267 August , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
124 Out Of 193 Countries Recognize Palestinian Independence
IMEMC – Sunday August 28, 2011 – 01:42, A total of 124 countries, out of 193 UN member countries, have officially declared recognition of Palestine, and the Palestinian UN move this September, to seek recognition of statehood and a full UN membership.
Report: Israel had planned to assassinate Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza
IMEMC – Sunday August 28, 2011 – 00:47, An Egyptian newspaper reported Saturday that Israeli forces had planned to assassinate Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza after last week’s shooting attack that killed five Israeli civilians and three soldiers, but Israeli officials managed to convince the Israeli leadership not to carry out the assassination.
Abbas: “We Are Willing To Listen to Suggestions, Alternatives To UN Move”
IMEMC – Sunday August 28, 2011 – 00:11, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated Saturday that the Palestinian leadership is willing to listen to proposals and suggestions from the International Community to return to the negotiations table with Israel, instead of heading to the UN in September.
Undercover Forces Kidnap Two Hamas Members In Jenin
IMEMC – Saturday August 27, 2011 – 11:39, An undercover unit of the Israeli Army kidnapped on Friday evening two members of the Hamas movement, after ambushing them just before evening prayers, at the Arraba Junction, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, as they driving along with their families.
Report: Egypt thwarts plan to assassinate Haniyeh
8/27/2011 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Palestinian sources say Egypt managed to stop Israel from following through on a plan to assassinate Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister in Gaza, Egyptian media reported Saturday. Egypt’s Al-Ahram daily quoted Palestinian sources as saying Israel’s plan, approved in the wake of last Thursday’s deadly….
Witnesses: Settlers attack olive trees in Salfit
8/27/2011 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — Settlers on Saturday cut down Palestinian-owned olive trees in Salfit in the northern West Bank, witnesses said. A group of settlers destroyed eight olive trees and damaged two lemon trees belonging to farmer Abdel Razzaq Khaled Mansour in the Wadi Qana area of Deir Istaya, locals told Ma’an. Local….
PFLP armed wing claims 2 Ashkelon rockets
8/27/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an)— The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said its forces launched two rockets toward the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon late Friday. The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades said in a statement that it rejected “any truce with the occupation” and would not abandon resistance. The…. Related: Report: Rockets land in southern Israel overnight
Israel frees journalists arrested at Bethlehem protest
8/27/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces briefly arrested four Palestinian photojournalists early Saturday at a demonstration near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, a Reuters cameraman said. The journalists, two from Reuters and one each from Ma’an and AFP, were released shortly after being detained while covering protests against land-confiscation in the village….
Security sources: Hamas members arrested in Jenin
8/27/2011 – JENIN (Ma’an) – Israeli forces arrested two Hamas members in Jenin late Friday, local residents and security sources said. Muhammad Ahmad Sokiyeh, 38, and Mahdi Hasan Hifawiyah, 34, were driving with their wives when “undercover” forces stopped their cars and took them to an undisclosed location, Palestinian security sources said. The sources said Israel….
Lawyer: Female detainee humiliated after surgery
8/27/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli prison guards humiliated a female detainee from the Gaza Strip who underwent hand surgery, the PA Ministry of Detainees’ Affairs reported Saturday. Prison guards tried to cuff Wafa Samir Al-Lubs, 26, to her hospital bed by her hands and legs, the ministry said in a statement. Al-Lubs’ lawyer….
EU’s Ashton to visit Ramallah, meet Abbas
8/27/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will this weekend travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to call for a return to negotiations and progress in the peace process. Ashton will meet President Mahmoud Abbas, his prime minister Salam Fayyad, and PLO leader Hanan Ashrawi, an EU statement said Friday….
Islamic Jihad truce ‘to protect Palestinians’
8/27/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Islamic Jihad leader Dawood Shibab said Saturday that the movement agreed to a truce with Israel to protect the Palestinian people and leaders. Islamic Jihad agreed to a ceasefire on Friday after a previous truce broke down when Israeli forces killed two Islamic Jihad militants, and the faction launched projectiles….
Hamas official says Israel ‘playing with fire’
8/27/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Senior Hamas official Ahmad Bahar on Saturday accused the Israeli government of trying to drag the Gaza Strip into a war and said it was “playing with fire.” “Israel has not learned from its previous failures and seems to forget the strength of the Palestinian resolve”, the Palestinian Legislative Council….
Shaath: UN bid to go ahead ‘despite US threats’
8/27/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian leadership will submit a bid for full membership of the United Nations despite US threats, senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath said Saturday. President Mahmoud Abbas dispatched Shaath to Moscow to hold talks with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov and the director of the foreign ministry’s Middle….
Abbas: UN bid not meant to isolate US, Israel
8/27/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas says the Palestinian bid to seek recognition of statehood from the UN Security Council is not aimed to isolate Israel or confront the US, but rather to “realize our dream” of statehood. The Palestinians’ goal, Abbas says, is “obtaining recognition of our Palestinian state with full sovereignty….
