraq since the war.
For
the IDF, it's business as usual in Jenin
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Prior to yesterday's meeting between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian
Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), the Israel Defense Forces conducted
a series of operations deep in Palestinian Authority territory.
Occupation
forces raid mosque in Jenin
Palestinian Information Center, May 30, 2003
Jenin - Israeli occupation forces raided a small mosque in the town of Jenin early
Thursday morning after they blew up its metal doors. Showing utter disrespect
for this place of worship the soldiers went in with their boots on and carrying
their guns and began to search the mosque, trashing its contents.
Israeli
occupation forces continue their campaign of destruction
Palestinian Information Center, May 30, 2003
Gaza - while the Israeli Zionist premier prepared himself for a meeting the Palestinian
premier Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) last night, Israeli occupation forces killed
a Palestinian and injured another in Deir Al-Balah. PIC correspondent from the
village of Deir Al-Balah stated that a Zionist tank fired nail bombs towards Palestinian
homes in the Al-Barka neighbourhood in Deir Al-Balah village that killed the youth
Mohamed Abed Abu Asbeetan (20) and severely injured Ibrahim Takesh (20).
Dr.
Rantisi: the Road Map is a trap
Palestinian Information Center, May 30, 2003
Gaza - Dr. Rantisi, a prominent leader of Hamas, commented on the meeting between
Sharon and Abbas, saying that the road map is in fact a conspiracy. He added that
Sharon has already declared that there will be no concessions on Jerusalem before
the meeting.
Israel
Steps Up “Settlement Roadmap”: Israeli Paper
Islam Online, May 29, 2003
“This is a provocation because Abu Dis is where the Palestinians have their
parliament,” Peace Now activists -- JERUSALEM, May 29 (IslamOnline.net &
News Agencies) – Only hours after adopting the “roadmap” which
calls for freezing the settlement activity on occupied Palestinian lands, the
Israeli Housing Minister prepared a project to build new 12,000 units in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip, an Israeli paper reported Thursday, May 29.
Palestinians
Discuss Truce, Anti-Peace Settlers Mobilize
Islam Online, May 29, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, May 29 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – As Palestinian
Premier Mahmud Abbas said he will reach a ceasefire with the resistance movement
Hamas by next week Israel's Jewish settlers are gearing up for war against the
peace roadmap.
Syria
Asks Palestinian Groups’ Officials To Leave: Sources
Palestine Chronicle, May 29, 2003
CAIRO - The Syrian authorities have shut down offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad,
the two Palestinian resistance movements the U.S. has earlier asked Damascus for
their ouster, informed Palestinian sources said on Wednesday, May 28.
Poraz
rescinds order banning entry of 9 peace activists
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Interior Minister Avraham Poraz (Shinui) on Friday rescinded an order banning
nine European humanitarian activists from reentering Israel. Since February, the
nine had been involved in humanitarian activities in Hebron, East Jerusalem and
Haifa. In early May they visited Egypt and Jordan, but when they asked to return
to Israel and renew their visas, their request was rejected.
Americans
Warned of Gaza Kidnap Threats
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - The U.S. Embassy has received ``credible reports'' of plans to
kidnap U.S. citizens in Gaza, the Embassy announced on its Web site Friday.
Poll:
Israelis Back Palestinian State
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - A majority of Israelis support a temporary Palestinian state,
a freeze on settlement construction and an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank
and Gaza, according to a poll published Friday, a day after Palestinian and Israeli
leaders met to discuss a new Mideast peace plan.
EU
slams IDF shots at Swiss envoy's car
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
The European troika - the current, former and future presidents of the European
Union - has lodged a vehement protest against the Foreign Ministry over an incident
five days ago in which Israel Defense Forces soldiers fired on a car bearing diplomatic
license plates and carrying the Swiss envoy to the Palestinian Authority near
the Beit Hanun municipality in the Gaza Strip.
$4.5b
lost in tourism revenues since intifada outbreak
Globes, May 29, 2003
Foreign currency revenue from tourism fell another 10% in the first quarter of
2003 to $390 million. -- The shortfall in foreign currency revenue from tourism
since January 2001, due to the war on terrorism, amounts to $4.5 billion, according
to an analysis of the national accounts.
