Two
Palestinians killed; five rockets land inside Israel
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Two Palestinians were killed by Israel Defense Forces troops in the Gaza Strip,
one near the southern town of Rafah and the other in the area of Beit Hanun in
the northern Strip. A local leader in the military wing of the Fatah, Rifat Azati,
30, was killed by the IDF near Rafah. He was among a group of five armed men who
were spotted by a Golani patrol.
Three
Palestinian Civilians Killed by Israeli Troops, Palestinain Lands Seized
International Press Center, June 15, 2003
PALESTINE, June 15, 2003 (IPC+Agencies)—In three separate incidents in the
Gaza Strip and West Bank, Israeli troops caused the fatal death of three Palestinian
civilians including a little girl and two young men.
Latest
victim of Israeli soldiers preventing access to medical treatment
Palestine Monitor, June 15, 2003
Muhammad Hassan Abu Qibeta, aged 65, died at the Yatta/Hebron checkpoint yesterday
(June 14) after Israeli soldiers prevented him from travelling to Hebron. Muhammad,
from Yatta, a diabetic, suffered a heart attack; unable to provide him with the
necessary treatment, the local doctor sent him to the nearest local hospital,
which is in Hebron.
A
Palestinian Dies of Wounds, Eleven Others Arrested by IOF
International Press Center, June 16, 2003
Palestine, June 16, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- One Palestinian civilian died Sunday of
wounds he had sustained by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Jenin
City. WAFA reported that a local Jenin resident died of wounds he sustained
when Israeli occupation soldiers, stationed at a tank, shot him on
May 8, 2003 in Jenin city.
U.S.
Troops May Have to Go After Hamas, Lawmaker
Reuters, June 15, 2003
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading Republican lawmaker said on Sunday U.S. forces
may have to help "root out terrorism" in the Middle East conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians, including taking aim at Hamas. In an interview on "Fox News
Sunday," Sen. Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
said American forces might be part of an international force to help stop attacks
by Hamas...
Pelosi
supports Israel's attacks on Hamas group
San Francisco Chronicle, June 14, 2003
Demos slam Bush for criticizing strikes -- "We were deeply dismayed to hear your
criticism of Israel for fighting acts of terror," said the letter -- Washington
-- Rep. Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the House Democratic leadership wrote President
Bush on Friday criticizing him for saying he was "troubled" by Israel's failed
attempt to kill a leader of the radical Palestinian Hamas group.
EU
to Consider Peacekeeping Force for Palestinian Territory
Palestine Media Center, June 16, 2003
June 16, 2003 - EU foreign ministers are set to look on Monday at the feasibility
of taking part in a peacekeeping force in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin is to put forward the idea at a
meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels...
Dahalan:
“Palestinianians Ready to Assume Security if Israel Withdraws”
International Press Center, June 15, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, June 15, 2003, (IPC + Agencies)- - The Palestinian security affairs
Minister, Mohammed Dahalan met at Herzliya, home of the U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer,
on Saturday late overnight with Amos Gilad, in charge of coordinating operations,
to discuss the transfer of Israeli security control of the northern Gaza Strip
to the Palestinians in ten days.
Israeli
offer to leave Gaza hangs in balance
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
The fate of Israel's offer to make its most significant military withdrawal since
the beginning of the intifada hung in the balance last night as the Palestinians
demanded an end to the assassination of members of Hamas and other militants while
Ariel Sharon said they could go on.
Harassment
charges to be filed against Hebron Border Police
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Ten Border Policemen from the same company as four troops facing murder charges
will soon be indicted for suspected of harassment of Palestinians while serving
in the West Bank city of Hebron. The 10 policemen are suspected of threatening
Palestinian store owners, looting businesses, and stealing cellular telephones
and thousands of shekels in cash.
IOF
Wounds Seven Palestinians, Storms a Kindergarten
International Press Center, June 16, 2003
TULKAREM, Palestine, June 16, 2003, (IPC)- - Seven Palestinian citizens were wounded
Monday by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in two separate attacks in Tulkarem
and Rafah.
PNA
health minister appeals for world assistance
Alternative Information Center, June 15, 2003
Palestinian National Authority minister of health, Dr. Kamal Al-Sharafi, has appealed
to world health ministries and medical organizations to assist the Palestinian
national health institutions. Sharafi said that the continuous Israeli military
campaign that is daily killing and wounding civilians including women, children
and elderly had forced his ministry to declare a state of maximum alert.
Set
in stone
The Observer, June 15, 2003
While the world waits for the Middle East's road map to unfold, Ariel Sharon is
busy creating his own solution to the West Bank problem - 360km of 8m-high concrete
and electrified barbed wire. The Israelis call it 'a separation fence', to the
Palestinians it's just the latest cynical attempt to prise them from their homelands.
Geraldine Bedell meets the farmers and settlers who now live with their backs
to the wall.
Occupation
forces storm Al-Faria refugee camp
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Jenin - Israeli occupation forces stormed the Al-Faria refugee camp, situated
between Jenin and Nablus and imposed a curfew on the residents with loud speakers,
stopping anyone from leaving or entering the camp.
Detainees
sentences to be extended
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Nablus - Israeli courts have extended the sentences of tens of Palestinian detainees
in the Ansar 3 prison in the Naqb area. Prisoners said that the Zionists have
no intention in the near future to release any of the detainees as they have extended
for the third time the detention of those who have been arrested during the first
two months of the Israeli reoccupation of Palestinian towns.