Report: Rockets land in southern Israel overnight
8/27/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) Two rockets exploded late Friday in open areas in Israel’s Shaar HaNegev regional council, local news reports said. There were no reports of injury or damage…. Related: PFLP armed wing claims 2 Ashkelon rockets
Allenby bridge to open as usual during Eid Al-Fitr
8/27/2011 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — The opening hours of the Allenby border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan will not change during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, crossings officials said Saturday. The Allenby Bridge will be open between 8 a. m. and 9 p. m. for departures and between 8 a. m. and midnight for arrivals….
PA customs officers seize expired meat in Nablus
8/27/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Customs officers seized over 600 kilograms of expired meat from a butcher in Nablus, a police statement said Saturday. The meat was seized after tests revealed it was not suitable for human consumption. It was taken to the municipal slaughterhouse to be destroyed….
18 dead in Algeria military school bombing
8/27/2011 – ALGIERS (AFP) — Eighteen people have been killed and dozens wounded in a suicide bombing at the Cherchell military academy west of Algiers, a hospital source has said. Eight of those wounded in the attack, the first against the academy since a terror campaign started in the 1990s in Algeria, were in very serious condition, the….
2 more killed in Syria as Iran warns of vacuum
8/27/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces killed two more protesters Saturday, as close ally Iran said his government should recognize “legitimate” popular demands and warned of an unpredictable regional vacuum if the regime falls. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported the United States and Israel are monitoring Syria’s suspected weapons….
Diplomat: Arab FMs ‘to ratchet pressure on Syria’
8/27/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Saturday are to warn Syria they will no longer remain silent on its deadly crackdown on dissent, an Arab diplomat said. The meeting, being held in the absence of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, was to move first to re-admit Libya in the presence of the….
Libya rebels fight to restore services
8/27/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — Libyan rebels embarked on the job of getting the capital up and running again on Saturday, as a gruesome find near a base of Moammar Gadhafi’s elite troops highlighted the brutality of his regime. Rebel fighters said they had captured the base of the elite 32 Brigade commanded by Gadhafi’….
Egyptair resumes Baghdad flights after 21 years
8/27/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — National carrier Egyptair on Saturday resumed direct flights to Iraq after a break of 21 years, the airline’s chairman Hussein Massoud told AFP.” The first Cairo-Baghdad flight left today with about 30 passengers on board,” he said, adding Egyptair would fly four times a week to Baghdad and three times to….
Saudi prince in Mogadishu pledges aid
8/27/2011 – MOGADISHU (AFP) — A delegation from the Saudi royal family arrived Saturday in Mogadishu on a one-day visit to see how best to assist the Horn of Africa country hit by famine and drought, officials said. The delegation, led by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of King Abdullah and one of the kingdom’s….
US: Al-Qaeda number 2 killed
8/27/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States said Saturday that Al-Qaeda’s number two leader Atiyah Abd Al-Rahman, had been killed in Pakistan, in what it said was another “tremendous blow” for the extremist group. A senior US official said that Rahman was killed in tribal Waziristan on August 22 and had been deeply involved in….
Arab states to bid for Syria crisis end
AlJazeera 27 Aug 2011 – Arab foreign ministers decide to send the League’s secretary-general to Damascus to try to mediate an end to the crisis., US consul in Jerusalem says Palestinian Authority could lose funding after statehood vote at United Nations.
International Solidarity Movement
Raids continue in Hebron, 2 arrested
8/27/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Like every Saturday, today a guided Zionist tour passed through the divided old city in Hebron, also referred to as Al Khalil by Palestinians. The tour was escorted by 20 Israeli soldiers and led to a couple of Palestinian arrests without clear justification. Around 4pm the tour went back to….
How Israel takes its revenge on boys who throw stones
8/27/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 26 August 2011, The Independent, Catrina Stewart – The boy, small and frail, is struggling to stay awake. His head lolls to the side, at one point slumping on to his chest.”Lift up your head! Lift it up!” shouts one of his interrogators, slapping him. But the boy by now is past caring, for he…. Related: Source
Libya’s new leaders strengthen their grip on power
The National 27 Aug 2011 – Libya’s interim leaders appeal for humanitarian aid as they fight for control of a major supply road to the capital, seize a border crossing and strengthen their hold on the country.
UN rep. Prosor: Israel has no chance of stopping recognition of Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office say Netanyahu is considering sitting out this year’s General Assembly, sending Peres to face likely diplomatic barrage in his stead.
Barak: Israel won’t let Egypt deploy more troops in Sinai right now
Ha’aretz – IDF probe finds Golani soldier killed in terror attack hit by friendly fire.