Israeli
tanks in Jenin; 3 Palestinian killed; five buildings demolished
Arabic News, May 30, 2003
Three Palestinians were killed yesterday in two incursion operations carried out
by the Israeli armored vehicles in each of Jenin in the West Bank and Khan Younis
in Gaza, during which also citizens were humiliated, four buildings were demolished
and scores of houses damaged....In Beit Hanoun, which has been under the Israeli
occupation for the second week, the Israeli army continued works of demolishing
agricultural lands, especially olive and citrus orchards, according to the security
sources.
ISM:
Jenin Invasion/ Occupied Home in Nablus
International Solidarity Movement, May 30, 2003
1. Occupied Home Near Nablus: For four months, beginning on February 2nd, the
Israeli Occupation Forces have been occupying a family house in Sarah Village.
2. Jenin Invasion: Yesterday morning at 3am, approximately 20 tanks and APCs,
6 hummers and 6 jeeps invaded Jenin town centre and proceeded to lay the Seabaht,
Old City and Murrah areas to seige.
ISM:
Journalist Shot in Nablus Incursion
International Solidarity Movement, May 30, 2003
Nablus, 29th of May 2003: At 2:30 Pm the IOF invaded the city of Nablus. Two jeeps
and one APC closed Jerusalem Street. Two jeeps stopped at Nablus Court Street
where the soldiers threw teargas towards Palestinian children and youth who were
throwing stones. Seven people were injured during this confrontation. One journalist
Abed Al-Raheem Quseeni 36 years old was shot in the right leg.
PA's
West Bank security chief quits
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Zuhair Manasra, who heads the Palestinian Authority's Preventive Security Service
in the West Bank, yesterday submitted his resignation to Palestinian Prime Minister
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). Palestinian sources said that Manasra, who was appointed
by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat last year, resigned after realizing that neither
Abbas nor his hand-picked security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, wanted him to continue
in the job.
Shot
Peace Activist May not Recover, Says Mother
International Press Center, May 30, 2003
LONDON, U. K., May 30, 2003, The Daily Telegraph-- Nicola Woolcock wrote today
that a peace activist shot by an Israeli soldier was flown back to Britain yesterday,
still in a coma from which he is unlikely to recover.
Abbas-Sharon
talks very positive
Middle East Online, May 30, 2003
JERUSALEM - Israel has agreed to hand over security control in Gaza and in West
Bank towns to the Palestinians in a phased withdrawal of its troops, Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's office announced early Friday following talks between Sharon and
Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas.
Statement
from PM Sharon's Office
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met, once again, with the Palestinian Prime MinisterMahmoud
Abbas, and the Ministers Nabil Sha'ath and Mahmoud Dahlan at the Prime Minister's
Office in Jerusalem. The meeting lasted two and a half hours, and was conducted
in a positive and very good atmosphere....
Mideast
Parties Push for Compromise
Arab News, May 30, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 30 May 2003 — Israeli and Palestinian premiers met yesterday
to discuss disagreements over security and Palestinian statehood. The meeting
between Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon was their second summit in two weeks.
Israel
pledges withdrawal from Palestinian cities
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
Sharon will ease restrictions in exchange for crackdown on terror from Abu Mazen
-- Israel last night promised to withdraw its forces from the centres of Palestinian
cities in the West Bank after a three-hour meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian
prime ministers in Jerusalem.
Sharon
to Look at Palestinian State
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his Palestinian counterpart
he would negotiate the creation of a state for the Palestinians if they fight
terrorism, setting a guarded but optimistic tone for next week's three-way summit
with President Bush.
Washington:
Syria and Lebanon not invited to summit because they do not contribute to peace
Arabic News, May 30, 2003
The US administration said yesterday that an invitation was not extended to Syria
and Lebanon to take part in Sharm Esh Sheikh Summit under the chairmanship of
the US President George W. Bush next week, because they have not contributed in
"reviving the peace process" and because the objective of the summit is to discuss
the Palestinian- Israeli file.
The
army switches to 'road map' mode
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Israel is considering releasing Hussam Khader, who was arrested in March as a
terror suspect, as one of several steps it will take toward strengthening the
new Palestinian government. These steps will include opening roadblocks to enable
free movement of Palestinians from Jenin in the north to Dahariya in the south,
and creation of a structured defense system for the separation fence areas bordering
the seam line.
U.S.
teams to oversee Israeli, PA implementation of road map
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
U.S. President George W. Bush will establish follow-up teams to be headed by the
U.S. that will report on the implementation of the road map peace plan by Israel
and the Palestinians, two American envoys to the Middle East told Foreign Minister
Silvan Shalom during a Friday afternoon meeting, Israel Radio reported. William
Burns and Elliot Abrams met with Shalom on Friday as part of bilateral preparations
for next week's summit in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, a U.S. embassy spokesman
in Tel Aviv said.
