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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Land Theft and Property Destruction
Israel announces next land annexation near Jenin
Jenin
– Ma’an – Israel will confiscate 115 dunums from the northern West Bank
town of Ya’bad west of Jenin for military purposes, officials told the
Palestinian civil liaison office Tuesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=220006
Israel to go ahead with construction of 450 East J settlement homes
Bethlehem
– Ma’an – Israeli authorities recently revived a plan to build 450
residential units in a settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem, the
Hebrew version of the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=220220
More E. Jerusalem evictions likely
RAMALLAH:
The Jewish-dominated Jerusalem municipality is planning to seize more
Palestinian homes and real estate in East Jerusalem even as Israel has
quietly stopped approving new West Bank projects in an attempt to heal
a rift with the United States , Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=125592&d=19&m=8&y=2009
The Israeli military levels Palestinian owned shops in northern West Bank
Israeli troops destroyed on Wednesday at dawn five Palestinian owned shops in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61427
Six Arab families from East Jerusalem appeal eviction
The
eviction of six Arab families from their apartments in East Jerusalem's
Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood this month stemmed from serious mistakes by
the authorities, including the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, the former
residents wrote in an appeal to the Jerusalem District Court.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108552.html
Quiet slicing of the West Bank makes abstract prayers for peace obscene
The dream underlying Israel's plans is encapsulated by a wall that
separates a settler's town from the Palestinian town on a nearby West
Bank hill. The Israeli side of the wall is painted with the image of
the countryside beyond the wall – but without the Palestinian town,
depicting just nature, grass and trees. Is this not ethnic cleansing at
its purest, imagining the outside beyond the wall as empty, virginal
and waiting to be settled?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/18/west-bank-israel-settlers-palestinians
Fact Sheet: Sheikh Jarrah, Aug 2009
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-7UZ4U2?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment
Amnesty int'l withdraws from Israel concert fund following campaign
Amnesty
International has announced that it will abstain from any involvement
in the Leonard Cohen concert in Tel Aviv and will not be party to any
fund that benefits from the concert's proceeds. Amnesty International's
announcement followed an international outcry over the human rights
organization's reported involvement in the Leonard Cohen concert fund,
and an earlier international call for Cohen to boycott apartheid Israel.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10719.shtml
When the wall comes down the protests will stop - Gush Shalom
Villagers
and internationals during a Bilin protest [MaanImages], "Instead of
carrying out late night raids on the village of Bil'in, arrest people
and drag them to detention and court, the army should have done a
simple thing – implement at last the Supreme Court ruling of two years
ago, move the fence erected on the Bil'in lands and return to villagers
their lands and source of income, which were taken in order to extend
the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Modi'in Illit" said Uri Avnery of Gush
Shalom, upon entering the military court at Ofer Camp near Ramallah.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=219364
Mohammad Khatib released from Israeli prison
Monday,
17 August 2009: Mohammad Khatib, member of the Bil’in Popular Committee
Against the Wall and Settlements has been released on the condition
that he report to a police station with a monitor every Friday until
5pm for the duration of his trial. He is available for interviews.
http://palsolidarity.org/2009/08/8120
August 2009: Night arrests in Bil'in
Since
June, armed forces have been entering the village of Bil'in at night
and arresting residents. The soldiers arrive at the village, which lies
west of Ramallah, with Israel Security Agency agents holding lists of
persons suspected of involvement in the weekly demonstrations held in
the village against the construction of the Separation Barrier.
http://www.btselem.org/english/separation_barrier/20090818_night_arrests_in_bilin.asp
Bil’in’s children demonstrate
Today,
the first nonviolent demonstration for the children of Bil’in took
place to protest against the night raids and the many arrests of young
boys in the village. They carried banners and chanted slogans like “We
want to sleep,” “No more night raids,” “Let us live,” “We want Peace,”
and so on. The children lead the demonstration toward the Apartheid
Wall with villagers and Palestinian and international activists
following them. At the Wall they were met by two soldiers who were on
regular duty at the Wall.
http://palsolidarity.org/2009/08/8129
Ramzi Kysia of the Free Gaza Movement: "Our primary work lies in our own communities"
Ramzi Kysia of the Free Gaza Movement has a great article over at Electronic Intifada on nonviolent direct action, solidarity, and struggle.
