And other news from Today in Palestine:
Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
Official: 3 more homes destroyed in Negev
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities demolished three houses in the western Negev on Monday, local officials said. The houses in Abda village belonged to the At-Tantawi family, the Abda regional council said. Ibrahim Al-Waqeely, head of the council, condemned the timing of the demolitions during a heatwave and a few days before the holy month of Ramadan, as families prepare to fast.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306685
Jordan Valley demolitions continue
TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israel’s Civil Administration began razing housing units Monday in the Ein Hilwa area of the northern Jordan Valley, campaign officials said. Save the Jordan Valley campaign coordinator Fathi Ikhdeirat said Israeli authorities, accompanied by border guards, began tearing down structures and handing down stop-work orders to residents. He described the move as an attempt "to clear the area of its indigenous people and include it into Israel and called on international human rights groups to intervene to bring the demolitions to a halt.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306607
Farmers reclaim land from settlement
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Aided by the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee, farmers from a southern West Bank village have reclaimed lands inside an illegal Israeli settlement. Imad Ash-Shaer, 42, from Husan village, said he gave up hope 10 years ago that he would be able to farm his land, annexed by an Israeli military base at the entrance to Betar Illit settlement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306662
Palestinians: Israel must halt construction
JERUSALEM, Aug. 6 (UPI) — A Palestinian spokesman said direct peace talks won’t resume until Israel halts construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories. Nabil Abu Rudeineh said President Mahmoud Abbas’s hesitancy to return to direct peace talks was not based on negotiations, but rather his commitment to guidelines set by the Arab League, the Maan news agency reported. Last week in Cairo, the Arab league gave Abbas the green light to enter direct talks with Israel when he deems the time is right. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said he is ready to engage in direct talks with the Palestinians immediately, and without any preconditions.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/08/06/Palestinians-Israel-must-halt-construction/UPI-56051281093761/
New Israeli expulsion policy against Palestinians
Jerusalem, August 7, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli authorities started a recent expulsion of Palestinian citizens, who hold Ids of the occupied West Bank, of Jerusalem city, as mentioned by Jerusalemite Human Rights Center. A report issued by the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights reported that the Israeli Ministry of Interior has already begun implementing the policy of expulsion against Palestinian citizens carrying Ids of the West Bank and living in Jerusalem before 1967. The report said "Most of the victims of this policy are caught in the trap made by the Israeli Ministry of Interior, which asked several years ago for people who live in Jerusalem before the year 1987 and did not settle their residence issues”.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6700:new-israeli-expulsion-policy-against-palestinians&catid=59:west-bank&Itemid=135
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions & Divestment
Israeli Soldiers Open Fire At A Nonviolent Protest In Gaza
Gaza – PNN – Israeli soldiers opened fire on Monday midday at a group of Palestinians protesting the Israeli fence surrounding the Gaza strip. Palestinians along with a number of international supporters gathered in the Abssan town near the southern borders with Israel. People demanded the Israeli army to stop creating the buffer zone near the borders and building the fence using Palestinian farmers lands. Protesters managed to reach the fence before soldiers opened fire at them. Organizers ended the protest avoiding any injuries. Adnan Al Faqawi, a local organizer, told Palestinian media that the weekly protests against the Israeli fence and buffer zone will continue regardless of the violence it met with from the Israeli soldiers.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8633&Itemid=28
Jews and Arabs march against east Jerusalem evictions (AFP)
AFP – Jews and Arabs marched shoulder-to-shoulder in occupied east Jerusalem and in towns across Israel on Friday in a joint protest against the eviction of Palestinians to make way for Jewish settlers.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100806/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictpalestinianjerusalem
Palestinians rally against Gaza buffer zone
KHAN YOUNIS (Ma’an) — The Popular Resistance Campaign marched toward Israel’s no-go zone Monday in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in protest over land confiscation and prohibited access to farm land. The march began at the Absan Al-Jadeda village east of Khan Younis toward to the zone, with protesters waving Palestinian flags and banners denouncing Israel’s ban on access to the area that it considers a live combat zone. Protesters said Israeli forces opened fire as they arrived at the area, where they placed Palestinian flags. No injuries were reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306655
Israeli Occupation faces growing resistance in the Bethlehem area
August 8th, 2010– The weekly protest in the village of al-Ma’sara commemorated the anniversary of the nuclear bombs dropped by the United States on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. In Irtas a march against the Wall was organized with the involvement of international solidarity activists.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2338.shtml