Bush
Begins Trip to Europe, Middle East
Palestine Chronicle, May 30, 2003
"Bush also had some tough talk for Yasser Arafat, calling him 'the old leader'
of the Palestinian Authority who wasted a chance to lead .." -- KRAKOW, Poland
- US President Bush has left Washington on a week-long journey to Europe and the
Middle East, where he hopes to push the peace process forward.
Hamas,
Jihad Play Down Israeli Facilities
Islam Online, May 29, 2003
GAZA CITY, May 30 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - Palestinian resistance
movements Hamas and Jihad played down Friday, May 30, the facilities Israel announced
hours after Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas’s meeting with his Israeli
counterpart Ariel Sharon on Thursday, May 29. Abelaziz Rantisi Rantisi, a top
Hamas official, dismissed the meeting as "a denial of the rights of the Palestinian
people."
Hamas:
There is a price to everything
Middle East Online, May 30, 2003
GAZA CITY - The hardline Islamic movement Hamas warned Friday that it would only
stop its suicide attacks if Israel halts all "aggression", and dismissed the significance
of Thursday's meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers to discuss
a peace plan.
Jailed
Hamas men support cease-fire
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
Hamas activists incarcerated in Israeli jails have for the past few weeks put
heavy pressure on movement leaders to reach an agreement with the Palestinian
Authority on a hudna, a temporary cease-fire. The detainees, who previously spent
a great deal of time trying to organize suicide bombing attacks from behind bars,
have been persuaded that there is hope a hudna could lead to their release.
Jordan
may reinstate ambassador if road map implemented
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
A Jordanian delegate in Israel said that his country would reinstate its ambassador
to Israel if the Israelis and the Palestinians implement the road map, Israel
Radio reported Friday. In October 2000 Jordan decided not to dispatch Ambassador-designate
Abdul Ilah Kurdi to Tel Aviv due to the violence in the territories.
Iran
Denies it Trained Lebanese Hezbollah Pilots
Palestine Chronicle, May 29, 2003
TEHRAN - Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi on Thursday
rejected reports that Iran trained Lebanese Hezbollah pilots and that it had halted
the training under US pressures.
Greening
begins at the grass roots
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
On a hot, steamy day, three men stood in a tiny park overlooking the Arab town
of Tira, and admired the new picnic facilities and landscaping while trying to
ignore the smell wafting in from the sewerage pond behind and the view of a waste
facility to their left. "Kids will make the 40-minute walk from the town center
just to hang out here because there are no parks in Tira; they have no other choice,"
explains Raid Fadela to the two environmentalists.
Hebron's
playing, and plotting, field
Haaretz, May 30, 2003
HEBRON - Ziyad al-Fahudi proudly holds the white soccer jersey of his son, Fadi
al-Fahudi, who was killed some two months ago after infiltrating Kiryat Arba.
Fadi al-Fahudi wore the No. 15 jersey for the Jihad Mosque soccer team, which
is affiliated with the A-Rabat Mosque in the Abu Katila neighborhood of Hebron.
Palestine
caravan to conduct 15-day trip in Morocco
Arabic News, May 30, 2003
The Moroccan national committee of support to Iraq and the Association of Maghreban
workers in France are joining to organize a "Palestine caravan" initiative that
will be roving Morocco for 15 days. The Caravan, led by a delegation of the Palestinian
civil society, started its trip in Morocco with a visit to the "Casa de Espana"
restaurant, one of the five targets of the terrorist attacks that rocked Casablanca
on May 16, killing 43 people and injuring scores of others.
U.S.
Cites Charity for Aid to Hamas
Washington Post, May 30, 2003
Treasury Department Freezes Al-Aqsa Foundation's Assets -- The Treasury Department
yesterday designated the Al-Aqsa Foundation a terrorist financing organization
after concluding that the Muslim charity funnels money to the Islamic Resistance
Movement, or Hamas, which organizes suicide bombings of Israelis.
Anti-US
Attacks Mount in Iraq
Arab News, May 30, 2003
BAGHDAD, 30 May 2003 — A US soldier was killed by enemy fire yesterday as
hostility toward the occupation forces mounted in Iraq. The soldier was traveling
on a main supply route.
