Settlers descended on Ramallah's farming villages Thursday and razed hundreds of acres of land. Mayor of Ras Karkar Village, Rizaq Nofal, reports that residents fought the dredging operations, prompting the Israelis to eventually withdraw.
http://english.pnn.ps/index. php?option=com_content&task=
Legal report: 25 IOF incursions in the West Bank in a week
The Palestinian center for human rights has said that Israeli occupation forces had launched 25 incursions in various West Bank areas in the course of the past week.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Report tells of hardship in occupied Palestinian territory
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/
Unprotected: Israeli settler violence against Palestinian civilians and their property
http://www.ochaopt.org/
Palestinian cameraman succumbs to wounds he sustained two weeks ago
Palestinian medical sources stated on Friday that Hamza Shahin, who worked as a cameraman for a local news agency succumbed to wounds he sustained in an Israeli occupation attack two weeks ago.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Santa Clause Against the Wall in Bilin
Bil'in village residents, located near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, conducted on Friday their weekly protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall. (See below for racist Israeli coverage of the same event)
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Palestinian 'Santas' do battle with Israeli security forces over West Bank fence
As they do almost every week, Palestinians staged violent demonstrations on Friday against the route of the West Bank separation fence in the town of Bil'in and Na'alin, both of which lie near Ramallah. To honor Christmas, some 50 Palestinians, a few of whom were decked out in Santa Claus outfits, hurled stones at Israeli security forces in Bil'in on Friday, who sought to disperse the crowd with tear gas and rubber-coated bullets. In Na'alin, where 200 Palestinians and leftist activists took part in demonstrations on Friday, stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli security personnel. Nobody was reported injured. Army Radio reported that dozens of young Likud supporters led by MK Gilad Erdan arrived in Na'alin to express their support for the Israeli soldiers working to quiet the mob. [end]
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Israeli army halts Spanish delegation en route to Nablus Christmas Day
Nablus – Ma'an – A high-ranking Spanish delegation was halted by the Israeli army Christmas day as the group made its way to Nablus. The delegation, which consisted of 186 Spanish members of parliament, lawyers, university professors, artists and journalists, were stopped for close to two hours and were not permitted into the city until Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was contacted and intervened.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Soldiers attack international HRWs in Hebron
On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 at 10:40pm, three international human rights workers (HRW's)were assaulted by a group of six soldiers on the roadway after the Jewish cemetary in the Tel Rumeida district of Hebron. The HRW's had just returned from celebrating Christmas Eve in Bethlehem and had been denied entry through Checkpoint 56 to the roadway leading up to their residence.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/
Al Massara Village Protest the Israeli Illegal Wall
At least 200 Palestinians from al-Ma'ssara village located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, supported by international and Israeli peace activists, protest the Israeli Annexation Wall on Friday.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Settler youth spray burning liquid at Palestinian man in Hebron
On the morning of the 24th December, a settler youth attacked a Palestinian man outside the Beit Hadassah settlement in Hebron. The man, who works as a caretaker at the Palestinian Qurtuba School, was running an errand in to the city centre. On returning he saw a settler boy around 12 years old chatting with the soldier on duty at the checkpoint. When he passed them the kid sprayed him with some liquid from a syringe. He protected himself with a piece of paper. Despite his efforts some of it hit his face, burning it.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/
I sraeli forces demolish Eco-Mosque in Negev Christmas morning
Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Israeli army demolished an Eco-Friendly Straw Bale Mosque in the unrecognized Negev Bedouin village of Wadi Al-Na'am on Christmas day. The mud and straw-bale structure was near complete; it was a months-long project that saw local Bedouins and volunteers build a mosque as a demonstration of inexpensive and environmentally sound construction techniques.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Hamas: PA security arrests 14 members across West Bank
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Fourteen Hamas-affiliates were seized by Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces across the West Bank, a Friday statement from the movement announced.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Israeli military police arrests several Arab and Druze refuseniks
The Israeli military police conducted an arrest campaign that targeted Arab and Druze youth who reject to serve in the Israeli military. Serving in the military in Israel is required by law; refuseniks are repeatedly arrested in imprisoned for different periods.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Ghoul: Verdict on Sa'adat illegal, blames PA leadership for surrendering him
PA minister of prisoners and ex-prisoners Mohammed Faraj Al-Ghoul has condemned the Israeli court verdict against Palestinian legislator Ahmad Sa'adat.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Misfired Palestinian projectiles kill two and injure ten Gazans in past week