Jewish
settlers quietly build new outposts
MSNBC, June 16, 2003
JERUSALEM, June 15 — Jewish settlers have quietly set up five new outposts
in the West Bank since Israel began dismantling such sites last week under a U.S.-backed
''road map'' to peace, an Israeli monitoring group said on Sunday.
Evangelicals
Adopt Settlers
Forward, June 13, 2003
A prominent Evangelical Christian organization is urging its members to pour money
into West Bank settlements in its newest fundraising drive, "Adopt-a-Settler."
The Jerusalem Prayer Team, a Christian Zionist organization that opposes Israel
giving up land in exchange for peace, conceived of the idea in mid-May after a
meeting with Israeli Tourism Minister Benny Elon.
One
More Victim of Israeli Terror in Jenin, 3 Wounded in Rafah
International Press Center, June 15, 2003
JENIN, Palestine, June 15, 2003, (IPC+ WAFA)-- One Palestinian civilian died Sunday
of wounds he sustained last week after being shot by Israeli occupation forces
in the village of Seelat Harithya, near Jenin, Palestinian medical sources in
Nablus City said.
Army
damages school, injuring 8 year old, and prohibits University students from taking
exams
International Solidarity Movement, June 16, 2003
Internationals present were dismayed to find evidence of the Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) targeting a school building, but this is far from the first time
educational institutions have been targeted -- The ‘road map’ to peace,
a plan highly lauded by international media and optimists on both sides of the
Green Line, this week revealed itself to be full of roadblocks as violence continued
unabated.
Israeli
army arrests Palestinian activists, two cameramen
Jordan Times, June 16, 2003
BETHLEHEM (AFP) — Israeli occupation troops Sunday arrested several Palestinian
activists in the West Bank and two Palestinian cameramen in Gaza working for international
news agencies, Palestinian security sources said. Two local leaders of the Islamic
Jihad resistance group were arrested in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, and one
near Jenin, they said.
Islamic
Movement leaders to be charged within two weeks
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The State Prosecutor's Office will file charges within two weeks at the Haifa
District Court against members of the Islamic Movement, arrested last month on
suspicion of laundering money and contact with a foreign agent. The activists,
headed by by the leader of the movement's northern branch, Shiekh Ra'ad Salah,
and the mayor of Umm al-Fahm, Dr. Sulieman Agbariya.
Border
Crossing Blues
International Solidarity Movement, June 15, 2003
Palestinians and foreigners are suffering from the consequences of Israeli closure
policies at Rafah Crossing Point between Gaza and Egypt. Raphael Cohen trys and
trys again.
Hear
Palestine June 16, 2003
Hear Palestine
NEWS: Bethlehem: Girl Critically Wounded in Settler Attack / Jenin: Child Wounded
in Far'a Refugee Camp / Rafah: 2 Residents Wounded in Israeli Fire / Qalqilya:
11 Residents Arrested during Random Home Raids / Ramallah: Israeli Soldiers Spread
in Al-Irsal; Tightened Closure / Hebron: Ongoing Arrests and Oppressive Measures
/ Nablus: School Student Arrested from City Center / Salfeet: Random Arrests
FEATURES: Afnan Killed while sleeping on her Mother's Lap / 70% of Breij Refugee
Camp Live Under Poverty Line / Tulkarem: Israeli Invasions Severely Affect School
Final Exams
Two
shot along the border in Rafah
International Solidarity Movement, June 15, 2003
Rafah, Gaza Strip. An IOF tank has just shot two people, one 10-year-old and one
23-year-old, in the Brazil area of Rafah. The 23-year-old is in critical condition.
Both were taken immediately to Al-Najar Hospital in Rafah for treatment.
Occupation
authorities arrest Islamic Jihad commander
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Bethlehem - Zionist occupation forces yesterday arrested Issa Al-Battat, 30, in
a large-scale military operation in the Bethlehem district claiming that he was
responsible for numerous commando raids.
Settlers
attack Palestinian Ambulance
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Nablus - Zionist settlers near Nablus attacked a Palestinian ambulance belonging
to Medical Aid and threw stones towards it. Head of Medical Aid in Nablus stated
that a number of Israeli settlers attacked the Ambulance car on the Eleia settlement
road (south of Nablus) with stones.
Hamas
ridicules American Senator’s call for dispatching American troops to fight
Hamas
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, has ridiculed a
call by US Senator Richard Lugar for dispatching American troops to the West Bank
and Gaza Strip to fight Hamas. “It seems the Senator’s tongue functions
much more swiftly than his mind does,” said Hamas’ spokesman in Ramallah,
Hasan Silwadi.
Israeli
authorities summoned Mufti of Jerusalem for interrogation
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - As part of Israel’s institutionalized persecution of
non-Jews in Palestine, the Israeli police on Monday summoned the Mufti Of Jerusalem,
Ikrema Sabri, for interrogation in connection with his anti-apartheid stance.
Call
for inquiry into Miller death
The Guardian, June 13, 2003
Journalist Saira Shah has made an impassioned plea for an independent police investigation
into the death of her friend and colleague, the film maker James Miller, who was
killed when he was struck by a bullet from an Israeli tank last month.
