and other news from Today in Palestine:
Land, property, resources theft and destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers
UN joins PA in slamming Israeli water infrastructure destruction
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — “It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind the destruction of basic rain water collection systems,” the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Jerusalem Maxwell Gaylard said Tuesday after PA officials condemned what ministers called an “escalation.” … Gaylard warned that the continued destruction of water infrastructure, particularly for Bedouin populations and farmers, would endanger their way of life. “Such deliberate demolitions in occupied territory are also in contravention of Israel’s obligations under international law,” his statement said. In 2010, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded the demolition of 27 water cisterns and other rain water collection systems in the West Bank.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356297
Eldar: ‘Backward’ American Jews maintain the settlement project
Akiva Eldar in Haaretz says what no one can write here, partly because he frankly talks about who is Jewish. This is about Jewish political identity by the way. He is saying what I say: that Palestinian statelessness is an American Jewish achievement. Who will liberate the Jews? Irony alert in first paragraph.
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/eldar-backward-american-jews-maintain-the-settlement-project.html
Zionist ‘ethnic cleansing’ continues / Mohammed Watad
The drive to empty the state of Israel of its non-Jewish population began in the run-up to the declaration of independence in May 1948. The Palestinians call that ‘the Nakba’, the Catastrophe, and with good cause. Since 1948, the Israelis have demolished almost 22,000 homes belonging to Palestinians in cities across the state, namely Jaffa, Lod and Ramla. House demolitions in Jerusalem are part of this process. Ten thousand more have been sold to wealthy Jews and so, despite having a Palestinian population of around 75,000 in these three cities, cultural signs of the Arab presence are being eroded.
http://realisticbird.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/zionist-%E2%80%9Cethnic-cleansing%E2%80%9D-continues/
Ministry of religious affairs slams building of new settlement on Mukaber Mount
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– The Palestinian ministry of religious affairs strongly denounced the Israeli government for laying the foundation stone for a new settlement zone on Al-Mukaber Mount, southwest of occupied Jerusalem … The committee warned that the IOA is racing against time to obliterate and change the Islamic identity of the holy city and taking advantage of the current unrest in the Arab arena to escalate its Judaization activities in the city.
In a separate incident, Palestinians from Araqeeb village in the Negev region, on Tuesday rallied outside the Jewish national fund in Jerusalem in protest at the fund’s decision to plant trees in place of their demolished homes in the village.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7
MK Dov Khenin: Video of cops beating Dahmash family, shouting ‘Go to Gaza’, exists and must prompt investigation / Max Blumenthal
30 Jan – Following up on my reporting from the Abu Eid refugee camp in Lod, in which I referenced a video depicting police officers beating members of the Sha’aban family, who have resisted the demolition of their home in the nearby unrecognized village of Dahmash, the existence of the video has been confirmed. At a demonstration in Jaffa yesterday, MK Dov Khenin of Hadash told me he has seen the video and that it does indeed show members of the Lod police force beating the Sha’aban family and shouting “Go to Gaza!” He said he will demand that it be shown in the Knesset Interior Committee. Hopefully it will soon be available for public viewing as well.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/01/mk-dov-khenin-video-of-cops-beating-dahmash-family-shouting-go-to-gaza-exists-and-must-prompt-investigation/
VIDEO Dahmash: Israeli police abuse of citizens in the unrecognized village
not sure if this is the video mentioned above, but it’s bad enough
http://palestinevideo.blogspot.com/2011/01/dahmash-israeli-police-abuse-of.html
Violence / Detention
Rights group releases testimony from deadly settler attack
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An Israeli settler with a light-complexion, blond hair, wearing a Kippa, carrying a black backpack and a pistol on the side of his waist was the gunman who shot and killed Uday Qadous, testimony from Ramallah-based rights group Al-Haq revealed Wednesday … The testimony updated an earlier report from the group, which it said needed clarifications.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356546
Yousef is gone
The following is a piece Bekah Wolf posted on Facebook about Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl. Ikhlayl is a 17-year-old boy who was shot in the head and killed by Israeli settlers last Friday … Yousef was the quiet one. As I look through photographs of the past few months’ demonstrations in Beit Ommar, I can find only one with Yousef, though he was always there. He was the older brother who was always tagging along while his cousin Ahmed, and brother Mohammed were marching at the front of the demonstrations. The three of them were fixtures at our events, whether it was summer camp, English class, or marches against settlement expansion. Yousef was the goofy one, with the adolescent mustache and too-big feet. He usually hung in the back, but he was always there.