Youth burn Wall gate in the Ni’lin protest against the Wall and settlements
August 8th, 2010– The weekly demonstration in the village of Ni’lin commemorated the second anniversary of the death of Yousef Amira, a Ni’lin villager who was killed by Israeli Occupation Forces as he was demonstrating against the Wall.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2337.shtml
Bil’in, A Village in Palestine
After Friday prayers the group marched and chanted through the village towards the wall where they were confronted by Israeli soldiers. After a brief stand off the crowd was forced to retreat through the use of tear gas and sound grenades. Israeli soldiers entered the village before the protestors reached the fence’s gate which separates Bil’in from its agricultural lands. Nobody was seriously hurt but many people suffered from tear gas inhalation. All pictures by Rob Stothard
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1505
Report: Jordan engineers urged to avoid Jerusalem
AMMAN, Jordan (Ma’an) — The Jordan Engineers Association on Sunday called on its members to refrain from joining package tours to occupied Jerusalem, part of its campaign to discourage normalization between Jordan and Israel. Engineers across Jordan should “resist the temptation” to visit one of the holiest cities in Islam due to the “profound impact” such visits have on efforts to fight normalization with Israel, JEA President Abdullah Obeidat told The Jordan Times.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306692
Anti-Israel?
If you believe that the blockade on Gaza was unsustainable, then you’d be Binyamin Netanyahu. Or one of the few congresspeople prepared to argue for what she believed was in Israel’s vital interests – and the interests of the US. Well, she got what she asked for, didn’t she? If you do not toe the AIPAC line, this happens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzjleP5TVDo&feature=player_embedded
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/08/antiisrael.html
Violence and Aggression
PNI leader attacked by settlers
HEBRON (Ma’an) — A Palestinian lawmaker said he was attacked by settlers as he accompanied farmers trying to access their land near Hebron on Saturday. Palestinian National Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouthi said after the attack, Israeli soldiers used force to prevent the group accessing farmland in Al-Buwiera and Al-Baq’a villages. An Israeli military spokesman said Barghouthi was in a closed military zone when soldiers asked him to leave, but denied reports that force was used. Barghouthi held Israeli authorities fully responsible for the farmers’ lands, which are at risk of drought since Israel’s Civil Administration destroyed what it described as an illegal water irrigation network in Al-Baq’a on Monday. The parliamentarian noted that settlers from an illegal outpost near the Kiryat Arba settlement had rebuilt homes demolished by the army last week.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306470
IOF raids Nablus, no detentions reported
Nablus, August 9, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation forces stormed the town "Assira" today morning, north of the city of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. Witnesses said that a number of IOF military vehicles stormed the town before dawn today and raided a number of houses without reported arrests. Witnesses added that Israeli forces fired flares over the village. Israeli occupation forces also set up checkpoints on the southern entrance of the village leading to the city of Nablus and arrested a number of vehicles belonging to the citizens there.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6724:iof-raids-nablus-no-detentions-reported&catid=59:west-bank&Itemid=135
Detainees
Israel detains 2 Palestinians in Jenin
Jenin, August 9, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces detained today two Palestinians in Jenin city in the West Bank. Israeli occupation forces raided Jenin camp and detained Baha Abu Tabikh, 20, and Alaa Sbrani, 32. Local sources reported that the citizens clashed with Israeli occupation forces and threw stones at them. Israeli forces raids the West Bank on a daily basis under the pretext of searching for what they call “wanted Palestinians”.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6722:israel-detains-2-palestinians-in-jenin&catid=59:west-bank&Itemid=135
The Siege (Gaza & West Bank)/Humanitarian and Human Rights/Restriction of Movement
Translators shortage hinders probes into IDF abuses in West Bank
Rights group Yesh Din says complainants often travel far to meet investigators, only for meetings to be canceled because no interpreter could be found.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/translators-shortage-hinders-probes-into-idf-abuses-in-west-bank-1.306877?localLinksEnabled=false
Israeli attacks on emergency workers still affecting Gaza’s safety
Aug 9, 2010 (IPS) – Outside the battered Civil Defence station in northern Gaza’s Jabalia region, Mohammed Zidan, a seven-year veteran of fire-fighting and rescue services, stands on crutches in front of battered Civil Defence vehicles. Zidan, 31, lost his right leg during the 2008-2009 Israeli war on Gaza. He is one of more than 30 Civil Defence workers who were injured during the Israeli attacks. Another 13 were killed, eight of them in the first series of F-16 bombings on Dec. 27, 2008. Mohammed al-Khooli and Baha Litlooli were with Zidan on Jan. 15 when Israeli soldiers shelled the building they were in. “We were on the 11th floor of the Magoosi building when the Israelis attacked us,” says Zidan. Khooli lost one leg and Litlooli both to the Israeli shelling.