Tens of thousands take to the streets in social protests across Israel
Ha’aretz – Social demonstrations have taken place six straight Saturday nights; Noam Shalit participates in Tel Aviv rally.
Illegal ultra-orthodox Jerusalem slaughterhouse back in operation
Ha’aretz – The illegal slaughterhouse in Mea She’arim, which the police closed two months ago, is back in action.
After Tel Aviv concert, British artist Mark Ronson vows to return to Israel
Ha’aretz – Mark Ronson and his band the Business Intelligence conclude visit to Israel, performing for Israeli fans in three concerts with guest star Boy George; regrets late friend Amy Winehouse absence.
Israeli Students face increasing number of standardized tests
Ha’aretz – “If raising test scores becomes an end in itself,” warns Anat Zohar of Hebrew University’s School of Education, “it distorts the learning process. The cheating starts, and it’s unavoidable.‚Äù
Israeli man dies in road accident after hit by newlywed bride
Ha’aretz – On the way back from her wedding, bride hits fellow motorist waiting beside his car, after fuel runs out. Bride tested for drugs and alcohol.
Noam Shalit to speak at Tel Aviv social justice protest
Ha’aretz – Demonstrations to be held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as a number of smaller locales.
Lieberman: Palestinians want to take over Israel from within
Ha’aretz – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says Palestinians can only receive statehood once they ‘stop trying to eliminate the world’s only Jewish state’.
Report: Egypt convinced Israel not to assassinate Hamas leader in Gaza
Ha’aretz – Israel planned to target Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh after the terror attacks in south last week but cancelled the operation due to Egyptian pressure, Al-Ahram reports.
Ambassador Oren: Israel is very concerned about Syrian WMDs
Ha’aretz – Wall Street Journal report claims Israel, United States monitoring Syrian chemical weapons; concern is that weapons may be transferred to Hezbollah and Hamas.
Gridlock on the road to September
Jerusalem Post 28 Aug 2011 – All sides seem comfortable standing still.
Israeli-Palestinian team wins over Aussie football fans
Jerusalem Post 28 Aug 2011 – ‘We got to a point where we’re not fighting about politics anymore but about who gets to sleep in what bed.’
Magnetic stimulation shown to alleviate PTSD
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Health Scan: Haifa University psychologists find that parents’ stress can impair future offspring.
TAU sensor can ID ‘date rape’ drug
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – New Worlds: Exciting new chemical bond, discovered by Technion researchers, may open door to new, special catalysts.
Indian students protest corruption outside TA embassy
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – “Indians in Israel Against Corruption” calls on ambassador to express concerns to PM about corruption.
WJC calls for Germany to boycott Durban III
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Germany’s Jews say their country must show understanding for ‘Israel’s struggle for existence.’
Fatah-Hamas rift now ‘fixed in time’
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – West Bank and Gaza Strip to have different time zones as a result of Palestinian power struggle.
PA set on UN bid unless Israel meets their terms
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Ashton in region, hopes to bring PA back to negotiating table; Lieberman: Abbas trying to destroy Jewish state.
Rebels set sights on Gaddafi’s hometown
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Libyan leader’s whereabouts still unknown; Dozens of executions, abandoned bodies reported in capital.
Coming to a theater near you… Jerusalem in 3D
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – IMAX extravaganza with bird’s eye views of the capital city to be screened for next 5-10 years on 35 screens around world.
Mass social protests resume across the country
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Tens of thousands gather across early for social justice marches; Noam Schalit: We are fighting for Gilad’s right to live.
Irene closes NY subways; airlines abandon Northeast
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Rabbi near eye of the storm: ‘Wind knocks you down;’ major hurricane makes landfall in North Carolina; NY Mayor Bloomberg urges evacuation.
Hezbollah’s indictment
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Indictment gives Lebanese people the chance to remove the shackles Hezbollah has placed on their country.
Out there: The Unrelaxed
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – I envy my kids’ ability to relax. To just sit and do nothing — and not feel guilty about it.
The race is on for 2012
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – A divisive, drawn-out Republican contest to challenge Obama is now more likely.
UK Jewish community commemorates Schalit’s birthday
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Community is marking Gilad Schalit’s 25th birthday by launching new awareness campaign, calling on British gov’t to press for his release.
Algeria denies Gaddafi convoy entered from Libya
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Algeria’s Foreign Ministry denies six-Mercedes convoy entered the country; MENA report said convoy may have carried Gaddafi.
Noam Schalit to speak at Tel Aviv housing march
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Schalit: I will remind demonstrators that returning a kidnapped soldier is also part of social justice; marches planned trhoughout country.
Noam Schalit speaks at mass rally in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Tens of thousands gather across early for social justice marches; Noam Schalit: We are fighting for his right to live.
Labor pains in Saudi Arabia as deadline nears
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – After failures of Saudization program to out more Saudis in work force, business owners question whether Nitaqat program will finish the job.