Here's Kysia on the importance of activism in home communities and the
role of civil society in holding goverments accountable to
international law.
http://endtheoccupationblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramzi-kysia-of-free-gaza-movement-our.html
Irish construction giant digs deeper in occupation
A
recent acquisition by the Israeli subsidiary of brick and mortar giant
Irish CRH has placed the European conglomerate under increased pressure
from Palestine solidarity activists. Irish CRH, formerly known as
Cement Roadstone Holding, owns 25 percent of the Mashav Group, an
Israeli construction firm. Mashav recently announced that it will
acquire Hanson Israel, a subsidiary of Germany's HeidelbergCement. With
the acquisition of Hanson Israel, CRH is further entrenched in
violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10717.shtml
Derek Graham in Ireland to get support for the next Free Gaza voyage in October.
http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/press-releases/1052-derek-graham-in-ireland-to-get-support-for-the-next-free-gaza
-voyage-in-october
M-1 Blogs 24 Hours In G.A.Z.A.
You may have heard me say “I work for the People, the streets are my
office”. Well, my recent mission to Palestine was a testament to that
statement. Through the Existence is Resistance organization, I bore
witness to a very moving and eye-opening experience. As a man-at-arms
in an African Liberation Movement in the U.S. which is currently in the
process of re-organizing and re-inventing itself in these times, I see
the role of international solidarity critically important to our future
world view. So when asked “why are you all the way over there when
there is a war going on in your own community?”, I proudly quote dead
prez’ “Psychology” (Let’s Get Free, 2000):” My enemy’s enemy is my man!”
http://globalgrind.com/content/917001/M1-Blogs-24-Hours-In-GAZA/
Open call for new logo design: boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6591
Violence/Aggression/Provocations
A woman and her child injured by Israeli military fire east of Gaza
A Palestinian woman and her child were injured as Israeli tanks opened fire on Wednesday at homes located east of Gaza City.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61426
IOF troops advance into eastern Gaza amidst indiscriminate fire
Israeli
occupation forces (IOF) on Tuesday advanced into eastern Gaza city
amidst indiscriminate shooting but no casualties were reported, local
sources told the PIC reporter.
Detainees
The Israeli military kidnaps 12 Palestinians from West Bank communities
The
Israeli military kidnapped on Wednesday 12 Palestinian civilians during
morning invasions targeting a number of west Bank communities.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61425
Abbas's militias kidnap office director of PLC speaker, detained MPs condemn
Militias
loyal to former PA chief and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday
evening kidnapped Baha' Faraj, the office director of Palestinian
legislative council speaker Dr. Aziz Dwaik.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Mother of three Palestinian prisoners appeals for allowing her visitation
The
mother of three Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation authority
(IOA) jails has appealed to human rights groups and the Red Cross to
pressure the IOA into allowing her to visit her sons.
Humanitarian Issues/Human Rights/Siege
OPT: Where cancer sufferers get only painkillers
Source:
IRIN Arafat Hamdona, 20, has been confined to the cancer unit of
As-Shifa, Gaza's primary hospital, since he was diagnosed with
maxillary skin tumours in June 2008. Red lesions protrude from his
face, his features are distorted and his eyes swollen shut.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/e49b12830f302e414131da131905a8b5.htm
Israel rejects Ramadan commodities, stationery into Gaza
GAZA,
Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel rejected a Palestinian request to allow new
goods and commodities the people in Gaza Strip need ahead of Muslim
fasting month of Ramadan, an official said on Wednesday.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/19/content_11912367.htm
Israeli blockade degrades life in Gaza
UN:
Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has resulted in the devastation of
livelihoods, a rise in food insecurity, and an energy, water and
sanitation crisis for the territory's 1.5 million Palestinians, the
United Nations said Monday.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Israeli+blockade+degrades+life+in+Gaza:+UN&
artid=AFfgNtwzkVY=
Feature: Resilience of Gaza's people lifts spirits of UN aid worker
The
recent sight of thousands of kites in the clear summer Gaza sky,
setting a new world record, is one of the many pockets of unexpected
joy that propels the work of Johanne van Dijk, a United Nations aid
worker in the area.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7UZTDY?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Amira Hass / why is israel limiting movement of Palestinian-Canadian businessman?, Amira Hass
Mohammed
Sabawi, 65, could have played a leading role in all the stories about
the economic revival in the West Bank's cities. His goal of
"strengthening the economy of Palestine by utilizing its own
capabilities" sounds like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vision of
"economic peace." In recent months, however, the Palestinian-Canadian
businessman has been considering reducing his business activity here,
after Israel started limiting his freedom of movement and that of his
son and business partner, Khaled. The Sabawis are considering Cyprus as
an alternate location.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108553.html
Annual day set to garner release of remains of those killed in the field and prison
Bethlehem
/ PNN - Minister of Detainees and Ex Detainees Affairs, Issa Qaraqe’,
said today that 96 people were killed in Israeli prisons since 1967.