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Two young girls are dead and four others were injured after to a "mysterious explosion," thought to be a misfired projectile, rocked a house in the Al-A'tatrah area of northern Gaza on Friday medical sources said. The two girls were identified as 12-year-old Sabah Hasuna and five-year-old Haneen Abu Khusa, and were pronounced dead on arrival at Kamal A'dawan Hospital.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Projectiles land in Negev as Israeli forces plan Gaza invasion
Gaza/Bethlehem-Ma'an – Israeli sources reported the launch of 22 mortar shells from Gaza at Israeli targets overnight Thursday and Friday morning, and say the military is preparing for a "limited operation" in Gaza in the coming days. Ten projectiles were claimed by the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) Salah Ad-Din Brigades, after spokesman Abu A'beer announced the beginning of a campaign titled "Death Rope." The campaign, he said, will see a continuous barrage of home-made projectiles launched at Israeli targets.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Hamas: 87 shells fired at Israeli targets in 24 hours
Gaza – Ma'an – The military wing affiliated to Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades released a statement on Thursday morning briefing the group's military activities over the first twenty four hours of an operation they called "Oil Stain" [????] which started Wednesday morning. According to the statement, a total of 87 shells have been fired at Israeli targets bordering the Gaza Strip including 54 mortar shells, 31 homemade projectiles which Hamas calls "Qassam", and two Soviet-made Grad missiles.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Poll: No wide-spread support for IDF Gaza invasion
Some 46 percent of Israelis said they do not support a massive Israel Defense Forces invasion into the Gaza Strip, with 40 percent saying they would favor such an operation, according to a poll released Thursday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Gaza operation may lead to harming of Shalit, Egypt warns
Abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit is alive and being treated well by his captors, but an Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip may hurt efforts to bargain for his release, Egypt's foreign minister told Haaretz Thursday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
ANALYSIS /Hamas seems to believe Jews 'understand only force'
The sharp turns that Hamas has made in its policy concerning the cease-fire with Israel more resembles a speeding racecar than a government policy. Despite statements that the organization's top-brass have made about being willing to resume the cease-fire in its previous format, the resumption of massive Qassam fire from Gaza to Israel indicates that Hamas may have decided to push for a head-on confrontation with Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Rattling the Cage: Accept Hamas's offer
Hamas is offering Israel a cease-fire if Israel lifts the siege on Gaza-and Israel should take it.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/
Kawther Salam-The Rockets of Hunger and Israeli Propaganda
I received a message from the photojournalist and peace activist Sameh Habeeb from Gaza while I was looking at the news in the Austrian TV, which pierced my ears with talk about the rockets which Hamas supposedly shoots at the "innocent Israeli occupation" which has jailed one and half million in Gaza since before Al-Aqsa Intifada broke out.
http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/
Barhoum: Livni used the Egyptian arena to declare war on Palestinian people
Hamas Movement has condemned Thursday the aggressive statements of Israeli foreign minister Tsipi Livni against the Palestinian people and Hamas Movement.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Egypt Beefing up Security Along Border with Gaza
Egypt is beefing up security along its border with Gaza on Friday in the face of what Egyptian officials consider an "imminent" Israeli Military operation within the Gaza Strip, fearing a breach of the integrity of their borders, Israel online Haaretz reports.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Arab Zionist and Livni celebrating
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
Egypt prepares to keep Gazans trapped during Israeli military escalation
As the Israeli administration becomes more vocal with its threats of an impending military escalation, residents of the Gaza Strip fear a further depletion in supplies. After more than a year and a half of siege, and nearly two months of closures, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is described by branches of the United Nations as a "catastrophe." Due to the strong possibility of further air and ground attacks, Gazans may try to leave the Strip to buy food, says Egypt.
http://english.pnn.ps/index. php?option=com_content&task=
Another Escalation from the Palestinians: Israeli "Retaliation" and Double Standards
The killing by Palestinian militants of two Israeli soldiers and the capture of a third from an army post close to the Gaza Strip set the scene for Israeli "reprisals" and "retaliation", according to the reports of BBC correspondents in Israel and Gaza yesterday. The attack by the Palestinians, who sneaked through tunnels under the electronic fence surrounding Gaza, marked a "major escalation in cross-border tension" (Alan Johnston) that threatened to overturn "a week of progress on two fronts" (John Lyon): namely, the recent talks between Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan, and between rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas.
