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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Ethnic cleansing/Settlement/Destruction of Land and Property
Israelis demolish West Bank homes (AFP)
AFP - Israeli bulldozers, flanked by troops, demolished properties in
two West Bank villages on Wednesday, leaving nine Palestinians homeless,
Palestinian rights organizations said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100414/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpalestinianhousedemolitions
Palestinian homes
Hundreds of
Palestinians could be displaced if Jerusalem authorities carry out a
plan to turn the neighborhood of Al Bustan into a tourist park. The plan
entails the demolition of many Palestinian homes. But the mayor of the
city says he will make sure houses are protected while developing the
area. However, Palestinians in Al Bustan are sceptical of the assurance.
Jacky Rowland reports. [April 14, 2010]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zssMX1aiWB4&feature=youtube_gdata
No-one
saw,
no-one heard: 300 Palestinian olive trees uprooted
Some
300 olive trees belonging to Palestinians were uprooted on the night
between Monday and Tuesday in groves near the village of Mihmas, close
to the illegal outpost of Migron. Mihmas residents blamed settlers for
the attack and said this was the third time the settlers had uprooted
trees in the area.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163243.html
Jordan slams Israel over West Bank evictions threat
AMMAN — Jordan condemned Israel on Wednesday over a military order that
could lead to the eviction of thousands of Palestinians from the
occupied West Bank, demanding it be revoked. The Amman government
"strongly condemned" the Israeli decision, describing the move as
"illegal" and a "flagrant violation" of international law and
conventions, as well as the Jewish state's obligations as an occupying
power.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hwg4IveFtlrVXoIn-FfVjl0aiyPA
Moscow
Warns
Against Israel’s Decision To Deport Thousands of Palestinians
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning that
implementing Israeli order #1650 regarding the deportation of thousands
of residents from the West Bank could lead to further escalation and
tension in the region.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58447
What a sleek, modern ethnic-cleansing operation looks
like, Philip Weiss
The above photograph is said to be of a caravan of police vehicles
leaving the Negev village of El-Araqib after demolishing three homes
there yesterday. Yeela Raanan of the Regional Council
for Unrecognized Villages in the Negev, reports.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/04/what-a-sleek-modern-ethnic-cleansing-operation-looks-like.html
The West Bank expulsion order is merely the latest
step in a long process, Ahmed Moor
The Israeli
army order that permits Israel to ethnically purge the West Bank of
non-Jews (Palestinians and foreigners who are not Jewish) is the next
rational step in the evolution of the Jewish state. A Ha’aretz editorial
calls
this latest iteration of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine “a step too
far.” The editors go on to state that “Israel, which
justifiably prevents Palestinians from returning to where they lived
before 1948… cannot expel Palestinians from the occupied territories on
the basis of dubious bureaucratic claims.”
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/04/the-west-bank-expulsion-order-is-merely-the-latest-step-in-a-long-process.html
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott,
Sanctions
and Divestment
Paris
rally:
Ben-Gurion responsible for expulsion of Arabs
Dozens of
leftists protest against city's decision to name promenade after
Israel's first PM, say Jewish state continues 'killing and
expropriation' policy.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3876511,00.html
Hebron:
11
tons of settlement watermelon confiscated
Hebron – Ma'an – Inspection teams seized 11 tons of watermelons from
Hebron markets on Thursday, alleging the goods were brought into the
city from illegal settlements in the West Bank.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276611
30 Pages of Famous Jewish Support for Divestment at
Berkeley
Jewish Voice for Peace has compiled letters from prominent Jewish and
Israeli intellectuals and activists, supporting UC Berkeley’s divestment
initiative and encouraging the student government to override President
Will Smelko’s unprincipled veto tonight. Student activists supporting
the bill have been wearing shirts with their simple slogan: Divest. Make
history.
http://www.kabobfest.com/2010/04/30-pages-of-jewish-letters-supporting-divestment-at-berkeley.html
Richard Falk Salute UC Berkeley Divestment
I am writing to encourage renewed support for Senate Bill 118A (“A Bill
in Support of ASUC Divestment from War Crimes”), including the override
of ASUC President Will Smelko’s veto on March 24, 2010. The earlier
passage of the bill by a 16-4 vote in the Senate has been widely hailed
as a major step forward in the growing global campaign of divestment and
boycott.
