Four
Palestinians Assassinated in Tulkarim, Two Critically Wounded in Khan Yunis
International Press Center, June 7, 2003
TULKARIM, Palestine, June 7, 2003 (IPC+ Agencies) Four Palestinian civilians were
assassinated and four houses were destroyed Thursday when Israeli occupation forces
(IOF) incurred into Aateel town, a northern outskirt of Tilkarim. Israeli under
cover unit attacked the said town, exploded a cottage, killing four civilians
and critically wounding a fifth, local Palestinian sources said.
Mofaz
renews closure; Dahlan: Hamas must talk or confront PA
Haaretz, June 8, 2003
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided Saturday night to renew the closure on the
West Bank in light of terror warnings and the decision of Hamas to cut off truce
negotiations with Palestinian officials, Israel Radio reported. Palestinian Minister
of Security Affairs Mohammed Dahlan on Saturday said that Hamas has no choice
but to return to cease-fire talks with the Palestinian Authority because if not
then the militant organization is seeking a confrontation with the PA.
Palestinian
PM Rules Out Hamas Talks, Official Says
Reuters, June 7, 2003
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas ruled out dialogue with
Hamas after the militant group broke off truce talks in protest at his conciliatory
remarks at a peace summit with Israel, a Palestinian official said on Saturday.
"Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will not meet with Hamas, even if Hamas requests
to meet him. Their irresponsible decision has indicated that they are not interested
in cementing the national unity of the Palestinian people," the official told
Reuters, referring to Hamas's walkout on Friday.
Palestinian
Officials Condemn Hamas
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Palestinian officials on Saturday condemned Hamas' decision to
pull out of talks aimed at ending attacks on Israelis, saying the Islamic militant
group's refusal to accept a cease-fire could destroy the U.S.-backed peace process.
IDF
kills armed Palestinian in Gaza
Haaretz, June 8, 2003
Israel Defense Forces troops killed an armed Palestinian militant in an exchange
of gunfire in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Army Radio reported. The Palestinian
had hidden in a house near Kisufim and fired at the IDF troops, who surrounded
his house and killed him in an exchange of gunfire, the radio reported Saturday
night.
PNA,
Hamas Have No Choice But to Continue Dialogue: Minister
Palestine Media Center, June 7, 2003
Abed Rabbo: Israeli Assassinations ‘Main Obstacle’ to Implementing
‘Roadmap’ -- June 7, 2003 - The Palestine National Authority
(PNA) blamed Israel for the breakdown of Palestinian national dialogue by ignoring
Israeli obligations to the “roadmap” to Middle East peace and the
resumption of extra-judicial assassinations of suspected Palestinian activists
by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
Palestinian
Factions Meet To Avoid Confrontations
Islam Online, June 7, 2003
GAZA CITY, June 7 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Five of the main Palestinian
factions will meet Saturday, June 7, in Gaza city to review the latest developments
on the Palestinian front, especially in light of Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas
pledges to end all anti-Israel resistance operations championed by the five groups,
well-informed Palestinian sources told IslamOnline.net.
Jihad
For Talks With Abbas, Hamas Reiterates Boycott
Islam Online, June 7, 2003
GAZA CITY, June 7 (IslamOnline.net) - The Islamic Jihad movement called Friday,
June 6, for holding talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and all
Palestinian factions, as the Islamic resistance movement Hamas asserted that it
would not hold talks with Abbas unless the latter backtrack on the “concessions”
he made during Jordan’s Aqaba summit with his Israeli counterpart Ariel
Sharon and U.S. President George W. Bush.
Summit
ends with upbeat vows from all
Haaretz, June 7, 2003
The Aqaba summit ended yesterday on an upbeat note, with Palestinian Prime Minister
Abu Mazen pledging an unequivocal end to terrorism, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
promising to immediately dismantle settlement outposts, and President George Bush
reiterating America's commitment to to two states living side by side in peace
and security.
