No link available, but, Maan is reporting that Muhammad Abu Tir (a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council who is affiliated with Hamas) has been taken from his Jerusalem home and his expulsion is imminent.
And other news from Today in Palestine:
Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing
IOA razes Palestinian buildings in OJ
Israeli occupation police escorted bulldozers of the Israeli-controlled municipality of Jerusalem as they leveled Palestinian buildings and installations in Isawiye town, occupied Jerusalem.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9r
Bedouin Families Face Further Expulsions
The al-Quds Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights reported that some 40 Bedouin families in the al-Farsiyya area, in the northern plains of the Jordan Valley, received official notices from Israel ordering them to leave their areas.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59032
4 residents issued stop work orders in Hebron village
Hebron – Ma’an – Four Palestinian homeowners were presented with stop work orders by Israel’s Civil Administration on Tuesday in the Al-Burj village south of Hebron, alleging that the homes were built without the necessary permits. Residents said the orders were delivered by Israeli forces accompanying Civil Administration officials. The orders, known locally as "demolition orders," demand that home owners appear before a magistrates court to defend allegations. Because legal action at the court rarely succeeds, the stop work orders essentially constitute a demolition order.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295559
Israeli production company desecrates mosque, makes offensive remarks
The Islamic Movement in 1948 occupied Palestine condemned an Israeli movie production company for violating the sanctity of an old mosque in the city of Qalansuwa in central Palestine.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcyQOSy10a8U%3d
Israel erects 2 barriers in Jenin
Jenin, June 30, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces erected today tow military checkpoints at Arabah and Mithlon towns in Jenin city, in the West Bank. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stopped citizens’ cars and searched it carefully and verified their ID cards which resulted in obstructing their movement from and to the towns. Israel erects more than 500 military checkpoints in the West Bank where they used to stop the citizens and verify their ID cars searching for wanted Palestinians and aim at humiliating them too.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6559-israel-erects-2-barriers-in-jenin
‘Israel’s plan to raze E. Jerusalem homes is an obstacle to peace’
EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton says ‘settlements and demolitions of homes are illegal under international law.’
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-s-plan-to-raze-e-jerusalem-homes-is-an-obstacle-to-peace-1.299171?localLinksEnabled=false
Israel must avoid further violations of international law in East Jerusalem – UN human rights expert
GENEVA (29 June 2010) – UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk urged Israel to prevent further violations of international law in East Jerusalem, most urgently in relation to the situation of four Palestinians threatened with the loss of their right of residence and the Mayor of Jerusalem’s plan to demolish 22 buildings, representing 89 Palestinian homes, in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-86VLRS?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment
Protest Netanyahu’s Visit to the U.S.
Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Time: 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Location: Israeli Consulate
456 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=138062659544125
Solidarity As A Weapon: The MST In Palestine
“There is a weapon more powerful than any Israeli tank or U.S. missile, which is international solidarity,” said Marcelo Buzetto, a São Paulo native visiting Haifa last month. The weeks following Israeli’s deadly flotilla raid on May 31st initiated an outpour of global support for the people of Gaza. As Israel deflects attention from ending the crushing blockade through its purported “easing,” people standing in true solidarity with Palestinians—including those in the West Bank, the 1948 areas, and the diaspora—should remember Buzetto’s words.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1467
Israel’s anti-boycott belligerence | Miri Weingarten
A bill seeking to outlaw boycotts of Israeli institutions and products – including in settlements – is diplomatically explosive
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/30/israel-anti-boycott-bill
Violence/Detainees
Pictures of the Day: Gaza and Elsewhere
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/pictures-248/
Palestinians protest in front of Askalan jail
Jenin, June 30, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The prisoners affairs committee in the Palestinian occupied land of 48 organized on Wednesday a protest in front of Askalan Israeli jail condemning the jail administration arbitrary policy. The protesters chanted slogans and shouted against the Israeli occupation demanding the release of the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6563-palestinians-protest-in-front-of-askalan-jail
Gaza prison committee praises Shalit family’s efforts
Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – The Detainees’ Support Committee in Gaza called on the Shalit family on Wednesday to continue to pressure their government to secure the release of their son. The Shalit family is on a 12-day march to Jerusalem, where they plan to camp outside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence until their son is returned home. Gilad, an Israeli soldier, was captured in along the Gaza border four years ago.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295755
Retaliation
Qassam rocket fired from Gaza destroys Negev packing plant
Rocket also seriously damages other structures in the Sdot Negev Regional Council; no one hurt.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/qassam-rocket-fired-from-gaza-destroys-negev-packing-plant-1.299124?localLinksEnabled=false
The Siege (Gaza & West Bank)
Goods – Needs Vs. Supply – May 30 – June 26
http://www.gazagateway.org/2010/06/goods-needs-vs-supply-may-30-june-26/
Industrial Fuel – Needs Vs. Supply – May 30 – June 26
http://www.gazagateway.org/2010/06/industrial-fuel-needs-vs-supply-may-30-june-26/
Haniyeh calls on Arab world to break siege
Gaza – Ma’an – Gaza government premier Ismail Haniyeh said US and Israeli efforts to ease the Gaza blockade are "only lies," as he met with an Indonesian parliamentary delegation on Tuesday. Haniyeh called on Arabs and Muslims to "continue their political and public efforts" to bring the Israeli-imposed siege to an end, adding that media reports of an apparent alleviation of the blockade were deceptive.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295562
West Bank poverty ‘worse than Gaza’
The European Commission funded study found that in "Area C"- the 60 per cent of the West Bank under direct Israeli control – the poorest sections of society are suffering disproportionately because basic infrastructure is not being repaired due to Israel’s refusal to approve the work. Homes, schools, drainage systems and roads are in urgent need of repair, but instead of work being allowed, families are being forced to live in tents and do not have access to clean water.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/06/201062916845576597.html
PMRS: “52% of Gaza Children Suffer From Malnutrition”
A study conducted by the Palestinian Medical Relief Association (PMRS) revealed that %52 of the children in Gaza suffer from Anemia, and severe deficiency in phosphor, Calcium and Zink, while a significant number of children suffer from infections in their respiratory systems.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59031
Israel confiscates medical appliances donated by Norway
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has confiscated medical equipment that were on their way to the West Bank and Gaza Strip hospitals, Hebrew press reported on Tuesday.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/defauHxN8gVRO8AfUubjCieaJbgj9KA8A%3d
OPT: Obstacles on road to Gaza rebuilding
GAZA CITY Wednesday, June 30, 2010 (IRIN) – Eighteen months after Israel’s 23-day offensive in the Gaza Strip, three-quarters of damaged homes, buildings and infrastructure remain unrepaired, according to a reconstruction needs assessment published by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Jerusalem.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=89679
No World Cup in Gaza as Strip drowns in darkness
Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – While football matches entertain the rest of the world, few in Gaza will enjoy the privilege, as most houses do not have electricity. Gaza local Abu Muhammad followed the Algeria – Slovenia match on the local radio, but said he was sad that he could only hear the game and not watch it. Although coffee shops and restaurants are showing the games, the high unemployment rate in the Strip means most residents of Gaza cannot afford to go.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295561
Human Rights
In violation of Medical Ethics and International Law: Israel Restricts the Access of Gaza Patients to Urgent Medical Treatment if their Condition is Not Life-Threatening
A new position paper by three human rights organizations, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-IL), Al-Mezan and Adalah, reviews Israel’s exit policy at the Erez Crossing regarding Gaza patients seeking medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. The paper argues that there is a consistent Israeli policy of distinguishing between life-threatening cases and cases that affect quality of life, as a basis to deny their exit from the Strip for medical treatment, which violates the principles of medical ethics and international law.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MMAO-86WG54?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
‘Litzman’s words on hospital – racist’, Deputy minister accused of delaying funds for Arab-run gov’t facility
The Israel Medical Association charged Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman on Sunday with delaying the transfer of ministry budgets to Nahariya’s state-owned Western Galilee Hospital because its director-general is an Israeli Arab. Litzman’s recent statements in the Knesset about the hospital “raise the smell of racism,” said IMA chairman Dr. Leonid Eidelman.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=179717
Israeli soldier says Palestinians better off under occupation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaBj5e771E8&feature=youtube_gdata
Gaza young man uses his voice to defy physical disabilities
