Morning Papers - 'Reviewed Arab/Israel Newsprint end of this entry"

Michael Moore Today

Bush defends Israeli attacks in Lebanon
By Terence Hunt / Associated Press
STRALSUND, Germany - President Bush strongly defended Israel's attacks in Lebanon on Thursday but worried they could weaken or topple the fragile government in Beirut. The Mideast violence exposed divisions between the United States and allies and raised fears of a widening war.
"Israel has a right to defend herself," Bush said at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Every nation must defend herself against terrorist attacks and the killing of innocent life."
Merkel appealed for restraint by all sides and said it was up to the militant group Hezbollah to defuse the situation, triggered by its cross-border raid from Lebanon into Israel and the capture of two Israeli soldiers. She called the violence a "very disturbing situation" that "fills us with concern."
The Mideast eruption came at an awkward time for Bush. His strong support of Israel put him at odds with European Union allies two days before a summit of world leaders in Russia, where the United States is counting on a united stand against Iran's nuclear ambitions and North Korea's long-range missile test. The violence also presented Bush with yet another crisis in the Middle East, along with the Iraq war and the Iran standoff.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7541



Key Democrats Become Stars of Steele Web Site
Candidate Gets Complaints for Using Hoyer, Mfume in 'Bridges' Strategy
By Matthew Mosk / Washington Post
They are not the sort of photos one might expect to find headlining the Web site of a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.
In one frame, Maryland's Michael S. Steele shares a chuckle and a slap on the shoulder with Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the House Democratic whip. In another, Steele stands with former congressman Kweisi Mfume -- one of the Democrats hoping to run against him this fall.
But the photos displayed until yesterday in the slide show at the top of Steele's campaign Web site, http://steeleformaryland.com, fit neatly into the script that the lieutenant governor is writing for his Senate bid. That script rarely employs the word Republican and almost always recognizes that in a dark blue state such as Maryland, no candidate can win without considerable support from registered Democrats.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/the06fix/index.php?id=130


INDEPENDENT OF MIKE'S SITE - POINT OF INTEREST - Michael Steele - Republican


Michael Steele’s Support from ‘Race-Baiting’ Political Figures Raises Eyebrows
Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2006
By: Monica Lewis, BlackAmericaWeb.com
If there’s any truth to the old adage, “Follow the money,” than there’s bound to be a heap of attention placed on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a black Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate.
A pricey event held last week for Steele did more than raise money; it raised eyebrows because of who was on the host committee -- Floyd Brown, a longtime GOP strategist who created the infamous “Willie Horton” ad nearly 20 years ago. The political potshot, which attacked Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis for a furlough program that released a black convicted murderer, did more than promote use of the race card in politics; it sank the Dukakis' presidential career of in 1988.
With Brown’s backing obvious, some may be questioning the intentions of Steele, who has also taken campaign contributions from far-right Republicans like Trent Lott and Alex Castellanos, who was credited with helping former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms attack a black challenger through commercials assailing affirmative action.
Such alliances pose many questions about Steele, whose status as a moderate Republican was thought to be used to his advantage, especially in a state where many affluent black Democrats were thought to be up for grabs.
“The question isn’t if these people should fund Michael Steele or not. The question is why and what would they expect to get from him,” political scientist Lorenzo Morris, Ph.D., told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “If you’re working with people like this, you have to consider the possibility that very negative interests may be represented.”
The Washington Post reported that Steele has said he’s happy to receive support from his party and doesn’t see anything wrong with receiving support from the likes of Brown, Lott and Castellanos.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/steele629


Cardin's war chest slips below Steele's
By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
July 15, 2006
Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin's campaign for U.S. Senate raised $925,000 in the second quarter, which has dropped the Democratic candidate's cash-on-hand total below that of Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, the Republican front-runner, according to statistics released yesterday.
Mr. Steele raised about $1.8 million in the quarter -- from April to June -- and now has about $3 million on hand, with donations from more than 15,000 persons. Mr. Cardin now has $2.3 million, from about 8,500 contributors.

http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20060714-102044-6810r.htm