U.S.
Commander Says War Not Over in Iraq
Washington Post, May 29, 2003
Lt. Gen. McKiernan Signals the Start of a New Military Push -- BAGHDAD, May 29
-- After an attack today that left another U.S. soldier dead, the commanding general
of U.S. forces in Iraq acknowledged that "the war has not ended" and signaled
the start of a new military push to root out what he described as die-hard supporters
of Saddam Hussein.
U.S.
military says killed two Iraqi civilians
Reuters, May 29, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 29 (Reuters) - U.S. troops killed two Iraqi civilians and injured
two others after their vehicle failed to stop at a checkpoint in a town north
of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Thursday.
US
gunfire kills three teens at wedding
Sydney Morning Herald, May 30, 2003
US soldiers opened fire on a festive wedding parade earlier this week, killing
three teenagers and wounding seven others after the celebrants fired weapons in
the air. The shooting, on Monday night, was only one of a series of deadly incidents
this week that have sharply increased tension between US troops and Iraqi civilians.
Villagers
fall ill amid fears of nuclear contamination
Sydney Morning Herald, May 30, 2003
Elifat Rusum Saber, 14, of Riyadh village, has been nauseated, tired and bleeding
from the nose since her brother brought home metal and chemicals from the neighbouring
Tuwaitha nuclear research centre two days after the fall of Baghdad. "I used to
take care of my family and my youngest sister," Elifat, her frail figure lost
in a billowing flower-print dress, said through an interpreter this week. "Nowadays
I feel weak. I can't pick up a pot."
Looting
inquiry ban on nuclear inspectors
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
US military authorities in Iraq have barred an international team of nuclear inspectors
from investigating the looting of radioactive material from an atomic research
centre reported to be causing radiation sickness among the local population.
Shiites
Protest U.S. Abuse Of Scholars, Vow Action
Islam Online, May 29, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 29 (IslamOnline.net) – Hundreds of students from Iraq’s
influential Hawza Shiite seminary protested here Thursday, May 29, at the U.S.
storming of some Hawza offices and mosques in the southern Iraqi city of An-Najaf,
the seat of the Hawza, and arresting some Shiite scholars.
Baghdad
University Under U.S. Siege
Islam Online, May 27, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 27 (IslamOnline.net) - Coming back to their classes once again after
a long vacation imposed by the U.S.-led war, thousands of students and professors
of Baghdad University were disgruntled to see U.S. troops and tanks occupying
the campus, while other soldiers shut some university gates before them.
USAID
Announces Grant for Colleges in Iraq
Washington Post, May 30, 2003
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agency for International Development on Friday
announced an educational grant in Iraq worth up to $30 million to fund partnerships
between U.S. and Iraqi colleges and universities. USAID said the funds would enable
U.S. colleges to provide technical expertise to "modernize and invigorate" Iraq's
higher education facilities.
US:
Foreign hardliners pouring into Iraq
Middle East Online, May 30, 2003
Rumsfeld accuses Iran of stirring trouble in Iraq by sending Revolutionary Guards
into it. -- BAGHDAD - The governing US-led coalition said on its Baghdad radio
station on Friday that Islamist hardliners are pouring into Iraq in a bid to destabilise
the country, in what appeared to be a clear warning to Iran.
UK
used cluster bombs in Iraq's urban areas
The Scotsman, May 29, 2003
BRITISH troops used cluster bombs in built-up areas during the war in Iraq, a
defence minister confirmed today. Adam Ingram insisted that the use of the controversial
weapons in Basra was justified because they were targeted at Iraqi military units
posing a threat to British troops’ lives.
US
Arrests Palestinian Envoy in Iraq
Arab News, May 30, 2003
“They searched the embassy...They are targeting the embassy,” [Palestinian
charge d’affaires Najah Rahman] told reporters. -- BAGHDAD, 29 May
2003 — US troops detained a Palestinian diplomat in Baghdad yesterday, while
British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Kuwait and was expected to become
the first Western leader to visit Iraq since the war.
Washington:
No immunity for foreign diplomats in Iraq
Arabic News, May 30, 2003
The US announced yesterday that all foreign diplomats working in Iraq have lost
their diplomatic immunity they used to enjoy under the rule of Saddam Hussein.
The spokesman for the US Department Of State Richard Boucher said "they had submitted
their credentials to a regime which is no longer exists and therefore this accreditation
is dropped and they have no diplomatic status from now onward."