Dahlan
denies report of PA program to buy illegal weapons
Haaretz, June 7, 2003
Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan on Saturday denied reports that he
was offering to buy illegal weapons carried by Palestinian militants. Palestinian
officials and members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, said over the weekend that
the buyback program was to start in the coming days.
Israel
Bans Australian Media Expert from Entering Gaza
International Press Center, June 7, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, June 7, 2003, (IPC) -- Israeli occupation forces banned on Friday
night an Australian media expert from entering the Gaza Strip. Mr. Barry Lowe
is a senior lecturer in journalism at Thames Valley University in London. He arrived
Friday afternoon at Beit Hanoon checkpoint “Eretz” north of Gaza,
but Israeli soldiers prevented him from entering into Gaza City after holding
him for several hours.
Report
details conditions of Palestinians
Daily Star, June 7, 2003
Situation in Lebanon ‘worse than in other countries’ -- On the occasion
of the launching of a new book Difficult Past, Uncertain Future: Living
Conditions among Palestinian Refugees in Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon
Fafo AIS, Institute for Applied International Studies, based in Oslo, Norway,
released its most recent report on the living conditions of Palestinian refugees.
Palestinian
farmers, students under Israeli occupation fire
Palestinian Information Center, June 6, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Less than 12 hours from the Aqaba summit, Palestinian farmers
had a taste of what Sharon means by peace. Trigger happy Israeli occupation soldiers
based near the green line east of Khan Yunis opened machine gun fire, Thursday
morning, towards a number of Palestinian farmers working in their fields.
Hamas
shuns Abbas, vows to continue attacks
Jerusalem Post, June 7, 2003
Embattled Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is expected to travel
to the Gaza Strip Sunday in a bid to defuse tensions with Hamas and other Palestinian
factions following his pledge at last week's summit in the Jordanian Red Sea resort
of Aqaba to end the armed intifada.
Israelis
Keep Stakes Planted at Outposts
Washington Post, June 6, 2003
As Sharon Pledges to Close Sites, Settlers Are Resolute in Opposition -- SHILOH,
West Bank, June 5 -- When Benny and Batsheva Shoham's 5-month-old son was killed
by a rock hurled through their windshield by Palestinian attackers, a stricken
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sat with them at the hospital and later visited their
home in this Jewish settlement to pledge his undying support for their movement.
Palestinian
factions mull truce
BBC, June 7, 2003
Representatives of all the main Palestinian political factions are expected to
meet in Gaza on Saturday evening to discuss their response to the new Middle East
peace plan. The talks follow the decision of the militant group, Hamas, to break
off dialogue with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas - also known as Abu
Mazen - in protest at his promise to end violence against Israelis.
Hamas
Scraps Talks With Abbas
Arab News, June 7, 2003
GAZA CITY, 7 June 2003 — The Hamas movement said yesterday it had broken
off talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas over his bid to bring
an end to anti-Israeli attacks, setting itself on a collision course with the
new Palestinian premier, who has vowed to end such violence.
Hear
Palestine, June 7, 2003
Hear Palestine
NEWS: Nablus: Balata Refugee Camp Invaded; Villages Placed under Curfew / Bethlehem:
Resident Arrested from Deheishe Refugee Camp / Hebron: 10 Homes to be demolished;
Ongoing Attacks / Bulldozing in Beit Hanoun; Attacks in Khan Younis / Jerusalem:
Tight Closure around City FEATURES: Al-Ayam Tells Details of
Hours of Terror and Murder in Atil / 3000 Palestinians Killed, 42,000 Wounded
since Beginning of Intifada
Ranteesi
vows to persist in combating Zionist terrorism
Palestinian Information Center, June 7, 2003
Gaza - Dr. Abdul Aziz Ranteesi, political bureau member of the Islamic Resistance
Movement, Hamas, has charged the White House of hostility to Islam and peace.