GAZA, June 29 (Xinhua) — Leaning on crutches, the physically disabled Osama Abu Safar, resident of Gaza City, went everyday to work at Fursan al-Iradah (Knights of Will) radio station. He defied the life’s intricacies, mainly the lack of living means, care and accommodate for Gaza disabled people. Abu Safar, 27, born in Libya with disability in both legs, never thought about surrendering to the reality of his physical disability. He insisted with determination and challenged to achieve a proper position for himself in the society of the Gaza Strip.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-06/29/c_13376021.htm
Refugees
Palestinians in Lebanon demonstrate for their rights
As cars plastered with the flags of Brazil, Germany, Argentina and other favorite World Cup teams drove across Beirut on Sunday, Palestinian refugees and their supporters carried Palestinian and Lebanese flags as they marched through the capital. They called for their human rights in Lebanon, where they have lived without them for more than six decades. Matthew Cassel reports for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11359.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
Palestinian diplomat urges Lebanese unity on refugee rights (AFP)
AFP – The Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon on Tuesday urged consensus among Lebanese parties on granting basic rights to hundreds of thousands of refugees living in decrepit camps across the country.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100629/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonpalestinianrefugeerights
Lebanon’s Palestinians, the shame rises, Rami G. Khouri
The current debate in Lebanon about the legal status of several hundred thousand resident Palestinian refugees reflects the best and worst of the Arab world. The mistreatment, abysmal living conditions and limited work, social security and property rights of these Palestinians are a lingering moral black mark – but change is in the air, initiated largely by Lebanese.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=116519#ixzz0sHKvFSDG
Aoun: Funds to Grant Palestinian Refugees Rights Unavailable
29/06/2010 The head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun backed on Tuesday granting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon their rights, but noted that this requires funds that are unavailable. Speaking to reporters following his bloc’s weekly meeting, Aoun said that Palestinians cannot be granted right of ownership in Lebanon, and said that houses for Palestinians should be built in refugee camps, similar to those that were constructed at the Nahr al-Bared camp. "We cannot scatter the refugees throughout the Lebanese territories because if they lose their communication then they will lose their cause," Aoun said.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144347&language=en
Israel’s Arab Helpers
Egypt police kill Eritrean woman at Israeli border
38-year-old woman shot three times midway along the Sinai border; another two Eritrean women, child arrested.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912638,00.html
Russia To Send 50 Armored Vehicles To The P.A.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated that the Palestinian Authority will soon receive 50 Russian armored vehicles that were donated by Russia several years ago but Israel opposed the delivery.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59030
Flotilla Fallout/Investigation
Turkey twice barred Israel from airspace: diplomat (AFP)
AFP – Turkey has twice refused Israeli military planes permission to use its airspace after the deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships in May, a diplomat said Tuesday, but denied there was a blanket ban.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100629/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaturkeyarmyairspace
Charlie Rose Interviews: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11091#frame_top
IHH report on the freedom flotilla
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=45521038
Israeli panel probing Gaza flotilla raid asks Netanyahu to expand its authority
Turkel commission held first meeting on Monday, nearly one month after May 31 raid on Turkish-flagged ship left nine dead.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-panel-probing-gaza-flotilla-raid-asks-netanyahu-to-expand-its-authority-1.299038?localLinksEnabled=false
Head of Israel fleet raid probe threatens to resign: TV (AFP)
AFP – The head of an Israeli commission set up to investigate a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla threatened to resign unless the probe is given wider powers, Israeli TV said on Tuesday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100629/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaprobe
ANALYSIS / Israel doesn’t seem to want to really probe Gaza flotilla raid
Turkel quickly discovered that a panel with a limited mandate and no authority to subpoena witnesses, which is at the mercy of officials’ willingness to appear before it, cannot do its job properly.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/analysis-israel-doesn-t-seem-to-want-to-really-probe-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.299058
Political Developments
Israel’s Barak to meet Palestinian PM Fayyad (AFP)
AFP – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak is to meet with Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad in the coming days, the two sides said on Wednesday, for a rare high-level meeting between the two.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100630/wl_mideast_afp/mideastusdiplomacy
Fatah document to urge Abbas into unity deal
