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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 Shoots Child in Jenin and Arrests 31 Palestinians in West Bank International Press Center 9/18/2003 WEST BANK, Palestine, September 18, 2003 (IPC) - - The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and wounded a Palestinian child in the Jenin refugee camp Today evening. Mohammed Hwayl, 15, was wounded in his left foot, medical sources in Khalil Suleiman hospital told IPC correspondent. Meanwhile in Jenin governorate, the occupation forces arrested 12 citizens, among them a girl, early this morning in the city of Tobas, IPC correspondent reported....In addition, IOF occupied many buildings and homes in the camp and turned it into military barracks....In Bethlehem governorate, IOF arrested Thursday morning three brothers from Hossan Village in the west of Bethlehem after invading the village, backed by 16 tanks and military vehicles, closing all of its entrances. IOF Strikes A Palestinian House, Killing One and Wounding Three Others International Press Center 9/18/2003 AL NUSSEIRAT, Palestine, Sep 18,2003 , (IPC+Agencies)-- Jihad Abu Sewereh, 35, was killed as well as seven others, including an infant, were wounded when the Israeli occupation forces swept Thursday dawn into Al Nasserite refugee camp, middle of Gaza Strip, IPC correspondent said. Palestinian medical sources at Al Aqsa Martyr local hospital declared that the body of Jihad Abu Sewerh was ripped into shreds, his 86 -year -old father was critically wounded , an infant boy as well....In a related development, a wide-scale house to house searching campaign was carried out by IOF today morning in Palestinian neighborhoods, close to al Muqata’, the headquarter of President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Al-jazeera Arab Seattleite Qatar-based television reported....In Rafah, seven Palestinian civilians were wounded Wednesday night, one in critical condition, when Israeli troops incurred into the Al-barazil nieghborhood, just south of Rafah city, IPC Correspondent said.  IDF enters Jenin in raid expected to last several days Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 Large numbers of Israel Defense Forces troops entered the West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, in an operation expected to last several days. Military sources said that the operation is aimed at foiling plans by militant groups to dispatch terrorists to carryout attacks against Israel. The operation is being carried out by troops from the elite Golani Brigade, backed up by armored and engineering corps. 3 IDF soldiers hurt, Hamas militant killed in Gaza raid Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 One Israel Defense Forces soldier was seriously wounded overnight in the early hours of Thursday morning, during an arrest operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. A senior Hamas militant was killed in the raid, and two IDF soldiers were lightly injured. The injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to hospital. Later Thursday, the IDF's elite Golani unit took control of Jenin and imposed a curfew on the West Bank city, Army Radio reported. The operation, which is aimed against theterrorist infrastructure and weapons stored by Palestinian groups, has no time limit, military sources told Army Radio. Israeli Military Official: Deporting Arafat is a Matter of How, Not If International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2003 An Israeli senior military source said Wednesday that a move against Arafat is “a matter of how, not if,” distancing from previous statements that were less inflammatory. He added that Israel intends to continue the assassination of senior Hamas members. The Palestinian President is surrounded day and night with dozens of Palestinians, including women and children to shield him against any attempt to assassinate or deport him. Since the Israeli security cabinet decided to “in principle” expel Arafat, thousands of Palestinians pour into his Presidential compound over the course of each day, keeping a constant small civilian presence in the area. Rafedia Hospital under attack Jerusalem Times 9/18/2003 The Palestinian Medical Relief Society denounced recently the Israeli brutal attacks on the Rafedia Hospital in Nablus. Gun fires were shot at the Hospital, in which one patient was killed and two others were wounded and were in critical conditions. The Director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Dr. Mustafah Bargouti, said that Israel with its current behavior proves that it does not abide by the international laws, besides Israel is denying access to Palestinian patients to cross