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/
90 Trucks of Humanitarian Aid Allowed into Gaza Today
On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, allowed 90 trucks of international humanitarian aid into the Gaza strip, despite military preparations for a full scale military campaign against Gaza resistance groups.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Gaza hospitals cut corners in last-ditch effort to provide some care
Gaza – Ma'an – Gaza hospitals are cutting all unnecessary surgeries and eliminating overnight stays in an effort to conserve medical supplies in view of the fact that almost none have been allowed into the Strip for 50 days. During a press conference De facto Minister of Health Bassam Na'aeem called for the Islamic and Arab countries to implement all of the decisions related to breaking the Gaza siege and to quickly deliver the Humanitarian aid including food and medications through Rafah crossing.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
In days of siege, Gazans learn to do without
Gaza – Ma'an Report – In the midst of 16-hour a day blackouts, a dearth of cooking, industrial or vehicle fuel, a looming shortage of wheat and rice, and an increasing chance of an Israeli military operation in the area, Gazans are still refusing to be brought back to the middle-ages and insist on maintaining a certain standard of living.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Israeli siege takes toll on Gaza Christians
When Christians all over the world rushed to churches for Christmas midnight mass, some 300 followers of the small Roman Catholic community in the Gaza Strip gathered at the Holy Family School in Gaza for a silent ceremony. "This year, Christmas comes under a siege without anything supportive. No cloths, no shoes, no food and no gifts due to the (Israeli) blockade and the hard economic situation," said Gaza Latin Church pastor Manuel Musallem.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Amira Hass /The sewage is about to hit the fan in Gaza
Each day of Israel reducing the fuel supply to the bare minimum both to Gaza and its power plant, have severely hampered the project's activation. Ali and the team of contractors and laborers working with him feel powerless in the face of the following threatening facts. The artificial sewage lake has a total area of 350 dunams that is one kilometer long and contains 2.5 million cubic meters of effluent water with depth ranging from eight to 13 meters.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Gaza, You Are Not Alone!
Free Gaza Movement-Newsletter-"So, why do we get in, while other efforts are stopped by the Israeli authorities?Because we remove the "security" pretext. Amongst other things, we publicize our passenger list; we depart from a neutral European country; and we submit to a search by the Cypriot Port Authorities to verify that we are not carrying anything that can be considered a threat to Israel`s security. We sail from Cyprus waters, into international waters, directly into Gaza`s territorial waters, without entering Israeli waters. Israel realizes that it cannot stop us without using force against us, because we will not be turned around easily. President Abbas` statement that we coordinate with the Israelis was misinformed. However, Abbas was correct when he said that we are not really breaking the siege on Gaza. The Free Gaza Movement will continue to send boats to Gaza to challenge Israel`s imprisonment of 1.5 million Palestinians, and we will continue to work for freedom and justice for all of the Palestinian people."
http://www.freegaza.org/index.
Cartoon: Gaza ghetto
http://palestinianpundit.
Iran to Send Aid Ship to Gaza
26/12/2008 Iran's Red Crescent is sending a shipment of aid to the Gaza Strip in the face of a blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory by Israeli occupation, the state broadcaster reported on Friday. "Despite the Zionist regime's opposition... this consignment will leave Bandar Abbas for Palestine on Saturday and will arrive in 12 days," a provincial Red Crescent director, Ahmad Navvab, was quoted as saying.
http://almanar.com.lb/
Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story-The future of Gaza-Dec 25
Israeli leaders pledge the elimination of Hamas and an end to its hold on Palestinian government institutions. As the truce collapses, what lies ahead for the Gaza strip and 1.5 million desperate Palestinians trapped inside?
