A group of Israeli archeologists and public officials who petitioned the High Court of Justice against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Antiquities Authority over ongoing Wakf infrastructure work on the Temple Mount were ordered out of the courtroom during a hearing Thursday, an archeologist said.
The members of the nonpartisan Committee Against the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount had to leave the courtroom while the state-run archeological body presented "secret" evidence to the court. "It is more than clear that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has instructed the Antiquities Authority to cooperate with the Wakf and conceal the damage to antiquities being done during the infrastructure work at the site," said Hebrew University archeologist and leading Temple Mount expert Dr. Eilat Mazar.
The two-month old dig on the Temple Mount is being carried out by Islamic officials with Israeli approval as part of infrastructure work to repair faulty electrical lines on the ancient compound. The independent Israeli archeologists say that the dig, which is being carried out with tractors and other heavy construction machinery, has created a 400-meter long and 1.5 meter deep trench, destroying several layers of ancient remains on the Temple Mount.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Continuous and direct dialogue between the two sides must be held
In discussing his talks with Abbas, Olmert said "we want to reach understandings that will lead at a later stage, assuming the conditions are ripe, toward an agreement. It is for this purpose that a continuous and direct dialogue between the two sides must be held." Finance Minister Roni Bar-On told Olmert that Kadima will back him but the party members will need to be party to what is going on from the onset "and we will demand that decisions are made with us all, and that the negotiations are conducted with patience, not in a rush."
For his part, Mofaz called on Olmert and asked for his commitment not to move in directions that were contrary to the party consensus, saying that those will require the approval of Kadima organs. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Kadima has a political platform, and that it should be adhered to.
Referring to the joint declaration with the Palestinians that the two sides have been working on, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said this week that "it must be sufficiently substantive. Barak proposed that the government hold exhaustive discussions on Israel's positions and assess the degree of flexibility expected on the part of the Palestinians during the negotiations for a declaration of principles that will be presented during the summit in Washington.
Rice said Olmert and Abbas had come a "very, very long way" since she hosted a meeting between them last February in Jerusalem and she was optimistic Palestinians and Israelis would agree to a joint document on the tough issues that divide them before the conference. "There is clearly a kind of focus and commitment on the part of both of the leaders as well as the people who are working most closely with them to try and get this document done," Rice told reporters before a refueling stop in Shannon. In remarks going to the heart of problems all Israeli leaders have faced in winning support for peace moves, Olmert told a noisy party conference: "I know the reigning opinion in some circles is that we need to wait ... that we mustn't rush or nurture an atmosphere that will lead to serious negotiations. "Those who think that always find excuses ... to avoid seizing opportunities and not look for real chances to break the ice between us and the Palestinians. I do not share this view."
On the eve of the Jewish state's most solemn public holiday Yom Kippur, Olmert noted the rifts in public opinion but vowed to stick to Kadima's electoral commitment to peace talks. "I don't aim to foster a split among us or in the Israeli public. I know the future of Judea and Samaria reaches deep into our soul and that differences among us can tear apart the most delicate and vital fabric of our life," he said. "But I pledge to do my utmost to expand the horizon of hope for a better life and a future of peace and security for the people of Israel." Olmert laid out a cautious program for further meetings to build support for the international conference.
Sources: Reuters and Haaretz
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh held meetings on Thursday with representatives of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza and asked them to stop firing rockets and mortars at Israel. Kassam rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas sources, both groups expressed willingness to assent to Haniyeh's request, but wanted to wait to see how Israel would respond to a proposed cease-fire.
Well..In our opinion it should not only be "case fires"! It should be a totally stop on firing rockets on children, women and minors, to get women, children and minors released! And to get the door open to the internationally community! And a video tape! And some proof of life! The Palestinians expected a Palestinian state! Not to get isolated in Gaza! And cooperation with Fatah representatives in Gaza! And not try to run Gaza and the Palestinians as a totalitarian state! They have not been working hard to be oppressed by Hamas! Puckon!
