Occupied Palestine: News and Articles

Four residents, including three children killed in the Gaza Strip Saed Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian medical sources in Gaza city reported on Wednesday at night that the number of residents who were killed in the Gaza Strip arrived to four, including one who died of earlier wounds. Earlier in the day, two children were killed when the army fired a surface-to-surface missile at a group of residents in Abu Safiyya area, in Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The two children were identified as Yahia Ramadan Abu Ghazala, and Mahmoud Mousa Abu Ghazala. A third child, identified as Sara Abu Ghazal suffered serious wounds and was moved to Kamal Adwan hospital. Moreover, a third child died of wounds sustained Thursday when the army fired a tank shell at a house in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Israel did not keep one promise, says Fayyad Roee Nahmias, YNetNews
’Not everything reported in the media actually takes place,’ Palestinian prime minister says, detailing series of violations by Jewish state. According to Fayyad, ’There is a big difference between the talks on cooperation and ease of restrictions and what happens in practice’ - Israel did not carry out even one move it committed to, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad charged on Wednesday, a day after the meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem. In an interview with the Jordanian newspaper al-Dustour, Fayyad was asked what he thought about Israel’s ongoing activity in the West Bank and assassinations in the Gaza Strip. "This proves that there is a big difference between the talks on cooperation and ease of restriction and what happens in practice.
The Israeli army continues its military invasion of Qalqilia injuring 34 so far Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center
The Israeli army continued its military offensive targeting the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. Medical sources reported that 34 civilians have been injured due to army fire since the beginning of the invasion this morning, one of them critically. The medical sources identified Ibrahim Daoud, aged 17, who was shot in the head by the invading Israeli troops. Earlier today the Israeli army demolished two homes there. Palestinian media sources reported that a massive army force along with two military bulldozers invaded the city then surrounded the house of Adel Hassan, forcing the family out. They then destroyed the house and kidnapped Hassan, taking him to an unknown destination. Shortly thereafter troops attacked and demolished another nearby house.
Army demolishes two homes in Qalqilia city Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center
The Israeli army invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia and demolished two homes there on Wednesday morning. Palestinian media sources reported that a massive army force along with two military bulldozers invaded the city then surrounded the house of Adel Hassan, troops destroyed the house after forcing the family out then took Hassan to unknown destination. Shortly there after troops attacked another nearby house and demolished it, local sources said that the house belongs to a local resident known as Qassem Al Hurop. As the time of this report the Israeli army is still in the city occupying homes and searching them, witnesses said.
Court rejects 2 petitions against fence route Aviram Zino, YNetNews
High Court says alternative fence route near Alfei Manashe drafted by government causes ’proportionate harm’ to Palestinian residents in area - The High Court of Justice on Wednesday rejected two petitions filed by Palestinian villagers and Israeli citizens against the security fence route near the Jewish town of Alfei Menashe. The court rejected Palestinian claims that the route should be moved away from their homes and lands toward the Green Line, saying the fence will cause "proportionate harm" to their livelihoods. The court also rejected a petition by the residents of Alfei Menashe who demanded the route encroach on more Palestinian lands, arguing that its proximity exposed their settlement to the threat of terror attacks from the West Bank.
Hospital refuses order to transfer paralyzed Palestinian girl Reuters, YNetNews
Jerusalem rehabilitation center says girl paralyzed in IDF attack in Gaza last year ’won’t be going anywhere’ because she cannot get the care she needs in Palestinian facility - A Jerusalem rehabilitation center is defying a government order to transfer a Palestinian girl paralyzed in an Israel Defense Forces attack on militants to a hospital in the West Bank. Maria Amin, who turns six on Thursday, cannot get the care she needs in the Palestinian facility "so she won’t be going anywhere" until her well-being is assured, said Shirley Meyer of the Alyn Hospital Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem. Maria was paralyzed from the neck down when the car she was traveling in was caught in a missile attack on a leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza in May last year.
Army invades Nablus city kidnaps two civilians, resistance destroy one military vehicle Ameen Abu Wardeh, International Middle East Media Center
At least ten Israeli military jeeps invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday morning; during the invasion Palestinian resistance destroyed one army vehicle. Witnesses said that during the invasion Israeli troops and jeeps attacked and searched homes in the city of Nablus and nearby Balata refugee camp, local resistance men attacked the invading force and managed to destroy one military jeep, witnesses said. After several hours the Israeli army left the city and the refugee camp and kidnapped two Palestinian civilians, local sources identified the two as Majdi Ishtawi, 39, and Islam Abu Amer, 24. The Israeli has yet to confirm the attack.
Two Palestinian civilians kidnapped as army invades Ithna village near Hebron Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center
Two Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by Israeli troops that invaded and searched homes in the village of Ithna located south east of Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank. The two kidnapped were identified as Mohamed Awad, 18, Isma’el Ighbarah, 32.
Israeli army wounds a resident and takes prisoners two others in Bethlehem Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center
In a new fresh Israeli attack on the West Bank city of Bethlehem, a Palestinian resident was reportedly wounded and two others taken prisoners, after an Israeli special undercover unit stormed the Wad aL-Ma’ali quarter on Wednesday evening. Eyewitnesses said that 15 about armored vehicles cordoned off a commercial zone and that soldiers began shooting heavily, wounding in the head, a 17-year-old guy. Hospital sources confirmed that Mohammad Al-Ko’ali, 17 year-old, sustained a rubber-coated steel bullet in the head. The Israeli attack resulted in the arrest of two other residents; Nader aL-Mo’ty, 23 and Ibrahim Hassan, 23, who were taken by the Israeli soldiers to unknown destination, local sources confirmed. Israeli army takes prisoners several Palestinian residents from the various West Bank areas, almost on daily basis.
Haifa man dies of critical wounds sustained during Lebanon war Jack Khoury, Ha’aretz
41-year-old Mohammed Salum died on Wednesday from critical wounds he sustained in a Katyusha rocket strike on Haifa during last summer’s war with Hezbollah. Salum is the 153rd person to have been killed in the Second Lebanon War. Salum was critically wounded when a Katyusha rocket hit his family’s home on Caesarea Street in the mostly Arab neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas. Salum suffered serious burns all over his body. The doctors fought for his life from the moment he arrived at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, and he has been kept in the hospital’s intensive care unit since. Salum was not married. His sister Munira has been by his bedside since the incident. "There were weeks when we felt that his condition may be improving and he was beginning to recover.