Unease
grows of war under false pretext
Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2003
Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, made the first visit to postwar Iraq by
a Western leader amid mounting questions in the United States and Britain about
the alleged weapons arsenal that was the stated reason for war against Saddam
Hussein.
Their
pride insulted, angry locals take their revenge
Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2003
Iraqis said the soldiers who entered their homes that day, and talked to the women
inside, crossed a line established by tradition and honour. Within a day, the
conservative town of 25,000 people on the Euphrates River 175 kilometres west
of Baghdad, in a relatively well-off region that is mostly Sunni Muslim, became
the scene of what seems to have been the first popular uprising against the US
occupation.
Elections
hailed a victory as Kurds start to head home
Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2003
Zakho: Work is under way to bring home Kurds expelled under Saddam Hussein's "Arabisation"
policy, said Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who hailed elections in the northern
oil city of Kirkuk as a victory for all Iraqis. A new council in Kirkuk elected
a Kurdish mayor on Wednesday amid Arab and Turkmen complaints about the council's
strong Kurdish character, but Mr Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP), said on Thursday that the outcome was an expression of political,
religious and cultural tolerance.
Chafing
at Authority in Iraq
Washington Post, May 30, 2003
Firing of Council In Basra Upsets Middle Class -- BASRA, Iraq, May 29 -- In the
first weeks after the war, British and U.S. occupation forces hailed their appointment
of a city council here in Iraq's second-largest city as an important first step
toward self-rule for the country. In the past week, however, they have dumped
the mayor and his council, concluding that the interim government was composed
mostly of unpopular tribal sheiks with ties to former president Saddam Hussein
and his Baath Party....Occupation authorities have thus decided that Iraqis here
are not yet ready to govern themselves -- at all.
U.S.
Can't Find Hussein Bunker
Washington Post, May 30, 2003
BAGHDAD, May 29 -- U.S. troops have found no sign of bodies or even a bunker at
the site where intelligence had said then-President Saddam Hussein was sleeping
on the opening night of the war, a senior U.S. military officer said today.
'Saddam
letter' urges resistance
BBC, May 38, 2003
It is the third letter attributed to Saddam Hussein published by the Arabic-language
al-Quds which has taken a pro-Saddam editorial line and blamed the Iraqi people
for his toppling. -- A letter attributed to deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
calls on his people to boycott any US-appointed regime and may give credence to
claims of organised resistance inside Iraq.
Western
Cos. Plan Businesses in Iraq
Washington Post, May 30, 2003
Secretive businessmen mingle with U.S. government officials - and shoo away unexpected
visitors. -- Companies specializing in security, construction, energy and telecommunications
will benefit first from the lifting of economic sanctions in Iraq, where U.S.
government contracts offer chances for big profits. But judging by the brisk business
in the streets for everything from satellite dishes to washing machines, there
will be lots of other opportunities for Western companies once some law and order
is brought to the country's unruly marketplace.
Iraq
killings suspect freed 'in error'
BBC, May 30, 2003
A former Iraqi official suspected of killing thousands of Shia Muslims after the
1991 Gulf War has mistakenly been released by American forces. The US army admitted
detaining Mohammed Jawad al-Neifus near the town of al-Mahawil, south of Baghdad,
before releasing him when military checks uncovered nothing unusual.
Weapons
dossier claim 'absurd'
BBC, May 30, 2003
Tony Blair has rejected as "completely absurd" suggestions that a dossier compiled
by the government on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was rewritten to make
it "sexier". The claims - made to the BBC on Thursday by a senior British intelligence
official - emerged as the UK prime minster became the first Western leader to
visit post-conflict Iraq.
Comments
Revive Doubts Over Iraq Weapons
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - European critics of the Iraq war expressed shock Friday
at published remarks by a senior U.S. official playing down Iraq's weapons of
mass destruction as the reason for the conflict.
WMD
just a convenient excuse for war, admits Wolfowitz
The Independent, May 30, 2003
The Bush administration focused on alleged weapons of mass destruction as the
primary justification for toppling Saddam Hussein by force because it was politically
convenient, a top-level official at the Pentagon has acknowledged.
The
case for war is blown apart
The Independent, May 29, 2003
Tony Blair stood accused last night of misleading Parliament and the British people
over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, and his claims that the threat
posed by Iraq justified war. Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary, seized
on a "breathtaking" statement by the US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, that
Iraq's weapons may have been destroyed before the war, and anger boiled over among
MPs who said the admission undermined the legal and political justification for
war.
