And more news from Today in Palestine:
Siege / Restriction of movement
Cancer care crisis in Gaza
GAZA, 9 Mar (IRIN) — The cancer started in Fatima Hassami’s breast before spreading to her bones, leading to multiple fractures in her left leg and constant pain for the 70-year-old … Fatima is among 15 cancer patients currently admitted to the oncology ward at Shifa Hospital, the largest such facility in Gaza. But the hospital, according to Ziad Khazander, head of the oncology department, has no medicine to treat cases like Hassami’s.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=92143
Gaza: Tunnel worker dies in latest collapse
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — A 29-year-old Gaza man died Tuesday night when the tunnel he was working in on the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed. Medics identified the man as Yousef Khalil Al-Bal’awi from Jabaliya, saying he suffocated in the tunnel collapse.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366958
Gisha: Israeli Defense Ministry only allows Christian worshipers to leave Gaza
Tel Aviv — Gisha to PNN 8 Mar — The Israeli Defense Ministry refuses to allow Muslim women from Gaza to enter east Jerusalem in order to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque but allows Christian residents of Gaza to pray at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The state’s policy became apparent from its answer to a petition submitted by the Israeli Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, Gisha, on behalf of seven Muslim women from the Gaza Strip, whose request to cross to east Jerusalem in order to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque was rejected out of hand, even though no security claims were raised against them. A hearing on the petition will be held Thursday at the Beersheba District Court.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9665&Itemid=63
Note that Israel decides who is and is not officially a Palestinian…
Interview: Number of families seeking reunion on the rise
GulfNews 7 Mar — A total of 150,000 applications are in the file of the Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs, with no hope of resolution. Ma‘arouf Zahran, Undersecretary of the Authority, told Gulf News in an interview that the number of families submitting reunion applications is increasing, with the authority unable to do anything to help them. He said that the Israelis do not handle any of these cases on humanitarian grounds and there is no room for application of Israeli civil jurisdiction and civil courts as only military laws are applied in the Palestinian Territories. He stressed that the Israeli attitude is illegal, arbitrary and racist at a time when any Jew can easily come to Israel and even get citizenship. Excerpts: Not a single identity card has been issued since Netanyahu took over … Israel does not grant split families the right to unite at all, not even a single case.
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/number-of-families-seeking-reunion-on-the-rise-1.772820
Sufa crossing opens for ‘test’ Gaza gravel import
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — Five hundred tons of gravel for UNRWA construction projects were transported into Gaza late Tuesday night through a crossing terminal closed by Israeli forces in 2008, in a move that sides said was unexpected … UNRWA spokesman in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasna said the 500 tons were a small fraction of more than 70,000 tons of materials that have been waiting for clearance to enter Gaza since 2007 … The import was particularly unexpected as it followed one week after Israeli officials announced the permanent closure of the bulk goods crossing, Karni, citing security concerns. At the time, officials said all supplies were expected to be transported through the single remaining crossing, Kerem Shalom.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366996
Israel sees Palestinian gas fueling Gaza power station
8 Mar — Sources inform ”Globes” that natural gas from the Gaza Marine field is intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip, and Israel will not buy it. The idea is for the gas to power the power station in Gaza, which currently uses diesel to supply electricity to the Gaza Strip’s residents. Israel is also considering delivering gas from Gaza Marine via the Yam Tethys rig by pipeline to Ashkelon and then to Gaza. Security considerations partly underlie the Israeli proposals; Israel is concerned that Hamas could use the diesel for the power station. The Palestinian Authority would be the main beneficiary of a switch to natural gas, as it would save an estimated $100 million a year.