Brigades launch projectiles at Sderot Ma’an News Agency
Gaza - Ma’an - An Nasser Salah Ad Din brigades claimed responsibility for launching homemade projectiles at Sderot early on Wednesday morning. In a statement they said the "operation is part of the retaliation for the Israeli aggressions and attacks against Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." Also, the Al-Quds Brigades announced they had launched two homemade projectiles at Sderot on Tuesday evening. In a statement they said the "operation was retaliation for the Israeli crimes against Palestinian people." Meanwhile, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades and An Nasser Salah Ad Din brigades claimed joint responsibility for an armed attack on Special Israeli forces north west of Beit Lahia on Tuesday evening. In a joint statement the Brigades said that one An Nasser members was injured in the clash and was taken to hospital.
Israeli forces storm Qalqilia Ma’an News Agency
Qalqilia - Ma’an -Thirty Palestinians were injured when Israeli forces stormed the city of Qalqilia in the northern West Bank on Wednesday morning. Medical sources have confirmed that 18-year-old Ibrahim Hassan Mohammad was shot in the head and is in a critical condition. He is being transferred from the UNRWA Hospital in the city to Rafidia hospital in Nablus. After storming into the city Israeli forces imposed a curfew on many neighbourhoods in the west and south of the city. Ma’an’s correspondent reported thatthe Israeli forces were re- enforced with military vehicles and bulldozers. Journalists were banned from approaching the area. He added frequent gunfire could be heard in the area and that the Israeli forces are besieging many houses.
IDF operation in Qalqilya ends without injuries Efrat Weiss, YNetNews
Israeli troops enter West Bank city in search of terror suspects, detain one rioter; 24 Palestinians lightly wounded from crowd dispersal means - Israel Defense Forces, in cooperation with the Special Police Unit encountered great resistance from Palestinians in an operation in the West Bank city of Qalqilya on Wednesday. During the operation, 24 Palestinians were lightly injured by crowd dispersal weapons used by the Israeli troops. IDF soldiers and police officers entered Qalqilya early Wednesday morning in order to arrested terror suspects. Shortly after entering the city, three Palestinian gunmen opened fire at the forces. The troops were not injured and they fired back at the gunmen, who fled from the scene. IDF sources said the troops approached three buildings demanding the residents evacuate them.
Palestinian police unit attacked near Tulkarem Ma’an News Agency
Tulkarem – Ma’an – A Palestinian police unit was attacked and shot at in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Wednesday as they tried to make arrests. The police vehicles were attacked as they tried to execute a court order to arrest the men. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that Palestinian security forces besieged the Iktaba neighbourhood, north east Tulkarem, and demanded the men surrender. However, several tried to resist, and they were joined by a group of women, who threw stones at the police vehicles and which enabled some of the men to run away. The director of Tulkarem police, Mohammad Ayyash explained that the neighbourhood was now under police control and three assailants had been arrested along with some of the women. Ayyash told our reporter that the men are alleged to have been involved in attacks on homes in the area in an old clan dispute.
Three Al-Aqsa Brigades members allegedly shot by Hamas Executive Force Ma’an News Agency
Gaza – Ma’an – Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement said on Wednesday that three of their members have been injured by the Hamas-affiliated Executive Force in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The brigades named those injured as Wael Majayda, Rafiq Majayda and Hani Majayda, who were allegedly shot in their legs at point-blank range. A statement by Al-Aqsa Brigades read, "The EF sent warrants summoning four other members of the Majayda family, claiming that they raised Fatah flags and the late Yasser Arafat’s pictures in a wedding party for a member of Al-Aqsa Brigades."
aL-Aqsa Brigades: three members wounded by Hamas’s executive force Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center
The aL-Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, announced on Wednesday that three members of which have been shot and wounded by the executive force, a Hamas-affiliated police force, run by the Hamas-led government in Gaza. The aL-Aqsa brigades said that Wa’el aL-Majayda, Said aL-Majayda and Hani aL-Majayda, were shot and wounded in their legs from a very close destination in the aL-Majayda quarter in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Following the Hamas takeover of Gaza in mid June, the executive force has been operating largely in the costal region, maintaining order and law; after all Fatah-linked Palestinian Authority’s forces abandoned their security posts. Prior to June’s takeover, both Hamas and Fatah engaged in an internecine power struggle in the backdrop of an international community...
Undercover Israeli forces invade Bethlehem Ma’an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma’an – A Palestinian citizen was injured and two others were abducted after Israeli military forces invaded the Wadi Ma’ali neighbourhood in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday evening. Ma’an’s reporter stated that over 15 Israeli military vehicles entered the area, besieging shops and an internet café. They also fired gunshots towards Palestinian citizens, injuring Muhammad Ku’ali 17 with a rubber-coated steel bullet to the head. He was transferred to Beit Jala hospital for treatment. An undercover Israeli force besieged the area and abducted two alleged operatives of the Islamic Jihad movement; Nadir Mu’ti, 23, and Ibrahim Hassan, 23. The two were released from Israeli jails just two months ago.
Abbas calls on Washington to provide peace outline ahead of conference Daily Star
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned Wednesday that a US-sponsored international peace conference planned for November could fail if no plan for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was devised ahead of the meeting, as two Palestinian children fell victim to Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip. Following closed-door talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, Abbas told state-run Jordan Television that the proposed conference "lacked clarity." He said he did not know an official date, other than mid-November, for the conference and was unsure who would attend. "The third issue is related to the content of the meeting," Abbas said. "If we go to a conference without clarity on a solution and without a declaration of principles within the framework of a work plan, I don’t think that the conference will be beneficial.
Israel thwarts deal to release prisoners in exchange for Shalit Ma’an News Agency
Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israel frustrated a deal with Hamas to exchange captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for Palestinian prisoners 14 weeks ago, Israeli Television’s Channel 2 reported on Tuesday. The deal which was negotiated through Egyptian mediation involved exchanging Shalit for 350 Palestinian prisoners. The TV channel added that Israel insisted that only 40 of the names on the list of Palestinian prisoners could be released, which resulted in the failure of the deal. Channel 2 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office had admitted that there was such a dealbut said that some of the names on the list of Palestinian prisoners had "blood on their hands." Twenty-one-year-old Corporal Shalit was captured on the 25th of June 2006 and is currently in the custody of Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Army of Islam.