For his part, Mofaz called on Olmert and asked for his commitment not to move in directions that were contrary to the party consensus, saying that those will require the approval of Kadima organs. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Kadima has a political platform, and that it should be adhered to.
Referring to the joint declaration with the Palestinians that the two sides have been working on, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said this week that "it must be sufficiently substantive. Barak proposed that the government hold exhaustive discussions on Israel's positions and assess the degree of flexibility expected on the part of the Palestinians during the negotiations for a declaration of principles that will be presented during the summit in Washington.
Rice said Olmert and Abbas had come a "very, very long way" since she hosted a meeting between them last February in Jerusalem and she was optimistic Palestinians and Israelis would agree to a joint document on the tough issues that divide them before the conference. "There is clearly a kind of focus and commitment on the part of both of the leaders as well as the people who are working most closely with them to try and get this document done," Rice told reporters before a refueling stop in Shannon. In remarks going to the heart of problems all Israeli leaders have faced in winning support for peace moves, Olmert told a noisy party conference: "I know the reigning opinion in some circles is that we need to wait ... that we mustn't rush or nurture an atmosphere that will lead to serious negotiations. "Those who think that always find excuses ... to avoid seizing opportunities and not look for real chances to break the ice between us and the Palestinians. I do not share this view."
On the eve of the Jewish state's most solemn public holiday Yom Kippur, Olmert noted the rifts in public opinion but vowed to stick to Kadima's electoral commitment to peace talks. "I don't aim to foster a split among us or in the Israeli public. I know the future of Judea and Samaria reaches deep into our soul and that differences among us can tear apart the most delicate and vital fabric of our life," he said. "But I pledge to do my utmost to expand the horizon of hope for a better life and a future of peace and security for the people of Israel." Olmert laid out a cautious program for further meetings to build support for the international conference.
Sources: Reuters and Haaretz
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh held meetings on Thursday with representatives of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza and asked them to stop firing rockets and mortars at Israel. Kassam rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas sources, both groups expressed willingness to assent to Haniyeh's request, but wanted to wait to see how Israel would respond to a proposed cease-fire.
Well..In our opinion it should not only be "case fires"! It should be a totally stop on firing rockets on children, women and minors, to get women, children and minors released! And to get the door open to the internationally community! And a video tape! And some proof of life! The Palestinians expected a Palestinian state! Not to get isolated in Gaza! And cooperation with Fatah representatives in Gaza! And not try to run Gaza and the Palestinians as a totalitarian state! They have not been working hard to be oppressed by Hamas! Puckon!
Britain has amassed a stockpile of more than 100 metric tons of plutonium -- enough for 17,000 bombs
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has amassed a stockpile of more than 100 metric tons of plutonium -- enough for 17,000 bombs of the size that flattened Japan's Nagasaki in 1945, a report from the country's top science institution said on Friday.
It´s not enough with having to be able to vanish the earth ones! You need to have so you can be able to do it 30 times!
Gousch!
It´s not enough with having to be able to vanish the earth ones! You need to have so you can be able to do it 30 times!
Gousch!
A happy day?
Israeli Druze Wa'd Monther (2nd L), 26, is embraced by a family member in her home in the northern Druze village of Ein Kiniya before her wedding September 19, 2007. Monther, from the Druze village of Ein Kiniya in the Golan Heights, passed through the Kuneitra crossing from Israel into Syria on Wednesday after parting from her family to wed her Syrian fiancee. The Golan Heights were captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
Well..That´s what is suppose to be! This is scandalous! Stop destroying the waters and start cooperating! You destroying the waters and breaking up families! That´s against human rights laws! It´s against environment laws. You are criminals with your dam military junk, both Syria and Israel! You should be reported! Cooperate!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Raids..Yes..It´s a state of war..Isn´t it?
NABLUS, West Bank - A fierce Israeli army raid in a crowded West Bank refugee camp confined thousands to their homes for a third straight day Thursday and residents said they were running out of food and water. In a separate Israeli raid Thursday on the Gaza Strip, four Palestinians were killed. Israeli media reported before sundown Thursday that soldiers captured a cell of four militants from Hamas and the Popular Front groups who were allegedly planning a suicide attack. That was the stated goal of the raid, signaling that it was close to conclusion.
