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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..

Palestinian killed after trying to stab IDF soldier in Bethlehem Ha'aretz 8/27/2003 A Palestinian man was killed Wednesday by Israel Defense Forces troops after he tried to stab one of them near Rachel's Tomb, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Army Radio reported. Earlier Wednesday the IDF lifted the siege in Bethlehem and Jericho, and enabled the passage of merchandise to and from the West Bank cities, which have been closed off for the past week, Israel Radio reported.      IOF Shoots to Death a Palestinian Civilian in Bethlehem, Invades Ramallah, Carries out Arrests International Press Center 8/27/2003 BETHELAHEM, Palestine, August 27, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- Israeli occupation forces shot dead Wednesday a Palestinian civilian in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, local sources said. Unknown Palestinain civilian was instantly killed by IOF and his dead body was held after Palestinain medical crews and ambulances were denied aiding him/her, the sources added....Meanwhile, WAFA News Agency reported that Israeli troops, backed with dozens of military vehicles and tanks, invaded Wednesday afternoon, the West Bank city of Ramallah under a barrage of heavy gun fire....In the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli troops blew up the house of Palestinian civilian Khaled Alsabbagh and arrested five other local inhabitants, leading them to unknown destinations....Also, in the West Bank city of Jenin, mainly in Jaba’ village, south of the city, IOF arrested seven Palestinain civilians after storming the village and blockading a number of houses, WAFA reported.  Israeli Forces Raid PFLP Office International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 A large Israeli army force raided the offices of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) headed by George Habash. The forces broke into the central Ramallah office and forced people out. In the mean time, forces spread in Al-Sa’a and Al-Manara circles in the city, thowing tear gas and opening fire randomly at residents. The locals responded by throwing rocks and empty bottles at the soldiers. Israeli Troops Invade Bethlehem, Kill Man Near Checkpoint Next Day International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 Israeli troops invaded Aida Refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem Tuesday evening, arriving at the mosque area in the center of the camp. Youth in the camp, angered by the presence of soldiers, threw stones at army vehicles. Soldiers responded with heavy fire. Eyewitnesses reported that clashes continued for an hour before three Palestinian pre-emptive security vehicles arrived and convinced Israeli soldiers to withdraw. Following this incident, at noon on Wednesday Israeli troops shot and killed a man near Rachel’s Tomb at the northern entrance to the city of Bethlehem. 6 Arrested, 2 Wounded, Israeli Troops Continue Operation in Nablus International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 Israeli military operations in Nablus continued for the sixth consecutive day today. Soldiers are still stationed inside the city conducting regular searches and raids. Israeli troops arrested six Palestinians Wednesday morning in the Rafidia neighborhood north of Nablus. Soldiers raided several homes and arrested 21 year old Saad Amer from Kufur Qalil village, Ghassan Abu Suhail from Beit Dajan village, and 21 year old Yousif Ahmad and Mahmoud Alasahili from Nablus city. Soldeirs also arrested two others whose full names are not known, but go by Ghassan and Yousif.      Curfew Imposed on Jenin for Second Day, Arrests in Jaba’a and Raids in Al-Zababdeh International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 For the second day, Jenin city and camp are under tight curfew. In the city, clashes erupted on Tuesday evening between locals and Israeli soldiers. Fighting continued late into the night, resulting in two injured Palestinians, one of whom, 12 year old Rabi’e Jaradat, is in serous condition from a bullet in the stomach. Israeli Troops Arrest 21 Palestinians in Ramallah Palestine Chronicle 8/27/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Israeli military forces after siege of a residential building in Ramallah on Wednesday evening arrested 21 of its tenants. Announcing the news, a Palestinian source added, hundreds of the residents of Ramallah got engaged with Israeli forces who intended to shut down the office of the People’s Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), during which at least two Palestinians got wounded. The Israeli sources meanwhile ran a house-to-house search after invading some parts of Selfit, Tulkarm, Qalaqilya, and Nablus, all in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Police Detain Islamic Waqf Leader Against Ruling of Israeli Court International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 Israeli police detained Islamic Waqf official Mustafa Abu Zahra on Tuesday against the ruling of the Jerusalem Magistrate judge. Abu Zahra was released after his lawyer Mohammed Dahla appealed to the court and the judge ordered his release. Earlier in the day, the Israeli Magistrate Judge turned down an Israeli police request to ban Abu Zahra from the Aqsa Mosque for two months after he participated in a protest prayer at the site against allowing non-Muslims in the mosque grounds. Jewish Extremists Defile Al-Aqsa Compound Arab News 8/27/2003 RAMALLAH, West Bank, 27 August 2003 — Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas yesterday slammed Israel’s decision to allow “Jewish extremists” to enter Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a recipe for more violence. “This inciteful policy is a recipe for friction and violence,” Abbas said in a statement. “We all know the consequences of such action from previous incidents in 2000,” he added. Israeli tanks enter Ramallah, Palestinian killed in Bethlehem Palestinian Information Center 8/27/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Israeli occupation troops, backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers, stormed downtown Ramallah Wednesday, signaling the continuation of an Israeli military campaign against Palestinian population centers. Palestinian sources said Zionist forces raided a building in which Supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) were marking the second anniversary of the assassination by Israel of their former leader, Abu Ali Mustafa. Zionist raid on Jabaliya targeted two Qassam commanders Palestinian Information Center 8/27/2003 Gaza - A spokesman for the Zionist army today said that the raid on Jabaliya last night targeted Khaled Massoud and Wa’el Ukailan, both members in the Qassam Brigades the military wing of the Hamas Movement. He said that the Zionist choppers fired missiles at a Palestinian civilian car near Jabaliya refugee camp to the north of the Gaza Strip. The spokesman said that the missiles targeted Massoud, who is the most prominent engineer of Qassam missiles. He expressed belief that Massoud was wounded in the attempt. Gilad: It is Only a Matter of Time to Deport Arafat International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 The head of the security and political sections of the Israeli Defense Ministry, Amos Gilad, told Arab Ynet in a private interview that he supports the targeted assassination of Palestinian activists, and that deporting the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is necessary and could happen soon. Gilad said that targeted assassinations of wanted men will only cease if Palestinian security forces move against resistance groups. Israeli planes violate airspace in North and South Daily Star 8/27/2003 The Lebanese Army command announced that four Israeli aircrafts violated Lebanese airspace Tuesday at 11.20 am, flying over the southern areas of Sidon and Shebaa. Hamas comes under tough PA pressure Ha'aretz 8/27/2003 A caricature appeared on a major Hamas website yesterday, depicting street corners on which red signs were posted that read, "Warning: collaborator behind you." Like the leaflets issued recently by the military and political wings of Hamas, together with the disappearance underground of its entire Gaza Strip leadership, the caricature reflects the fact that since the targeted killing last Thursday of Ismail Abu Shanab, and the attempted targeted killing yesterday in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip, Hamas feels it is being hunted down. Hamas Men Hide to Avoid Instant Death Arab News 8/27/2003 GAZA, 27 August 2003 — Prominent Hamas leaders have turned off mobile phones and gone underground to avoid instant death from the air after Israeli missiles killed seven of them in an escalating campaign to crush the militant group. In the latest attacks, missile-firing Israeli helicopters killed Hamas’s deputy political chief Ismail Abu Shanab in his car in Gaza City on Thursday, and military operations chief Ahmed Shtewe on a nearby beach on Sunday. Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine August 27, 2003 Palestine Media Center 8/27/2003 An elderly Palestinian was killed in a failed Israeli assassination attempt in the Gaza Strip refugee camp of Jabalya. IOF also wounded five Palestinians in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. IOF Detain 32 Palestinians in West Bank.