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/yousef-is-gone.html
Settlers clash with police outside Jerusalem court
Police forces are clashing with dozens of settlers protesting at the Russian Compound, opposite the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. The settlers are protesting the arrest of their friends following a shooting incident on Friday, which left a Palestinian teen [Yousef Ikhleil] killed from settler fire. Several of the protesters have been arrested, including Nadia Matar of the Women in Green organization.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4022790,00.html
Israeli planes hit Gaza tunnels
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – The Israeli air force bombed a suspected smuggling tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border on Wednesday in response to rocket attacks, the military said. No casualties were reported. “The site was targeted in response to the recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip,” a military statement said, referring to Grad rockets and mortar rounds fired from Gaza on Monday night, one of which exploded near a wedding in southern Israel, although nobody was injured.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110202/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansgazaunrest
Report: 15 Palestinians killed, 200 kidnapped by the army in January
The International Solidarity Institution For Human Rights issued a report revealing that Israeli soldiers shot and killed 15 Palestinians, including three children, and kidnapped more than 200 others during the month of January. The institution said that seven of the slain residents are from the West Bank and the rest are from the Gaza Strip. It stated that the army conducted dozens of arrests in January and abducted more than 200 residents, including 55 children, in addition to more than 200 workers who were kidnapped under the claim of entering Israel to work without a permit.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60554
IOF troops round up 14 Palestinians
WEST BANK, (PIC)– Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 14 Palestinians in the West Bank in storming operations that focused on northern and southern areas on Wednesday. The Israeli radio said that the detainees were wanted for interrogation, but would not mention locations of their arrest. Local sources said that two citizens were beaten up by IOF soldiers in Al-Khalil, adding that they were hospitalized in moderate condition. They reported that two were detained in Edhna village, north of Al-Khalil, and three others in Jenin refugee camp. The sources noted that the soldiers used stun grenades in the raids and searched homes.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U
Israeli soldiers conduct provocative searches on women ahead of prison visits
BETHLEHEM, (PIC)– Palestinians held in the Israeli Ofer prison say their relatives have been victimized by provocative and humiliating searches when visiting them. They said Israeli soldiers conduct provocative and humiliating searches especially on Palestinian women who cross the Betunia checkpoint when visiting family members held in Ofer. The detainees have threatened the prison’s administration to cut off all visits if the practice goes on.
In a separate context, the prisoners condemned Israel’s exile of 14-year-old Islam Dar Ayyub from his village of Nabi Salih to Ramallah.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq
Report: Fatah security agencies detained 289 of Hamas’s people in January
WEST BANK, (PIC)– Fatah security agencies operating in the West Bank arrested hundreds of Hamas supporters last month, a Hamas report says. The escalation was an apparent reflection of security cooperation with Israel. The report released Tuesday says Abbas agencies arrested 289 men, women and children across the West Bank and summoned about 750 more for questioning in January 2011.The “revolving door policy” saw that 157 of those detainees had previously been held in Israeli prisons, some being taken by Fatah before reaching home upon release, and others being taken only a few days following it.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U
Hamas MPs in Tulkarem hold reception for female detainee
RAMALLAH, (PIC)– Some of Hamas lawmakers gathered at the Israeli military checkpoint of Jabara, near Tulkarem city, to receive female detainee Muntaha Attawil after her release from am Israeli occupation jail. The detainee spent one year in Israeli jails and her husband Jamal Attawil, the head of Al-Beera municipal council, was also an ex-detainee. Many lawmakers expressed hope to see all Palestinian women released from Israeli jails.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz
War crimes
IDF officer’s career torpedoed over corruption but not over alleged war crimes / Roi Maor
In Israel, reporting on the upheaval in Egypt has been sidelined by news that the appointment of Major General Yoav Galant to IDF Chief of Staff has been canceled … During the 2008-9 Operation Cast Lead, when the Israeli army invaded Gaza, Galant was the commander of Israeli forces, as head of the IDF Southern Command at the time. Despite the fact that this campaign was shrouded by accusations of war crimes, including some that were substantiated by the IDF’s own investigators, no one in Israel even dreams of suggesting that Galant should be disqualified on these grounds. On the contrary, the war is counted to his credit, while building- and land-related infractions are his downfall.