Israeli troops backed by tanks and bulldozers launched the raid Tuesday and two Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in the first two days of fighting. The army said it was allowing food, medicine and ambulances into the camp. But with a tight curfew since Tuesday, some residents said they could not leave their homes to buy food. "There is no food in this house we are in," said Hussam Hamdan, 30. Lara Kanan, 23, said water was running out in some houses because rooftop water tanks had been hit by bullets.
The military said it had arrested 35 suspects during the raid, including three Hamas militants accused of plotting to carry out a suicide bombing. The operation was one of the most extensive in the area in recent months. Damage was widespread. Smoke wafted over the camp, some of it from tires set afire by Palestinians trying to impede the Israelis. In some cases, soldiers crashed through the walls of the flimsy concrete-block houses instead of confronting militants on the narrow streets, residents said. Troops fired rubber-coated bullets to disperse a protest by residents calling for an end to the raid, residents said. Two were wounded.
In the Gaza raid, Israeli troops moved into the central region of the coastal strip to confront squads of militants who fire rockets at Israel almost every day. During the raid, the army said aircraft attacked a vehicle carrying gunmen near its forces. Hamas said one of its fighters was killed. By Thursday afternoon, the operation was over and all forces had left Gaza, the army said. After the operation ended and troops moved out, Gaza medics said they found two more bodies, one a local Hamas leader and the other a bystander. A 17-year-old who died when he was hit by shrapnel and run over by an army bulldozer, Palestinian hospital officials said. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Health Ministry in Gaza identified the youth as 17-year-old Mahmoud Kassassi. No militant groups claimed him as a member. The Israeli army said it was looking into the reports of the youth's death.
Israeli troops backed by tanks and bulldozers launched the raid Tuesday and two Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in the first two days of fighting. The army said it was allowing food, medicine and ambulances into the camp. But with a tight curfew since Tuesday, some residents said they could not leave their homes to buy food. "There is no food in this house we are in," said Hussam Hamdan, 30. Lara Kanan, 23, said water was running out in some houses because rooftop water tanks had been hit by bullets.
The military said it had arrested 35 suspects during the raid, including three Hamas militants accused of plotting to carry out a suicide bombing. The operation was one of the most extensive in the area in recent months. Damage was widespread. Smoke wafted over the camp, some of it from tires set afire by Palestinians trying to impede the Israelis. In some cases, soldiers crashed through the walls of the flimsy concrete-block houses instead of confronting militants on the narrow streets, residents said. Troops fired rubber-coated bullets to disperse a protest by residents calling for an end to the raid, residents said. Two were wounded.
In the Gaza raid, Israeli troops moved into the central region of the coastal strip to confront squads of militants who fire rockets at Israel almost every day. During the raid, the army said aircraft attacked a vehicle carrying gunmen near its forces. Hamas said one of its fighters was killed. By Thursday afternoon, the operation was over and all forces had left Gaza, the army said. After the operation ended and troops moved out, Gaza medics said they found two more bodies, one a local Hamas leader and the other a bystander. A 17-year-old who died when he was hit by shrapnel and run over by an army bulldozer, Palestinian hospital officials said. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Health Ministry in Gaza identified the youth as 17-year-old Mahmoud Kassassi. No militant groups claimed him as a member. The Israeli army said it was looking into the reports of the youth's death.
The World Health Organization confirmed on Thursday the first cholera case in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - The World Health Organization confirmed on Thursday the first cholera case in Baghdad since 2003, raising fears the disease is spreading from the north of the country where it has struck more than 1,000 people. The disease broke out in Iraq in mid-August, but had been confined to northern Iraq, affecting the provinces of Sulaimaniyah, Irbil and Tamim, which is home to the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. At least 10 people have died, according to WHO. Several suspected cholera cases also have been reported in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, but al-Gasseer said none had been confirmed. Cholera is endemic to Iraq, with about 30 cases registered each year. But the last time there was an epidemic in the country was in 1999 when 20 cases were discovered in one day, said Adel Muhsin, the Health Ministry's inspector-general.