http://intifada-palestine.com/2010/04/richard-falk-salute-uc-berkeley-divestment/
International Attention Focused on Berkeley
Divestment Vote
International attention will descend on the ASUC Senate meeting tonight
as senators consider upholding the passage of a controversial bill
urging the student government and the University of California to divest
from two companies that have provided war supplies to the Israeli
military.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/04/14-7
Media Release: Tax Day Events Highlight Cost of
U.S. Military Aid to Israel
Washington, DC — On Tax Day, the US Campaign to End the Israeli
Occupation is organizing a national day of action to highlight the ways
in which U.S. tax money is misused by the Israeli military to violate
international law and Palestinian human rights. Events will be held at
post offices across the
United States, including in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and the Bay
Area, as well as at the Washington, DC headquarters of the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS), in order to educate taxpayers about the role that
U.S. military aid plays in maintaining Israeli occupation of Palestinian
land. A full list of events can be found here.
http://endtheoccupationblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/media-release-tax-day-events-highlight.html
Israel makes no secret of upset at Ictu stance on
Palestinians
WHEN IT comes to meetings between Israeli
officials and their Irish counterparts, there is one issue that is never
far from the agenda – that of Ictu’s support for calls from Palestinian
civil society groups urging a boycott, divestment and sanctions
campaign against Israel. The
campaign, known by the acronym BDS, has its genesis in a 2005 decision
by more than 170 Palestinian civil society actors, taking inspiration
from similar approaches to apartheid-era South Africa, to call for an
international push to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel until it
complies with international law.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0415/1224268371697.html
Violence/Aggression and Provocations
Israeli forces raid 2 homes south of Jerusalem
Jerusalem – Ma'an – Israeli forces reportedly raided two houses south of
Jerusalem on Wednesday. The two homes in the Sur Bahir village belong
to Fatah affiliates Muhammad and Shihadeh Bkirat. Muhammad Bkirat told
Ma'an that the soldiers made a "huge mess" while searching for
"prohibited materials." However, the soldiers ultimately left both
homes without taking anything or making an arrest, Bkirat added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276416
Far'a
camp
locked down, 1 injured during raids
Nablus - Ma'an - Overnight Israeli military raids sparked clashes in the
northern West Bank, as troops opened fire and moderately injured one man
who was later detained, along with 10 others, Palestinian security
sources said Thursday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276559
Settler
presence
sparks increased violence in Qalqiliya
Qalqiliya – Ma'an – Israeli soldiers fanned out and searched for a
Palestinian boy east of the Izbat At-Tabib village on Thursday morning,
telling witnesses the boy was shot at by a settler moments earlier. The
boy was allegedly throwing rocks at an Israeli setter car traveling on
the Jewish-only road 55, east of Qalqiliya, when the driver stopped,
pulled a weapon from the vehicle and fired, soldiers told witnesses.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276588
Settler
Harassment:
VIDEO ROUND-UP
According to OCHA’s weekly “Protection of
civilians” report, “since the beginning of 2010, 22 Palestinians have
been injured as a result of settler violence in the West Bank”(1). But
settler violence consists of much more than injuries.
Here are few recent events that exemplify what the daily life of
Palestinians living close to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories can be like. Written by J.S.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1360
Vandalise
a
Mosque in Huwara
A mosque in the West Bank town of Huwara
has been vandalised and two cars set alight. Palestinian officials say
the perpetrators were from a nearby Jewish settlement. The Israeli army
has condemned the incident but says it doesnt know who the attackers
are. According to eyewitnesses, armed Israeli settlers came to the
village at dawn on Wednesday, they also painted the name Mohamad an
apparent reference to the Muslim prophet but their vandalism was cut
short by residents. Nour Odeh reports from Huwara.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZaut4NQpKc&feature=youtube_gdata
Detainees
Palestinian
civilian
wounded, 16 arrested in the WB
A Palestinian citizen was
wounded at dawn Thursday at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces
(IOF) in Nablus while 16 others were arrested, press sources reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Israeli Military Kidnaps Two Palestinians And Assault
Another
Israeli forces kidnapped two Palestinian civilians Wednesday morning
from the West Bank. Palestinian media sources reported that Israeli
troops invaded the town of Yattah near Hebron and kidnapped Hamza
Hoshiyeh and took him to unknown destination.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58443
Nine
Detainees
Could Face Deportation
The Israeli Authorities decided to
send nine Palestinian detainees to court although they served
their terms, under the pretext that they do not carry Identity Cards.
