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Palestinian Woman and her Child Killed and 27 Wounded in a Failed Israeli Assassination
Attempt on Al Rantisi in Gaza
International Press Center, June 10, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, June 10, 2003 (IPC)-- Three Palestinian civilians killed including
a woman and her daughter and twenty seven others injured when two Israeli Apache
helicopters fired nearly six rockets on a jeep belonging to senior most Hamas
leader, Dr. Abdel Aziz Al Rantisi, Palestinian medical sources said. Hospital
officials at Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City confirmed that Dr. Al Rantisi escaped
the assassination attempt with light wounds, along with his son.
3
Palestinians killed by IDF fire in northern Gaza Strip
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
The Palestinians killed Tuesday lived in an area between the town of Beit Hanoun
and the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, close to the border fence with
Israel. The three were identified as members of the Abed Rabbo family, two 19-year-old
men and a 16-year-old girl. -- Israel Defense Forces troops fired from tanks
and helicopters toward a Palestinian residential area in the northern Gaza Strip
on Tuesday, killing three Palestinians and wounding 30, doctors said.
Abbas
condemns strike on Rantisi as 'terrorist attack'
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
U.S. President George W. Bush was "deeply troubled" by an Israeli assassination
attempt on Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi and he fears this could undermine Palestinian
anti-terror efforts, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday. "The president is
concerned that the strike will undermine efforts by Palestinian authorities and
others to bring an end to terrorist attacks and does not contribute to the security
of Israel," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.
Hamas
says it will consider renewing cease-fire dialogue
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
The Hamas organization yesterday announced it was prepared to study the proposal
put forward by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to renew the
talks on stopping attacks against Israelis. A flyer put out yesterday by the Hamas
leadership in Gaza stated: "We will study Abu Mazen's call for a dialogue while
bearing in mind the interests of our nation, its rights, the strengthening of
national unity, and first and foremost the question of the prisoners, the right
of return, Jerusalem and an end to the occupation."
Israeli
air strike targets Hamas leader
BBC, June 10, 2003
One of the most prominent leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Abdel-Aziz
al-Rantissi, has been wounded in an Israeli helicopter strike in Gaza City. Mr
Rantissi's jeep was driving through a busy street when it was hit by several missiles
and burst into flames, witnesses said.
Bush
rebukes Israel over air strike
BBC, June 10, 2003
Rantissi was targeted by at least seven missiles -- US President George W Bush
has criticised an Israeli air strike on a jeep carrying a leader of the Palestinian
militant group Hamas in Gaza City. Reports are coming in of another Israeli helicopter
strike on a car carrying Hamas members in the town of Jabaliya in the northern
Gaza Strip....At least two Palestinians were killed and another 25 people - including
Mr Rantissi's son - were injured in that attack, medical sources at Gaza City's
Shifa Hospital said.
Source,
quoting Bush: 'We have a problem with Sharon'
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Behind-the-scenes exchanges between President George Bush and Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon at last week's Aqaba summit may hint at a certain shift in the American
stance, from the Israeli to the Palestinian side, according to a participant in
the three-way meeting of the delegations. The source quoted Bush as telling his
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that "I see that we have a problem
with Sharon," while saying of the Palestinians led by Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas,
"We can work with them."
Breaking
News: Palestinian killed by IOF at checkpoint
International Press Center, June 10, 2003
21:00-- Palestinian youth Amjad Nabil Al-Brais, 23, was killed today evening by
Israeli occupation forces' gun fire at the Al-Matahin checkpoint, IPC correspondent
reported.
Settlers
rebuild dismantled Amona outpost
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Settlers rebuilt the illegal outpost of Amona North on Tuesday morning, after
the Israel Defense Forces dismantled it on Monday, and vowed to rebuild other
outposts evacuated by the army overnight Monday. A total of 10 outposts were removed
overnight. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told settler leaders Monday that 15 would
be dismantled.
`Hell
no, we won't go,' vow settlers, but for now they choose legal challenges
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
For a few short hours, until the list of settlement outposts to be cleared immediately
was released, Nofei Nehemia was the only inhabited outpost earmarked for evacuation.
Elad Levsky, one of the outpost's veteran settlers and a few friends who stayed
there yesterday, refused to speak to journalists, citing "bad experience" with
the media. However they said their resistance to any evacuation would be "within
the democratic rules of the game," with no beating soldiers or swearing at them.
Brussels
rules lawsuit against Israeli general
Middle East Online, June 10, 2003
Belgian court gives green light to lawsuit brought against General Yaron for alleged
crimes against humanity. -- BRUSSELS - A Belgian court ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit
brought against an Israeli general for alleged crimes against humanity can go
to trial. The Brussels appeal court ruled that there was no reason to reject the
suit against General Amos Yaron over the 1982 massacre at the Sabra and Shatila
refugee camps in Beirut.
Defense
Minister: Arafat will have to go
Jerusalem Post, June 10, 2003
Palestinian Authority head Yasser Arafat will likely have to be expelled "in the
near future," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is quoted as saying Tuesday. Mofaz
spoke to Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Israel Radio says
he told lawmakers "it is likely that Arafat will have to be expelled in the near
future."