Outposts
come down - and go up
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
At least one outpost was dismantled yesterday and others were stuck in legal proceedings,
but Peace Now reported four new outposts. Moshe Zar, the "owner" of one especially
controversial site, Havat Gilad, announced he would evacuate it but put it back
up on land that "is indisputably" his.
Supreme
Court allows IDF to evacuate Givat Yitzhar outpost
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition by settlers from Givat Yitzhar,
allowing the IDF to evacuate the West Bank outpost, which is inhabited by several
families. Supreme Court Justices Edmond Levy issued a temporary injunction Sunday
barring IDF troops from evacuating the Beit El East illegal outpost until a further
decision is made.
Logistics
chief: No delay on the fence
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Brigadier General Aran Ophir, a divisional head of the Israel Defense Forces Technological
and Logistics Directorate responsible for the construction of the separation fence,
has denied reports it has been delayed by American and British pressure. "The
construction of the separation fence along the line that has been approved has
not been delayed," Ophir said. "We are working at full speed and intend to complete
its construction by July 31, 2003 as determined in the timetable."
IDF
refuseniks tell Palestinians that suicide bombings must end
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Some 100 IDF draft resisters who refuse to serve in the territories have published
a call in the Palestinian press for an end to suicide bombings. The letter was
carried by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, apparently after it was approved
by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, and appeared in leading Palestinian
newspapers, including Al-Quds, the most widely distributed newspaper in the West
Bank, Al-Hayyat Al-Jedida - the official PA newspaper - and El-Ayyam, which is
published in Ramallah.
Local
PA mutiny enabled Qassams
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
A local mutiny by officers from the Preventive Security forces in the Khan Yunis
and Rafah area in south Gaza allowed activists to launch Qassam rockets toward
the western Negev yesterday. Palestinian sources say the officers refused to take
action against the Qassam rocket cell.
Al-Qaida
link sought in Mike's Place bomb
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Last night the security services confirmed for the first time that members of
the Hamas military wing in the Gaza Strip were behind suicide bombings by two
British citizens on Mike's Place pub in Tel Aviv in April, when three Israelis
were killed....The announcement also said the security services are examining
possible links between Al-Qaida and Hamas in the attack against the Tel Aviv pub.
Report
of June 5 Palestine Solidarity Actions
International Solidarity Movement, June 16, 2003
The June 5 International Day of Action for Justice in Palestine, called by United
for Peace and Justice, the International Solidarity Movement, and the Peace and
Justice Studies Association, was a success. Over thirty-five events
took place in cities around the world, in cities: New York, San Francisco, Chicago,
Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Austin Texas; Olympia, London, Dublin, and
Barcelona, and in areas that are not generally hotbeds of activism....
Brian
Avery Returns Home
International Solidarity Movement, June 16, 2003
Two months after machine-gun fire ripped through his face in Israel's West Bank,
peace activist Brian Avery of Chapel Hill returned home Saturday, his jaw wired
shut and scars lining his face as he awaits more surgery.
U.S.
peace activist shot by IDF goes home
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
MORRISVILLE, North Carolina - A peace activist who was shot in the face by the
Israeli army in Jenin got a hero's welcome as he returned to the United States
at the weekend. About 60 peace activists and friends cheered as Brian Avery, 25,
met them after arriving at Raleigh-Durham International Airport from Israel. Avery
smiled, despite the wires and rubber bands clamping his jaw shut, as the crowd
welcomed him home to his mother and father, Julie and Robert Avery of Chapel Hill.
Haifa
District Court Instructs Water Company to Temporarily Reconnect Water Supply to
Arab Families in the Naqab
Adalah, June 15, 2003
On 10 June 2003, the Haifa District Court, sitting as a special water tribunal,
instructed Mekorot, the Israeli National Water Company, to renew the water supply
for two weeks to the Abu Krenat family living in the Naqab (Negev). This interim
ruling came in response to a motion for injunction and lawsuit filed by Adalah
on 9 June 2003 on behalf of an Arab citizen of Israel against Mekorot, the Israel
Lands Administration, and the Water Commissioner.
Adalah
Co-submits Objections to New ILA Plan in the Naqab which Violates the Land Rights
of Arab Citizens of Israel
Adalah, June 15, 2003
On 10 June 2003, Adalah, in cooperation with the Committee for the Defence of
Land Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in the Naqab, submitted an objection
on behalf of eleven Arab Bedouin citizens of Israel to the Joint Regional Committee
for Redivision of Agricultural Land (JRC). The objectors raised numerous challenges
against Local Plan "Kibbutz Shuval and surrounding area, 10/MSD" and demanded
its cancellation. Adalah Attorney Suhad Bishara prepared and filed the objection.
300-dunam
crossing planned for Taibeh
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The main crossing point between Israel and the West Bank after the security fence
is built will be near Taibeh, sprawling over 300 dunams according to the Airport
Authority, which is responsible for the terminals being planned for the fence.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman decided
at a recent meeting that the Airport Authority will not only plan the terminals,
but operate them.
'You
don't have to be an expert to see where we're heading'
The Independent, June 15, 2003
It took just a week for the hope of the Aqaba summit to be drowned in yet another
round of blood-letting in the Middle East. The past week saw the roadmap peace
plan, personally backed by President George Bush, all but torn up as Israel and
the Palestinian militant group Hamas competed in a series of attacks and counter-attacks
that left scores of people dead.
