5
Palestinians, Including 2 Children, Wounded by IOF, Settlers
Palestine Media Center, June 17, 2003
Beit Hanoun on the Brink of Humanitarian Catastrophe -- June 17, 2003 -
A 4-year-old Palestinian girl was critically wounded when an Israeli settlers’
bus ran her over near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem while another child
was wounded in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) invasion of the Fara’a
refugee camp, in the northern West Bank. In northern Gaza, the town of Beit Hanoun....IOF
have severely damaged the electricity and water supply systems and destroyed dozens
of residents’ houses.
Occupation
forces storm Qabatia
Palestinian Information Center, June 17, 2003
Jenin - Israeli occupation forces stormed the Qabatia town(south west of Jenin)
early this morning and raided a number of Palestinian houses in a bid to find
residents believed to be wanted by Israeli security, 2 Palestinians were arrested,
both believed to be Al-Quds Brigades activists.
Israeli
Troops Abduct Palestinian, Take Over House, Raze Arable Lands
International Press Center, June 17, 2003
QALQILIA, Palestine, June 17, 2003 (IPC + WAFA)— Israeli occupation forces,
disguised in Arab clothes, abducted Monday a Palestinian civilian in the city
of Qalqilia. IPC correspondent said an Israeli undercover unit broke Monday into
the city center and instantly abducted Jamal Othman Dawwo, 38, near his house
which is located in the Sab’ street, middle of Qalqilia.
Hamas
truce not enough: Israel raises bar
Sydney Morning Herald, June 17, 2003
Israel's Foreign Minister has said his country will not accept a ceasefire from
Palestinian militant groups unless the Palestinian Authority then dismantles them.
Raising the bar for peace, Silvan Shalom said a ceasefire without such agreement
would merely allow the Islamic militant group Hamas to rebuild its armed wing
and prepare new strikes.
Talks
deadlocked as Sharon demands 'war' on militants
The Independent, June 17, 2003
Hamas leaders reject 'surrender', while Israel says a ceasefire would not be enough
to restart negotiations -- Talks to persuade Palestinian militants to agree to
a six-month ceasefire ended inconclusively last night, with Egyptian mediators
returning home without success. As the talks appeared to reach a stalemate, Ariel
Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister said in a speech to the Knesset, Israel's parliament,
that a ceasefire would not be enough and demanded "a comprehensive, ongoing war
by the new Palestinian government" against the militants.
Dahlan,
Gilad meet; PA refuses to accept security control in N. Gaza
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Amos
Gilad met Tuesday with Palestinian Authority Minister for Security Affairs Mohammed
Dahlan for an additional security meeting. The talks apparently ended with no
consequential agreements, after the Palestinians stated their refusal to commit
to a time-table for accepting security responsibility in the northern Gaza Strip,
because of the delay in reaching a cease-fire agreement with the terrorist organizations.
PM
Abbas first wants truce with Fatah
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
The scheduled cease-fire talks between Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas
(Abu Mazen) and Hamas leaders were unexpectedly canceled yesterday, hours after
an Egyptian delegation that was in Gaza on the same mission left without achieving
any concrete progress.
Powell
to Meet With Sharon on Friday
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive in Israel on Friday
to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, amid increased efforts to bolster a
shaky U.S.-backed peace plan, a government official said Tuesday.
Israel
rejects French idea of Mideast peacekeeping force
Jordan Times, June 17, 2003
TEL AVIV (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's spokesman, on Monday,
ruled out a French proposal for a peacekeeping force to be sent to the Middle
East, in sharp contrast to a full endorsement by the Palestinians.
Jerusalem
Mufti suspected of funding groups with terror ties
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Ikrima Sabri was questioned Tuesday at the Jerusalem
district police headquarters in connection with an investigation into officials
in the Islamic Movement northern branch suspected of transferring funds to groups
linked to terror activities.
