26 August , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Thousands Protest In Front Of Israeli Embassy In Cairo
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 04:00, Thousands of Egyptians continued their protest in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo, demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Cairo, to stop gas exports to Tel Aviv and to void the Camp David peace deal between Egypt and Israel.
Clashes Reported At The Qalandia Terminal
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 02:20, Israeli troops fired dozens of gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets as hundreds of residents who gathered at the Qalandia terminal, north of Jerusalem, demanding their legitimate right to enter occupied Jerusalem in order to conduct Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Ufree Demands An Immediate Release Of Reporter Samer Allwai
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 02:02, UFree calls on the Israeli occupation to immediately release a Palestinian journalist Samer Allawi (46 years), who is a reporter for Al Jazeera TV channel and was arrested early this month as he was leaving home town in the West Bank.
Resident, Child, Injured As Army Attacks Nonviolent Protest In Al Ma’sara
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 01:24, Israeli army attacked, on Friday, the weekly nonviolent protest against the Annexation Wall, in Al Ma’sara village, near Bethlehem, leading to the injury of two residents, including a 9-year-old child.
Six Protesters Wounded in Kafr Qaddoum
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 00:39, Israeli troops attacked the weekly nonviolent protest in Kafr Qaddoum village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, leading to six injuries.
Soldiers Attack Nonviolent Weekly Protest In Nil’in
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 00:08, Several injuries were reported in Nil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, as Israeli soldiers fired a barrage of gas bombs at the weekly nonviolent protest against the Wall and Settlements.
Troops Attack Nonviolent Weekly Protest in Bil’in
IMEMC – Friday August 26, 2011 – 23:48, Local sources in Bil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, reported Friday that several protesters were treated for the effects of teargas inhalation after the Israeli soldiers violently attacked the weekly nonviolent protest in the village.
Factions In Gaza Declare Truce
IMEMC – Friday August 26, 2011 – 09:11, The Islamic Jihad Movement in the Gaza Strip reported that a new mediated understanding was reached between Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza in Israel to declare a truce starting Friday.
PCHR Weekly Report: 17 killed, including 2 children; 14 wounded by Israeli forces this week
IMEMC – Friday August 26, 2011 – 08:48, In its Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 18— 24 Aug. 2011, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that Israeli forces killed 17 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 5 of the victims are civilians, including two children and a physician.
El Salvador Recognizes Independent Palestinian State
IMEMC – Friday August 26, 2011 – 06:04, The President of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes, stated Thursday that his country officially recognizes Palestine as an independent and sovereign state, and that it supports the efforts of the Arab League to upgrade the Palestinian UN status into a full membership.
Police deploy in force in Jerusalem’s Old City
8/27/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli police deployed in large numbers in Jerusalem’s Old City Friday in a bid to head off incidents on the last weekly day of prayer before the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.” Policemen and border guards have been deployed in Jerusalem, and a state of alert has been….
Official: Palestinian hurt in clash with settlers
8/26/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man from Nablus was injured in clashes with Israeli settlers and soldiers on Friday, an official said. Jamal Jerawy, 22, from Qasra village, was hospitalized for injuries sustained in the incident, according to Ghassan Doughlas, a Fatah official monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank. Doughlas said clashes….
PFLP brigades claim rocket fired into Ashkelon
8/27/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — A leftist armed group said its forces fired a rocket from Gaza into southern Israel on Friday, hours after a dawn ceasefire deal was announced by Gaza factions. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s armed wing said it fired a Grad rocket at Ashkelon. The….
Report: Israel approves Egypt troop influx in Sinai
8/27/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved the deployment of thousands of extra Egyptian troops in the Sinai region, British weekly The Economist reported Friday. The number of soldiers in the peninsula region bordering Israel is limited by the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The report said Israeli Prime….
South Africa activists visit Gaza
8/27/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A solidarity group from South Africa arrived in Gaza Thursday evening, for a four-day visit they have called “Freedom for detainees.” The 36 activists will meet with figures who work on the issue of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jail, a Ma’an correspondent said. The group brought 10 trucks….
Consulate: US envoy did not threaten aid to PA
8/27/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The US Consulate in Jerusalem denied Friday that its top envoy had warned the Palestinian Authority of “punitive measures” if the Palestinians sought membership in the United Nations. The office of PLO official Saeb Erekat quoted consul-general Daniel Rubinstein as saying the US Congress would take punitive measures, “including cutting US….
Islamic Jihad: Ceasefire with Israel agreed at dawn
8/26/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Senior Islamic Jihad officials said the faction had agreed a ceasefire with Israel at dawn Friday, after mediation by Egypt. Two members of Islamic Jihad’s military wing were killed in an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip around 9 p. m. Thursday, prompting outraged calls to reject…. Related: 2 Islamic Jihad fighters killed in airstrike
Palestinians rally in Gaza City for Al-Quds Day
8/26/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinians rallied in Gaza City on Friday to mark Al-Quds Day, marching from the As-Saraya mosque to Ash-Shawwa tower after Friday prayers. PFLP-General Command politburo member Adel Al-Hakim addressed the protesters lauding Muslim unity in the cause of freedom. Jerusalem will remain the legacy of the Muslim and Arab people….
Haniyeh: We will not recognize Israel
8/27/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Prime Minister of the Hamas-run Gaza government Ismail Haniyeh restated Friday his party’s position that they will not recognize Israel. In an address to worshipers gathered at An-Nour mosque in Gaza City for the last Friday of Ramadan, Haniyeh said “we will not leave any centimeter of Palestine….
FM in Ghana to rally Africa support for UN bid
8/27/2011 – ACCRA, Ghana (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister is in west Africa this week to mobilize international support for the Ramallah leadership’s bid for recognition of statehood at the UN. Riyad Al-Malki was met at the airport in Accra by deputy foreign minister Chris Kpodo and a group of….
Gaza militant group pledges resistance of Jewish Jerusalem
8/26/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A little-known militant group in Gaza said Friday it would continue “resistance to liberate Palestine and its capital Jerusalem.” The Al-Aqsa Brigades — Imad Mughniyeh Martyrs said in a statement marking Al-Quds Day that all factions and Jerusalem organizations should work to oppose Israel’s attempt to impose a Jewish….
Ahmadinejad: Palestine statehood just ‘step forward’
8/26/2011 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday that the potential recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations should only be a “step forward” for the “full liberation” of Palestine. His strong remarks calling for Israel’s “disappearance” came as tens of thousands marched in the capital at a “Quds Day” rally….
PA: Honduras recognizes Palestinian state
8/26/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Honduras has recognized the State of Palestine, the official Palestinian Authority news agency reported Friday. The announcement came in a letter to President Mahmoud Abbas that Honduras recognized the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders and would back efforts to seek membership in the UN, WAFA reported. Abbas thanked Honduras….
PA cabinet: Eid begins Tuesday
8/26/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday announced the West Bank and Gaza will revert to summer time at the start of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday on August 30. At the weekly Ramallah-based government meeting, ministers also assured civil servants that their salaries would be paid on Thursday despite the ongoing financial….
Libyan rebel leaders shift base to Tripoli
8/27/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — Libya’s rebels announced Friday the transfer of their leadership to Tripoli from their Benghazi base, boosted by a United Nations decision to release millions of dollars in aid within days. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also pledged support for the “new Libya,” urging the triumphant rebels to turn the page….
Political cartoonist beaten in Syria unrest
8/27/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Security forces shot dead a woman and beat up Syria’s best-known political cartoonist on Thursday, a day after violence in which 11 civilians and eight soldiers were killed, activists said. The woman was killed during a military operation in a village near the oil hub of Deir Ezzor, 460 kilometers (285….