check points, when it blocks and attacks sick civilians, who are seeking treatments to reach medical hospitals. Occupation authorities demolish nine Arab houses in the Negev Palestinian Information Center 9/18/2003 Beer Sheba - Arab sources in the southern Negev desert have said that large numbers of policemen and interior ministry inspectors have tried to demolish a mosque in the Za’rora village in the Negev. They added that the security men could not carry out their plan because a big number of citizens staged a sit-in inside the mosque. However, the Zionist security men managed to level a house still under construction near that mosque....The Zionist interior ministry said that nine Arab houses were destroyed in the campaign against what it called unlicensed houses. Hamas member killed Al-Jazeera 9/18/2003 Fierce fighting erupted in the occupied Gaza Strip as an Israeli assassination squad targeted and killed a Hamas activist. Jihad Abu Swarah, a member of Hamas' armed wing, the Izz-al-Din al-Qassam Brigades was killed when Israeli helicopters fired at least three missiles at his home, in al-Nusairat refugee camp, in southern Gaza early on Thursday. At least three members of his family were injured, reported our correspondent. Israeli jeeps and tanks from the neighbouring Jewish settlement of Netzarim stormed the camp, surrounding Swarah's home. Security sources: Arafat surrounded by human shield of women and children Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 A senior Israeli military source said a move against Arafat is "a matter of how, not if." -- Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's men are surrounding his office with women and children as a human shield against an Israeli attempt to assassinate or deport him, Israeli security sources said yesterday. The sources said Arafat's men have asked senior Fatah activists and members of the Palestinian security mechanisms to "volunteer" their families for a permanent vigil of women and children, which will obstruct any attempt to harm Arafat. Israel kills One Palestinian; students arrested; 3 homes demolished Arabic News 9/18/2003 One Palestinian was killed yesterday by the Israeli occupation forces during fire exchange with the occupation forces which continued its aggressions against the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and as a result, three Palestinian homes were destroyed and Israel launched a campaign of arrest targeting 21 Palestinians including ten students of Beir Zeit university. PNIC: 2,700 Palestinians Including 490 Children Killed and More than 36,000 Wounded During 35 Months of Intifada International Press Center 9/18/2003 GAZA, Palestine, September 18, 2003 (IPC) - - During 35 months of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, nearly 2,700 Palestinians were killed, including 490 children and 180 females, a recent study by the Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC) showed. The Gaza-based center revealed that among those Palestinians killed by the Israeli occupying forces (IOF), 732 Palestinians were killed during shelling attacks, which mounted since October, 2000 to 20,588 times. In addition, 185 targeted citizens and 76 others who happened to be near the place were also killed during extrajudicial executions. Militant killed in Gaza gun battle BBC 9/18/2003 A Palestinian militant has been killed in heavy fighting after Israeli troops raided a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Jihad Abu Suheireh, 34, a member of the armed wing of Hamas, died in a gun battle between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. He had been wanted by the Israelis, and local people said he came out of hiding to return to the family home for a wedding celebration. Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine September 18, 2003 Palestine Media Center 9/18/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian man in Nusairat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, detained 10 more Palestinians and demolished 3 more houses. Two Wounded in Gaza Strip. Curfew Imposed on Jenin. An Al-Qassam Brigades' operative assasinated in Gaza Strip, Another Palestinian killed in an invasion South of the Strip International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2003 The Israeli forces assassinated one of Al-Qassam brigade’s activists, (The military wing of Hamas) Thursday morning, Sept 18 in Al-Nusseirat refugee’s camp in the middle area of Gaza Strip. Palestinian resources reported that Jihad Abu Sweireh 34 years old was killed when Israeli Apaches fired three missiles at his house during an incursion to the area by the Israeli army on Wednesday night lasted this morning.

Diplomacy..