Abbas in Jordan for talks Ma’an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to arrive in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Wednesday for a hastily arranged visit to discuss developments in the Palestinian territories with Jordanian officials. The Palestinian ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khayri said Abbas will stay in Jordan for two days. The Palestinian president is shuttling meetings in Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian territories as part of his endeavors to reactivate the peace process. Abbas is also scheduled to meet with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when she arrives in the region soon.
Al Awja crossing to reopen on Thursday for 161 people, of 4000 awaiting transit
Gaza – Ma’an - The liaison coordinator with the Egyptian authorities over border crossings, Hani Al-Jabour, has announced that the Al-’Awja Crossing with Egypt is to be reopened tomorrow [Thursday 30th] for those who want to enter or leave the Gaza Strip via the Erez Crossing. Those who will be allwed to cross are mainly Palestinians with business or study obligations abroad. 161 people will be allowed passage, 50 of which will travel to Cairo while 111 will leave Cairo for the Strip." The decision to reopen Al-’Awja crossing came after consultations and arrangements with the Egyptians. The crossing was closed last Sunday and only 74 citizens departed out of 4000 pending permission, given that they have business and study obligations abroad," Al-Jabbour revealed.
Ten Palestinians arrested Ma’an News Agency
Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli forces arrested ten Palestinians in several West Bank cities and towns on Wednesday claiming they are "wanted." Israeli sources confirmed that most of the arrests occurred in the city of Nablus. Those arrested were taken to interrogation centres. The sources added that the Israeli forces in Nablus were bombarded with explosive devices and shot at by Palestinian armed men. No casualties were reported.
Hamas says Fateh security forces arrested nine of its members in the West Bank Najeeb Farraj, International Middle East Media Center
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, declared on Thursday that security force loyal to Fateh movement in the West Bank arrested nine of its members in several West Bank areas over the past twenty-four hours. In a press release, the movement said that the arrested were carried out in the districts of Nablus, Jenin and Hebron, and that similar arrests had been carried out since several weeks. Hamas added that the arrestees were moved to main headquarters of the Preventive Security Force Betunia, near the northern west Bank city of Ramallah. A Palestinian security source stated that the arrestees were released several hours after they were arrested and after they were interrogated over connection of the Hamas-formed Executive Force which was outlawed by President Mahmoud Abbas.
PNGO: "PM Fayyad does not have the authority to dissolve charitable institutions" International Middle East Media Center
The Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations (PNGO) issued a press release slamming the decision of Palestinian Prime Minister, Salaam Fayyad, to dissolve 103 institutions and charitable organizations operating in the Palestinian territories. The PNGO stated that the government does not have the legal authority to dissolve these institutions. The statement came after Fayyad decided to dissolve 103 institutions operating in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The government of Fayyad said that these institutions carried financial and administrative violations. Meanwhile, the PNGO stated on Wednesday that "only the minister of interior is allowed to issue such orders, and these orders should be written, and should provide explanations and justifications for such actions", and added that these institutions...
Fayyad promises to pay allowances owed to families of those killed during Israeli attacks Ma’an News Agency
Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Wednesday pledged to pay the accumulated dues to the families of those killed during Israeli attacks, within the coming months. During a reception for a delegation representing the "National Coalition of Martyrs’ Families", Fayyad that said his government took the issue of "martyrs’ families" very seriously, and that their accumulated dues would be paid. He also promised to deal with the issue of military employees’ salaries, "especially after President Abbas ratified a decree amending the retirement law". The secretary general of the NCMF, Muhammad Sbeihat, expressed his satisfaction with Fayyad’s promises. He said: "We have been promised that the treasury will pay the accumulated six months’ worth of allowances for the families.
SOS Israel to award citations to refuseniks Efrat Weiss, YNetNews
Right-wing movement to hold event honoring soldiers who disobeyed orders to evacuate Jewish squatters from Hebron market. Event timed to coincide with IDF ceremony honoring soldiers for bravery during last summer’s war with Hizbullah - The SOS Israel movement will distribute on Sunday citations to the IDF soldiers who refused to take part in the evacuation of Jewish squatters from the Hebron wholesale market three weeks ago. The movement timed the event to coincide with an IDF ceremony to honor soldiers who carried out brave acts during last summer’s war with Hizbullah. "It is time that politicians stop destroying the army and prepare it for what it is really meant to do," said the mother of a soldier who was sentenced to solitary confinement by a military court over his refusal to carry out the Hebron evacuation.
IDF officer rescued from Jenin sentenced to jail Efrat Weiss, YNetNews
Court-martial finds Major Razi Raveh violated military procedure when driving to Mevo Dotan, sentences him to 28 days in brig Major Razi Raveh, the IDF officer who was rescued by Palestinian security forces after entering the West Bank city of Jenin by mistake on Monday, was sentenced Wednesday to 28 days in a military prison. Raveh was on his way to the Mevo Dotan settlement in the northern West Bank when he accidentally drove into Jenin. Local Palestinian residents, who spotted the officer, stoned his car, forced him out and began beating him. At this point, a Palestinian policeman saw the mob and called for backup. The security officers managed to extract Raveh from the crowd moments before his vehicle was set on fire. The IDF Central Command’s investigation of the incident found that Raveh failed...
The Nerve of Israel..... Israel, EU lawmakers blast UN meeting on Palestinian rights The Associated Press, Ha’aretz
A United Nations-sponsored conference on the rights of Palestinians opens this week at the European Union assembly, despite protests by Israel and EU lawmakers who say the meeting’s organizers have an anti-Israeli agenda. The two-day panel meeting, opening Thursday at the EU assembly, was convened by the UN’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. It will discuss ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, the committee said. But Israel views the committee as a legacy of the 1975 UN General Assembly resolution which was revoked in 1991 and which equated Zionism with racism. Some EU lawmakers, backing Israel’s push to have the conference canceled, say the panel meeting was approved by leaders of European Parliament’s political groups without consulting the appropriate parliamentary bodies.
UN envoy: Quartet, Arab nation talks to take place on Sept. 23 Rami Hipsch and The Associated Press,
The international Mideast mediators known as the Quartet will meet with key Arab nations next month to promote new efforts to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process, the United Nations’ top Middle East envoy said Wednesday. Michael Williams, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council the Sept. 23 meeting would be hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters. In attendance would be the Arab League committee that has been promoting a pan-Arab plan for peace with Israel which was presented by Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers on a trip to Israel in July. A UN official said other likely participants are Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Syria. Williams expressed "guarded optimism" on Wednesday about prospects for peace in the region because...
