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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
Police clash with Bedouin attempting to rebuild razed village
A number of injuries have been reported, among them MK Talab El-Sana, who
apparently fainted while entrenched in a tent constructed to protest the village's demolition.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/police-clash-with-bedouin-attempting-to-rebuild-razed-village-1.305956
Al Araqeeb village demolished for 3rd time, constant suffering
West
Bank, August 4, (Pal Telegraph) Hundreds of Israeli police and special
units broke into Al Araqeeb village in the Negev, to demolish and erase
the village because the people built tents in it after it was demolished
by Israeli forces last week. According to reports from villagers that
the violent clashes broke out between the villagers and Israeli police
leaving five people injured, including Knesset member Talab al-Sana, he
was assaulted and thrown out from the tent that he was marching inside, a
field researcher at the Center for Justice, Salim Abu Mdegm and Dr. Awad
Abu Freih and others were also injured, which has necessitated the
transfer of some of them to a near hospital for treatment.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6858
Israeli army raids villages in Negev, demolishes dozens of homes
A large force of Israeli police raided Tuesday several villages in
Negev, south of Israel, amid a demolition operation targeting dozens of
homes in the villages.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?x
Six homes flattened, 300 others damaged in Israeli bombing of Deir Al-Balah
A preliminary report issued by the Palestinian ministry of public works
stated that the Israeli random shelling of Deir Al-Balah caused damage
to more than 300 homes and destroyed six others.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Q
IOF demolishes 7 graves in Jerusalem
Jerusalem,
August 4, (Pal Telegraph) Bulldozers of the Israeli municipality of
Jerusalem demolished today morning seven graves in the cemetery of
"Ma’man allah”. According to eyewitnesses, that the Israeli bulldozers
started demolishing the graves under police protection and under the
pretext of not obtaining a license by The Islamic Movement to restore
them.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6857
Israeli settlement watchdog finds 492 ‘freeze’ violations
The
Israeli
settlement watchdog Peace Now has documented 492 violations of a
partial “moratorium” on new construction in the occupied West Bank set
to expire in September, the group said on Tuesday. Based in part on
aerial photographs, the group said construction had begun on at least
600 housing units in 60 different settlements, at least 492 of them in
“direct violation” of the moratorium which was imposed late last year.
Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer said the government has taken
significant steps to enforce the moratorium but that the newly
documented violations show it has not been entirely successful.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=117824#axzz0vaCDT5Sm
517,774 Jewish settlers live in West Bank: report
RAMALLAH,
Aug.
3 (Xinhua) -- Around 517,774 Jewish settlers live in settlements in the
West Bank, according to a report published Tuesday by Palestinian
Central Bureau of Statistics ( PCBS). According to the report,
settlements in the West Bank were distributed into four strips, namely
the eastern strip including 28 settlements, mountain strip including 31
settlements, western hills strip including 48 settlements and the
greater Jerusalem strip including 37 settlements. "The number of
settlers who live in Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories
increased by more than 40 times during the period of 1972 to 2009,"
according to the PCBS report about the Israeli settlements in the
Palestinian territories for the year 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/03/c_13428653.htm
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott,
Sanctions
&
Divestment
16 Arrested in al-Walaja
16
persons of conscious, including the village's mayor, have been arrested
in the West Bank village of al-Walaja, on Wednesday, protesting the construction of the annexation wall.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59228
Group pledges new aid flotilla to Gaza this year (AFP)
AFP
- The organisers of the "Freedom Flotilla" to Gaza said in Stockholm
Wednesday they would make a new attempt to reach the Palestinian
territory before the end of the year.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100804/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaswedenflotilla
British Muslims urged to boycott Israeli dates during Ramadan
New protest at occupation of Palestinian territories, as Israeli
ambassador counters with 'two-date solution' pun. British
Muslims are being urged to boycott Israeli dates when breaking their
fast during Ramadan in protest at the continued occupation of the
Palestinian territories. Campaign organisers Friends of Al Aqsa hope
the boycott will dwarf previous attempts to hit Israel in the pocket,
capitalising on the attention afforded to the plight of Palestinians by the deadly Israeli attack on a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza at the end of May.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/04/israeli-dates-boycott-ramadan
An interview with Yonatan Shapira
“If I needed something to confirm I am going in the right direction…” an interview with Yonatan Shapira
http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/08/
if-i-needed-something-to-confirm-i-am-going-in-the-right-direction-an-interview-with-yonatan-shapira/
Why I support the Olympia Co-op boycott, Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb
Dear friends, The Olympia Food Co-op boycott of Israeli products
(except for fair trade olive oil) has generated much controversy and
emotion. I do pray for healing and understanding among those who support
and those who oppose such a boycott in the community of Olympia,
Washington and around the world. All of us must stand together and mourn
the loss of life generated by this conflict. May their memories be a
blessing. The Food Co-op and many concerned citizens around the world
have asked the question: How do we transform the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict through the use of nonviolence? What is meaningful action?
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/why-i-support-the-olympia-co-op-boycott.html
Violence and Aggression (also see Lebanon)
Israel air raid on southern Gaza
At least one Palestinian dead and another wounded near Khan Younis.
