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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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Map of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

VIDEO
BBC:
Gap Between CIA
And Bush Stories
posted 10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Region As
Unsettled As It's
Ever Been
10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
"No compromise
here"
posted 10/8/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Another Gaza
Attack
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
PA's Erekat: We
Need International
Protection Now
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Khalil Shikaki, CPR:
'Chances slim for
negotiation'
posted 9/28/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Arafat HQ
Destroyed
posted 9/25/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Nine Palestinians Killed In Gaza
posted 9/24/02

VIDEO
Konscious:
Metal of Dishonor
The Face of US
War on Iraq
posted 9/18/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Sabra & Shatila
Is Sharon A
War Criminal?
posted 9/13/02

VIDEO
CBC:
Israeli
Army Was
Embarrassed
By Release
of Video
released 3/18/02
posted 9/6/02

Video Archives

Conflict..

IOF Blows Up a Palestinian House in Nablus, Incur into Jenin International Press Center 8/13/2003 NABLUS, Palestine, August 13, 2003 (IPC + WAFA)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) blew up early Wednesday a Palestinian house in the West Bank refugee camp of Askar in Nablus governorate....Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli troops incurred into the northern part of Jenin City under a barrage of heavy gunfire on local Palestinian houses, causing a state of panic among children and women, WAFA reported....Meanwhile, IOF arrested Tuesday overnight three Palestinian civilians in the Kufer Ne’ma Village, west of Ramallah City....Eyewitnesses said IOF broke into the Kefel Harres Village provocatively held dozens of children for several hours. Coinciding with such Israeli incursion, tens of armed Jewish settlers were reportedly gathered at the entrances of some of the said villages and started attacking civilian passersby, by throwing stones and beating a number of them....Also, IOF opened random fire yesterday on Palestinian vehicles driving at the Salah Eldin main road, which connects the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip, the security sources added. LAW: Israel Plans to Demolish 34 Palestinian Houses in East Jerusalem International Press Center 8/13/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, August 13, 2003 (IPC)-- The Palestinian society for Human Rights and Environment Protection (LAW), based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, confirmed Tuesday that the Israeli occupation authorities plan to demolish 34 Palestinian houses in the Occupied East Jerusalem. According to a survey conducted by LAW, the Israeli authorities handed over demolition warrants to 34 Palestinian inhabitants in the neighborhoods of Al-Ashqariya, Al Sawiya, Sho’fat, Ras Al-Amoud, Al-Sawahra Al-Sharqiya, Jabal Al-Mokaber, Sour Baher, Al-Thouri , Ras Khamis and Bab Al Sala'. Israeli troops Demolish 5 Homes at Wallajeh Near Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2003 On Wednesday morning, Israeli troops invaded the village of Al-Wallajeh west of Bethlehem and demolished five homes. Eyewitnesses reported that a large Israeli force accompanied by bulldozers invaded the village. Using loudspeakers, the soldiers imposed a curfew before demolishing the houses. IDF demolishes Nablus home of Rosh Ha'ayin suicide bomber Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 Israel Defense Forces troops demolished overnight Tuesday the home of the terrorist who carried out a deadly suicide bombing in the town of Rosh Ha'ayin earlier in the day. Troops moved into the Askar refugee camp in Nablus late Tuesday night, and razed the building. IDF sources said that the policy of demolishing the home of terrorists is part on an ongoing strategy, and thatfuture attacks would meet a similar response. Israeli Troops Shatter Dima's Dreams Into Pieces Islam Online 8/13/2003 RAFAH, August 13 (IslamOnline.net) - Dima is a three-year-old