Diplomacy..

Arafat Asks Groups to Resume Cease-Fire The Guardian 8/27/2003 RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat asked militant groups Wednesday to reinstate a unilateral truce they formally abandoned last week, after an Israeli missile strike killed a senior Hamas leader. Arafat calls on the armed groups to renew their commitment to a truce and ``to give a chance to political and peaceful efforts by the international community to implement the road map,'' a statement from his office said, referring to a U.S.-backed peace plan.  Hamas ready to meet Abbas, despite hits Ha'aretz 8/27/2003 Hamas is prepared to continue dialogue with Palestinian Authority officials about renewing the recently-ended hudna, despite ongoing Israeli assassinations and attempted assassinations of Hamas leaders. Hours after Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Gaza yesterday for meetings with the Palestinian government and possibly with Hamas leaders, Israeli helicopter missiles launched at a car carrying Hamas operatives in northern Gaza City missed their target but killed a 65-year-oldJabalya man driving a donkey cart and wounded 20 others, including four children.       Arafat pledges to act against armed groups after Israel stops attacks Al-Bawaba 8/27/2003 Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat, said on Wednesday he was prepared to take action against armed groups if Israel stopped missile attacks and other operations against them. "I am prepared to implement the law on condition Israel stops its attacks," Arafat said in an interview with Reuters. The Palestinian leader noted he would not risk an internal civil war. He told the news agency he had ordered the arrests of Hamas and other top activists earlier and that he would do so again, but not while Israel continued with its raids. Arafat Urges New Truce, Hints At ‘Action’ Against Factions Islam Online 8/27/2003 RAMALLAH, August 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - As Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said on Wednesday, August 27, he is ready to take action against resistance groups if Israel halted attacks on them, an Israeli official said the army’s assassinations policy would continue unabated. "I am prepared to implement the law (against activists) on condition Israel stops its attacks," Arafat said in an interview with Reuters carried by Swissinfo.org. President Arafat Criticizes US Administration for Interfering in Palestinian Internal Affairs International Press Center 8/27/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, August 27, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat strongly criticized the US administration's interference in the Palestinian affairs, and downplaying his role in implementing the "Road Map" peace plan. President Arafat criticized and accused the United States of interfering in Palestinian internal affairs, saying "I will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs," and questioning why the United States doesn't interfere in the internal affairs of Israel or any other country, IPC correspondent said. Abbas: Allowing Jewish Extremists into Al-Aqsa a ‘Recipe For Violence’ Palestine Media Center 8/27/2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Tuesday of aiming at increasing the cycle of violence by allowing Jewish extremists to visit Al-Aqsa mosque compound, in occupied east Jerusalem. "This inciting Israeli policy (of allowing Jewish extremists to visit the site, which Islam’s third holiest place) is a recipe for friction and violence,” Abbas said in a statement reported by Reuters on Wednesday. Bush Sounds Backtracking on His Vision Promised to Palestinians Palestine Media Center 8/27/2003 Arafat Ready to Take on Violators of Law, Provided Israel Stops Attacks -- US President George W. Bush on Tuesday sounded to Palestinians as if backtracking on his promised vision of a two-solution of the Palestinian – Israeli conflict when he put the Palestinian anti-Israeli occupation resistance on the same footing with the terrorists the United States is waging war on since September 11, 2001. Bush on Tuesday -- ignoring completely the Israeli extra-judicial assassinations, Israeli non-compliance with the “roadmap” to Middle East peace plan, and the 36-year old Israeli occupation -- called on all leaders in the region, and the Palestinians specifically, to starve support from extremist groups who target Israel with violence. Israel presses EU, Japan to outlaw Hamas Daily Star 8/27/2003 Palestinian group under fire after bus bombing - Daniel Shek, Israeli Europe specialist: ‘After the suicide attack … there can be no doubt as to the terrorist nature’ of the organization -- Israel has begun a diplomatic offensive to persuade EU countries and Japan to follow the United States and classify the political branch of Hamas as a terrorist organization. “We hope to convince the Europeans, particularly