Border tensions between Israel and Syria lessened Ma’an News Agency
Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli military sources have said that tension along the border between Israel and Syria has decreased, the Israeli daily newspaper Maariv reported on Tuesday. According to Maariv, the return of the Syrian forces to "normal activities" is an indication of the lessening tension. The Israeli army has sent an indirect message to Damascus informing the Syrians that Israel has no intention of attacking Syria. Israeli army maneuvers usually carried out in the Golan Heights, on the Syrian border, have been transferred to the Negev – a sign that Israel means what it says, according to Maariv. On Tuesday night, Israeli Television reported that the chances of another war with Hezbollah are now more likely than another war with Syria.
Security officials: IDF reducing troop presence in Golan in effort to ease tensions Haaretz Service and The Associated Press, Ha’aretz
The Israel Defense Forces has decided that war with Syria is unlikely and is reducing its troop presence in the Golan Heights after months of cross-border tension, security officials say. The decision followed months of growing tensions along the frontier and concerns that the escalation could result in war. Over the summer, Israeli and Syrian officials have repeatedly made alternating announcements that they had no interest in hostilities. The Israeli officials said Syria’s military has now also reduced its war readiness, but offered no details because the exact steps taken by the Syrians are classified. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge the information to the press. IDF troops scheduled to hold maneuvers on the Golan Heights would now be moved away...
Relief aid dispatched to Palestine Source: Government of Jordan, ReliefWeb
AMMAN, August 29 (JT) - Upon His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives, urgent medical assistance was dispatched Tuesday to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to help address a shortage in medicines and medical supplies. The JD250,000 medical aid will be handed over to Al Maqased Hospital in Jerusalem and several Gaza Strip hospitals, particularly Al Shifaa Hospital. Secretary General of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) Abdul Salam Abbadi, whose agency is in charge of Jordan’s external relief aid, said the assistance includes large quantities of drugs and medical supplies. Abbadi told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that more aid convoys will be dispatched to the Palestinians in days, apart from medical and food assistance planned to be sent during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
UN International Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli - Palestinian Peace in Brussels, 30 - 31 August United Nations General Assembly, ReliefWeb
NEW YORK, 28 August (Department of Political Affairs) -- The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will convene the United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace at the European Parliament premises in Brussels on 30 and 31 August 2007. Its theme is "Civil society and parliamentarians working together for peace in the Middle East". The Conference will provide a timely opportunity to discuss the situation on the ground, with particular attention given to the role of elected representatives in advancing the cause of Middle East peace in concert with civil society. It will build on the results of the previous international conferences, giving civil society representatives and other participants from all regions of the world,...
Palestinian Detainees call on all faction to resume internal talks International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel in the Galboa’ Prison, voiced an appeal to all Palestinian factions to resume their internal talks in order to end the ongoing tension between Fateh and Hamas, and focus on the important issues of the struggle against the occupation. The detainees also demanded the factions to focus more attention on their case imprisoned behind Israeli occupation bars for resisting the occupation. They added that they are all united, regardless of their political affiliation or interests. Meanwhile, one of the lawyers of the Nafha Society for defending the rights of the detainees and human rights, stated that detainee Ali Atatra is suffering from serious health issue due to a heart condition, and is repeatedly losing conscious but not provided with any medical help.
Resistance justifications for attacks ’had no legal basis under laws of war’ Report by Human rights watch, Daily Star
Editor’s note: The following is a summary released by Human Rights Watch outlining the main points of their newly published report on the 2006 war. During the 2006 war, Hizbullah fired thousands of rockets indiscriminately and at times deliberately at civilian areas in northern Israel, killing at least 39 civilians, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released today. HRW said that Hizbullah’s justifications for its attacks on Israeli towns - as a response to indiscriminate Israeli fire into Southern Lebanon and to draw Israel into a ground war - had no legal basis under the laws of war. The 128-page report, "Civilians under Assault: Hizbullah’s Rocket Attacks on Israel in the 2006 War," presents more than 20 case studies based on extensive field research in northern Israel into rocket attacks that killed...
Siniora, Hizbullah criticize HRW report on 2006 war Daily Star
BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch (HRW) canceled a news conference expected on Thursday to issue its report on Hizbullah’s attacks on Israel during last summer’s war following condemnations from the Lebanese government and Hizbullah. A statement issued by HRW said: "The press conference was canceled after reports by Hizbullah-controlled media about planned demonstrations to prevent the scheduled event at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and the hotel’s decision to disallow the news conference. " The 128-page report focuses on the extent "Hizbullah targeted or indiscriminately fired its rockets toward civilians and civilian objects" during the war, according to a statement by the New York-based rights group. But even before the release of the report, Hizbullah and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora were scathing in their criticism.
Rights group says Hizbullah trying to silence it Reuters, YNetNews
Human Rights Watch accuses Lebanese terror group of trying to ’shut it up’ prior to publication of report criticizing rocket attacks on Israel during last summer’s war - Human Rights Watch accused Hizbullah of trying to silence it on Wednesday as the US-based watchdog faced heavy criticism in Lebanon over a report critical of the guerrilla group’s rocket attacks on Israel last year. Both Hizbullah and the Lebanese government slammed Human Rights Watch (HRW) over the report, which states that the rocket attacks targeted Israeli civilians in violation of the laws of war during a 34-day-long conflict with Israel. HRW had planned to launch the report in Beirut on Thursday. But a hotel had revoked permission for the organization’s news conference following a furor in Lebanese media over plans for the Beirut launch.
Lebanon slams HRW report on Hezbollah war Middle East Online
BEIRUT - The Lebanese government and Hezbollah on Wednesday condemned a report by a rights group criticising the militant group’s attacks on Israel during last year’s war, saying the document was a complete distortion of facts. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report due for release on Thursday focuses on the extent "Hezbollah targeted or indiscriminately fired its rockets toward civilians and civilian objects" during the 34-day war, according to a statement by the New York-based group. But even before the release of the report and a planned press conference by HRW in Beirut on Thursday, Hezbollah and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora were scathing in their criticism. "Israel during the attacks of July 2006 violated all international conventions," Prime Minister Fuad Siniora’s office said in a statement.