Commenting on the White House spokesman’s statement yesterday that Hamas
was the enemy of peace, Ranteesi said that the USA was the biggest enemy of Muslims
and of peace.
Dahlan
to buy 'illegal arms'
Arab Times, June 7, 2003
JERUSALEM, June 7, (AFP): Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan is to offer
armed Palestinian groups six thousand dollars apiece for guns they possess in
a bid to rid the Palestinian territories of illegal arms, Israel public radio
reported Saturday.
Palestinian
captives angered over Abbas’ address
Palestinian Information Center, June 7, 2003
Gaza - Palestinian captives in Zionist jails affiliated with various resistance
factions have signed a statement calling for the boycott of Palestinian Authority
government of premier Mahmoud Abbas for ignoring their question at the Aqaba summit.
PLO
Executive Committee: Israel Still Not Committed to ‘Roadmap’
Palestine Media Center, June 7, 2003
June 7, 2003 - The Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee
slammed the Israeli position during the Sharm el-Sheikh and Aqaba summits, saying
it proved that Israel is still not completely committed to the implementation
of the “roadmap”.
In
Palestine, political promises fail to deliver
Palestine Report, June 4, 2003
AT AL HAMRA checkpoint in the rural West Bank, cars lined up for over an hour
on May 31. A truck driver carrying cucumbers to a pickling factory argued with
the Israeli soldiers that his load would spoil, but they sent him back to wait
in line.
UNRWA
Appeals for $103 Million for Palestinian Refugees
International Press Center, June 7, 2003
GENEVA, Switzerland, June 7, 2003 (IPC + UNRWA)- - In their effort to cope with
their annual budget, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA) has launched Friday an appeal for $103 million to the international
community to fund their support and humanitarian aid for the second half of 2003.
Forced
Deportation… Evidence to the Occupation's Failure in Dealing with the Intifada
International Press Center, June 7, 2003
Through the past 55 years, the Israeli occupation has been using every means possible
to compromise the Palestinian people's struggle and destroy their ability to stand
in the face of those who deprived them of their lands, and dispossessed them from
it, even if these means were in violation of the international humanitarian laws.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine, June 7, 2003
Palestine Media Center
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians and wounded another near
the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem. IOF also wounded two Palestinians in
the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis and demolished four Palestinians’
houses in the nearby town of Rafah.
Abdullah
‘Nearly Pulled Out of Summit Over Ties With Israel’
Arab News, June 7, 2003
JEDDAH, 6 June 2003 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander
of the National Guard, nearly withdrew from the summit with US President George
W. Bush in Egypt because of US pressure to speed up Arab normalization with Israel,
it was reported yesterday.
Israel
Strikes Balancing Act With Europe
Forward, June 6, 2003
PARIS — When American Jews hear the word "France" lately, they think of
antisemitism, anti-Zionism and even anti-Americanism. They undoubtedly believe
Israeli politicians see eye to eye with them on this when they hear Israeli officials
rail against French President Jacques Chirac. But the view from Jerusalem is decidedly
different — at least at the Foreign Ministry.
Histadrut
plans rallies to protest pension cuts
Haaretz, June 7, 2003
The Histadrut labor federation decided on the eve of the Shavuot holiday to embark
on a series of demonstrations that will lead to disruptions in the economy. They
are to protest the expected cuts in pension rights in the framework of the Economic
Plan Law.
Bush's
Maneuvers Bewilder Jerusalem and Activists
Forward, June 6, 2003
Shortly before leaving for his trip to Europe and the Middle East, President Bush
met in Washington with members of the foreign press corps. One reporter questioned
whether, with an election coming up next year, the president had the political
ability to pressure Israel. "Can you really do that?" the reporter asked. "Of
course I can," Bush shot back, according to an official White House transcript....According
to an Israeli diplomatic dispatch, Bush, when asked privately how he was managing
to get Sharon to move forward, replied: "He owes me one."