http://ingaza.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/israeli-attacks-on-emergency-workers-still-affecting-gazas-safety/
Ramadan recovers in Gaza as Israeli blockade eases (Reuters)
Reuters – Ramadan, the Muslim holy month where the devout fast by day and feast at night, is different in Gaza this year thanks to the partial relaxation of Israel’s blockade, allowing shops to fill with special items for the occasion.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100809/wl_nm/us_palestinians_gaza_ramadan
Going organic: The siege on Gaza, By Jon Elmer
In February 2006, following Hamas’ electoral victory, a top advisor to Ehud Olmert, the then Israeli prime minister, Dov Weisglass, described the essence of Israel’s Gaza policy., "It’s like a meeting with a dietitian," Weisglass said. "We need to make the Palestinians lose weight, but not to starve to death.", Although any Gazan will quickly point out that the blockade on the movement of goods – and people – into and out of Gaza long predates the election of Hamas, as the years have passed the exact date of the siege has often been, for reasons of political expedience, recast to coincide with the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007., Israel characterises the blockade as "economic warfare" targeting Hamas and its constituents.
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/08/20108975319492772.html
Political/Flotila Developments
US, Britain want direct Middle East peace talks ‘soon’ (AFP)
AFP – US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed during a phone conversation Friday that Israel and the Palestinians should "move to direct talks as soon as possible," the White House said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100806/pl_afp/mideastconflictusukdiplomacy
Erekat: Israel holds key to direct talks
JERICHO (Ma’an) — Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat affirmed Friday that the “key to direct talks is in the hands of the Israeli government.” Speaking after meetings to update French general consul, Frédéric Desagneaux, and Norwegian representative Tor Wennesland, on latest developments in Palestine, Erekat expressed the PLO’s denunciation of Israeli violations at a time when the international community is calling for direct peace talks to resume.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=305897
Fatah official: Cabinet reshuffle within 2 weeks
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority cabinet reshuffle will take place within two weeks, Fatah’s parliament speaker Azzam Al-Ahmad said Sunday. President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed there would be a reshuffle in May, although reports of a new PA cabinet have been circulating since February.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306538
Al-Habbash: Any political solution without Jerusalem will fail
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Religious Affairs minister, Mahmud Al-Habbash, called on all factions to stand behind Jerusalem, which he said is the basis of a political solution in Palestine. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the minister said that despite the difficulties such as checkpoints, many institutes are based in Jerusalem because of the importance of the city. Al-Habbash added that because of the religious significance of the city, which is home to one of the holiest sites in Islam, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem must be under Palestinian sovereignty.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=305900
Netanyahu defends flotilla raid
Israeli prime minister tells panel that his military acted within international law.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/08/20108971927270517.html
Kadima: Netanyahu dodging blame for Gaza flotilla raid
Kadima slams the Prime Minister’s testimony to the Turkel commission, saying at the moment of truth, he made the IDF into a ‘punching-bag.’