Deadly protests in Syria on last Ramadan Friday
8/27/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Security forces killed at least seven people as they fired on protesters rallying in their tens of thousands across Syria on the last Friday of Ramadan and vowing to bring down the regime. An eighth man died in detention, his family told rights groups. Spurred by calls posted on the Internet, protesters flooded….
Gadhafi hometown bombed, rebels poised to attack
8/27/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — British warplanes bombed a bunker in Moammar Gadhafi’s birthplace of Sirte as rebel fighters prepared Friday to attack the town, one of the last major regime holdouts east of Tripoli. As insurgent leaders moved into Tripoli to begin a political transition, the African Union called for that process to be “inclusive….
Qatar confirms bid for 2020 Olympics
8/26/2011 – DOHA (AFP) — Super-rich Qatar confirmed Friday they will bid for the 2020 Olympics after receiving positive feedback on plans to stage the showpiece in the autumn to escape searing 40C-plus summer temperatures in the Gulf. Qatar has already been controversially awarded the 2022 World Cup which will be played in specially-created, air-conditioned stadiums. But their….
More deaths as Syrian protests continue
AlJazeera 26 Aug 2011 – Thousands flood the streets after Friday prayers, braving crackdown by security forces., US consul in Jerusalem says Palestinian Authority could lose funding after statehood vote at United Nations.
Dozen killed in Iraq violence
AlJazeera 26 Aug 2011 – A wave of blasts kills at least 12 and wounds 87 others across Iraq.
Israeli Army Responds with Violent Backlash at Qalandiya Protest
PNN – Ramallah — PNN – The Israeli Army shot tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protestors today at the Qalandiya checkpoint, between Jerusalem and Ramallah, causing several injuries. Coinciding with the last…
International Solidarity Movement
Iftar at the House of the Ezkadenia
8/26/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 24 August 2011, International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – Israel’s latest round of attacks on Gaza has made it too dangerous to demonstrate in the buffer zone. The people of Beit Hanoun do not demonstrate because they want to die, they demonstrate because they want to live. They want to live in dignity, they want….
Elderly farmer murdered in Israeli airstrike in Buriej
8/26/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – Ismail Nimr Ammoum worked his whole life as a farm laborer. He did not have land of his own, he worked for others, planting, watering, weeding, whatever needed done. He was a strong man, and he loved to work, work did not bother him. He kept working because he loved to….
Global actions target Egyptian embassies to break Israel’s closure of Gaza
8/26/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Campaign to Open the Rafah BorderFed up with the closure of Gaza that has kept more than a million and a half Palestinians locked in to the strip’s tight borders, a beacon call is coming from Gaza and resonating across to Egypt, to break Israel’s siege and re-open the border…. Related: Facebook: International Movement to Open Rafah Border
Gaza children injured by Israeli airstrike
8/26/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 19 August 2011, International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – Two Palestinian children were wounded when their house, in the Ameer project of Gaza City’s Soudania neighborhood, was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike early in the morning of Friday, August 19. After the building lost power around midnight, ten-year-old Marihan Atif abu Samarah and her five-year-old….
IDP News Alert, 26 August 2011
Relief Web 26 Aug 2011 – Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Country: Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Colombia , C?¥te d’Ivoire , occupied Palestinian territory , Pakistan To see this news alert with links to sources, click here Syria: Escalating repression displaces civilians including Palestinian refugees Repression by the Syrian…
Olive Revolution in pictures: Palestinians march on Jerusalem
26 Aug 2011 – Qalandia (Pal Telegraph) – Today, the last Friday of Ramadan, mass peaceful protests took place under the slogan “Knocking on Jerusalem’s doors”. Palestinians, Israelis and International activists gathered on four gates which lead to Jerusalem: Qalandia, Biddu, Shufat, and at Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. What follow are images of the protest from Qalandia.
Col Muammar Qaddafi: The man who stole a country
The National 26 Aug 2011 – In the final months of his rule the proxy war he once threatened the rest of the world became a real conflict visited on the Libyan people, gunned down in the streets, blasted by his tanks and aircraft but finding the courage to take back their country from the man who always claimed he had never led them at all.
Palestinians say China will back statehood bid at UN meeting
The National 25 Aug 2011 – In a message from the Chinese President Hu Jintao to Mahmud Abbas, he said China has “always supported the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state”.
Syria facing wider financial, oil sanctions
Ha’aretz – EU decides on sanctions including an embargo on imports of crude Syrian oil, possibly taking effect as soon as next week once approved by member states.
Second rocket hits Israel after renewal of Gaza cease-fire
Ha’aretz – Cease-fire between Israel and Gaza militants, meant to go into effect at 1:00 P.M. Friday afternoon, is broken as militants fire Grad rocket and Qassam into south Israel.
Anshel Pfeffer / Israel’s biggest loss of all
Ha’aretz – Despite the unfortunate casualties in last week’s terror attack, the most significant victim could be Israel’s strategic relationship with its southern neighbor.
Libyan fighting factions to unite under single military command
Ha’aretz – The rebel commander in Tripoli told the press that all rebel forces will unite under one command after a short interim period to form a single national army.
Amir Oren / Turning defeat into victory in Libya
Ha’aretz – The British enjoyed a rare sense of triumph this week after Libyan rebels conquered Tripoli: Their participation in the NATO campaign against Gadhafi succeeded, after a minimal investment.
‘Million man’ anti-Israel rally in Cairo attracts only hundreds
Ha’aretz – Most Egyptian protest groups announce would participate in demonstration to expel Israel’s ambassador over five Egyptian policemen killed by IDF; however, turnout much lower than expected.
U.S.: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds
Ha’aretz – U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein, tells chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat U.S. ‘will take punitive measures’ against Palestinian Authority if it seeks to upgrade position at UN General Assembly.
The German who needed a fig leaf
Ha’aretz – In his autobiography Gunter Grass tries to explain – to himself and others – how he was drawn to Nazi propaganda as an adolescent and did not question it until after the war; in a special interview on the occasion of the book’s publication in Hebrew, he rejects vehemently the claim that he mainly portrays the Germans as victims.
Jimmy Carter to Haaretz: Recent Cairo protests threaten Israel-Egypt peace treaty
Ha’aretz – Former U.S. president says Camp David Accords he helped forge contained a basis for Palestinian autonomy, and if that doesn’t exist, it’s due to Israel’s stubbornness.
Ahmadinejad: Holocaust ‘big lie’ used to justify establishment of Israel
Ha’aretz – Millions of people attend state-run anti-Israel rallies throughout Iran to voice support for Palestinians and its liberation from what they call Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
British, U.S. donors step in to help IDF hear the (classical) music
Ha’aretz – Benjamin Goodman a British pianist together with a group of donors introduces classical music to the IDF, starting a concert series for soldiers.
Israel’s social justice activists squat in a second Tel Aviv building
Ha’aretz – For the second time in a week, activists enter a city-owned building that has been abandoned for years to protest the lack of affordable housing in Israel.
IDF discloses soldier killed by friendly fire in south Israel terror attack
Ha’aretz – Israel Defense Forces investigation reveals Golani Brigade soldier, Staff Sgt. Moshe Naftali, killed by friendly fire in confrontation with terrorist in August 18 attack.
Palestinians clash with IDF soldiers over access to Temple Mount in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Muslims demanding entry to Jerusalem to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque on last Friday of Ramadan, but only older men and women are permitted entry.
Arab League chief: Egypt-Israel peace treaty not as sacred as the Koran
Ha’aretz – Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, says the 1979 peace treaty is ‘not sacred,’ and is subject to annulment or amendment if breached by either side.
Report: Israel to allow Egypt to deploy troops in Sinai
Ha’aretz – The Economist reports that Barak, following the series of terror attacks on Israel’s southern border, agreed to Egypt’s stationing of helicopters, armored vehicles, thousands of troops in Sinai; Rivlin says move may need Knesset approval.