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000628799
Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers
Restricted in al-Walaja
PNN 9 Mar — Many years ago the grandfather of Abed owned 6 dunams of land in al-Walaja, south of Bethlehem. Now Abed (55) owns it. Since the occupation however, Abed is restricted to go to his land. To protect it, he decided to live in the 4,000 year old Can’ani cave, which is part of the land … For every piece of property on his land, Abed has a court case: the eco toilet, kitchen (which is basically only a oven), compost, chicken house. He is not allowed to build anything on his land. Even the 4,000 year old Can’ani cave has a court case. It’s around 4 square meters, only a small bed, sofa and fire place can fit inside. Even a door for the cave to protect Abed from the cold is not allowed.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9674&Itemid=56
Israeli plan to demolish unauthorised West Bank outpost condemned / Harriet Sherwood
Guardian 8 Mar — Settlers’ groups label decision to raze settlements built on privately owned Palestinian land as treasonous — The Israeli government has seemingly set itself on a collision course with hardline settlers after announcing it intends to demolish all unauthorised outposts built on privately owned Palestinian land in the West Bank by the end of the year. Settlers’ leaders pledged to resist demolition. “The wholesale removal of the outposts is a declaration of war on Jewish settlement,” Gershon Mesika, chairman of the Shomron regional council, told the Israel Hayom newspaper.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/08/israel-plan-demolish-unauthorised-outposts
Rabbi Wolpo regrets inciting remarks
Ynet 9 Mar — SOS Israel chairman says his call to fire rubber bullets at IDF soldiers was result of ‘a storm of emotions’, accuses PM and defense minister of ‘sending troops to shoot at Jews’
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039597,00.html
Settlers to diplomats: Go home!
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank passed out threatening pamphlets to foreign diplomats on Thursday, instructing them to “go home” and put an end to their “meddling” in Israeli affairs. The flyers, handed to diplomats waiting at a military checkpoint into Ramallah, warned that “meddling” by the American government and European Union “is putting your stay at risk!”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366494
Vilnai: IDF must drill for settler violence
Ynet 9 Mar — Minister answers complaint by MK Orbach, who says drill in which soldiers kill settler threatening them with knife is politically motivated. ‘Knives have been pulled out before, we must prepare troops,’ he says
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039783,00.html
Kfir Brigade troops threaten mutiny
Ynet 9 Mar — Friends of soldier sent to jail after his home was razed in Havat Gilad swear loyalty to rabbis over commanders, whom they call ‘ignorant’. ‘Lack of confidence between soldiers, command has reached critical point,’ says one
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039886,00.html
Human Rights Watch – Israel: Stop discriminatory home demolitions
9 Mar — Israel should ensure equal treatment in planning and zoning procedures for its non-Jewish citizens, and carry out demolitions only as a last resort along with compensation or alternative housing arrangements. “Israeli authorities allow buildings that will benefit Jewish citizens while demolishing Arab houses next door,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/KKAA-8ES2X2?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Detention
MADA appeals to stop the suffering of journalist al-Titi
Ramallah — MADA to PNN 7 Mar — The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) appeals to all concerned authorities to end the suffering of journalist Alaa al-Titi, following the repeated postponement of his trial at the Hebron Magistrate’s Court since 4 November 2008 on charges of sedition in relation to his work with Al-Aqsa TV. The Court of Appeals in Hebron had previously affirmed his innocence in a decision taken by the Magistrate’s Court on 24 April 2009; the prosecution however repealed the decision.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9659&Itemid=63
Eight arrested in overnight Israeli raids
PNN 9 Mar …Meanwhile in the West Bank, a series of overnight Israeli raids ended with the arrests of eight Palestinians, four from the Hebron area … In the village of Sourif, northwest of Hebron, Israeli troops arrested Mujahid Ughneimat, 20, and raids without arrests were reported in the villages of Nuba, Dura, Halhoul, Ithna, and Beit Omar, as well as the refugee camps of al-Aroub and al-Fawar.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9677&Itemid=64
Applicability of international law to Palestinians in occupied territory reaffirmed at international meeting in Vienna
UN General Assembly – VIENNA, 8 March — The central role of the Palestinian political prisoners in the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict dominated discussion in today’s United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine, as expert panellists shifted the discourse to the legal aspects of the arrests and detentions.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-8ERTEY?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Briefing note: Palestinian prisoners’ rights
8 Mar — This briefing note is being presented by Adalah, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Gaza) to the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People … The note provides a general overview of recent statistics and conditions of confinement of Palestinian prisoners in Israel; reviews six new Israeli Supreme Court decisions; notes a new harsh criminal procedure law for “security suspects” and a series of proposed bills known as the “Shalit laws”; Full report
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ADGO-8ERPRF?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Hamas: PA detains 7 members in West Bank
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — Palestinian Authority forces have seized 7 Hamas members in the West Bank, the Islamic movement said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Members were said to have been detained in the Jenin, Nablus, and Hebron regions.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366963
Activism / Solidarity / BDS
1,000 Palestinians take to the streets after Lod demolition
NAZARETH, (PIC) 9 Mar — More than a thousand Palestinians gathered for protests in front of the municipal building in the occupied city of Lod Tuesday night. It was the thirteenth time they demonstrated against demolitions of seven homes owned by the Abu Eid family four months back.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc
Zoabi versus bulldozers: Arabs being pushed into corner
Hundreds of Arab, Jewish women mark International Women’s Day in Lod by protesting against destruction of illegal homes. MK Zoabi warns of consequences if government doesn’t take steps, claims ‘it’s either live on streets or build houses without permits’
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039590,00.html
50 Israeli civil society organizations to the Knesset: Halt legislation of anti-BDS bill
8 Mar — We, the undersigned civil society organizations, emphatically protest against the proposed law “Prohibition on imposing a boycott,” which is now being brought for discussion in the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. We are not unanimous in our approach to using the boycott tactic; some of us are of the opinion that it is an efficient tool, while others strongly object to its use. Yet we are all united in our stand that it is, indeed, a civilian, non-violent and legitimate tool to express opinion and advance social and political change.