Sha'ath:
Hamas truce deal may come as early as Tuesday
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath said Monday that he believed the militant
Hamas would accept a cease-fire on attacks against Israelis possibly as early
as Tuesday. But his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom warned that Israel would
reject a temporary truce accord even if Hamas agreed, saying that militants hit
hard by would exploit a cease-fire in order to gear up for fresh terror attacks.
Hamas
tells Egypt: We will accept a cease-fire
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Under enormous pressure from the Egyptians and Americans, Hamas last night gave
approval in principle to the Egyptian mediator, deputy intelligence chief Mustafa
Albuhaeiry, for an end to terrorist attacks and military activities as part of
a general cease-fire with Israel.
Negotiations
fail to broker Middle East truce
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
Egyptian negotiators today appeared to have failed in their bid to convince Palestinian
militia groups to end attacks on Israelis - as the US and the EU stepped up their
efforts to reinvigorate the peace process.
Palestinians
Say Truce Announcement Near
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Egyptian mediators summoned all Palestinian militias
Monday in a final push to persuade them to halt attacks on Israelis, but a Hamas
leader said that ``now is not the time for a truce'' and Israel's foreign minister
demanded the militias be crushed, not courted.
Analysis
/ The Palestinians are a bit optimistic
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The important talks this week will be the Abbas-Hamas talks. -- Yesterday Palestinian
spokesmen sounded somewhat optimistic about the chances of coming to some sort
of security agreement with Israel - when it is clear to everyone that the necessary
condition for such an arrangement is understandings between the Palestinian Authority
and Hamas concerning the cessation or a truce (hudna) in the terror attacks.
US
blanks calls for independent ‘road map’
Daily Star, June 16, 2003
Syria and Lebanon will have to wait -- Calls for an independent “road map”
for Lebanon and Syria have failed to illicit a positive response, Foreign Ministry
sources said Sunday. French President Jacques Chirac’s proposal to initiate
a separate road map for both Lebanon and Syria was ignored by US President George
W. Bush during their meeting at Evian, France this month.
France
wants EU peacekeepers in Middle East
EU Observer, June 16, 2003
Following the call of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan last week, French Foreign
Affairs Minister Dominique de Villepin has expressed his support for EU involvement
in a peacekeeping force in the Middle East. The peacekeeping force is expected
to be on the agenda of the EU foreign affairs ministers meeting in Luxembourg
today (16 June).
UN
and America say multinational force is only way to end violence
The Independent, June 15, 2003
As violence threatens to engulf the barely launched roadmap plan for peace in
the Middle East, calls are growing for a large-scale international force to be
sent in, as the only hope of imposing some sort of a ceasefire between Israelis
and Palestinians.
US
mission heads for Israel to try to save Bush peace plan
The Independent, June 15, 2003
Washington sends diplomat to attempt to salvage peace plan after retaliatory violence
claims 60 lives on both sides -- A United States diplomatic mission was heading
for the Middle East last night in an effort to salvage the roadmap peace plan,
which is in serious trouble.
EU
presses for Palestinian ceasefire
EU Observer, June 16, 2003
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU foreign ministers hinted early on Monday that the Palestinian
organisation, Hamas, may face sanctions if it again walks away from ceasefire
negotiations. Ministers attending a reunion today in Luxembourg said that the
group's political wing may soon join their military counterparts on the EU's list
of 'terrorist' organisations if their attacks do not cease.
Egyptian
delegation ends talks with Palestinian groups without agreement on ‘truce'
Al-Bawaba, June 16, 2003
The Egyptian delegation led by the deputy Intelligence chief, general Mustafa
al Behairi, ended Monday its meeting with the Palestinian factions without reaching
an agreement on a truce with Israel. Earlier, the Palestinian Authority expressed
optimism over Hamas’ imminent acceptance of the cease-fire plan while Israel
reiterated its rejection of the truce beforehand.
No
ceasefire accord with Palestinian militants
Middle East Online, June 16, 2003
Hamas, Islamic Jihad dampen hopes for any immediate agreement with Israelis despite
Egyptian mediation. -- Palestinian militants, under strong US pressure to end
their anti-Israeli attacks, met here Monday with Egyptian mediators but reported
no breakthrough despite earlier hopes for a ceasefire accord.
PNA
Accepts Partial IOF Withdrawal as Part of Comprehensive Pullout
Palestine Media Center, June 16, 2003
June 16, 2003 - One day ahead of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas’s visit to
Gaza, an Egyptian team of mediators was about to win an agreement in principle
on truce from Hamas as part of a cease-fire package, which the Palestinian leadership
approved on Sunday.
Hamas
to study Egyptian proposals seriously
Palestinian Information Center, June 16, 2003
Gaza - The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has said that it would seriously
consider the Egyptian proposals tabled during the meeting in Gaza yesterday with
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the Movement, and other senior
Hamas officials.
President
Arafat Meets With PLO Executive Committee
International Press Center, June 16, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, June 16, 2003 (IPC + WAFA)- - PLO executive committee convened
Sunday evening, chaired by President Yasser Arafat, in his office in Rammallah.
The meeting involved representatives of all PLO political factions.
Palestinian
PM to meet militants
BBC, June 16, 2003
Hamas has reportedly offered a conditional ceasefire -- The Palestinian Prime
Minister Mahmoud Abbas - also known as Abu Mazen - has arrived in Gaza City for
talks with militant groups aimed at achieving a ceasefire with Israel. It is Abu
Mazen's first meeting with the militants since he attended a peace summit with
Israel in Aqaba, Jordan, earlier this month.