The last was Mousa Juma of Jerusalem who died due to medical negligence.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6578
Pink Floyd frontman narrates UN film on Israeli barrier (AFP)
AFP
- The United Nations on Wednesday premiered a film narrated by former
Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters on the plight of Palestinians living
in the shadow of Israel's controversial separation barrier.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090819/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictbarrierunmusic
Palestinian Refugees
Children of the Desert in al-Tanf
August
19, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- Ali likes drawing - everything. Trees and
flowers, houses with happy families inside, gifts for Eiyad (Islamic
celebrations), children playing in colorful parks. He does not draw
from life, as Al Tanf is a camp devoid of greenery and gifts. "I'd like
to live like any other kid in the world", Ali says while staring
absently at the wall that separates the camp from the desert just a few
metres from his family's tent.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/palestinian-refugees/1896-children-of-the-desert-in-al-tanf
Fatah
Fatah`s gauntlet
Amira
Hass - Haaretz - The decision by Fatah`s Sixth Congress that the
movement is sticking to negotiations as a means of achieving
independence, statehood and peace is an admission that the use of arms
during the second intifada was disastrous. That is a difficult
admission for a movement founded on the sanctification of the armed
struggle. And despite being tacit, it is a brave admission for Fatah at
a time when most Palestinians are convinced that Israel does not want
peace.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108571.html
Hamas
MIDEAST: Embattled Hamas Shows its Moderate Face
RAMALLAH,
Aug 19 (IPS) - The Islamic resistance movement Hamas's rule of Gaza is
facing protracted political and military opposition from within Gaza,
other Palestinian territories and abroad.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48134
Hamas leaders release 55 Fatah prisoners in goodwill gesture
The
militant Hamas rulers of Gaza say they're releasing 55 prisoners from
the rival Fatah movement as a gesture for the upcoming Muslim holy
month of Ramadan.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10341585.html
Radical Gaza Islamists vow to defy Hamas (AFP)
AFP
- A number of radical Islamist groups vowed on Tuesday to defy with
force any attempt by the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip to rein them in
following last week's deadly clashes.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090818/wl_mideast_afp/mideastunrestpalestiniangaza
Salafist group and Hamas, trade accusations
After
Hamas security forces and its Al Qassam fighters managed to kill the
leader of Salafi and Jihad Group, Jund Allah, Abdul-Latif Abu Mousa who
declared on Friday the establishment of a Muslim Emirate in Rafah, in
the southern part of the Gaza Strip, Hamas and the Salafists group
continued to trade accusations.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61416
Journalists banned from Gaza Strip hospitals and Rafah until further notice
(RSF/IFEX)
- Reporters Without Borders condemns the Hamas interior ministry's
decision to deny Palestinian and foreign journalists access to the
southern city of Rafah and to all hospitals in the Gaza Strip until
further notice. The ban was issued on 14 August 2009, after fighting
broke out in Rafah between the Hamas government and a radical Islamist
group.
http://www.ifex.org/palestine/2009/08/18/journalists_banned/
Political Developments
Compensation for Palestinian Refugees
Al-Quds
al-Arabi newspaper reports US, Egyptian leaders' White House meeting
Tuesday will focus on initiative for resolving Israeli-Arabs conflict,
in which Palestinians will waive right of return in exchange for
compensation. Jerusalem will be joint capital of Israel, demilitarized
Palestinian state.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3763447,00.html
Peres: Israel, PA, U.S. ready for 3-way summit
President
Shimon Peres told reporters during an official visit to Russia on
Wednesday that he welcomed a future meeting between President Barack
Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108638.html
Settlement Building Is in ‘Waiting Period,’ Israel’s Housing Minister Says
Israel
said that no approval had been given for new housing projects in the
West Bank since late March, but said that the hiatus did not constitute
a formal freeze.