http://972mag.com/idf-officers-career-torpedoed-over-corruption-but-not-over-alleged-war-crimes/
Activism / Solidarity / Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
Protest in front of Jewish National Fund
(with photos) Following the 11th demolition of the Bedouin village of Al Arakib yesterday (January 31), a protest was held outside the Jewish National Fund building in Jerusalem today. A group of upwards of 100 people gathered in the cold and rain at 2pm today with the message, in Hebrew, Arabic and English: “There is no such thing as an unrecognized village, there are only government lies.”
http://972mag.com/protest-in-front-of-jewish-national-fund/
Report on recent activism / Ilan against the Wall
We cannot predict which community will be among the first to be in the front of the struggle – and it was not Bil’in. We cannot predict which one will persists in the struggle week after week, year after year… like Bil’in. When it happen, we can often understand, like why the small village of Nabi Saleh – which even was not victim of the separation fence, joined the persistent struggle. The participant of each of the ongoing struggles like El Araqib, Beit Ommar, Bil’in, Dahamash, Jaffa, Lod, Ma’asara, Nabi-Saleh, Ni’ilin, Sheikh Jarrah, Tel Aviv expresses solidarity with the uprising of the masses in Tunisia and Egypt.
http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com/2011/02/palestine-israel-at-time-of-mass.html
BDS success: First ever Knesset discussion on combating cultural boycott of Israel
Attended by representatives of the Ministries of Education and Culture, together with Israeli entertainment producers who have been financially harmed by the cultural boycott of Israel, the Education and Culture Committee discussed the topic of the boycott of Israel by international artists … The discussion came in response to a wave of artist boycotts in recent months, among them Elvis Costello, Vanessa Paradis, Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman, and the Pixies. The organization Boycott from Within has played a large role in encouraging artists to follow their conscience and not perform in Israel.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/economy-of-the-occupation/3249-bds-success-first-ever-knesset-discussion-on-combating-cultural-boycott-of-israel
News from Chelm: Knesset discusses ways to pressure performers not to cancel concerts in Israel
1 Feb – Today in Knesset, Ronit Tirosh of Kadima (the opposition party that almost never opposes racist and anti-democratic legislation, and often sponsors it) convened a discussion in the Committee on Education, Culture and Sport about compelling reluctant pop stars to perform in Israel. The legislators were joined by Shuki Weiss, a big time Israeli concert promoter who has lost thousands from last minute cancellations by artists like Elvis Costello. “The state must intervene,” Weiss said, according to Achbar Ha’ir, an Israeli arts and culture publication (I am summarizing the Hebrew article).
http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/02/news-from-chelm-knesset-discusses-ways-to-pressure-performers-not-to-cancel-concerts-in-israel/
Egypt and Palestine
More detentions in Ramallah at rally for Egypt
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority police beat back protesters with clubs and detained at least two at what witnesses described as a spontaneous rally and show of support for the Egyptian people as chaos hit Cairo streets … Protesters said the event had been peaceful until police broke out batons and started pushing women at the front of the group back and away from the city center. “Our rally was simply in support of Egypt,” one protester told Ma’an by phone, “we said nothing against the PA, we were not even out in the street.” Earlier in the day, dozens of Fatah supporters had gathered in the same spot protesting in support of Mubarak.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356599
Hamas worried upheaval in Arab world will spill into Gaza
Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the effects of the upheaval in the Arab world, as Facebook messages call on Gaza residents to demonstrate against Hamas rule on Friday. Several thousand people have joined the Facebook group calling for a protest against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip.