The nine detainees will likely be deported to Jordan.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58446
Israel's Arab Helpers
Business
with Israel pays off in Jordan
IRBID, Jordan — Manager Rami Kurdi snapped off a quick celebratory
salute to his workers as the factory's bell rang, marking the completion
of the day's 1,000th tracksuit in record time. For Kurdi and the
employees at the Century Standard Textile plant, one of several that
manufacture clothing for top brands like Calvin Klein, Victoria's
Secret, Nike and Reebok, the new record was a source of personal pride.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jvzCQ1TJcJ-yEcE9CZag2tPFwGDAD9F210TG0
Zionism is Racism
Bedouin youths on a hike apparently have no right to
exist, Philip Weiss
Rebecca Vilkomerson tells a quietly-stirring story at The Only Democracy,
about the (apparently-accidental) killing by Israeli soldiers of a
Bedouin youth two weeks ago in a village in the Negev that is surrounded
by military reserves. Vilkomerson explains that Qasr al-Sir was
originally part of Dimona, the Israeli city in the Negev where they do
hummina-hummina-hummina. Then the village got displaced. But despite the
fact that it is a recognized village, it exists in a precarious
geographical status, in which boys going for a hike in the hills are
fired upon.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/04/bedouin-youths-on-a-hike-apparently-have-no-right-to-exist.html
Report: Goldstone banned from grandson's bar-mitzvah
Rabbis
say South African Jews angry at judge and that his appearance there
could 'cause a scene'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3876529,00.html
Media Restrictions
Anat Kamm-Uri Blau IDF Targeted Killings
Affair-Russia Today TV News
April 14, 2010
—
A Russia Today TV segment on IDF targeted killings and top secret
IDF documents leaked to Israeli newspaper Haaretz which document the
army's defiance of an Israeli Supreme Court ruling restricting such
killings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ndFB-5YBI&feature=player_embedded
If it were up to the people, Anat Kamm would be
executed
The whole country is seething over the Anat Kamm affair, and only one
man will decide how it can end: the director of the Shin Bet security
service, Yuval Diskin. If Diskin determines that Kamm and Haaretz
journalist Uri Blau should be punished severely, that is what will
happen. If he decides they should be forgiven - so it will be.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163259.html
Anat Kamm and the Peacock Incident
Since the gag order was lifted
last Thursday(April 8 2010), the Israeli public debate has been largely
engaged in indignant verbal stoning of whistle-blower Anat Kamm and
journalist Uri Blau. The most vicious attacks have focused on the
treasonous criminality of the theft (Kamm) and possession (Blau) of
classified documents. Indeed, Kamm has been charged
with “aggravated espionage.”
http://coteret.com/2010/04/14/anat-kamm-and-the-peacock-incident/
Did Banned Media
Report Foretell of Gaza War Crimes?, Jonathan Cook
An Arab
member of the Israeli parliament is demanding that a newspaper be
allowed to publish an investigative report that was suppressed days
before Israel attacked Gaza in winter 2008. The investigation by Uri
Blau, who has been in hiding since December to avoid arrest, concerned
Israeli preparations for the impending assault on Gaza, known as
Operation Cast Lead. In a highly unusual move, according to reports in
the Israeli media, the army ordered the Haaretz newspaper to destroy all
copies of an edition that included Mr Blau’s investigation after it had
already gone to press and been passed by the military censor. The
article was never republished.