Islamic Jihad: Gaza factions agree to new cease-fire with Israel
Ha’aretz – Despite agreement, Grad rocket falls near Ashkelon in open field after the cease-fire was to come into effect; no damage or injuries were reported.
‘EU agrees to broaden Syria sanctions, ban oil imports’
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Diplomats say Syrian industry supporting Assad faces EU sanctions, pending confirmation; Russia, China continue to resist UNSC sanctions as Assad’s troops kill 3, adding to body count of more than 2,200.
‘Not a grain of Palestinian sand should be conceded’
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Hezbollah leader Nasrallah calls on Islamic world to “rise up and support the Palestinian people” during Quds Day speech.
US envoy warns Erekat: Aid will be cut if UN bid made
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Consul-General Rubinstein tells PA that US will veto statehood bid, take “punitive measures” if Palestinians seek upgrade at General Assembly.
Hundreds gather at Schalit tent ahead of 25th birthday
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Schalit family releases video album of pictures from kidnapped IDF soldier’s childhood ahead of birthday.
East Coast Jewish communities brace for Hurricane Irene
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Virginia synagogue cancels weekend services, congregants evacuate low-lying areas as severe storm threatens US.
Squatters take over TA building, until police arrive
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Protesters take over two long-abandoned floors of property, dubbing it “the People’s House,” but police work to seal off building.
Egyptian official: Israel agrees to Sinai troop increase
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – High-ranking Cairo security official says initial agreement between Egypt and Israel to deploy more Egyptian troops in Sinai region reached; claims long-running talks accelerated by Eilat terror attacks.
At least 18 die in car bomb attack on Nigeria UN HQ
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Security sources suspect local Islamist sect or al-Qaida’s N.African arm; Ban Ki-moon condemns attack, says death toll will be considerable.
‘Friendly fire killed soldier during Eilat attacks’
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – St.-Sgt. Moshe Naftali, 22 was killed by IDF fire when his Golani Brigade unit responded to the terror attacks, initial probe finds.
Grad rocket lands south of Ashkelon despite ‘cease-fire’
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – No injuries or damage reported in attack from Gaza; comes after cease-fire apparently brokered by Egypt, UN.
J’lem district psychologist Nahum Itzkovich dies age 62
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Husband of ‘Post’ veteran health and science reporter Judy Siegel-Itzkovich passes away peacefully in his sleep at J’lem home.
Cairo: Protesters demand Israeli ambassador leave Egypt
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Egyptian security forces deployed in area amid fears “Million-man march” could turn violent; Iran: Protesters gather in Tehran.
2 reported killed as protests spread through Syria
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Protesters say pro-Assad forces open fire in Damascus, Deir al-Zor, Deraa; forces kill 7 in Hama, Turkish truck driver north of Damascus.
Libyan rebels to seek UN seat next month
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Rebel political leader says transitional government-in-waiting hopes to occupy Libya seat after apparent Gaddafi overthrow.
This Week in History: The 1929 Hebron Massacre
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Spurred by rumors of an impending takeover of Al-Aksa Mosque, a mob slaughtered 63 Jews while over 400 were saved by local Arab families.
Fear has no scent or sound, but it has a color: ‘Red’
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Sderot’s mental health clinic manager speaks about the widening circle of PTSD sufferers in the South following Palestinian rockets.
Allen West: US congressman with his heart in the East
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – The 22-year US military veteran, freshman congressman, Tea Party darling and passionate Israel advocate talks to Herb Keinon.
Indictment against Tzanani to be filed next week
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Court extends popular singer’s remand and those of two senior underworld figures suspected in the case.
Social protests set to resume across country
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – After a two-week lull due to the security situation, large marches are planned for Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Rishon Lezion.
Green Movement champions ‘Green New Deal’ program
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Program to rely on net, rather than gross, economic growth; recognizes the importance of integrating sustainability into daily life,
University student convicted for desecrating flag
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – St. Andrews expels, suspends two students who called Israel “terrorist, Nazi state” and also abused an Israeli flag belonging to a Jewish student.
Security and Defense: Caught in a pincer
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2011 – With September looming and with changing winds in Cairo, Israel’s response to the current violence down South has so far been contained.
Column One: Glenn Beck’s revealing visit
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2011 – In general, Israeli media responded to Beck’s visit either as a non-event, or distorted who Beck is and what he is trying to do.
Editor’s Notes: Israel can survive
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2011 – The best defense against unfriendly governments is for Israel to make peace with the Palestinians, say Hirsh Goodman in new book.
Fighting stops in Gaza but fears of further violence remain
The Guardian 26 Aug 2011 – Egypt brokered second ceasefire after more than a week of attacks in an attempt to stop an all-out war Militant groups in Gaza announced their second ceasefire within a week on Friday after firing up to…
Egypt, Israel and Palestine: an awkward three-way dance | Khaled Diab
The Guardian 26 Aug 2011 – Relations between Israel and post-revolution Egypt are proving tetchy — but ordinary people hold the keys to peace It has been a tense week in Egyptian-Israeli relations. It all started when unknown assailants crossed from Sinai…
Libya: The horror inside Tripoli’s Abu Salim
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – …Another body, inflated with decomposition, lies 20 yards away in the sun. Male, fighting age, half the head missing. Fifty yards further on a pile of human bodies, bloated in the hot sun. I count 22 here, including three women, and one child. Some of the male bodies are in military clothing but not…
Vengeance in Tripoli: rebels settle scores
Uruknet August 26, 2011 .The killings were pitiless.They had taken place at a makeshift hospital, in a tent marked clearly with the symbols of the Islamic Crescent. Some of the dead were on stretchers, attached to intravenous drips. Some were on the back of an ambulance that had been shot at. A few were on the ground, seemingly attempting…
General Assembly Palestinian Statehood Vote –
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – ….(1) Last March, Israel told UN Security Council members and other prominent EU countries it will act unilaterally if the General Assembly grants Palestine de jure membership in September inside 1967 borders, 22% of historic Palestine. (2) If granted, Israel will likely deny recognition, continuing its illegal occupation, this time against a sovereign country….
Videos: Newborn babies killed in the neonatal unit in El Assad hospital in Hama due to the electricity cut (4-Aug-2011 )
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – 6 Babies died in the Hama Hospital during the Invasion and destruction of Hama during the first week of August. These video clip just came in although they were shot during the initial invasion that began on 7-31-11 and which went on for at least a week. Assad cut off the Electricity to the…
The Tripoli Massacres
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – …And finally, “Rebels say one of their key targets now is Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte,” where stiff tribal resistance – that is, loyalist civilians, just as armed and civilian as the rebels but without an air force, are expected to put up a stiff fight. “I am appealing to the areas not yet liberated…
French giant Veolia cut down to size for abusing Palestinian rights
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – The French corporation Veolia once appeared unassailable; today it is ailing. It is faced not only with the global economic crisis but also the growing impact of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against its involvement with Israeli apartheid infrastructure and transport projects. A recent merger between Veolia’s transport division and a subsidiary…
Video: Gaza: Critical Care Unit Al Shifa Hospital dealing with horrific new injuries
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – A week of Israeli attacks on Gazan civilians have filled the Al Shifa Hospital critical care unit with children and young people. They all have previously-unencountered deep tissue injuries from “unusual weapons” – which says a lot, given the horrific injuries these same doctors dealth with during Operation Cast Lead nearly three years ago….