Israel
Pledges to Keep Attacking Hamas
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged to keep up attacks
on Hamas, and Egyptian mediators failed Monday to persuade the violent Islamic
group and other militants to call a cease-fire.
Israel
Lawmakers Back Sharon Stance on Peace Moves
Reuters, June 16, 2003
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's parliament voted on Monday to back Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's statement that a peace deal would be impossible unless the Palestinians
cracked down on militant groups behind attacks on Israelis.
Mideast
envoy Moratinos: EU should blacklist Hamas
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The outgoing European Union envoy to the Middle East, Miguel Angel Moratinos,
was quoted by the Spanish daily El Pais on Monday as saying the 15-nation bloc
should add Hamas to its list of terrorist organizations, whose assets may be seized.
Sharon
hints at halting assassinations as Egypt urges Hamas to call ceasefire
The Independent, June 15, 2003
Israel said yesterday that it was considering gradually withdrawing troops from
the West Bank city of Bethlehem and allowing Palestinian security forces to resume
control, as President George Bush insisted that a Middle East peace was still
possible despite the welter of violence since his landmark summit in Aqaba.
Knesset
holds first debate on road map
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The Knesset opened a debate on the road map peace plan late Monday afternoon for
the first time since Israel and the Palestinian Authority each approved the plan.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is present for this first Knesset discussion.
Lacking
Alternative Plan, 'Road Map' Opponents Await Palestinian Change of Heart
Forward, June 13, 2003
JERUSALEM — As the euphoria of President Bush's peace initiative fades,
opponents of Bush's "road map" are hardly voicing second thoughts about their
refusal to go along with the plan. But with a handful of exceptions — Tourism
Minister Benny Elon's Jordan-is-Palestine doctrine, Housing Minister Effi Eitam's
call for a Palestinian state in Sinai — few opponents are willing or able
to offer an alternative plan for peace with the Palestinians.
Berlusconi
breaks ranks on Mid East
EU Observer, June 16, 2003
Italian Prime Minister follows the course of the US and Israel of isolating Mr
Arafat -- Failing miserably to form a common position on Iraq, EU member
states could look in solace to their common front on the Middle East peace process.
No longer. During a visit to the region the Italian premier, Silvio Berlusconi
chose to sink the common position just weeks before Italy takes up the chair of
the European Council.
Leave
Abraham out of your talk
The Western Jewish Bulletin
Advocacy is not about content but about winning, says Olesker. -- David Olesker,
a Jerusalem-based communications expert who acknowledges that his particular job
description is hard to define, provides training and factual ammunition to groups
like the Canada-Israel Committee and the Israel Defence Forces, as well as the
America-Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerhouse organization that provides
much of the defence of Israel on Washington's Capitol Hill.
BG
calls off sale of Gaza gas field to Israeli company
Al-Bawaba, June 16, 2003
British Gas (BG) has called off a deal to sell one third of its offshore natural
gas concession in Gaza to Israel’s Merhav Group. Under the proposal, BG
was to hand over a portion of its Palestinian gas field to Merhav in exchange
for the Israeli company’s assistance in arranging the supply of the Palestinian
gas to Israel and Egypt.
Annual
inflation at 0.1%; lending rate cut expected
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
The May consumer price index dropped 0.5 percent, according to the Central Bureau
of Statistics. Since the beginning of the year, inflation has risen just 0.1 percent.
After two consecutive negative CPIs, it is expected that Bank of Israel Governor
David Klein will lower lending rates by 0.4-0.5 percent.
Peres
to run, promises to foreswear permanent leadership
Haaretz, June 16, 2003
Labor Party officials proposed Monday that all the candidates in the race for
the temporary leadership of the party sign a letter declaring that they will not
compete for the party's permanent leadership, in an effort to prevent MK Benjamin
Ben-Eliezer from competing in the race.
Israel
posted surprising $600m current account surplus for Q1
Globes, June 16, 2003
Israel posted a $200 million current account deficit in the first quarter of 2002.
-- Israel posted an unexpected $600 million current account surplus in the first
quarter of 2003, mainly due to increased exports, the Central Bureau of Statistics
reported today. Foreign investments in Israel, including purchases of government
bonds, amounted to only $400 million in the first quarter, 43% less than in the
corresponding quarter in 2002. Foreign investors bought $500 million worth of
Israel government bonds in April-May 2003.
Aridi
calls for resistance on cultural level
Daily Star, June 16, 2003
Culture Minister Ghazi Aridi called for cultural resistance and cautioned against
political bickering, saying it contributes to the country’s breakdown in
the face of US and Israeli threats in the region. He said that with internal unity
and Syria’s alliance, the Lebanese liberated their country and defeated
Israel. He also promised that “we won’t sell Lebanon’s victory
over Israel, we won’t turn in our martyrs’ blood and we won’t
sign that resistance equals terrorism.”
U.S.
Troops Raid Homes West of Baghdad
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
KHALDIYAH, Iraq (AP) - Armor-mounted American troops swept through towns and villages
west of Baghdad after dawn Monday, arresting suspected resistance leaders and
searching for outlawed weapons. It was the second day of a forceful new operation
called Desert Scorpion based on intelligence pinpointing opponents of the U.S.-led
coalition in Iraq.