Merkel wants to see Libya’s Gaddafi on trial
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – In June International Criminal Court indicted Gaddafi, his son, Libyan intel chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity.
‘Arab League to increase pressure on Syria’
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – UN: Syrian government spent five months trying to crush street unrest using troops and tanks, killing at least 2,200 protesters.
‘Israel nixes Haniyeh assassination at Egypt’s request’
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Egypt, Palestinian Authority pressure Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Palestinian Resistance Committees not to escalate tensions.
‘US, Israel fear terrorists will obtain Syrian weapons’
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – ‘Wall Street Journal’ cites CIA report that Syrian conventional, non-conventional weapons include chemical and biological agents.
Suspected Gaddafi convoy crosses into Algeria
Jerusalem Post 27 Aug 2011 – Egyptian state media speculates that senior Libyan officials or Muammar Gaddafi himself and his sons may have fled the country.
Damage Control
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Rocket fire returned to Beersheba with a hail of missiles battering the desert city, causing death, injury and terror.
Restaurant Review: A joy forever
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – Already talented chefs recently given master class in how to create the perfect pizza by renowned chef who is an award winning TV star.
Prayer in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – A new CD, with the music of Beit Tefilah Israeli, conveys the experience of the Kabalat Shabbat Service at the Tel Aviv Port.
Music Festival: Pride at the piano
Jerusalem Post 26 Aug 2011 – With his love for music, pianist Denis Kozhukhin is constantly widening his repertoire.
Inter Press Service
LIBYA: When Caught in the Crossfire
IPS Thousands have been caught in the Libyan fighting — people neither with Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, or with the rebels. Ayman Agamy Abdelgawad, an Egyptian released from Tripoli’s Abdu Selim prison, shares his experiences with IPS. He narrates his experience below:
Female Trafficking Soars in Iraq
IPS Rania was 16 years old when officials raped her during Saddam Hussein’s 1991 crackdown in Iraq’s Shia south. “My bothers were sentenced to death, and the price to stop this was to offer my body,” she says.
Syrian protesters ‘attacked in Damascus mosque’ (Videos)
Uruknet August 27, 2011 – Syrian security forces have attacked protesters at a mosque in the capital, Damascus, activists say. Security officials stormed the al-Rifai mosque in the Kafar Susseh district, the activists said, reportedly wounding the mosque’s imam. Unconfirmed reports say at least one person was killed in clashes with troops on Saturday. The UN says more than…
The US military is making Iraqi children sick
Uruknet August 27, 2011 – We have a catastrophic situation in Haweeja, near Kirkuk. There is an American munitions training centre in the province and the local people are suffering from living near the weapons testing. 412 children are suffering from radiation sickness. The FWCUI recently participated in a delegation organised by the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (…
New War Rationale: Protect Civilians’
Uruknet August 27, 2011 – But the war in Libya has brought into prominence a parallel euphemism that justifies not only accidental killings but the military conflicts that guarantee such deaths. The new rationale for war is “to protect civilians,” an Orwellian twist that NATO and the Obama administration adopted in March to justify an air-and-ground war to achieve…
Video : Libyan rebel loots Tripoli
Uruknet August 27, 2011 – After 6-months-long failing attempts to overthrow Gaddafi by the hands of ‘Libyan rebels’ and to weaken his regime by permanent bombings, the ‘democratic’ powers have put their last ace on table. On Saturday evening August 20, 2011 they have launched a large-scale special land operation in Tripoli with the support of NATO aviation. British…
Libya: The criminal face of imperialism
Uruknet August 27, 2011 – NATO’s assault on Libya, a criminal imperialist war from its outset more than five months ago, has descended into an exercise in out-and-out murder as special forces operatives and intelligence agents hunt down Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi… To achieve this aim, NATO warplanes carried out over 20,000 sorties, destroying schools, hospitals and homes and…
Gaza: Why? The question my 11 year old son asks me, said Dr Al Sahbani
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – Today I visited Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, and interviewed Dr Ayman Al-Sahbani, Director of Emergency Department. The situation is dire, from any perspective. The last week of Israeli attacks have seen patient numbers in the emergency department more than double in Al Shifa hospital alone, to 700 in 24 hours. Supplies of…
The Gaza Strip: No Place is Safe
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – Today I went to check out the places in my neighborhood where Israel bombed yesterday. The first place I visited was the Al Salam Sports Club and then onto the Al Huda Kindergarten in Beit Lahia. I cannot put into words the hideousness of what I saw there; the aggrieved faces of children, youth,…
Military Resistance 9H 17: Winners Losers
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – For months, they have sat here, half a block from the prime minister’s palace in the Green Zone, essentially captives with little food, drinking water or electricity. Humble laborers, they came to Baghdad in January from Eastern Europe and Asia seeking better wages. They had the important-sounding assignment of building a dozen villas to…
Syria News – August 26, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet Four martyrs today: two in Deir Ezzor, one in Maret Noman, Idlib, and one in Homs. With many mosques surrounded now by security forces, demonstrators set out today from several other locations. In Latakia, for example, a mosque used to be the starting point for many demonstrations, because it was the safest place for hundreds to gather without…
Obama Threatens Aid Cut-Off If PA Goes to UN
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – Showing just whose side he’s on, Pres. Obama’s chief diplomatic representative to the PA threatened a full cut-off of U.S. aid unless the Palestinians dropped next month’s bid for statehood in the UN. The diplomat said: “If the Palestinian Authority insists on going to the Security Council, the U.S. will use the veto,” he…
Iraq snapshot – August 26, 2011
Uruknet August 26, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Turkey enters World’s Biggest Liar contest with a laughable denial, the Kurdish Parliament demands an apology from the Turkish government, US forces in Iraq beyond 2011 is explored, Iraqi youths get ready for the return of Tahrir Square protests next month, and more… Protests have not continued every Friday. Most protesters…
Factions In Gaza Declare Truce
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – The Islamic Jihad Movement in the Gaza Strip reported that a new mediated understanding was reached between Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, on one hand, and Israel on the other, to declare a truce starting Friday. The understanding was reached after two days of extensive Israeli bombing targeting Gaza leading to the death of…
How Could the Largest Social Justice Movement in Israel’s History Manage to Ignore the Country’s Biggest Moral Disaster?