http://www.jkcook.net/Articles3/0476.htm#Top
Humanitarian
Issues/Human
Rights/Restriction of Movement/Siege
De facto gov't denies shutting down Rafah tunnels
14/04/2010 19:10, Font- Font+, Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Ministry of the
Interior in the Gaza Strip has denied reports that the Hamas-run
government shut down smuggling tunnels along the Egyptian border.,
Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab Al-Ghussein said in a statement posted
on Hamas-affiliated Web sites Wednesday that "the Palestinian government
in Gaza did not issue any order to shut down tunnels along the border."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276440
Israeli fears and Egyptian pressure close Gaza
tunnels
Hamas temporarily ordered the closure of all smuggling tunnels between
Egypt and the Gaza Strip, reportedly in response to pressure from the
Egyptian government. The closure seems linked to a travel warning
issued yesterday by the Israeli government, which urged its citizens to
avoid travel to the Sinai Peninsula because of a kidnapping threat. This
isn't quite unusual; Israel issues similar warnings every few months,
like this one from Passover 2009. But yesterday's warning was linked to a
specific plot, according to Israeli intelligence officials, and not just
generalized fears.
http://www.themajlis.org/2010/04/14/israeli-fears-and-egyptian-pressure-close-gaza-tunnels
Gazan's rare family reunion abroad
Around
1.5 million people in Gaza are under heavy restrictions by Israel to
move in and out of the Palestinian territory. The restrictions make it
very difficult for many who have family abroad to get special permits to
reunite with their loved ones. But Mouazzaz Al Dabbeh is one of the very
few in Gaza who, with the help of an international humanitarian
organisation, was privelidged to reunite with her mother in Jordan for
the first time in 11 years. Nisreen El-Shamayleh reports from Southern
Shouneh in Jordan. [April 14, 2010]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxvaOdNT5s4&feature=youtube_gdata
Jerusalem 'No Man's Land' Traps Palestinian Couples
The
neighborhood of Kufr Aqab is technically part of Jerusalem, but it lies
on the Palestinian side of the West Bank barrier. Residents say it has
become a "ghetto" for Palestinian couples who are limited in where they
can live because one partner is from Jerusalem and the other from the
West Bank.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126000690&ft=1&f=1009
6
truckloads of wood, aluminum permitted to enter Gaza
Gaza – Ma'an – For the first time in three years, Israeli authorities
allowed limited quantities of wood and aluminum into the Gaza Strip via
its southern Kerem Shalom crossing on Thursday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276562
Israeli
War
Criminals and Their Enablers
Publish banned Gaza 'war crimes' report, says Arab
Israeli MP, Jonathan Cook
April 14. 2010 11:10PM UAE / April 14. 2010 7:10PM GMT, The MP Haneen
Zoubi said the news story could contain grounds for war crimes charges.
Jonathan Cook / The National, NAZARETH, ISRAEL // An Arab member of the
Israeli parliament is demanding that a newspaper be allowed to publish
an investigative report that was suppressed days before Israel attacked
Gaza in winter 2008.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100415/FOREIGN/704149932/1002
Political
Developments/Diplomacy
Islamic Jihad calls on Palestinians to observe "days
of wrath"
GAZA, April 14 (KUNA) -- The Palestinian Islamic organization, Islamic
Jihad, called on Wednesday for revoking the Oslo peace accords with
Israel and escalating "the intifadah (uprising) and the resistance." The
group said its call for escalation was in retaliation for Israel's
decision to deport thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank. Ahmad
Al-Mudallal, a leading official of the group, said at a news conference
the recent Israeli decision "was the result of the infamous Oslo accord
that constituted the great setback for the Palestinian people.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2075837&Language=en
Islamic Jihad calls for giving up Oslo and shunning
settlement process
Islamic Jihad movement has called for terminating the "futile" Oslo
project and shunning the illusion of a settlement process, which only
led to more concessions.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Israeli 'apartheid' targets two-state deal - ErakatPalestinian
chief
negotiator Saeb Erakat charges that Israel has become an "apartheid
regime" worse than during South Africa's darkest hours and is
doing its utmost to sabotage any two-state peace.Erakat told AFP in an
interview that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightwing-led
government had the choice: "Settlements or peace.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=113801
News Analysis: Obama Phrase Highlights Shift on
Middle East
President Obama’s declaration that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict is a vital U.S. security interest was a reminder of how hard he
might push for peace.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/world/middleeast/15mideast.html
Obama hints that "two-state solution" may be
impossiblePresident
Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that, despite the expenditure of
substantial political capital by his administration, progress may not be
made on Israel-Palestine peace. The AP quoted his reply to a question
about how recent successes in negotiating nuclear arms reduction with
Russia -- and getting 48 nations to sign on to a nuclear material
security agreement -- might translate into diplomatic successes
elsewhere.