Intifada
cost Israel NIS 16.5b in 30 months
Globes, June 4, 2003
Direct and indirect defense costs totaled NIS 10 billion. Civilian costs amounted
to NIS 4 billion. -- The intifada and expanded operations by the IDF and security
forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip caused a substantial increase in direct
and indirect defense spending to an estimated NIS 3 billion this year. A planned
NIS 2 billion cut in the defense budget was also cancelled. These costs come on
top of the NIS 7 billion in defense spending in 2000-01.
Right
Slams Plan, Center Remains Quiet
Forward, June 6, 2003
WASHINGTON — The U.S.-backed "road map" to Middle East peace is coming under
mounting attack from conservative pundits and several right-wing Jewish groups,
while most influential Jewish organizations are offering either tepid support
or subtle criticisms of the plan. As a result, some observers say, the weight
of visible Jewish opinion in this country has been landing to the right of Israel's
right-wing government.
Police
station torn down in defiant Falluja
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
Iraqis carrying hammers and axes yesterday began to demolish a police station
in the troubled city of Falluja in a public act of defiance against the US military.
In what appeared to be a well-organised operation a crowd of labourers, mostly
young men and boys, sawed off railings and tore out the metal window frames from
the three-storey building.
US
soldier killed in Iraq
BBC, June 7, 2003
A US soldier has been killed and four others wounded in an attack in Iraq. The
attack - near Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit - involved a rocket-propelled
grenade and small arms fire, the US military said. The injured soldiers were evacuated
by helicopter and ambulance to military medical facilities in the area, the statement
said.
Despair
Adds to Hatred of US Troops in Iraq
Arab News, June 7, 2003
FALLUJAH, Iraq, 7 June 2003 — Qassem Hasnawi watches the US soldiers roaring
through Fallujah day after day with their armored vehicles and machine guns and
only thinks about one thing — how much he wants to spill their blood.
Iraqis'
cupboards still bare
BBC, June 7, 2003
The resumption of Iraq's food ration programme has been seen as a sign of returning
normalcy after the US-led invasion. But for Iraqis, depending on handouts, even
after 12 years of sanctions, is anything but normal. The refrigerator was completely
empty.
Clerics
Vie With U.S. For Power
Washington Post, June 7, 2003
Shiites Widen Role In Reshaping Iraq -- BAGHDAD -- At Baghdad's Mohsin Mosque,
with white paint peeling from its roof and walls, hundreds of engineers gathered
on cheap Persian rugs to plot a revolt against the leadership of the Iraqi Engineers
Union. The leadership, they contended, was elected in a rigged vote and tainted
by Baath Party members.
U.N.
Inspectors Searching For “Death Barrels” In Iraq
Islam Online, June 7, 2003
TUWAITHA, Iraq, June 7 (IslamOnline.net) - A 7-member team of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began Saturday, June 7, inspecting Iraq's largest
nuclear facility amid fears that thousands of residents may have been poisoned
as a result of post-war looting at the site.
Schoolgirl
is feared dead amid spate of rapes and abductions in Baghdad
The Independent, June 7, 2003
They say that abductions and rape in "liberated Iraq" are only rumours. But on
22 May, Baida Sadik left her home in Shaab City, Baghdad, for school and never
returned. Her fellow students said they saw her being shoved at gunpoint into
a car. It was just after 8am.
Corrections
and clarifications
The Guardian, June 5, 2003
A report which was posted on our website on June 4 under the heading "Wolfowitz:
Iraq war was about oil" misconstrued remarks made by the US deputy defence secretary,
Paul Wolfowitz, making it appear that he had said that oil was the main reason
for going to war in Iraq. He did not say that.
A
nasty slip on Iraqi oil
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
The readers' editor on...the reasons why a report on the Guardian website was
deleted -- On Wednesday, journalists on the Guardian's website were alerted to
a story running in the German press, in which the US deputy defence secretary,
Paul Wolfowitz, was said to have admitted, in effect, that oil was the main reason
for the war in Iraq.