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – In early July 2011, radical left-wing activists in Israel organized a Facebook event titled, “The Week of Rage” as a spontaneous demonstration against the skyrocketing price of rent and basic consumer goods. Also prominent in the activists’ list of grievances were anti-democratic proposals of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, that were designed to stifle dissent…
Emir of Qatar visits Iran
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – ….The emir met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They discussed bilateral ties. Iranian Ambassador to Qatar Abdollah Sokhrabi said that the visit is part of the country’s foreign policy aimed at improving ties. Iran and Qatar have historic ties and common views on various issues, including Libya…
WikiLeaks and the Guant?°namo Prisoners Released from 2002 to 2004 (Part Ten of Ten)
Uruknet August 26, 2011 – In late April, WikiLeaks released its latest treasure trove of classified US documents, a set of 765 Detainee Assessment Briefs (DABs) from the US prison at Guant?°namo Bay, Cuba. Compiled between 2002 and January 2009 by the Joint Task Force that has primary responsibility for the detention and interrogation of the prisoners, these detailed…
Syrian authorities warn against protesting in capital
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Syria’s Interior Ministry warned Damascus residents Saturday against demonstrating after some of the most intense protests in the capital since the start of the five-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
Arab League to increase pressure on Syria: official
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Arab governments will step up pressure on Syria’s President Bashar Assad at the Arab League Saturday with a demand he end the bloody crackdown on protesters trying to remove him, a delegate to the League said…
Authorities eradicate more Bekaa marijuana fields
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Authorities eradicated over the weekend 62,000 square meters of Marijuana fields in the Bekaa, east of the capital Beirut.
More Somali famine victims fleeing to Yemen
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 There has been a jump in the number of Somalis, hit by famine, instability and high food prices who are fleeing to Yemen instead of other countries in the drought-ridden Horn of Africa region.
Hariri offers condolences over death of Princess Monira
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri has offered his condolences in the Saudi capital following the passing of Princess Monira bint Abdel-Aziz bin Jalawi.
Lebanon aid arrives in famine-stricken Somalia
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 A shipment of aid from Lebanon to famine-stricken Somalia arrived in Mogadishu Friday and a Lebanese delegation has handed the much needed supplies to local authorities.
Syria should recognise ‘legitimate demands’: Iran
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 The Syrian government should recognise the “legitimate demands” of its people, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, whose nation is the main ally of Damascus, was quoted as saying Saturday.
Mansour heads to Cairo for Arab League crisis meet
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Lebanon will work with Arab countries to help secure stability in countries in the region affected by unrest, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Saturday before heading to Cairo for a crisis meeting of the Arab League.
3 men arrested in case of assault on Lebanon deacon
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 The number of suspects involved in an attack on a deacon in the Jbeil village of Lassa earlier this month has gone up to three, security sources said Saturday.
Abboud urges tourism venues to adopt anti-discrimination policies
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Lebanon’s Tourism Ministry urged over the weekend all tourism-related establishments to adopt an anti-discrimination policies.
US: ‘Underwear bomber’ said he worked for al-Qaida
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 A Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas 2009 told authorities in the hours after the attack that he was working for al-Qaida and offered details of his “mission, training…
Iran launches production of banned carbon fiber
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 Iran has inaugurated its own production of carbon fiber, a material under U.N. embargo because of its potential use in the country’s controversial nuclear program.