Extreme right slams housing minister as 'leftist with a kippah'
Following
Ynet's report on de factor freeze on settlement building, MK Ben Ari
and his colleagues embark on protest campaign saying Housing Minister
Ariel Atias 'continuing on path of Oslo criminals'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3763871,00.html
Turkey, Jordan warn Israel on Jerusalem settlements (AFP)
AFP
- Turkey and Jordan warned Israel Wednesday that settlements in east
Jerusalem threatened peace efforts, amid press reports that the Jewish
state is to revive construction plans in the annexed region.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090819/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictsettlerturkeyjordan
Other News
U.S.: Israeli travel restrictions on U.S. citizens in West Bank 'unacceptable'
The
U.S. State Department on Wednesday criticized Israeli restrictions
placed on foreign nationals entering the West Bnak via the Allenby
Bridge, calling the new regulations 'unacceptable'.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108644.html
One-Third of Israeli soldiers could refuse evacuation orders, Israeli report reveals
Israeli
online daily Haaretz stated that a memo distributed among commander of
Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank states that using Israeli
soldier to enforce the evacuation of settlements might lead troops and
army commanders to refuse such orders.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61423
Special IOF forces train on climbing Aqsa walls
The
Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage has warned that Israeli
occupation forces (IOF) are training on climbing the holy Aqsa Mosque's
walls in occupied Jerusalem.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Artist explores iconography within Palestinian life today, particularly during era of occupation
Bethlehem
/ PNN - The work of iconographer Ian Ambrose is being featured this
week at Dar Annadwa, the Cultural Center in Bethlehem's Old City. The
opening begins at 5 pm Thursday at Dar Annadwa’s Al Khouf Gallery.
Ambrose is a British expatriate who has been living and working in the
Middle East for several years.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6588
Analysis/Opinion
Mobile Madness, By Joharah Baker for MIFTAH
For
years, I have had an Israeli mobile chip for my cell phone since I live
in Jerusalem. Orange was my company of choice for no particular reason
except that it had excellent reception in Jerusalem and relatively good
reception in certain areas of the West Bank. Except at the office,
which is on the outskirts of Ramallah. There my acquaintances would
often complain that my mobile phone had no service or that it would cut
off mid-sentence. So, I bought a chip from Jawwal, the official
Palestinian mobile service provider in the West Bank and Gaza, and
inserted it into my two-chip Samsung phone. Now, I was fully connected,
both in Ramallah and at home. Once again, the Palestinian-Israeli
divide had seeped into my (and practically all Palestinians') everyday
lives.
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=20338&CategoryId=13
Abbas's Sudan trip is ethical | Nicholas Blincoe
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, invites accusations of hypocrisy with his visit to Sudan today for talks with President Omar al-Bashir. Back in February, Abbas asked the international criminal court to investigate Israel's conduct in its invasion of Gaza. In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant
against Bashir for his government's action in Darfur. Abbas has never
expressed an opinion on the moves to arrest Bashir, either for or
against, but his visit can only be interpreted as tacit support for the
Sudanese administration. In all conscience, can one support an
international investigation against one country, while ignoring the
work of the ICC in another?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/19/sudan-abbas-palestinian-president-visit
Huckabee in the Holy Land, Stephen M. Walt
Former (future?) GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee has been on a
visit to Israel this week, sponsored by a pro-settler organization.