Dead Sirte: Another Murderous Twist in NATO’s Coil of Lies
Uruknet August 26, 2011 -I was going to write about the NATO bombing of Sirte, where in order “protect civilians” from the now non-existent regime of Moamar Gadafy, the humanitarian lords of the West are now killing civilians at the behest of the new, non-elected regime of the murky and murderous “Transitional National Council.” But as I sat down…
UNHCR concerned as sub-Saharan Africans targeted in Libya
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ant??nio Guterres has issued a strong call for sub-Saharan Africans to be protected in Libya as reports emerge from Tripoli of people being targeted because of their colour as the city fell to rebel forces…”If they see you are African, that you are black, they will target you,” said…
Kadhfi force attacks Tripoli airport Rebels call for NATO help
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – Libyan rebels called in support from NATO jets to stop a counteroffensive by loyalist troops in Tripoli in the early hours of today. Forces loyal to the elusive Muammar Gaddafi staged two counterattacks at around 2am local time near the Bab al Aziziya compound and the Rixos hotel in central Tripoli, seemingly in a…
NATO Attacks Pro-Gaddafi Forces Near Sirte
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – NATO turned its attention to the region around Moammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte and his largest remaining stronghold, launching airstrikes targeting loyalist forces battling advancing Libyan rebel troops. The airstrikes came a day after fierce clashes erupted in the Libyan capital. The military alliance that NATO warplanes targeted 29 vehicles mounted with weapons near…
British jets strike Qadhafi home town
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – British Tornado jets fired cruise missiles overnight at a bunker in deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi’s home town of Sirte, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Friday. “At around midnight, a formation of Tornado GR4s…fired a salvo of Storm Shadow precision guided missiles against a large headquarters bunker in Sirte,” the MoD said…
Sweeping subpoena issued earlier this year US government preparing new attacks against WikiLeaks
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – The Obama administration and its Department of Homeland Security are continuing their assault on WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, as part of the effort to stifle opposition to American militarism and imperialism. A recently unsealed court document, signed by a US magistrate judge on January 4, 2011, lifts the lid on the government’s…
The rape of Libya
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – Five days after “rebels” entered Tripoli, under the cover of NATO bombing and led by foreign special forces, the abject criminality of imperialism’s takeover of Libya is becoming increasingly evident. Fighting continues to rage throughout the Libyan capital, whose two million residents have been made hostages of the armed gangs and Western special forces…
Assault on Tripoli ‘planned weeks ago’
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – Details of the rebel uprising in Tripoli are emerging, showing weeks of careful planning by rebels and their international allies before they seized the Libyan capital. Rebel leaders had been hoping that the people of Tripoli would rise up against Muammar Gaddafi, but after a bloody crackdown crushed local opposition they began planning their…
Before NATO intrusion, Libya was African Switzerland’
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – NATO’s presence in Libya little resembles a humanitarian mission with houses, hospitals and schools being hit. But Libya prospered prior to NATO’s intrusion, Yvonne Di Vito, an activist from Libyanfriends.com told RT. RT: You have been saying that here in Italy the news reports abut what is happening in Libya were very confusing, a…
Syria News – August 25, 2011 (Videos)
Uruknet Homs: Martyrdom of Abdallah Salom in Adawia neighborhood by security gunfire… Hama: martyrdom of Safwan Zahra from Hamidiyeh neighborhood after having been beaten yesterday evening with a baton by Shabiha members while he was participating to a demonstration. This assault on him led to brain injury and to his death after his transfer to the National Hospital. His…
Wikileaks: In ’06, Lieberman told US ambassador of need to transfer Palestinians from Israel- and US says nothing
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – Wikileaks has released a cable from 2006 of a meeting between the US Ambassador to Israel—then Richard Jones— and Avigdor Lieberman, who was not yet the Foreign Minister, merely the leader of the rightwing party, Yisrael Beteinu. What is shocking about this cable is that the American ambassador is disturbed by Lieberman’s frank call…
Witnesses: Settlers burn hundreds of olive trees
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – Dozens of Israeli settlers set fire on Thursday to more than 100 olive trees in Mikhmas village southeast of Ramallah. Local witnesses told Ma’an that settlers from the illegal Ma’ale Mikhmas settlement adjacent to the village set fire to agricultural land before vacating the area. The Mikhmas village council condemned the attacks and called…
Syrian top cartoonist Ali Ferzat hospitalised after being beaten (Video)
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – The world-renowned cartoonist Ali Ferzat, who has been badly beaten in a security clampdown, has a history of eliciting the wrath of authorities The dissident cartoonist and long-time opponent of the Syrian regime Ali Ferzat has been kidnapped by masked gunmen and beaten up badly, Thursday, 25 August. He was found bleeding on the…
AI: Both sides in Libya conflict must protect detainees from torture
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – … Detention officials in Az-Zawiya said that about a third of all those detained are “foreign mercenaries” including nationals from Chad, Niger and Sudan. When Amnesty International delegates spoke to several of the detainees however, they said that they were migrant workers. They said that they had been taken at gunpoint from their homes, work-places…
Libyan “liberation”
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – ….In ye olden days, this was called an invasion, but now with liberals and leftists running rampant audi¬?tion¬?ing for Christo¬?pher Hitchen’s column in Vanity Fair as apostate-leftist, this is called, variously, “lib¬?er¬?a¬?tion” or “rev¬?o¬?lu¬?tion,” bringing them precisely into line with Friedman, who concludes that Qadhafi almost-not-quite-soon-to-be-deposed, “unlocks tremendous…possibilities for Libya.” The first order of…
Video – Obama’s Massacre in Libya – With Support Of NATO Racist Rebels Continue To Eradicate Black Libyans
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – Lynching of government soldiers and supporters (real or suspected) by rebels have happened throughout the war and have included racist lynching and beheadings of black Libyans and migrant workers. They are continuing now in Tripoli with NATO Special Forces on the ground just watching. Human Rights Watch reported in July that rebel forces lynched…
Palestinian non-violent protesters to “knock on Jerusalem doors”
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – Sitting outside a Tamimi family house in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh on a recent August evening, the conversation shifted from discussion of the previous Friday’s nonviolent protest to planned demonstrations for Friday, August 26. On normal Fridays in Nabi Saleh-if you can call it normal-residents of the village along with Israeli…
Barred From Re-Enlistment for Speaking to Truthout About Guantanamo
Uruknet August 25, 2011 – The US Army has told a reservist who has spent half his life in the military that he is barred from re-enlisting, asserting he “leaked” classified information to this reporter during an interview in which he spoke candidly about his experiences working as a guard at Guantanamo Bay eight years ago. “In accordance with…
5 killed in Syria, Russia pitches diluted resolution
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Security forces killed at least five people as they fired on protesters rallying in their tens of thousands across Syria on the last Friday of Ramadan and vowing to bring down the government.
Rebels hot on Gadhafi’s heels
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Libyan rebels claimed to be close to capturing Moammar Gadhafi Friday as their NATO backers bombed diehard loyalists in his tribal bastion, but there was no sign of an end to the war, or to international…
STL trial procedures expected to commence in mid-2012
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 A trial in the probe into the assassination of former statesman Rafik Hariri six years ago will start in mid-2012, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon confirmed Friday.
Thieves rob jewelry store, stab owner
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Armed thieves attacked the owner of a jewelry store during a robbery in the Burj Hammoud area Friday, according to the National News Agency.
Political rivalry ends with reconciliation
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The families of four men killed in a political rivalry reconciled Friday, following a year of talks led by the Maronite League, said the National News Agency.
Mirza orders arrest of former treasurer
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza issued an order Friday, calling for the arrest of a former government employee on charges of embezzling public funds.
National Liberal Party website hacked
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The National Liberal Party claimed Friday that their website had been hacked by the Syrian Electronic Army after a picture of Syrian President Bashar Assad appeared on their home page at Ahrar News…
Attack on Ferzat criticized by Lebanese organizations
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The Lebanese Writers’ Union and SKeyes, the Beirut-based media watchdog, condemned Friday the attack on Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat, which the union decried as an attempt to prevent freedom of expression.