Another Facebook group is calling for protests against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Far fewer people have expressed interest in that page, but Palestinian leaders in the West Bank also recognize that the protests in Tunisia and Egypt could spill over into Palestinian territory.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/hamas-worried-upheaval-in-arab-world-will-spill-into-gaza-1.340690
Journalists forced to pledge abstention from Gaza rallies
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Gaza government police ordered detained journalists to sign a paper pledging to “abide by law, order and conventions” following their arrest at a sit-in protest Monday showing support for Egypt rallies.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356572
Effects of Egypt’s turmoil felt in Gaza Strip / Rami Almeghari
The ripples of the popular uprising in Egypt that began on 25 January — demanding the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak and his regime — have made their way to occupied Gaza Strip … The Gaza Strip, home to about 1.5 million Palestinians, borders and was once ruled by Egypt until Israel occupied the territory in 1967 … Hamas authorities have maintained a studious silence about events in Egypt. This may be because Hamas wants to maintain their relationship with the Mubarak regime which has been closely involved in international Palestinian affairs, including efforts at reconciliation with the US-backed, Fatah-run Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. Egypt has also previously had a role in prisoner exchange and truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11774.shtml
Egypt’s revolution inspires Gaza’s youth / Mohammed Rabah Suliman
The revolution underway in Egypt is being closely watched by Gaza’s youth who see it as a source of empowerment and inspiration. It has stirred our sentiments and has moved us to take to the streets to show our solidarity with our neighbors in Egypt. We attempt to absorb every minute event so as to carry it through the years when we will be able to tell our children how proud we were to have lived through one of the greatest and most inspirational events in the history of the Arab world.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11769.shtml
Egypt: How I escaped from prison
Gaza, Asharq Al-Awsat – Sunday, 30 January 2011 proved to be one of the longest days in the life of Mutasim Quqa, one of the Palestinians being detained in Egypt’s “Abu Zaabal” prison. Quqa managed to escape from the prison – along with a group of detainees – and return to the Gaza Strip, taking advantage of the state of chaos in Egypt and particularly the country’s prisons … As for why he had been sentenced to ten years imprisonment, Quqa … revealed that he and his associates had been treated like terrorists coming to sabotage Egypt. However, Quqa clarified that he was arrested whilst accompanying a sick relative, traveling to Egypt for treatment.
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24001
Egypt and Israel
Fall of Mubarak means decision time for Netanyahu / Aluf Benn
Egypt has taken advantage of recent unrest situation and redeployed their army in the demilitarized Sinai. No future government in Cairo will return this force to the other side of Suez.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/fall-of-mubarak-means-decision-time-for-netanyahu-1.340719
Egyptian revolution, Israeli exceptionalism / Michael Warshawski
When listening to Israeli responses to the uprising of the Egyptian people, the most striking aspect is the huge chasm existing between these responses and those of the remainder of the world. It appears that Israel exists on a totally different planet.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/blogs/michael-warschawski/3245-egyptian-revolution-israeli-exceptionalism-
No, Egyptian uprising won’t hurt the peace process (simply because there is no such thing) / Noam Sheizaf
Yesterday, Politico’s Laura Rozen posted this tweet: “On Isr/Egypt, official tells me while Egypt unrest demos status quo unstable, makes Isr hunker down, less willing to “take risks for peace.” – Hey, wasn’t that the Israeli reply to… just about any event in recent history? Turmoil in Lebanon? Further proof that Israel can’t take risks. The publication of the Palestine Papers? PM Netanyahu concludes that he could go on building in East Jerusalem. Unilateralism? it’ s bad for peace. International community’s involvement? You guessed it: A disaster for Peace.
http://972mag.com/no-egyptian-uprising-wont-hurt-the-peace-process/
Israeli racism / repression
‘Admissions committees’ bill set for approval
Proposal Arab-Israelis call ‘racist’ referred to plenum for second, third readings after Knesset Speaker Rivlin’s reservations accepted. El-Sana: People don’t want to live with Arabs. They want to kill Arabs… National Union MK Michael Ben-Ari defended the proposal, saying “racism and fascism is yours (Arabs) alone…”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4022832,00.html
Demand up to obtain a [certificate] ‘Clean of Arabs’
[Google translation – Hebrew original available same page] Almost a week has passed since the project launched and dozens of businesses have been asking to receive a certificate attesting that they do not hire Arabs. Netanya pizzeria owner: I’m not a racist, I like more Jews … The organization explained that according to testing them and most cases of marriages of Jewish young [women to?] Arabs take place following the employment of Arabs in stores that are Jewish areas.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://news.walla.co.il/%3Fw%3D/2/1785776%26ref%3Dfb_item_share_btn&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1
Jaffa, habibti, our relationship is complicated / Lisa Goldman
(with photos of Ajami) Moving from Tel Aviv to Jaffa turned out to be about much more than lower rent and proximity to the sea. In a city plagued by ethnic, national and socio-economic divisions, there is no such thing as an apolitical decision that involves real estate …Later I heard from Yossi, the head of the building committee, that my landlord had taken him aside and promised that he would never rent to Arabs. “Your landlord thought I was a racist just like him,” said Yossi, who happens to sit on the board of a left-wing NGO with a bi-national agenda. While I was abroad the following month, my landlord came over and nailed a mezuzah on my front door frame – without asking my permission. Clearly, it was important for him that people identified his property as a ‘Jewish’ apartment.