Shortages hit Tripoli, rebels target Gadhafi bastion
Daily Star 27 Aug 2011 The Libyan capital struggled with collapsing water and power supplies Saturday as rebels now in control of most of Tripoli vowed to take Moammar Gadhafi’s home town by force if negotiations failed.
STL trial likely to begin in mid-2012
Daily Star 26 Aug 2011 A trial in the probe into the assassination of former statesman Rafik Hariri six years ago is expected to start in mid-2012, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon confirmed Friday.
Nine-year-old Wounded in al-Ma’asara Village Weekly Protest
Stop The Wall – Aug 27, 2011— On Friday, a young man and a child were injured during the weekly protest against the Apartheid Wall in al-Ma’asara village in Bethlehem after the occupation forces attacked the participants. [
Islamists hold anti-Israel march in Berlin
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Muslim hatred in heart of Europe: More than 1,000 Muslims marched Saturday in Berlin and chanted anti-Israel slogans to mark al-Quds Day, set by Iran following the … ….
Israelis hold social justice rallies nationwide
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Social protestors back on the streets: Thousands of people were expected to hit the streets nationwide for a series of rallies to protest the skyrocketing cost of living … ….
Abbas: We won’t recognize Israel as Jewish state
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – The Palestinian Authority will not be recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday, adopting a belligerent tone ahead of his planned … ….
Who will endorse Palestine?
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – On September 20th, the Palestinian Authority will submit its statehood bid at the United Nations General Assembly; the process will culminate with the UN’s 193 member … ….
Mayor: Evacuate NY immediately
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke at a news conference Saturday morning ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irene. He says residents who have to leave the city … ….
EgyptAir resumes flights to Iraq
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – EgyptAir has flown its first flight to Baghdad in 21 years in what Iraqi airport officials are hoping will be an economic boost from a fellow Arab nation. Baghdad … ….
Iran launches production of banned carbon fiber
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Islamic Republic says it has begun domestic production of substance embargoed by….
Report: Egypt thwarts Israeli assassination of Hamas PM
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Egypt pressures Israel to abort mission on Ismail Haniyeh’s life following….
Israel, US worried over Syria’s WMDs
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Israel, US are closely monitoring Syria’s suspected caches of chemical arms for….
Gaddafi escapes to Algeria?
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – Convoy crosses Libyan border to neighboring Algeria; rebels estimate Gaddafi was….
UN report on Gaza-bound flotilla delayed
YNet News, 27 Aug 2011 – UN chief says delay is to give Turkey, Israel more time to reach ‘harmonious….
Palestinian Information Center
Haneyya reiterates Palestinians would never surrender to occupation
PIC – Prime Minister of the government in Gaza Ismail Haneyya reiterated that the Palestinians would reserve their rights of return, liberty, and statehood.
Israel threatened launching extensive military assault on Gaza Strip
PIC – Israel threatened it would launch a massive ground and air military attack on the Gaza Strip in response to new rockets Palestinian factions fired into southern Israel..
Hundreds of thousands of worshippers attend night prayers at the Aqsa Mosque
PIC – More than 350 thousand Palestinian worshippers attended the night prayers Friday night, despite Israeli occupation restrictions, especially in relation with worshippers from the West Bank.
Prisoners complain of headaches after scramblers planted in Shata prison
PIC – Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Shata prison complained of pain in the head after cell phone scramblers were planted in the prison, a prisoner rights group reported.
Bahar warns Israeli occupation government against attacking Gaza
PIC – The first deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ahmad Bahar warned the Israeli occupation government against “playing with fire and getting embroiled in the Gaza quagmire,‚Äù
Israel planned to assassinate Gaza PM
PIC – Israel had plans to assassinate prime minister of the government in Gaza and Hamas leader Ismail Haneyya, Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper said Saturday.
Abbas to Ashton: Support our UN Bid
WAFA
Abbas Blames Israeli Policy for Going to UN
WAFA
Libyan Leader Mustafa Abdul Jaleel Calls Abbas
WAFA
US Consulate Denies Statements Attributed to its Consul General
WAFA
PA Says Statements by Iran’s President Serve Israel
WAFA
Abbas: Palestinian UN Bid not Aiming to Isolate Israel
WAFA
Honduras Recognizes Palestinian State
WAFA
Some fear post-revolution Libya may look like Iraq
LA Times 26 Aug 2011 – Amid the euphoria of having forced Moammar Kadafi to flee, some Tripoli residents decry the lack of basic services and say they fear that chaos is imminent, like that in Baghdad after Saddam Hussein. The rapid rebel takeover has left Libya’s capital teetering, with young…
Success of armed Libya revolt adds new leaf to ‘Arab Spring’
LA Times 27 Aug 2011 – The Libyan rebels’ astonishing televised success may alter what unfolds in rebellions so far characterized by peaceful disobedience in Syria and Yemen, which have endured bloody crackdowns. Artillery shells and airstrikes, not placards and peaceful protests, sent Moammar Kadafi fleeing from his fortress: The Libyan…
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashes out at Israel in Quds Day speech
LA Times 26 Aug 2011 – Iran’s president says creation of a Palestinian state would not satisfy those intent on ‘annihilating’ Israel and again characterizes the Holocaust as a ‘lie.’ Establishment of an independent Palestinian state would not stop efforts to wipe out Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday.