Syrian citizens kidnapped in Bekaa near border
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Gunmen intercepted a car after it crossed the Syrian border into east Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley Friday and kidnapped two Syrian nationals said to support the uprising against the Syrian government.
Mansour, Connelly discuss Lebanese commitments
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour met Friday with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly to discuss Lebanon’s international commitments and obligations.
Threats unlikely to alter status quo
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Despite Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s threats to withdraw his ministers from the Cabinet if a controversial $1.2 billion electricity plan was not approved…
Conflicting reports emerge on arrests of deacon’s assailants in Lassa
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Conflicting reports emerged Friday over the arrest of men accused of assaulting a deacon and another man earlier this month in Lassa, a predominantly Shiite village in Jbeil, whose residents are caught in a land ownership…
Over $330,000 stolen in Haret Hreik Heist
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Armed men stole over $330,000 in cash in a heist in the southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik early Friday morning, a source told The Daily Star.
Greek Orthodox movement takes off with faux-pas
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 While it’s only been a few weeks since the Greek Orthodox Gathering reasserted its role ahead of discussions on a new electoral law in Lebanon, the group appears to be creating divisions in the Orthodox community…
Nasrallah voices support for Assad, urges talks
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah threw his weight behind embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad Friday, calling on Arab and friendly states to combine efforts to end the nearly six-month-old unrest in Syria.
Khalil promises funding at public hospitals
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil promised Friday to review the allocation of funding for public hospitals and oversee administrative appointments for the facilities, since all 25 are operating under caretaker management.
Grotto discovered during construction in Akkar
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 A small grotto was discovered near the village of Qrayet in Akkar during construction to expand a road, the National News Agency reported Friday.
Government encouraged to build more public toilets
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Head of the Bourj Hammoud Merchants’ Association, Paul Ayanian, urged the government Friday to build public toilets throughout the capital and other regions in the country.
Lebanese man jailed for public sex in Dubai
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 A 21-year-old Lebanese waiter has been jailed for an inappropriate display of affection after having consensual sex with his Filipino girlfriend on a public beach in the United Arab Emirates, Gulf News reported Friday.
EU donates 33 million euros to support Lebanese governance
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The EU has donated 33 million euros ($47,790,000) to help support governance in Lebanon, and the independence of its judiciary.
Salty water compounds woes of Burj al-Barajneh camp residents
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Sometimes personal hygiene isn’t a private matter.When I shower, my eyes burn, says Bashir Homato. He scratches his arms from behind the counter at a small shop. My skin itches. Brushing his teeth with tap water,…
Aley residents stage protest over road conditions
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Residents of Aley staged a road safety protest Friday, organized by the Youth Association for Social Awareness and the town municipality.
Tough times don’t dampen charity giving
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 As Ramadan draws to a close, donating money for the needy during the holy month hasn’t been dramatically affected by tough economic conditions — instead, according to charity organizations, times of crisis provide an incentive for…
The facts behind Palestinians’ bid for United Nations membership
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The Palestinians have vowed to seek full United Nations membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital, ignoring opposition from the United States and Israel.
U.S. denies threat to cut Palestinian aid over U.N. bid
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The Palestinians’ chief negotiator said Friday that a U.S. diplomat had warned of a cut in aid to the Palestinians if they proceed with a unilateral bid for statehood at the U.N in September.
Gaza group awaits Israel’s response to new truce
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 A Gaza militant leader said Friday that his Islamic Jihad group will be watching Israel’s response to the latest attempt at a cease-fire, following more than a week of hostilities.
Egypt, Israel agree on troop increase in Sinai amid tensions
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Egypt and Israel have agreed to increase the number of Egyptian troops in the Sinai border region, a high-ranking security official said Friday…
Ahmadinejad on Al Quds Day: Annihilate Israel
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the Palestinians Friday to adhere to the goal of annihilating Israel and liberating all Palestinian territory, despite their plans to pursue statehood in September.
Top Shiite cleric warns Bahrain’s rulers to reform or risk ouster
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Bahrain’s most senior Shiite cleric has warned the Gulf kingdom’s rulers to either ease their grip on power or risk joining Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi and other Arab leaders swept aside by uprisings.
Iraqi officials deny rockets aimed at Kuwait
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Three rockets fired in Iraq’s southern oil port city of Basra in a wave of attacks that killed at least 14 people across the country early Friday landed inside Iraq and were not aimed at Kuwait…
Iraqi Kurdistan calls for apology from Turkey
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Lawmakers in Iraqi Kurdistan demanded Friday that neighboring Turkey apologize for a week of airstrikes across their border and called for a closure of Turkish military bases inside Iraqi territory.
Scottish lose contact with Lockerbie bomber
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Scottish authorities have lost contact, temporarily, with the Libyan convicted in the December 1988 bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Tripoli hospital horror stories as patients die unattended
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 When the 10-year-old boy was shot in the back outside Moammar Gadhafi’s compound in the Libyan capital, he could never have imagined the even worse horror that awaited him when he got to hospital.
Tribal, cultural rifts can hamper Libya’s recovery
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 With Moammar Gadhafi effectively forced from power, Libya’s complex tribal and cultural divisions could hinder attempts by the Benghazi-based rebel leadership to impose its rule on the country.
Morocco taps benefits of Barbary fig oil
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Barbary fig oil, celebrated as an effective anti-ageing skin potion, is following argan oil as a great new cosmetic export from Morocco.
NATO hits Gadhafi hometown, Tripoli celebrates
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 British warplanes strike a large bunker in Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte, his largest remaining stronghold, as NATO turns its attention to loyalist forces trying to hold back advancing Libyan rebels in the area.
Yemenis hold rival demos
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis took part in anti-regime protests across the country on Friday, as thousands of embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s supporters rallied in the capital.
Nasrallah urges Arabs to end unrest in Syria
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah calls on Arab and friendly states to combine efforts to end the nearly six-month unrest in Syria.
AU won’t recognise Libyan rebel council: diplomats
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 The African Union will not explicitly recognize Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC), diplomats say Friday, in a setback for Libyan rebels who have already been recognized by more than 40 countries as the legitimate government.
Despite ceasefire: Rockets hits western Negev
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Fragile lull dissipates further — Two Qassam rockets were fired Friday evening from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. The rockets exploded in open areas near Sha’ar HaNegev … ….
Gantz: IDF acting decisively to thwart attacks
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Eight days after the deadly terror attacks in southern Israel, IDF Chief of Staff Major-General Benny Gantz on Friday patrolled along the Israel-Egypt border and was … ….
Anti-Israel protests held in Cairo, Tehran
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – While organizers expected a large turnout for the “million-man” protest, only a few hundred gathered on the last Friday of the Ramadan holiday in front of the Israeli … ….
‘US warns of aid cut for statehood bid’
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – The United States has warned it will cut aid to the Palestinians if they proceed with a unilateral bid for statehood at the UN in September, chief Palestinian negotiator … ….
200 people hold Shabbat prayer at Shalit tent
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – More than 200 people attended a Shabbat prayer with the family of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit in their protest tent in front of the prime minister’s residence in … ….
Nigeria: 16 killed in attack on UN building
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – A car laden with explosives rammed through two gates and blew up at the United Nations’ offices in Nigeria’s capital Friday, killing at least 16 people and shattering … ….
Golani soldier killed by friendly fire
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Deadly Mistake — Staff Sergeant Moshe Naftali, a Golani Reconnaissance unit combatant who died during Thursday’s terror attack in southern Israel, was killed by friendly … ….
Ahmadinejad: No place for Israel in region
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Speaking after al-Quds day Friday prayers Iranian President says Palestinian….