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Negev residents outraged over aid delivery to Strip
Heads of the Gaza vicinity communities were outraged Friday by Israel's decision to allow 40 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, despite the incessant rocket and mortar fire at the western Negev.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Abbas going ahead with call for elections amid fears of deepening internal divide
ImageHebron /PNN-President Abbas spent yesterday afternoon in Hebron after leaving Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations. He focused his remarks broadcast on the official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA on the internal conflict. Abbas stressed his opposition to "internal fighting and civil war," a sentiment that all major Palestinian parties espouse. "We are in the pursuit of democratic and fair elections."
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Haniyeh affirms unity of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Gaza – Ma'an – Hamas leader Isma'il Haniyeh, who serves as prime minister of the de facto government in Gaza, affirmed on Thursday the importance of keeping the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as one geographical and administrative unit. He added that no one will accept attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank, or allow Egypt to administer Gaza or Jordan to rule the West Bank. "This is a fixed stance in our policy," he stressed.
http://www.maannews.net/en/
Espionage activities of PA security apparatuses disclosed
Mohammed Nazzal has unveiled Wednesday some of the "serious" documents seized by his Movement from offices of the defunct PA security apparatuses in the Gaza Strip that implicate them in espionage.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Abbas: 'Hebron is ours, settlers have to leave'
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday visited Hebron for the first time since he took office in 2005 and demanded that the settlers get out. "Hebron is ours, and they have to leave if they want peace," he said. Abbas also called on Israel to accept a 2002 Arab peace initiative, which offers peace between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights. "Come to the ocean of peace that starts from Mauritania and ends in Indonesia," Abbas said.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/
Child labour in Jewish settlements
At the West Bank of the Jordan Valley, a generation of youth grows up forced to work. More than half of the inhabitants of the West Bank is unemployed, which makes children the real breadwinners of their families. Every day again, off they go. Some are lucky and find a job for the day in a Jewish settlement or workplace. School education and dreams?Better forget those.
http://www.mo.be/index.php?id=
Settlers live better than average Israelis
Jewish settlers in the West Bank are happier, healthier and wealthier than other Israelis, according to a new survey.
http://www.thenational.ae/
Caution: Settlers Ahead
"As a Jew, I was ashamed at the scenes of Jews opening fire at innocent Arabs in Hebron. There is no other definition than the term 'pogrom' to describe what I have seen." This quote from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert came just before I returned to Palestine two weeks ago. In Syria and in Lebanon, I watched as Al Jazeera correspondents reported live from Hebron, showing settlers burning houses and soldiers standing by and watching.
http://www.counterpunch.org/
Israelis express horror over rejection of Arab child from Jewish daycare
An Israeli Arab couple from northern Israel enjoyed outpourings of support on Thursday, the day after Channel 10 broadcast a story detailing the rejection of their 2-year-old daughter from a Jewish daycare near their home. Mayssa and Shua'a Zuabi sought to place their daughter Dana in a daycare in Moshav Merchavia, but the teacher, who was initially supportive, told them Dana could not enroll due to the opposition of other parents. On Thursday, Mayssa and Shua'a received countless phone calls from Israelis expressing their horror and support. Several principals also called to invite Dana to join their daycares. [end]
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
One State Solution Gains Supporters
Few weeks ago, the Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa sent a letter to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama affirming Arab states' commitment to concluding a comprehensive peace agreement with Israel based on the Arab Peace Initiative that was adopted in Beirut in 2002 and later in Riyadh in 2005.
http://palestinechronicle.com/
Brown leans on Israel in attempt to foster peace
Sensing a window of opportunity about to close, Britain sets the stage for the US to usher in an accord before Israeli elections in February.
http://www.thenational.ae/
British NGOs use Christmas for anti-Israel attacks
Religious symbols used by several UK groups to criticize security barrier, malign Israel, NGO watchdog says.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
The road to Bethlehem
Aleem Maqbool has been walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem, retracing a journey made by Joseph and Mary in the New Testament story of Jesus' birth. Part three of his diary began in al-Bireh, near Ramallah, and has taken taken him through Jerusalem to Bethlehem in time from Christmas Eve.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
If it walks like a sovereign ...