Home Front Command: No shortage of fortified classrooms in Sderot Ronny Sofer, YNetNews Maj-Gen Yitzhak Gershon appears before political-security cabinet, assures ministers school year in Sderot, Gaza vicinity communities meets security guidelines. Sderot parents, however, determined to boycott school year: ’Would the general send his children to study in a bomb shelter? ’ Major-General Yitzhak Gershon, head of the Home Front Command, appeared before the political-security cabinet Wednesday and updated its members on the fortification of schools in Sderot and the Gaza vicinity communities. Sderot has 164 fortified classrooms, when the need was for a 133; and the Gaza vicinity communities needed 176 such classrooms and got 200, Gershon told the cabinet. "We have plenty of fortified classrooms so I see no reason not to open the school year on time," he said.
Labor Party cancels collective wage agreement with employees Haim Bior, Ha’aretz
The Labor Party informed the Histadrut Wednesday that it intends to annul the collective wage agreement with is workers. Following the termination of the agreement, the party’s employees will sign personal employment contracts and receive diminished salaries. The alteration to the labor agreement is part of an extensive restructuring plan initiated by party chairman Ehud Barak with the aim of reducing the party’s NIS 134 million debt by significantly reducing its operating costs. According to Histadrut data, the Labor Part currently has 34 full-time employees in its service, 17 of them part of the collective wage agreement. The law stipulates that an employer seeking to cancel a collective wage agreement with its employees must announce the move 60 days in advance.
Russian tourists no longer need visas Ronny Sofer, YNetNews
Citizens of former Soviet nations will no longer be required to obtain visa before entering Israel as government unanimously votes to change law. Foreign Ministry already working on mutual agreement with Russia - Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter toed the line with the rest of the ministerial legislative committee on Wednesday as they unanimously voted to cancel the law demanding tourists from Russia and other former Soviet nations obtain a visa to enter Israel. Dichter had initially objected to the proposal and provoked an onslaught of criticism after stating that the policy change would allow "tens of thousands" of prostitutes and criminals to enter Israel freely. Dichter’s office said he had always supported the proposal and voted in accordance with his opinion but that he still maintains...
Israel archaeologists fear damage at Jerusalem dig Reuters, YNetNews
Archaeologists says priceless relics could be damaged by mechanical digger being used by Muslim caretakers to carve out utility trench at one of capital’s holiest shrines - Israeli archaeologists said on Wednesday they fear priceless relics could be damaged by a mechanical digger being used by Muslim caretakers to carve out a utility trench at one of Jerusalem’s holiest shrines. The work is being carried out on the plaza revered by Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and by Jews as the Temple Mount. "It is appalling that in one of the most important archaeological sites in the country, heavy machinery is used in a barbaric way to dig a ditch 120 meters long and 1. 5 meters deep," said Gabriel Barkay, an archaeologist at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.
Sudanese president offers to host Palestinian refugees fleeing Iraq Ma’an News Agency
Al-Khartoum – Ma’an – A Palestinian parliamentarian delegation on Wednesday met with Sudanese President ’Omar Al-Bashir and other officials. The Palestinian delegation was headed by the head of the Fatah PLC bloc, Azzam Al-Ahmad. The delegation delivered a letter to Al-Bashir from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and updated him on the dire situations in the occupied Palestinian territories in light of the frequent Israeli aggression, expansion of settlements and confiscation of lands. They also discussed the aftermath of ’the Hamas coup" in the Gaza Strip. The Sudanese president informed the Fatah delegation that he will agree to host Palestinian refugees who are currently stranded at the Iraqi borders with Syria and Jordan. The Palestinian delegation also met with the chair of the Sudanese Popular Conference party, Hasan Turabi, and other leaders of the party.
Hamas welcomes Gul as Turkey’s new president Ma’an News Agency
Gaza - Ma’an – Hamas has welcomed the swearing in Turkey’s new president, Abdullah Gul. The movement congratulated the new president and wished him success in his new position. Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that he hoped this historical change would serve the Turkish people and the region, in addition to helping the Palestinian people and their just and fair case. The winning of the Islamic party in Turkey reflects the natural change within the people of the region and their trend towards Islam, Hamas said in a statement. The statement urged the western world to deal with the people of the region on the basis of mutual respect and cooperation instead of self interest.
The deposed Palestinian government continues to make efforts to stop the sanctions imposed on Gaza Wissam Afifah, International Middle East Media Center
The Palestinian deposed cabinet issued a statement on Wednesday that the cabinet is still doing efforts by contacting Arab and international countries in order to left the sanctions imposed on the Gaza strip. The statement also welcomed the stands of several countries that accepted and welcomed the latest Palestinian legislative council elections, and added that it’s important to open communication with those countries in order to end the crippling embargo that is imposed on the Gaza strip since Hamas took over the costal region in mid June 2007. The statement said that the Palestinian security forces have started to work on cases of corruption in addition to the deployment of the police force all over the Gaza strip with the executive force of Hamas being absorbed inside the police force.
Three Palestinian children killed in IDF strike in northern Gaza Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harels and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz
Three Palestinian children were killed on Wednesday afternoon in a blast in the northern Gaza Strip, when an Israel Defense Forces tank fired on a Qassam rocket launcher. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Palestinian Health Ministry said 10-year-old Mahmoud Ghazal and his 12-year-old cousin Yehiya Ghazal were killed immediately. Their 10-year-old cousin Sara Ghazal was critically injured, and died later from her wounds. The IDF said it fired on the Qassam launcher after it detected unidentified figures next to it. A relative of the children, Wasfi Ghazal, said he heard the sound of an explosion and then children screaming. He held both Israel and the militant rocket squads responsible." We are victims of the occupation and victims of the misbehavior of some of the fighters who are randomly choosing our area to target Israel," he told The Associated Press.
Two children dead and two seriously injured in Israeli artillery attack in Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency
Gaza - Ma’an – Two children were killed and two others were seriously injured in an Israeli artillery attack as they walked close to a rocket launcher in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Palestinian medical sources named the two dead children as Yahya Abu Ghazala and Mahmoud Abu Ghazala. Mahmoud’s sister, Sara, was seriously injured in the attack. The fourth child has not yet been identified. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, has announced that one of their leaders, Samih Sawafeiri from the Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, succumbed to wounds sustained in an earlier Israeli strike. [end]
Launch sites are war zones, IDF source says Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews
Hours after three Palestinian children killed in IDF attack in Gaza, military source explains terror organization use civilians, says ’army makes every effort not to harm civilians; Palestinians must make sure to keep children out of battle zone’ - "The fact that Palestinian civilians, especially children, are killed, is unfortunate, does not serve our interests and does not promote a solution to the terror problem," a military source told Ynet Wednesday night, following the IDF attack on rocket launchers which left three children dead in Gaza. Nonetheless, the source stressed that "the army makes every effort - sometimes beyond proportion - so as not to hurt civilians, but the terror organizations are using all means at their disposal.
