Sharon: al-Qaida in Gaza, South Lebanon
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Several members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network have infiltrated the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and are working with Hezbollah to target Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday.

PA denies Sharon charge of Al-Qaida presence in Palestinian areas
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002
A Palestinian official denied Thursday a statement by Prime Minister Ariel Ariel Sharon that there is an Al-Qaida presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel Plans Increased Settlement Activity
Palestine Chronicle, December 4, 2002
"A spokeswoman for Housing Minister Nathan Sharansk said that a tender for the construction of 150 new houses in the large settlements .." --
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Israeli housing ministry and the illegal so-called Settlers Council in the occupied Palestinian Territory have drawn up a plan for increased settlement activity in the West Bank over the next three months, the Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Tuesday.

Sharon to seek unity gov't based on Bush plan
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002
In his most programmatic and detailed acceptance yet of President George W. Bush's June 24 "vision" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday told the Herzliya conference on national security that if he is reelected he will form a unity government based on the "Bush framework."

Democratic presidential hopeful to 'Post': I back loan guarantees
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
Howard Dean, the Democratic governor of Vermont and a 2004 presidential hopeful, visited this week and voiced support for the US providing $10 billion in loan guarantees.

Sharon: US special aid coming "very soon"
Globes, December 5, 2002
"We are not interested in a defense pact with the US, as it might put Israel in some uncomfortable situations." -- "US special aid to Israel will come very soon", Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today. Sharon said that a professional delegation would depart for Washington next week, to conclude the aid package.

Settler movement to lobby against US ambassador
Jerusalem Post, December 4, 2002 
The settler movement and its supporters dropped hints Wednesday that they would begin to lobby for the removal of US ambassador Daniel Kurtzer for saying that settlements "cripple the chances for peace and security."

Mofaz calls for decisive action
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
The war with the Palestinians cannot continue in its current form forever, and at some point Israel will have to take decisive military action to end it, followed by political negotiations, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the security cabinet Wednesday.

ANALYSIS: 'Military decision' means expelling Arafat
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz spoke to the security cabinet Wednesday about changing tactics in the war with the Palestinians, moving from the current situation in which there is a terror attack every few days to an action that would bring about a "political-military decision."

Ya'alon sees `decisive victory' in near future
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002  
Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon told the security cabinet yesterday that Israel could win a decisive victory against the Palestinians in the near future as international pressure against terror increases, and recognizing that Arafat's regime is on the wane, with more and more voices speaking out against it.

Labor voters want Mitzna to move right
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002 
More than half of the members of the Labor Party - 53.7 percent - believe their chairman, Amram Mitzna, should express views that are less dovish and more centrist-leaning, in order to win more votes for the party during the upcoming national elections.

Bush: Terror cause of Palestinian suffering
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
US President George W. Bush voiced support for Israel's battle against Palestinian terrorism on Wednesday and said terrorism is causing the suffering of the Palestinian people.

PA interior minister opposes security coordination
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
The Palestinian Authority is opposed to the resumption of security coordination with Israel, the Interior Minister Hani al-Hasan said Wednesday.

Arafat's economic adviser calls for cease-fire
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
Denying allegations that he is one of the most corrupt officials in the Palestinian Authority, Muhammad Rashid, the adviser on economic affairs to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, has broken a months-long silence by calling for a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians.

PM okays a new stage for the security fence
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002  
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz yesterday agreed to begin work shortly on the second stage of the security fence, east of Salem to the Gilboa and the Beit She'an Valley.

PM: Concessions are irreversible
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
Political concessions to the Palestinians in the past, like those to come in the future, are "irreversible," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday in a wide-ranging speech outlining his vision of a diplomatic process that will culminate in a Palestinian state.

Sharon Proposes Palestinian State on Parts of West Bank, Gaza
Palestine Chronicle, December 4, 2002
GAZA CITY - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proposed yesterday the creation of a Palestinian state in the zones under Palestinian administration, covering 40 percent of the West Bank and three-quarters of the Gaza Strip as troops killed three Palestinians on the eve of Eid Al-Fitr.

Israel says al-Qaeda active in Gaza
BBC, December 5, 2002
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon drew Palestinian anger on Thursday when he said that al-Qaeda militants were operating in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Sharon: Al-Qaeda members infiltrated Gaza Strip, Lebanon
Al-Bawaba, December 5, 2002
Several members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network have infiltrated the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and are working with Hizbullah to target Israel, Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday. "We have information for some time now that al-Qaeda people have entered," he said at a news conference.