http://972mag.com/jaffa-habibti-our-relationship-is-complicated/
Knesset committee approves probe into left-wing groups
Plenum to make final decision on establishment of two separate panels to investigate ‘foreign governments’ involvement in funding of rights groups which delegitimize IDF’; opposition not represented by choice
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4022747,00.html
Politics / Diplomacy
Netanyanhu: Democratic Egypt no threat
2 Feb – ‘Democratic Egypt will not endanger peace,’ prime minister says as he changes previous tone
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4023078,00.html
PLO urges Quartet to back Palestinian state
RAMALLAH (AFP) — Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat urged the Middle East Quartet on Tuesday to recognize a Palestinian state within 1967 borders when it meets later this week.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356285
Germany tells Israel not to hide behind Egypt chaos
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel should not let the chaos in Egypt halt efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110201/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_germany
Tunisian PM: Gaza source of inspiration
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called newly installed Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi on Wednesday, to congratulate him on his return to his homeland on behalf of the people in Gaza. A government statement said Ghannouchi expressed his thanks and gratitude for the call, praising the people of Gaza and calling its people a “source of inspiration and salvation for the Tunisian people.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356526
Hamas will not participate in July vote
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas will not participate in the municipal elections announced in the West Bank until a unity deal with rival party Fatah is signed and confidence between the factions is restored, a statement said Wednesday. The Islamist movement said it would not recognize the results of any elections held without its participation, saying “The atmosphere in the West Bank does not allow fair elections under Salam Fayyad’s government.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356475
Fatah official: PA wants elections this year
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Now that leftist Palestinian factions have a court mandate forcing the government in Ramallah hold elections, Fatah and Hamas are back to bickering about how the vote might be held.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356321
Other news
Gaza health ministry exempts patients from paying for some medicines
GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian ministry of health decided to exempt the elder men and women over age 60, patients with chronic diseases and pregnant women from the costs of vitamins and minerals in all hospitals and health centers of the ministry in the Gaza Strip.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.as
Church unearthed may hole Zechariah tomb
Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Wednesday the remnants of a newly discovered Byzantine-era church they suspect is concealing the tomb of the biblical prophet Zechariah.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/world/church-unearthed-may-hold-zechariah-tomb-2011-02-02-1.350807
Analysis / Opinion
When Israel’s protective net of tyranny tears / Amira Hass
We have not yet reached the stage in which the machinery of Israeli repression breaks up into its component parts – the people – who instead of obeying, begin to think … Far from the barriers of transparency of a proper democratic society, Israel has created a complex and invisible bureaucracy that completely controls Palestinian freedom of movement, and hence freedom of employment, livelihood and studies, the freedom to fall in love and establish a family, to organize and other basic liberties. Any regime that does not respect these liberties is automatically categorized as “tyrannical.” We have escaped this categorization because in our case it is a collective tyranny of Israeli-Jews (those who profit from the system ) over the Palestinians.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/when-israel-s-protective-net-of-tyranny-tears-1.340720
Interview: Matzpen founder Akiva Orr on Israel’s wars with Egypt / Joseph Dana
…The topic was the history of Israel’s wars but, as you will see, the current political situation was never far from the conversation. During our interview, Orr gave a detailed analysis of Israel’s relationship to Egypt and discussed the dynamics of Israel’s peace agreement with Egypt and Jordan … Akiva Orr, along with Oded Pilavsky, Moshe Machover and Haim Hanegbi, started Matzpen in 1962. Matzpen, an anti-Zionist Israeli-Palestinian socialist political party, was one of the first political movements in Israel to engage in direct action against the occupation.