Palestinian girl child, who can no longer move her arms or legs for inhaling tear gas used by Israeli occupation troops while storming her house when she was only 40 days of age. Dima, who was born in December 2000 to a Palestinian refugee family living southwestern Rafah in the Gaza Strip, suffers now from intermittent convulsions due to a chronic illness diagnosed by doctors as quadriplegia. Audio Slide Show: Suicide bombers kill two Israelis New York Times 8/13/2003 Ian Fisher in Jerusalem Israeli warplanes fly over Lebanese regions Middle East Online 8/13/2003 MARJAYOUN, Lebanon - The Shiite Muslim guerrilla group Hezbollah opened fire Wednesday at Israeli warplanes causing a series of supersonic booms over various Lebanese regions, police and correspondents said. A Hezbollah statement said the group's anti-aircraft batteries targeted the Israeli planes over the central and western sector of the border zone of southern Lebanon. Despite Truce, Israeli Troops Commit 25 Violations in Gaza and Bethlehem International Press Center 8/13/2003 GAZA, Palestine, August 13, 203 (IPC) _The Israeli occupation forces suppressive practices ran amok in Bethlehem and Gaza strip, making a mockery of the unilateral Palestinian full commitment of cease fire (Al Hudna). The Israeli occupation forces committed 25 aggressions from 4-10 August in Gaza Strip and Bethlehem. The total Israeli aggressions reached to 125 since the unilateral Palestinian declaration pf cease fire on June 30. Mother and Her Children Held Hostages in Beit Fourik International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2003 Israeli troops invaded Tuesday night the Village of Beit Fourik in Nablus region and arrested three Palestinians. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops broke into and searched several homes before arresting student Abd Alatif Nassasrah, 17 and Fathia Sadek with her 9 and 10 years old sons were taken as hostages and were only released after her son Badir was later in the day arrested. IOF Troops Brutally Beat up a Palestinian for Protesting Women Search International Press Center 8/13/2003 SALFIT, Palestine, August 13, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying troops brutally beat up a Palestinian citizen after he interfered and objected to the humiliating way the soldiers search the women he was escorting. The IOF troops, stationed at Deir Ballout military roadblock, which is actually a large steel gate, assaulted Citizen Jawad, no last name was disclosed, from Barqin Village when he was escorting some women through the roadblock. The soldiers dragged Jawad to a nearby tent, while the women were kept near the roadblock, without being allowed to go back to their taxi. Continued Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty Arabic News 8/13/2003 In a statement issued yesterday in Beirut, the Lebanese resistance said that 87 Israeli violations were registered between August 5th to 11th including 40 air violations, 29 land violations and 18 sea violations. Israeli security fence becomes big barrier for some farmers Baltimore Sun 8/12/2003 Palestinians complain they've been walled off from their own wells, land -- JAYYOUS, West Bank - The Palestinian farmers living here in a tiny collection of squat homes built on steep, narrow roads of broken asphalt used to be considered wealthy, at least by the standards of their neighbors. Expansive olive groves stretched out over the hilltops, tomatoes grew large and cucumbers tasted sweet. The 500 families enjoyed the benefits of eight water wells, sunk deep into the hard ground, enough to irrigate the parched soil even as the sun baked it dry in the rainless summer. But a 215-mile security fence being built by Israel to protect against suicide bombers has cut Jayyous off from all but one of its wells, turning the once succulent fields from bright green to dusty brown. Israel destroys bomber home, makes arrests as US says Israel has right to defend itself Al-Bawaba 8/13/2003 Israeli troops demolished overnight Tuesday the West Bank home of the bomber who carried out a suicide attack in the Israeli town of Rosh Ha'ayin. Additionally, seven Palestinians were arrested in the West Bank. The US condemned Tuesday's suicide bombings. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called for the Palestinian Authority to crack down on armed groups, but said that said the administration would continue to push for a peace accord between Israel and the PA. Suicide attacks in Israel test road map to peace The Guardian 8/13/2003 Two teenage suicide bombers killed two Israelis yesterday in the most serious breach yet of the ceasefire that is seen as crucial to keeping the region's battered road map peace process alive. Hamas claimed responsibility for one of the attacks, on soldiers near the Jewish settlement of Ariel, in retaliation for the Israeli army's killing of two Hamas activists last week. But Hamas said it was still committed to the ceasefire. Israel demolishes bomber's home BBC 8/13/2003 Israel has demolished the West Bank home of a teenage suicide bomber who was involved in one of Tuesday's attacks. Troops destroyed the family home of Khamis Jarwan, who was identified by Palestinian and Israeli sources as being responsible for the first bombing at a shopping centre in Rosh Haayin, near Tel Aviv. Israeli police are on nationwide alert and have been setting up roadblocks on key roads and at the entrances to Israeli towns in an attempt to head off any further attacks. Video: Suicide Bomber's Home Demolished New York Times 8/13/2003 Israeli Army Razes Home of Suicide Bomber New York Times 8/13/2003 NABLUS, West Bank, Aug. 13 — The family home of one of two Palestinian teenagers who blew themselves up on Tuesday in separate suicide bombings, killing two Israelis, was razed early this morning by the Israeli Army. The demolition in the Askar refugee camp here left 12 people homeless. The bomber who lived in the camp, identified as Khamis Ghazi Gerwan, 17, struck in the first of the attacks at a supermarket in Rosh Haayin, just east of Tel Aviv. Israeli dirty policy Jerusalemites 8/13/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) troops demolishes overnight Tuesday the home of the militant who carried out a deadly suicide bombing in the town of Rosh Ha’ayin earlier in the day. Islam Yousef Qteishat blew himself up in a supermarket in Rosh Ha'ayin, located close to the Green Line border with the West Bank, killing Yehezkel Yekutiel and wounding around 10 others. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for the bombing and Hamas said it was behind the bombing in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. Two Palestinian Bombers Were Similar Yahoo! News 8/13/2003 NABLUS, West Bank - Two Palestinian teenage suicide bombers who killed Israelis in separate attacks lived remarkably parallel lives, though their families say they didn't know each other. Both were 17 years old, peddled wares on the sidewalk and lived a few blocks apart on the same street. Both left behind equally grotesque bombing scenes less than an hour apart, killing themselves and one person each on Tuesday in an Israeli town and a West Bank Jewish settlement 11 miles apart. House Demolition in Askar Refugee Camp International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2003 Between 5:30 and 6:30 am 7 Israeli border patrol jeeps and one large truck with personnel moved into the Askar refugee camp neighboring Nablus. ISM activists were monitoring the streets of Askar throughout the night, anticipating an IDF reprisal for yesterday's bombings in Ariel and near Tel Aviv, attacks made by two men from the Askar camp. BREAKING NEWS, August 13: Settlers establish another outpost International Press Center 8/13/2003 17:05 Armed Jewish settlers establish a settlement outpost near the town of Howwara, north of Nablus City. / 14:40 Israeli occupying forces (IOF) bulldoze 800 dunums of arable land in the city of Qalqilia and town of Jayyous, and uproot 1,500 olive trees for the sake of constructing the separation barrier. (WAFA) / 13:30-- Israeli occupation forces beef up presence in the Talat Altakrouri neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron, WAFA reported. / 13:00-- Several armed Jewish settlers of the illegitimate Jewish settlement of Nahal Najhoat, established on Palestinian-owned lands in Hebron city, assault on Palestinian owners of nearby lands, denying them access to their farms, WAFA said.