Scores injured in days of Israeli attacks on Gaza
Tens of Palestinians were injured in a series of Israeli air strikes on
Monday, 2 August in the refugee camp of Deir el-Balah in the south of
the occupied Gaza Strip. Israeli forces targeted senior Hamas official
Alaa al-Danaf during the attacks, which leveled his house and badly
damaged at least 12 other homes nearby. This followed three consecutive
days of Israeli strikes across the besieged territory.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11440.shtml
PCHR Calls for Investigations into Injury of 58 Palestinians, Including 13 Children, by Explosion in Deir al-Balah
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Date: 03 Aug 2010, The
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) calls upon the government in
the Gaza Strip to investigate the circumstances of an explosion that
occurred in Deir al-Balah refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, which
left 58 injuries, including 13 children and 9 women, 7 houses
uninhabitable and 30 others damaged. PCHR calls further for publishing
the results of such investigations.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/VVOS-87YQXB?OpenDocument
Police: Family attacked by settlers after car crash
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- A fight erupted between a Palestinian family and
Israeli settlers on Tuesday following a car crash, Palestinian Authority
police reported. Police said the cars collided on the Burin junction,
in which Abdul Min’em Owni Sabah, 26, his wife Shahrayar Yousef Daoud,
26, and their daughter Duha, three, were injured.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304950
Israeli Military Injures One Gazan Worker
Israel shoots another man as he attempts to gather construction materials.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59226
Watch: PA raids Ma'an's Nablus bureau
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority customs agents raided Ma'an's
Nablus bureau Tuesday, assaulting three journalists during the latest in
a series of operations targeting local broadcasters in the occupied
West Bank. Rami Swidan, a photojournalist on the Nablus desk, said PA
forces attacked journalists Duhana Abu Ayasheh, Ayman Alawi, and Ala
Ash-Shanti when they entered the office to shut down operations.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304997
Detainees
Boy Begs Soldiers Not To Take His Dad
TV cameras have captured the terrible moment of a five-year-old
Palestinian boy seeing his father arrested by Israeli soldiers, nearby
Hebron. In the video, the kid, Khaled Jabari, wails in torment and
confusion as Israeli Army drag away his father, Fadel, for stealing
water. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/vi...
Walking
barefoot, the youngster becomes hysterical as he pleads with the troops
not to take his father away. One of the soldiers picks up the lad and
removes him from the scene before Fadel is driven away in a
four-wheel-drive. Dr Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the
Palestinian National Initiative, commented the video, circulated
yesterday on SKY TV and Al Jazeera, saying that “ Palestinian children
grow up under the Israeli occupation, surrounded by the Apartheid Wall,
by oppression and destruction. Israel repudiates children's rights and
welfare and treats them like adults, clearly violating UN Declaration of
Child's Rights”.
Palestinian child that touched the world
Hebron,
August 4, (Pal Telegraph) The child Khaled Fadhel Al-Jabari, four years,
looked very courageous when he attacked the Israeli soldiers while they
were abducting his father infront of his eyes, and thus the scene has
aroused the world and created many questions about the courage
that the child showed during the direct confrontation with the Israeli
occupation soldiers, without fear or indifference.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6856
17 Palestinians arrested in Tiberias
Police and Border Guard officers arrested 17 Palestinians staying in
Tiberias without permit Monday night. They were transferred for
questioning with the security establishment.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3929314,00.html
IOF arrests 4 Palestinian workers in Hebron
Hebron,
August 4, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation forces arrested today
morning four Palestinians while trying to enter their place of work in
the occupied Palestinian territories of 1948. Local sources said that
Israeli troops from the so-called border guards have arrested four
workers while trying to pass the barrier to reach their place of work.
Same sources reported that those detained four Palestinian workers were
taken to an unknown location.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6855
Hamas: PA forces detain 2 university lecturers
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Hamas said Tuesday that Palestinian Authority
security forces detained seven party affiliates across the West Bank,
including two An-Najah University professors. The Nablus lecturers were
identified in a Hamas statement as Dr Farid Abu Dahir and Dr Ghassan
Khaled. The other detentions took place in Nablus, Qalqiliya, Ramallah
and Tulkarem, Hamas said. On Monday, the Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights denounced the arrests of Hamas-affiliated residents in the West
Bank, accusing the PA of waging a campaign of politically-motivated
arrests.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304916
The Siege (Gaza & West Bank)/Humanitarian and Human Rights/Restriction of Movement
Expired medicine donated to Gaza
There
is
no doubt that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are in dire straights,
desperately in need of medicine and technology. However, millions of
dollars worth of useless, out of date or expired medicine is being sent
to the enclave as aid. And the expired medicine is ending up in
land-fills which are not properly equipped to deal with medical waster.