http://josephdana.com/2011/02/akiva-orr-on-israels-wars/
Rape tests judiciary’s credibility / Nahid Abi T’eima
…Why, they should be able to ask Fayyad, have we passed new laws for the economy, for a new currency, but neglected the rights of the family and utterly failed to make sure there are appropriate penalties for molesters, rapists and killers? As it stands, the West Bank uses Jordanian family law from the 1950s. Under those laws, a rapist convicted will serve several months in prison. In some instances, a fine can be paid in lieu of some jail time. In the 1980s, Jordan changed its laws, mandating sentences of up to 20 years for convicted rapists and child molesters. No longer under Jordanian rule, the Palestinian Authority must now decide to take action.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356489
Jewish prayers for Egypt’s uprising / Rabbi Michael Lerner
Many Jews from around the world support Egyptian self-determination because of Judaism’s own historic past with Egypt. So while the Jewish establishment expresses its concerns, most younger Jews rejoice at the flourishing of freedom.
http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/20110202061440321
Iraq
January Iraq death toll highest in four months
BAGHDAD, (AFP) — More Iraqis were killed in attacks in January than any month since September, figures released Tuesday showed, after a surge in violence over a two week period shattered a relative calm in the country. Data compiled by the ministries of health, defence and interior showed that a total of 259 people — 159 civilians, 55 policemen and 45 soldiers — were killed in violence last month.
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=23987
Human Rights Watch: Iraq operating ‘secret prison’
BAGHDAD (AFP) — Security forces linked to Iraqi premier Nuri Al-Maliki are operating a “secret detention site” and elite teams are torturing detainees at a separate facility, Human Rights Watch charged on Tuesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356393
Iraq urges approval of settlement for US victims
BAGHDAD – The Iraqi government called on parliament Wednesday to approve a $400 million settlement for Americans who claim they were abused by Saddam Hussein’s regime … Saddam’s regime held hundreds of Americans hostage during the run-up to the Gulf War, using them as human shields in hopes of staving off an attack by the U.S. and its allies.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Other Mideast / Arab world (Egypt news in separate Today in Egypt newslist)
Al-Jazeera says broadcasting disrupted
DOHA (AFP) — Al-Jazeera’s broadcasting has been disrupted across the Arab region, said the Doha-based channel which has run round-the-clock coverage of the mass protests in Egypt for the past eight days. “Signals on the Nilesat platform were cut, and frequencies on the Arabsat and Hotbird platforms were disrupted continually… across the Arab world,” the news satellite channel said in a statement late Tuesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356443
EU launches the ‘Samir Kassem Award for Freedom of the Press’ 2011
Beirut – PNN – The contest for the sixth edition of the “Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press” is open to candidates from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Gulf until 30 March 2011. [The award], which is awarded since 2006 by the European Union in collaboration with the Samir Kassir Foundation, honours the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir who was assassinated in 2005.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9490&Itemid=72
Tunisia government reviews tense security situation
TUNIS (AFP) — The new interim government met Tuesday to review Tunisia’s tense security situation as the United Nations said 210 people died in the popular revolt that ousted strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It was the first meeting of Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi’s government since it was reshuffled on January 27 … Tuesday, hundreds of people rallied in Kasserine to press authorities to end the wave of violence and punish hooligans who looted public buildings Monday, residents said. Several officials of the powerful General Union of Tunisian Workers said the violence was instigated by members of Ben Ali’s former RCD ruling party.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356392
Yemen leader backs down on rule-for-life plan
SANAA, Yemen (AFP) – Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, facing demands that he quit, said Wednesday he will freeze constitutional changes that would allow him to be president for life and had put off a controversial April poll. “No to hereditary rule and no to life presidency,” Saleh said during an emergency session of parliament and the consultative council ahead of a “day of rage” civil society groups and opposition leaders have called for Thursday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356428
Yemen reinforces forces around capital amid fear of protest escalation
SANAA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) — The Yemeni Interior Ministry said in a statement it had reinforced security forces around the capital Sanaa and blocked byways as precaution measures to prevent smuggling weapons into major cities … The ministry’s measures came following reports that opposition parties are preparing to organize an anti-government demonstration of million protesters in Sanaa on Feb. 3 and called for their members and armed tribal supporters outside the capital to join the march, an official of the ministry told Xinhua.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/02/c_13716611.htm
Syrian Facebook group calls for peaceful uprising
NICOSIA (AFP) — A group of Syrian online activists are promoting a day of anger after prayers on Friday to call for a peaceful “2011 Syrian revolution” to end what they say is corruption and tyranny. The group has been using Facebook, which is officially banned but can easily be accessed through proxies,
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356296
Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood threaten civil disobedience
… Asharq Al-Awsat spoke with former Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Secretary-General Ali Sadreddine Bayanouni who confirmed that the situation in Syria is far worse than that in Egypt … Bayanouni told Asharq Al-Awsat that at the very least, the Egyptians have a media outlet and are able to talk about and demonstrate against the situation in the country, whilst it is dangerous for a Syrian citizen to even whisper such concerns. He also made reference to human rights lawyer Haitham al-Malih, aged 80, who has been imprisoned for more than a year in Syria for pursuing human rights cases.