2 protesters killed amid calls for Syria President Assad’s death
LA Times 26 Aug 2011 – Syrian security forces kill two during protests by hundreds of people in several cities on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The demand for Assad’s death shows mounting anger among activists. Security forces in the eastern Syrian city of Dair Alzour…
Libya rebels seize key border crossing
LA Times 26 Aug 2011 – Rebels secure the crossing at Ras Ajdir, Tunisia, a crucial supply link to Tripoli. They also continue battling loyalists in the capital and prepare an assault on Moammar Kadafi’s homeland of Surt. Fighters extending rebel control secured Libya’s main border crossing into Tunisia and pressed…
Gilded Traces of the Lives Qaddafis Led
New York Times 27 Aug 2011 – The mansions, farms and seaside villas of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and his family are revealing the details of lives lived far removed from the people.
Rebels Who Ousted Qaddafi Fight to Restore Power in Tripoli
New York Times 27 Aug 2011 – Rebel leaders have said they believe the legitimacy of their provisional government may turn on their ability to provide basic services and security.
Libya’s Interim Leadership Releases Its Members’ Names
New York Times 27 Aug 2011 – The Transitional National Council released the names of all members and promised to increase its roster to provide representation to newly liberated parts of Libya.
Iran Tells Syria to Bow to ‘Legitimate’ Public Demands
New York Times 27 Aug 2011 – Although the remarks by Iran’s foreign minister did not call for President Bashar al-Assad to step down, they were the first public sign of growing unease with the crisis in Syria.
Pentagon Memo: Libyan War Bolsters the Pentagon’s View of France as an Ally
New York Times 27 Aug 2011 – France played a major role in this war, winning grudging respect from a Pentagon long critical of European allies.
Aipac uses fear of Palestinian statehood initiative to raise money
Mondoweiss – From an AIPAC fundraising letter, full text below, from Lee Rosenberg, who first brought Barack Obama to Israel in 2006 and whom the president calls Rosey: “Israelis could be dragged into foreign courts and charged with human rights violations…nations could implement sweeping economic sanctions…the Jewish presence…
Gaza strikes kill two youths, and cut off hands of 13-year-old boy playing football
Mondoweiss – link to old.news.yahoo.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.imemc.org link to www.independent.co.uk link to www.imemc.org link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to www.haaretz.com link to palsolidarity.org link to palsolidarity.org link to www.scoop.co.nz link to palsolidarity.org link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link…
Israel severs ties with Qatar over… Palestinian statehood
Mondoweiss – Jordan Times , Lebanon’s The Daily Star and AlJazeera’s Qatar live blog are all reporting on an article from Maariv announcing: Israel is angry with Qatar….The decision to end ties was taken by the highest echelons of the ministry, with the involvement of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman,…
No way to honor Dr. King
Mondoweiss – The ceremonies for the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC were kicked off on August 24 at an event billed as Honoring Global Leaders for Peace. But some of those honored are a far cry from King’s beloved community of the poor and…
Even Sternhell, leftwing Zionist, concedes that ‘radical, ruthless, racist nationalism’ requires a… revolution
Mondoweiss – Again I ask, Why is the ideological and emotional ferment in the Israeli press not reflected in American media? (I’m not even talking about the Palestinian and anti-Zionist press). But Haaretz understands the existential struggle of all Israelis and Palestinians and is trying to do something….
Israeli MK Ahmed Tibi Criticizes Jesse Jackson Jr’s Participation in Aipac Junket
Tikun Olam – J Street and pro-Israel blogger apologist Adam Holland have savagely attacked me for my criticism of Jesse Jackson’s Jerusalem Post op-ed , in which he ignorantly claimed Palestinians refused to adopt non-violence in their campaign for statehood. Jackson and five other members of the Congressional Black Caucus…
Obama Threatens Aid Cut-Off If PA Goes to UN
Tikun Olam – Showing just whose side he’s on, Pres. Obama’s chief diplomatic representative to the PA threatened a full cut-off of U.S. aid unless the Palestinians dropped next month’s bid for statehood in the UN. The diplomat said: “If the Palestinian Authority insists on going to the Security…
The Libyan Soldiers: The True Heroes of NATO’s War
Voltaire Network 27 Aug 2011 – While NATO has proven its capacity to kill thousands of Libyan soldiers from the skies, it has failed to convey respectability to the marauding “rebels” under its wing, posing as freedom fighters. The latter, however, should not get too used to their spot in the limelight,…
Rebels cleanse Tripoli’s Abu Slim area
Voltaire Network 26 Aug 2011 – Overnight on Thursday 25 August, the rebels attacked the district of Abu Slim in Tripoli, hunting down loyal Gaddafi officials and their families. France 24 TV correspondent Matthieu Mabin, reporting from Tripoli, provides a particularly chilling account: “What happened had less to do with fighting than…
Libya rebels ‘will end shortages’
BBC 27 Aug 2011 – Libyan rebel leaders pledge to restore food, fuel and water supplies in Tripoli, as the capital battles with severe shortages in the wake of days of fighting.