Gaza's hospitals and clinics relay on international donations, and
no-one is accusing donors of acting with malice. But doctors and health
officials in Gaza want to be consulted before new donations are sent to
the strip to ensure that patients in Gaza are getting what they actually
need. Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from the Gaza Strip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe9S_wKjtkE&feature=youtube_gdata
Egypt allows Libyan aid into Gaza Strip (AFP)
AFP
-
Egypt allowed 200 tonnes of medical aid unloaded from a Libyan ship
into the blockaded Palestinian Gaza Strip enclave, an official said on
Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100804/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictegyptlibyagazaaid
Rockets
Hamas denies involvement in Eilat rocket attack
The Gaza-ruling Islamic Hamas movement denied on Tuesday any involvement
in Monday's rocket attack against the Israeli city of Eilat. "We have
no relation with the attack," Hamas official Salah al- Bardawil told
Xinhua. He said that Israel's accusations that the attack was carried
out by Hamas are "meaningless" and meant to mobilize the international
community against the Islamic movement. Israeli security sources said
the rockets were fired on Monday morning from either Egypt's Sinai or
southern Jordan.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7091732.html
Parliament chairman condemns rocket attack
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The chairman of the Palestinian National Council and
the Arab Parliamentary Union Salim Az-Zannoun condemned Tuesday the
launching of at least five rockets that struck Jordan and Israel a day
earlier. Az-Zannoun described the attack, in which one Jordanian
national was killed, as an attempt to weaken Jordan, Palestine, and the
region's stability. Such "desperate" attempts, he said, would not
achieve its goal, as Jordan plays a key role in maintaining regional
stability.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304990
PRC denies launching rockets toward Jordan and Israel
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Popular Resistance Committee in Gaza denied
reports Tuesday that it launched at least five rockets which struck the
southern coastal cities of Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan. Abu
Al-Atayah, who speaks on behalf of the PRC's Salah Ad-Din Brigades, told
Ma'an radio that the rockets, which killed one Jordanian civilian on
Monday, were launched by "private" groups with "goals not related to any
Palestinian faction." "We only battle in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip,
and over our occupied lands. We never attack the Israeli occupation in
any other place," Abu Al-Atayah said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304900
Report: Palestinian leader supports launching rockets
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fatah Intifada Movement representative in Lebanon
Abu Moussa says his group supports launching rockets at Israel and is
willing to do so itself, LBCI television reported on Monday. “Fatah
al-Intifada supports any Palestinian [party] that has the potential to
fight Israel in any location on the Palestinian arena,” he also said
adding that the issue of Palestinian arms outside refugee camps in
Lebanon should be resolved away from media, NOW Lebanon reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304745
Egypt admits rocket attack from its own soil (AP)
AP
-
The deadly rocket attacks on Israel and Jordan's Red Sea ports were
carried out by the militant Palestinian Hamas group operating from
Egypt, an Egyptian official said Wednesday after days of denials.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_israel_explosion
Political/Other Developments
US: Time now for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks (AP)
AP
-
The Obama administration says the time has come for Israel and the
Palestinians to begin direct peace negotiations without preconditions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100803/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_mideast
Report: PLO assents to trilateral meeting
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The PLO has reportedly agreed to hold a
Palestinian-Israeli-US meeting to discuss direct talks, the London-based
Arabic-language daily Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported Tuesday. According to
the newspaper, which quoted an unnamed Palestinian source, the
trilateral meeting will be convened to tackle the details of direct
negotiations that were broken off in December 2008 as Israel launched
Operation Cast Lead.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304851
Probe into flotilla killings met with skepticism
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - Despite initial misgivings, UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon received the tacit approval of the Israeli government to
establish an international panel to probe the widely-condemned killings
of nine Turkish civilians onboard a flotilla of ships carrying
humanitarian aid to Gaza last May. "This is an unprecedented
development," Ban said Monday, virtually patting himself on the back.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11441.shtml
Israel says won't allow int'l cmte to question citizens
Although Israel has agreed to cooperate with a UN probe on the raid on a
Gaza-bound flotilla in May, it will not allow the committee to question
Israeli officers, civilians or soldiers, according to officials.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2104281&Language=en
Not surprising, Philip Weiss
Outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is to be the vice chair of the new U.N. panel looking into the flotilla raid. FYI, Uribe won an award from
the B'nai Brith. "Past winners include first Israeli Prime Minister
David Ben Gurion; fourth Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir; former U.S.
Presidents Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy." And in 2007 he received
an award from the American Jewish Committee. “President Uribe is a staunch ally of the United States, a good friend of Israel and the Jewish people..."
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/not-surprising.html
Uribe appointment undermines U.N. flotilla investigation, Carmen Andrea Rivera and Nico Udu-gama
It was announced yesterday, August 2nd, that outgoing Colombian
president Álvaro Uribe Vélez will be the Vice Chairman of the U.N.’s
four-member international committee tasked with investigating the
Israeli commando attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. On May 31st,
Israeli forces attacked the MV Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship manned by
international activists delivering aid supplies to the besieged Gaza
Strip. The ensuing confrontation left nine activists dead and dozens
wounded and sparked international criticism of Israel. Prior
international investigations and condemnation have done little to change
Israel’s colonial policies in occupied Palestinian territories.