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/2010/04/14/obama_two_state
Obama doubtful on Middle East peace
Barack Obama, the US president, has admitted that Washington's power to
influence stalled negotations between Israel and the Palestinians in
limited. Speaking to reporters after hosting a nuclear security summit
on Tuesday, Obama said he had little hope for swift progress towards
Middle East peace, more than a year after taking office and declaring it
a high priority for his administration.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/04/201041323216278437.html
U.S. steps up Middle East peace push at UN
A day after President Barack Obama said he considers
reducing the Israeli-Palestinian dispute a "vital national security
interest" for the United States, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations issued a forceful statement at the United Nations
Security Council Wednesday calling for all parties to take steps to
advance the Middle East peace process, and saying the status quo is not
sustainable.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0410/US_steps_up_Middle_East_peace_push_at_UN.html?showall#
Other
NewsHamas
executes two Palestinians in Gaza
* Two men executed by firing squad, Hamas says
* Amnesty had urged Hamas not to carry out death sentences
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE63E0SW.htm
JINSA:
List
Of US Generals and Admirals Who Have Accepted Free Trips to IsraelWe,
the
undersigned, have traveled to Israel over the years with The Jewish
Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). We brought with us our
decades of military experience and, following unrestricted access to
Israel's civilian and military leaders, came away with the unswerving
belief that the security of the State of Israel is a matter of great
importance to the United States.
http://www.jinsa.org/node/1342
Barak: Israel won't be pressured into signing nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday that Israel would not be
pressured into signing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, stressing
that unlike other countries, Israel had never threatened to destroy
another nation.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163071.html
Olmert
named
key suspect in Israel scandal: media (AFP)AFP - Former
prime minister Ehud Olmert was named as a key suspect in a massive real
estate scandal in Jerusalem after a court on Thursday lifted a gag order
on the case, Israeli media reported.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100415/wl_afp/mideastisraelpoliticsolmertcourt
Former Jerusalem mayor arrested in bribery scandal
(AP)
AP - Israeli police have arrested a former mayor of Jerusalem for
questioning in a multimillion-dollar bribery scandal that has been
linked to a key confidant of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Israel's Olmert heads home in shadow of fraud
inquiry (AFP)
AFP - Ex-premier Ehud Olmert has cut short a European trip to answer
questions in Israel about an alleged largescale bribery scandal
involving a former business partner, media reported on Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100414/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelolmert
Jerusalem mayor slams 'shameful' U.K. ban on Israeli ad
Jerusalem
Mayor
Nir Barkat branded on Thursday as shameful a British decision to ban an
Israeli advertisment that listed holy sites in Israeli-annexed East
Jerusalem as part of a tourism itinerary in Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163377.html
Analysis/Opinion/Op-ed
America’s Loose Nukes in Israel
The U.S. must demand more than Israel’s entry into the NPT. Only by
recovering all purloined nuclear materials can Obama win confidence in
America’s own commitment to controlling loose nukes.