US
firms plans for ruling council in Baghdad
Daily Star, June 7, 2003
Concessions made to local demands -- BAGHDAD: Iraq’s US and British rulers
have fleshed out their ideas for an interim Iraqi political council and in some
cases changed them to meet Iraqi objections, senior coalition officials said Friday.
US
control of Baghdad and its crude may signal new assault on OPEC
Daily Star, June 7, 2003
Some see emerging ‘super-giant producer’ rivaling Saudi Arabia - Reconstruction
will cost billions of dollars, and temptation to step away from cartel and
its production quotas will be strong -- BEIRUT: The US conquest and occupation
of Iraq has given the Americans control of one of the world’s major oil
producers, one that many believe has untapped reserves that could rival Saudi
Arabia’s and Russia’s. US control could also weaken the grip of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on world markets and, in
particular, Saudi Arabia, the cartel’s dominant member.
Treasures
of Nimrud Found in Iraqi Vault
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The world-famous treasures of Nimrud, unaccounted for since
Baghdad fell two months ago, have been located in good condition in the country's
Central Bank - in a secret vault-inside-a-vault submerged in sewage water, U.S.
occupation authorities said Saturday.
'Looted'
treasures found in Baghdad
The Independent, June 8, 2003
Almost all the items feared looted from the Iraqi National Museum in April have
been found safe in a secret vault, the US announced yesterday. In a separate find,
the world-famous treasures of Nimrud, one of the most important archaeological
discoveries of the 20th century, which have not been on public display since before
the first Gulf War, have also been located. They were found in good condition
in a different vault, at Iraq's central bank.
U.N.
Nuclear Experts Visit Iraqi Plant
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
TUWAITHA, Iraq (AP) - Representatives of the U.N. nuclear agency got a firsthand
look Saturday at the postwar damage to Iraq's main nuclear facility, peering through
broken windows and roaming the grounds to assess the extent of looting and disarray.
Chemical
Ali 'could still be alive'
BBC, June 6, 2003
Iraqi General Ali Hassan al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam Hussein better known as
"Chemical Ali", may be alive, according to US military officials. He had previously
been presumed dead, after coalition aircraft targeted his palace on the outskirts
of the southern city of Basra in April.
Effort
to revive Iraqi agriculture
BBC, June 5, 2003
The US has invited bids for a contract to redevelop agriculture in Iraq. The project
is intended to "expand agriculture productivity, rehabilitate key agroecosystems
and restore the capacity of rural agroenterprise to produce, process and market
agricultural goods and services," said USAid, the client for the work. The contract
- expected to be worth about $40m (£24m) - is the ninth Iraq reconstruction deal
USAid has offered so far.
RP
Peacekeepers Set for Iraq’s Badlands
Arab News, June 7, 2003
MANILA, 7 June 2003 — A long-delayed Philippine peacekeeping mission is
to finally fly to Iraq at the end of the month to take up its post in a volatile
region between Baghdad and Basra, Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said yesterday.
What
Iraqi Christians want you to pray for
Come and See, June 6, 2003
Iraqi Christians ask that Christians around the world pray that missionaries to
Iraq be sensitive to the local situation and work with the local believers wherever
possible. Last month an Open Doors-led delegation went into Iraq to meet and encourage
the Iraqi Christians and to assure them of the prayers of millions of Christians
in the West in the aftermath of the war.
As
Iraqis' Disaffection Grows, U.S. Offers Them a Greater Political Role
New York Times, June 7, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 6 — The imam at one of Baghdad's largest mosques urged
more than a thousand listeners today to wage a jihad, or religious war, against
American occupying forces in Iraq. Speaking at Friday Prayers, Imam Mouaid al-Ubaidi
denounced the Americans as invaders and aggressors and implicitly praised recent
guerrilla attacks against United States soldiers as self-defense by people who
are being "strangled."