Appointing Uribe to this latest investigation preemptively undermines
its credibility.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/uribe-appointment-undermines-u-n-flotilla-investigation.html
Other News
Press union condemns PA closure of TV stations
Nablus - Ma'an - The Palestinian Journalists Syndicates condemned the
closure of TV stations in Nablus on Tuesday by the Palestinian Authority
Ministry of Telecommunications and customs officers. Union chief Abdel
Nasser An-Najjar said he had contacted both the Ministries of
Telecommunications and Interior, who said they were not aware of the
move. Telecom Minister Mashhour Abu Daqqa said no closures would take
place without informing the PJS in advance.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=304956
A Tale Of Two Summer Camps And One Dark Future, Max Blumenthal
On July 31, I published a piece about a group of high school age
Israelis who helped the Israeli police level the Bedouin Arab village of
al-Arakib. Since publishing the story, “The Summer Camp of Destruction,”
I have received unconfirmed accounts from witnesses that the youth
volunteers sang “Am Yisrael Chai,” while police bulldozers destroyed
homes. At this point, nothing is unbelievable.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/08/a-tale-of-two-summer-camps-and-one-dark-future/
The right to live here
The
Jewish
people has the right to its own state like other nations, and it
has the right to its own Law of Return, as do other dispersed peoples,
including the Armenians and the Palestinians in their state that is
supposed to be established beside Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-right-to-live-here-1.305413
'Chelsea's marriage a spiritual Shoah'
Haredi newspaper devotes editorial to Chelsea Clinton's wedding, slams assimilation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3929754,00.html
Helen Thomas to be honoured with a statue
PNN - Bethlehem - The journalist is the subject of a campaign by the
Arab American National Museum to honour her career with a statue. The
former Washington correspondent Helen Thomas, who turns 90 tomorrow, was
forced to resign after she made anti-Israeli comments at an Israeli
Heritage Celebration in Washington. The director of the museum, Anan
Ameri, says that some people don't want to donate towards it because of
the comments and says $10,000 more is necessary for the statue's
erection.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8612&Itemid=72
Analysis/Opinion/Human Interest
ISRAEL'S PR WAR
After Israel’s major attack on Gaza in December 2008, it has faced
criticism around the world. This criticism escalated after the
publication of the Goldstone Report in 2009 that found evidence of war
crimes in the attack. This year, Israel’s security establishment
declared a full out PR war on criticism that it identifies as
“delegitimization” of Israel. Israel’s most influential think tank, the
Reut Institute, developed the strategy for how to fight this PR war. It
published a massive report in preparation for this year’s Herzeliya
conference entitled “Building a political firewall: against Israel’s
delegitimization” which advocated that the Israeli intelligence agencies
establish special units to collect information on critics of Israel. The
report also advocates the establishment of pro-Israel networks in “hubs
of delegitimization” which it named as London, Paris, Madrid, Toronto,
and the Bay Area. The Real News’ Lia Tarachansky spoke to Morton A.
Klein, the president of the Zionist Organization of America who talks
about how American lobby groups help Israel fight its PR war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OiEF_QxU-8&feature=player_embedded
The Eve of Destruction?, Tony Karon
Last
time
around the U.S. encouraged this, what will Obama do? Tuesday’s
cross-border firefight between Israeli and Lebanese government forces
might simply have been a misunderstanding. And the rockets fired from
Gaza and the Israeli air strikes on the besieged territory over the past
week could be viewed as periodic blip in business as usual on that
front. By the same token, last Friday’s unprecedented joint visit to
Beirut by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Syria could be viewed simply
as a move to stop the conflict between their Lebanese proxies turning
nasty. And British Prime Minister David Cameron’s pleas to Turkey to
keep open its communication channels with Israel’s leaders are quotidian
diplomatic common sense. Viewed in a wider context, however, each of
those events could be taken as signs of why many in the Middle East
believe that despite the outward calm, the region may be on the brink of
another catastrophic war.
http://tonykaron.com/2010/08/03/the-eve-of-destruction/
Israel lobby’s man on Iran keeps his job from Bush to Obama, no problem, Philip Weiss
Obama got past Hillary in 2008 because his opposition to the Iraq war
was a litmus test for much of the Democratic base. Then he won the last
presidential election in part by opposing Bush's foreign-policy agenda
and promptly reached out to the "Muslim world." So why is a Bushie with
an ideological agenda hanging on into the Obama administration?
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/israel-lobbys-man-on-iran-keeps-his-job-from-bush-to-obama-no-problem.html
MJ Rosenberg: American Jewish Committee Opposes Mosque Too
I
have to admire the AJC -- the ADL's twin -- for opposing the Muslim
center near Ground Zero but for scoring points by not being as slightly
less racist about it than ADL. Instead of just saying "hell, no" to the
Muslim, David Harris, the neocon head of the AJC, says "yes, but."
He is all for building the center if it addresses some "concerns." It's
like me saying that I endorse everything Glenn Beck stands for if he
would just address my concern about his right-wing politics
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/american-jewish-committee_b_669384.html
Making a mockery of rape
The
conviction
of a Palestinian man for rape after consensual sex with a Jewish woman
is a measure of the depths of anti-Arab racism in Israeli society,
writes Gary Lapon.