According to the Associated Press,
Huckabee said "'there is no room for a Palestinian state' in the middle
of the Jewish homeland, and Israel should be able to build settlements
wherever it wants." He also said "The question is should the
Palestinians have a place to call their own? Yes, I have no problem
with that. Should it be in the middle of the Jewish homeland? That's
what I think has to be honestly assessed as virtually unrealistic."
http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/08/18/huckabee_in_the_holy_land
Huckabee Offers Palestinians State "Some Place Else", Amjad Atallah
In
a move sure to antagonize the Onion for not having come up with it
first, former U.S. presidential candidate Mike Huckabee endorsed
Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and rejected the "two-state
solution." Instead, the Southern Baptist preacher suggested that
Palestinians should "have a place of their own" some place else. Both
my parents immigrated to Indiana from the Palestinian town of Ramallah
in the early 1960s, before Israel's occupation in 1967. Like many
Palestinians in the Diaspora, they would have been happy with a secular
democratic state in the entirety of historic Palestine/Eretz Israel
with equal rights for both Jews and Arabs. But also like many
Palestinians, convinced that Israelis would never agree to granting
equality to all Palestinians, they have supported attempts to create a
rump Palestinian state in the parts of Palestine occupied by Israel in
1967 where Palestinians could exercise their right to
self-determination.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amjad-atallah/huckabee-offers-palestini_b_262505.html
Optional and problematic
Ghassan
Khatib - Bitterlemons - Phase II calls for the establishment of a
Palestinian state with provisional borders for a transitional period.
From a Palestinian perspective, this has serious problems, but the
Palestinian side was able to live with the document because it
stipulates that the clause about "provisional borders" was optional and
would be implemented only if the parties agreed. In other words, the
second phase does not have the same level of binding commitment that
the first and last phases embody.
http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=35191
Obama and the Israel Lobby - Part two - A strategic relationship
Also
in the news is the attack of a senior Israeli diplomat against
right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long
supported settlement expansion in the West Bank. The diplomat, Nadav
Tamir, feels that Netanyahu is risking support from American Jews by
publicly disagreeing with Obama over the settlements. Tamir aptly
points out that American Jews are not unified behind the state of
Israel and the Israel Lobby on the issue of settlement expansion. This
conclusion is supported by J Street, a Jewish-American political group
that supports an end to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, a two-state
solution, and an end to settlement expansion.
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/22299
The Prince of Darkness and The Wall
USA,
August 19, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)-The pugnacious political columnist,
Robert D. Novak, nicknamed "the prince of darkness," who died at 78 on
August 18, 2009, was the first mainstream media reporter to shine a
light on the “Michshol Hafrada” which is Hebrew for the "Separation
Wall" which translates to "Apartheid Wall" in Afrikaan.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/photo-story/world-stories/1899-the-prince-of-darkness-and-the-wall
Netanyahu 'Scores Points' In Israel For Standing Up To Obama
JERUSALEM,
Aug. 18 -- For five months, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
has been fending off U.S. pressure to halt the expansion of West Bank
settlements. Now he is reaping dividends for his defiance.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/19/netanyahu-scores-points-i_n_262866.html
Rest in Heaven, Baby Fariss by Rana Mohammed
Gaza,
August 19, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- There is no place for fiction in Gaza.
People's lives are filled with too many hard facts that can fascinate
any writer or dramatis. Not even the best of Hollywood movies can
recreate the scenes of the Gaza war. The mind cannot even imagine the
horror inflicted.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/diaries/85-diaries/1897-rest-in-heaven-baby-fariss-by-rana-mohammed
Egypt
Mubarak's priorities, As`ad Abukhalil
"Egypt[ian
regime] is working hard to secure the release of kidnapped soldier
Gilad Shalit, but Israel has added "terms and conditions" that are
impeding progress, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in an
interview over the weekend with the American television station PBS." I have no doubt. I have no doubt that Mubarak treats every Israeli terrorist soldier as if he is his son. [end]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/08/mubaraks-priorities.html
The Egyptian Authorities uncover five tunnels at the borders with Gaza
The Egyptian military uncovered five tunnels at the borders with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61414
Obama speech in Cairo allayed Muslim concerns: Mubarak (AFP)
AFP - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hailed Tuesday US President
Barack Obama's keynote speech in Cairo in June, saying the address had
allayed the concerns of the Islamic world about US intentions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090818/wl_afp/mideastegyptusdiplomacymubarak
Who is likely to lead after Egypt's Mubarak?