High court allows Modi’in Ilit residents to remain in Heftsiba apartments Yuval Yoaz, Ha’aretz
The Modi’in Ilit residents who broke into Heftsiba-built apartments in the settlement’s Matitiyahu East neighborhood will not be forced out at this stage despite an existing High Court of Justice order forbidding them to move into the neighborhood. Tuesday’s High Court ruling, however, stated that even though the temporary injunction against moving into the new buildings built on Palestinian-owned land remained in force, residents would not be evacuated for now. The decision came in response to a petition filed by Peace Now and the council of the West Bank village of Bil’in. The State Prosecutor’s Office had also asked for clarification on the matter." At this stage, and for as long as all the matters concerning the situation of Heftsiba remain unclear, as well as the chances of residents to receive the apartments...
Palestine Today Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center
Click on Link below to download or play MP3 file - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday August 29th, 2007 The Israeli Army attacks the West Bank city of Qalqilia and injures 34 civilians, meanwhile in the Gaza strip the deposed Palestinian cabinet claims it’s working hard to end the sanctions, these stories and more coming up – stay tuned. The News Cast - The Israeli army continued its military offensive targeting the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. Medical sources reported that 34 civilians have been injured due to army fire since the beginning of the invasion this morning, one of them critically. The medical sources identified Ibrahim Daoud, aged 17, who was shot in the head by the invading Israeli troops. -- See also: || File 2.74MB || Time 3m 0s ||
Testing Israel’s diplomacy Yaakov Lappin, YNetNews
The ADL’s recognition of the Armenian genocide raises questions on relations between Israel and Diaspora Jewish organizations - Turkey was, predictably, infuriated by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) 180 degree turn-around on the ultra-sensitive issue of the Armenian genocide because Ankara , Israel’s closest Muslim ally in the region, relies heavily on Israel and Jewish organizations to support its claim that no genocide took place. Israeli diplomats were flooded with angry messages from the Turkish capital, calling on Jerusalem to ’reign in’ the ADL. Despite attempts by Jerusalem to explain that it did not control American Jewish organizations, Turkey’s Ambassador to Israel, Namig Tan, told the Azeri Press Agency this week: "Turkey has always approached positively the Jewish lobby of America and Israel.
The dreamers of today are the builders of tomorrow United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in, Relief Web
Tulkarem, August 2007. Tulkarem refugee camp had a date with joy on Wednesday 18 August when four of the camp students brought happiness to the hearts of residents, eliciting smiles from the faces of young and old alike. Rahma, Huda, Mohammad and Shaima had become heroes in the eyes of their relatives and other people in the camp. Each of them had excelled in their "tawjihi" secondary school examinations, obtaining grades exceeding ninety per cent despite the harsh living conditions they experience on a daily basis. The environment and surroundings in the camp were not at all conducive to helping the youngsters to focus during their studies; however, their strong determination enabled them to turn things around. Even the landscape gave a helping hand.
’Draft dodgers don’t give bare minimum for country’ Sharon Roffe-Ofir, YNetNews
President, defense minister berate youths who avoid mandatory military service during event commemorating 2,200 fallen soldiers from kibbutz movement - President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak slammed the phenomenon of youths shirking their military service at the unveiling of a monument in northern Israel commemorating the 2,200 fallen soldiers from the kibbutz movement. "Those who avoid serving in the IDF do not give even the bare minimum required for Israel’s existence. The volunteering spirit of the kibbutz youths should inspire similar contributions from the rest of the population," said Peres. "And these words are proved in the numbers. The kibbutzim constitute 1. 5% of the Israeli public and 12% of Israel’s fallen, 10 times the national average.
Gaydamak clashes with MKs at Knesset Yael Branovsky, YNetNews
Labor MK Yacimovich says billionaire’s decision to host 6,000 people in Nitzanim tent during last summer’s war was politically driven. Gaydamak in response: Some government and Knesset members are only interested in their salaries Labor MK Shelly Yacimovich censured Russian-Israeli billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak on Wednesday during a meeting of the State Control Committee to discuss the handling of the home front during last summer’s war with Hizbullah. Yacimovich slammed Gaydamak over his decision to host thousands of Israelis in a tent he set up in Nitzanim, saying political motives were driving his charitable work. "It is unacceptable that people like Gaydamak collect people in buses. The state needs to do so and not people interested in political gains, as in this case," said Yacimovich.
Ben-Eliezer: Refineries privatization a costly mistake Lior Baron, Globes Online
The National Infrastructures Minister also attacked the Ministry of Finance over its handling of contingency plans for power production. Minister of National Infrastructures Benjamin Ben-Eliezer made a scathing attack today on the handling of the recent privatization of Israel’s oil refineries. "The economy received a stark reminder of what went wrong just a few weeks ago, with the jump in refining prices. These proved the claim that splitting up and privatizing the oil refineries is a mistake that the public at large will pay for," he said. Ben-Eliezer added that his ministry may recommend the introduction of mechanisms to stop the refineries putting up prices even further. Ben Eliezer also criticized the Ministry of Finance over its handling of the contingency plan for power production which, he claims, ignores the expected shortage...
Bereaved parents to Peres: Don’t let Danny Katz’s killers walk free Aviram Zino, YNetNews
’We do not seek revenge, nor do we hate. We are law-abiding people who believe in the law, but from time to time our wounds are reopened,’ parents tell president in letter. ’One of these days a request will be submitted to reduce the sentence of Yigal Amir - what will you say then? ’A group of bereaved parents pleaded on Wednesday with President Shimon Peres to go back on his decision to make the murderers of 15-year-old Danny Katz eligible for parole. "Even though it had been said that ’Not even Satan has created a revenge for the killing of a small child’ (Bialik, Upon the Slaughter), we do not seek revenge, nor do we hate. We are law-abiding people who believe in the law, but from time to time our wounds are reopened and the pain hits as hard as it did that first day," wrote the parents to Peres.