The incoming administration of Barack Obama has carefully guarded its intentions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet the appointment of Gen. James Jones as national security advisor offers much more than informed speculation about policies the new administration will follow. One indication of the direction Obama will take may be the assessments Jones made as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's special security envoy to the Annapolis conference in 2007.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Palestinian Counseling Center in Beit Hanina, images of violence and their effects
This post is from a blog I read a few years ago and archived as worthy of being posted at some time on one of my sites. It comes from Anti-War Military Mom. It is a wonderful interview that gives much insight and a wealth of information on the images of violence, on USAID and on the psychological effects of the occupation on the people of Palestine.
http://palestinethinktank.com/
-and-their-effects/
How the Zionists Created "Races" in Palestine
Between the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and the creation of the United Jewish Agency in 1929, the evolution of political vocabulary in relation to ethnic groups in Palestine accompanied the emergence of an increasingly difficult geopolitical problem.
At the time, notions of nationhood were at the center of all questions of foreign affairs. Although touted as a solution to collective conflicts in general, national self-determination was at best a tenuous idea that tended to obscure the re-composition of empires or, at least, the transfer of their control from one powerful entity to another.
http://www.counterpunch.org/
Khalid Amayreh-Race to the Bottom
The upcoming Israeli elections appear set to be a competition in racist extremism. As Israeli political parties and factions choose their lists of candidates to contest the 10 February elections, extremism and anti-Palestinian discourse are becoming the name of the game. Last week, the Likud Party elected a list of 41 candidates, including Moshe Feiglin, an extreme right-wing religious fanatic who openly calls for violent ethnic cleansing of non-Jews from Israel-Palestine.
http://palestinethinktank.com/
Taking a 'Banksy Tour' in Bethlehem
Paintings by the West's favorite graffiti artist, Banksy, are part of everyday life for Palestinians around Bethlehem. Some images have been erased, others protected--but some inspire an odd local lore.
http://www.spiegel.de/
Bethlehem: Christmas 2008 (Video)
A short film featuring a Palestinian Christian family during Christmas of 2008. The film is fully produced by IMEMC video Production Unit.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Tourists, locals pray in Bethlehem on Christmas
AP-Bethlehem marked Christmas on Thursday with crowds of tourists joining local Palestinian Christians in Jesus' traditional birthplace, as the West Bank town basked in its once-a-year appearance in the world spotlight.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
The Spirit of Christmas
Christmas spirit is in the air. It is the season of good will and cheer, and a celebration of the birth of Jesus, who is looked upon reverently by both Christians and Muslims. It is a time to express the love you have for family and friends, and a time to consider what you have to be grateful for. For Palestinians celebrating this year, they do have a lot for which to be thankful. They have survived another year of occupation and strangulation. This year has seen more support from international organizations and individuals than ever before, and it is heart-warming that so many people care about the desperate situation Palestinians live in. The fact that they care enough to leave the warmth of their own homes to come and join Palestinians and other members of the international community here-braving the checkpoints, the wall, and the soldiers-is moving.
http://palestinechronicle.com/
LEBANON: Christian leader says Hezbollah should train army
If Lebanon's army cannot win in traditional warfare with Israel, then why not turn members of the official armed forces into the Hezbollah-type guerrilla fighters who once successfully resisted against the Jewish state's military attacks?The idea was recently raised by an unlikely Lebanese political player, Samir Geagea, a warlord-turned-politician who allied with Israel during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war and now heads an anti-Syrian Christian party.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.
Hezbollah Wishes Christians Merry Christmas
Hezbollah expressed best wishes to Christians on Christmas Eve and also congratulated Muslims for the same occasion as Christ and his holy mother constitute the field where Muslims and Christians meet.