New
Report Exposes Contractor Bechtel as Threat to Iraqi Environment, Human Rights
and Basic Services
Common Dreams, June 5, 2003
U.S. Taxpayers Blindly Funding Post-War Corporate Profiteering and Cronyism, Public
Interest Groups Say -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA - June 5 - Bechtel Group Inc., one of
the lead contractors in the reconstruction of Iraq, has a 100-year history of
capitalizing on environmentally unsustainable technologies and reaping immense
profits at the expense of societies and the environment, said a report released
today by Public Citizen, Global Exchange and CorpWatch.
'Doing
business in Iraq' ends without doing any business
Jordan Times, June 7, 2003
AMMAN — The conference about “Doing Business in Iraq” began
typically enough with rows of business people in conservative suits listening
attentively to speakers they hoped would outline how to get some of the millions
of dollars flowing into Iraq. But by the middle of the morning session, frustration
was mounting as it appeared much of the business would be going to Iraqi companies.
Anger peaked when some speakers declined to answer questions about the fate of
contracts signed with Iraq before the war.
Future
of prewar Iraq contracts still uncertain
Jordan Times, June 7, 2003
Amman — The ballroom of the Hyatt Amman was filled to bursting on Thursday
as hundreds of Jordanian entrepreneurs gathered here for the “Doing Business
with Iraq” conference. There is obviously a hunger in the Kingdom to know
how to win new business in a much changed country. However, the most contentious
issue was easily the worry over prewar contracts that are currently still unresolved.
Iraq
needs $500 billion investment — McKinsey
Jordan Times, June 7, 2003
Amman — Over the next decade, Iraq will need a considerable amount of direct
foreign investment (FDI) if it is to sustain a desired growth rate of more than
10 per cent annually. That's according to a presentation given by the US McKinsey
Company at the “Doing Business with Iraq” conference at the Hyatt
Amman.
New
leak casts fresh doubt on US stand
The Age, June 8, 2003
The Bush Administration pushed for war against Iraq because of weapons of mass
destruction despite a secret Pentagon report that it did not have enough "reliable
information" Iraq was amassing chemical weapons, a defence official said on Friday.
A classified report by the Defence Intelligence Agency, leaked on Friday, said
the agency did not have enough "reliable information" that Iraq had chemical weapons.
U.S.
Secret Report Raises Questions Over Iraqi Weapons
Reuters, June 6, 2003
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the Bush administration was pushing last fall for a
war against Iraq because of alleged weapons of mass destruction, a defense department
report said it did not have enough "reliable information" Iraq was amassing these
weapons, a defense official said on Friday.
I
was shocked by poor weapons intelligence - Blix
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
Pentagon agency doubted threat posed by Saddam -- The UN chief weapons inspector,
Hans Blix, expressed his disappointment yesterday at the quality of the intelligence
given to him by the US and Britain before the war with Iraq.
Blix
casts doubt on Iraq's arms
The Age, June 7, 2003
Hans Blix, chief weapons inspector for the United Nations, has challenged Britain
and America over their claim that Saddam Hussein had large stocks of weapons of
mass destruction. His attack comes as Security Council members called on the Bush
Administration to allow UN weapons inspectors to return to Iraq, to certify whether
Iraq possessed biological and chemical weapons before the US-led invasion.
UN
inspectors question claims over Iraqi weapons
The Guardian, June 7, 2003
UN weapons inspectors yesterday flatly contradicted claims by Tony Blair that
they were given information from "a number of sources" about Iraq trying to acquire
uranium from Africa for nuclear weapons.
Some
Analysts of Iraq Trailers Reject Germ Use
New York Times, June 7, 2003
Bu Judith Miller and William Boyd -- American and British intelligence analysts
with direct access to the evidence are disputing claims that the mysterious trailers
found in Iraq were for making deadly germs. In interviews over the last week,
they said the mobile units were more likely intended for other purposes and charged
that the evaluation process had been damaged by a rush to judgment.