Policing
Iraqis tests US troops
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
Hundreds of American soldiers swept through Falluja yesterday in a further, apparently
more precise, operation against guerrilla resistance. Eight men were arrested.
Last week soldiers arrested 400 people in Duluiyah, north of Baghdad,"to capture
or destroy terrorist elements", but by the end of the week all but 60 had been
released without charge.
Four
U.S. Troops Hurt in Grenade Attacks
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Ambushers fired rocket-propelled grenades at two U.S. military
convoys Sunday, in separate attacks that wounded at least four Americans, two
of them seriously, a U.S. military spokesman said Monday.
Villagers
enraged and baffled by American show of force
The Independent, June 15, 2003
US troops accused of indiscriminate use of firepower in countering guerrilla attacks
-- US troops, in their largest military operation since the end of the war, are
trying to stamp out resistance in farming villages along the Tigris river north
of Baghdad, but their massive use of firepower has infuriated Iraqis in the area.
US
troops ambushed amid drive to extinguish resistance
The Independent, June 16, 2003
Soldiers are injured in guerrilla attack as Americans tackle renewed loyalist
activity that has claimed 40 soldiers since 1 May -- Guerrilla fighters ambushed
an American convoy in a hostile region north of Baghdad yesterday, wounding several
soldiers, as the US army stepped up search-and-destroy operations against fighters
loyal to Saddam Hussein.
Demonstrators
stone Army vehicles as 10,000 protest in Basra
The Telegraph, June 16, 2003
British military vehicles were stoned in the southern city of Basra yesterday
as 10,000 people took to the streets to demand self-government. Led by prominent
local Shia clerics, the crowd chanted threatening slogans such as "Answer our
demands or you will regret it". Last month the British disbanded the town council
and installed in its place a committee of technocrats chaired by a senior British
military commander.
'Whole
Family' Dies in Clash with US
CommonDreams/Toronto Star, June 15, 2003
Death toll cut from 27 to 7; Mostly civilians killed in clash -- BALAD, Iraq—An
attack on Iraqis here by U.S. troops after an American tank patrol was ambushed
Friday morning killed seven people, not 27 as initially reported, U.S. military
officials said yesterday. Iraqi witnesses said five of the victims were not involved
in the ambush.
'The
Tigris is my love, my life. Now it is dying'
The Telegraph, June 16, 2003
Each morning for the past 45 years, Mahmood Hussein has made the short walk from
his house in Baghdad down to the Tigris to cast his nets into the swirling waters.
He does so more out of hope and habit than the realistic expectation that the
polluted waters will give up a prized mazgouf fish for market. In the nine weeks
since the war ended, Mahmood has caught only two.
With
U.S. Operations, Iraqi Resistance Gains Momentum
Islam Online, June 16, 2003
BAGHDAD, June 16 (IslamOnline.net) - The U.S. occupation forces in Iraq launched
a new manhunt for what they dubbed Saddam’s loyalists in the restive towns
and villages in the north and west of Baghdad, as five U.S. soldiers, two seriously,
were injured Sunday, June 15, in a fresh resistance operation that coincided with
a statement released by the Iraqi resistance and circulated in Baghdad's mosques
and streets.
Top
British team given mission to end Iraq chaos
The Telegraph, June 16, 2003
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain's best-known diplomat, will become the most senior
British political authority in Baghdad and lead a high-powered team to help redress
what many see as a chaotic post-war administration of Iraq.
Iraq
to open up airwaves
BBC, June 16, 2003
Phone lines were battered during the recent war -- The US-led coalition
in Iraq has invited bids from mobile phone companies to build a network in the
country. The coalition said the move follows demands from Iraqi businessmen who
insisted a nationwide mobile network was needed to rehabilitate the economy.
US
presses India on Iraq
BBC, June 16, 2003
India is reluctant to send troops without a UN mandate -- Senior US defence officials
were in Delhi on Monday to try to persuade India to send peacekeepers to Iraq.
The Pentagon team hoped to dispel concerns about the role that Indian forces would
play in supporting US-led troops in post-war Iraq. Public opinion in India was
largely against attacking Iraq, and Delhi originally said it would send troops
only if the request came from the United Nations.
Former
Iraq envoy 'condemns' Saddam
BBC, June 16, 2003
Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations before the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime
has said the missing leader should be brought to justice. Mohammed al-Douri, in
an interview with BBC World, added that the regime deserved to have been toppled
by the Iraqi people, not the US-led "colonialist" forces.
Soldiers
forced to buy private treatment for war injuries
The Telegraph, June 15, 2003
British troops injured in war are being forced to pay for private medical treatment
or face long delays for operations on the National Health Service. A staffing
crisis in the Defence Medical Services (DMS) means that more than 10,000 soldiers
- the equivalent of 15 infantry battalions - are currently not fit for frontline
duty. That figure rises to more than 17,000 when all three services are taken
into consideration, according to Government figures given to the Liberal Democrats.
World
Opposed to Bush and Iraq War, BBC Poll Says
Reuters, June 16, 2003
LONDON (Reuters) - A majority of people around the world view President Bush unfavorably
and think the United States was wrong to invade Iraq, according to a BBC poll
published on Monday. The poll, which surveyed more than 11,000 people in 11 countries,
showed 57 percent of those asked had "a very unfavorable or fairly unfavorable
attitude toward the American president," the British broadcaster said in a statement.