http://endtheoccupationblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/50-israeli-civil-society-organizations.html
Jordan bans products made in West Bank settlements
ABNA 9 Mar — Jordan has placed a ban on all goods produced in Israeli settlements established on the Palestinian territories, the Jordanian daily Al Arab Al Yawm reported on Tuesday.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=230387
American Methodist Church calls for end to settlements
Bethlehem – PNN 8 Mar — The American Methodist church called on Tuesday for an end to illegal Israeli settlement activity and American support of them, part of a “series of unprecedented steps” from the largest Christian denomination in the United States. [no, 3rd largest after Catholic and Baptist] The move is just the latest from the Methodist church, which decided in July 2010 to boycott Israeli settlement goods.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9672&Itemid=56
This is my land…Hebron – UK premiere
MEMO 9 Mar — Featuring interviews with both Israelis and Palestinians living in Hebron, as well as activists on both sides, members of the Israeli parliament and prominent Ha’aretz journalists, This Is My Land… Hebron lifts the lid on Hebron as it is today - a city fraught with violence and hate. Q&A discussions with the filmmakers will take place at both screenings … Venues: Ritzy Cinema, Brixton Oval, London 30 March, Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, 31 March
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/palestine-events/2115-this-is-my-land-hebron-uk-premiere
Screening – War Child + Q&A with the director, London
(television 21 March) War Child shows us some of the child survivors living in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of that conflict. Many of them suffered horrific injuries and also lost family and friends during Operation Cast Lead. Surrounded by rubble, unable to rebuild their lives, the children grapple with thoughts of revenge, retaliation, and loss as well as their disabilities. The film gives a voice to those whose lives were changed forever through the tragedy of war. Sequel to last year’s Children of Gaza
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/palestine-events/2113-screening-war-child-qaa-with-the-director-in-london
Anti
Joining forces on agriculture
Ynet 6 Mar — Far away from politics in Jerusalem and Ramallah, Israeli-Palestinian cooperation is literally growing in Jordan Valley in field of agriculture. ‘Economic interest trumps everything,’ says landowner … The collaboration is very simple: Through major Israeli companies, Palestinian farmers export their produce to countries with which they have trade agreements. In addition, Palestinians from the Valley export produce belonging to Israeli farmers, thus by-passing the boycott rules of various countries or economic bodies, mainly in Europe.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037335,00.html
Knesset passes initial reading of bill to keep public services in settlements
Haaretz 9 Mar — Bill would render discrimination in providing goods or public services on basis of place of residence illegal; could help fight discrimination against cultural institutions like the performers boycott of Ariel theater.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/knesset-passes-initial-reading-of-bill-to-keep-public-services-in-settlements-1.348134
Racism / Discrimination
State company trying to evict Evangelical Christian from Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter
Haaretz 9 Mar — The government-owned Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem is trying to evict a resident because he isn’t Jewish. The resident, an evangelical Christian, works with former minister Benny Elon on forging closer ties between Evangelical Christians and right-wing organizations in Israel. He is renting an apartment from Lorena Sokolovsky, the mother-in-law of Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/state-company-trying-to-evict-evangelical-christian-from-jerusalem-s-jewish-quarter-1.348005
Deportation of foreign workers’ children temporarily postponed
Haaretz 9 Mar — Interior Minister Eli Yishai instructed the Population and Immigration Authority Wednesday morning to postpone the deportation of children and families of foreign workers enrolled in state-run kindergartens and preschools by a few months.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/deportation-of-foreign-workers-children-temporarily-postponed-1.348152
Israel and image
Could pariah status spell the end for Zionism? / Alan Hart
9 Mar — Is it possible that a global perception of them as citizens of a pariah state and the possibility of real sanctions will alarm enough Israeli Jews to the point where they will take to the streets in significant numbers to demand that their leaders be serious about peace on terms virtually all Palestinians and most other Arabs and Muslims everywhere could accept?