Experts
Refute Report On Iraqi “Germ” Trailers
Islam Online, June 7, 2003
NEW YORK, June 7 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. and British intelligence
analysts who have examined mysterious trailers found in Iraq are repudiating claims
they were used for making deadly germs, a leading American newspaper reported
Saturday, June 7. They said the mobile units were more likely intended for other
purposes and charged that the CIA evaluation process had been damaged by a rush
to judgment, said the New York Times.
Kucinich:
Show Us The Evidence, Mr. President
Common Dreams, June 5, 2003
WASHINGTON - June 5 - Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), today, led 30 Members
of Congress in introducing a Resolution of Inquiry in the House of Representatives
to force the Administration to turn over the intelligence to back its yet unproven
claims that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.
Admit
Your Lies’, Former UN Expert Tells US, Britain
Arab News, June 7, 2003
GENEVA, 7 June 2003 — The United States and Britain should admit they lied
when claiming the ousted Baghdad regime had weapons of mass destruction, Scott
Ritter, a former UN senior weapons inspector in Iraq, said in an interview published
here yesterday.
US
rejects doubts over Iraqi arms
BBC, June 7, 2003
United States officials have played down the significance of a leaked US intelligence
report casting fresh doubt on coalition claims about Iraq's weapons. The Pentagon
has confirmed that last September's classified report by the Pentagon's Defence
Intelligence Agency (DIA) said there was no absolute proof that Iraq had weapons
of mass destruction.
Intelligence
Historian Says CIA 'Buckled' on Iraq
Common Dreams, June 7, 2003
WASHINGTON - The CIA bowed to Bush administration pressure to hype the threat
of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs ahead of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, a leading
national security historian concluded in a detailed study of the spy agency's
public pronouncements.
Bush
Certainty On Iraq Arms Went Beyond Analysts' Views
Washington Post, June 7, 2003
During the weeks last fall before critical votes in Congress and the United Nations
on going to war in Iraq, senior administration officials, including President
Bush, expressed certainty in public that Iraq possessed chemical and biological
weapons, even though U.S. intelligence agencies were reporting they had no direct
evidence that such weapons existed.
US
had no proof of Iraqi arms
The Straits Times, June 7, 2003
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's intelligence agency had no hard evidence of Iraqi
chemical weapons last fall but believed Iraq had a programme in place to produce
them, the agency's chief said on Friday. The assessment suggests a higher degree
of uncertainty about the immediacy of an Iraqi threat, which was the main justification
for war.
Blix
attacks Blair warnings over Iraqi weapons
The Guardian, June 6, 2003
Tony Blair suffered a damaging blow yesterday when the chief UN weapons inspector,
Hans Blix, launched a point-by-point attack on Anglo-American warnings about Iraq's
banned weapons.
Labour
loyalists turn against Blair over war
The Independent, June 7, 2003
Satwant Gill has always voted Labour. Like most of her fashionable London friends,
she was jubilant when Tony Blair replaced John Major. But claims that intelligence
was manipulated to make the case for war against Iraq have raised serious doubts
over the sincerity of the Prime Minister.
IAEA
Finds Fault With Iran on N-Obligations
Arab News, June 7, 2003
VIENNA/TEHRAN, 7 June 2003 — The United Nations nuclear watchdog agency
has accused Iran of failing to comply with its nuclear safeguards agreement, according
to a confidential report obtained by Reuters yesterday. But the report by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ahead of a meeting of the agency’s
board of governors said Iran was taking steps to rectify the situation.
Rumblings
in Azerbaijan -- Bush's Hawks Eye Northern Iran
Pacific News Service, June 6, 2003
Editor's Note: Bush administration meetings with a charismatic leader from one
of Iran's most fiercely independent regions suggest the White House is plotting
its next regime change. Washington officials continue to look for a way to dislodge
the clerical leadership of Iran's Islamic Republic. The latest ploy may be to
inflame passions in the most politically active part of Iran -- Azerbaijan.