Arafat renews truce offer BBC 9/18/2003 Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has embarked on a campaign through the media to call for a new truce between Israel and the Palestinians. In interviews with Israeli newspapers and television channels, Mr Arafat indicated he would have the backing of militant groups - but called on Israel to end its targeted killings of militant group members. "I tell the Israelis: Enough blood, enough of the destruction and of the daily suffering. Our position has always been against killing Palestinians or Israelis," he told the Yediot Aharonot daily newspaper. Israeli ministers reject Arafat plea for truce Middle East Online 9/18/2003 Leading Israeli ministers Thursday rejected an appeal by Yasser Arafat for a truce as US President George W. Bush dismissed the veteran Palestinian leader as a "failure". In a series of interviews with the Israeli media, Arafat fleshed out a proposal for a new truce that was initially snubbed....However, in a sign of divisions in Israeli ranks, President Moshe Katsav said Arafat could yet play an active role in relaunching the peace process. Bush says Mideast peace 'stalled,' blames Arafat Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 CAMP DAVID - U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged Thursday that U.S.-backed road map to Middle East peace had stalled and charged Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat "has failed as a leader." Speaking at a news conferencewith Jordan's King Abdullah, Bush said Arafat had undermined former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas' efforts to consolidatesecurity forces under his leadership and to crack down on militant groups. UN to hold emergency meeting Fri. on Israel's decision to 'remove' Arafat Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 The United Nations General Assembly has accepted Arab member states’ call to hold an emergency debate Friday on Israel’scontroversial decision to “remove” Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. The Arab states’ move comes in reaction to itsfailure to get the United States to vote for a resolution in the UN Security Council demanding that Israel halt threats to expel Yasser Arafat from the West Bank. New Palestinian PM to offer Israel comprehensive truce Daily Star 9/18/2003 Arafat dismisses American veto of UN resolution -- The incoming Palestinian prime minister said Wednesday he will offer Israel a comprehensive truce, and Palestinian officials said the militant group Hamas has signaled it might agree to stop attacks on Israelis. But Israeli leaders say they want to first see Palestinian action to take Hamas and other militant groups out of commission before considering a new cease-fire arrangement. Pressures mount on Israel over Arafat policy, acceptance of proposed cease-fire Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, on a brief visit to Israel yesterday, deplored Israel's decision to act toward removing PA chairman Yasser Arafat. "The decision will merely damage the peace process," Petersen told reporters in Tel Aviv after meeting with his counterpart, Silvan Shalom. He called on Israel to "urgently" accept the Palestinian proposal for a cease-fire as a first step toward implementing the road map. Israel to conclude prisoner swap with Hezbollah soon Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 Israel and Hezbollah are soon expected to conclude a prisoner exchange in which Israel will release Palestinian as well as Lebanese prisoners, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said yesterday. Israeli security sources confirmed that there has been some progress in the negotiations with Hezbollah - and, for the first time, declined to rule out the possibility that Palestinians would also be freed as part of the deal. Hezbollah Leader: Prisoners Swap Will Definitely Include Palestinians International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2003 Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that a possible swap of prisoners with Israel will include be inclusive of Palestinians. "The exchange operation that we are working to achieve will include Lebanese, Jordanians and Syrians regardless of numbers, and definitely Palestinians," Nasrallah said in a speech in Beirut. Government officials will try to persuade U.S. not to deduct fence costs from loan guarantees Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 Israel will try to persuade the United States not to deduct the cost of the separation fence in the West Bank from the loan guarantees the U.S. gave Israel, claiming that the fence is needed for security. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will withhold the decision on the fence's track until the U.S. clarifies its intentions. So far Washington has not decided whether the fence is to be considered "construction" and deducted from the loan guarantees like the investments in settlements in the territories. Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weisglass and Defense Ministry director-general Amos Yaron are to visit Washington next week and meet White House National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on Monday. They will try to persuade her that the fence is a security expense, rather than a civil one. Mussa Beckons to Cut off Ties with Israel If It Removes Arafat International Press Center 9/17/2003 CAIRO, Sep 17, 2003, (IPC+Agencies)--The league of Arab states rebuffed in the conclusion of its emergency meeting Monday, the latest Israeli decision to remove President Arafat and warned of the devastating consequences if such decision was put into practice. Following an extraordinary meeting of the league of Arab States at the level of permanent representatives Monday, Amro Mussa, Secretary General of the Arab league, emphasized that boycotting Israel is the minimal if Arafat has been removed. German MP Hails IAEA Debate of Israeli WMD Palestine Chronicle 9/18/2003 BERLIN - A senior German parliamentary deputy of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) hailed the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) planned debate of Israel’s nuclear program, calling it a "progress". "I view it as politically striking that for the first time ever, it (IAEA) is mentioning the program at all, because Israel’s (nuclear) program has been tolerated and secretive up to now. It was never discussed," German MP Uta Zapf told IRNA news agency. Arab League nations attack Israel at nuclear watchdog Jordan Times 9/18/2003 VIENNA (AFP) — Fifteen Arab League states have proposed a resolution condemning Israel at a meeting of the UN's atomic agency for not signing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), diplomats said Wednesday. “There have been lots of developments (concerning suspected nuclear arms programmes) in the Middle East, such as Iraq and Iran. Israel also has to be mentioned,” an Arab diplomat told AFP. Referring to Israel, the Arab League resolution said “the only state in the Middle East region that is not party to the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons to accede to it without delay.” Arafat: I will die a martyr Al-Jazeera 9/18/2003 Defiant Yasir Arafat says he is ready to die a martyr and, with a machine gun by his side, he warns he is ready to use it to defend himself....The United States’ use of its veto to kill the UN Security Council motion may encourage Israel to carry out its threat to assassinate Arafat. However those fears were not evident on Wednesday when Arafat said: "Is there anyone in Palestine who does not dream of martyrdom? Is there any Palestinian who could not be martyred by daily shelling or missiles?"...“There is no doubt the US veto and the (subsequent) international silence have given Israel a green light to continue its daily aggressions against our people, villages, camps, cities, and sacred Muslim and Christian places.” Carter: Bush too busy to deliver peace Al-Hayat 9/18/2003 Former US president Jimmy Carter says Israel must bring a halt to its illegal settlement policies before a peaceful solution can be found in the Middle East. Carter also said that Arab countries must also recognise Israel's "right to exist and its right to security" during a speech on Wednesday. He also warned that President George Bush was probably too busy to focus on settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict because of other pressing international issues. Terrorism Tops Abdullah-Snow Talks Agenda Arab News 9/18/2003 JEDDAH, 18 September 2003 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, met with US Treasury Secretary John W. Snow at Al-Salam Palace yesterday. Their talks covered a range of issues including the need to dry up sources of terrorist funding worldwide. “We discussed various issues including the war on terror. Saudis can set an example to all countries engaged in fighting global terrorism,” Snow told a press conference at the Conference Palace last night. Al-Rai al-Am: Silvan Shalom - 'Shebaa farms are Syrians' Arabic News 9/18/2003 IsraelÕs foreign minister [Silvan Shalom] said that the occupied Shebaa farms are not Lebanese territories, and Israel will occupy it until an agreement is reached with Syria concerning it. In a statements published today by the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am, [Shalom] said that Shebaa farms "are Syrian lands since 1967 and not Lebanese .. and that Hizbullah has used the issue of Shebaa farms to justify launching its attacks. We will remain in these farms until we reach a solution with Syria." Arafat claims progress on truce talks The Guardian 9/18/2003 Yasser Arafat claimed to have made fresh progress on truce negotiations with militant groups today, in a bid to revive the ailing road map to peace. Mr Arafat told an Israeli newspaper that Islamic Jihad is ready to declare an immediate ceasefire and that Hamas is also "positive" about such a move. But he suggested he would take no action to dismantle the two groups, despite US and Israeli pressure. Arafat To Announce Ceasefire Initiative And Arab Representatives Refer To UN General Assembly Al-Hayat 9/18/2003 The Palestinian Authority held the U.S. responsible for any harm that could be caused to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, after the Americans used its veto at the Security Council to oppose the draft resolution that called for protecting President Arafat from Israel's threats to kill or expel him. In parallel, Arafat seemed defiant regarding this decision, and even called it a "new Sykes-Picot" that would not affect Palestinians. This all came on the eve of the expanded meeting to be held by the various bodies of Fatah, the main Palestinian Authority organization, set up to finalize the list of candidates for the government of Ahmad Qureih. Hizbullah touts prisoner swap Nasrallah confident about negotiations Daily Star 9/18/2003 Resistance leader calls on Arab media to promote hope, target Western audiences -- Hizbullah’s secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced Wednesday that negotiations with Israel over the exchange of prisoners will materialize in a few weeks. He said that contrary to what has been reported in the Israeli press, concerning negotiations that only involve the release of Lebanese detainees, Hizbullah is working on releasing Syrian, Jordanian and Palestinian detainees.

Human Rights..