Army
to prosecute PLC member
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
An indictment against Hussam Khader, a senior Fatah official from the West Bank
and an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was presented yesterday
at the military tribunal in Samaria. Khader is the second PLC member to be put
on trial by Israel; West Bank Fatah Secretary General Marwan Barghouti is now
on trial in Tel Aviv District Court.
Border
policemen face charges over threats
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
Ten Border policemen will soon be indicted on suspicion of harassing Palestinians
while serving in the West Bank city of Hebron. They are from the same company
as four policemen facing murder charges. The 10 policemen are suspected of threatening
Palestinian store owners, looting businesses, and stealing cellular telephones
and thousands of shekels in cash.
IDF
has plans to dismantle another 19 outposts
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces has prepared a list of 19 additional settlement outposts
to be evacuated, including five populated ones. Of the outposts on the army's
original list, all the unpopulated ones have already been dismantled, and the
six populated ones are slated to be evacuated in the coming days.
Arafat
Says Barghuti To Be Freed, Israel Denies
Islam Online, June 17, 2003
GAZA, June 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Although Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat suggested Tuesday, June 17, that Marwan Barghuti, Fatah Secretary
in the West Bank, would be freed by Israel within two days, the report was denied
by Israeli officials.
"Al
Za'atari" Hospital Staff Appeal to International Community to Lift its Closure
International Press Center, June 17, 2003
HEBRON, Palestine, June 17, 2003 (IPC + WAFA)- - The staff of "Al Za'atari" specialized
hospital for surgery and childbirth in the city of Hebron launched an urgent appeal
for the international community and the interested organizations around the world
to interfere and lift the siege, which was laid to the hospital by the Israeli
occupying forces (IOF) for more than a year now.
Settlers:
Dismantling outposts is a 'Jewish, national, moral crime'
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
The Yesha Rabbinical Council and the Yesha Council of settlements slammed the
dismantling of settlement outposts on Tuesday, calling it a "Jewish, national
and moral crime." Earlier Tuesday, Yesha Council leaders called their meeting
with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem, during which they expressed their
opposition to the road map peace plan and the evacuation of settlement outposts,
"difficult, charged and worrying."
The
assassinations are war crimes
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
[T]he first president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
and world renowned expert on International Humanitarian Law, Professor Antonio
Cassese determines: The assassinations are war crimes. The expert opinion will
be submitted to the High Court of Justice tomorrow, June 18, prior to the hearing
scheduled for July 18, 2003 on the petition submitted by the Public Committee
Against Torture in Israel and LAW...against Israel’s assassination policy.
Occupation
forces injure 5 Palestinians and bulldoze farmland
Palestinian Information Center, June 17, 2003
Rafah - Israeli occupation forces positioned on the watch towers on the Egyptian
border opened heavy machinegun fire towards Palestinian homes in the south west
of Rafah last night that resulted in 2 Palestinian injuries. A further 3 more
Palestinians were injured last night from Zionist bullets in the city. Reasons
for these actions have not been given.
Occupation
forces occupy Palestinian home
Palestinian Information Center, June 17, 2003
Deir Al-Balah - Just hours after occupation forces bulldozed large areas of farmland
in Rafah, Zionist forces in the early hours of this morning began to search and
raid Palestinian homes and occupied one of the houses to change it to an army
post in the east of Deir-Al-Balah.
Report:
Wife says Barghouti soon to be released by Israel
Al-Bawaba, June 17, 2003
Israel is to release Marwan Barghouti, the Secretary of Fatah movement in the
West Bank, who has been detained in Israeli prisons for the past 14 months, the
Kuwait news agency reported Tuesday, citing Palestinian sources.
Barghouti
'will be freed in two days', says Arafat
The Independent, June 17, 2003
The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat called the family of Marwan Barghouti in
the early hours of this morning and said that the imprisoned West Bank figure
will be released within two days, family members said. Israeli officials were
not available for comment, and the relatives expressed some scepticism about Mr
Arafat's news, delivered in a telephone call at around 2am local time this morning
(midnight BST).