Bethlehem/Jerusalem – Ma’an – Fatah’s Revolutionary Council has prepared a document for President Mahmoud Abbas urging him to guarantee a Palestinian unity deal with Hamas, Jerusalem Affairs chief Hatem Abdul Qader told Ma’an on Tuesday. While the document commends Abbas for his contribution toward reconciling rival movements Fatah and Hamas, it aims at "paralleling" the pressure on the president to close a unity deal, Abdul Qader said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295594
Israeli radicalism foremost obstacle to peace – Ahmed Qrei’a
The realization of the just and lasting peace in the Middle East is still possible. This is the primary conclusion that could be deduced from our long quest for peace, despite the scarce achievements and unlimited failures that marked the 18 years of faltering negotiations. Achieving the desired peace, however, will only be possible when certain objective requirements are present and met. In fact, these requirements are already present and well-established in the principles of international legitimacy and law, as articulated clearly in the UN Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295649
Az-Zahhar: Hamas not affected by regional pressure
Gaza – Ma’an – Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahhar said Wednesday that the faction’s decision making process is not affected by regional pressure but rather by internal politics. Az-Zahhar’s comments were made during a lecture in Gaza on Hamas’ political thought and regional relations, where he said the movement maintains "strong ties" with its allies.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295719
Lawmaker says EU must stop funding ‘Israeli war machine’
Bethlehem – Ma’an – MEP Bairbre de Brún called on the European Commission on Tuesday to stop funding Israeli companies which "develop military technology," until Israel complies with international human rights standards. De Brún asked the EC to reveal the extent of funding it provides to companies whose research has military applications, which she said “ends up helping the Israeli war machine.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295812
Russian foreign minister says Palestinian state might be formed by 2012
RAMALLAH, West bank, June 29 (Itar-Tass) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday a Palestinian state might be formed by 2012. “A (Middle East) Quartet statement adopted at a ministerial meeting in March says that we are seeking to do our best to settle the problem by 2012,” Lavrov said after a meeting with the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. “If everyone shows good will and mutual trust, if external players push the sides to reach accord, it is quite possible.”
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15275815&PageNum=0
Obama, Abdullah pledge ties on Middle East, beyond (AP)
AP – President Barack Obama says he and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia agreed Tuesday on the need to press for Middle East peace in a "significant and bold way," including the creation of a Palestinian homeland.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_saudi_arabia
Minister Landau: Another withdrawal? Barak like battered woman
Yisrael Beitenu member slams defense minister for saying Israel will be required to take additional unilateral steps. ‘We are partners in the same government,’ he says.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912673,00.html
Other News
Man jailed for selling land to Israel
Qalqiliya – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority Court of First Instance on Tuesday sentenced a Palestinian man to 10 years imprisonment on charges of selling land to Israel. The accused, identified only by the initials AF, 44, from Qalqiliya in the occupied West Bank, was convicted in accordance with the 1960 article 144 of the penal code number 6.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295550
Farrakhan charges Jews with ‘anti-black’ behavior
Nation of Islam minister writes to leaders of more than dozen major US Jewish groups, denominations seeking ‘repair of my people from the damage’ he claims Jews have caused blacks for centuries.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3913034,00.html
Nature guides may be hiding facts to avoid offending religious hikers
The Knesset is expected to look into the possibility that Israel Nature and Parks Authority guides at the Soreq Cave Nature Reserve are concealing the true age of the cavern’s stalactites, stalagmites.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/nature-guides-may-be-hiding-facts-to-avoid-offending-religious-hikers-1.298848
Analysis/Opinion
Is Gilad Shalit a prisoner of war?, Ali Abunimah
In a stunt labelled the "True Freedom Flotilla" Gabriella Shalev, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, other diplomats and Zionist activists set sail last week on New York’s Hudson River towards UN headquarters. Their goal was to draw attention to Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured by Hamas four years ago as he was enforcing Israel’s occupation and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Shalev reportedly carried an "aid" package containing underwear, eyeglasses and food intended for Shalit. Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Zionist umbrella group that organised the event, complained that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been prevented from visiting Shalit, while Israel allegedly allows "some 15,000 to 18,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid" into the besieged Gaza Strip each week.