Cancer and heart patients suffer from Israeli measures Jerusalem Times 9/18/2003 The Minister of Health, Dr. Kamal Al-Sharafi, implied that the government of Israel bears the full responsibility for the collapsing of the health conditions for 30 cancer and health patients through prohibiting ambulances to transfer these patients from Gaza to the Jerusalem hospitals or to the Israeli hospitals to follow up on their medications. Dr. Al-Sharafi assured in a press conference that IsraelÕs continuous refusal for not allowing these Palestinian patients to reach hospitals on time to receive their medication threatens their lives and exposes them to extreme health dangers. At Israel`s Will: New report regarding the permit policy in the West Bank Physicians for Human Rights-Israel 9/18/2003 After having prohibited Palestinians from entering into Israel; after having prohibited free passage between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; after having prohibited their entrance into East Jerusalem; Israel is prohibiting internal movement within the West Bank. Any passage between one village and another is illegal, unless the Palestinian resident is ``equipped`` with a passage permit given by the Civil Administration. Such a situation, especially when prolonged, destroys and ruins all the civil systems that were built by the Palestinian society, including the health system. Israel`s control of the physical passageways within the Occupied Territories, coupled with the massive finances invested into the building of the fence structure and system, verify that this is not a temporary arrangement. To a great extent, these permits and the readiness of many sectors in Palestinian society to request them are the strongest evidence for the depth of oppression that Palestinian society experiences, and for the internalization of this oppression. Gaza lacks fresh drinking water Jerusalem Times 9/18/2003 The horn of the truck that carries a container that holds Filtered fresh drinking water squeaks across Al-Sabra's (Cactus) over crowded neighborhood in Gaza City, where the inhabitants rush towards the water peddler to buy fresh drinking water after it was not available for a long period of time. One of the Palestinian residents in Al-Sabra neighborhood, Abu Tarek Moussa, said after filing 20-liter gallon container with fresh water proves that our region is showing an increasing level of fresh drinking water shortage and 'I am always is waiting for the water peddler to pass by our neighborhood to buy one week's supply of fresh drinking water.'...Reports show that most of the settlements in Gaza are built on top of under ground fresh water reservoirs to deny access to Palestinians to benefit from it ,while all the benefits go to the Israelis... as Goush Katif and Nitserim settlements in which beneath it exists the largest fresh water reservoirs in Gaza region that can provide the settlements with fresh water for years. Abdelrazeq: Thousands of Palestinian Prisoners Humiliated by Israel International Press Center 9/18/2003 GAZA, Palestine, September 18, 2003 (IPC)-- Palestinian Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Hesham Abdelrazeq, said that Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons are being exposed to harsh Israeli practices including physical torture, solitary confinement, beating and tear gas inhalation. In a press conference held Wednesday by the International Press Center (IPC) in Gaza, Abdelrazeq went onto saying that along with the said practices, Israeli prison administrations have recently installed glass walls in prison rooms, preventing warm family visits, followed recently by Israeli complete denial of visits made regularly by prisoners’ families to their beloved ones. Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 11-17 September 2003 Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 9/18/2003 Israeli Forces escalate war crimes in the OPT: 5 Palestinians, including a child and an old man, were killed by Israeli forces / 1 of the victims was killed in an extra-judicial assassination in Hebron / 3 of the victims, including a child, were killed in 3 cases of apparent willful killing / Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip / 40 houses were demolished by Israeli forces in Rafah leaving dozens of families homeless / Houses were raided and a number of Palestinian civilians were arrested / Trees were uprooted in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis / 7 houses in the West Bank were destroyed by Israeli forces as part of the continued campaign of retaliation against the families of wanted Palestinians and those who allegedly carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets / Construction of the separation wall in the West Bank continued / Indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued leaving dead an old Palestinian man and injuring dozens of others / Israeli forces have imposed a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip U.S. to fund shelter for Israel's human trafficking victims Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 Under an agreement signed by the United States and Israel on Thursday, the U.S. will donate $200,000 to build a shelter for women who have been the victims of human trafficking. The shelter is set to open somewhere in the center of the country in approximately two months and will provide shelter and treatment for 50 women.

Economy..