Diplomacy..

PM: Peace process will die if Arafat maintains influence in PA Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 The peace process will die if the Palestinian Authority does not remove Yasser Arafat from all positions of influence, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview published Wednesday in the French daily Le Figaro, Israel Radio reported. Sharon also called for cutting Arafat off from having any say over the PA's finances. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz also had harsh words for Arafat on Wednesday, saying that the PA Chairman was doing everything in his power to undermine current peace efforts and that Israel would not continue with these efforts unless the PA dismantles terrorist organizations, Israel Radio reported. Katsav calls for deal with Waqf on Temple Mount visits Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 President Moshe Katsav called Wednesday for a negotiated agreement with the Muslim waqf on the issue of Jewish visits to the Temple Mount. Katsav said that an agreement similar to the one reached over Jewish visits to Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron would prevent unnecessary friction between Jews and Moslem in Jerusalem. Analysis / Hudna teetering on the brink of collapse Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 The hudna's not over, but it is definitely fading, and not only due to yesterday's two suicide attacks. It is also evident in the disappointment and anger of Israel's government over the PA's failure to take action against armed factions - and there's personal anger at Mahmoud Abbas. "The continuing aggression by the Israeli army against Palestinian cities and the killings of Palestinians, shows us Israel does not want this hudna," Abbas said in Abu Dhabi even before he heard about yesterday's bombings. PM halts prisoner release after bombings Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 Sharon's directive interrupted the release process that had already begun, and buses carrying the prisoners headed back to thejails. -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon halted a prisoner release underway yesterday when word arrived in his office of the bombings in the town of Rosh Ha'ayin adjacent to Petah Tikva and in Ariel to its east over the Green Line. He warned that the political process would not continue if "Palestinian terror does not stop." Speaking shortly after the two bombings, Sharon said that if violence did not cease, then the Palestinians "are unlikely to win what they hope to win," an indirect reference to the road map's determination that by the end of this year an independent Palestinian state with provisional borders will be established. Abu Mazen, Dahlan Hold Israel Responsible for the Latest Bombings in Israel International Press Center 8/13/2003 PALETSINE, August 13, 2003, (IPC+Agencies)-- Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) condemned Tuesday's bombings but said they had been provoked by Israeli raids into Palestinian territories. "The truce is in danger of imploding if Israel continues its attacks on the Palestinians," he told AFP news agency. On his part, Mohammed Dahlan, Palestinian Security Affairs Minister, decried the two attacks and warned that Israel would use such actions as a pretext to continue its aggressions in the Palestinian territories. Video: From the start disaster was foreseeable for the 'Oslo Peace Process' Middle East Realities 8/12/2003 Mark Bruzonsky was interviewed about Middle East history and the 'Peace Process' by Chicago Access TV in 1994 and that was the start of MERTV. The Disaster that took place in later years was foreseeable even then and Bruzonsky outlines why right from the start. Pope to meet Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas in August Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul will interrupt his summer holiday to see Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, a Palestinian envoy in Rome said on Wednesday. "They will meet on August 26," Nemer Hammad, the chief Palestinian envoy to Italy, told Reuters. Hammad said Abbas and the pope would discuss relations between the Palestinians, who include a small Christian community, and the Catholic Church as well as the situation in the Middle East. Israeli Cabinet Member and Minister to Visit United States, Condemns U.S. State Department on Eve of Departure Yahoo! News 8/13/2003 NEW YORK, Aug. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Israeli government cabinet member, and Minister of Tourism, Benny Elon, the subject of a recent profile article in The New York Times, will be visiting the United States August 14-20 and is available for media interviews. Minister Elon's trip will include visits to Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia and other cities....Minister Elon is visiting the United States to meet with evangelical Christian leaders to continue to stress the importance of supporting a strong Land of Israel, and to raise the issue of the State Departments travel warning to Israel. Syria: Israel at fault for any escalation Daily Star 8/13/2003 Beirut, damascus adamant as high Alert remains -- Syria insisted Tuesday that Israel was responsible for any escalation in violence in the Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli border region, stressing