Al-Gasseer said health authorities were concerned the disease could spread because of the movement of people within Iraq's borders. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have been forced to flee their homes because of violence. "We need to look at safe water, safe import of food, hygiene, the network of water and the network of sewage disposal," al-Gasseer said in a telephone interview. The latest WHO report dated Sept. 14 reported a total of 24,532 cases of people with symptoms of cholera such as diarrhea and vomiting in the northern provinces. Out of those, laboratory tests have confirmed 1,055 cases of cholera. It said 10 people have died — nine in Sulaimaniyah and one in Tamim.
Al-Gasseer also said some 100,000 tons of chlorine were being held up at Iraq's border with Jordan, apparently because of fears the chemical could be used in explosives. She urged authorities to release it for use in decontaminating water supplies. Insurgents in the country staged several chlorine truck bombings this year, killing scores of Iraqis. Muhsin confirmed such concerns were holding up the border shipment but said he was told the problem was solved and that the chlorine would arrive soon. Chlorine will be added in higher doses to Baghdad's water supply as a precaution against cholera, Muhsin said. His teams recently tested drinking water across the capital and discovered chlorine levels on 20 locations were inadequate to prevent cholera. Also, several ice factories were closed in Iraq because of cholera concerns, he said.
The Health Ministry would continue checking drinking water in all Iraqi cities, Muhsin told The Associated Press, and teams would inspect ice factories and ice cream makers.
BAGHDAD - Lawyer Hassan Jabir was stuck in traffic when he heard Blackwater USA security contractors shout "Go, Go, Go." Moments later bullets pierced his back, he said Thursday from his hospital bed. Jabir was among about a dozen people wounded Sunday during the shooting in west Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood. Iraqi police say at least 11 people were killed. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki described the shooting as a "crime" by Blackwater, a N.C.-based company that guards American diplomats and civilian officials in Iraq. "No one fired at them," Jabir said of the Blackwater guards. "No one attacked them but they randomly fired at people. So many people died in the street.""After 20 minutes, the Americans told us to turn back," he said. "They shouted 'Go' 'Go' 'Go.'... When we started turning back, the Americans began shooting heavily at us. The traffic policeman was the first person killed." The shooting set off a panic, Jabir said, with men, women and children diving from their vehicles, trying desperately to crawl to safety. U.S. officials have refused to discuss details of the shooting pending completion of the investigation. President Bush told reporters in Washington that he expects to discuss the incident with al-Maliki during a meeting in New York next week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session.
"Folks like Blackwater who provide security for the State Department are under rules of engagement," Bush said. "They have certain rules. And this commission will determine whether they violated those rules." According to the official in Washington, most of the Iraqi witnesses say Blackwater guards fired on a car which had acted suspiciously. The car then burst into flames and exploded, according to the Iraqi witnesses. American witnesses maintain they were taking fire before the car approached, and fired back. Some insist the car exploded without being hit, the official said. That version suggests it was a car bomb. Blackwater's operations have been suspended pending completion of a joint U.S.-Iraqi investigation. In the meantime, most U.S. diplomats and civilian officials are confined to the Green Zone or U.S. military bases unless they can travel by helicopter. A U.S. official in Washington who's familiar with information collected by investigators said the accounts given by witnesses are widely different. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is not over.
Al-Gasseer said health authorities were concerned the disease could spread because of the movement of people within Iraq's borders. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have been forced to flee their homes because of violence. "We need to look at safe water, safe import of food, hygiene, the network of water and the network of sewage disposal," al-Gasseer said in a telephone interview. The latest WHO report dated Sept. 14 reported a total of 24,532 cases of people with symptoms of cholera such as diarrhea and vomiting in the northern provinces. Out of those, laboratory tests have confirmed 1,055 cases of cholera. It said 10 people have died — nine in Sulaimaniyah and one in Tamim.