Israeli
government fails to release child detainees - 330 still in custody
Defence of Chidren International - Palestine, June 7, 2003
The Government of Israel this week commenced the process of releasing around 100
Palestinian detainees from prisons and detention centres across Israel and the
West Bank. Of the names announced for scheduled release, not one is an imprisoned
child. Defence for Children International / Palestine Section condemns the gesture
politics of the Israeli Government and calls for the urgent and unconditional
release of all Palestinian child prisoners.
BDI:
Israel gov't quality among OECD’s lowest
Globes, June 10, 2003
Business Data Israel: The government inefficient, irresponsible, corrupt, and
does not enforce laws effectively. -- The security situation and recession have
lowered the ranking of Israel’s quality of government in comparison with
other OECD countries, according to a Business Data Israel (BDI) analysis based
on World Bank data. The report, published yesterday, found that Israel’s
government is inefficient, irresponsible, politically corrupt, and does not effectively
enforce the law.
Bush
criticizes attempt to assassinate Rantissi as Hamas vows to punish Israel
Al-Bawaba, June 10, 2003
Senior leader of Hamas political wing, Dr. Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, 58, was injured
in an Israel helicopter attack on his car in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, a Hamas
source said. At least three Palestinian civilians were killed. Doctors and Hamas
sources said Rantissi, who helped found Hamas in the late 1980s, was in "good"
condition but a woman and an 8-year-old girl, who were passing by, were killed.
Second
Israeli Attack Is Reported in Gaza
New York Times, June 10, 2003
GAZA, June 10 - A senior official of the militant group Hamas was wounded today
after Israeli helicopters fired seven rockets at a jeep he was traveling in here,
Palestinian witnesses said. Two people were killed and 27 others were injured
in the attack, which is seen as a serious blow to efforts to get the American-backed
Mideast peace plan on track.
IOF
Kills Three Palestinians, Conducts Wide Arrest Campaign
International Press Center, June 10, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, June 10, 2003, IPC+ WAFA-- Two Palestinian civilians were killed
late Monday by Israeli occupation forces (IOF), which opened fire at them when
they were on the coastal road near Jewish illegitimate settlement of “Netsareim”,
southern Gaza Strip.
Seven
Palestinian Civilians Killed and Tens Injured in Gaza
International Press Center, June 10, 2003
GAZA STRIP, Palestine, June 10, 2003 , (IPC)-- Three Palestinian civilians were
killed and tens others injured today evening when US-supported-Apache helicopters
rocketed Palestinian homes in the neighborhood of Zammo, in Jabalia town, north
of Gaza Strip.
PNA
Strongly Condemns Failed Israeli Assassination of Hamas Leader
Palestine Media Center, June 10, 2003
June 10, 2003 - The Palestine National Authority (PNA) strongly condemned the
Israeli extra-judicial assassination attempt on the life of Hamas leader Abdul
Aziz Al-Rantisi in Gaza City early Tuesday as a premeditated operation to torpedo
international efforts to reactivate the peace process.
A
Tempest of Condemnation Against Israeli Terrorism
International Press Center, June 10, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, June 10, 2003, (IPC+Agencies)-- US President Bush criticized
Israel on Tuesday for the assassination attempt which targeted the Hamas senior
leader Dr. Rantisi and led to the killing of two bystanders, including an old
woman, in Gaza, warning that such a strike "does not contribute to the security
of Israel."
A
woman and an 8-year-old girl killed, 27 Palestinians wounded in a failed Israeli
attempt to assassinate Hamas' Dr. al-Rantisi
LAW Society, June 10, 2003
Today, Tuesday, June 10, 2003, Israeli Apache gunships carried out a failed assassination
attempt against Hamas' political leader Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi. Rantisi escaped
the Israeli attack, however, a Palestinian woman and an 8-year-old girl were killed.
27 Palestinians were injured including al-Rantisi, his son Ahmad, and two of his
aides; some of the wounded are in critical condition.
Arab
FMs condemn Israeli bid to kill Rantissi
Middle East Online, June 10, 2003
MANAMA - Arab foreign ministers meeting here condemned a failed Israeli attempt
to kill Hamas political leader Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi on Tuesday, accusing Israel
of seeking to quash revived peace hopes.
Profile
of Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi
Middle East Online, June 10, 2003
Pediatrician by training, Rantissi has become Hamas' most visible figure since
start of intifada. -- JERUSALEM - Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, who narrowly survived
an Israeli helicopter attack in Gaza City Tuesday, is considered a hardliner within
the Islamist movement Hamas and has become the group's most visible figure since
the start of the intifada.
Profile:
Hamas leader Rantissi
BBC, June 10, 2003
Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, second-in-command of the militant Islamic movement Hamas,
is one of the most forceful spokesmen against compromise with Israel. He resisted
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's call for a ceasefire to give the US-backed
peace plan, known as the roadmap, a chance to work.