http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/03/making-a-mockery-of-rape
Neocon halfway house, Philip Weiss
Andrew Sullivan has been doing important work on neoconservatives. Here is a piece in which he and Joe Klein
lament their failure to see thru the neoconservative agenda for the Iraq
war. The regrets expressed here are genuine and important and god knows
they should be taken up by the Jewish community, whose leadership,
including Reform Jewry, supported the destruction of an Arab society
with the untold suffering that has resulted.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/neocon-halfway-house.html
Lebanon
Lebanon: Retired commander suspected of spying for Israel
Authorities
detain high-ranking army officer, a Christian party member and a telecom
firm employee. Source: Lebanese intelligence not sure yet if they were
giving information to Israel.Nasrallah: Hezbollah will respond if Israel attacks Lebanon's army
In speech marking 4 years since Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah chief says
Israel has violated cease-fire resolution over 7,000 times.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
nasrallah-hezbollah-will-respond-if-israel-attacks-lebanon-s-army-1.305825
Aoun Not Surprised with Israeli New Attack against Lebanon
03/08/2010 The head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP
Michel Aoun said on Tuesday that he was not surprised with Israel's
attack against Lebanon, recalling that the decision of war and peace was
not in the hands of the Lebanese. "The Lebanese army is charged with
deterring attacks and it currently plays the role of defending the
border," Aoun told reporters following his bloc's weekly meeting. "The
Resistance's role begins when the Israeli forces infiltrate the
country," he added. "Today's assault is a test to the Lebanese army
that demonstrated a solid will to defend itself. Israel has understood
that it will confront the Lebanese army should it attack Lebanon," he
continued.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=148931&language=en
Arabic: Nasrallah Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A44cR7VO8UI
Sayyed Nasrallah: Israeli Hand That Attacks Army Will Be Cut Off
Hezbollah
Secretary
General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah warned on Tuesday that the Resistance
party would not stand silent if the Israeli enemy attacked the Lebanese
Army in the future, pledging that the Israeli hand that attacks the
national army would be cut off. Sayyed Nasrallah was speaking through a
large TV screen at Al-Raya stadium in Beirut’s southern suburb, during
the ceremony held by Hezbollah to mark the fourth anniversary of the
Divine Victory, a few hours after an Israeli aggression against the
Lebanese Army. "I say honestly, that in any place where the Lebanese
army will be assaulted and there's a presence for the resistance, and it
is capable, the resistance will not stand silent, or quiet or
restrained," Sayyed Nasrallah told crows of people who took part in the
ceremony.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=148968&language=en
Hezbollah accuses Israel of Hariri murder
BEIRUT (AFP) – Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday openly
accused Israel of the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri and
said he would unveil proof to that effect at a news conference next
week. "I accuse the Israeli enemy of the assassination of (former)
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and... I will prove this by unveiling
sensitive information at a press conference on Monday," Nasrallah said
in a speech transmitted via video link. The Shiite leader said he would
present concrete and audiovisual evidence showing that Israeli agents
had worked to exploit his Iranian-backed party's "political rivalry"
with Hariri, a Sunni Muslim who was close to Saudi Arabia, in an attempt
to pin the murder on Hezbollah.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100803/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonuntribunalharirihezbollahisrael
Nasrallah Promises Evidence that Israel Killed Hariri
Clearly, the most important piece of information delivered in Nasrallah’s address tonight (click here for the YouTube video, here for an Arabic transcription of the major points, and here for an English summary)
was the promise that he would return to the subject of the STL
indictment next Monday, August 9th, at 8:30 PM. This will be the second
press conference in a two-part series (click here for my commentary on Part I), and the Hizbullah Secretary-General promised that he would provide conclusive evidence that Israel was behind the murder of Rafiq al-Hariri.
http://qifanabki.com/2010/08/03/nasrallah-accuses-israel/
Clashes kill five in Lebanon
Three Lebanese soldiers, a journalist and an Israeli officer have been
killed in a cross border clash between the two countries. Another
Israeli commander was critically wounded. Zeina Khodr reports from
Adaisseh in Lebanon where the incident took place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opTE7QnY7m8&feature=youtube_gdata
Journalist Abu Rahhal slain while reporting on clashes
ADAYSSEH: Lebanese journalist Assaf Abu Rahhal was killed in clashes
Tuesday between the Lebanese and Israeli armies. Abu Rahhal died
instantly after Israel shelled the southern border village of Adaysseh.
Abu Rahhal, 55, worked for the Arabic-language Al-Akhbar daily and was
reporting on the clashes from the southern Lebanese town of Adaysseh.
The journalist hailed from the village of Kfeir in the southern province
of Hasbaya and had three children – Nisrine, Mazen and Geryes. “It is
totally unacceptable that a civilian, a dedicated journalist, husband
and father, be targeted and killed while the international community and
UN troops [in south Lebanon] stand by idly,” Omar Nashabe, Law page
editor and columnist at Al-Akhbar told AFP. Before joining Al-Akhbar,
Abu Rahhal worked as the Hasbaya correspondent for the Arabic-language
daily Al-Mustaqbal. The slain journalist also contributed articles to
the Shu’un Janoubiah magazine.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=117831#axzz0vaC6dKgG
Trees causing clashes with Israel "on Lebanese soil": minister
BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Information Minister Tareq Mitri
said on Wednesday that the trees cut down by Israeli troops which led to
deadly border clashes with Israel "were on Lebanese soil," contradicting
a statement by the UN peacekeeping force saying the trees were on the
Israeli side of the shared border. "The trees were south of
the Blue Line, but in Lebanese lands," Mitri told a press conference in
Beirut, noting "the Blue Line is not the international border, and
Lebanon always has its reservations about it. Yet, Lebanon has always
respected the line. "
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/04/c_13430337.htm
Netanyahu: Lebanon responsible for violence against Israel
Defense Minister Barak demands Lebanese probe into 'murderous act of
terror' after Israeli officer killed in rare Israel-Lebanon border
skirmish.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
netanyahu-lebanon-responsible-for-violence-against-israel-1.305806
Israel blames U.S., France for arming Lebanon
United States has given Lebanon approximately $400 million over the past year to purchase arms, despite Israel's objections.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-blames-u-s-france-for-arming-lebanon-1.305848
US urges 'maximum restraint' by Lebanon, Israel
Following deadly border skirmish, State Department spokesman says, 'The
last thing that we want to see is that this incident expand into
something more significant'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3929840,00.html
Senior Israeli officer killed in border clash: military (AFP)
AFP - A senior Israeli officer was killed on Tuesday during clashes with
the Lebanese army along the flashpoint northern border, the Israeli military said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100803/wl_afp/mideastconflictlebanonisraelarmytoll
Assad: We'll support Lebanon in face of criminal Israeli aggression
UN peacekeepers urge 'maximum restraint' after Israeli and Lebanese soldiers exchange fire along border, killing 4 Lebanese.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
assad-we-ll-support-lebanon-in-face-of-criminal-israeli-aggression-1.305771
Lebanese Army Heroes to Israel: War in Lebanon Not Picnic!