countries such as France, which are still hesitating to make such a move, during discussions that we are having at the moment,” Daniel Shek, director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Europe division, told AFP Tuesday in Jerusalem. PM Abu Mazen: Latest Assassination Attempt Reflects Israeli Brutal Policy International Press Center 8/27/2003 GAZA, Palestine, August 27, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), condemned yesterday night an Israeli assassination attempt in Gaza that took place shortly after his arrival at the city for a meeting with Palestinian factions' representatives in an effort to renew the ceasefire (Hudna). Hizbullah buries remains of repatriated fighters Daily Star 8/27/2003 Mediators push for secrecy ahead of possible prisoner swap -- Hizbullah pledged support on Tuesday for the Palestinian intifada as it buried the remains of two fighters repatriated by Israel in a German-mediated deal widely expected to culminate in a prisoner swap between the two countries. Thousands of sympathizers turned up in the southern town of Bint Jbeil for the funeral of Ammar Hussein Hammoud and Ghassan Zaatar, who were killed in military operations before Israel’s withdrawal in May 2000. In Berlin, mediators stressed the need for secrecy to complete the exchange, while Israel struck an optimistic note that more steps toward that aim would be taken in the “next few days.” A Letter from Abu Mazin to the Arab League to appoint Sha’ath Minister of Foreign Affairs to replace Al-Qaddoumi International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 The office of the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nabil Sha’ath reported to AFP about a letter that the PM Abbas sent to the Arab League asking to appoint Sha’ath as a Minister of Foreign affairs to the League instead of Farouk Al-Qaddoumi the representative of the PLO. Arafat’s senior advisor, Nabil Abu Rudehneh said, “The PM’s has the right and the power to appoint a representative in the Arab and International forums and this doesn’t contradict with Al-Qaddoumi being the rep for the PLO.” The PA calls for a UN security Council Meeting International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 The Palestinian leadership called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to discuss the Israeli military escalation in Palestine.The advisor for the Palestinian President, Nabil Abu Rudeineh said, “The continued military escalation and the assassination policy send us back to square one." Arafat calls for new ceasefire BBC 8/27/2003 Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has called on militant groups to reinstate a ceasefire they formally ended last week after a Hamas leader was killed by Israeli gunships. The call came as the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas held emergency cabinet talks in the Gaza Strip about the escalating violence between Israel and Palestinian militants. Arafat calls for reinstatement of ceasefire Ha'aretz 8/27/2003 Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat called on all militant groups on Wednesday to reinstate a cease-fire they formally broke off last week after Israel's assassination of a Hamas leader. "President Yasser Arafat calls upon all the Palestinian factions to reiterate their commitment to the truce to give a chance to international peace efforts to implement the road map which the Israeli government refuses to abide by," Arafat said in a statement issued by his office. Earlier, Arafat said he was ready to take action against militant groups if Israel halted missile strikes and other attacks on them. President Yasser Arafat Demands Palestinian Factions to Abide by the Ceasefire Declaration International Press Center 8/27/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, August 27, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- President Yasser Arafat demanded Wednesday all Palestinian factions to abide by the ceasefire declaration (Hudna) they signed on June 30, 2003. A Presidential statement demanded today all Palestinian factions to abide by the Hudna despite ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinain people, including extra judicial assassination attempts and siege of Palestinain cities, town, villages and refugee camps. Arafat: Ready to Take Actions If Israel Stops Targeted Killings International Middle East Media Center 8/27/2003 An official statement was issued Wednesday by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s office calling on all Palestinian resistance groups to reinstate a cease-fire so as not to provide the Israeli government with an excuse to avoid the implementation of the road map peace plan. President Arafat asked all Palestinian factions to reiterate their commitment to the truce, “to give international peace efforts a chance at implementing the road map which the Israeli government refuses to abide by".