Lieberman files forms for independent run
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. - U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman filed papers Monday that will allow him to petition his way onto the November ballot if he loses the primary election, his campaign said.
The three-term Democratic senator faces a tough Aug. 8 primary challenge from businessman Ned Lamont. Lieberman, whom fellow Democrats have criticized for his support of the Iraq war and a perceived closeness with President Bush, is popular among many unaffiliated and Republican voters in Connecticut.
He announced his intent last week to run independently should he lose the primary. He would have to file signatures the day after the primary.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/the06fix/index.php?id=129


Republican priorities stalled in Congress
By Laurie Kellman / Associated Press
Could a Republican-controlled Congress pass a bill to protect the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance from court challenges? No problem, especially if proposed during the patriotic season leading up to the Fourth of July, Republican leaders thought. No way, it turned out.
The bill, the first item on the GOP's election-year "American Values Agenda," couldn't get past a House committee. Even worse for the Republicans: They couldn't blame the flameout on Democrats. One of the GOP's very own, Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina, voted no. Seven other Judiciary Committee Republicans skipped the panel's meeting entirely.
So it goes this year for House Republicans, their majority in jeopardy for the first time in more than a decade. An unpopular president, deep divisions in their ranks and Democrats determined to regain control add up to a Congress that's having trouble doing its most basic job: passing legislation.
Republican leaders tried to shrug off the setbacks, while Democrats have pounced on the lack of progress.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/the06fix/index.php?id=128



Teach to impeach
Events nationwide aim to educate public about impeachment
By Kathryn Casa / Vermont Guardian
Here’s an impeachment pop quiz: true or false?
* If impeached, a public official is removed from office.
* One U.S. president has been impeached.
* Impeachment can occur only at the federal level.
The answers are: false, false, and false. Impeachment is the first of two distinct phases to remove a government official. Presidents Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson were impeached. Impeachment can occur at the state and federal levels.
Many in the United States don’t know much about the impeachment process, according to organizers of a national day of impeachment teach-ins. So on Wednesday, they are seeking to change that.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7545


Bomb kills 7 at Baghdad Sunni mosque-police
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A bomb planted in the street killed at least seven people and wounded five as they left a Sunni mosque in northern Baghdad after Friday prayers, police said.
Further details of the incident at the Ismail al-Qubaisi mosque were not immediately available.
At around the same time, six mortar rounds hit a Shi'ite mosque in Balad Ruz, a town northeast of Baghdad, killing two people and wounding five, police said.
Scores of people have been killed in tit-for-tat sectarian violence between Shi'ite and minority Sunni Muslims over the past week in the Iraqi capital.
Sunni and Shi'ite mosques were targeted in bomb and mortar attacks after Friday prayers last week, killing and wounding dozens. The attacks triggered this week's surge in sectarian violence that has sparked renewed fears of a slide to civil war.
Mosques have been frequent targets in the communal bloodletting since a revered Shi'ite mosque in the town of Samarra north of Baghdad was blown up on February 22.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7542



US sees three more years in building Afghan army
By Will Dunham / Reuters
WASHINGTON - It will take three more years for the U.S.-trained Afghan army, intended to assume security responsibilities now shouldered by foreign forces in Afghanistan, to reach the planned goal of 70,000 soldiers, a U.S. commander said on Thursday.
Army Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin, who heads the U.S. effort to train and equip Afghan government security forces, said the national army numbers "a little bit over 30,000," and that it is growing at a rate of 1,000 per month, with a plan to reach 70,000 in roughly three years.
As in Iraq, U.S. officials have emphasized the importance of forming capable government security forces to take up the task of bringing law and order to a war-ravaged country. U.S. commanders in Iraq have pledged to have a 137,500-strong Iraqi army fully manned by the end of this year.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7543



Two out of work at Federal Building after 20-plus years' service
Veteran cafeteria workers can't find out why Homeland Security had them yanked from their jobs
By Paula Reed Ward / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Judy Miller, who greets each customer in line with friendly conversation, just wants to get back to her spot behind the cash register.
Mary Broughton, who cooks for hundreds of people each day like she would for her own family, misses her work, too.
But for now, the women are barred from their positions in the cafeterias of the federal buildings Downtown because they failed to pass required background checks with the Department of Homeland Security.
Even after seeking help from their union and a local congressman, they still don't know what it is that's keeping them away, and they're becoming increasingly frustrated.
"This not knowing when we can go back to work is ridiculous because they screwed up in Washington," Ms. Miller said.
Ms. Broughton, 58, of Crafton Heights, who said she's never been in trouble, agreed.
"I can't understand it," she said.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7544