August
19, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived in
Washington, bringing with him a large retinue of advisors, ministers,
and assorted hangers-on. But only two of them really count, at least
for those trying to figure out who will succeed one of the Middle
East"s longest-serving leaders.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/opinions/views/1895-who-is-likely-to-lead-after-egypts-mubarak
Riz Khan - US-Egypt relations - 18 Aug 09 - Part 1
Hosni
Mubarak, the Egyptian president, is visiting Washington for the first
time in five years to meet his US counterpart on Tuesday. On Tuesday's
Riz Khan, we look at the changing nature of US-Egypt relations and what
may lie ahead if power transfers from father to son.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24cx2e-OFU
Riz Khan - US-Egypt relations - 18 Aug 09 - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttPnJD_PsZ0
Lebanon
Israel's cluster bomb maps useless, says head of Army demining center
The
information provided by Israel concerning the locations of dropped
cluster bombs during the summer 2006 war was useless, according to the
head of the Lebanese Demining Center Brigadier Mohammad Fahmi."What
benefit can we get from such information after three years, and after
witnessing 50 deaths and 350 injuries?" he asked on Friday during the
launch of a new NGO.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=105460
Saudi backed Hariri aims to marginalize Aoun and Lebanon's Christians yet again
Labib
Chemali - In the latest round of negotiations to form Lebanon's
cabinet, things have continued to take an even uglier turn. Lead by
Saadedine Hariri of the Future Movement, the March 14 coalition and
their relative parliamentary majority was dealt a body blow weeks ago
with the defection of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, leaving members of
the March 14 coalition at each other's throats in order to secure a
bigger share of ministers for themselves.
http://www.tayyar.org/Tayyar/News/PoliticalNews/en-US/128951182740880697.htm
Lebanon emits more greenhouse gases than world average
Lebanon
emits more greenhouse gases per capita than the world average, said an
environment ministry expert during a workshop held at AUB.
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Lebanon/252122
Workers in Lebanon, As`ad Abukhalil
Ziad sent me this picture. He took it in the Biqa`: he says that the
men on top of the car are workers but he could not identify their
ethnicity or nationality. (click link)
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/08/workers-in-lebanon.html
Lebanonese news, As`ad Abukhalil
Laure sent me this: "You will find this very funny. In connection to
what ziad sent you earlier re Lebanon VS China basketball game, a new
group was created on facebook named "Petition
for
FIBA to give Lebanon a Wildcard invitation to the World Cup" The
reason listed are: that the refree was the main reason Lebanon lost to
China, Basketball is the # 1 sport in Lebanon, Lebanese players are
interesting!!!.... but the most funny is that " Lebanon can be full of
surprises, remember we won France in 2006, for example"!!!!! 13,510
members already joined the group and it is growing by the minute in the
potato land! " [end]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/08/lebanonese-news.html
Iraq
Baghdad bombings kill 75 (AFP)
AFP
- A series of devastating attacks across Baghdad killed at least 75
people on Wednesday, in the worst day of carnage to hit the Iraqi
capital since US troops pulled out of the conflict-hit nation's cities.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090819/ts_afp/iraqunrest
Doctor kidnapped, two killed in northern Iraq (AFP)
AFP
- A Christian doctor was kidnapped and two people were killed in
attacks by armed gunmen in the restive northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on
Tuesday, police said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090818/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestkirkuk
Tuesday: 1 Iraqi Killed, 7 Wounded
At
least one Iraqi was killed and seven more were wounded in light
violence. The important news coming out of Iraq today, however, deals
with militants. U.S. authorities are releasing a number of Shi’ite
militants they would rather keep incarcerated. Also, Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki gave Syria a list of suspects he wants extradited to
Iraq and asked Syria to help prevent fighters from crossing the border.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2009/08/18/tuesday-1-iraqi-killed-7-wounded/
Iraqis find Iranian-made rockets after US attackedU.S.-backed
Iraqi troops seized a launcher loaded with more than a dozen
Iranian-made rockets and detained three suspected militants after an
attack against the American base outside the southern city of Basra,
officials said Tuesday.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAQ?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&
CTIME=2009-08-18-14-18-18
Mistrust over Sunni militias threatens Iraq stability (AFP)AFP
- At a desolate lot filled with car wrecks in the Dora neighbourhood of
south Baghdad, members of one of the Sunni militias recruited to fight
Al-Qaeda proudly show how they got rid of the jihadists.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090819/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestpoliticssecurity
killings in Iraq, As`ad Abukhalil"The killings began in the vast Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, a
stronghold of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia, and spread to many
cities across Iraq. Mahdi Army spokesmen have promoted fears about the
"third sex" and the "feminization" of Iraq men, and suggested that
militia action was the remedy. Some people told Human Rights Watch that
Iraqi security forces have colluded and joined in the killing."