Hamas
scores sweeping victory in UNRWA elections
Palestinian Information Center, June 10, 2003
Gaza - Supporters of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, have scored a sweeping
victory at the elections of the union of UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip grabbing
23 seats from a total of 27. The number of voters reached 6,780 out of a total
of 7,616 eligible voters at a percentage rate of 90% and they chose their representatives
to three divisions: teachers, services and laborers.
Who
are Hamas?
BBC, June 6, 2003
Branded terrorists by Israel and western countries, Hamas is seen by its supporters
as a legitimate fighting force defending Palestinians from a brutal military occupation.
It is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organisation, formed 15 years
ago at the beginning of the first intifada, or Palestinian uprising against Israel's
occupation in the West Bank and Gaza.
Ranteesi:
Our battle is against the Zionist enemy
Palestinian Information Center, June 10, 2003
Gaza - Dr. Abdul Aziz Ranteesi, political bureau member of the Hamas Movement,
has affirmed legitimacy of resisting occupation as endorsed by heavenly as well
earthly norms. “Our people’s sufferings are the result of the Zionist
enemy’s usurpation of the lands and its terrorist practices”, he elaborated.
Rantissi
Survives Israeli Assassination Attempt
Islam Online, June 10, 2003
GAZA CITY, June 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi,
a senior leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, was wounded with
his son in an Israeli helicopter attack Tuesday, June 10, in Gaza City, that claimed
the lives of three Palestinians. Rantissi, 55, suffered leg, arm and chest wounds
in the missile attack on his car in central Gaza.
Killing
Me Will Not Grant Israelis Security: Rantissi
Islam Online, June 10, 2003
GAZA CITY, June 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In a major new
blow to peace efforts in the Middle East, an Israeli helicopter failed Tuesday,
June 10, to assassinate Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, a senior leader of the resistance
Palestinian group Hamas.
“Terrorist”
Attack On Rantissi, “Sabotages” Peace: Abbas
Islam Online, June 10, 2003
RAMALLAH, June 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The failed Israeli
attempt to assassinate Hamas leader Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi on Tuesday, June 10,
has come under diatribe from Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas, Arab foreign ministers
and U.S. President George Bush, fearing it would stymie efforts to re-launch the
dormant Mideast peace process.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine June 10, 2003
Palestine Media Center, June 10, 2003
At least two Palestinians were killed, dozens others wounded, in an Israeli Air
raid on Gaza city, which targeted the car of Hamas’s political leader Abdel
Aziz al-Rantisi. IOF also killed three Palestinians in Deir al-Ballah town in
the Gaza Strip and in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. IOF also detained
three citizens in the raid. One Palestinian Killed Near Jenin.
Palestinians
warned on terror
BBC, June 9, 2003
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has warned that there will be no peace deal
with the Palestinians unless they fight "terror". Mr Sharon was addressing a meeting
of his own Likud Party hours after five Israelis and five Palestinians died in
the first major clashes since last week's US-led peace summit in Jordan.
Assad:
U.S. stalling Israel-Syria peace talks
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar Assad has criticized the United States for
not inviting Syria to a Middle East summit last week, saying Washington was delaying
any peace talks between his country and Israel. U.S. President George W. Bush
met some Arab leaders in Egypt last Tuesday to drum up support for an internationally
backed Israeli-Palestinian road map. Damascus, an old U.S. foe, opposes the plan.
High
Court to rule on settlers' petition against dismantling of outpost
Jerusalem Post, June 10, 2003
The High Court of Justice is due to rule on the request of settlers Moshe and
Itai Zer for an interim injunction preventing the army and police from dismantling
the Gilad Farm outpost Tuesday night. Earlier in the day, the state submitted
its response to the petition, calling on the High Court of Justice to reject it
out of hand.
PNA
Accuses Sharon of ‘Deception’ over Settlements
Palestine Media Center, June 10, 2003
Settlers Defiant, Vow to Fight, Torpedo ‘Roadmap’ -- June 10,
2003 - The Palestine National Authority (PNA) accused Israeli Prime Minister Sharon
of “deception” and described the dismantling of some empty settlement
outposts in the occupied Palestinian territory as a “symbolic step”
and a “phony show”.
Inhabited
Jewish outposts dismantled
BBC, June 10, 2003
The Israeli army has dismantled one inhabited Jewish settlement and is due to
remove four more later on Tuesday as a gesture towards meeting the demands of
a fresh Middle East peace plan. It is unclear how many people live in the outposts
due to be removed. The majority of the 15 sites scheduled for destruction are
unpopulated, comprising a handful of empty caravans and trailers on isolated hilltops.
Focus
/ A dress rehearsal for the real thing
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday handed the Yesha settlers their divorce
papers. His emissary, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, tried to be pleasant but his
message was not - no new settlements will be set up; all the outposts established
after March 2001 are on the United States' evacuation list and we, the Israeli
government, are starting to dismantle them.
Israel
press focuses on settler crisis
BBC, June 10, 2003
The Israeli press forecasts a battle royal over the government move to start dismantling
settler outposts as part of the roadmap peace process. All the leading dailies
report the start of operations and the outcry from opponents of the measure.