Israeli ambassador hosts Ramadan dinner
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Michael Oren holds ‘Iftar’ meal at DC residence to break traditional Muslim….
Arab League: Israel-Egypt peace treaty isn’t sacred
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Nabil Elaraby endorses amendments to 1979 Camp David Agreement, says it can be….
Video: Under fire in Tripoli
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Watch as Ynet reporter Tsur Shezaf gets caught in middle of gun battle in Libyan….
Noam and Aviva Shalit’s letter to Gilad
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Parents of captive soldier write letter to mark his 25th birthday: ‘We know that….
Barak: We’ll allow helicopters, more troops into Sinai
YNet News, 26 Aug 2011 – Defense minister tells The Economist Israel will allow Cairo to reinforce troops….
Palestinian Information Center
United Nations urged to condemn Israel’s detention of Palestinian reporters
PIC – The Palestinian Institute for Communications and Development has called on the the world community to condemn Israel’s recent violations of press freedoms.
Israel places 18 Palestinian prisoners under administrative detention
PIC – An Israeli military commander has approved the transfer of 18 Palestinian prisoners to administrative detention following a recommendation by the Israeli Attorney General.
IOF soldiers arrest 9 Palestinians including wife of prisoner
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up nine Palestinian citizens in occupied Jerusalem and Al-Khalil on Thursday including the wife of a prisoner and his offspring.
Occupation renews administrative detention of Palestinian lawmaker
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority on Thursday extended the administrative detention of Jamal al-Natshe, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, representing al-Khalil district.
Thousands demonstrations in Gaza to mark world Quds day
PIC – Thousands of people participated in a demonstration which was called for by Palestinian resistance factions on Friday to mark the world Quds day.
Inhumane treatment meted to lawyers visiting Palestinian captives
PIC – Anan Oudeh, layer for Al-Dameer Institute for Welfare of Captives said that layers visiting Palestinian captives suffer inhumane treatment when visiting their clients in Israeli occupation jails.
PA intelligence summon journalist Ali Qaraqe’
PIC – The PA General Intelligence (the Mukhabarat) has summoned Palestinian journalist and political activist Ali Qaraqe’ for questioning.
Israeli occupation detains lawmaker Anwar Zaboun
PIC – IOF troops detained, Friday at dawn, Anwar Zaboun (45 years), member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, after raiding his home in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Professor Abdul-Sattar Qasem detained by PA
PIC – A magistrates court judge decided on Thursday to detain Abdel-Sattar Qasem, Professor of political science at Najah University, for 15 days without charge.
Around 300 thousand worshipers attend Friday prayers at the Aqsa Mosque
PIC – About 300 thousand Palestinian worshipers attended the last Friday of Ramadan at the Aqsa Mosque, which also coincides with the night of 27th Ramadan, which is a special night in the holy month.
Two killed, scores injured in ongoing strikes on Gaza Strip
PIC – 25/08/2011 – 12:36 PM
Dameer association asks Ocampo to act against Israel’s war criminals
PIC – 25/08/2011 – 12:48 PM
Bahr: Israel’s wants a truce without stopping to kill Gaza people
PIC – 25/08/2011 – 01:46 PM
Fresh clashes continue in East Jerusalem’s Silwan district
PIC – 25/08/2011 – 01:10 PM
Liberated prisoner: Israeli occupation deliberately humiliates prisoners
PIC – 25/08/2011 – 01:18 PM
Nunu: We won’t accept killing to continue while calm being enforced
PIC – 25/08/2011 – 12:25 PM
Honduras Recognizes Palestinian State
WAFA
UN says Establishing Independent Palestinian State Long Overdue
WAFA
Erekat Urges US, EU to Support Palestinians UN Bid
WAFA
Thousands of Palestinians Pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Last Friday of Ramadan
WAFA
The Intifada — Palestine Website has been Attacked
Intifada-Palestine: 26 Aug 2011 – Dear All, The Intifada — Palestine website has been attacked. The website has suddenly crashed this yesterday . That there are people who feel so threatened by a website on PALESTINE that they are prepared to sabotage it, only shows… more
Kadafi remains elusive, defiant as fighting continues in Tripoli
LA Times 25 Aug 2011 – Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi in a TV broadcast calls on followers to drive out rebels who now control most of the capital, which is returning in some areas to a semblance of normal life. Fierce fighting gripped the Libyan capital Thursday as rebel forces laid…
Libya rebels eye transitional council warily but hopefully
LA Times 25 Aug 2011 – Young armed men now running the show in Tripoli will soon be asked to hand power over to a group based across the country, whom they know little about. As rebel fighters root out remnants of Moammar Kadafi’s forces, ad hoc neighborhood councils that make…
As Qaddafi Forces Retreat, a Newly Freed Imam Encourages Forgiveness
New York Times 26 Aug 2011 – Sheik Abdul Ghani Aboughreis, who helped drive the uprising in Tripoli and was imprisoned by government forces, has called for reconciliation.
News Analysis: With Mideast in Turmoil, Israel Debates Strategy
New York Times 26 Aug 2011 – The possible loss of Egypt as a force for stability in the region is a major concern, as are Gaza, Syria and Turkey.
Defiant Syrians to Assad: Qaddafi’s Fate Is Warning
New York Times 26 Aug 2011 – Thousands of Syrians ‚Äî after watching the violent televised downfall of Libya’s long-time autocrat ‚Äî hit the streets on Friday to demand the same fate for President Bashar al-Assad.
Nine Palestinians Killed as Gaza and Israel Exchange Fire
New York Times 26 Aug 2011 – Call and answer violence over the last 24 hours has left seven Palestinians dead and seen 20 rockets, launched from Gaza, land in Israel’s southern communities.
Baghdad Journal: In Baghdad, Foreign Workers Can’t Leave or Get Paid
New York Times 26 Aug 2011 – Twenty-seven Ukrainians, seven Bulgarians and one Nepalese are stuck in Iraq, living in an abandoned building.
In Egypt, the Lure of Leaving
New York Times 26 Aug 2011 – In post-Mubarak Egypt, the big decision is whether to face an uncertain future at home or abroad.
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Jewish Voice for Peace –
The rape of Libya
WSWS – Five days after “rebels” entered Tripoli, under the cover of NATO bombing and led by foreign special forces, the abject criminality of imperialism’s takeover of Libya is becoming increasingly evident.