In a statement, Hezbollah said that "it is blessed the day when humanity received Jesus who called for justice as he rose for the oppressed in the face of tyrants and the thieves of the Temple."
http://almanar.com.lb/
Thursday: 1 US Soldier, 10 Iraqis Killed; 47 Iraqis Wounded
Excerpt: At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 47 more were wounded as Christians and other Iraqis celebrated Christmas as a national holiday for the first time. One U.S. soldier was killed by indirect fire near Mosul.
http://www.antiwar.com/
Friday: 23 Iraqis Killed, 11 Wounded
Excerpt: Updated at 11:55 p.m. EST, Dec. 26, 2008 At least 23 Iraqis were killed and 11 more were wounded in the latest round of violence. No Coalition deaths were reported.
http://www.antiwar.com/
No evidence to convict 10,000 detainees– U.S.commander
U.S. forces in Iraq have detained 10,000 prisoners without evidence of their wrongdoing, a U.S. detention centers in Iraq commander said on Monday.
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=
Al Qa'eda chiefs flee prison
Thirteen people were killed during a daring pre-dawn prison breakout by al Qa'eda militants from a police station in Ramadi, Iraq.
http://www.thenational.ae/
Iraq story buried by US networks
Major networks spend only 2 minutes per week on Iraq war coverage.
http://therealnews.com/t/
For first time, Christmas official holiday in Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's Christians, a scant minority in this overwhelmingly Muslim country, quietly celebrated Christmas on Thursday with a present from the government, which declared it an official holiday for the first time. But security worries overshadowed the day for many, particularly in the north where thousands of Christians have fled to escape religious attacks.
http://www.google.com/
Christians crowd Baghdad church, but many families are divided
The pews were packed for the Christmas mass in Baghdad's Greek Orthodox church Thursday, a sign to Father Younan Yacob that the city had grown safer for its Christian minority over the past year.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/
Arabs and Kurds wish Iraqi brethren in show of goodwill
In the northern and highly volatile Iraqi city of Kirkuk, sectarian rifts plague the Arabic, Turkish and Christian community on one side and Kurds on the other, but on the Christmas celebrations brought a widely noticeable change of attitudes.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/
First festival for orphans in Iraq
BAGHDAD /Aswat al-Iraq: The Baghdad provincial council, in cooperation with the cultural centre fro the Iraqi child, organized the first festival for orphans in Iraq. More than 300 children took part in the festival, which took place in the cultural centre of the Iraqi children on Thursday. "The festival sends a message to the officials and [...]
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=
Iraq, the Plot Thickens
The plot, so unexpectedly, thickened in Iraq on a Sunday like no other. The two main actors-US President George W. Bush, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki – took to the stage to perform another well-rehearsed press conference. The scripts were ever so predictable: Bush to tout the 'progress' achieved in Iraq, while al-Maliki to express gratitude for the freedom bestowed on his country. Both men were to caution from overstated optimism, and to forewarn of the great challenges that are yet to come. The two partners were to shake hands, smile and walk away. Things, however, didn't go according to plan on Sunday, December 14.
http://www.counterpunch.org/
Shoe-Hurler Raises Up Iraq's Reputation Abroad
BAGHDAD — When traveling outside Iraq, I would sometimes hide my nationality by refraining from speaking in an Iraqi dialect. When Arabs would find out where I was from, I would be lectured about how Iraqis are too willing to accept the presence of American troops in our country. But after an Iraqi television reporter threw his shoes at President Bush during a news conference, other Arabs seem to have raised their opinions of us.
http://baghdadbureau.blogs. nytimes.com/2008/12/25/shoe-
The Shoe-Thrower Becomes an Issue in Iraq Election
Time.com-Going easy on Bush-bashing journalist Muntader al-Zaidi could help Prime Minister Maliki at the polls. Some of his other election tactics may be less benign.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/
Jokes thrive on Bush shoe-attack
"Having been humiliated by an Iraqi reporter, hurling his shoes at him in Baghdad, US President George W. Bush ordered that all his press conferences be held in mosques where everyone will have to take off their footwear."
http://archive.gulfnews.com/
US to fight insurgency across Muslim world for 25 years
WASHINGTON, Dec 25: The United States is committed to fighting insurgency in the Muslim world for 25 years, says a report released by the US Joint Forces Command. Besides this general commitment to fighting insurgency, the United States is building permanent military structures in Afghanistan to indicate its plans for a long-term stay in the war-ravaged country.
http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/
--
www.TheHeadlines.org
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