Jordan’s customs director general in secret visit to Israel Lior Baron, Globes Online
Exports to Jordan reached $136 million last year. Jordan Customs Department director general Meib Wesewes Al-Zaben was in Israel for a secret three day visit last week. He was accompanied by two senior customs officials. Al-Zaben met Israel Customs director Ami Segal and Israeli Federation of Forwarders and Customs Clearing Agents (IFFCCA) chairman Shlomo Sharon to discuss increasing Jordan foreign trade through Israel, particularly trade with the US and Europe via Haifa Port. Al-Zaben, a former Jordanian Army general, is close to the royal family. He also works for the World Customs Organization with responsibility for the Middle East. The visit also aimed at developing closer ties between Israel Customs and VAT Department and the World Customs Organization and the Jordan Customs Department.
Goldman Sachs raises demands on $1b IEC loan Lior Baron, Globes Online
The investment bank wants to increase the interest rate it charges IEC. Sources inform ’’Globes’’ that negotiations between Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) and Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) for a $1 billion loan have encountered difficulties over the interest rate. Goldman Sachs wants to increase the interest rate it charges IEC because of the global liquidity crisis caused by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US. Goldman Sachs originally offered the loan to IEC at 4% interest, less than the 4. 8% interest for the bonds that IEC recently issued. The investment bank now wants to raise the interest rate on the loan by at least one percentage point. As a result, the likelihood of a deal has been lessened. IEC sources say that Goldman Sachs has withdrawn the loan terms it offered the company.
IDF upgrades infantry equipment Globes Online
ITL Optronics will supply night-vision equipment to the Army. - ITL Optronics Ltd. will supply the IDF with infantry night-vision equipment and laser detection systems in a NIS 29 million contract. Deliveries will be made through 2010. The latest generation night-vision equipment are designed for both field and urban situations. The laser detections systems are for target marking and directing. ITL CEO Eli Venezia said, “We’re working so that every infantryman will soon have advanced personal night-vision equipment and laser detection equipment. ” ITL posted a net profit of $803,000 on $8. 4 million revenue for the second quarter of 2007, compared with a net loss of $1. 5 million on $8. 1 million revenue for the second quarter. During the second quarter, subsidiary Laser Detect Systems Ltd.
Soldiers, civilians suspected of stealing food from army bases Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews
Police arrest six IDF soldiers, civilians for allegedly selling large quantities of rice, oil and flour they stole from bases in Tzrifin army compound - Israel Police detained three IDF soldiers and three civilians on Wednesday for suspicion of stealing large quantities of rice, oil and flour and other basic food products from a number of army bases in the Tzrifin army compound in central Israel and then selling them in the civilian market. Two of the civilians arrested in the affair ran the kitchens in the army bases on behalf of the civilian company that supplied the food, while another was a company employee. According to investigators, the suspects would steal the food on days when the bases were relatively less busy, and then sell the products to grocery stores, bakeries and other private establishments.
Yona asks Olmert to let him fix Heftsiba Liat Ron, Globes Online
Mordecahi Yona complains that regulators are preventing him from rebuilding the company. Mordechai Yona, the founder and president of Heftsiba Building Development & Investments Ltd. and the father of the company’s chairman and CEO, Boaz Yona, has written a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in which he complained that the regulators and law enforcement agencies were preventing him from rebuilding the company. Yona wrote, “I am not asking anything for myself with this letter. However, the restrictions recently imposed on me (with my consent), as part of the regulators’ investigation, have greatly limited my ability to operate to the best of my ability in this matter. ” Yona continued, “I have no doubt that the crisis faced by the company is not due to a lack of assets… The recovery process will limit the...
Palestinians Back Caliphate over Politics Carolynne Wheeler, MIFTAH
By day, they are the middle class, putting in days as mild-mannered teachers, factory supervisors and office clerks. Tens of thousands of Palestinian supporters of the Islamic Hizb ut-Tahrir movement demonstrate at a rally in Ramallah But by night, the growing number of supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Islamic fundamentalists who reject modern democracy in favour of a pan-Islamic religious caliphate, are gathering in the West Bank to recruit the thousands who have grown disillusioned with the vicious stand-off between the secular Fatah and Islamist Hamas." Any person living in Palestine now realises political parties, especially the Islamic ones, have not achieved anything for the individual," said Sheikh Abu Abdullah, a thin-framed man with a wiry beard.
Photographer retraces 33 days of war through the lens of faltering romance Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, Daily Star
Review - BEIRUT: On the night of July 12, 2006, the photographer Fouad Elkoury was attending a dinner party in Beirut. Talk of Hizbullah’s cross-border raid that morning, and speculations on the possible scope and scale of Israel’s response, dominated the conversation. No one guessed Beirut’s airport would be bombed the following morning, least of all Elkoury, who was scheduled to fly out the next day to catch the opening reception for an exhibition of his work in Athens. It is perhaps ironic that the eruption of one war in Lebanon cancelled Elkoury’s plans to attend a show about another one. In the course of a career that spans more than two decades, Elkoury has exhibited his work at the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern and the Maison Europeene de la Photo.
US delivers 130 armored vehicles to Lebanese Army Daily Star
The top commander of US forces in the Middle East met with Lebanese officials Wednesday as his government reassured Beirut of support for the Lebanese Army’s fight against al-Qaeda-inspired militants in northern Lebanon. "I observed with admiration the courage, perseverance and commitment displayed by the Lebanese Army soldiers in its fight against terrorism," Head of the US Central Command, Admiral William Fallon said following a meeting with Defense Minister Elias Murr. Murr said that providing the army with equipment and ammunition "is a necessary step towards preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty, and protecting it against terrorist attacks." "Terrorism is an international concern, which must be fought collectively, and the US-Lebanese association concerning that issue has proved to be a true model for success," he said.
International Committee of the Red Cross says 17,000 Lebanese missing since start of 1975-90 Civil War Hanadi Chami, Daily Star
BEIRUT: The International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday that there have been around 17,000 missing people in Lebanon since the start of the Civil War in 1975. "This country has suffered enough since 1975 and throughout the Arab-Israeli conflict and there are nearly 17,000 missing people in Lebanon," said Tracing Agency officer for the ICRC Christine Rechdane Wednesday. Rechdane was speaking from the ICRC offices in Beirut where it celebrated the "International day of the Missing," by discussing the issue of the missing Lebanese in Syrian and Israeli prisons. She said that since 1975 the Red Cross Committee hasbeen receiving applications containing personal information about missing individuals from their families. Lebanon has many mass graves but the remains are mixed, making it hard to identify...