that the daily over flights of Lebanese territory were increasing tensions. Washington had called on all three countries Monday to exercise restraint, and singled out the Syrian-backed Lebanese resistance group, Hizbullah. Powell: U.S. works with Israel, Palestinians to keep momentum toward peace Arabic News 8/13/2003 US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States is working with Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to bring the current situation under control and maintain momentum on the roadmap toward peace. In an interview with Egypt's Nile television August 12, Powell said progress has been made toward ending the conflict since the summits at Sharm el-Sheikh and Aqaba in June. He said that Israel has turned over control of Gaza and Bethlehem to the PA and has released some Palestinian prisoners and incidents of terrorism and violence have declined. Defense source: Further round of violence likely Globes 8/13/2003 "The Palestinians have no national leader today. Hamas has become the dominant force." -- A senior defense source warned today that if the deterioration in the cease-fire continues, "there is a high probability that Israel will face another round of violence." The source warned that two conditions had to be met before the defense establishment could consider the intifada over. "The first is the collection of all of the vast quantities of illegal weapons in the Palestinian Authority (PA) territory. The second is the elimination of the armed military organizations affiliated with the PA." PA says it won't disarm terror groups Jerusalem Post 8/13/2003 A high-ranking Egyptian security delegation is expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip within the next 48 hours for talks aimed at consolidating the cease-fire. Palestinian Authority officials said the delegation would consist of senior Egyptian intelligence officers and would also hold talks with PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Sharon accuses Abbas of impotence Middle East Online 8/13/2003 JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon accused his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas of failing to carry through on his promises to dismantle militant groups, after two suicide bombers killed two people and wounded 12 others on Tuesday."In spite of commitments that the Palestinian Authority has taken on itself, before us (Israel), the President of the United States George Bush and the whole world, there has been no concrete action by the Palestinians against terrorist organizations," said Sharon. Syria says Israel derailing peace efforts Jordan Times 8/13/2003 DAMASCUS (Reuters) — Syria accused Israel on Tuesday of seeking to thwart Arab-Israeli peace efforts through military escalation following threats by the Jewish state against its Arab neighbour. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel “Sharon and his extremist government are expanding the tension to turn the world's attention from what Israel is doing to avoid peace and its requirements,” said Syrian radio, a government mouthpiece. U.S. Again Assures Hamas of a Future Middle East Newsline 8/14/2003 WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Bush administration has again assured Hamas that it would not be targeted for elimination in the U.S.-led war against terrorism. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States would continue to seek dialogue to persuade Hamas and other Palestinian insurgency groups to end their attacks on Israel. Powell said such an approach has been part of the U.S.-led war against terrorism and efforts to reach peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Boueiz blames failing security on Jewish state Daily Star 8/13/2003 [Lebanese] Environment Minister Fares Boueiz blamed Israel Tuesday for the deterioration of the security situation in the southern region and said UN reports were “unrealistic.” Speaking after a visit to the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, Boueiz said he discussed the latest Israeli threats and the aggression against Lebanon. “We all know that the situation in the South was quiet and under control and there was no justification for any escalation prior to Israel blowing up a car in the southern suburb (of Beirut),” he said. The Hudna on the Cross Road The Independent 8/13/2003 After the assassination of two of its leaders in the Askar Refugee Camp in Nablus, West Bank, last Friday Hamas' military wing began plotting its revenge. And yesterday as two Palestinian suicide bombers, one a member in al Aqsa Martyrs brigades and the other a Hamas militant, took the lives of two Israelis, that revenge was furious and threatening. But the failure of the Hudna, as Palestinians refer to the ceasefire - was not so surprising at all. Syria's letters to the UN regarding 'Blue Line' conflict United Nations News 8/13/2003 The Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic wishes to provide the following clarification in reply to the Israeli allegations contained in documents S/2003/800, dated 8 August 2003, and S/2003/806, dated 11 August 2003. Those two documents are a total falsification and distortion of the facts and a pathetic attempt by Israel to justify its terrorism and its hostility towards the Lebanese people and its occupation of Arab territories.