Palestinian
police: We can take over security at Gaza Airport
Jerusalem Post, June 10, 2003
In what would be the first security handover to Palestinian forces since the Red
Sea Summit at Aqaba, the Palestinian police has announced its willingness to take
over security at Gaza Airport, Israel Radio reports, and prevent attacks in the
area.
Israel
frees shepherds detained near Shebaa Farms
Daily Star, June 10, 2003
Israel freed two teenage Lebanese shepherds Monday a day after they were detained
near the disputed Shebaa Farms border area, witnesses and UN peace keepers said.
An Israeli military source said Sunday that the army had detained the shepherds
for questioning after they “crossed the Blue Line into Israeli territory”
despite warning shots fired into the air. Beirut and Damascus call the disputed
Shebaa Farms border zone near Lebanon, Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights Lebanese territory.
Refugee
women protest ‘road map’ summits
Daily Star, June 10, 2003
Militants call for right of return -- Women in the refugee camps of Ain al-Hilweh
and Mieh Mieh protested Monday against resolutions at the Sharm el-Sheikh and
Aqaba summits ruling out Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland.
The protests were organized by the Women’s Committees of the Palestinian
Hamas movement.
New
shelters built for Gaza homeless
Jordan Times, June 10, 2003
AMMAN (JT) — The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
(UNRWA) today turned over 19 new homes to refugee families from camps in the Gaza
Strip whose shelters were destroyed by Israeli forces. The new shelters, which
will house 20 families — or 129 refugees — are an expression of UNRWA's
pledge to rehouse all refugees whose homes were destroyed in the conflict and
who have no alternative accommodation, according to an agency statement Monday.
Berlusconi's
'no' to Arafat casts doubt on Italy's bid to host Middle East talks
Jordan Times, June 10, 2003
ROME (AFP) — The refusal by Palestinian leaders Monday to meet Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi appears to scupper plans by Italy — which takes over the
EU presidency next month — to host a Middle East peace conference. It was
also seen here as a veiled message to US President George W. Bush — who
asked Berlusconi to make the Middle East tour to help the fledgling peace process
— that he cannot totally sideline Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Abu
Mazen Refuses to Meet PM Berlusconi
International Press Center, June 10, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, June 10, 2003 (IPC)-- Palestinian Information Minister, Nabil
Amr, declared Monday that the Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), would
not meet his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi, in his office in Ramallah
for the latter’s refusal to meet with President Yasser Arafat, in compliance
with Israeli demands.
Aqsa
Martyrs advise Fatah ministers to resign
Palestinian Information Center, June 10, 2003
Gaza - The Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, military wing of the Fatah Movement, yesterday
issued a statement advising honorable Fatah ministers in the Palestinian Authority
government to table their resignations.
Palestinian
PM accused of 'selling out' at summit
Financial Times, June 9, 2003
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, on Monday sought to restore his
domestic credibility in the face of accusations that he sold out to Israel at
last week's Aqaba summit that saw the launch of the US-backed "road map"...."So
the Americans took the initiative to formulate statements for both sides. While
Abu Mazen expressed Palestinian commitments, unfortunately the Americans allowed
Israel to change its statement."
Sharon
denies having a conflict of interest in agricultural deal
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon denied that his involvement in an agricultural decision
constituted conflict of interest during a Tuesday morning hearing before the Knesset's
State Control Committee. This is the first time in the history of the country
that a sitting prime minister has been the subject of a hearing on his own alleged
conflict of interest.
Ministry
spokesman tells of reporters' links to sources
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Justice Ministry spokesman Ya'akov Galanti gave details of some of reporter Baruch
Kra's sources, including his links with certain police units, to the investigation
team appointed by the attorney general. The team was investigating the leak from
the State Prosecutor's Office, regarding the affair of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's
ties with millionaire Cyril Kern and the police probe into the foreign loan Sharon
and his sons received.
US,
Israel to hold joint renewable energy conference
Globes, June 10, 2003
The August conference in Jerusalem aims at reducing US dependence on imported
oil. -- The US and Israel will hold the Cooperation for Energy Independence of
Demcracies in the 21st Century inaugural conferenceon August 26-28 in Jerusalem.
The conference is aimed at reducing US dependence on Middle Eastern oil by developing
alternative energy sources. The US Department of Energy, Israel’s Ministry
of National Infrastructures, and the American Jewish Congress are hosting the
conference.
Israel
'Punishes' Officer in Press Shooting
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military has reprimanded an officer for firing at
an Associated Press photographer in an armored car bearing press markings in the
West Bank City of Hebron 19 months ago.
Israel
commences privatisation of El Al
Financial Times, June 9, 2003
The long-delayed privatisation of El Al Israel Airlines gets under way on Tuesday
when the government starts to sell its 97 per cent stake in the country's flag
carrier on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
Jordan,
Palestine discuss project to save Dead Sea
Jordan Times, June 10, 2003
AMMAN (Agencies) — Means to preserve the Dead Sea topped the agenda of Jordanian-Palestinian
talks held here Monday. The talks were attended on the Jordanian side by Planning
Minister Bassem Awadallah and Water and Irrigation Minister Hazem Nasser and on
the Palestinian side by Planning Minister Nabil Qassis, the Jordan News Agency,
Petra, reported.