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/06/2010628132553801841.html
Ambition and Zionism, Philip Weiss
Who is Barak? In Beyond Chutzpah, Norman Finkelstein says that Aharon Barak was "a leading proponent" of guidelines allowing torture– making Israel the "only country in the world where torture was legally sanctioned," according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. He also gave a green light to administrative detentions, even as the judge conceded, “there is probably no State in the Western world that permits an administrative detention of someone who does not himself pose any danger to State security.”
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/ambition-and-zionism.html
EU states ‘use outsourced torture’
UK, France and Germany urged not to use information gained by torture in other countries.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/06/2010629134355923668.html
NPR corrects itself – to a point, Henry Norr
Several updates from the National Public Radio front: Last week, just a day after I sent a complaint to Fresh Air and NPR ombudsman Alicia Shepard about the misleading account of the origins of the siege of Gaza presented by Terry Gross’s guest Lawrence Wright, a correction of sorts appeared on the network’s corrections page. As several commenters here predicted, the correction is minimal: "Our guest misstated the year of Hamas’ election victory. The elections were held in January 2006, not June 2007." (Wright actually just said 2007 – it’s not clear why the correction mentions June.)
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/npr-corrects-itself-to-a-point.html
The scarecrow, Gideon Levy
There is a long tradition of frightening people over the release of terrorists. The suggestion of talking to the Palestine Liberation Organization was once an especially frightening scarecrow, as was the establishment of a Palestinian state.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-scarecrow-1.298879
We won’t relinquish the enemy, Akiva Eldar
Israel refuses to recognize that the Arab world has offered an end to the conflict through the Saudi peace initiative.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/we-won-t-relinquish-the-enemy-1.298686
Strenger Than Fiction / Israel must admit to its mistakes
Like Abbas admitted that the second intifada was one of the worst Palestinian mistakes, Israel needs to admit to its worst mistake: the settlement enterprise.
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/strenger-than-fiction/strenger-than-fiction-israel-must-admit-to-its-mistakes-1.299206?localLinksEnabled=false
Us, us and us, Nimrod Aloni
The fundamental human value of seeing others as human beings just like us is disappearing; some people even consider it a betrayal.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/us-us-and-us-1.298687
‘Is the open sea your father’s meadow? Do you think you have the right to kill someone who has a death wish?’, Philip Weiss
Translation below of a piece in Taraf, a Turkish daily, about an interview that aired on Israeli television with a leader of the Turkish IHH charity that organized the flotilla. Thanks to Lonso for translation. The remarkably-philosophical Bulent Yildirim says more boats are ready to go, and his statements about paintball, knives, death wishes, and the open sea are halfway through what follows.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/is-the-open-sea-your-fathers-meadow-do-you-think-you-have-the-right-to-kill-someone-who-has-a-death-wish.html
USS Carrier Harry Truman Now Officially Just Off Iran, As Israel Allegedly Plotting An Imminent Tehran Raid
As we first reported last week, in an article that was met with much original skepticism, the Pentagon has now confirmed that a fleet of 12 warships has passed the Suez Canal, and is now likely awaiting orders to support the escalation in the Persian Gulf. The attached image from Stratfor shows the latest positioning of US aircraft carrier groups as of June 23: the USS Harry Truman (CVN-75) is now right next to USS Eisenhower (CVN 69), both of which are waiting patiently just off Iran.