Human Rights..

Ethnic Cleansing is the name of Israel’s Policies International Solidarity Movement 8/10/2003 By Vladislav, Bethlehem - 10 Aug 03 -- Just thought I’d drop a line to say I’m still well and alive. I am living in the occupied territories of Palestine, in the West Bank town of Tulkarem. I have been working with the International Solidarity Movement here, a Palestinian-led group of internationals from around the world who help the Palestinian people resist the occupation through non-violent means. The group is truly international with all sorts of countries represented. The group is about 30% made of folks of Jewish decent, who like me, feel that this is a really outrageous injustice that is being done supposedly in our names. Israeli Military Appeal Committee Defers Conclusion of Second Six-Month Review of Transfer Order Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 8/11/2003 On Sunday, 10 August 2003, an Israeli Military Appeal Committee convened in Erez to conduct the second six month review of an Israeli military order which transferred Intisar and Kifah ‘Ajouri from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. After representations, the Committee deferred the conclusion until a later, unspecified, date. PCHR is concerned that the Committee will again reconfirm the military order and refuse to allow the Ajouris to return to their home in Nablus....PCHR considers this military order in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits the forcible transfer of protected persons within Occupied Territory. Action alert: Palestininan ISM Coordinator Arrested International Solidarity Movement 8/13/2003 Saef Abu Keshek, a local ISM coordinator in Nablus, West Bank, was arrested today at 4pm (Jerusalem Local Time) while attempting to cross the checkpoint at Huwara on his way to Jordan from Nablus. The Huwara checkpoint is inside the West Bank, at the military base between Nablus and Ramallah. Saef was with five other Palestinian delegates proceeding to an international peace conferance sponsored by the European Commission. The other Palestinians and one non-ISM international were allowed through the checkpoint while Saef was detained. All of the delegates have recieved pre-approvals and visas for travel. UPDATE: Saef has been released from detention and will be going to Spain shortly. see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/palsolidarity/message/684

Economy..

Bank of Israel: Industrial output down 1.8% in January-May Globes 8/13/2003 The number of industrial workers fell 1.7%. Only productivity showed a rise. -- Belying official reports of a recovery in economic activity, economic growth and industrial activity are still contracting. Industrial output fell 1.8% in January-May 2003, compared with the corresponding period last year, according to a Bank of Israel analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics figures. Number of legal foreign workers plummets in January-May Globes 8/13/2003 The proportion of foreign workers legally entitled to work in Israel has declined to 32%. -- The stiffening of the criteria for employing foreign workers, and the charging of a special 8% fee starting on July 1, have sharply reduced the number of legal foreign workers employed in Israel. The Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the number of legal foreign workers had declined from 89,300 in December 2002 to 71,400 in May, a 19.5% decrease, and 27,300 less than the peak of 98,700 in early 2002, amounting to a 27.7% drop. The proportion of foreign workers illegally employed in Israel has risen from 60% in early 2002 to 68%. Industry Ministry to open negotiations on Israeli participation in Galileo project Globes 8/13/2003 The Galileo European Satellite Navigation System will cost €3.4 billion to develop and deploy. -- The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor will open negotiations with the EU on an agreement for the participation of Israeli companies in tenders to set up the Galileo European Satellite Navigation System. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor director general Raanan Dinur said the ministry believed the participation of Israeli aerospace companies in the Galileo Project was extremely important. Galileo, the world's largest commercial aerospace venture, is open to non-EU states. IMI optimistic US will lift ban on Uzi sales Globes 8/13/2003 Israel Military Industries sources say the company wants to bring in partners for its light arms factory. -- Sources inform “Globes” that Uzi manufacturer Israel Military Industries is optimistic that it will be able to resume sales in the US. Former President Bill Clinton signed a bill banning certain types of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, including the Uzi, blocking signed contracts worth millions of dollars. The law expires this year, and IMI believes that the Republican administration and Republican-controlled Congress will not renew it. Israel Examines U.S. Investment in Defense Industry Middle East Newsline 8/13/2003 TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel has launched an examination of the feasibility of U.S. investment in the nation's state-owned defense industry. Officials and defense industry sources said Israel's Defense Ministry is exploring the prospect of allowing U.S. companies and nationals to invest directly in the state-owned defense contractors in an effort to facilitate the government's procurement of Israeli weapons. The government has sharply cut Israel's military budget over the next three years and officials said procurement of Israeli systems will be reduced. Kamov-IAI said 'on track' to sell helicopters to Turkish army Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 Russian aircraft maker Kamov and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) are to provide the Turkish army with 145 of their Ka-50-2 combat helicopters over the next six years. Kamov's chief designer told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that his company "has practically initialed the contract with Turkey and we will finalize it by the end of 2003."...Turkey, a NATO member, chose Kamov over its U.S. competitor, the Bell Helicopter division of Textron Inc. "It did not suit Turkey that the Americans insisted on supplying fully completed helicopters without any Turkish role in building them," Mikheev said. "Under our deal Turkish companies will be involved in work on the cockpit."