Human Rights..

Two Prisoners Dying in Israeli Jail, Family Holds Red Cross Responsible Palestine Chronicle 8/27/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Two Palestinian political prisoners who have been on hunger strike for the past 17 days are reportedly dying in an Israeli jail, Palestinian sources said Wednesday. The sources said Musa Dudn, 31, and Ahmed Barghouthi, 27, were no longer able to sit down, move around or even speak, having not had water for the past six days. A spokesman for the International Red Cross Office in Tel Aviv confirmed that the two prisoners were in a “very serious situation.” The Current Status of Palestinian Child Detainees in Israeli Jails Palestine Media Center 8/24/2003 Key Figures: At least 2000 children has been detained since the beginning of the second Intifada. / 5% of total Palestinian detainees and prisoners are children under age 18. / 8% of child detainees are held without trial and without charges. / 215 children are pending trial. / 44% of child detainees age 16-17 years. / 50% of child detainees come from areas with highly visible Israeli military presence. / 80% of detained children were subjected to torture. / 11% of detained children suffer psycho-physical problems. Background: Since the 1967 occupation, the Israeli Occupation Authorities used the Israeli legal instruments in a manner, which beaches the International norms and regulations. The Israeli Authorities always justify its illegal procedures against Palestinians through enacting military orders, which regulate the detention process in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

Economy..