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2010/06/uss-carrier-harry-truman-now-officially.html
On Israel’s ‘Right to Exist’ and on Racism, Denis G. Rancourt
Surely the Israeli government would agree that the right of a nation state to exist is a question of international law. Under international law, no other country has ever demanded or been granted that another nation state be forced to officially recognize the claimant nation’s “right to exist”, under the threat of military reprisal no less. But since this is an original and unresolved question of international law and since Israel has forcefully put it on the table, it is relevant to examine whether Israel is following established principles of international law, such as the Geneva Conventions for example, or foreign country assassinations and kidnappings, or international waters commando attacks of civilian ships, etc.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16096
Iraq
Tuesday: 21 Iraqis Killed, 36 Wounded
At least 21 Iraqis were killed and 36 more were wounded in a string of attacks that targeted police and other officials. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Maliki met with his rival in talks that could break the political impasse that is fueling some of the violence.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/06/29/tuesday-21-iraqis-killed-36-wounded/
Iraq’s main rivals meet on government to end impasse (Reuters)
Reuters – The two main contenders in Iraq’s March election met on Tuesday for only the second time since the inconclusive vote as concerns mounted at the lack of progress in negotiations to form a government.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100629/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics
Lack of help for Iraqi police was ‘quite breathtaking’
British and American efforts to rebuild Iraq’s police after the 2003 invasion were under-funded and unrealistic, the resumed Iraq war inquiry heard yesterday. The first UK chief police adviser in Baghdad said there was an assumption that an efficient Iraqi police force would simply "rise like a phoenix" within months.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/lack-of-help-for-iraqi-police-was-quite-breathtaking-2014113.html
Iraqi exiles plot fall of Maliki from Damascus
SEVEN YEARS after the fall of Iraq’s Baathist regime, Baathist, Arab nationalist and independent dissidents based here are plotting the downfall of the its replacement.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0629/1224273556157.html
Female Circumcision Rife in Iraqi Kurdistan, Says Report
For many young girls in the world, a life-changing experience might be reaching puberty or discovering a first crush. For Gola, a 17-year-old student from Iraqi Kurdistan, it was the moment her mother and sister-in-law took her to get circumcised. "They put us in the bathroom, held our legs open and cut something," Gola, whose real name has been withheld for privacy reasons, recalls in the new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, "’They Took Me and Told Me Nothing’: Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100630/wl_time/08599199896600
Marine in Iraq war crime case reports back to duty (AP)
AP – Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III is reporting for duty, four years after he was imprisoned for a murder conviction in a major Iraqi war crimes case.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_re_us/us_marines_iraq_shootings
Video: Iraq: The Hidden War
Iraq: The Hidden Story shows the footage used by TV news broadcasts, and compares it with the devastatingly powerful uncensored footage of the aftermath of the carnage that is becoming a part of the fabric of life in Iraq.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2179700192640504810&hl=en#
Lebanon
Hezbollah vows to ‘defend Lebanese gas’
In interview with al-Manar television, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said that organization will not hesitated to use ‘all means’ in order ‘to exercise Lebanon’s sovereignty over its natural treasures.’ He accuses US of being biased towards Israel.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3913152,00.html
IDF career soldier suspected of spying for Hezbollah
Suspect allegedly participated in drug smuggling gang that transferred sensitive military information to Hezbollah-linked figure in Lebanon.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-career-soldier-suspected-of-spying-for-hezbollah-1.299184?localLinksEnabled=false
Alfa Spy Makes Headlines: Telecoms under Israeli Control!?