People..

Two Days in Gaza International Solidarity Movement 8/10/2003 By Laura, Gaza - August 8, 2003 -- I’m writing from Mohammed’s family house, the faint smell of tea and cleaning supplies, a small breeze turning the air. A white curtain moves softly between the rooms. Ghada cleaning dishes in the kitchen, Rasha studying language endlessly. Mama and Baba asleep in the afternoon heat. Outside, car horns and construction workers. Downstairs, the office I can’t seem to escape from. These rooms, Mohammed’s family, have become my sanctuary, an oasis of quiet in the middle of my life. Palestinian leader Arafat's sister dies in Egypt Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 Cairo - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's sister Yousra al-Kidwa, 77, has died at the Palestinian Hospital in Cairo, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported Wednesday. The agency said that her death followed a long struggle with disease, but did not provide any details about her ailment. Al-Kidwa lived in Egypt until 1994 when she and her husband, Jerir al-Kidwa, Arafat's cousin and advisor, returned to the Palestinian territories. Yasser Arafat's sister dies Al-Bawaba 8/13/2003 Yousra Abdel Raouf Al Kidwah, a sister of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, died in the Egyptian capital of Cairo Wednesday at the age of 77, Palestinian officials reported. Al Kidwah died at Cairo's Palestine Hospital, where she had been treated for various illnesses for a month. The exact cause of death was not immediately known.

International..