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=237095
‘Downcast’ Benjamin Netanyahu under increased pressure over Israel’s poor image / Jonathan Cook
National 9 Mar — NAZARETH // Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisers have conceded that the Israeli prime minister is more downcast than they have ever seen him. The reason, they say, is Israel’s faltering diplomatic and strategic standing. Mr Netanyahu’s concern was evident at a recent cabinet meeting, when he was reported to have angrily pounded the table. “We are in a very difficult international arena,” he was quoted by the Haaretz newspaper as telling ministers who wanted to step up settlement building. “I suggest we all be cautious.”
http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/downcast-benjamin-netahyahu-under-increased-pressure-over-israels-poor-image
Study: Israelis trust foreigners more
Ynet 9 Mar — Though Israel was recently chosen as one of the least popular countries in the world – with just Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran ranking lower – stereotypes held by gentiles should be the least of the population’s worries, according to a new survey. A recent study examining trust between Israelis shows that residents of the Jewish state trust foreigners more than other Israelis.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039632,00.html
Political / Diplomatic news
IDF: We won’t be able to contain widespread civil uprising in West Bank
Haaretz 9 Mar — Senior officers now serving, or who once served, in the West Bank say they have long felt there is no way to effectively contend with a widespread, nonviolent civil uprising. “There is nothing for it if something like what happened in Tunisia happens here,” said one high-ranking officer serving in the division. The probability of a completely nonviolent uprising, however, is thought to be low. … Military officials emphasize that they will make no effort to prevent large demonstrations, even of thousands of Palestinian civilians, as long as they do not try to enter Jewish settlements.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/idf-we-won-t-be-able-to-contain-widespread-civil-uprising-in-west-bank-1.348008
Abbas says situation in PA’s territories stable
JPost 8 Mar — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that situation in PA-controlled territories was stable, and that he does not fear the recent uprisings spreading throughout the Arab world, Israel Radio reported Tuesday. Abbas told Arabic-language daily Al Sharq Al Awsat that the PA is the only government in the Arab world to allow its citizens to protest.
http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=211253
Abbas hints at resignation
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — President Mahmoud Abbas hinted Tuesday that he would resign if an independent Palestinian state was not established by September. Abbas’ remarks came at a joint press conference with British Foreign Minister William Hague in London.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366798
Elections committee opens voter registration
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — The Palestinian Authority-appointed Central Elections Committee announced Wednesday that voter registration had opened, in the latest step ahead of July 9 municipal elections.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366902
British FM slams Hamas over Palestinian vote
LONDON (AFP) 8 Mar – British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Tuesday that Hamas should not be allowed to “stifle” the democratic expression of Palestinians after the Islamist movement rejected a call for elections. Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in London, Hague welcomed last month’s call by the Palestinian leadership for presidential and legislative elections by September.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110308/wl_mideast_afp/britainpalestiniansisraeldiplomacypoliticsvote
Danish minister fired in row on citizenship for Palestinians
COPENHAGEN (AFP) 8 Mar — Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Tuesday he fired his integration minister over a scandal involving 36 young, stateless Palestinians who were wrongly denied citizenship.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110308/wl_mideast_afp/denmarkpoliticspalestiniansimmigration
Europe in policy U-turn to Mediterranean partners
BRUSSELS (AFP) 8 Mar — The European Commission on Tuesday unveiled new policy guidelines towards Arab neighbours on its southern flank aimed at avoiding errors of the past by linking aid to political and economic reform.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110308/wl_mideast_afp/mideastunrestpoliticseu
Other news
Israel constructs electric fence on Egypt border