Knesset
suspends Likud MK who voted twice
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
The Knesset Ethics Committee decided Tuesday to suspend Likud MK Michael Gorlovsky
from all debates in the Knesset plenum and from all parliamentary committees,
after he admitted to voting for his party colleague, MK Gilad Arden, during the
vote on the national economic plan two weeks ago. The Ethics Committee said his
actions had harmed the standing of the Knesset.
Rivlin
refuses to probe double-voting scandal
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin yesterday rejected Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein's
request that MKs be questioned over the apparent double-voting on the economic
austerity plan passed by the Knesset two weeks ago.
Delinquency
among immigrant youth soars
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
The delinquency rate among new immigrant youth has increased by hundreds of percent
over the past decade, police told the Knesset Immigration Committee yesterday.
Superintendent Yaron Sheetrit, a youth officer in the national police headquarters,
told the committee that the police handled 4,086 criminal cases of new immigrant
teenagers in 2002, compared to about 250 in 1990.
Likud
to use whip on right-to-strike vote
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
The Likud Party intends to enforce party discipline and demand that coalition
MKs support next week's primary reading of proposed legislation limiting the right
to strike for public sector employees. Under the bill, submitted by MK Ruhama
Avraham (Likud), public sector labor unions will only be able to launch a strike
following a secret ballot in which a majority of employees vote in favor of such
a move.
Report:
Jehoash tablet is a fake
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
The inscription on the ancient stone Jehoash tablet that would have confirmed
biblical narrative is a forgery, the daily Ma'ariv has reported. When first revealed
two years ago, the shoebox-sized tablet inscribed with 15 lines of ancient Hebrew
caused a stir in the archaeological world with some experts dating the stone to
the ninth century B.C.E.
Sharansky
may meet Putin to deliver message from PM
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Minister of Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky will apparently meet Russian President
Vladimir Putin in Moscow Tuesday night to deliver a message from Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon. Sharansky dealt with Israeli-Russian affairs in Sharon's previous
government, serving as liaison on issues such as the transfer of Russian nuclear
technology to Iran.
Shalom
asks Russian FM to stop supplying nuclear know-how to Iran
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom met with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov yesterday
in Moscow for talks on ways Russia can cease providing nuclear technology know-how
to Iran, how Russia can help the peace process in the Middle East, and to issue
an invitation to the Russian foreign minister to visit Israel.
MKs
call on Bush to free Pollard
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
All but the Arab Knesset factions yesterday called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
to urge U.S. President George Bush to free Jonathan Pollard. In a statement initiated
by the chairman of the Knesset Constitution Committee, Michael Eitan, (Likud)
and Labor secretary general Ofir Pines, the legislators said Pollard has been
rotting in an American prison for 18 years because of criminal acts that American
law looked on with great severity. However, these acts did not endanger
or damage anyone's life, the statement said.
Klein:
Now, economy can grow
Haaretz, June 10, 2003
Central bank governor David Klein yesterday said the conditions necessary for
renewed economic growth have now been created. Klein said three things had set
the stage for renewed growth - the government's economic program, the resumption
of the Palestinian peace process, and the start of a worldwide economic recovery,
albeit so far a slow one.
Family
Fun Picnic & Fundraiser June 21, 2003
Palestine Monitor/The Palestine Children's Relief Fund, June 10, 2003
The Palestine Children's Relief Fund Invites you and your family to a Family Fun
Picnic & Fundraiser Featuring very special guest...Dr. Patch Adams, at Fairfax
Station, VA, June 21, 2003. -- Medical doctor, professional clown, author, social
activist, and D.C. native whose life story was the subject of a 1998 blockbuster
starring Robin Williams. Just back from a clowning mission to Gaza Strip schools
and hospitals, Patch will speak about his Palestine experience -- and then entertain
kids young and old!
Three
Iraqis Killed In Ammunition Depot Blast
Islam Online, June 10, 2003
BAGHDAD, June 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – As the U.S. Central
Command said Tuesday, June 10, that an explosion at an Iraqi ammunition supply
depot killed three Iraqis and wounded two others, a senior American official said
that ousted President Saddam Hussein is the one to blame for the country’s
unrest.
U.S.
Soldier Killed in Baghdad Attack
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - One U.S. Army soldier was killed and another was injured Tuesday
when attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at American troops in Baghdad,
Central Command said.
Breakdown
of AP's Count of Iraqi Deaths
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
At least 3,240 civilian deaths were recorded by hospitals in Iraq as a result
of the recent war. Associated Press reporters visited 60 of the country's largest
hospitals to review those records. Here is a list of the 3,082 civilian fatalities
in key cities...