Bush to Sidestep Muslim Groups, Senate on Scholar Reuters 8/13/2003 CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - Over objections from some Muslim American groups, President Bush plans to sidestep Congress and appoint a Middle East scholar who has been derided by critics as anti-Muslim to a federally funded think tank, congressional sources said on Tuesday. Bush's expected recess appointment of Daniel Pipes could spark a backlash from some Muslim Americans and Democrats in Congress, who oppose his nomination to serve on the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace, which was created by Congress to promote peaceful solutions to world conflicts. Egypt- Libya complete elimination of customs fees and restrictions Arabic News 8/13/2003 Egypt and Libya have signed a trade and customs agreement for exempting commodities from all customs fees and removing all customs and non- customs restrictions with the aim to double bilateral trade. Colombian gun-running scandal links shady Israelis, Al-Qaeda Daily Star 8/13/2003 Trio sought for providing arms to group branded ‘terrorist’ by US - Report: 3 from Jewish state also have ties to Lebanese and bin Laden’s network -- BEIRUT: Guatemalan authorities this week ordered the arrest of three Israelis for allegedly running 3,117 AK-47 assault rifles 5 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to a group of right-wing Latin American paramilitaries, the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), which the US State Department has branded a terrorist group and says has links to the country’s cocaine barons. Israeli arms dealers and mercenaries have been linked to South American drug cartels and unsavory right-wing regimes in the region since the 1970s, often apparently doing the United States’ dirty work. Israel’s tradition of shadowy dealings Daily Star 8/13/2003 BEIRUT: The Colombian arms deal is small-time compared to some of the clandestine activities carried out by Israeli mercenaries and “arms dealers” in Latin America over the past three decades, as well as in Africa, Asia and Iran, currently Israel’s No. 1 enemy. A year ago, Germany impounded a shipment from Israel of 3,000 rubber caterpillar tracks used on US-made M-113 personnel carriers ostensibly bound for Thailand under a license from the Israeli Defense Ministry. But according to German Customs, the shipment from the Israeli company PAD was seized in Hamburg as it was being transferred to an Iranian vessel for delivery to the Islamic Republic. Italian presidency of the European Union condemns Hizbullah party Arabic News 8/13/2003 The Italian Presidency of the European Union has responded to Israeli demands yesterday and "strongly" condemned the Hizbullah party launching of anti aircraft missiles in retaliation of the Israeli violations of the Lebanese airspace, which resulted in killing one Israeli settler on Monday. Pakistan slams Israel's sale of Phalcon radar system to India Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Tuesday warned that Israel's plans to sell an early-warning radar system to India's military could raise tensions in South Asia and destabilize the region. Pakistan also said that the United States - which last year asked Israel to postpone the deal - recently decided that it had no objections to the sale of the PHALCON advanced airborne radar system. New UN commander takes over in Golan Heights Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 The new commander of the United Nations peacekeeping troops which monitor the cease-fire between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights arrived to take up his post Wednesday. Franciszek Gagor from Poland replaces Sweden's Bo Warnker as the head of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Warnker held the post for three years. Gagor, previously the commander of the U.N.'s Iraq Kuwait observer mission, signed the handover papers at an official ceremony at Fawar Camp attended by diplomats from Damascus and local representatives. Israel, U.S. and Turkey begin joint four-day naval exercise Ha'aretz 8/13/2003 ISTANBUL, Turkey - Turkish, Israeli and U.S ships and planes began exercises Wednesday off Turkey's Mediterranean coast, the countries' sixth naval maneuvers since 1998. The four-day search-and-rescue exercise involved six ships, seven helicopters and three planes from the countries, Turkish navy officer Sems Aktug told the Anatolia news agency. The exercise, simulatingsearches for two ships in distress, aimed to help improve humanitarian coordination between the countries, Aktug said. Observers from Egypt and Jordan were also watching the drill. Iran Says It Will Remove Concerns on Nuclear Aims New York Times 8/13/2003 TEHRAN (Reuters) - The head of Iran's atomic energy program said Wednesday the Islamic Republic planned to allay international concerns about its nuclear program which Washington says may be used to produce atomic bombs. ``I believe that we will remove the international concerns,'' Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a June report cited a number of failures by Tehran in reporting its nuclear activities and is preparing a follow-up report to be released in September. New US Pledge to UNWRA Gives Big Boost to its Emergency Appeal United Nations News 8/6/2003 Mr. Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, today warmly welcomed the news that the United States Government will pledge up to US$ 26 million to the Agency's Sixth Emergency Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory. The current Appeal covers the six-month period to the end of December, 2003. The US contribution, approved by President George W. Bush, is the largest single donation by any government to the Agency's Emergency Appeals since their launch, in October 2000, at the start of the intifada. Last year, the UAE Red Crescent, a non-governmental organization, provided US$27 million, to help rebuild the destroyed center of the Jenin Camp. Iran women's bill rejected BBC 8/12/2003 A bill calling on Iran to join an international agreement on women's rights has been rejected by the government's supervisory body. The Guardian Council has defied parliament and rejected an international treaty which aims to eliminate discrimination against women. UN aims to scrutinise multinationals Financial Times 8/13/2003 International companies could find their activities subject to investigation and censure by United Nations human rights officials under principles expected to be adopted on Wednesday in Geneva. The UN's draft Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations asserts that companies should be subject to the kind of enforcement procedures at the UN Commission for Human Rights previously applied only to nation states. UN ethics guidelines may alarm multinationals Financial Times 8/12/2003 A United Nations special rapporteur on workers' rights in the global garment industry . . . A UN human rights probe into conditions in banana plantations . . . UN experts examining an oil company's relations with local security forces. The UN Draft Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations, expected to be endorsed on Wednesday in Geneva, may alarm compliance officers at even the most ethically engaged multinational.

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