BBC
documentary lifts lid on Iraq war
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
The government is likely to face fresh embarrassment over the war in Iraq when
the BBC screens a major documentary series about the conflict next month. The
series, which begins on June 15, shows defence secretary Geoff Hoon repeatedly
insisting Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction would be found.
MI6
led protest against war dossier
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
Agencies kept quiet on claims over al-Qaida links and forgeries to avoid embarrassing
PM -- Downing Street's determination to use intelligence to bolster its case for
war against Iraq provoked a fierce debate in Whitehall last autumn. Many in the
intelligence community, including MI6 and GCHQ, the government's eavesdropping
centre, were against publishing a dossier spelling out their assessment of Iraq's
weapons of mass destruction.
UN
fears Iraq will dominate summit
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
G8 leaders warned not let poverty fall off the agenda and urged to double aid
spending -- The United Nations yesterday warned the EU and the US not to let tensions
over the war in Iraq push the global war on poverty off the agenda of this weekend's
summit of G8 leaders in Evian.
Iraqi
group formed to resist coalition
Washington Times, May 30, 2003
BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 29 (UPI) -- An Iraqi group that claims to have elected its
command committee from most of the country's provinces has been formed to fight
and prevent cooperation with U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. The group, called
the "Unification Front for the Liberation of Iraq," announced its existence with
a statement published Thursday by the Lebanese newspaper As Safir.
British
soldier held over Iraq PoW 'torture'
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
A British soldier was in custody and being questioned by military police today
after photographs emerged allegedly showing troops "torturing" Iraqi prisoners
of war. Photograph developers were thought to have called police after they became
concerned about a number of pictures on a roll of film that had been handed in
to their shop for processing.
Pentagon
Eyes Massive Covert Attack on Iran
ABC News, May 29, 2003
May 29— The Pentagon is advocating a massive covert action program to overthrow
Iran's ruling ayatollahs as the only way to stop the country's nuclear weapons
ambitions, senior State Department and Pentagon officials told ABCNEWS. The proposal,
which would include covert sponsorship of a group currently deemed terrorist by
the U.S. government, is not new, and has not won favor with enough top officials
to be acted upon.
U.S.
Military Plan Against Iran Ready: Russian Paper
Palestine Chronicle, May 29, 2003
MOSCOW - Washington has drawn up a plan for military action against Iran principally
using bases in Iraq but also some in Georgia and Azerbaijan, a Russian newspaper
reported Thursday, May 29. But Azerbaijan flatly denied the report while the Georgian
embassy in Moscow said "it knew nothing about U.S. plans in respect of Iran,"
which Washington accuses of supporting terrorism and having a secret nuclear weapons
programme, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Bush
denies Iran 'preoccupation', review put off
MSNBC, May 29, 2003
WASHINGTON, May 29 — U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday he had
no ''preoccupation'' with Iran, and a government official said consideration of
new get-tough measures against Tehran had been put off indefinitely amid divisions
in the administration.
Rumsfeld
pushes for regime change in Iran
Financial Times, May 29, 2003
Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, is spearheading efforts to make "regime
change" in Iran the official policy goal of the Bush administration, but his campaign
is meeting with considerable resistance from other senior figures, according to
officials and analysts.
Blair
warned of Iran-backed Shia powers
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
The prime minister was confronted yesterday with the "growing concern" among US
and British officials in Iraq at the efforts of Iranian-backed radical Shia clergy
to extend their influence in the postwar settlement.
Iran
Denies it Trained Lebanese Hezbollah Pilots
Palestine Chronicle, May 29, 2003
TEHRAN - Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi on Thursday
rejected reports that Iran trained Lebanese Hezbollah pilots and that it had halted
the training under US pressures.
'Crude'
US rhetoric could boost Iran's hard-liners
Christian Science Monitor, May 30, 2003
NICOSIA, CYPRUS – There is an unpleasant sense of déjà vu in Tehran. In
2001, Iran helped the US oust the Taliban in Afghanistan. But not long thereafter,
it was lumped into President Bush's "axis of evil" with Iraq and North Korea for
allegedly pursuing nuclear weapons and sponsoring terrorism.
Russia
invites US to help build Iran nuclear plant
Middle East Online, May 30, 2003
MOSCOW - Russia has invited the United States to join in the construction of the
nuclear power station at Bushehr in Iran and Washington is considering the proposal,
Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumantsyev said Friday.