http://original.antiwar.com/smith-grant/2010/04/13/americas-loose-nukes-in-israel/
‘Forward’: Finkelstein has a ‘disease’, Philip Weiss
Also, he hates himself and those who made him, is a bruised apple, and
full of poison, and in the grip of of a great force that is compelling
him to do
and say strange things-- all from Mark
Cohen's review of the documentary, American Radical, in the Forward,
which is thoughtfully titled, "A Jewish Frankenstein." Cohen says it's
all because his parents survived the Holocaust. I agree, Finkelstein
has some mishigoss because of the Holocaust. And he's
alone? How mean.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/04/forward-finkelstein-has-a-disease.html
Alaa Tartir: A Palestinian success story
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Alaa' Tartir, an alumnus of Birzeit University, is
one of many Palestinians who enjoyed success at an international
university. He dreamed of becoming a football player for Manchester
United -- a dream that eventually led him to a graduate career at the
University of Manchester.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=275915
Iraq
Wednesday: 11 Iraqis Killed, 28 Wounded
At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 28 more were wounded in the latest
violence, but perhaps the worst attacks were disrupted.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/04/14/wednesday-11-iraqis-killed-28-wounded/
Iraq diverts holy city flights amid plot reports
*
Najaf airport to reopen soon
* Defence ministry denies reports of
foiled plot
* City hosts flood of Shi'ite pilgrims
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE63D2D8.htm
Iraq airport to reopen after 9/11-style plot (AP)
AP - An
airport in southern Iraq will reopen for domestic flights, a spokesman
said Thursday, a week after its closure due to a purported 9/11-style
plot by al-Qaida's affiliate to fly hijacked planes into Shiite holy
shrines.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100415/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Iraqi Shi'ite blocs inch toward power-sharing deal
* Coalition deal, if it happens, could come within days
* Joint
committee discussing PM, cabinet posts
* Shi'ite consensus would speed formation of government
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE63C1TZ.htm
Aides to Iraq's Allawi in Tehran for post-election
talks (AFP)
AFP - Representatives of the secular bloc of former Iraqi premier Iyad
Allawi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks with top Iranian
officials, the Tehran based Al-Alam television reported.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100414/wl_mideast_afp/iraqpoliticsiranallawi
The odds
favor Iraq's ultimate survivor
Regardless of who ends up as
the next prime minister of Iraq following last month’s parliamentary
elections, incumbent Jalal Talabani has an excellent chance of retaining
the presidency as both Shi'ites and Sunnis need the Kurdish support he
can muster to form the government. - Mohammed A Salih (Apr 15, '10)
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LD16Ak01.html
Concerns over Iraq's government
It has been more than a
month since Iraqiya, the secularist party, won in Iraq's national
elections, defeating religious parties who have dominated the political
landscape over the last 4 years. But no parties have gained enough seats
in the poll to rule over the country alone, which makes a national
alliance a must for a government to exist. But the Shia religious
parties and Iraqiya have failed to form an alliance due to major
disagreements - including who should acquire the post of prime minister.
And now concerns are rising among the public over whether key leaders
may be left out of the government formation and the serious instability
it could bring about. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Baghdad.
[April 15, 2010]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycvOfXoAbZA&feature=youtube_gdata
Lebanon
Lebanon detains 5 Israeli spy suspects
Lebanese police and army intelligence servicemen have arrested five
people across the country on charges of espionage. According to the
Beirut-based As Safir newspaper, the suspects were arrested in different
parts of northern Lebanon over the past few days. Among those arrested
was the wife of a Lebanese detainee identified as by her initials, M.Gh.