IMEMC 7 Mar — An Israeli military official based in the southern part of Israel stated Monday that the first stage of the Israeli electric fence on the Israel-Egypt borders will be accomplished soon. Israeli press reported that the Israeli Ministry of the Army had rushed to complete the infrastructure needed to build the electronic wall along the border after the authoritarian regime of Hosni Mubarak fell to popular protests in February.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60807
PA debts see Jordan cancer center halt referrals
NABLUS (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — The Hussein Medical Center for Cancer in Amman told the Palestinian Authority last week it would no longer accept patient referrals from the Palestinian Ministry of Health because of unpaid debts totaling almost eight million dinar, in a letter obtained by Ma‘an.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366939
Avian flu diagnosis to see 15,000 Bethlehem birds slaughtered
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 9 Mar — Palestinian officials OK’d Tuesday a decision to slaughter 15,000 poultry birds after an Avian Flu diagnosis in an Israeli settlement near Bethlehem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=366835
Football finally comes home for Palestinian national team
Independent 9 Mar — Mokhtar Tlili, the Tunisian coach of the Palestinian national football team, gave his players a pep talk yesterday as they prepared for the first official match played on their home turf … The Palestinian team will face Thailand today as part of the Asian group in a qualifying match for the London Olympics in 2012. The game is being marked here as no less than an historic event for the Palestinian team, which until now has played only friendly matches in its upgraded stadium in Al-Ram, a West Bank suburb of Jerusalem. Official matches in previous years were played outside the Palestinian territories
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/football-finally-comes-home-for-palestinian-national-team-2236120.html
Palestinian woman serves up success with West Bank café chain
7 Mar — Married to a Palestinian and of part-Palestinian descent herself, El-Jack was born in Sudan and brought up in the U.S… El-Jack partnered with two prominent Palestinian businessmen to open Zman in December 2008. Since then, she has opened a second shop, making it not only the first coffee chain in the West Bank, but the first business chain of any kind owned by a woman.
http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=31570
Models strut in rare West Bank fashion show
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) 8 Mar — Draped in sleek evening gowns and frothy wedding dresses, the models at the West Bank’s first haute couture fashion show could have been walking at Paris Fashion Week.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110308/wl_mideast_afp/lifestylepalestiniansfashion_20110308065026
Human interest / History
When an Iraqi Jew yearns for Baghdad / Hiba Lama
PNN/Exclusive 7 Mar — Lateef Douri is a beautiful mix: a Jew and Israeli citizen who lives in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, but whose heart, tongue, and mind remain in Baghdad. Every room and detail of his house evokes his childhood in Iraq, from pictures of friends, the smells of cooked fish, and the sounds of Eastern music. He tells his stories so that we might not forget: … In Douri’s estimation, the year 1951 was “our naksa,” using the term most Arabs use to describe the 1967 war. “I still remember how the Israeli Mossad managed to blow up one of the Jewish synagogues in Baghdad and blame it on the Muslims,” recalls Douri. “It sparked fear and panic in the Jewish community and prompted them to sign up to emigrate to Israel. From the pictures, they made it look like the Garden of Eden. We truly believed that we were going to live in royal palaces.” … But in Israel, he says, he could never forget the racism and discrimination he experienced as a Mizrahi (Eastern) Jew. .
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9661&Itemid=
Iraq, other Mideast
Monday: 3 Iraqis killed, 4 wounded, protesters beaten
At least three Iraqis were killed and four more were wounded in light violence. The day was also marked by light protests, and some demonstrators may have suffered from beatings. Some demonstrators took the opportunity to stage “Day of Regret” protests to mark the one-year anniversary of national elections. Many went as far as to dye their fingers red, signaling their regret in taking part those elections and chanted slogans such as “we will not vote again.”
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2011/03/07/monday-3-iraqis-killed-4-wounded-protestors-beaten/
Tuesday: 8 Iraqis killed, 13 wounded
At least eight Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has documented accounts of demonstrator harassment during the ongoing protests in Suleimaniya. In the latest accusation, Kurdish security forces stood idly as masked men attacked protestors. Some witnesses believe the Kurdish government sent the “thugs.”