Sharon outlines his peace vision
BBC, December 5, 2002
The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has set out, for the first time, his proposals for the creation of a Palestinian state.

Sharon: Temporary state can be set up
Tri-Valley Herald, December 5, 2002
JERUSALEM -- Israeli helicopters blasted a Gaza City building with missiles on Wednesday, killing a suspected militant, one of several violent incidents on a day also marked by Israeli statements about Palestinian statehood.

Ex-Israeli Envoy Reports Money Transfers
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
JERUSALEM (AP) - Former Israeli envoys to peace talks with the Palestinians were involved in the illegal transfer of $300 million in Palestinian funds to Yasser Arafat through a secret Swiss account, one of the envoys disclosed Thursday.

PM vows probe into claim Ginossar ran Arafat's Swiss bank account
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that a full investigation into allegations that former senior Shin Bet official Yossi Ginossar was responsible for managing a Swiss bank account belonging to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and PA financial advisor Mohammed Rashid was already underway.

PM says would allow contiguous Palestinian territory in W. Bank
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that with the implementation of the plan proposed by President George W. Bush, Israel would create a contiguous area of territory in the West Bank that would allow the Palestinians to travel from Jenin to Hebron without passing any Israeli roadblocks.

Bush puts blame on terrorists for waylaying Mideast peace
Tri-Valley Herald, December 5, 2002
WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Wednesday he believes Osama bin Laden's network was involved in last week's Kenya attacks, and he complained that terrorists have been able to "stop the peace process" in the Middle East.

IDF arrests Tanzim activist suspected of terror shooting
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002
Israel Defense Force troops operating near the West Bank city of Nablus arrested Thursday a Tanzim activist suspected of killing an Israeli citizen over two years ago.

Home destroyed in Gaza; Sharon backs U.S. 'roadmap', Bush understands Israel fight against 'terror'
Al-Bawaba, December 5, 2002
Some 10 Israeli tanks backed by helicopters moved into Gaza City early Thursday, witnesses said, and attacked a house.

Saddam Urges Iraqi Support of Inspectors
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - President Saddam Hussein urged the Iraqi people on Thursday to support the new U.N. arms inspections as a welcome opportunity to disprove American allegations that his government still harbors weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam: Give inspectors a chance
BBC, December 5, 2002
Saddam Hussein has said Iraq should give the United Nations weapons inspectors a chance to show the country has no banned weapons.

Iraq in sights as US and British practise in Qatar
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
The US Central Command field headquarters, from where any future offensive against Iraq would be run, will be deployed in the Gulf state of Qatar indefinitely after military exercises there next week, military officials said yesterday.

UN resolutions on Iraq unrelated to Israel - Blair
Jerusalem Post, December 4, 2002
One should not equate UN resolutions on Israel with those against Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the BBC on Monday night.

Saddam says U.N. inspectors have chance to refute U.S. allegations
Al-Bawaba, December 5, 2002
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein urged his people on Thursday to support the new U.N. arms inspections as a welcome opportunity to disprove American allegations that his government still harbors weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam distances himself from slur on inspectors
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
The Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, today moved to distance himself from allegations made by one of his vice presidents that the UN weapons inspection teams were a front for US and Israeli spies.

Iraqi VP: U.N. inspectors serve CIA and Mossad
Al-Bawaba, December 5, 2002
Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan accused late Wednesday U.N. inspectors of being "spies" for the United States and Israel, and of staging the intrusion into a presidential palace on Tuesday as a provocation that could lead to war.

Iran President Says US Seeking Pretexts to Attack Iraq
Palestine Chronicle, December 4, 2002
TEHRAN - Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami on Wednesday expressed hope that no military action would be taken against Iraq by the US although Washington is seeking pretexts to do so.

U.S. war planning brings its top officials to the region for talks
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002 
Top-level U.S. administration officials are fanning out in the region for meetings with local leaders and military officials in advance of the planned U.S. assault on Iraq.

Bush fails to win over sceptical Europeans
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
Poll on war with Iraq shows France, Germany and Russia opposed, UK divided: The transatlantic divide over a war with Iraq is wider than ever, despite US attempts to rally world support for a potential military campaign, according to a survey of global attitudes published yesterday.

Chechen rebels phoned Gulf during siege
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
Moscow says theatre hostage takers were funded from Saudi Arabia -- Russian security officials suspect that the Chechens who seized a Moscow theatre in October had wealthy Arab sponsors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and have sought Washington's support in finding the financiers.