A-G
opposes releasing Barghouti in any deal with PA
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
In a letter sent to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday, Attorney General Elyakim
Rubinstein expressed his firm opposition to the possibility of releasing Fatah
firebrand Marwan Barghouti as part of any agreement with the Palestinians. "He
is an architect of terror from the highest level," Rubinstein wrote in the letter.
"He is being held until the end of legal proceedings, and should be judged, and
his trial, which is in an advanced stage, should continue until its completion."
Fatah
man indicted for role in deadly attacks on IDF tanks
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
A Fatah activist accused of planning three deadly attacks on IDF tanks was indicted
recently by the Military Tribunal at the Erez terminal in the Gaza Strip. Ashraf
Ayidat was arrested in April and is charged with being behind last year's attacks
in the Strip that left seven soldiers dead and three Merkava tanks destroyed.
Gretta
Duisenberg Takes Medical Delegation to Palestine
Palestine Chronicle, June 17, 2003
PRESS RELEASE (Tuesday, 17 June 2003) - On June 23, a medical delegation consisting
of five physicians from the Netherlands and Belgium, will travel to the West Bank
and Gaza accompanied by Gretta Duisenberg, chairperson of the Dutch action committee
‘Stop the Occupation’.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine June 17, 2003
Palestine Media Center, June 17, 2003
A 4-year-old girl was critically wounded when she was run over by an Israeli settlers’
bus in the southern West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) wounded
a Palestinian boy in the northern West Bank refugee camp of Fara’a and detained
a female student in the city of Nablus. Beit Hanoun on the Brink of Catastrophe.
Israel
and West Bank: ICRC Extends Emergency Relief
Alternative Information Center/ICRC, June 17, 2003
Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has
decided to extend its main relief programmes for the Palestinian population of
the West Bank to the end of 2003, at a cost of over 8.6 million US dollars.
IPI
Releases Updated Report on Press Freedom Violations in Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
International Press Institute, June 13, 2003
In the third update of the IPI Intifada Report since 2000, the percentages stayed
roughly the same, while the casualty toll continued to rise. Israelis were responsible
for 82.9 per cent of the 310 press freedom violations recorded by IPI from 28
September 2000 to 20 May 2003, Palestinians for 12.5 per cent. The perpetrators
remain unknown in 4.5 per cent of the incidents.
Diplomacy
fails to woo Sharon and Hamas from their guns and bombs
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
EU ministers threaten terrorists' political wing with blacklisting -- Diplomatic
efforts failed to produce the much-promised ceasefire by Hamas yesterday, or an
end to Israel's widely condemned assassination strategy. Mediators from the Egyptian
intelligence service could not persuade Hamas and other factions in Gaza to stop
attacking Israelis, and George Bush's envoy, John Wolf, fared no better in trying
to talk the Israelis into ending their "targeted killings".
Peace
Mission Fails
Arab News, June 17, 2003
GAZA, 17 June 2003 — Egyptian mediators yesterday left for home after failing
to extract a promise from hard-line Palestinian groups to halt attacks against
Israel. Participants at the talks on Sunday and yesterday said the parties would
be invited by Egypt to continue the discussions in Cairo and reach an agreement.
PM
Abbas Resumes Inter-Palestinian Dialogue, FM Shaath Optimistic
Palestine Media Center, June 17, 2003
June 17, 2003 - Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) continues an intensified
inter-Palestinian dialogue in Gaza and is expected to meet with the US envoy John
Wolf Tuesday, ahead of a possible visit Friday by the US Secretary of State Colin
Powell.
Egyptian
Mediators Leave Empty Handed, PM Abbas Resumes Inter-Palestinian Talks
International Press Center, June 17, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, June 17, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)- - After a quick tour in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel that went on for less than 48 hours,
the Egyptian delegation, headed by Brigadier General Mohsen Al No'mani, deputy
chief of the Egyptian intelligence apparatus, failed to reach a cease-fire agreement
between both sides.
Background
/ Has Sharon's Hamas hitlist converted Bush?
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
Has Bush come to believe that an unapologetically deadly Israeli drive to crush
Hamas could ultimately pave the way to his road map for peace? Has the world?