Once
again,
Lebanon's people proved to be victorious in the face of all schemes and
plots… Tuesday was not one of the Israeli enemy's best days… While
recalling its humiliating defeat in Lebanon four years ago,
the Israeli enemy had to face on Tuesday a strong and capable army, an
army armed with its people's support and strength… The Lebanese Army
heroes proved on Tuesday that Lebanon, through its resistance, army and
people, are the victorious in the face of the Zionist aggressions and
crimes. The message was more than clear: Israeli provocations cannot
pass without repercussions anymore, and Lebanon will remain united in
the face of all schemes and plots. In an exclusive interview with
Al-Manar website, former minister Michel Samaha noted that the few last
hours proved again the heroism of the Lebanese Army, the aggressiveness
of the Zionists and the fragility of the international forces in South
Lebanon.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=148952&language=en
AL condemns Israeli violations against Lebanese borders
CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cairo-based Arab League (AL) condemned on
Tuesday the "Israeli violations" against the Lebanese borders, urging
the international community to act with this serious situation. Hisham
Youssef, chief of the cabinet for AL secretary general, said these
violations are condemned and unacceptable, referring to reports showing
that Israeli army has used banned weapons such as cluster bombs.
Youssef said that AL chief Amr Moussa is contacting Lebanese leaders to
stand on the latest developments of the situation, adding "AL is
discussing filing complaint to the UN Security Council in the light of
the Israeli violation of UN Resolution 1701."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/03/c_13428642.htm
Egypt supports Lebanon to face Israeli violations: FM
CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul- Gheit
said Tuesday Egypt is fully siding with Lebanon in the face of Israeli
violations. In a telephone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister
Saad Hariri, Abul-Gheit confirmed that Egypt is fully supporting the
Lebanese government in standing up to the Israeli violations of
Lebanon's sovereignty.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/03/c_13428634.htm
Egypt contacts U.S., France, UN to stop Israeli attack on Lebanon
CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday contacted
the United States, France and the United Nations, calling for immediate
intervention to stop the Israeli attack on Lebanon, state-run MENA news
agency reported. Egypt called upon all parties concerned to step in to
pressurize Israel into self-restraint and abstain from escalating the
military situation in south Lebanon, said the report. Egypt is also
urging respect for UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and stopping
violations on this score.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/03/c_13428637.htm
UAE condemns Israel over border clash with Lebanese army
ABU DHABI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on
Wednesday expressed condemnation towards Israel over the border clashes
with the Lebanese army on Tuesday, the state news agency WAM reported.
"The UAE condemned today Israel's aggression on the Lebanese army in
south Lebanon as a flagrant infringement and blatant violation of the UN
Security Council Resolution 1701," the report said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/04/c_13430122.htm
Israeli provocation on Lebanese border could trigger new war, Paul Woodward
Border clashes between Israeli and Lebanese troops have left three Lebanese soldiers and a journalist dead. Lebanon’s Hezbollah TV, Al Manar,
reports one high-ranking Israeli officer has been killed but this has
not been confirmed by the Lebanese army or UN troops stationed in
southern Lebanon. As the photo above makes clear, this was a blatant
act of provocation
by Israeli forces — no one accidentally strayed over the border. This is
more like kids tossing matches to find out whether a brush fire will
start.
http://warincontext.org/2010/08/03/israeli-provocation-on-lebanese-border-could-trigger-new-war/
Lebanese-Israeli relations: A history
Tensions
between
the two neighbors are nothing new: Israel has invaded Lebanon on a
number of occasions - mainly in persuit of Hezbollah and Palestinian
fighters, who it accused of threatening its security. Tarek Bazley has
this look at the backdrop to the current tensions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed4TXPlmgZA&feature=youtube_gdata
The pro-Hariri propaganda of Robert Fisk, As`ad Abukhalil
I have offered to buy a golden watch to officiate over a retirement
ceremony for Robert Fisk. Look at this lousy piece of his. 1) he claims
that the border is murky between Lebanon and Palestine when the picture
in the article shows the fence. 2) look how many times he uses "Iranian
funded" in reference to Hizbullah but he does not say US-funded about
the usurping entity; 3) he talks about the efforts of Sa`d Hariri and
his phone calls but he does not tell readers that the man is on his
yacht in Sardinia. 4) Notice how he spells the name of the latest
Israeli spy as Milad Ein Forgetting that "Ein" is the reference to hte
first letter of his last name when his full name was identified on TV
here. 5) Is Abed, his driver, sleeping because Fisk is really out of it
these days. I mean, between watching Rima Maktabi on CNN and reading
Fisk in the Independent on Lebanon, I would rather consume large amounts
of crack cocaine provided it is legal on some remote island, of course.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2010/08/pro-hariri-propaganda-of-robert-fisk.html
America's Dog in Lebanese Fight, FRANKLIN LAMB
For months, as Lebanon’s historic debate over basic civil rights for
Palestinian refugees has unfolded, the Obama administration has watched
idly along the sidelines. As hundreds of thousands of Palestinian
refugees cough and slow-bake while inhaling rancid camp air in Lebanon’s
sweltering breezeless heat, the White House has now sent Lebanon’s
Parliament a message. The United States will not support meaningful
civil, social or economic rights for the world’s largest and oldest
refugee population and it wants them naturalized anywhere except
anyplace in Palestine.