Central Bureau of Statistics: Unexpected recovery June-July Globes 8/27/2003 Retail sales rose 5% and exports 4%. The Ministry of Finance is optimistic: 2.5% growth in 2004. -- The Central Bureau of Statistics today reported an unexpected recovery in economic activity in June-July 2003, with an increase in both private consumption and exports. Retail sales rose an annualized 5% and exports, excluding diamonds, 4%.  Teachers say school year won't start on time after talks fail Ha'aretz 8/27/2003 Shortly after announcing Wednesday that the school year would begin as scheduled on August 31, Teachers' Union chief Yossi Wasserman retracted the statement, blaming the breakdown in negotiations between the union and the Education Ministry over pay cuts in national priority areas. At a meeting Tuesday night, the sides were unable to reach an agreement over a wage dispute involving pay benefits to some 7,000 veteran teachers in B-level areas. IDF buying "Nautilus" rocket interception system Globes 8/27/2003 The Israeli and US militaries have chosen the mobile version, developed by IAI, Rafael, Tadiran Communications, and TRM. -- US concern Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has announced that the US Armed Forces and the Israel Ministry of Defense have chosen its "Nautilus" missile interceptor system to counter the threat of short-range missiles and Katyusha rockets. Northrop Grumman overcame two other bids. Defense Ministry purchase of 80,000 underpants from China upsets local manufacturers Globes 8/27/2003 Manufacturers Association textile and fashion division chairman Ramzi Gabbay: The IDF is donating 4,500 work hours to Chinese workers. -- The Ministry of Defense will buy 80,000 underpants for Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers from China, instead of in Israel.

People..

A Jew among 25,000 Muslims The Guardian 8/27/2003 Even as a young girl in Wimbledon Susan Nathan knew she would one day move to Israel. But why did she choose to settle in the Arab town of Tamra? She explains to Jonathan Cook -- Susan Nathan is the only Jew among 25,000 Muslims in Tamra, one of the country's dozens of Arab communities whose council is run by Islamic fundamentalists. She is one of only two Israeli Jews known to have crossed the ethnic divide...Paradoxically, her stance has also earned her the enmity of the Israeli peace movement. "The Jewish left is totally in thrall to the idea of two states for two people. What I am doing by showing that Jews and Arabs can live together in peace undermines their argument." Child killings leave bus bomber's family divided in grief The Telegraph 8/27/2003 Inigo Gilmore in Hebron meets a suicide attacker's relatives whose act has evidently caused unease within his family and his community. -- Raed Mesk's youngest sister, Samiya, had just been extolling her brother's brave act in murdering 20 Jews, many of them children, when his frail uncle, sitting quietly beside her, finally spoke up. "Only God knows whether what he did was haram [forbidden] or halal [permitted]," said Abdul-Majid Mesk, speaking softly in Arabic. "He was a father with young children and I believe what he did was wrong." Palestinian donates $10,000 to save dialysis patients Daily Star 8/27/2003 Unit threatened by US funding freeze -- A Palestinian benefactor donated $10,000 to the dialysis department at the Hamshari Hospital in Sidon on Tuesday, after reading in newspapers about the department’s financial crisis following the US decision to close down charitable institutions linked to Hamas. Ali Zaatari, a friend of benefactor Khalil Omar Mawaad, a Palestinian businessman living in Dubai, said his friend decided to make the decision once he saw the picture of Hanine Shehadeh who undergoes dialysis weekly, and could not afford the treatment if funding stops. Sir Wilfred Thesiger Dies at 93 Arab News 8/27/2003 JEDDAH, 27 August 2003 — Sir Wilfred Thesiger, the explorer and writer who first brought the life of the desert Bedouin of the Arabian Peninsula to public notice half a century ago, died peacefully on Sunday in a nursing home in Coulsdon, south of London. Dr. John Hemming, former director of the British Royal Geographical Society who knew Thesiger well, described him as “the last of the great desert explorers.” Thesiger explored remote areas of Arabia and Asia and adopted the lifestyles of the people he traveled among. Arafat Photos Go on Display in Gaza City The Guardian 8/27/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - In the garden of Gaza's Palestinian parliament building, 350 photographs of Yasser Arafat went on display Wednesday, including a portrait of him as a young Palestinian guerrilla leader looking almost hip in a pair of black Ray-Ban shades. Recordings of his favorite catch phrases droned from speakers set up under the shade of some palm trees.