Honk for Peace, Honk-Honk for Justice!
By Victor Kittila / Patriot
My court date is 1:00 PM, Wednesday, July 26th, 2006
43rd District Court
305 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, MI 48220-1796
My arrest was ordered by Michael Kitchen (Police Chief)
The arresting officer was Jason Collett
Magistrate: Mead
I believe I am being charged with "disorderly conduct" and "disturbing the peace" (I hope the irony isn't lost.)

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=687


Exact locations can be advertised for recruitment

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=&daddr=305+E+9+Mile+Rd,+Ferndale,+MI+48220&ie=UTF8&ll=42.460795,-83.131356&spn=0.014532,0.04313&om=1

Student for Peace - These are the young kids as well.

http://www.studentpeaceaction.org/

Camp Casey August 16th-Sept 2nd 2006
Cindy Sheehan and Gold Star Families for Peace will be returning to Crawford Tx. President Bush has still not satisfactorily answered our question, "What Noble Cause did our loved ones die for?" One year later we are still in the quagmire that is Iraq. As of this writing 2497 of our brave and noble military men and women have died for this Noble Cause. Join us at Camp Casey and show the President that we will not accept one more death be it American or Iraqi.

http://www.gsfp.org/article.php?list=type&type=21



Neil Young Wants You to Help Sing the War Away
Living With War Network & Living With War Today Newspaper Available Now at www.neilyoung.com
Submissions Being Accepted for Protest & Topical Songs & Videos
(Burbank, CA) June 29, 2006 -- Two exciting new additions to Neil Young's website make their debut today. Living With War Network will feature both brand new videos and documentaries for songs from the recent album Living With War, as well as rare archival material from the musician's past, including a live clip of "Mideast Vacation," filmed in 1987. Several other surprises are going to be available on the site soon, making it a not-to-miss interactive destination for everyone interested in world events.
Living With War Today, with its motto "All War All The Time," is a special online newspaper with an wide array of features, ranging from a unique Time Line Analyzer to reports from the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Freedom of Speech '06 tour. There will be continual tour info and updates, which starts Thursday, July 6th in Camden, NJ, continuing across the United States and Canada.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=673



Former CIA officer sues Cheney over leak
By Toni Locy / Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The CIA officer whose identity was leaked to reporters sued Vice President Dick Cheney, his former top aide and presidential adviser Karl Rove on Thursday, accusing them and other White House officials of conspiring to destroy her career.
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Valerie Plame and her husband, Joseph Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador, accused Cheney, Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby of participating in a "whispering campaign" to reveal Plame's CIA identity and punish Wilson for criticizing the Bush administration's motives in Iraq.
Several news organizations wrote about Plame after syndicated columnist Robert Novak named her in a column on July 14, 2003. Novak's column appeared eight days after Wilson alleged in an opinion piece in The New York Times that the administration had twisted prewar intelligence on Iraq to justify going to war.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7539


Depleted Uranium -- The Real Story
Linda Weltner, a former Boston Globe columnist, is the author of Family Puzzles: A Private Life Made Public.
My friend Lynn and I joined a Walk for Peace that began at the Starmet Corporation in Concord and ended--on August 9, the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki--with the arrest of five of the peace walkers at the Raytheon Corporation in North Andover.

http://www.afsc.org/pwork/0102/010216.htm



H.R.2410
Title: To require certain studies regarding the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions, to require the cleanup and mitigation of depleted uranium contamination at sites of depleted uranium munition use and production in the United States, and for other purposes.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.02410:



DU is extremely toxic and has a radioactive half-life of 4.5 billion years. Depleted Uranium is the by-product of nuclear energy production.
H.R. 2410, The Depleted Uranium Munitions Study Act, calls for in-depth studies to be conducted on DU and its effects on the health of those exposed to it.
DU, according to the BBC, is "a very heavy substance, 1.7 times denser than lead, and it is highly valued by armies for its ability to punch through armored vehicles. When a weapon made with a DU tip or core strikes a solid object, like the side of a tank, it goes straight through it and then erupts in a burning cloud of vapor. The vapor settles as dust, which is chemically poisonous and also radioactive."
We need a study to determine what DU is doing to our soldiers. Please contact your house member and ask them to co-sponsor H.R 2410 today!