Netanyahu: Most of NIS 1.1B welfare cuts to be canceled Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 Most of the welfare cuts approved by the cabinet as part of the 2004 budget will be canceled, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday - just one day after the cabinet made its decision. The Histadrut, meanwhile, declared a labor dispute yesterday on behalf of 700,000 public-sector workers in response to the cabinet's approval of the budget - a decision that enables the labor organization to place the entire public sector on strike after a 15-day cooling-off period. In addition, numerous government agencies declared individual work disputes yesterday. Consumer price index continue to drop for the second month in a row Jerusalem Times 9/18/2003 Consumer price index (CPI) for the Palestinian areas for the month of August 2003 went down by 0.37% compared to the previous monthÕs index, said the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in its monthly report on inflation in the Palestinian areas. The index rate became 136.34 in August compared to 136.85 in July 2003. The drop in consumer prices is for the second month in a row. Job-seeker figures reach record high Ha'aretz 9/18/2003 The number of job-seekers - Israelis who sought work in state employment offices - rose by more than 3 percent last month, hitting a record level of 221,000 for the month of August, according to official Employment Bureau figures released yesterday. Taking into account seasonal and other technical factors, the August job-seeker figure represents a rise of 3.1 percent from the July figure.

People..

Women’s group fights against domestic, sexual violence Daily Star 9/18/2003 Organization working to overcome a major taboo in Lebanese society -- A family in a small mountain village rented an apartment in their house to a newlywed couple. They thought that the young husband and wife would certainly lead a life full of happiness. Instead, they soon realized that the husband would beat his bride every night and sometimes even threaten to use electric shocks on her. “What should we do about this situation,” the landlords asked themselves. “We couldn’t go to the police, because the next day, the young woman would pretend that everything was fine and she would have never admitted that she is being abused.” Palestinians act as human shields for Arafat Jerusalem Times 9/18/2003 Two dozen Palestinians pledged to serve as human shields if Israel tries to forcibly expel the President Yasser Arafat. They set up two tents near Arafat's battered offices in the Muqataa which was almost destroyed in previous Israeli raids. Fateh movement, ruling party headed by Arafat, urged Palestinians to stay around the clock at his headquarters to protect the President from any Israeli attempt to force him into exile. Israel has made no move to seize Arafat, and last Friday soldiers abandoned lookout positions on top floors of two buildings overlooking his compound. Islamists gaining popularity in opinion poll Palestinian Information Center 9/18/2003 Ramallah - A new opinion poll in a Palestinian university has revealed that the popularity of the Islamic groups in the Palestinian society was growing steadily. The poll conducted in the Najah University, Nablus, in the period 17-19 July 2003 displayed that 21.4% supported the Hamas Movement and 5.2% backed the Islamic Jihad Movement (both Islamic movements thus grabbed around 27% of votes) while the Fatah Movement won 24.7% of the votes.

International..

Saudis consider nuclear bomb The Guardian 9/18/2003 Saudi Arabia, in response to the current upheaval in the Middle East, has embarked on a strategic review that includes acquiring nuclear weapons, the Guardian has learned. This new threat of proliferation in one of the most dangerous regions of the world comes on top of a crisis over Iran's alleged nuclear programme. Bush Opposes Syrian Sanctions Bill Middle East Newsline 9/18/2003 WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Bush administration, despite concern that Syria has transferred weapons of mass destruction to groups deemed as terrorists, opposes congressional legislation to impose new sanctions on the regime of President Bashar Assad. The administration's position was outlined by Undersecretary of State John Bolton during a House hearing on Tuesday. Bolton did not rule out additional diplomatic and economic measures on Damascus, but nixed the Syrian Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which would impose a virtual trade embargo on Syria. Aoun Testifies Against Syria In Congress Al-Hayat 9/18/2003 Lebanese opposition leader General Michel Aoun testified before U.S. Congress yesterday, accusing Syria of having "starting fires in Lebanon in order to justify their extinction," for over two decades of "occupation and hegemony, which have turned Lebanon into a fertile land for terrorism." Addressing the Sub Committee for Middle East Affairs, as part of the debate of the Syria Accountability Act and Restoration of Lebanese Sovereignty, Aoun said that Syria turned