She was detained by intelligence agents in a late Tuesday raid on her
house at the village of Barja in Shouf district, which lies 25 km (15
miles) south of the capital, Beirut. If convicted, those arrested could
receive the death penalty. In many cases, Hezbollah has discovered
and captured suspected spies, and handed them over to the authorities in
Lebanon.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123356§ionid=351020203
U.S.: Lebanon at risk if Syria sent Scuds to Hezbollah
The alleged transfer of Scud missiles from Syria to Lebanon's Hezbollah,
if true, would put Lebanon at significant risk, the U.S. State
Department said on Wednesday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163084.html
Jordan's King Says Israel-Hezbollah-Lebanon War
"Imminent"
Congressman Adam Schiff
hosted a "Members Only" meeting of the 'Congressional Friends of Jordan
Caucus' in the US House of Representatives this morning in the CVC
Congressional Meeting Room with Jordan's King Abdullah II. According to
one attendee in the session, "the King's message was sobering." King
Abdullah seemed significantly concerned that conflict was about to break
out again between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. One congressional
source told me that the word the King used was 'imminent'
with regard to the potential outbreak of war.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/jordans-king-says-israel_b_537842.html
Project rallies male support against domestic
violence
BEIRUT: Men must be involved in the fight to end
violence against women, according to the creators of a landmark project
unveiled in Beirut on Wednesday. The study "Women Facing Violence" was
launched as in collaboration with Oxfam GB and Lebanese domestic
violence charity KAFA in the presence of Social Affairs Minister Salim
Sayegh.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=113785
Iran
Iran fights back against UN sanctions
Iran
is
launching a concerted fightback against Barack Obama's efforts to
impose UN sanctions against Tehran, by targeting Israel's nuclear
weapons arsenal and the legality of Britain's Trident submarine system.
Writing in The Independent today, the Iranian Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki makes a strategic bid to counter pressure from the
West by shifting the debate about Iran's disputed nuclear ambitions back
to the failure of states such as the US and Britain, which already
possess nuclear weapons, to disarm.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-fights-back-against-un-sanctions-1945232.html
Turkish foreign minister opposes U.N. sanctions on
Iran
Turkey's foreign minister said Wednesday that he did not support new
U.N. sanctions against Iran, indicating there were still important
holdouts as the Obama administration tries to win approval for a new
resolution aimed at punishing the Islamic Republic over its nuclear
activities.
http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=2e1adcf3a8eb835452350f2b9c74d8e0
'Obama told Sarkozy he'll keep pressure on Israel,
PA'
U.S. President Barack Obama has told French President Nicolas Sarkozy
that he is determined to keep the pressure on Israel and the
Palestinians to renew peace talks and implement confidence-building
measures. Obama made his comments despite potential political damage at
home ahead of the mid-term congressional elections in November.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163248.html
U.S. willing to consider weaker Iran sanctions
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says adoption of a new U.N. sanctions
resolution is more vital than the actual measures taken. It could serve
as a launching pad for stricter sanctions. The Obama administration
signaled Wednesday that the United States would accept weakened United
Nations sanctions against Iran as a way to quickly assemble a broad
international coalition against Tehran's nuclear program.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/5jGoZmCvjk4/la-fg-iran-sanctions15-2010apr15,0,7733143.story
U.S.
and Other World News
Video: Muslim soldier reveals saga of abuse, racism
A
Muslim-American, Klawonn's saga of abusive language and outright mockery
by his peers and superiors has left him questioning his ability to
continue a career in the military, according to an ABC News report. The
abuse began almost as soon as he started basic training. As Klawonn
stood alongside 400 new recruits, a drill sergeant read off a list of
religious services and when he reached the Islamic service sarcastically
asked if anyone planned to attend. "I raised my hand, and he was
shocked," Klawonn said. "Then, he called me out of formation, took me to
the front and basically made a mockery of it."
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0414/video-muslim-soldier-reveals-saga-abuse-racism/
Bedouin leave city for their desert roots
Emiratis
and
Gulf Arabs are moving out of the metropolitan high-rises and villas
to live as their ancestors did in traditional Bedouin tents.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100415/NATIONAL/704149864/1040/rss
Living
in
fear
Egypt homosexuals find some refuge in cyberspace.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/middle_east/8621593.stm
Hyperventilating Over Hypernova
So I'm really sick of the western media's over glorification of Arab and
Muslim bands just because they are such and play heavy metal or hard
rock, especially that they usually suck at it. Somehow playing lousy
head banging musing is akin to the resurgence of civilization in this
savage world. So I almost tuned away when NPR had another report about
the Iranian rock band Hypernova... I hesitated because the alternative
is some Jesus channel, only to find out that these guys are not bad, and
I’m usually not a fan of the devil’s music.
http://www.kabobfest.com/2010/04/hyperventilating-over-hypernova.html |
| For further information contact Shadi Fadda |
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