Iran
Clueless If It Captured Saif Al-Adel
Arab News, May 30, 2003
TEHRAN, 30 May 2003 — Iran said yesterday it was unaware if Al-Qaeda’s
presumed No. 3 is among several members of the network in custody here, dismissing
reports it was seeking to swap him with the United States for leaders of the Iraq-based
People’s Mujahedeen armed opposition group.
Iran
Says Al-Qaeda Suspects Held Before Riyadh Attacks
Islam Online, May 30, 2003
"Accusations by the United States that they were behind the Riyadh attacks are
false because they were in prison at the time," said Kharazi -- TEHRAN,
May 30 (IslamOnline.net.net & News Agencies) – Iran gainsaid Friday,
May 30, U.S. allegations that al-Qaeda members in the country played a role in
this month's triple bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia, reiterating readiness for full
U.N inspection of its nuclear facilities.
Iranian
Refugee Ends Deportation Protest
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
LONDON (AP) - An Iranian refugee who had his eyes, ears and mouth stitched shut
in a bid to prevent his deportation ended his protest Friday after a nine-day
fast. Supporters of Abas Amini watched as a nurse cut the stitches from his swollen
lips.
Syria
Asks Palestinian Groups’ Officials To Leave: Sources
Palestine Chronicle, May 29, 2003
CAIRO - The Syrian authorities have shut down offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad,
the two Palestinian resistance movements the U.S. has earlier asked Damascus for
their ouster, informed Palestinian sources said on Wednesday, May 28.
I’ll
Speak My Mind Whatever US Thinks, Says Mahathir
Arab News, May 30, 2003
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 May 2003 — Despite a warning from Washington that his sharp
criticisms of US policy could harm relations, Malaysia’s Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad vowed yesterday to continue to speak his mind. “We will
speak the truth. We have to say what we believe is true,” Mahathir was quoted
as saying by Bernama news agency.
New
statue replaces Saddam
BBC, May 30, 2003
A group of Iraqi artists has unveiled a sculpture to replace the statue of Saddam
Hussein which was torn down by US troops and Iraqis on the day the Iraqi president
lost control of Baghdad. The new sculpture is seven metres (23 feet) high and
shows a symbolic Iraqi family holding aloft a crescent moon and a sun.
Egyptian
Protestors See Bush Persona Non Grata
Islam Online, May 30, 2003
CAIRO, May 30 (IslamOnline.net) – Hundreds of Egyptian demonstrators rallied
against U.S. President George W. Bush’s envisaged visit to the country,
citing his killing of innocent Iraqis and supporting for Israeli Premier Ariel
Sharon whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent Palestinians.
US
to Review Worldwide Military Deployments
Palestine Chronicle, May 30, 2003
"We're in the process of taking a fundamental look at our military posture worldwide,
including the United States," said Wolfowitz. -- HONG KONG (VOA) - U.S. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says the United States is re-examining its worldwide
military posture. He made the comment in Singapore, where he is attending an Asia-Pacific
security conference.
Salam's
story
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
The most gripping account of the Iraq conflict came from a web diarist known as
the Baghdad Blogger. But no one knew his identity - or even if he existed. Rory
McCarthy finally tracked him down, and found a quietly spoken, 29-year-old architect.
From next week he will write fortnightly in G2.
Algiers
empties after fourth tremor
The Guardian, May 30, 2003
Residents fled Algiers and other urban areas of Algeria yesterday as a fourth
tremor in just over a week rocked the country. The capital felt like a ghost town
as locals packed their bags after a quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale hit
the Mediterranean coast before dawn.
OIC
Finds Muslim World Unity a Cry in the Wilderness
Arab News, May 30, 2003
TEHRAN, 30 May 2003 — There may have been plenty of talk about Muslim unity
when the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) got down to three days of
talks here, but so far delegates have done little to hide their deep divisions.
“There are too many disagreements, and on important questions like Palestine,
the OIC cannot do anything because of this,” one Arab diplomat told AFP,
suggesting instead that the organisation’s members focus on “economic
or cultural cooperation.”
OIC
Backs Israeli Occupation Resistance, Iraqi Sovereignty
Islam Online, May 30, 2003
TEHRAN, May 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Foreign ministers from
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Friday, May 30, ended three
days of talks in the Iranian capital with a call to back Palestinian resistance
and Iraqi sovereignty.