Sadr orders Mehdi Army to suspend all attacks, purge rogue units Daily Star
Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr suspended Wednesday all armed actions by his Mehdi Army to remove rogue elements from the militia after 52 people were killed in gun battles in the Iraqi city of Kerbala. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki clamped a curfew over Kerbala on Wednesday and accused members of executed dictator Saddam Hussein’sregime of fomenting the violence and said Iraq’s security forces hadnow taken control of the city, still smoldering from a night ofbitter fighting. When asked if the unexpected order meant no attacks on US troops, one senior aide to Sadr, who declined to be identified, said: "All kinds of armed actions are to be frozen, without exception." The battles Tuesday appeared to pit Iraq’s two biggest Shiite groups against each other - followers of Sadr and his Mehdi Army, and the rival...
IRAQ: Aid agencies unable to gain access
to violence-afflicted Karbala IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
KARBALA, 29 August 2007 (IRIN) - Local aid agencies are finding it difficult to get food and medicines to the southern city of Karbala after Shia-on-Shia violence - in which at least 50 people have been killed - following a religious festival there. One million pilgrims have now been ordered to leave the city. "We are unable to venture into the streets of Karbala to deliver food to people in need," said Hassan Yehia, a spokesperson for South Peace Organisation, a locally-based non-governmental organisation. Most shops have been closed for security reasons and pilgrims are finding it difficult to get hold of basic necessities. "We have been informed that many pilgrim families are camped in the outskirts of the city and in"¦ central areas but police have prevented us from going in as clashes are still continuing...
Sharp rise in Iraqis fleeing home BBC Online
Latest figures from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, show the number of Iraqis fleeing their homes is rising. The latest figure is 60,000 per month, compared to a previous level of 50,000, a UNHCR spokeswoman said. The body estimates 4. 2m Iraqis have been displaced since the 2003 invasion. Of those, two million have gone abroad. Of those displaced inside Iraq, more than half have fled since the Samarra mosque bombing in February 2006, which sparked a wave of sectarian conflict. UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis said many Iraqis were struggling to get the basic necessities for daily life. "Iraqis are finding it harder to get access to social services inside Iraq and many Iraqis are choosing to leave ethnically mixed areas before they are forced to do so," she said.
US officer cleared of Iraq abuse BBC Online
A US Army officer has been cleared of charges relating to abuse at Abu Ghraib prison but found guilty of disobeying an order not to discuss the inquiry. Lt-Col Steven Jordan, the only officer to be charged over the Iraq jail abuse scandal, had been accused of cruelty to detainees and dereliction of duty. The inquiry was triggered by pictures of US soldiers humiliating and abusing Iraqi prisoners in 2003 and 2004. Lt-Col Jordan, 51, had pleaded innocent to all charges at his court martial. At his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the jury deliberated for more than an hour before being sent home for the night. Lt-Col Jordan faces a maximum five-year jail term, forfeiture of pay and allowances and dismissal from the armed services. ’No control’Following his conviction, an emotional Lt-Col Jordan...
Gul’s election consolidates Turkey’s transformation Soli Ozel, Daily Star
Abdullah Gul’s election as Turkey’s 11th president marks a watershed in the country’s history. In July, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) - religiously conservative but economically liberal - won a landslide in parliamentary elections called after the military balked at seeing Gul become president. That victory, combined with Gul’s election, confirm the AKP’s emergence as a party of realignment and that, despite an upsurge of xenophobic nationalism, Turks wanted to integrate with the European Union. Last April, Gul’s candidacy brought a threat of a coup from the military, precipitating the recent elections. Thus, the electorate also made it clear that it no longer wanted the military involved in domestic politics, rejecting the generals’ warnings that the AKP would lead the country into the darkness of theocratic rule.
IRAQ: Translators forced to quit jobs after being targeted by insurgents DVIC, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
BAGHDAD, 29 August 2007 (IRIN) - Translators are being targeted by militants who accuse them of espionage and of working for the US military, says a local translation association. "Hundreds of translators have been killed or injured in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003 but their situation has worsened since January: Militants and insurgents have been distributing leaflets in Baghdad offering money to those providing information about translators," said Moussa Fahid, a spokesperson for the recently formed Iraq Translators’ Association (ITA). "Our association was formed after the increase in the number of translators in Iraq and the targeting of them," he said. "Journalists and the US military assured translators they would get help to flee the country after their work but these assurances rarely came to anything.
Detained Iranians freed in Iraq Al Jazeera
US forces have released seven Iranians hours after arresting them at a central Baghdad hotel, Iraq’s state television said. Radio Sawa, a US-financed Arabic language station, and Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the delegation was in Baghdad to negotiate contracts on electric power stations with the Iraqi government. The Associated Press filmed US soldiers late on Tuesday leading about 10 men out of the Sheraton Ishtar hotel, where Iran’s embassy confirmed six electricity ministry officials and an embassy employee were staying. An embassy official said they had been released to Iraqi authorities on Wednesday. The arrests and subsequent release came close on the heels of an Iraq policy speech by George Bush. The US president declared that withdrawing forces from Iraq would leave the Middle East to the "forces of radicalism" and jeopardise US security.
Jordanian prison head dismissed BBC Online
Jordanian authorities have sacked the head of a prison where inmates deliberately injured themselves during a recent visit by Human Rights Watch. More than 100 inmates hurt themselves with ceramic tiles in Sunday’s protest. A police spokesman said Majid Rawashda, director of the Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre, had violated its code on the treatment of prisoners. The head of the HRW delegation which visited the prison said the dismissal was a "swift and necessary action". Local opposition and human rights groups have claimed that prisoners are frequently tortured at the high security prison, 100km (62 miles) south of the Jordanian capital, Amman. Police code violatedA spokesman for the Jordanian Public Security Department (PSD), Maj Bashir al-Daaja, said the inmates had deliberately...
POLITICS: Bush Indictment of
Iran Tops Usual Rhetoric Analysis by Trita Parsi, Inter Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug 29(IPS) - The George W. Bush administration has seemingly taken advantage of the Congressional recess to escalate tensions with Iran. Earlier in August, the State Department revealed plans to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a global terrorist organisation. On Tuesday, in a speech to U.S. war veterans in Nevada, President Bush raised the temperature further by declaring his intent to "confront Tehran's murderous activities" in Iraq. But what on the surface may appear as business as usual in the war of words between Tehran and Washington may in reality repeat an earlier pattern widely suspected to have been aimed at provoking war with Iran. With Congress gearing up for a fight with the White House on the surge policy in Iraq, President Bush has arguably many reasons to talk up tensions with Iran.