Saudi denies would let Israeli jets pass for Iran attack AFP Saudi Arabia denied on Monday a report that it has agreed to allow Israeli warplanes to fly through the kingdom’s airspace to attack Iran’s nuclear sites. “Of course this is not true. We don’t have any kind of relationship with the Israelis,” Osama Nugali, spokesman for the Saudi foreign ministry, told AFP. Britain’s Sunday Times reported that the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service had held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility of Israeli jets flying over Saudi Arabia for such an attack… continua / continued  [55742] [ 06-jul-2009 18:38 ECT ]

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Haniyeh defends ‘security cell’ arrests throughout Gaza Ma’an News De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Monday said recent detentions in the Gaza Strip against security “cells” were essential and successful. He did not elaborate on exactly when the suspects were arrested, but Fatah had on 26 June released a report on 210 members it said had been arrested by de facto security services in Gaza. Speaking at the graduation ceremony for Qur’an students, Haniyeh alleged that Palestinian Authority and Israeli forces had been obtaining “dangerous and false information” from the so-called cells. He also said his forces would continue its arrest campaign, and “never allow these cells to shake security and steadfastness,” adding that the seized men had been receiving salaries from the PA government in Ramallah until the moment they were captured. In response to Haniyeh’s speech, PA security forces spokesperson Adnan Ad-Damiry rejected the claims, calling the remarks an attempt to defend his movement from the last few days’ headlines of supposedly exposed West Bank plots, which have included allegations that Hamas intended to attack PA figures and that it was amassing weapons. “These are meaningless statements, nothing but justifications for the detentions of hundreds of Fatah leaders and members in the Gaza Strip, Ad-Damiry added… continua / continued  [55741] [ 06-jul-2009 18:29 ECT ]

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The Ruse of a Palestinian State on Offer Saree Makdisi To judge by the next day’s headlines, Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy speech last month was a great success. “Israeli Premier Backs State for Palestinians,” declared the New York Times. “Israel Endorses Two-State Goal,” said the Washington Post. “Netanyahu Backs Palestinian State,” announced The Guardian. He did no such thing, of course, unless by “state” one understands an amorphous entity lacking a definite territory, not allowed to control its own borders or airspace, shorn of any vestige of sovereignty (other than a flag and perhaps a national anthem), not allowed to enter into treaties with other states—and permanently disarmed and hence at the mercy of Israel. It would make about as much sense to call an apple an orange or a piano a speedboat as to call such a construct a state, and yet those are the conditions that Netanyahu imposed on the creation of such an entity for the Palestinians (if they get that far in the first place)… continua / continued  [55740] [ 06-jul-2009 18:26 ECT ]

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Gaza: A Story by Marryam Haleem They lived in a place called Peace. But then came the tanks and the guns. So they left, the white flag waving in the air. Nestled in the north of Gaza, close to the Israeli border, Hay As-salaam (Peace Neighborhood) was in nature as in name: A quiet area outside the city. The land owned by a wealthy Palestinian (extended) family, the Abu Eida family. Their 10 family houses gave life to the neighborhood. All were new and large and beautiful, the oldest only built in the early 2000′s… continua / continued  [55739] [ 06-jul-2009 18:23 ECT ]

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How Cynthia McKinney honored America on the 4th of July from an Israel Jail FRANKLIN LAMB Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney returned home today after 6 days being held by the government of Israel while attempting with 21 colleagues to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza on the vessel, the Spirit of Humanity. “Don’t sign Miss Cynthia don’t sign!” So chanted a boisterous group of Palestinian teens and pre-teens in Beirut’s Shatila Refugee Camp demonstrating support for the Freegaza Humanity boat abductees on the 4th of July. The students understood that those illegally arrested while in International waters had been offered a “get out of Jail Free” pass if they confessed in writing to violating Israel’s territorial waters… A couple of the students had met Cynthia during her recent visits to Lebanon. When they learned that as a Congresswoman, she had introduced articles of impeachment against Bush, was a consistent anti-war voter during her twelve years in Congress, and that no member in Congress had achieved a more consistent, principled, voting record of issues of civil and human rights, including Palestinian rights, they really connected with the subject of the Freegaza aid boat, the Spirit of Humanity and her travails. “Those supporters of Palestine should not accept a false confession and should stay in Jail if necessary. They are patriots” was a commonly expressed sentiment… continua / continued  [55738] [ 06-jul-2009 18:13 ECT ]

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PA uses foreign aid to scuttle human rights, civil liberties By Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank On 11 June, members of the Palestinian security agencies detained Haitham Amr, a resident of the small village of Beit al-Rush, 25 kilometers south west of Hebron. Two days later, Amr, 32 and father of three small children, was found dead in his cell at the Mukhabarat (General Intelligence) headquarters in downtown Hebron . Amr apparently died after he was subjected to an unusually harsh session of torture resulting in a massive internal bleeding. At first, PA security officials claimed that Amr had jumped from the second floor of the building in an attempt to escape. However, the claim seemed to have been totally concocted and contained no iota of truth… continua / continued  [55737] [ 06-jul-2009 18:10 ECT ]

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Taliban launch ‘operation’ against Marines AFP Afghanistan’s insurgent Taliban movement said Monday they had launched a guerrilla operation to counter a major assault by US Marines on their stronghold in Helmand province. Operation Foladi Jal, or “iron net” in Pashtu, would teach the Marines “a lesson,” Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone from an unknown location. About 4,000 Marines poured into the southern province on the border with Pakistan in an operation called Khanjar (dagger) that has faced little resistance since it was launched five days ago. “In response to Operation Khanjar by the invading forces, we have launched Operation Foladi Jal,” Ahmadi said… continua / continued  [55736] [ 06-jul-2009 17:54 ECT ]