PALESTINE: Christians Peacemaker Teams Palestine project seeks peacemakers
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – Tarek Abuata, CPT Palestine project support coordinator urges prospective CPTers, “People living in Middle Eastern countries are demanding peace and justice. New members of CPT’s Palestine team can become part of that movement by joining a project that has for seventeen years supported Palestinian-led nonviolent resistance…
Independent: How Israel takes its revenge on boys who throw stones
Mondoweiss – Palestinian boys throwing stones (AFP) Today’s UK Independent carries a searing story about Israeli treatment of young Palestinians arrested for throwing stones. Reporter Catrina Stewart somehow got to see a video recording the interrogation of a 14-year-old Palestinian named Islam Tamimi. (Stewart doesn’t say so,…
Kinky Friedman supports Rick Perry because of— (wake me up when this is over)
Mondoweiss – Kinky Friedman at the Daily Beast . Oh god. As a Jewish cowboy (or “Juusshh,” as we say in Texas), I know Rick Perry to be a true friend of Israel, like Bill Clinton and George W. before him. There exists a visceral John Wayne kinship between…
‘J Street’ comes to Syracuse
Mondoweiss – The last time I attended an event on Israel at Temple Concord in Syracuse, I angered the audience when I confronted Ido Aharoni, the Consul General for the State of Israel. It wasn’t so much my alluding to dead babies and white phosphorous, but my brazen…
Why Israel (and Jeffrey Goldberg) are championing the Kurds
Mondoweiss – The other day Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic championed the Kurds against Turkey, a post headlined, “Turkey Kills Dozens of Kurds, World Shrugs.” Goldberg wrote, “I’d organize a flotilla in support of the Kurds, but I’m afraid no one would join.” I would never suggest that…
AIPAC prepared congressional ‘airlift’ to go back home and explain why we’re spending $ on Israel
Mondoweiss – I love honest journalism. Joshua Mitnick in the Christian Science Monitor on the neverending scandal: Why one-fifth of the Congress spent their summer recess in Israel, the “virtual airlift” of Congresspeople to Israel by AIPAC affiliate American Israel Education Foundation. While such visits are routine, the…
Barak Walking Horse Back to Barn: Eilat Attackers ‘Bedouins with Egyptian Citizenship’…or Not
Tikun Olam – CNN has published a new video interview with Ehud Barak about the Eilat terror attacks. In it, Barak contradicts himself and previous Israeli statements about the attack and its authors. Barak’s first lie is the claim: ” We killed most of the operators of this terrorist…
MJ Rosenberg Joins J Street, Calls My Criticism of Jesse Jackson Jr’s Aipac Junket ‘Bizarre’
Tikun Olam – At one time, I considered myself a friend and political ally of Media Matters columnist MJ Rosenberg. But then, Norman Finkelstein was arrested by Israel after landing at Ben Gurion Airport on his way to visit a Palestinian friend who worked for B’Tselem. Israel’s claims against…
China to Support Palestinian Statehood Bid
Tikun Olam – When the world’s second most powerful country lines up behind you surely the rest of the world will take notice. The PA scored a major success in its campaign to bring the idea of Palestinian statehood before the United Nations next month. China announced it would…
Turkey Considering Cut-Off of Economic Ties With Israel
Tikun Olam – Turkey’s main newspaper reports that that nation’s government has told the Obama administration that Israel’s refusal to apologize for the Mavi Marmara killings will have serious repercussions. It is contemplating completely severing economic ties with Israel, which is a sizable trading partner: According to H?ºrriyet, among…
Libya and beyond: How did we get there and what happens next?
Voltaire Network 26 Aug 2011 – Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, has been an outspoken critic of U.S. military action in Libya from the outset, even calling President Obama’s policy “an impeachable offense.” Now, as Muammar Gaddafi’s regime appears to be toppling, Kucinich is ramping up his criticism with the contention that NATO…
Disaster capitalism swoops over Libya
Voltaire Network 25 Aug 2011 – Think of the new Libya as the latest spectacular chapter in the Disaster Capitalism series. Instead of weapons of mass destruction, we had R2P, short for “responsibility to protect”. Instead of neo-conservatives, we had humanitarian imperialists. But the target is the same: regime change. And the…
The Islamophobe Money Machine
The Magnes Zionist 26 Aug 2011 – Why has anti-Islamic hatred flourished in America? Well, of course, the root cause of all prejudice, as my father, of blessed memory would say, is ignorance. And when there was anti-Semitism in the US, and Jews suffered from it, it was born of ignorance. And fear…
Israel takes punitive measures against Qatar
Middle East Monitor 26 Aug 2011 – Reports from Israel claim that the Foreign Ministry is taking a series of punitive measures against Qatar because of the Gulf state’s “anti-Israel activity” in the international arena. According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Israel is angry with Qatar for its strong ties with Hamas and…
Far-right American broadcaster seeks to reinforce Israeli occupation
Middle East Monitor 26 Aug 2011 – A speech by an extreme right-wing American broadcaster has sought to reinforce Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem. Glenn Beck’s polemic was part of a programme which included musical performances in the Umayyad Palaces area adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the time for prayers. The programme was condemned…
Israel still seeking an apology-free rapprochement with Turkey over Flotilla attack
Middle East Monitor 26 Aug 2011 – Media sources in Israel have revealed the government’s efforts to reach a rapprochement with Turkey and end the crisis between the two countries in a way that does not involve having to apologise for the attack on the Freedom Flotilla. Nine Turkish activists were killed by…
Israel escalates attacks despite agreeing to ceasefire with Gaza factions
Middle East Monitor 26 Aug 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES Israel has further escalated tensions with the Gaza Strip and continued the sequence of violence by launching further rocket attacks against the beleaguered sector, despite agreeing to a recent ceasefire with resistance factions. Yesterday, targets in the north of the Gaza Strip, including the…
Horror scenes at Tripoli hospital
BBC 26 Aug 2011 – More than 200 decomposing bodies are found abandoned at a hospital in a district of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, that has seen fierce fighting.
Gaza fighters in new Israel truce
BBC 26 Aug 2011 – The militant Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, says it has agreed a new truce with Israel – the second in a week.
Syria civilians ‘need protection’
BBC 26 Aug 2011 – A UN mission to Syria finds an “urgent need to protect civilians” from excessive force, as the Security Council splits over sanctions.
Shalit parents pen birthday note
BBC 26 Aug 2011 – The parents of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured by Hamas five years ago, write him a 25th birthday wish ahead of planned rallies on Sunday.
Take Action: Tell the National Building Museum: Don’t Reward CAT’s Destruction in Palestine!
US Campaign to End the Occupation 26 Aug 2011 – August 25, 2011
Articles
Israeli Video Games in Gaza
Alison Weir, Antiwar.com8/24/2011
He looks at the camera with bright eyes and the beginning of a smile, wearing a miniature dark blue zipper sweatshirt, the cuffs folded up a bit to make it fit.
I can imagine his mother dressing him that morning, making sure he would be warm enough. I wonder if she’s the one who took the picture. Someone has written on the photo “kisses.”
It’s not a formal picture. He’s outside on a sunny day. It looks like he was probably moving when the picture was snapped; his arms seem to be swinging a little. As with most almost two-year-olds, I suspect it was hard to get him to stay still long enough for a photo.
It’s a happy picture, the kind that makes you smile; perhaps it reminds you of funny, energetic little children you know or remember.
Until you see the next picture. It was taken on his second birthday. His name was Islam Quraiqe.
Death from a drone strike is not pretty. The small body is charred, ripped apart; internal organs are pouring out.
He had been riding with his father and uncle on a motorcycle in Gaza when the missile hit them. His 29-year-old father, a member of the Palestinian resistance, and 32-year-old uncle physician were also killed. Five bystanders, including a woman, were injured.
The missile was fired remotely by an Israeli sitting in front of a video screen and operating one of the many drones that periodically fly over Gaza and shoot Palestinians like fish in a fishbowl. The operators are usually female, the preferred group for this kind of desk job. more.. e-mail
The Pentagon’s Salvador Option: Death Squads in Iraq & Syria
Michel Chossudovsky, Scoop8/23/2011
August 16, 2011
The following article is Part II of a three part series. Part I of this research [link below] focusses on the broad implications of a US-NATO “humanitarian” military campaign against Syria. This present essay (Part II below) focusses on the history of the Pentagon’s “Salvador Option” in Iraq and its relevance to Syria. The program was implemented under the tenure of John D. Negroponte, who served as US ambassador to Iraq (June 2004-April 2005). The current ambassador to Syria, Robert S. Ford was part of Negroponte’s team in Baghdad in 2004-2005.
Syria: Overview and Recent Developments
The Western media has played a central role in obfuscating the nature of foreign interference in Syria including outside support to armed insurgents. In chorus they have described recent events in Syria as a “peaceful protest movement” directed against the government of Bashar Al Assad, when the evidence amply confirms that Islamic paramilitary groups have infiltrated the rallies.