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/kadima-netanyahu-dodging-blame-for-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.306975?localLinksEnabled=false
What Netanyahu will only answer in secret about the Gaza flotilla raid
The PM refused to answer the questions of the Turkel commission on several occasions, saying he would only discuss those issues during a closed session.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/what-netanyahu-will-only-answer-in-secret-about-the-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.306945?localLinksEnabled=false
Other News
Report: Due to Israeli pressure, US won’t sell Saudis long-range weapons
To allay Jerusalem’s concerns, Washington plans to sell Saudi Arabia 84 advanced F-15 fighter jets advanced long-range weapons systems.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3932262,00.html
Israeli held in Libyan prison freed in secret deal
Rafael Haddad was arrested on suspicion of spying while photographing buildings on behalf of society that seeks to preserve Libyan Jewish history.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-held-in-libyan-prison-freed-in-secret-deal-1.306820?localLinksEnabled=false
Eli Yishai to foreign workers: Stop using children as human shields
Special Knesset session held to discuss issue of granting permanent residency to children of foreign workers turns into stormy debate as MKs hurl charges of racism.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/eli-yishai-to-foreign-workers-stop-using-children-as-human-shields-1.306962?localLinksEnabled=false
Girl drivers stir go-karting row
Rabbi upset at notion of go-karting girls storms course, damages cars; his vehicle later vandalized
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3932666,00.html
Analysis/Opinion/Human Interest
Racism Legitimised by Law, Mona Alami
BEIRUT, Aug 6, 2010 (IPS) – Lebanon has a reputation for openness because of the relative freedom enjoyed by women in comparison to other Middle Eastern countries. But many women face rampant discrimination.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52403
Wiesenthal Center opposes NYC mosque, supports museum on Palestinian graveyard
“Religious freedom does not mean being insensitive…or an idiot,” May said. “Religion is supposed to be beautiful … Why create pain in the name of religion?” Critics say Meyer should be asking himself the same question. The Wiesenthal Center has provoked outrage by funding the construction of one of its Museums of Tolerance on top of 12th-century Palestinian graves in Jerusalem. More than a dozen families have filed a petition with the UN to stop the construction of the Jerusalem branch of the museum. Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi told Democracy NOW that he has relatives buried on the site. He said Israeli authorities have been "nibbling away" at the cemetery for three decades in an effort to remove it from history. He added that Israeli authorities claimed to have moved the burial remains but no one knows where they were moved to. On Thursday, the city of Jerusalem defended the move, saying the grave sites dating back to the 12th century were built "illegally."
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0807/wiesenthal-mosque-museum-grave-sites/
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin: ADL Betrays Mission to Fight Bigotry, Discredits Itself Yet Again
Islam is not responsible for 9/11, extremism is. Just like the two planes that crashed into the Twin Towers, Islam was also hijacked and used to justify the unjustifiable – an act of terror. The U.S. government’s inability to prevent the attacks was unfortunate, but a bigger misfortune was the event’s ability to create a xenophobic climate that would divide America, defame Islam, and drive the U.S. to disregard human rights and its own constitution in a scurried pursuit of two wars – one, completely unrelated to 9/11 – and both costing tens of thousands of American, Afghan, and Iraqi casualties as a consequence.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ahmed-shihabeldin/adl-betrays-mission-to-fi_b_674371.html
Hagai El-Ad: An Invitation for Tea With the Shin Bet, Israel’s General Security Service, Hagai El-Ad
Some cups of tea should be sipped even if one is not thirsty: "They don’t admit that they’re investigating you. They just say that they’re friends and they want to chat [over a cup of tea]. I say that since they’re just friends, I can accept their invitation or not." No, this is not the description of an Israeli citizen summoned to a "friendly conversation" by Israel’s General Security Service (GSS). In Israel invitations for tea are not the costume. The above quote is from a Chinese human rights lawyer, as recently reported by NPR. Israel, contrary to China, self identifies as a democracy. So in Israel, one may receive a phone call from a "Rona" from the Shin Bet, or summoned by police for an "investigation." Later, it turns out to be "just a conversation." One is assured that he is not a suspect, yet is prohibited from documenting what is taking place: we’re just talking, we’re here to help you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hagai-elad/an-invitation-for-tea-wit_b_673498.html
The lies of Michael Oren
The professional liar and one-sided historian, Michael Oren (who in his book on US involvement with the Middle East basically claimed that all the American "founding fathers" were likudniks) is at it again trying to lie about the career of `Assaf Bou Rahhal: the correspondent of the leftist Beirut daily, Al-Akhbar (where I write my weekly column). Rahhal as is known was shot by Israeli occupation troops in South Lebanon. Yesterday, during my book signing, I asked comrade Sa`dallah Mazra`ani (deputy secretary-general of the Lebanese Communist Party) about Bou Rahhal and whether he knew him. He said: of course. I have known him for more than 30 years. He has been a life-long communist. Israeli propaganda can turn a (Christian by birth) a communist into a Shi`ite Islamic fundamentalist. But let us pursue it one step further: when Oren says, or lies, that he is a correspondent for Al-Manar, is he saying to US media that Israeli justifies the murder of the women and men who work for Al-Manar? Does that mean that Israel believes that Hizbullah is justified in targeting Israeli state journalists? Michael Oren: we knew he is a liar. We have known that a long time ago. But we did not know that he is such a bad liar.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2010/08/lies-of-michael-oren_06.html
From Gaza with love
A brave young couple who fell in love under the most harrowing circumstances are committed to documenting the lives of their fellow Gazans and through their work, aim to show the human side of their war-torn region.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100807/MAGAZINE/708069936/1041/rss
Lebanon
Report: Israel demands discharge of Lebanese company commander
Israel denies report; IDF believes commander solely responsible for sniper fire that killed and Israeli officer at Lebanon border Tues.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-israel-demands-discharge-of-lebanese-company-commander-1.306507?localLinksEnabled=false
Jumblatt: "Jeffrey Feltman informed me, months ago, that the STL was after Hezbollah …and I am no longer a ‘centrist’…"
Jumblatt further wondered "how can the STL be after justice, when a US official knows of its ‘secret’ decisions before they are made public by the court itself?" Jumblatt went on to say that he no longer was a ‘centrist’ and that he is very much in the (previously known as) March 8th. Finally, Jumblatt told the cadres of the Progressive Socialist Party that if the STL indicts any Hezbollah cadres, he will "reject the indictments!"