Al-Gasseer also said some 100,000 tons of chlorine were being held up at Iraq's border with Jordan, apparently because of fears the chemical could be used in explosives. She urged authorities to release it for use in decontaminating water supplies. Insurgents in the country staged several chlorine truck bombings this year, killing scores of Iraqis. Muhsin confirmed such concerns were holding up the border shipment but said he was told the problem was solved and that the chlorine would arrive soon. Chlorine will be added in higher doses to Baghdad's water supply as a precaution against cholera, Muhsin said. His teams recently tested drinking water across the capital and discovered chlorine levels on 20 locations were inadequate to prevent cholera. Also, several ice factories were closed in Iraq because of cholera concerns, he said.
The Health Ministry would continue checking drinking water in all Iraqi cities, Muhsin told The Associated Press, and teams would inspect ice factories and ice cream makers.
BAGHDAD - Lawyer Hassan Jabir was stuck in traffic when he heard Blackwater USA security contractors shout "Go, Go, Go." Moments later bullets pierced his back, he said Thursday from his hospital bed. Jabir was among about a dozen people wounded Sunday during the shooting in west Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood. Iraqi police say at least 11 people were killed. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki described the shooting as a "crime" by Blackwater, a N.C.-based company that guards American diplomats and civilian officials in Iraq. "No one fired at them," Jabir said of the Blackwater guards. "No one attacked them but they randomly fired at people. So many people died in the street.""After 20 minutes, the Americans told us to turn back," he said. "They shouted 'Go' 'Go' 'Go.'... When we started turning back, the Americans began shooting heavily at us. The traffic policeman was the first person killed." The shooting set off a panic, Jabir said, with men, women and children diving from their vehicles, trying desperately to crawl to safety. U.S. officials have refused to discuss details of the shooting pending completion of the investigation. President Bush told reporters in Washington that he expects to discuss the incident with al-Maliki during a meeting in New York next week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session.
"Folks like Blackwater who provide security for the State Department are under rules of engagement," Bush said. "They have certain rules. And this commission will determine whether they violated those rules." According to the official in Washington, most of the Iraqi witnesses say Blackwater guards fired on a car which had acted suspiciously. The car then burst into flames and exploded, according to the Iraqi witnesses. American witnesses maintain they were taking fire before the car approached, and fired back. Some insist the car exploded without being hit, the official said. That version suggests it was a car bomb. Blackwater's operations have been suspended pending completion of a joint U.S.-Iraqi investigation. In the meantime, most U.S. diplomats and civilian officials are confined to the Green Zone or U.S. military bases unless they can travel by helicopter. A U.S. official in Washington who's familiar with information collected by investigators said the accounts given by witnesses are widely different. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is not over.
IAEA members should follow suit to seek universal compliance with the NPT and "avoid double standards" in the Middle East.
VIENNA (Reuters) - Islamic nations, targeting Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal, pushed through a U.N. atomic watchdog resolution on Thursday urging all Middle East nations to renounce atomic weapons. The vote was 53-2 but with 47 abstentions by Western and developing states, highlighting reservations that the resolution politicized the International Atomic Energy Agency's work.
The decision was non-binding but symbolized international tensions over Israel's presumed nuclear might and shunning of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and it frayed the traditional consensus culture of the Vienna-based IAEA. A similar measure calling on all Middle East nations to adopt IAEA safeguards on nuclear work passed overwhelmingly at last year's IAEA general assembly, with only Israel and top ally the United States opposed, as they were again on Thursday.
Egypt reintroduced the resolution this year seeking full consensus but attached two new clauses that prompted Israel to demand a vote and European, other Western and non-aligned developing nations to abstain. One clause urged all nations in the Middle East, pending creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone (NWFZ) there, not to make or test nuclear arms or let them be deployed on their soil. The other urged big nuclear arms powers not to foil such a step. "The new language threatened to bring new political issues into the IAEA that would ultimately detract from the technical role the IAEA plays in safeguarding nuclear material," said a Western diplomat whose delegation abstained. Egyptian ambassador Ehab Fawzy said the U.N. General Assembly passed the same measure by consensus and IAEA members should follow suit to seek universal compliance with the NPT and "avoid double standards" in the Middle East.