http://www.counterpunch.com/lamb08032010.html
Too Much Information
Say
what
you will about Hizbullah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, but
at least give him credit for his consumate skills in political
messaging. Next week’s press conference, in which the entire world will
be treated to what Nasrallah has called “material evidence” that Israel
was behind the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, is something of a cross
between a WikiLeaks media scandal and the finale of American Idol.
Hizbullah is not content to simply pass on its evidence to the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon; the whole point of the effort is to reshape public
opinion in Lebanon. The result of this effort will be that the Lebanese
will have two different sources of authority on the question of
who killed Rafiq al-Hariri. Just as the old binaries of the 2005-09
period were fading away (March 14 vs. March 8, loyalists vs. opposition,
etc.), a new one has arisen to take its place. “Do you believe the U.N.
or Hizbullah?” is what we’ll ask each other. “Which story is more
convincing? Which evidence is more compelling? If both organizations
aired their findings in primetime specials on two different channels,
which one would you watch live and which one would you TiVo?” At the
end of the day, is there such a thing as too much information?
http://qifanabki.com/2010/08/04/too-much-information/
Ain al-Hilweh factions call truce after 2004 dispute
BEIRUT: A truce between factions at the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain
al-Hilweh ended a six-year dispute on Tuesday, as officials called for
unity. Several Palestinian officials and Ain al-Hilweh figures gathered
inside the camp, in south Lebanon, to put an end to the argument, which
erupted in 2004 between the Fatah faction and members of Jund al-Sham
Islamist militant group.
Jund al-Sham member Amer Dahabera and Fatah member Anis Khoder were both killed in the fighting.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=117817#axzz0vaC3osfo
Looking to Ignite New War against Lebanon, Carlos Latuff
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/latuff040810.html
Iraq
Tuesday: 50 Iraqis Killed, 118 Wounded
A
rare car bombing in a southern, Shi'ite city and another flag-planting
attack on security forces in the capital were just two of the many
attacks witnessed across Iraq today. Overall, at least 50 Iraqis were
killed and 118 more were wounded. The figures are expected to rise in
the Kut bombing. Meanwhile, 26 Kurdish families have crossed the
frontier into Iraqi Kurdistan to escape Iranian artillery attacks
against suspected Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) rebels.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/08/03/tuesday-50-iraqis-killed-118-wounded/
30 killed, 80 wounded in Iraq twin car bombs: medic (AFP)
AFP - Two near-simultaneous car bombs in the southern Iraqi city of Kut
on Tuesday killed 30 people and wounded 80, a medical official said,
giving a new toll.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100803/wl_afp/iraqunrestkut
Car bomb blasts rock Iraqi city
At least 10 people killed after three devices were planted in commercial district of Kut.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/08/20108316136190523.html
Allawi rejects US offer to allow PM Maliki to keep office
Sources in the Iraqia List said that Iraq's former prime minister Iyad
Allawi had strongly disagreed with a senior U.S. delegation during his
talks held in the Kurdish city of Irbil. According to the sources, the
Americans insist on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's stay in office.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26069.htm
Iraq releases former top Saddam loyalist (AP)
AP
-
The Iraqi government has released from prison a top Saddam Hussein
loyalist after he was found innocent of helping the former regime punish
opponents by draining the country's fabled marshlands, a judge said
Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
End of Iraq Combat Operations or Beginning of Downsized, Rebranded Occupation Relying Heavily on Private Military Contractors?
President Obama said Monday in a speech before the Disabled American
Veterans national convention in Atlanta that the US military is on
target to withdraw all its combat troops from Iraq by the end of August.
We speak with independent journalist Jeremy Scahill, who says this
instead marks the beginning of a downsized and rebranded occupation that
will rely heavily on private military forces. [includes rush transcript]
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/8/3/end_of_iraq_combat_operations_or
Operation Infinite Occupation, ANTHONY DiMAGGIO
The
Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by President Bush in late 2008
legally required the U.S. to withdrawal all troops from the country by
the end of 2011. The Bush administration was never keen on the plan,
which was forced on U.S. leaders by Iraqi political official who were
set on ending the occupation, in accord with the wishes of the vast
majority of the Iraqi people. If Bush had remained in office long
enough, there is little doubt that he would have opposed a full
withdrawal, as setting a timetable for removing U.S. troops was long
opposed by the President, who consistently and vigorously demanded that
“conditions on the ground” dictate the removal or adding of forces.
http://www.counterpunch.com/dimaggio08032010.html
Iran
Iran favors dialogue with West based on justice, respect: president
TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said
Wednesday that the Islamic Republic is interested in dialogue with the
West based on justice and mutual respect, official IRNA news agency
reported. Ahmadinejad said that he is ready to talk with U.S. President
Barack Obama as he was ready to negotiate with former U.S. President
George W. Bush.