Official:
Iraq Stabilization Proves Tough
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - The task of stabilizing postwar Iraq has proven ``tougher and
more complex'' than the Bush administration foresaw, mainly because of violence
and sabotage that appears to be organized by trained forces, a top Pentagon policy
adviser said Tuesday.
Deadly
Attacks on G.I.'s Rise; Generals Hope Troop Buildup Will Stop the Skirmishes
New York Times, June 10, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 9 — Unknown gunmen shot and killed an American soldier
at a checkpoint in western Iraq on Sunday night, continuing a series of attacks
that have killed nine American troops in 14 days. The casualty rate from attacks
in Iraq has risen sharply in the past two weeks, but military officials said the
recent deployment of 4,000 American soldiers to central Iraq would curb the threat.
Early
push for sell-off of Iraqi companies
Financial Times, June 9, 2003
Dozens of Iraqi state-owned companies are likely to be earmarked for privatisation
within the next year, Tim Carney, senior coalition adviser to the Iraqi ministry
of industry and minerals, said yesterday. Previously the US-led coalition had
said it would wait until the creation of an elected Iraqi government, in a year
or two, before beginning privatisation.
Iraq's
companies head for sell-off
BBC, June 9, 2003
Dozens of Iraq's state-owned companies could be earmarked for privatisation within
a year, it has been reported. Tim Carney, the senior coalition adviser to the
Iraqi ministry of industry and minerals, told the Financial Times newspaper that
the need for foreign investment was too great for sell-offs to be delayed. Previously
the US-led coalition had said it would wait until an elected Iraqi government
was in place before starting privatisation.
Anarchy
Still Plagues Iraqi Cities
Arab News, June 10, 2003
BAGHDAD, 10 June 2003 — Iraq’s new rulers yesterday expressed hope
Baghdad would resume oil exports next week, but the death of a US soldier in an
ambush starkly underlined the anarchy still plaguing the country two months after
the collapse of the old regime. The acting head of the Oil Ministry, Thamir Ghadhban,
said he hoped by the end of the month that Iraq would be exporting some two-thirds
of a total oil output that would reach 1.5 million barrels per day.
Iraqis
fear rise of clerics
BBC, June 9, 2003
Muslim clerics in Iraq have been taking advantage of the political vacuum left
by Saddam Hussein to try to impose their own strict version of Islam. Liquor stores
have been attacked and their owners threatened. Women have been told to wear the
veil. And it is not just Iraq's small Christian community that is now worried
about its way of life.
Washington
watches for Hizbullah activity in Iraq
Daily Star, June 10, 2003
Some fear party will instigate resistance -- WASHINGTON: Hizbullah’s potential
for promoting an anti-American Iraqi resistance movement has caught the attention
of counterterrorism experts and policy analysts here. Some American officials
believe Hizbullah’s resistance credentials could be used to drag the US
into a complicated guerrilla war in Iraq, helping relieve Damascus and Tehran
of pressure from hawks in the Bush administration.
Saddam
Said to Pay Bounty for Killings
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
NEW YORK (AP) - Saddam Hussein has been seen north of Baghdad and is paying a
bounty for every American soldier killed, the leader of an Iraqi exile group said
Tuesday.
Iraq
War Spawned Unfortunate Consequences
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - When the explosion came, Mohammed Abed fought his way against
a hot wind into a marketplace in ruins. Storefronts were twisted, bodies were
strewn across the street and the injured wailed for help. Abed ignored them. He
was looking for a single black chador, and he spotted it quickly, lying on the
sidewalk only five doors down from the tailor's shop where he lives and works.
Abed lifted the crumpled gown. Underneath was his young wife, covered in blood,
nearly decapitated. Cradled in her dead arms was Fatima, his 6-month-old daughter.
She was crying softly.
US
troops in Iraq arrest journalists of Iranian TV channel
Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, June 9, IRNA -- US troops in Baghdad on Monday arrested three journalists
who worked for the Arabic television channel Al-Aalam, broadcast by the Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). In a fax sent to IRNA, Al-Aalam identified
the three as Sami Hassan, Zoheir Mostafa and Ghuran Tofiq, who were reporters
and cameramen.
Saddam
uncertainty 'fuelling resistance'
BBC, June 10, 2003
The failure to account for Saddam Hussein may be encouraging some of the continuing
resistance in Iraq, the US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has said. Mr Rumsfeld
said the lack of information about the former Iraqi president "might give heart"
to members of the Baath party who still hoped to take back the country.
Iraqi
Leaders, to Show Unity, Meet in Kurds' Area
New York Times, June 10, 2003
ERBIL, Iraq, June 9 — A week after meeting two prominent Shiite leaders
in the southern city of Najaf, the Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani, gathered Iraqi
opposition figures here today in Iraq's north in a show of unity that included
some criticism of the American occupation.
Iraq
execution tapes on sale
BBC, June 10, 2003
Videotapes showing people being tortured and executed by Saddam Hussein's regime
are being bought on the streets of Baghdad by Iraqis anxious to trace missing
relatives. Most of the tapes date from the Shia Muslim insurgency that erupted
after the first President George Bush urged Iraqis to overthrow the former Iraqi
leader in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War.