Israel bemoaned the vote, saying that while a NWFZ was a commendable ideal, "we can have no illusions" as long as some Arab neighbors continued not to recognize the Jewish state, with Islamist Iran openly calling for its elimination. Without peaceful relations in the region, "any steps diminishing security margins should be mutual. You aim high but start modestly with confidence-building, inevitably a long and enduring process," said Israeli envoy Israel Michaeli. Israel is widely assumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, though it has never confirmed or denied it.
Iran, under U.N. sanctions for refusing to halt a nuclear energy program seen as a possible covert bid for atom bombs, told the assembly that whoever opposed the resolution betrayed a "discriminatory" approach to Middle East security. Arab diplomats point to a chronic imbalance of power in the Middle East caused by Israeli might and say it breeds instability and spurs others to seek mass-destruction weaponry. European diplomats said their missions abstained because, while they backed universal IAEA non-proliferation controls in the Middle East, the amended resolution flouted the agency's non-political ethos and sought to corner one country. "The IAEA is not the place to solve complex Middle East political problems. This measure was not about finding rational solutions, or any consensus, but to score points and antagonize," said a senior European Union diplomat.
The issue was expected to split the assembly again on its last day on Friday when Arabs intended to revive a resolution declaring Israel a "threat" and demanding it use atomic energy only for peaceful ends and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty. A year ago, Western nations sponsored a "no-action" ballot that prevented a vote on the "threat" resolution. The sole EU nation to vote for Thursday's resolution was staunchly anti-nuclear Ireland. China, India, Russia and Japan also voted yes, as did U.S. foes Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.
By Mark Heinrich , Karin Strohecker
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070920/wl_nm/nuclear_iaea_israel_dc
The decision was non-binding but symbolized international tensions over Israel's presumed nuclear might and shunning of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and it frayed the traditional consensus culture of the Vienna-based IAEA. A similar measure calling on all Middle East nations to adopt IAEA safeguards on nuclear work passed overwhelmingly at last year's IAEA general assembly, with only Israel and top ally the United States opposed, as they were again on Thursday.
Egypt reintroduced the resolution this year seeking full consensus but attached two new clauses that prompted Israel to demand a vote and European, other Western and non-aligned developing nations to abstain. One clause urged all nations in the Middle East, pending creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone (NWFZ) there, not to make or test nuclear arms or let them be deployed on their soil. The other urged big nuclear arms powers not to foil such a step. "The new language threatened to bring new political issues into the IAEA that would ultimately detract from the technical role the IAEA plays in safeguarding nuclear material," said a Western diplomat whose delegation abstained. Egyptian ambassador Ehab Fawzy said the U.N. General Assembly passed the same measure by consensus and IAEA members should follow suit to seek universal compliance with the NPT and "avoid double standards" in the Middle East.
Israel bemoaned the vote, saying that while a NWFZ was a commendable ideal, "we can have no illusions" as long as some Arab neighbors continued not to recognize the Jewish state, with Islamist Iran openly calling for its elimination. Without peaceful relations in the region, "any steps diminishing security margins should be mutual. You aim high but start modestly with confidence-building, inevitably a long and enduring process," said Israeli envoy Israel Michaeli. Israel is widely assumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, though it has never confirmed or denied it.
Iran, under U.N. sanctions for refusing to halt a nuclear energy program seen as a possible covert bid for atom bombs, told the assembly that whoever opposed the resolution betrayed a "discriminatory" approach to Middle East security. Arab diplomats point to a chronic imbalance of power in the Middle East caused by Israeli might and say it breeds instability and spurs others to seek mass-destruction weaponry. European diplomats said their missions abstained because, while they backed universal IAEA non-proliferation controls in the Middle East, the amended resolution flouted the agency's non-political ethos and sought to corner one country. "The IAEA is not the place to solve complex Middle East political problems. This measure was not about finding rational solutions, or any consensus, but to score points and antagonize," said a senior European Union diplomat.