Palestinian Hanged for '94 Assassination
The Guardian, December 5, 2002
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - A Palestinian man was hanged for the 1994 assassination of a Jordanian diplomat in Lebanon, security officials said Thursday.

Father and son killed in clash between Fatah, Hamas supporters in Gaza
Al-Bawaba, December 5, 2002
A 12-year-old boy and his father were killed Wednesday in Gaza in a clash between supporters of Palestinian groups over who would write graffiti on a wall, witnesses and hospital officials said, according to AP.

Fahd calls for projecting true picture of Islam
Arab News, December 5, 2002
JEDDAH, 5 December 2002 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd yesterday urged Muslims all over the world to project the true picture of Islam, a religion of peace, tolerance and mercy.

Global anger at US 'growing'
BBC, December 5, 2002
Anti-US feeling is strongest in certain Muslim societies -- A major survey of global public opinion has found increasing anti-Americanism.

Mixed emotions mark Muslims' Eid holiday
The Seattle Times, December 5, 2002
For Muslims, Eid al-Fitr, which begins at sundown today, is supposed to be a joyous event.

Ban on Israeli goods has shoppers in uproar
San Francisco Chronicle, December 5, 2002  
Rainbow Grocery's ban on carrying certain Israeli-made goods has angered some customers and prompted the Jewish Community Relations Council in San Francisco to demand that the Mission District co-op reverse its boycott immediately.

Israel, Cyprus reach temporary agreement on flights
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002 
Israel and Cyprus have reached a temporary agreement to avoid a cessation of flights between the two countries due to disagreements over security arrangements at Laraca International Airport.

Israel considers anti-missile defense for passenger planes
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002 
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has proposed installing anti-missile systems on passenger aircraft after a failed attempt to shoot down an Israeli charter plane in Kenya last week, a security source said Thursday.

Israel on S&P negative outlook list for 2002
Globes, December 5, 2002
Israel was on a Standard & Poor’s list of only 16 countries with a negative rating forecast and high risk of a general credit rating downgrade in 2003.

Poll: Is Jihad a Holy War, or Internal Spiritual Struggle?
Palestine Chronicle, December 4, 2002
WASHINGTON - Funny how some things — which some may view as quite significant — just don”t make a blip on the national news radar screen.

Judge Rules 'Enemy Combatant' Can Challenge Government
Palestine Chronicle, December 4, 2002
NEW YORK - A federal court judge in New York has ruled it has the power to decide whether a man accused of plotting to explode a radioactive bomb was properly detained as an enemy combatant. Until that decision is made, the judge says, the accused has the right to see his lawyers.

Statement From International UN Workers Operating In Occupied Palestinian Territories
Palestine Chronicle, December 3, 2002
"'UN staff - international and Palestinian alike - have been verbally abused, stripped, beaten, shot at and killed by Israeli soldiers ..'" -- To whom it may concern, We, the undersigned, are staff members of the United Nations, but we write in our personal capacities. 

Setting the Record Straight: UN Agency Refutes False Allegations
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
ALLEGATION: "UNRWA is complicit in terrorism because it turns a blind eye to militant activity in "its" camps."
FACT: UNRWA does not run refugee camps. It is a UN agency with a clearly defined mandate, in accordance with which, it provides health, education and other humanitarian services to refugees, only one third of whom live in refugee camps.

UNRWA workers protest IDF's interference in relief efforts
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002 
"Last Friday, the IDF detained..a UN Relief and Works Agency worker..who was in the past held by Israel in administrative arrest on suspicion of terror involvement. It was established early this week that [he] has been put under administrative arrest again - the IDF has yet to respond about his case." -- Dozens of UN Relief and Works Agency workers in the territories yesterday signed a petition condemning the Israel Defense Forces for impairing the UN's relief work.

EU threatens to cut ties with Hamas
Ha'aretz, December 5, 2002  
If all the Palestinian factions declare a cease-fire and there is an absolute end to the terrorist attacks, the Israeli peace camp has a chance of being strengthened in the coming elections, the European Union's special envoy to the Middle East Miguel Moratinos said yesterday.

Fearing further sanctions, IFA denies al-Qaida targeted national team
Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2002 
The Israel Football Association on Wednesday angrily rejected reports that al-Qaida operatives had planned to attack the national soccer team at its October 12 qualifying match in Malta, saying they could harm Israel's ability to play in Europe.