Lebanon into "a slave working at the service of dictatorship," and adding that "under the Syrian occupation, Lebanon has become a country where human rights are violated and diplomats and journalists are assassinated." Syria, Libya Listed as 'Rogue States' Newsday 9/18/2003 Washington - The Bush administration named Syria and Libya yesterday as "rogue states" whose weapons of mass destruction must not just be controlled but must be eliminated by whatever means necessary. Syria, it said, is of particular concern because it has been supporting terrorist groups and letting militants cross its border into Iraq to fight U.S. forces. But some Democrats in Congress complained that the tough rhetoric from Undersecretary of State John Bolton on Syria, in particular, did not match the administration's actions. Washington leans on Riyadh to cut off ‘terror funds’ Daily Star 9/18/2003 Crown prince says schools must oppose extremism but accuses western media of poisoning ties -- Washington’s crusade to cut off the cash flow to groups it calls terrorists hit Saudi Arabia Wednesday as Israel joined a campaign to make the kingdom sever links to Islamic groups leading the Palestinians’ struggle for independence. And Riyadh, under fire from the United States to dilute its strict Islamic tradition that has provided fertile ground for extremists, sent new signals of imminent reform. Syria's PM appoints new cabinet BBC 9/18/2003 The Syrian Prime Minister, Mohammed Naji al-Otari, has named a new cabinet which is expected to start pushing through economic and administrative reforms, reports say. Eleven ministers retained their original posts in the 30-member cabinet, including the Foreign Minister, Farouk al-Sharaa, and the Defence Minister, Major General Mustafa Tlas. Israel in Dubai angers Arabs Al-Jazeera 9/18/2003 Some say they are disgusted, others feel disappointed, but most Arabs are resigned to Israel's participation at a global economic meeting being held for the first time ever in an Arab country. Israel's presence at the 18-24 September World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meeting in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates has caused a stir in the region, as anger at Israel runs deep. Particularly so, over its recent decision to expel or kill Palestinian President Yasir Arafat.      Snow discusses in Jordan fighting terrorism sponsoring; Chalabi asks Jordan for frozen debts and assets Arabic News 9/18/2003 Jordanian- American talks were held yesterday on "fighting terrorism sponsoring" while the Jordanian government of Ali Abul Ragheb dismissed the decision of the Central Bank in Jordan to freeze assets relating to the Hamas movement. IMF: Mideast economy to grow over 5% in 2003 Middle East Online 9/18/2003 DUBAI - The economy in the Middle East will grow by more than five percent this year due to higher oil production and prices, the IMF said Thursday, but warned that political instability casts a shadow over the region's economic outlook. The IMF also pointed to the risks to the economy from the mounting chances of lower oil prices, and urged countries to take steps towards reducing high debt levels. Carter's Mid-East peace hopes BBC 9/18/2003 Former US President Jimmy Carter has said peace can be achieved in the Middle East. But Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat must be excluded from negotiations if this is to become a reality, Mr Carter said on the 25th anniversary of the Camp David Accords. Syria gets new cabinet Al-Jazeera 9/18/2003 The Syrian Prime Minister has announced a new cabinet but has left the key posts of foreign affairs, interior affairs, defence and economy unchanged. The appointments on Thursday by Muhammad Naji al-Otari mean more than half the faces in the new government, dominated by members of the country's ruling party, are new. Pan Arab support for Syria against American accusations Arabic News 9/18/2003 Arab League's Secretary General Amr Moussa has criticized the American accusations of Syria, stressing that these accusations express the American double standard policy which ignores the Israeli arsenal that threatens security and stability in the region.In a statement issued in Cairo today, Moussa pointed out that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as the US had claimed. Libya boycotts an Arab ministerial meeting Arabic News 9/18/2003 Libya boycotted yesterday works of the 72nd session of the social and economic council which was at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo. This was in another step towards implementing a new threat to withdraw from the AL. Libya demands compenstions for its victims of US 1986 bombing Arabic News 9/18/2003 "The delegation of the relatives of victims of the foiled American Nato barbaric aggression against the Great Jamahiriya in 1986 left Tripoli international airport last night heading to the United Nations headquarters in Geneve to call for compensation for that aggression," the Libyan official news agency JANA said yesterday.

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