-- In the Middle East, where the door between hope and hell can hinge on one decision,
Ariel Sharon appears dead set on one of his - a declaration of war against Hamas.
Hamas:
Resistance will continue as long as the occupation does
Palestinian Information Center, June 17, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has informed Egypt
that the resistance will continue as long Israeli tanks and armored personnel
carriers continue to rampage throughout Palestinian towns and population centers.
Arabs
Will Not Fight Palestinian Resistance: Rantissi
Palestine Chronicle, June 16, 2003
"Hamas had earlier said that it is ready to end all attacks against Israel only
when the more than 50 years of the Jewish state’s occupation of Palestinian
areas is put to an end .." -- GAZA - Arab countries will not act against
Islamic resistance movement Hamas as requested by the United States, the group’s
leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi said on Sunday, June 15.
Sharon
Vows to 'Hound' Hamas, Which Rejects a Cease-Fire Bid
New York Times, June 17, 2003
JERUSALEM, June 16 — In a speech to Israel's Parliament, Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon warned today that Middle East diplomacy would stall if "terror runs
rampant," and he pledged to "hound the terrorists" until Palestinian security
forces cracked down on them.
U.S.
Envoy Meets Palestinians in Bid to Revive Peace Plan
New York Times, June 17, 2003
GAZA, June 17 — President Bush's Middle East envoy met with two top Palestinian
leaders for more than two hours today to try to get the peace plan for the region
back on track. The envoy, John S. Wolf, held talks with the new Palestinian prime
minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and with Muhammad Dahlan, security chief for the Palestinian
Authority. Mr. Dahlan also held separate talks with the Americans, and had been
scheduled to meet with Israeli officials today.
Analysis
/ Don't expect written agreements for a hudna
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
Palestinian sources said last night that the intensive discussions for a cease-fire
that are under way with Egyptian mediation will not be able to reach a written
agreement, but that the sides will probably have to make do with verbal agreements
that will be binding.
Palestinian
PM Meets With U.S. Envoy
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The Palestinian prime minister, making a final push
to halt attacks on Israelis, met Tuesday with a U.S. envoy dispatched to the region
to supervise implementation of a troubled Mideast peace plan, as Secretary of
State Colin Powell scheduled a visit as part of the effort to salvage the plan.
US
bid to restore Middle East road map
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
The US envoy to the Middle East was today meeting with the Palestinian prime minister,
Mahmoud Abbas, in an effort to salvage the road map to peace after a week of bloodshed.
John Wolf, a senior US state department official, arrived under heavy guard at
Mr Abbas's compound in Gaza, where he was also expected to meet the Palestinian
security chief, Mohammed Dahlan.
US
'must move fast' on peace road map
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
Relations between Israelis and Palestinians have reached their lowest point ever,
and the US needs to move fast to implement the road map for peace, the former
Palestinian chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said today.
GCC
Urges Israel to Stop Aggressive Practices
Arab News, June 17, 2003
JEDDAH, 17 June 2003 — GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) foreign ministers
yesterday urged the Israeli government to stop its aggressive practices including
assassination of Palestinian leaders and destruction of Palestinian properties.
“These practices will destroy the Middle East road map,” the ministers
said and called upon Israel to implement the new peace plan without delay.
Camp
David figures take part in TAU conference
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
A three-day conference on the Camp David summit of three years ago opened yesterday
at Tel Aviv University. Some of the figures who took part in the summit will speak
about their experiences at the conference, [including]...Ehud Barak, Palestinian
Security Minister Mohammed Dahlan, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and attorney
Gilad Sher. Former U.S. State Department officials Martin Indyk and Aaron Miller
will also be taking part.
Statistics
bureau: Israeli Jews outnumber Jews in the U.S.
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
The number of Jews in Israel has surpassed the number of Jews in the United States,
according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. However, Professor Sergio Della
Pergola of Hebrew University disagrees, saying it will take another three
years to close the gap.