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Honduran troops kill anti-coup demonstrators at Tegucigalpa airport By Barry Grey Honduran troops on Sunday fired on anti-coup demonstrators outside the airport in the capital, Tegucigalpa, killing at least two and wounding many more. Thousands had converged on the heavily guarded airport to show support for deposed President Manuel Zelaya, who flew from Washington DC earlier in the day in a bid to return to Honduras and reclaim power. The coup government, headed by former parliamentary speaker Roberto Micheletti and backed by the military, the Congress, the Church and the dominant sections of the business establishment, had vowed to prevent Zelaya’s charter plane from landing. It had ringed the airport with troops and parked military vehicles on the runways. The government, installed following a military coup on June 28 that forced Zelaya into exile, has defied broad international condemnation and issued warrants for Zelaya’s arrest on treason and other charges, should he attempt to return… continua / continued  [55734] [ 06-jul-2009 15:48 ECT ]

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Red Cross issues harrowing report on situation in Gaza By Jean Shaoul A report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), “Gaza: 1.5 million people trapped in despair,” paints a harrowing picture of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s military offensive against Gaza killed more than 1,300 people, wounded many more, made tens of thousands of people homeless, and destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure. Six months later, the report says, its inhabitants have been unable to rebuild their lives due to Israel’s blockade: “Most people struggle to make ends meet. Seriously ill patients face great difficulty obtaining the treatment they need. Many children suffer from deep psychological problems. Civilians whose homes and belongings were destroyed during the conflict are unable to recover. The quantities of goods now entering Gaza fall well short of what is required to meet the population’s needs.”… continua / continued  [55733] [ 06-jul-2009 15:45 ECT ]

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard takes command Calling the move “a new phase of the revolution,” leaders insist there is no room for compromise on Ahmadinejad’s reelection. By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer The top leaders of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard publicly acknowledged they had taken over the nation’s security and warned late Sunday that there was no middle ground in the ongoing dispute over the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a threat against a reformist wave led by Mir-Hossein Mousavi.Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the elite military branch, said the Guard’s takeover of the country had led to “a revival of the revolution and clarification of the value positions of the establishment at home and abroad.” “These events put us in a new stage of the revolution and political struggles, and all of us must fully comprehend its dimensions,” he said at a Sunday press conference, according to reports that surfaced today… continua / continued  [55732] [ 06-jul-2009 15:02 ECT ]

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McKinney released, returning to United States By RHONDA COOK, LARRY HARTSTEIN Cynthia McKinney’s mom said she’s learned that her daughter is on the way home. Leola McKinney said a friend who contacted the U.S. Embassy in Israel reported that the former congresswoman was released from Israeli custody and taken to Ben Gurion International Airport. “We finally got word that she was released,” Leola McKinney said late Sunday afternoon. “We don’t know what time she is supposed to fly out. All we know is that they took her to the airport… continua / continued  [55731] [ 06-jul-2009 14:57 ECT ]

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Prisoners’ center: Adminstrative detention is against int’l law Palestinian Information Center The prisoners’ center for studies condemned the administrative sentences issued by Israel against two Palestinians in its jails, saying that this policy is against international conventions and principles of human rights and democracy which Israel claims to have. The center said that the Negev prison administration had extended the administrative detention of Islamic Jihad leader Khaled Jaradat for three months and prisoner Ra’ed Abdelafo for six months without leveling any charges against them… continua / continued  [55730] [ 06-jul-2009 14:47 ECT ]

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Video: Cry for the prisoners, express your outrage Free Gaza Team There are 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, many without benefit of trial, many in prison for years without being able to see their families. Israel outdoes the U.S. in torture, imprisonment and brutality. continua / continued  [55729] [ 06-jul-2009 14:38 ECT ]

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Israel: ‘Saudi Arabia did not authorize us to use its air space’ Saed Bannoura – IMEMC The office of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement on Sunday morning saying that the report regarding Saudi Arabia allowing Israel to use its air space in case of an attack against Iran, is baseless. The report was initially published by the Sunday Times British newspaper. The paper said that Saudi Arabia would not protest Israel using its air space should Israeli fighter jets launch a military assault against Iran. But the office of Netanyahu said that this report is false and baseless… continua / continued  [55728] [ 06-jul-2009 14:23 ECT ]

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Mideast Churches Slam Christian Zionism Khaled Amayreh Christian leaders in the Middle East and the Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) are on a holy mission to expose Christian Zionism as a pseudo-religious movement that twists Christianity for its own political purposes. “We don’t consider these people [Christian Zionists] a legitimate Christian sect or denomination,” Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, told IslamOnline.net. Younan co-signed the landmark Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism along with leaders of seven other major churches in the Middles East… continua / continued  [55727] [ 06-jul-2009 14:20 ECT ]

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THE HOLOCAUST EXPLAINED AND JUSTIFIED Desertpeace It must have been a slow day at the Jerusalem Post’s editorial offices today, as well as those at Ma’ariv. They found the time to print the article that appears below…. more rantings from one of Israel’s Neanderthal ‘religious’ leaders. Yesterday I posted a piece quoting one of his followers, Israel’s Minister for Construction and Housing. Today’s piece shows the caliber of supporters that Netanyahu has in his government…. aside from nazis, racists and idiots, there are also the Neanderthals… continua / continued  [55726] [ 06-jul-2009 14:04 ECT ]