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24004
WikiLeaks (much more here at the Telegraph site)
Amnesty urges help for WikiLeaks suspect, Bradley Manning
LONDON – Amnesty International urged Britain to help ease the “harsh and punitive” detention conditions of Bradley Manning, the US soldier suspected of leaking information to WikiLeaks. The rights group put pressure on the British government Tuesday to ensure that the army private’s detention conditions adhered to international standards after it emerged that the soldier’s Welsh mother made him a British citizen.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/02/02-5
WikiLeaks: Diplomats worry about who will succeed Gaddafi
One of the biggest concerns reflected by US diplomats in the cables is over who is going to replace the ageing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi as Libyan leader.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8294443/WikiLeaks-Diplomats-worry-who-will-succeed-Gaddaffi.html
WikiLeaks: Yasser Arafat’s widow punished by Tunisia after Gaddafi’s intervention
Suha Arafat, the widow of the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, lost her Tunisian citizenship because Colonel Gaddafi chastised the country’s then president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali for failing to look after her, according to a theory aired in a US diplomatic cable.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/8296157/WikiLeaks-Yasser-Arafats-widow-punished-by-Tunisia-after-Gaddafis-intervention.html
WikiLeaks: FBI hunts the 9/11 gang that got away
The FBI has launched a manhunt for a previously unknown team of men suspected to be part of the 9/11 attacks, the Daily Telegraph can disclose. Secret documents reveal that the three Qatari men conducted surveillance on the targets, provided “support” to the plotters and had tickets for a flight to Washington on the eve of the atrocities.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8296860/WikiLeaks-FBI-hunts-the-911-gang-that-got-away.html
U.S.
Number of US-Muslim terror suspects down: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The number of Muslim Americans involved in terrorist acts dropped by more than half last year compared to 2009, easing fears that the minority group is being radicalized, a study showed Wednesday. Twenty Muslim Americans committed or were arrested for terrorist crimes last year, down sharply from 2009 when the number was 47, found the study by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. More non-Muslim Americans were involved in terrorist plots last year than Muslim Americans, according to the study.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110202/pl_afp/usattacksislam
‘Jihad Jane’ pleads guilty in US terrorism case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Pennsylvania woman known as “Jihad Jane” pleaded guilty on Tuesday to plotting to kill a Swedish cartoonist, providing material support to terrorists, and other criminal charges, the U.S. Justice Department said … LaRose, 47, who has been in U.S. custody for more than a year, could be sent to prison for life when she is sentenced March 3.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110201/us_nm/us_usa_security_jane
Mosque plot suspect planted bomb in airport in ’85
DETROIT (AP) – A California man accused of threatening to blow up a popular Detroit-area mosque has had several violent, unpredictable run-ins with the law dating back to the 1970s, including one in which he kidnapped his son from a foster home and crashed a plane while trying to get away. Roger Stockham, 63, has twice been committed for psychiatric treatment by the courts
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_us/us_mosque_terror_threat
House panel expands probe of information requests
(AP) …Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he intends to interview the adviser, Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan, and other political appointees as part of a widening investigation into the department’s practice of sidetracking hundreds of requests for federal records to top political advisers, who wanted information about those requesting the materials. In some cases the release of documents considered politically sensitive was delayed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110201/ap_on_re_us/us_transparency_investigation
www.theheadlines.org