http://friday-lunch-club.blogspot.com/2010/08/jumblatt-jeffrey-feltman-informed-me.html
Jordan renews support to Lebanon against Israeli "violations"
Amman – Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Rifai on Sunday reiterated his country’s support to Lebanon against Israeli ‘violations,’ during a meeting with Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri, the official Petra news agency reported. ‘Rifai renewed Jordan’s backing to the brethren in Lebanon as well as keenness on the unity and sovereignty of Lebanon, rejecting any violations of the Lebanese sovereignty and stressing the need for all parties to abide by the UN Security Council resolution 1705,’ the report said.
The agency alluded to the fatal clashes between Israeli and Lebanese troops in the border area last week.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1576241.php/Jordan-renews-support-to-Lebanon-against-Israeli-violations
Report: Suspected Israeli spy met with Nasrallah
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A retired Lebanese army official detained on suspicion of spying for Israel met with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah at least once, Israeli media reported Monday. According to the Israeli news site Enyan Merkazi, Brigadier General Fayez Karam, who is also a senior official with Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, met Nasrallah in his hideout in 2006, where he has been staying since. Aoun was reportedly present at the meeting. The report said Nasrallah was the first to receive information on Karam’s arrest last Tuesday and informed Aoun that the move was not linked to political gains.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=306585
Karam spy missions jeopardized state security – sources
BEIRUT: A senior official in the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) confessed to have carried out missions that jeopardized state security, a security source told The Daily Star on Friday. Fayez Karam, the FPM official responsible for north Lebanon, was arrested by units of the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces under suspicion of collaboration with Israel, media reports said on Thursday. “Although it hasn’t been proven yet that he [Karam] has carried out security missions serving the [Israeli] enemy’s interests, the espionage missions he was tasked with are deemed ‘special,’” added the source. “Mossad tasked him with compiling information about political and military figures along with party officials who are always under Israeli scrutiny,” said the source.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=117953#axzz0vysv7ty4
Ogero Employee Milad Eid Prosecuted for Spying
07/08/2010 Senior Lebanese Telecom Ministry employee Milad Khalil Eid is being prosecuted for allegedly spying for the Israeli enemy. A judicial source said Magistrate Saqr Saqr "took legal action against Eid for dealing with the Israeli enemy, engaging in plots and giving technical information in his capacity as head of international phone calls at the Telecommunications Ministry." Eid was arrested by Lebanese authorities in July 2009 as part of an investigation into a spy ring spying for the Zionist entity.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=149510&language=en
Lebanon in shock after ex-general’s arrest on spy charges (AFP)
AFP – This week’s arrest of a well-respected retired general and politician allied with Hezbollah on suspicion of spying for Israel has sent shock waves through Lebanon and left many wondering how deep the Jewish state has infiltrated the country.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100807/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonisraelspygeneral
Israeli spies in Lebanon, As`ad Abukhalil
More than 130 Israeli spies have been arrested in Lebanon. And they belong to different spying and terrorism networks run by Israel. If the tables are reversed, and if it was Israel which has been arresting Arab spies, Hollywood would have already celebrated Israeli successes in 4 or 5 movies. That is what they did with the case of Israeli spy in Syria, Elie Cohen: whose position and stature was so wildly exaggerated in American Zionist propaganda, and whose services to Israel were also wildly exaggerated. Basically, Cohen ran a brothel in his house and he served alcohol and some Syrian soldiers attended his parties. Woo hoo. [end]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2010/08/israeli-spies-in-lebanon.html
Lebanon’s Great Balancing Act, RAMI G. KHOURI