Drive
to recover Iraq treasures
BBC, June 9, 2003
Art experts from the Middle East, Europe and the United States are joining with
police to work out how to recover historical treasures stolen during the war in
Iraq. The two-day meeting in Rome aims to set up a database of stolen works and
create a taskforce of experts co-ordinated by the international police body, Interpol.
Advani,
Rumsfeld Discuss Iraq Troops
Arab News, June 10, 2003
NEW DELHI, 10 June 2003 — US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Indian
Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani have met in Washington to discuss the
possible deployment of Indian troops to war-ravaged Iraq, media reports said yesterday.
The issue was discussed during a visit by Rumsfeld to Advani at his Washington
hotel room on Sunday, the reports said.
Analysis:
Iraq - eight weeks on
BBC, June 7, 2003
Mr Bremer has taken an aggressive approach to restoring law and order -- Eight
weeks after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, the new US administrator
Paul Bremer faces a daunting array of challenges. Iraqis are critical of the lack
of security and basic services. They also say the Americans are reneging on their
promise to move quickly to share power with an interim Iraqi administration.
Mixed
reception for Iraqi royal
BBC, June 10, 2003
The man who wants to head a restored monarchy in the country, Sharif Ali bin Hussein,
has met both reverence and scepticism on his return to Baghdad after 45 years
in exile. Members of the royal family fled the country taking baby Sharif Ali
with them when the last Iraqi monarch, King Faisal, was killed in a coup in 1958.
Man
May Pursue Monarchy in Iraq
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sounding more like a politician than a king, the man seeking
Iraq's throne returned to his country Tuesday, promising to create a nation of
``dignity, freedom and democracy.''
Looting
Leaves Iraq's Oil Industry in Ruins
New York Times, June 10, 2003
"Every time we fix something, it gets looted," says Jabbar Ali al-Leaby, the head
of Iraq's South Oil Company -- BASRA, Iraq, June 6 — Standing under the
merciless sun outside his office, surrounded by employees shouting angrily about
pay, Jabbar Ali al-Leaby, the director general of the South Oil Company, lost
the little patience he had left. "Be satisfied with what you got," he told the
men. "Do you know what I went through to get even this money for you?"
Iraqi
businessmen face uncertain future
Financial Times, June 9, 2003
He added: "We used to fear one man, Saddam Hussein, and we all knew where he was.
Now there are a thousand Saddams out there and we don't know who they are." --
On the face of it, the Baghdad-based Saad Tabra Trading company, which makes building
materials, should have a lot going for it at the moment. United Nations sanctions
have been lifted, meaning it can export its products freely again for the first
time in 12 years. And postwar Iraq is a construction company's dream come true.
Commercial
flights resume to Iraq
Financial Times, June 10, 2003
Qatar Airways will today become the first airline in 12 years to operate commercial
air services to Iraq with the opening of a twice-weekly service from Doha to Basra.
Tablets
That May Reveal El Niño Secrets are Feared Lost in Iraq
CommonDreams/The lndependent, June 9, 2003
The secrets of El Niño, one of the most mysterious and destructive weather systems,
could be unlocked by hundreds of thousands of ancient clay tablets now feared
lost or damaged in the chaos of Iraq. Researchers believe the tablets, written
using a cuneiform text, one of the earliest types of writing, form the world's
oldest records of climate change and could give vital clues to understanding El
Niño and global warming.
U.S.
hunt for Iraqi banned weapons slows
Kansas City Star, June 9, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. military units assigned to track down Iraqi weapons of mass
destruction have run out of places to look and are getting time off or being assigned
to other duties, even as pressure mounts on President Bush to explain why no banned
arms have been found. After nearly three months of fruitless searches, weapons
hunters say they are now waiting for a large team of Pentagon intelligence experts
to take over the effort, relying more on leads from interviews and documents.
Captives
Deny Qaeda Worked With Baghdad
New York Times, June 10, 2003
WASHINGTON, June 8 — Two of the highest-ranking leaders of Al Qaeda in American
custody have told the C.I.A. in separate interrogations that the terrorist organization
did not work jointly with the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein, according to
several intelligence officials.
Bush
defends Saddam terror link claim
The Telegraph, June 10, 2003
President George W Bush yesterday defended pre-war claims of a link between Osama
bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. He rounded on media reports that his administration
suppressed unhelpful intelligence from two top al-Qa'eda captives suggesting that
the terror network did not co-operate with Saddam.
CIA
had doubts on Iraq link to al-Qaida
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
The debunking of the Bush administration's pre-war certainties on Iraq gathered
pace yesterday when it emerged that the CIA knew for months that a connection
between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida was highly unlikely. As President George Bush
was forced for the second time in days to defend the decision to go to war, a
new set of leaks from CIA officials suggested a tendency in the White House to
suppress or ignore intelligence findings which did not shore up the case for war.