29/06/2010 For the second consecutive day, the discovery of the dangerous ‘Alfa spy’ made the headlines in Lebanon… Everyone in Lebanon believes the catch is hefty. They even believe is the very most precious treasure in terms of services and data the detainee has been providing Israel for more than 14 years. Investigations with the spy are ongoing after confessions made by him showed the seriousness of the work he did for the Israelis over the past 14 years in his capacity as both an Alfa employee and communications ministry staffer. According to Lebanese daily As-Safir, the Telecoms spy confessed that he had planted software and chips made available to him by Israel across Alfa’s broadcasting stations, making the possibility of manipulating the data in any contact lines much easier for Israeli communications experts.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144340&language=en
Report: Lebanon to probe top government officials in Israel spy ring case
Lebanese officials: Investigation will continue until the Israeli intelligence is blind and deaf in Lebanon.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-lebanon-to-probe-top-government-officials-in-israel-spy-ring-case-1.299146?localLinksEnabled=false
Hezbollah thanks Syria for its support
BEIRUT, June 29 (Xinhua) — Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Kassem thanked Syria on Tuesday for its support to the Shiite armed group. Kassem met with Syrian Ambassador Ali Abdel Karim Ali with talks featuring high on latest progress on local, regional and international scenes, said a Hezbollah’s statement. During the meeting, Kassem confirmed that the Lebanese-Syrian relations "are not discretionary but stipulated in Taef agreement to be special". "We thank Syria once again for its support to the Resistance, the Army and the people," he added.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-06/30/c_13376063.htm
Berri: World rages over captured Israeli, forgets Gazans
BEIRUT: The world is in an uproar over the capture of an Israeli soldier while the same outrage is not afforded for a people under siege, Speaker Nabih Berri said in Damascus in reference to the Israeli occupation of Gaza.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116553
Iran
Israel and US allegedly preparing military strike on Iran
Reports have surfaced in the Middle East claiming Israel and the US are making military preparations for a possible attack on Iran. It comes after Washington called for tougher measures to be taken against the country over its nuclear ambitions. The reports first appeared in Iranian media and were later picked up by more mainstream Israeli and Iranian media. According to them, Israeli helicopters have dropped large amounts of military equipment in northern Saudi Arabia, eight kilometers from Tabuk, the closest Saudi city to Israel.
http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-06-28/iran-us-military-preparations.html
Military strike on Iran will destabilize region: Mullen
The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said it would be "incredibly dangerous" for Iran to achieve nuclear weapons, and that there’s "no reason to trust" Iran’s assurances that it is only pursuing a peaceful nuclear program, especially after the discovery of the secret nuclear facility in Qum.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/29-Jun-2010/Military-strike-on-Iran-will-destabilize-region-Mullen
If CIA has new info on Iran’s nuclear plans, Russia interested in details – Lavrov
“If the CIA has information proving that Iran has actually started to enrich its uranium to a weapon-grade level, this information is new and we are interested to look into it in detail.”
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15274214&PageNum=0
Iran says nuclear talks to resume with Brazil, Turk
TEHRAN: Iran said on Tuesday it would soon resume nuclear talks with Turkey and Brazil – a tentative first step back to international negotiations after Tehran was hit with a new wave of sanctions over its disputed nuclear work.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=116550
The Iranian Threat, Noam Chomsky
“They are gearing up totally for the destruction of Iran,” according to Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London. “US bombers and long range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours,” he said. “The firepower of US forces has quadrupled since 2003,” accelerating under Obama.
http://www.zcommunications.org/the-iranian-threat-by-noam-chomsky
7 Potential Economic Effects Of A War With Iran
Are you ready to pay 8 or 10 dollars for a gallon of gasoline? What do you think that would do to the U.S. economy?
http://english.pravda.ru/business/finance/29-06-2010/114054-war_iran-0
U.S. and other World News
‘What kind of America’? Hate-filled rally to stop mosque
Angry Sheepshead Bay residents came out in a show of force on Sunday to protest a planned mosque and Muslim community center in their neighborhood. “If they build a mosque there, I’m going to bomb the mosque,” said one outraged resident who lives across the street from the proposed house of worship between East 28th and East 29th streets on Voorhies Avenue. The resident, who refused to give his name, identified himself as a former Israeli soldier who had lived on Voorhies Avenue for eight years.
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/27/bn_tt_baypeoplemosquerally_2010_07_02_bk.html
www.TheHeadlines.org