BEIRUT — Much of the speculation about whether Lebanon might be plunged into renewed strife revolves around the impact of the anticipated indictments by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was established by the United Nations to hold accountable the murderers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 other people who were killed in February 2005. The investigation has generated enough evidence for the tribunal to say that it will hand down indictments in the coming months. Beyond that, most of what is said about the investigation and the indictments — and their consequences — is speculation. The immediate concern for Lebanon stems from expectations that the tribunal will indict individuals who are associated with Hezbollah, whether active officials or “rogue elements.” The Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has dismissed the anticipated indictments as part of a plot to diminish his movement’s standing. Some of his concerns are reasonable, such as questioning whether the investigation is tainted because of its heavy reliance on analyzing cellphone patterns when several Lebanese telephone employees have been arrested as spies for Israel. He also questions the relevance and credibility of some Arabs interviewed by the investigators who have changed their stories.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/opinion/06iht-edkhouri.html
Where Nasrallah and Obama agree
When Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah spoke to the public earlier this week, he took up the issue of United Nations resolutions. Nasrallah turned to the side and read from a paper, citing the statistic that Israel has committed more than 7,000 Israeli violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, since it was issued to end the July War of 2006. The Hizbullah leader issued the standard call for fairness in such matters, objecting to the idea that some countries and groups are pressured relentlessly to adhere to international resolutions, while others can get away with repeated violations.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=17&article_id=117943#axzz0vysu5rTU
Iraq
Sunday: 40 Iraqis, 1 US Soldier Killed; 109 Iraqis Wounded
Although Anbar province took the brunt of today’s attacks, Baghdad and Mosul also saw a surge in violence. At least 40 Iraqis were killed and 109 more were wounded in those and a few other attacks. An American soldier died of unknown causes in Babel province as well. Meanwhile, the death toll in yesterday’s massive triple bombing in Basra rose to 43 dead; about 185 others were wounded.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/08/08/sunday-40-iraqis-1-us-soldier-killed-109-iraqis-wounded/
Suicide car bomber kills 8 west of Baghdad (AP)
AP – A suicide car bomber struck a police patrol west of Baghdad Sunday and killed eight people, most of them civilians standing in line outside a post office to collect the monthly stipend for the country’s poorest, police officials said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100808/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Baghdad’s traffic cops are on militants’ hit list (AP)
AP – Baghdad’s traffic cops are demanding their own guards after at least 10 were killed over the past week in drive-by shootings and other attacks that have set back efforts to restore normalcy to Iraq’s capital after years of violence.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100808/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_traffic_cops
IRAQ: Baghdad’s traffic police defiant in face of violent attacks
Baghdad traffic officer Baghdad’s traffic police have a hard enough job as it is, what with the blistering summer temperatures and the generally unruly behavior of motorists in the badly gridlocked city. Their job has just become a lot harder. Since Tuesday, nine of their number have been killed and nearly two dozen injured in a sudden surge of attacks in different parts of the city, making it clear that traffic police are being targeted deliberately.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/08/iraq-baghdads-traffic-police-defiant-in-face-of-surge-of-violent-attacks.html
‘Fallujah cancer rate up by 3800%’
One of the scientists, whose study revealed the devastating effect of US weapons in Fallujah, says in some cases cancer rates were 38 times higher than expected among Iraqis., Dr. Chris Busby a scientist with a three-member team to conduct a study, titled "Cancer, Infant Mortality and Birth Sex-Ratio in Fallujah, Iraq 2005-2009," discussed some if the aspects of the research with Press TV on Saturday., "In the case of leukemia…we found that the rates of leukemia were 38 times higher than what we expected in the population that we sampled," said Busby, the director of the environmental consultancy agency, Green Audit., "And we had very high levels, 10-fold and so on levels of childhood caners, breast cancer, lymphomas. All cancer types that were associated with radiation and which were found following the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. But actually these were much higher rates and they occurred much sooner after the event," told Press TV.