Good for Human Rights Watch for issuing this report. I just hope that
they notice that the American invasion of Iraq has killed Iraqi gays,
lesbians, heterosexuals, and asexuals alike. [end]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/08/killings-in-iraq.html
Iraq seeks stimulus for Anbar, which bled jobs as well as lives (McClatchy Newspapers)McClatchy
Newspapers - RAMADI, Iraq - The rubble's gone from the explosions and
bombs that tore up the commercial center of this western Iraqi city,
but the jobs haven't returned.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090818/wl_mcclatchy/3294392
Basra’s Blacks Claim Discrimination
Descendents of slaves say they want more political rights. By Abduladhim Karim in Basra (ICR No. 301, 18-Aug-09)
http://www.iwpr.net/EN-icr-f-355236
Blackwater Still Armed in Iraq, By Jeremy Scahill
Despite
the Iraqi government's announcement earlier this year that it had
canceled Blackwater's operating license, the US State Department
continues to allow Blackwater operatives in Iraq to remain armed. A
State Department official told The Nation that Blackwater (which
recently renamed itself Xe Services) is now operating in Iraq under the
name "US Training Center" and will continue its armed presence in the
country until at least September 3. That means Blackwater will have
been in Iraq nearly two years after its operatives killed seventeen
Iraqi civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square.
http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticlePrint/22353
Maliki sees the light in Damascus
Iraqi
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, currently visiting Syria, has signed
accords that will increase economic and cultural ties between the
countries. Far more important is Maliki's realization that he needs the
clout that Damascus has among all the players in Iraq if he is to
resolve escalating problems relating to the oil-rich region of Kirkuk
and the Sunni community.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KH20Ak01.html
U.S. and other world news
Scalia says there’s nothing unconstitutional about executing the innocent
In
Justice Scalia’s world, the law has no problem with sending an innocent
man to die. One wonders why we even bother to have a Constitution.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/17/scalia-actual-innocence/
Sources: UN watchdog hiding evidence of Iran nukes program
The
world's nuclear weapons watchdog is hiding data on Iran's drive to
obtain nuclear arms, senior Western diplomats and Israeli officials
told Haaretz.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108564.html
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Peres: Nuclear-armed Iran threatens Israel with 'airborne death camp'
Peres
relayed Israel's concerns during a meeting with his Russian
counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi on
Monday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108376.html
Families of Jordanian prisoners plea for action - 18 Aug 09
At
least 29 Jordanians are serving life sentences in Israeli prisoners and
another 29 are missing in Israel. The families of these detainees and
missing persons want their government to use its relations with Israel,
with which it is bound by a 1994 peace agreement, to release these
prisoners. Al Jazeera's Nisreen el-Shamayleh reports from Amman on how
that government is stopping short of their demands for action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvuURuFt0Fg
Hamid Karzai: the candidate of the Feminist Majority, As`ad Abukhalil
"Last week, though, Human Rights Watch discovered
that a revised version of the Shiite Personal Status Law had been
quietly put into effect at the end of July — meaning that Shiite men in
Afghanistan now have the legal right to starve their wives if their
sexual demands are not met and that Shiite women must obtain permission
from their husbands to even leave their houses, “except in extreme circumstances.”" [end]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/08/hamid-karzai-candidate-of-feminist.html
John Pilger - Obama and Empire
Author, journalist, film maker John Pilger speaks at Socialism 2009 www.socialistworker.org; wwwhaymarketbooks.orgFilmed by Paul
Hubbard at the Womens Building in San Francisco 7-4-09.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXL998q7skI |
| For further information contact Shadi Fadda |
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