The issue was expected to split the assembly again on its last day on Friday when Arabs intended to revive a resolution declaring Israel a "threat" and demanding it use atomic energy only for peaceful ends and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty. A year ago, Western nations sponsored a "no-action" ballot that prevented a vote on the "threat" resolution. The sole EU nation to vote for Thursday's resolution was staunchly anti-nuclear Ireland. China, India, Russia and Japan also voted yes, as did U.S. foes Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.
By Mark Heinrich , Karin Strohecker
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070920/wl_nm/nuclear_iaea_israel_dc
This is bullshit!
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Al Qaeda urged Sudanese Muslims on Thursday to fight African Union.
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden called on Pakistanis to wage a holy war against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a new recording released Thursday, saying his military's siege of a militant mosque stronghold makes him an infidel.
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden called on Pakistanis to wage a holy war against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a new recording released Thursday, saying his military's siege of a militant mosque stronghold makes him an infidel.
Arab and Islamic countries on Thursday condemned Israel for declaring the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity"
GENEVA (Reuters) - Arab and Islamic countries on Thursday condemned Israel for declaring the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity," and accused Israeli forces of killing Palestinian civilians, detaining parliamentarians, and destroying property.
We believe you.... Getting lost..
Russia has acknowledged that its aircraft violated Finnish airspace last week, but said that it was unintentional, Finland's Foreign Ministry said Thursday. A Russian military transporter plane flew about 4.5 kilometers into Finnish airspace along the southern coast for three minutes on Sept. 14, prompting Finland to demand an explanation from Moscow. "According to Russia's investigation, the violation of airspace was not intentional; it was caused by inadequate exchange of information between the flight crew and ground stations," the ministry said. "Russia regretted the incident and proposed that specialist discussions be held so that corresponding situations could be avoided in future."
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Stop using American security firm Blackwater
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki suggested on Wednesday the U.S. embassy stop using American security firm Blackwater after a deadly shooting and said he would not allow Iraqis to be killed in "cold blood."
Israel declares Gaza 'enemy entity'
Israel did not set a date for a cutback on services, meant to force Palestinian militants in Gaza to halt rocket fire on southern Israel. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said Israel did not intend to create a humanitarian crisis. We will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza, and indeed will make every effort to deal with their humanitarian needs."Olmert, meanwhile, is scheduled to convene the security cabinet on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Gaza. The security cabinet is scheduled to hear recommendations from a committee set up two weeks ago to look into the legal and diplomatic ramifications of cutting off utilities to Gaza in the wake of unrelenting Kassam rocket attacks.Ramon raised the idea earlier this month after a Kassam struck the courtyard of a daycare center in Sderot. Olmert, according to sources in his office, remains opposed to the idea, on the grounds that it would not stop the attacks.The government decided to declare the Gaza Strip an enemy entity on Wednesday, choosing to adopt a plan presented by Defense Minister Ehud Barak during the security cabinet meeting in which it was recommended that electricity be cut off the region's 1.4 million Palestinian residents.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the plan, calling it "an oppressive decision."
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, speaking at a joint news conference, said Israel was not obliged to deliver anything to Gaza beyond humanitarian aid. Legal experts have reviewed the planned sanctions to make sure they conform with international law, she added. "When it comes to the humanitarian needs, we have our own responsibilities," Livni said. "All the needs which are more than humanitarian needs will not be supplied by Israel to Gaza Strip."
A Hamas official said the group's exiled leaders in Damascus would meet with their Islamic Jihad counterparts to discuss the possibility of halting the rocket fire. Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for most rocket attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a date for the meeting had not been set.