US
support in Iraq fades after raids
CommonDreams/Boston Globe, June 15, 2003
How One Iraqi's Lifelong Love for America Shattered -- DULUIYAH, Iraq -- Njim
Rais loved America. Growing up in this provincial Iraqi city, he dreamed of seeing
Niagara Falls, and was so enraptured by a television program set in Florida that
when his sister was born 10 years ago, he insisted she be named Miami. He promoted
America's virtues in Duluiyah until people rolled their eyes.
Iraqi
Mobile Labs Nothing To Do With Germ Warfare, Report Finds
The Observer, June 15, 2003
An official British investigation into two trailers found in northern Iraq has
concluded they are not mobile germ warfare labs, as was claimed by Tony Blair
and President George Bush, but were for the production of hydrogen to fill artillery
balloons, as the Iraqis have continued to insist.
Depleted
Uranium Arms Pose Risks to Troops, Residents
CommonDreams, June 15, 2003
NEW YORK -- The widespread use of depleted uranium weapons by U.S. and British
forces in Iraq could pose serious health and environmental risks to troops and
residents, nuclear and medical experts warned Saturday. Dr. Helen Caldicott, president
of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute, which organized the gathering, said
the hazards of using the radioactive material included severe consequences for
kidney function and environmental pollution.
US
accused of stirring up student protests in Iran
The Independent, June 16, 2003
Protests against the mullahs' rule spread across Iran yesterday, despite violence
from pro-regime militants who smashed their way into university dormitories and
attacked students. The attacks left at least one person dead in the southern city
of Shiraz.
Intellectuals
Join Iran Reform Effort
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - More than 250 university lecturers and writers in Iran signed
a statement calling on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to abandon the idea
that he is God's representative on Earth.
U.N.
Asks Iran of Its Nuclear Ambition
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency appealed to
Iran to give ``credible assurances'' of the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities,
as the body began a meeting Monday amid worries about the spread of atomic weapons.
UN
watchdog presses Iran on nuclear inspections
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
Even Russia now fears Tehran is on the way to an independent ability to make a
bomb -- Amid growing fears in America, Europe and Russia that Iran could develop
an atomic bomb within the next few years, United Nations officials meet today
to try to decide how to tackle the threat of nuclear proliferation in the Middle
East.
Iran
says dialogue with US currently impossible
Middle East Online, June 16, 2003
Foreign ministry says US must first change rhetoric about Iran as anti-regime
demonstrations continue in Tehran. -- TEHRAN - Iran's foreign ministry said Monday
that it was currently impossible for the Islamic republic to engage in any dialogue
with the United States.
Russian
lessons
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
Russia is training hundreds of Iranian technicians and scientists in complex nuclear
processes at institutes across the country, causing US officials to express concern
that the knowledge will help Iran's ambitious nuclear weapons programme.
Bush
enrages Tehran by backing 'freedom' protests
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
President George Bush launched himself into the fray of Iran's internal unrest
yesterday, praising demonstrators and calling their protests a positive step towards
freedom.
Iran
rejects tougher nuclear checks
BBC, June 16, 2003
Iran has confirmed that it will not sign up to tougher, short-notice inspections
of suspected nuclear sites. The European Union joined growing international pressure
on Iran on Monday, saying Tehran should comply with the measures "urgently and
unconditionally".
US
to put nuclear squeeze on Iran
Financial Times, June 15, 2003
The US and its allies will this week urge the United Nation's nuclear watchdog
to warn Iran to curb its alleged clandestine nuclear activities. The US wants
to step up pressure on Tehran to allow enhanced inspections of its facilities.
But US diplomats want to maintain a co-ordinated position with European allies
and present a united front to Tehran.
Iran
student protests spread to other cities
Financial Times, June 15, 2003
Anti-regime protests in Tehran, led by students, have spread to other cities,
while Iran's Islamic establishment has slammed US support for the demonstrators
as interference in the country's internal affairs. The protests continued early
on Sunday morning in Tehran for the fifth successive day, though on a smaller
scale than previously.
'Terrorists'
killed in Mecca shootout
The Independent, June 16, 2003
Suspects arrested following shootouts that killed five militants and two police
officers in the holy city of Mecca may be linked to al-Qaida, a Saudi security
official said.
Intense
security after 'terror' gunfight in Mecca
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
Saudi troops threw up unprecedentedly tight security checkpoints throughout Mecca,
Islam's holiest city, yesterday, after a fierce gun battle with a suspected terrorist
group left two police officers and five militants dead.
Ancient
beauty sabotaged
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 12 - 18 June 2003
A curious curatorial decision at the Egyptian National Museum in Berlin has resulted
in an outpouring of Egyptian anger. -- An exquisite painted limestone bust of
Tel-Amarna queen Nefertiti has been on display in solitary, stunningly dramatic
surroundings at the Egyptian National Museum and Papyrus Collection in Berlin
since 1924. That was the case until last week, when -- in a highly curious curatorial
decision -- the museum decided to fuse the ancient bust onto a contemporary bronze
cast body created by two Hungarian artists.
Siniora
banned from entering US
Daily Star, June 16, 2003
[Lebanon's] Finance Minister Fouad Siniora has been banned from entering the United
States for contributing money to a society accused of links to Hizbullah, the
minister’s spokesman said Sunday. US Ambassador Vincent Battle told Siniora
of the ban two weeks ago, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity. The US
Embassy would not comment on the report.