Ahmadinejad said Monday that he is ready to hold face-to-face talks with
Obama on global developments at the upcoming UN General Assembly, according to IRNA.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/04/c_13430124.htm
Did Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just survive an assassination attempt?
His
government says no, but early reports of a grenade attack on President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's convoy were issued by Iranian news agencies with
close ties to the regime.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/KQdYMKav2fU/
Did-Iran-s-Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-just-survive-an-assassination-attempt
Iran warns of unforeseen consequences in event of US attack
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that Mullen's remarks and the
constant use of military rhetoric by the United States showed that it
was desperate.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1575179.php
Fuel swap talks with Iran may be close
Discussions
to
facilitate a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran could start soon,
International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said
Monday, according to a Reuters report.
http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?ID=183434
U.S. Freezes Iranian Assets
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday said it has frozen assets linked
to several Iranian individuals and two entities that have helped finance Hezbollah "terrorism" efforts.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703545604575407342040520382
-lMyQjAxMTAwMDAwMzEwNDMyWj.html
Iran, Venezuela to form joint oil firm
Upcoming
Tehran-Caracas
talks will focus on the establishment of a joint oil shipping company
as agreed in a memorandum of understanding the two countries signed last
year, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noghrekar Shirazi told Mehr
News Agency on Tuesday.
http://presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137326§ionid=351020102
Iran 'spy trial' opens in Kuwait
A trial opens in Kuwait of six men, including a Kuwaiti soldier, and one woman accused of spying for Iran.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10851217
U.S. and Other World News
Afghanistan Civilian Deaths: NATO Data Shows Sharp Increase In Attacks After Civilians Killed
Each time U.S. or NATO forces accidentally kill Afghan civilians,
insurgents and their sympathizers typically retaliate with six
additional assaults on foreign forces over the next six weeks,
researchers using newly declassified NATO data conclude.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/03/afghanistan-civilian-deat_n_668440.html
Faith in Obama’s handling of Afghan war at record low: poll
WASHINGTON — American public support for the Afghan war and US President
Barack Obama's handing of the conflict has hit an all-time low after the
leak of secret military documents, a poll showed Tuesday. Obama's
overall ratings also declined to a new low, with only 41 percent of
Americans saying they approved of his performance, according to the USA
Today/Gallup poll -- his worst showing since taking office in January
2009.
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0803/faith-obamas-handling-afghan-war-record-poll/
Ground Zero mosque project clears major obstacle
Ambitious plans to build a mosque next to New York's Ground Zero cleared
a major hurdle on Tuesday when a local commission voted to remove the
existing structure on the site from a protected list. The Landmarks
Preservation Commission voted unanimously in favor of an application to
end the protected status of the 1850s Italian Renaissance palazzo-style
building, which now houses only an abandoned clothing store.
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0803/ground-mosque-project-clears-major-obstacle/
'Ground Zero' mosque approved
Despite protests, the building of an Islamic cultural center in New York
city can now go ahead after a unanimous vote to clear the way for the
Islamic site. The proposed centre has become the focus of debate because
it would be built near the site of the September 11th attacks. Al
Jazeera's Rosalind Jordan reports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk5Ql1sYm9c&feature=youtube_gdata
Why We Sued to Represent Muslim Cleric Aulaqi
Anwar Aulaqi is a US citizen and Muslim cleric living somewhere in
Yemen. The US has put him on our terrorist list and is trying to
assassinate him. The Center for Constitutional Rights and the ACLU filed
suit today so we can be pro bono lawyers for his father, Nasser Aulaqi,
to stop the government from killing him. We filed suit today challenge
the US requirement that lawyers must seek permission from the government
before we can provide free pro bono legal representation to a
US citizen.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/08/why-we-sued-to-represent-muslim-cleric-aulaqi/
Julian Assange Responds to Increasing US Government Attacks on WikiLeaks
It’s
been ten days since the whistleblower website WikiLeaks published the
massive archive of classified military records about the war in
Afghanistan, but the fallout in Washington and beyond is far from over.
Justice Department lawyers are reportedly exploring whether WikiLeaks
and its founder Julian Assange could be charged with violating the
Espionage Act of 1917 for publishing the classified Afghan war
documents. Meanwhile, investigators in the Army’s criminal division have
reportedly questioned two students in Boston about their ties to
WikiLeaks and Private First Class Bradley Manning, a leading suspect in
the leak. We speak with WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. [includes
rush transcript–partial]
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/8/3/julian_assange_responds_to_increasing_us
Pakistan No Obedient Ally, Eric Margolis
WikiLeaks data shows how volatile nation is forced to act against own self interests.
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/eric_margolis/2010/07/30/14880351.html
Murder Inc. in Afghanistan, JOHN GRANT
Let me get this straight. Robert Gates, the
Secretary-Of-Defense-For-Life, is touring the TV news shows and major
newspapers pleading with great angst lines in his forehead that
WikiLeaks is “guilty” and “morally culpable” for releasing 75,000 field
reports from Afghanistan to the American public because they endanger
Afghans allied with US forces. But he and the US militarists who
initiated the war in Iraq and who have continued the war in Afghanistan
for nine years, the people who keep everything about these wars secret
except what is useful to sustain them, the people who finance these wars
on credit without raising taxes, dumping the costs on future generations
– these people are not “morally culpable,” “guilty” or endangering
anyone?
http://www.counterpunch.com/grant08032010.html |
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