Following the decision, a UN official called the move problematic, telling Army Radio that since Gaza was still under Israeli occupation and Israel controlled all crossings in and out of the area, collective punishment of all Gaza residents would constitute a violation of international law.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said his group would "confront the new aggression and escalation with all possible means." Hamas spokesperson on Wednesday called the security cabinet's decision to declare the Gaza Strip an enemy entity a comprehensive declaration of war, for which Israel would bear the consequences. The spokesman said Hamas would work to get international backing to prevent Israel from cutting off Gaza's water, electricity and fuel supply - a step it would now be able to take if it so chose and following legal examination.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the plan, calling it "an oppressive decision."
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, speaking at a joint news conference, said Israel was not obliged to deliver anything to Gaza beyond humanitarian aid. Legal experts have reviewed the planned sanctions to make sure they conform with international law, she added. "When it comes to the humanitarian needs, we have our own responsibilities," Livni said. "All the needs which are more than humanitarian needs will not be supplied by Israel to Gaza Strip."
A Hamas official said the group's exiled leaders in Damascus would meet with their Islamic Jihad counterparts to discuss the possibility of halting the rocket fire. Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for most rocket attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a date for the meeting had not been set.
Following the decision, a UN official called the move problematic, telling Army Radio that since Gaza was still under Israeli occupation and Israel controlled all crossings in and out of the area, collective punishment of all Gaza residents would constitute a violation of international law.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said his group would "confront the new aggression and escalation with all possible means." Hamas spokesperson on Wednesday called the security cabinet's decision to declare the Gaza Strip an enemy entity a comprehensive declaration of war, for which Israel would bear the consequences. The spokesman said Hamas would work to get international backing to prevent Israel from cutting off Gaza's water, electricity and fuel supply - a step it would now be able to take if it so chose and following legal examination.
A bomb rocked a Christian suburb east of the Lebanese capital Wednesday, killing an anti-Syrian lawmaker and six other people
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A bomb rocked a Christian suburb east of the Lebanese capital Wednesday, killing an anti-Syrian lawmaker and six other people, security officials said. Antoine Ghanem is the eighth prominent anti-Syrian figure assassinated since 2005. Ghanem, 64, a member of the right-wing Christian Phalange Party, was targeted by the bomb, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The Voice of Lebanon radio station, which is owned by the Phalange party, confirmed Ghanem's death. The identities of the others killed were not immediately known. The attack came six days before parliament was scheduled to meet to elect a new president in a vote expected to be deeply divisive. Three of the slain lawmakers have been from the U.S.-backed majority coalition, reducing its margin in parliament. A local television station, LBC, said 20 people were wounded in the blast in the Sin el-Fil district. Video showed severe damage in nearby buildings and several cars on fire. The explosion sent a cloud of gray smoke over the area, and blood covered parts of the street. The assassinations of anti-Syrian figures began with former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. Syria's opponents in Lebanon have accused Damascus of being behind the killings, a claim Syria denies. His death sparked massive protests that helped bring an end to Syria's nearly 30-year domination of Lebanon. Damascus was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in 2005, and a government led by anti-Syrian politicians was elected. Since then, the government of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has been locked in a power struggle with the opposition, led by Syria's ally Hezbollah. Government supporters have accused Syria of seeking to end Saniora's slim majority in parliament by killing off lawmakers in his coalition. After the assassination of Parliament member Walid Eido in June, many majority legislators spent the summer abroad for security reasons. Others who stayed took extra precautions.
By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press
By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press
"Nobody wants to have a meeting where people simply come and sit and talk and talk and talk"
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a US-sponsored Mideast peace conference this fall will confront "critical issues" in the six-decade conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Nobody wants to have a meeting where people simply come and sit and talk and talk and talk," Rice said Wednesday en route to a quick visit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. "We want to advance the cause of peace". Rice waved off questions about the conference agenda and attendance list, saying she will have more to say soon.
"Nobody wants to have a meeting where people simply come and sit and talk and talk and talk," Rice said Wednesday en route to a quick visit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. "We want to advance the cause of peace". Rice waved off questions about the conference agenda and attendance list, saying she will have more to say soon.
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