Islamists
join Jordan election contest
Salaam UK, June 16, 2003
Abdul Munem Abu Zant, the pro-Hamas candidate, has an advantage when canvassing
for votes in Jordan's parliament elections on June 17. He gets to press the flesh
at least five times a day in his prayer trips to his mosque in the Hay Nazal quarter
on the rocky slopes of the Jordanian capital, and finds a ready audience for his
calls to liberate the Arab world from Crusaders and their clients. Sadly for him,
many of his most ardent supporters do not vote.
Jordan
'frees' blast photographer
BBC, June 16, 2003
A Japanese press photographer jailed in Jordan for a bomb explosion that killed
an airport guard has received a royal pardon, according to reports. Hiroki Gomi,
36, was jailed at the beginning of the month after the cluster bomb - a "souvenir"
from the Iraq war - accidentally exploded.
EU
Says War Last Resort for Finding WMDs
The Guardian, June 16, 2003
LUXEMBOURG (AP) - The European Union said Monday it could accept going to war
to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction - but only after exhausting
all diplomatic means and only with U.N. approval.
UN
To Rebuild Afghan Culture, Iraqi Not On The Agenda
Islam Online, June 16, 2003
PARIS, June 16 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - While the United Nations
Cultural arm UNESCO is considering plans to repair the damage done to the cultural
heritage of Afghanistan at a three-day conference starting Monday, June 16, in
Paris, little attention is being paid to the damage done to the world’s
earliest civilization in occupied Iraq.
Muslim
Charities Sue CBS, Investigator
Forward, June 13, 2003
Organizations Designated as Sponsors of Al Qaeda File Libel Suit -- Two American
Muslim charities and a Georgia-based poultry company are suing CBS and a terrorism
investigator for designating them, in a book and on the prime-time CBS program
"60 Minutes," as sponsors of Al Qaeda.
French
FM Urges To Reconsider Stereotyping Islam
Islam Online, June 16, 2003
“The ignorance of Islam leads to misunderstanding it,” De Villepin
-- PARIS , June 16 (IslamOnline.net) - French Foreign Minister Dominique De Villepin
called for the removal of all stereotypes etched into the minds of non-Muslims
about Islam, stressing that Islam, like all other religions, calls for social
peace, tolerance and freedom of criticism.
Crown
prince vows to fight ouster in UAE emirate
Middle East Online, June 16, 2003
DUBAI - The ousted crown prince of Ras al-Khaimah, part of the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), vowed Monday to fight for as long as he lives to overturn his father's
decision to replace him with a younger half-brother.
Emirate
prince ousted in women's rights row
The Telegraph, June 16, 2003
The ruling family of one of the seven United Arab Emirates has deposed its crown
prince over claims that he was too sympathetic to women's rights. An official
decree issued yesterday announced that Sheikh Khalid bin Saqr al-Qassimi, 63,
had been dethroned in favour of one of his younger brothers.
Patriot
Act of 2001 casts wide net
Washington Times, June 15, 2003
Long-sought details have begun to emerge from the Justice Department on how anti-terrorist
provisions of the USA Patriot Act were applied in nonterror investigations, just
as battle lines are being drawn on proposed new powers in a Patriot Act II. Overall,
the policy now allows evidence to be used for prosecuting common criminals even
when obtained under extraordinary anti-terrorism powers and information-sharing
between intelligence agencies and the FBI.
Oakland
High rallies to fire Principal Mok
San Francisco Bay View, June 15, 2003
Principal let Secret Service interrogate students, put up barbed wire, locked
school gates -- "We are really pushing for the policy to be changed in the school
district, and specifically for Mr. Mok to get fired. He’s (violated) a lot
of people’s civil rights, and we want there to be recognition of the laws
that he has broken," said Mary Jane, an 11th grader at Oakland High who helped
to organize the June 6 rally outside of the gates of Oakland High.
The
Mideast: Neocons on the Line
Newsweek, June 23, 2003
A growing number of critics on Capitol Hill and around the world are questioning
the Bush administration’s credibility—and its assumptions—as
never before. -- Paul Wolfowitz seems a bundle of contradictions, all of them
roiling inside him. Calm yet driven, a champion of bold action who speaks in a
soft, somewhat quavery voice, Wolfowitz today finds himself pacing the world stage
like a nervous father. He is a father in a sense—to an idea, one that has
taken on a life of its own and, somewhat in the manner of a wayward child, is
causing its parent no end of grief.
White
House was warned of dubious intelligence, official says
Mercury News, June 13, 2003
WASHINGTON - Making his case for war with Iraq, President Bush in his State of
the Union address this year accused Saddam Hussein of trying to buy uranium from
Africa even though the CIA had warned White House and other officials that the
story didn't check out. A senior CIA official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,
said the intelligence agency informed the White House on March 9, 2002 - 10 months
before Bush's nationally televised speech - that an agency source who had traveled
to Niger couldn't confirm European intelligence reports that Iraq was attempting
to buy uranium from the West African country.
Al-Jazeera
hacker pleads guilty
BBC, June 13, 2003
An American web designer is to formally plead guilty to hacking the Arabic TV
channel al-Jazeera's website during the Iraq war. John William Racine II, 24,
on Thursday admitted diverting al-Jazeera's traffic and e-mails to a site called
Let Freedom Ring, featuring pro-US messages, prosecutors said.