Israel’s Debka Intelligence news, while avoiding the issue of an armed insurgency, tacitly acknowledges that Syrian forces are being confronted by an organized paramilitary:
“[Syrian forces] are now running into heavy resistance: Awaiting them are anti-tank traps and fortified barriers manned by protesters armed with heavy machine guns.” DEBKAfile,
Since when are peaceful civilian protesters armed with “heavy machine guns” and “anti-tank traps”?…. — See also: Part 1: A “Humanitarian War” on Syria? Military Escalation. Towards a Broader Middle East-Central Asian War? more.. e-mail
Making the Humanitarian Primitive: Time and Violence on the Eternal Frontier
Peter Lagerquist, Jerusalem Quarterly File8/26/2011
Summer
Along the route of the West Bank’s main north-west trunk road there is a passage of road some 20 minutes south of Hebron where the country’s roiling sweep of silver olive groves begins to thin out, and the land grows noticeably more arid. As you descend the penultimate ridgeline before the southern border the concrete carapace of an army post floats by, tight up on a hardscrabble village where dusty farmer’s children scatter fearfully on sighting a car with yellow Israeli license plates. At this point clusters of shacks and tents begin to appear on the surrounding slopes, some nearly two kilometers adrift adrift of the shoulder. As you progress past turnoffs for thinly spaced Israeli settlements, red- tiled roofs and agro-industrial cowsheds poised on the surrounding hilltops, these shacks slide in and out of view behind folds of scrubland, until a left turn past the settlement of Susyia takes you up to the edge of the frontier in the southern West Bank.
Israel’s Barrier snakes out of the western horizon here, fence and tarmac separating a last cluster of settler tract housing from a welter of native sheds, before finally dead- ending in a small terminal, comprising two booths straddling the road and a clump of concrete barracks. Looking east across unfenced hills rolling clear down to the Dead Sea one may have the feeling of peering over the brink of another world, and if you read power only in what it constructs, in concrete and steel, you might briefly have the impression that the hold of the occupation somehow attenuates here. If so, you would be advised to recall those encampments now long vanished from view, bereft of a single place sign, or exit road.
One way to describe the hills wedged in between Route 317 and the West Bank’s southern border is to say that they cover approximately four square kilometers, yet can take as long as two hours to traverse…. more.. e-mail
French giant Veolia cut down to size for abusing Palestinian rights
Electronic Intifada: 26 Aug 2011 – Maren Mantovani and Michael Deas The Electronic Intifada Nicolas Sarkozy’s government must face up to its obligations not to abet Israel’s crimes.more
culpable on Gaza’s atrocities
In Gaza: 26 Aug 2011 – quoting Chris Hedges: The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas. It is not about stopping rocket fire into Israel, it is not about achieving peace. The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians. The assault on Gaza is about creating squalid, lawless, and impoverished ghettos in the West Bank and Gaza, where life for Palestinians will be barely sustainable. It is about building a series of ringed Palestinian enclaves where the Israeli military will have the ability to instantly shut-off movement, food, medicine, and goods to perpetuate the misery. Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air…more
Murdoch Press and the Fictional Jewish Chocolatier
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2011 – By Samah Sabawi The Murdoch press in its zeal to attack the Palestinian Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign has misrepresented facts and even ran an entire article quoting a fictional character that simply does not exist. The invention of Max Brenner the Jewish chocolatier demonstrated the lack of integrity and journalistic ethics employed within the Murdoch press’s campaign against the pro-Palestinian advocacy groups who have called for a boycott of the Israeli owned Max Brenner chocolate franchise. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, senior reporter Cameron Stewart (The Australian: August 20, 2011) still referred to the protests against the Max Brenner franchise as “marching on a Jewish-owned chocolate shop” and repeated the claim that BDS aim to “harm a legal Jewish business”. This deliberate misrepresentation of the corporate Israeli franchise directly link to the military and of the BDS protests is part of a larger campaign by The Australian that…more
Amazing Determination of the Yemeni People
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2011 – By Mohamed El Mokhtar The current stalemate in Yemen is not politically sustainable. The intransigence of the incumbent president/autocrat, Abdallah Saleh, is causing an unprecedented political standstill. Such paralysis is sucking up the energy of the whole country and creating an atmosphere of near-anarchy. And the responsibility of this mayhem lies squarely in the hands of the president given his lack of predisposition to seriously compromise or step-down. Now the public administration is in shambles throughout the country. In effect, the already structurally fragile civil institutions are working far below their potential capacity, hence the limited access everywhere to public services or lack thereof. These constraining limitations in the delivery of vital services, deliberately engineered by the ruling regime, are exacting a high cost on ordinary citizens as evidenced by the scarcity of fuel, water, electricity and other basic commodities. In spite of all this, the Yemeni people have shown…more
Republicans Attack Obama as No Friend of Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2011 – By Ira Glunts Twenty years ago, the influence of the pro-Israel lobby was greater among Democrats than Republicans. It was greater in Congress than in the White House. Today, the Republicans, with their Christian Zionist wing at the forefront, have taken the lead in obeisance to Israel’s right-wing government. The Democrats are as supportive as ever, and are uneasy in their role of defending their President who has alienated Israel and its U.S. lobby. The pro-Israel forces are presently attempting to wield the kind of influence on the executive branch as it has enjoyed with members of Congress. This trend can only serve to strengthen the lobby’s ability to distort U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Republican politicians clearly plan to make the Obama administration’s strained relations with Israel an important campaign issue in the Presidential race. By doing so, they hope to portray the President as insufficiently supportive…more
To The Shores of Tripoli
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2011 – By Uri Avnery Though the Bible tells us ‘Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth’ (Proverbs 24:17), I could not help myself. I was happy. Muammar al-Gaddafi was the enemy of every decent person in the world. He was one of the worst tyrants in recent memory. This fact was hidden behind a façade of clownishness. He liked to present himself as a philosopher (the “Green Book”), a visionary statesman (Israelis and Palestinians must unite in the “State of Isratine”), even as an immature teenager (his innumerable uniforms and costumes). But basically he was a ruthless dictator, surrounded by corrupt relatives and cronies, squandering the great wealth of Libya. This was obvious to anyone who wanted to see. Unfortunately, there were quite a few who chose to close their eyes. When I expressed my support for the international intervention, I was expecting to be attacked by some well-meaning people. I was…more
Palestine: Arduous Odyssey of Statehood
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2011 – By Dr. Ismail Salami and Kourosh Ziabari The plight of the Palestinian people is no closed book to anyone in the world; a subjugated nation which has been unjustifiably subjected to discrimination and violence for the past 6 decades. Even the close allies of Israel and those who support the continued occupation of Palestine admit in their privacy that the actions and policies of the Israeli regime are beyond the pale and run counter to the very principles of humanity and morality. Almost everyday, the mass media run reports of several Palestinians being killed or injured by the Israeli forces. Hundreds of Palestinian children and women are incarcerated in Israeli jails and their dignity is flagrantly violated. The homes of the Palestinian citizens are demolished by huge bulldozers every day and Zionist settlements are constructed in their place. In its nature as a colonizing regime, Israel has never spared any…more
Will Cameron Vote for Palestinian Freedom?
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2011 – By Stuart Littlewood Britain and NATO were keen as mustard to establish a no-fly zone over Libya to “protect civilians” but too cowardly to do the same for the Palestinians, who are constantly on the receiving end of Israel’s vicious air strikes and armed incursions. Muslims and Christians alike have been slaughtered or maimed in their thousands and had their homes, farms and water resources stolen while waiting 63 years for the international community to deliver them from Israel’s brutal occupation. And Israel now plans to steal Palestine’s offshore gas. Not surprisingly, after decades of fruitless peace talks with a gun to their heads the Palestinians are about to apply to the United Nations for recognition of their own state based on the 1949 armistice lines that are universally regarded as the border with Israel. But I was taken by surprise yesterday by an email from Avaaz, those energetic organizers…more
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The New Dark Age 
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