Plans
by Iran for a Reactor Pose Concerns About Arms
New York Times, June 7, 2003
UNITED NATIONS, June 6 — A new report from the International Atomic Energy
Agency reveals that Iran is planning or building previously unacknowledged nuclear
facilities — including a heavy water research reactor — that could
give it a variety of technological options for the production of nuclear weapons.
Militiamen's
arrests add strain to US-Iran ties
The Straits Times, June 7, 2003
LONDON - US forces in Iraq said they had arrested members of an Iranian-backed
militia group in connection with attacks on US troops. The news could further
strain relations between Washington and Teheran.
Key
extracts of IAEA report on Iran nuclear sector
MSNBC, June 6, 2003
VIENNA, June 6 — Following are key extracts from a report by the International
Atomic Energy Agency, obtained by Reuters on Friday, which accuses Iran of failing
to comply with safeguards intended to curb the spread of nuclear weapons: Iran
has failed to meet its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with respect
to the reporting of nuclear material, the subsequent processing and use of that
material and the declaration of facilities where the material was stored and processed.
US
redeploys its troops to cover 'arc of instability'
The Independent, June 7, 2003
The phased pullback of more than 14,000 American troops far from the demilitarised
zone separating North and South Korea is the latest step in a sweeping global
rearrangement of US military forces, conceived in the aftermath of the Cold War,
and hastened by the war against Saddam Hussein.
UNEP
chief: Cooperation is key to water disputes
Daily Star, June 7, 2003
Klaus Toepfer believes countries concerned have common interests - Official also
warns that ‘the water sector should never be privatized’ -- In an
attempt to solve trans-boundary water issues, the United Nations Environment Program
is preparing an atlas that will include 200 water catchment areas. In an interview
with The Daily Star, Klaus Toepfer, the United Nations Environment Program’s
executive director, said that the atlas will also list the treaties made between
the concerned countries.
Al
Riyadh: Moussa: contacts to hold mini-Arab summit
Arabic News, June 7, 2003
Arab league Secretary-General Amr Moussa said that contacts are under way to hold
a mini-Arab summit to discuss conditions in the region. In statements to the Saudi
newspaper Al Riyadh yesterday, Moussa said that Israel's acceptance of the Roadmap
is considered a positive issue, but cast doubts over Israel's intention to achieve
the just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
US
to unveil free trade initiative at Dead Sea's WEF meet
Jordan Times, June 7, 2003
AMMAN — US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Trade Representative Robert
Zoellick will unveil Washington's initiative of an Arab free trade zone at the
World Economic Forum's extraordinary meeting set to take place in Jordan later
this month, officials said Thursday.
13,000
Muslims Face Deportation From U.S.
Islam Online, June 7, 2003
WASHINGTON, June 7 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - More than 13,000 Arabs
and Muslims who came forward earlier this year to register with American immigration
authorities may now face deportation, according to a report by a leading American
paper Saturday, June 7.
More
Than 13,000 May Face Deportation
New York Times, June 7, 2003
WASHINGTON, June 6 — More than 13,000 of the Arab and Muslim men who came
forward earlier this year to register with immigration authorities — roughly
16 percent of the total — may now face deportation, government officials
say. Only a handful have been linked to terrorism. But of the 82,000 men older
than 16 who registered, more than 13,000 have been found to be living in this
country illegally, officials say.
U.S.
Trying To Improve Smeared Image: Experts
Islam Online, June 7, 2003
CAIRO, Saturday June 7 (Islamonline.net) - Experts and analysts concluded Saturday,
June 7, that Washington’s decision to review its post 9-11 public diplomacy
strategy in dealing with the Arab and Islamic world is an admission of its failure
and an attempt to improve its much smeared image. The U.S. State Department announced
Friday, June 6, appointing Edward Djerejian, former ambassador who served in Syria
and Israel, to lead a new team whose mission will be to design programs for improving
communication with Arabs and Muslims.