International..

UK likely to ban Hamas political wing BBC 8/27/2003 The UK Government is likely to ban the political wing of the militant Palestinian group Hamas, British officials say. The move is linked to the end of the Hamas ceasefire which followed the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Abu Shanab by the Israelis in Gaza. The issue is expected to be discussed by European Union foreign ministers at a meeting in Italy on 5 September. 3 Plead Guilty in Jihad Conspiracy Washington Post 8/27/2003 Man Says He Trained With Guns in N.Va. for Possible Mission Abroad -- Three men charged as part of a local jihad network have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and gun charges, with one admitting in federal court yesterday that he trained with firearms in Northern Virginia to prepare for a possible mission fighting for Muslims abroad. Yong Ki Kwon, 27, told a federal judge in Alexandria that he also trained in Pakistan at a camp run by the Lashkar-i-Taiba organization, which is fighting to end Indian control over much of Kashmir and has been designated a terrorist group by the U.S. government. Hariri, Chirac discuss possible ‘Paris III’ Daily Star 8/27/2003 Premier in Paris to discuss donors’ conference, bilateral relations -- Prime Minister Rafik Hariri wrapped up his visit to France Tuesday, where he met with French President Jacques Chirac to discuss the latest developments on the Palestinian and Iraqi fronts, as well as bilateral relations between Lebanon and France. At the Elysee Palace, Hariri and Chirac discussed the “Paris II” donor conference and the possibilities of holding a “Paris III.” Emirates Shuts Down Arab Think Tank The Guardian 8/27/2003 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A think tank named after the Emirates president was shut down after it hosted speakers who promoted anti-American and anti-Semitic views, the president's office said Wednesday. The president, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ordered the closure after he learned the center ``had engaged in a discourse that starkly contradicted the principles of interfaith tolerance,'' his office said.  Report: Russia, Iran May Sign Nuke Deal The Guardian 8/27/2003 MOSCOW (AP) - Russia and Iran may use an upcoming meeting of the U.N. atomic agency to sign an agreement requiring the Iranians to return all spent nuclear fuel from a reactor that Moscow is helping build, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday. Bush vows ‘no retreat’ from Iraq, Middle East Middle East Online 8/27/2003 US President under mounting pressure to send more troops to Iraq, define task. -- US President George W. Bush on Tuesday vowed "no retreat" from Iraq or the Middle East peace process despite mounting criticism at home and a deadly upswing in violence in the region. Iraq "is now a point of testing in the war on terror. Remnants of Saddam's regime are still dangerous, and terrorists are gathering in Iraq to undermine the advance of freedom," Bush told the American Legion veterans' group. Jordan Women Win First Round in Rights Battle Arab News 8/27/2003 AMMAN, 27 August 2003 — Jordanian women fighting for greater rights have won a first victory in their battle against a decision to quash a law granting women the right to divorce, with the Senate’s legal committee recommending that the law be upheld, the press reported yesterday. The committee of the royally appointed senate also recommended on Monday that the upper house uphold another law, which imposes harsher penalties for men who kill women in so-called “honor crimes.” Egypt bans foreign belly dancers BBC 8/27/2003 Foreign women will be banned from performing belly dancing in Egypt, the state newspaper al-Gomhouriya reports. The ruling by the minister for labour and immigration will prevent non-Egyptians from getting belly dancing licences from 1 January, says the newspaper. Clark Alleges White House Pushed CNN to Fire Him Fox News 8/27/2003 WASHINGTON — The White House pressured CNN to fire former military analyst Gen. Wesley Clark (search), the retired Army chief told a Phoenix radio station on Monday. "The White House actually back in February apparently tried to get me knocked off CNN and they wanted to do this because they were afraid that I would raise issues with their conduct of the war," Clark told Newsradio 620 KTAR. "Apparently they called CNN. I don't have all the proof on this because they didn't call me. I've only heard rumors about it."

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