Articles
VIDEO – How Israel takes its revenge on boys who throw stones
Catrina Stewart, The Independent8/26/2011
The boy, small and frail, is struggling to stay awake. His head lolls to the side, at one point slumping on to his chest. “Lift up your head! Lift it up!” shouts one of his interrogators, slapping him. But the boy by now is past caring, for he has been awake for at least 12 hours since he was separated at gunpoint from his parents at two that morning. “I wish you’d let me go,” the boy whimpers, “just so I can get some sleep.”
During the nearly six-hour video, 14-year-old Palestinian Islam Tamimi, exhausted and scared, is steadily broken to the point where he starts to incriminate men from his village and weave fantastic tales that he believes his tormentors want to hear.
This rarely seen footage seen by The Independent offers a glimpse into an Israeli interrogation, almost a rite of passage that hundreds of Palestinian children accused of throwing stones undergo every year.
Israel has robustly defended its record, arguing that the treatment of minors has vastly improved with the creation of a military juvenile court two years ago. But the children who have faced the rough justice of the occupation tell a very different story.
“The problems start long before the child is brought to court, it starts with their arrest,” says Naomi Lalo, an activist with No Legal Frontiers, an Israeli group that monitors the military courts. It is during their interrogation where their “fate is doomed”, she says.
Sameer Shilu, 12, was asleep when the soldiers smashed in the front door of his house one night. He and his older brother emerged bleary-eyed from their bedroom to find six masked soldiers in their living room. more.. e-mail
Will We Finally See Handala’s Face In September?
Desert Peace8/25/2011
Handala was born ten years old, and he will always be ten years old. At that age, I left my homeland, and when he returns, Handala will still be ten, and then he will start growing up. The laws of nature do not apply to him. He is unique. Things will become normal again when the homeland returns.
WHO IS HANDALA?
From approximately 1975 through 1987 Naji Al-Ali created cartoons that depict the complexities of the plight of Palestinian refugees. These cartoons are still relevant today and Handala, the refugee child who is present in every cartoon, remains a potent symbol of the struggle of the Palestinian people for justice and self-determination.
Naji Al-Ali wrote: “The child Handala is my signature, everyone asks me about him wherever I go. I gave birth to this child in the Gulf and I presented him to the people. His name is Handala and he has promised the people that he will remain true to himself. I drew him as a child who is not beautiful; his hair is like the hair of a hedgehog who uses his thorns as a weapon. Handala is not a fat, happy, relaxed, or pampered child. He is barefooted like the refugee camp children, and he is an icon that protects me from making mistakes. Even though he is rough, he smells of amber. His hands are clasped behind his back as a sign of rejection at a time when solutions are presented to us the American way.
“Handala was born ten years old, and he will always be ten years old. At that age, I left my homeland, and when he returns, Handala will still be ten, and then he will start growing up. The laws of nature do not apply to him. He is unique. Things will become normal again when the homeland returns….” more.. e-mail
The Future State of Palestine
Francis A. Boyle, CounterPunch8/26/2011
The PLO and the Question of Popular Representation
In the 15 November 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence that was approved by the PNC representing all Palestinians all over the world, the Executive Committee of the PLO was set up as the Provisional Government for the State of Palestine—pursuant to my advice.
In addition, the Declaration of Independence also provides that all Palestinians living around the world automatically become citizens of the State of Palestine—pursuant to my advice. So the Executive Committee of the PLO in its capacity as the Provisional Government for the State of Palestine will continue to represent the interests of all Palestinians around the world when Palestine becomes a UN Member State.
Hence all rights will be preserved: for all Palestinians and for the PLO. No one will be disenfranchised. The PLO will not lose its status. This legal arrangement does not violate the Palestinian Charter, but was approved already by the PNC.
Unfortunately, an Oxford professor calleed Guy Goodwill-Gill has circulated a memo full of distortions. The memo is based on many erroneous assumption. This professor is not aware of all the legal and constitutional technicalities that were originally built into the Palestinian Declaration of Independence to make sure that his doomsday scenario does not materialize—at my advice.
All rights have been protected and will be protected by Palestine becoming a Member State of the United Nations, including the Right of Return. Indeed, in the Memo I originally did for President Arafat and the PLO back in 1988, I explained how we could obtain UN Membership. more.. e-mail
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The New Dark Age 