Ben-Eliezer
opts out of race for temporary Labor chairman
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
MK Benjamin Ben-Eliezer announced Tuesday evening that he was withdrawing from
Thursday's race for temporary Labor Party chairman, and reiterated his initial
support for veteran MK Shimon Peres. Speaking at a press conference called to
announce his decision, the former Labor leader said he plans to run for the position
of permanent party chairman in a year's time.
Labor
in quandary over four-way race
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
After attempts to persuade MK Benjamin Ben-Eliezer to withdraw his candidacy for
the temporary chairmanship of the Labor Party failed yesterday, the former Labor
leader, along with three other candidates - MKs Shimon Peres and Ephraim Sneh
and Gilboa Regional Council Chairman Danny Atar - are pressing ahead for Thursday's
vote on the issue.
Pakistan's
president hints at reviewing policy on Israel
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
LONDON - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told Pakistan's satellite channel
Geo TV on Monday that Pakistan would consider reviewing its policy on Israel -
which Pakistan does not recognize - in conjunction with other Muslim nations in
light of recent efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
Knesset
probe finds 3 more MKs voted twice on economic plan
Haaretz, June 17, 2003
A report released Tuesday on an internal Knesset probe into irregularities during
last month's plenum vote on the emergency economic plan revealed three more instances
of lawmakers voting twice on the bill, among them Interior Minister Avraham Poraz
(Shinui), bringing the total to five.
“Yediot
Ahronot”: Rubinstein opposes casinos
Globes, June 17, 2003
Attorney General Elaykim Rubinstein: Israel needs more giggles, not more gambling.
-- Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” reports that Attorney General Elaykim
Rubinstein opposes establishing casinos in Israel. Rubinstein told Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday that a decision
to establish casinos in Israel would be illegal and immoral.
Histadrut
to strike in Sharon, Triangle regions tomorrow
Globes, June 17, 2003
Histadrut demonstrations and protest convoys on traffic arteries disrupted traffic
in the Dan region today. -- The Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel)
is continuing its actions against the pension reform. The Histadrut will close
government offices and local authorities in the Sharon and Triangle areas tomorrow.
America's
rebuilding of Iraq is in chaos, say British
The Telegraph, June 17, 2003
The American-led reconstruction effort in Iraq is "in chaos" and suffering from
"a complete absence of strategic direction", a very senior British official in
Baghdad has told The Telegraph. The comments paint a grim picture of American
incompetence and mismanagement as the Coalition Provisional Authority struggles
to run post-Saddam Iraq.
Sniper
Kills U.S. Soldier in Baghdad
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. troops intent on crushing resistance pushed ahead Tuesday
with sweeps that have grabbed more than 400 people, while the American military
reported that a sniper had gunned down one of its soldiers in Baghdad with a single
shot in his back.
US
troops scour Baghdad after sniper kills soldier
Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, 2003
Scores of heavily armed US troops swept through central Baghdad yesterday, sealing
off roads and searching houses, after a soldier was killed overnight by sniper
fire in the north of the lawless city.
371
people detained in Desert Scorpion
Middle East Online, June 17, 2003
BAGHDAD - The US army has detained 371 people in the Baghdad area and northern
Iraq as part of Operation Desert Scorpion aimed at rooting out armed resistance,
a military spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Iraq
sinks into postwar morass
Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, 2003
The United States-led reconstruction effort in Iraq is "in chaos" and suffering
from "a complete absence of strategic direction", a very senior British official
in Baghdad has said. The comments paint a grim picture of American incompetence
and mismanagement as the Coalition Provisional Authority struggles to run post-Saddam
Iraq.
US
presses on against Saddam loyalists, warns democracy could take years
Yahoo! News, June 16, 2003
US forces pressed on with Operation Desert Scorpion against pro-Saddam loyalists,
as a top adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell warned it could be years before
Iraq has a democratic government. "I think we should be talking in terms of several
years at a minimum," Richard Haass, director of policy planning at the State Department,
told ABC television. "There will be a gradual transition or evolution to a more
open Iraq."