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=137777§ionid=351020201
Iraq’s Aziz loses ability to walk due to illness (AFP)
AFP – Iraq’s jailed former deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz can no longer walk after his health deteriorated significantly, his Jordan-based son said on Sunday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100808/wl_mideast_afp/iraqpoliticsazizhealthjordan
Drugged and dressed to kill
Rania al-Anbaki says she was coerced into becoming a suicide bomber by her husband. From a prison in Iraq where she is serving a seven-year sentence, she recalls the day that, drugged and dressed in a vest of explosives, she was promised reunion with her husband in heaven and escorted to a marketplace in the capital of Diyala province. – Ali Mohammed (Aug 9, ’10)
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LH10Ak02.html
Inside Iraq – Leaving Iraq
On August 2, Barack Obama, the US president, declared that the US "combat mission" in Iraq has reached its end. But as Iraq is entering its fifth month without a government, Obama’s promise of withdrawal may not be all that it seems, and the assessment of Iraq’s stability is still confusing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQPFqCIt_MM&feature=youtube_gdata
U.S. and Other World News
NATO Forces in Afghanistan Can’t Deny They Killed Civilians
New video exposes the truth about one of the worst civilian casualty incidents of the war. Watch our exclusive interviews with survivors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4m6tQudSpI&feature=player_embedded#%21
Afghans Say NATO Strikes Killed Civilians
NATO officials acknowledged preliminary reports that four to a dozen or more civilians were killed in a coalition airstrike Thursday in Nangarhar Province. Afghan accounts put the civilian deaths as high as 32.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/world/asia/06afghan.html?_r=2&partner=TOPIXNEWS&ei=5099
U.S. troops kill Afghan civilians
As many as “a dozen or more” Afghan civilians died during a nighttime raid by U.S. troops hunting for Taliban commanders in eastern Afghanistan, military officials acknowledged Thursday.
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/05/2132144/afghan-civilians-killed-in-nighttime.html
Force women to bear rapists’ babies, say multiple GOP candidates
Rachel Maddow asks why Democrats aren’t making GOP extremism a national issue. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow has been researching the positions on abortion held by current Republican candidates and believes that, overall, they are far more extreme than in any previous election year. She also wonders why the Democratic Party hasn’t made an issue of this extremism. "The Republican Party is, without actually talking about it, this year nominating a group of candidates for top-of-the-ticket races that are more extreme on the issue of abortion than any other slate of top-of-the-ticket candidates in any other year," Maddow stated on Thursday.
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0806/maddow-gop-abortion-extremism/
Beck omits own analogy comparing Obama White House to ‘Planet of the Apes’
"What planet have I landed on? Did I slip through a worm hole in the middle of the night and this looks like America? It’s like the damn Planet of the Apes. Nothing makes sense!’
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0807/fox-news-omits-beck-obama-ape-analogy/
Arab Majority Backs Nuclear Iran
The 2010 Arab Public Opinion Poll found that 57 percent of respondents not only believe that Iran’s nuclear program aims to build a bomb but also view that goal positively — nearly double the 29 percent who thought so in 2009.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26100.htm
Blackberry-Saudi Arabia Deal To Add Server, Share Data Could Set Precedent
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A preliminary agreement between the maker of the popular BlackBerry smart phone and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which government officials say grants them some access to users’ data, will avert a ban on the phone in that country. The pact involves placing a BlackBerry server inside Saudi Arabia, Saudi telecom regulatory officials said, and that likely will let the government monitor messages and allay official fears the service could be used for criminal purposes. Bandar al-Mohammed, an official at the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission, told The Associated Press that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. has expressed its "intention … to place a server inside Saudi Arabia."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/07/blackberrysaudi-arabia-de_n_674621.html
Hiroshima And Nagasaki (PHOTOS)
Never Before Seen Images From LIFE.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/06/hiroshima-and-nagasaki-ph_n_672473.html
The Listening Post – The ongoing WikiLeaks saga
The truth is out there, but what does it all mean? On this episode of The Listening Post, we turn our attention to figures involved in the WikiLeaks Afghan war logs and the debate over what the US government should do about it. Plus, we take a look at the dark side of online video gaming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNt7T_JTIkk&feature=youtube_gdata
www.TheHeadlines.org