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2011/03/08/tuesday-8-iraqis-killed-13-wounded/
Higher education: a beacon of hope for Iraqis
Nasiriyah, Iraq 8 Mar — The level of education in Iraq has been declining as a result of 30 years of war and UN sanctions. Once renowned in the region for its advanced education system and 100 per cent literacy rate in the late 1970s, Iraq is now far behind most other countries in the Middle East. After 2003, the system worsened due to instability, lack of security and sectarian clashes. Many university professors have either been killed or fled the country to escape. There are, however, some indications that Iraqi education can be revived.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/KHII-8ES3E9?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
A look at political unrest in the Middle East
(AP) A look at anti-government protests, political unrest and key developments in the Middle East on Tuesday:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110308/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_mideast_protests_glance
U.S.
Why the US cares little about the jailed hikers in Iran (hint: it’s about Palestinians) / Alex Kane
8 Mar — For well over a year, two American citizens who are Palestine solidarity activists have languished in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison (the third citizen was released in September) … Why aren’t they out yet? Jesse Rosenfeld, an independent journalist, offers this explanation in Foreign Policy’s Mideast Channel: “Looking at Bauer’s and Fattal’s political track records, it becomes clear that Washington is unlikely to trade much to retrieve outspoken critics of US policy in the Middle East. Shourd, Fattal and Bauer, according to [Shon Meckfessel, who was traveling with the jailed Americans,] had made close connections with people in the West Bank popular struggles against Israel’s wall in the town of Bil‘in and the family of Bassem and Jahwar Abu Rahmah.
http://alexbkane.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/why-the-u-s-cares-little-about-the-jailed-hikers-in-iran-hint-its-about-palestine/
Republicans push for tougher Guantánamo limits
WASHINGTON (AP) 8 Mar — House Republicans on Tuesday demanded tougher restrictions for terror suspects at Guantánamo even after President Barack Obama reversed course and ordered the resumption of military trials for detainees. Annoyed that Obama acted by executive authority — and without congressional input, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon, R-Calif., and six other GOP lawmakers said Tuesday they would introduce legislation to limit legal representation for detainees and permanently block money to build or renovate a facility in the United States to house suspects now held at the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110308/ap_on_re_us/us_guantanamo_congress
Hornet’s nest ahead? Congress examines Islam in the US
WASHINGTON (AP) 8 Mar — …As a storm gathers over hearings this week on radical Muslims in the U.S., it seems of another time to recall that it was President Bush who told Americans their Muslim neighbors were with us. Not just that, he said, but they WERE us. Nearly 10 years and one president later, suspicions persist. The nation hasn’t figured out how to accommodate a sizable and long-established religious minority while pressing full throttle against growing extremist elements and an increase in allegations of homegrown terrorist plots.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110308/ap_on_re_us/us_muslims_terror_hearings
Muslim Americans fear Congress terrorism hearings fuel Islamophobia / Omar Karmi
National 9 Mar — …Those hearings start tomorrow, but have already stirred controversy. Twenty-eight members of the House of Representatives signed a letter on Monday calling for their cancellation. The scope of the hearings, the representatives wrote, “unfairly stigmatises and alienates Muslim Americans” and ignores other forms of violent domestic extremism.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/americas/muslim-american-fear-congress-terrorism-hearings-fuel-islamophobia
30 Jewish Studies faculty call on DA to drop charges against Muslim students at UCI / Jon Wiener
HP 8 Mar — In a striking act of interfaith solidarity, 30 Jewish studies faculty from seven campuses of the University of California have called on the Orange County district attorney to drop criminal charges against 11 Muslim students. The students have been charged with disrupting of a speech by the Israeli ambassador at UCI last spring. The trial is scheduled to begin this week. The students face a possible six-month prison term if convicted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-wiener/30-jewish-studies-faculty_b_832444.html
Hearing on terrorist status for Islamic charity
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) 8 Mar — A federal appeals court will hear arguments on whether the government violated the constitutional rights of an Islamic charity that it declared a terrorist organization. The Medford Mail Tribune reports that the 9th U.S. Circuit court of Appeals will hold a hearing Wednesday in Portland on the now-defunct American branch of Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110308/ap_on_re_us/us_islamic_charity