Tensions
Rise in Central Iraq as U.S. Raids Homes
Washington Post, June 17, 2003
Local Gunfire Targets Occupying Troops; Two Explosions in Baghdad Cause Civilian
Casualties -- KHALDIYAH, Iraq, June 16 -- An unfolding low-intensity conflict
in central Iraq gathered pace today as U.S. troops raided at least two towns while
guerrilla-style fighters mounted ambushes against American forces in several locations.
The air of tension in the region was heightened following reports of two explosions
in Baghdad.
Attacks
on US Troops Mount
Arab News, June 17, 2003
BAGHDAD, 17 June 2003 — Ambushers fired rocket-propelled grenades at two
US military convoys yesterday, in separate attacks that wounded at least eight
Americans, two of them seriously, a US military spokesman said yesterday.
Staff
revolt at Baghdad museum
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
Iraq's national museum, home to many priceless artefacts which were thought to
have been looted after the fall of Baghdad, has been plunged into a new crisis
because of a revolt by staff. More than 130 of the 185 staff of Iraq's state board
of antiquities office in Baghdad, which runs the museum, have signed a petition
demanding the resignation of its directors.
US
forces must boost efforts to find Saddam
Sydney Morning Herald, June 16, 2003
Most Iraqis believe that ousted leader Saddam Hussein is still alive and therefore
US troops must step up their efforts to find him or his remains, the top US military
commander said at the weekend.
CIA
takes over hunt for illegal weapons
Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, 2003
The CIA has been put in charge of the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in
Iraq, replacing the Pentagon, which has failed over the past two months to uncover
any conclusive evidence that Saddam Hussein had an illegal arms program. The CIA
director, George Tenet, will now have direct responsibility for the 13,000 US
soldiers and experts looking for the arms, according to Time magazine.
Activist
seeks tally of Iraq's casualties
Washington Times, June 17, 2003
BAGHDAD — With a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), Marla Ruzicka says she is determined to discover how many civilians died
in the Iraq war. Miss Ruzicka, founder and director of Campaign for Innocent Victims
in Conflict (CIVIC), wants "the U.S. government [to] have a clear humanitarian-response
policy as a result of their military actions."
Many
Iraqis in the Triangle Say They've Had Enough of America's Help
CommonDreams, June 16, 2003
FALLUJAH, Iraq - Ahmed Manaa's face was dark with anger. He was tired of the U.S.
troops rumbling up and down his city's streets in their big tanks, pointing their
guns at passing cars. They are nothing but occupiers, he said, and they should
go back to America, before another war begins.
US
troops 'used excessive force' at Fallujah protest
The Independent, June 18, 2003
The United States should hold a "full, independent and impartial" inquiry into
the "apparent use of excessive force" by American troops who allegedly opened
fire on a crowd of demonstrators in the Iraqi town of Fallujah, according to a
report issued yesterday by Human Rights Watch.
Iraq:
U.S. Should Investigate al-Falluja
Human Rights Watch, June 17, 2003
"What is needed is a thorough investigation of possible violations of international
humanitarian law by U.S. troops." -- (New York, June 17, 2003) With major military
operations continuing in al-Falluja, U.S. authorities should investigate the apparent
use of excessive force against Iraqi protesters there on April 28 and 30, Human
Rights Watch urged in a new report released today.
U.S.
Account of Fallujah Killings Contradicted by Rights Group
CommonDreams/OneWorld.net, June 17, 2003
A major U.S. human rights group charged Tuesday that the account given by the
U.S. military of two protests that resulted in the deaths of 20 Iraqi demonstrators
appears to be incorrect. It called for an independent and impartial investigation
by U.S. authorities of the two incidents in al-Fallujah in central Iraq.
Short
Lays Blame on Blair for Iraq War
Palestine Chronicle, June 17, 2003
LONDON - Former international development secretary Clare Short Tuesday laid the
blame entirely on Prime Minister Tony Blair and 'his close entourage' of aides
and advisers for leading Britain into a war against Iraq under false pretensions.
Giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Short suggested that
even Foreign Secretary Jack Straw may not have been directly responsible for the
'honorable deception'.
Blair
Accused of Exaggerating Iraqi Arms
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
LONDON (AP) - The British government made selective use of intelligence to justify
going to war with Iraq, two former senior Cabinet ministers told lawmakers Tuesday,
the first day of a parliamentary inquiry studying the issue.
Levin
Seeks Release of WMD Intelligence
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Democratic senator urged the CIA to release information that
he said would prove the United States withheld from U.N. inspectors key information
on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., has said for
months that CIA Director George Tenet's open statements about how much intelligence
was shared with inspectors contradict classified information.
A
House Divided
ABC News, June 16, 2003
White House, CIA Trade Blows Over Intelligence That Justified Iraq War -- June
16— The U.S. failure to find any significant weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq, months after toppling Saddam Hussein's regime, has sparked a heated,
behind-the-scenes argument between the White House and the CIA over what intelligence
the agency actually provided, and how the Bush administration used it.
Bush
Blasts 'Revisionist Historians' on Iraq
Reuters, June 16, 2003
ELIZABETH, N.J. (Reuters) - President Bush countered those questioning his justification
for the invasion of Iraq on Monday, dismissing "revisionist historians" and saying
Washington acted to counter a persistent threat.
‘Intelligence
Concocted to Justify Iraq War’
Arab News, June 17, 2003
SYDNEY, 17 June 2003 — A former Australian government defense analyst said
“false” intelligence that Iraq possessed large stockpiles of weapons
of mass destruction was used to justify the March 20 invasion, a newspaper reported
yesterday.
Howard's
Iraq evidence on parade in UK
Sydney Morning Herald, June 16, 2003
The Howard Government will be dragged into a potentially explosive British parliamentary
inquiry into the doctoring of intelligence on Iraq after a former Australian defence
analyst was unexpectedly called to give evidence....Mr Wilkie said he would expose
the Government's "exaggeration" of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction
and "concoction" of links between Saddam Hussein and terrorists.
The
weapons debate, US style
Middle East Online, June 17, 2003
If the story grows, some aides may fall, but despite being the main spokesman
making the WMD case, Bush will most probably remain above the fray, says James
Zogby. -- During the next few weeks, in both the United States and the United
Kingdom, some form of official inquiries may begin into the background of the
pre-war claims made regarding Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD). These will be very different, however, given the politics at work in each
country.
British
FM objects foreign interference in Iranian politics
Al-Bawaba, June 17, 2003
British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw on Tuesday warned other nations against interfering
in Iranian politics. Nothing would derail moves towards greater democracy within
Iran than suggestions the internal opposition was being orchestrated by other
nations, he said.
EU
intensifies pressure on Iran to accept inspections
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
Iran was put on notice by the EU last night that it must accept tougher inspections
of its nuclear programme to convince doubters that it is not developing banned
weapons....The ministers also endorsed a beefed-up approach for dealing with weapons
of mass destruction - the legacy of bitter transatlantic divisions over the Iraq
war.
Straw
warns against interference in Iran
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today gave Washington's hawks notice that Britain
would not back interference in Iran, but also urged the Iranian government to
let weapons inspectors investigate suspicions that it is developing nuclear weapons.
Iran
Studying Nuclear Monitoring Demand
The Guardian, June 17, 2003
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran said Tuesday it was ``studying positively'' a request
by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency that the country allow unfettered inspections
of its nuclear facilities, as pressure mounted over U.S. claims it is developing
weapons.
French
Police Raid Offices of Iranian Opposition Group
New York Times, June 17, 2003
PARIS (Reuters) - French police launched a major swoop on Tuesday on a left-wing
Iranian exile group based near Paris, detaining over 160 sympathizers for questioning
about possible terrorism links and seizing $1.3 million.
No-show
at air show makes US view plain
Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, 2003
This year's Paris Air Show has become a stage for America's latest contribution
to trans-Atlantic tension. The show was intended to celebrate a century of aviation
co-operation between the two countries. Instead, the United States is delivering
slaps to the Gallic face.