Iran
lashes out at US nuclear accusations
Middle East Online, June 10, 2003
"I want to tell the American leaders that one day you will have to give evidence
to prove your accusations against us. But first clear up your embarrassment in
Iraq before being embarrassed again over your accusations against Iran." -- The
head of Iran's atomic energy body asserted Tuesday that the country was not concealing
any of its facilities from UN nuclear inspectors, and challenged the United States
to back up accusations to the contrary with hard evidence.
Kharazi
gives Powell timely history lesson
Middle East Online, June 10, 2003
TEHRAN - Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi called on the United States Tuesday to
cease interfering in Iranian affairs, giving US Secretary of State Colin Powell
a history lesson on the Iranian people's resistance. "If the United States wishes
to be friends with Iran, it should avoid interfering in the internal affairs of
Iran and respect the values and choices of the Iranian people," Kharazi was quoted
as saying by the state news agency IRNA.
Iran
Says U.S. Pressure Over Nukes Will Backfire
Reuters, June 9, 2003
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran warned Monday that foreign pressure over its nuclear capabilities,
branded a threat to peace by Washington, would backfire and harden Iran's position.
Since its rapid conquest of Iraq, Washington has tightened the screw on neighboring
Iran, which it accuses of sheltering al Qaeda fugitives, backing terrorism and
developing nuclear arms.
Iran
asks US to stop using 'language of force'
Jang Group, June 10, 2003
TEHRAN: Iran's foreign ministry demanded to Washington to stop using the 'language
of force', warning on Monday that US posturing would only undermine the cause
of dialogue and strengthen the hand of hardliners in the Islamic republic.
Iran
Open to More Nuclear Monitoring
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran would agree to additional international monitoring of
its nuclear development, but only if it is allowed to acquire more advanced technology,
the head of the country's atomic program said Tuesday.
Arab
Ministers Discuss Iraq, Road Map
Arab News, June 10, 2003
MANAMA, 10 June 2003 — Arab foreign ministers yesterday started a two-day
meeting here to discuss the US-backed road map plan for peace in the Middle East
and the post-war situation in Iraq.
Landlord
Snubs Al-Jazeera
Washington Post, June 9, 2003
Cafritz Blocks K Street Sublease for Arab TV Network -- Al-Jazeera may be watched
in millions of homes in the Arab world, but finding a home in Washington hasn't
been easy. Qatar-based al-Jazeera is a 24-hour news network that has drawn praise
for being more independent than most Arab media -- and criticism, especially in
the United States, for showing video of American POWs during the Iraq war and
for its perceived sympathy to Saddam Hussein.
UN
official calls on donors to aid reconstruction of South
Daily Star, June 10, 2003
UN official Mervat Tallawy called on financial donors to contribute to the reconstruction
of formerly Israeli-occupied Southern Lebanon at a development conference Monday.
Tallawy, the executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia (ESCWA), was speaking at the opening session of a seminar on proposed
development projects in the South, held at UN House in Beirut.
Muslims
Seek One Voice In U.S.
Islam Online, June 10, 2003
"We are searching for new ways to show that we are friends of America and not
enemies," said Basha -- Virginia, June 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies)
– Seeking to clear stereotypes about Muslims and make their voice heard
in the society, more than 100 Muslim leaders from across the U.S. held a conference
near Washington to explore new directions for millions of Muslims in the U.S.
now that two years have passed since the 9/11 attacks.
OPEC's
case for cutting output challenged
Middle East Online, June 10, 2003
OPEC countries pressed a case Tuesday for cutting production to allow for Iraq
coming back on stream, but non-OPEC Mexico said there is no need to tighten the
tap.
EU,
U.S. Lock Horns Over Int'l Court
The Guardian, June 10, 2003
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Union and the United States have locked
horns in a new dispute over the International Criminal Court, threatening efforts
to repair ties after the Iraq war, diplomats said Tuesday.
U.S.
Seeks Exemption from War Crimes Court
CommonDreams/OneWorld.net, June 9, 2003
WASHINGTON - With U.S. troops deployed in more countries than ever, the Bush administration
is pressing the UN Security Council to exempt all U.S. troops and officials from
the jurisdiction of the new International Criminal Court (ICC) for a second straight
year.
Nuns
Discuss Missile Silo Break-in, Jail Sentencing
CommonDreams, June 9, 2003
LANSING - On Oct. 6, U.S. Air Force guards and local authorities surrounded three
nuns with M16s and grenade launchers at a missile silo in Colorado. In an attempt
to expose U.S. weapons of mass destruction, Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert and Jackie
Hudson broke into the silo dressed as weapon inspectors by cutting a linked fence
surrounding the compound. Once inside, the sisters poured their own bottled blood
in the form of crosses onto the silo cover that protected a 300-kiloton high alert
nuclear missile.
New
Bases Reflect Shift in Military
Washington Post, June 9, 2003
Smaller Facilities Sought for Quick Strikes -- In the most extensive global realignment
of U.S. military forces since the end of the Cold War, the Bush administration
is creating a network of far-flung military bases designed for the rapid projection
of American military power against terrorists, hostile states and other potential
adversaries.
ISM
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