UN
Unable to Help Millions of Displaced People Who Fail to Qualify as 'Refugees'
Palestine Chronicle, June 16, 2003
GENEVA - The U.N. refugee agency is taking care of 12 million refugees worldwide,
people who have fled from warfare or persecution at home. But there are 25 million
internally displaced people around the world, people made homeless by conflict
or oppression within their own countries. These IDPs, as they are called, often
are not reached by organized humanitarian assistance.
Mideast
Churches Oppose Western Proselytizing: Official
Islam Online, June 17, 2003
BEIRUT, June 17 (IslamOnline.net) - The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Secretary General Rev. Riad Jarjour strenuously rejected the latest proselytizing
attempts by a number of American institutions that came hard on the heels of the
U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Jordanian
women jazzing up otherwise predictable elections
Daily Star, June 17, 2003
SALT: The 54 women running in Jordan’s June 17 parliamentary elections are
helping shake up the pro-Western kingdom’s patriarchal society and adding
spice to an otherwise dull “democratic wedding.” Most have been encouraged
to join the race after King Abdullah agreed to reserve six new seats for women
only, in addition to the 104 seats in the Lower House that remain open for all
Jordanian men and women.
Jordanians
today elect a new Lower House
Jordan Times, June 17, 2003
Polls marked by return of Islamic movement, renewed emphasis on participation
of women -- AMMAN — Jordanians go to the polls today after a three-week
campaign marked by the return to the electoral race of the mainstream Islamic
movement and renewed emphasis on the participation of women, who for the first
time will have at least six representatives in the next Lower House.
Legislative
election held in Jordan
Al-Bawaba, June 17, 2003
Jordanians headed Tuesday to the voting centers to choose their representatives
for the lower House. These are the first elections under King Abdullah II. The
monarch has vowed "free and impartial" ballots and urged Jordanians to vote objectively.
Egypt
Abolishes State Security Courts
Arab News, June 17, 2003
CAIRO, 17 June 2003 — The Egyptian Parliament yesterday abolished the controversial
state security courts, while outlawing forced labor in the country’s prisons.
Human rights groups had welcomed the reforms by President Hosni Mubarak who discussed
the measures with Cabinet ministers, as citizens’ rights were still under
curtailment by the state of emergency called in 1981.
Riyadh
heads towards economic liberalization
Middle East Online, June 17, 2003
OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia has taken a major step down the road to economic liberalization
with government approval to set up a real stock market and end the state monopoly
over the domestic aviation sector, economists said Tuesday.
Names
of 9/11 Detainees Can Remain Secret, Court Rules
New York Times, June 17, 2003
A federal appeals court, reversing a lower-court decision, ruled today that the
government did not have to disclose the names of more than 700 people detained
in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, agreeing with the Justice Department that
making that information public could ``allow Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups
to map the course of the investigation.''
Inmates
Released from Guantánamo Tell Tales of Despair
New York Times, June 17, 2003
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 16 — Afghans and Pakistanis who were detained for
many months by the American military at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba before being released
without charges are describing the conditions as so desperate that some captives
tried to kill themselves.
Report
Clears Worker in Dems Search
CommonDreams/Houston Chronicle, June 17, 2003
Lawmakers asking more questions of GOP as `Killer D' case is referred to FBI --
WASHINGTON -- A Homeland Security Department investigation has cleared an agency
worker of any wrongdoing in the effort last month to help Texas Republicans track
down missing Democratic lawmakers and referred questionable actions by the state
Department of Public Safety to the FBI.
U.S.
Muslims Launch PAC Against Rights’ Violations
Palestine Chronicle, June 17, 2003
WASHINGTON - Two years into the September 11 attacks, Muslim activists in the
Northern Virginia made the effort to get a louder voice in the U.S. politics by
setting up a political action committee to elect officials who will end human
rights abuses associated with the “war on terrorism”.