http://www.millionemailmarch.com/du.php


Operation House Call
With the health of our troops and of our nation at risk, Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) is making a House Call in Washington, DC. We are demanding action from our elected representatives and calling on them to bring our troops home now. We are standing outside their offices in Washington, DC and calling on them to stop playing politics with the lives of our loved ones and the loved ones of others - to Bring Our Troops Home Now and Take Care of Them When They Get Here. Read the press release launching Operation House Call.

http://www.operationhousecall.org/



"Last chance" for peace in Iraq, PM says
By Kristin Roberts and Ross Colvin / Reuters
BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Iraqis on Wednesday they had one "last chance" for peace as U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld held talks with Iraqi leaders on the escalating sectarian violence in the country.
The U.S. commander in Iraq said Shi'ite "death squads" were fuelling a spike in the violence in which scores of people have been killed in street fighting, reprisal attacks and bombings in Baghdad neighborhoods in the past few days. The U.S. ambassador said communal bloodshed was now a bigger threat than al Qaeda.
Several hours after Maliki spoke, clashes erupted between gunmen armed with rocket-propelled grenades and police and residents in Um al-Maalif, a mainly Shi'ite neighborhood in southern Baghdad. Police said at least two people were killed.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7536



Iraqi PM wants GI immunity reviewed
Baghdad, Iraq (AP) -- Iraq's prime minister called Wednesday for a review of legislation that gives foreign troops immunity from prosecution, expressing concern that U.S. soldiers sometimes act knowing that they are protected from punishment.
"Those who are free from being punished misbehave and they have misbehaved a lot. They misbehaved in Mahmoudiya, in Sadr City, in Abu Ghraib and in Haditha," Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said, referring to places where U.S. troops have been accused of abusing or killing Iraqis.
Al-Maliki was responding to a question by a legislator about the alleged March 12 rape and killing of an Iraqi girl in Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, by U.S. soldiers who also were accused of killing her family.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7537



Rumsfeld: Sunnis, Shiites must reconcile
On surprise Iraq visit, defense secretary says reconciliation vital for security
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday that political reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites is as important as the military effort in establishing security in Iraq, where thousands more U.S. troops have been summoned to Baghdad to quell an upsurge in violence.
The U.S. may have to send still more troops to the capital city, said the top U.S. general in the country, while Rumsfeld said it was too early to estimate when overall levels of U.S. forces in Iraq might begin to fall.
Gen. George Casey, the senior U.S. commander, said al-Qaida has increased its killings in Baghdad to show it remains a force to be reckoned with after the June 7 killing of its leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7538



"Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Soldiers"
By Cindy Sheehan
As of today, the War Department lists 2544 as the number of unjustly murdered troops in Iraq. Dozens of innocent Iraqis are being killed due to the war crime every day. Over 80 Iraqis were killed in Baghdad alone on July 9th: dozens of people just in one city on one day who would be alive if not for BushCo.
I don't know what number Casey was. Nor do I care. I have seen people say 614, I have seen people say 714. It doesn't matter because Casey and the other 2543 were not numbers. They were living, breathing, loving, worthwhile and contributing members of society. They could pass drug tests (unlike their "commander-in-chief" at their ages) and they honorably volunteered to serve their country to defend America and our freedoms. What George Bush and the rest of the careless war profiteers have committed in Iraq is abuse and misuse and had nothing to do with defending America or protecting our freedoms. The lies are well documented and proven. The lies are written on my heart forever.
Between WWI and WWII, highly decorated, Marine Major General Smedley Butler wrote a short dissertation called War is a Racket. I wish to God I had read this before Casey enlisted because I believe that he would be alive today if only I had. The first two paragraphs succinctly define the entire booklet and the reason not to allow your child to fall into the hands of the military industrial war complex:

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=684



House rejects timetable for Iraq pullout
By Liz Sidoti / Associated Press
The House on Friday handily rejected a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq, culminating a fiercely partisan debate between Republicans and Democrats feeling the public's apprehension about war and the onrushing midterm campaign season.
In a 256-153 vote that mirrored the position taken by the Senate earlier, the GOP-led House approved a nonbinding resolution that praises U.S. troops, labels the Iraq war part of the larger global fight against terrorism and says an "arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment" of troops is not in the national interest.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7280



Resolved: America great! Bin Laden evil! Go Bush!
Not even the inventor of "freedom fries" could stand to be present at the GOP-controlled Congress' absurd "debate" over Iraq.
By Michael Scherer / Salon
Rep. Walter Jones, the North Carolina Republican who invented the phrase "Freedom Fries," invited me into his Capitol Hill office Thursday morning, a cluttered space festooned from floor to ceiling with military memorabilia, Pentagon plaques and photographs of soldiers. Then he pulled out an e-mail he had recently received from an Army captain who served in Iraq.
The email quoted another American soldier serving in Iraq, a voice that Jones wanted people to hear. "Tell all those assholes in D.C. to get us the f--- out of here. This is bullshit," Jones said, reading from the email, but choosing not to pronounce the f-word in full. "Either that or tell them to tell Bush to send over the twins. They can bunk with me. That would be useful."
Jones is not a natural dove. He sits on the Armed Services committee and his district includes Camp Lejeune, the home base of nearly 47,000 sailors and marines. But Jones is one of a handful of Republican congressmen to break ranks with President Bush and the GOP leadership over Iraq. In recent months, he has been campaigning for a "full and honest" debate on the Iraq war.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7281



USA Today

First half of year was USA's warmest on record
Updated 7/14/2006 6:11 PM ET
The Associated Press
The first half of the year was the warmest on record for the USA.
The government reported Friday that the average temperature for the 48 contiguous United States from January through June was 51.8°F, or 3.4°F above average for the 20th century.
That made it the warmest such period since recordkeeping began in 1895, the National Climatic Data Center reported.
No state was cooler than average and five states — Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri — experienced record warmth for the period.
While much of the Northeast experienced extreme rainfall and flooding at the end of June, many other areas continued below normal precipitation.
As of June, 45% of the contiguous U.S. was in moderate-to-extreme drought, an increase of 6% from May.
Dry conditions spawned more than 50,000 wildfires, burning more than 3 million acres in the continental USA, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2006-07-14-2006-warmth_x.htm


Heat, winds challenge Calif. firefighters
Updated 7/15/2006 7:09 AM ET
YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters battling a newly merged pair of wildfires feared the blaze could create disastrous weather Saturday and hinder progress in blocking the fire from reaching the populated San Bernardino Mountains.
The lightning-caused fires, covering about 108 square miles combined, merged Friday afternoon in craggy, brush-covered hills just northeast of the mountains, where millions of trees killed by drought and bark beetles could provide explosive fuel.
When fires become intense enough, they can generate their own winds and become highly unpredictable. But in this case, "there was no cataclysmic event," said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jim Wilkins.
But officials were concerned that the unforgiving desert heat, erratic winds and rugged terrain will challenge firefighters in the coming days. Fire heat rising into the atmosphere could produce dry lightning Saturday.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2006-07-14-calif-fires_x.htm



Fire whirl erupts during California blaze
This photo from this week's California wildfires appears to be that of a fire whirl, which the National Interagency Fire Center defines as a "spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire and carrying aloft smoke, debris and flame. Fire whirls range in size from less than one foot to more than 500 feet in diameter. Large fire whirls have the intensity of a small tornado."
In the Rough Guide to Weather, author Robert Henson writes that fire whirls can "rival weak tornadoes in their strength and size, and they can help advance a forest fire with violent intensity.... Even fires in man-made settings, such as the horrific firestorm caused by the World War II bombing of Dresden, Germany, can produce vortices."

http://blogs.usatoday.com/weather/2006/07/fire_whirl_erup.html


Head of Iraq's Olympic committee kidnapped
Updated 7/15/2006 10:01 AM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Gunmen kidnapped the head of Iraq's Olympic committee and more than a dozen employees Saturday after storming a sports conference in Baghdad, police said.
The kidnappers wore camouflage Iraqi police uniforms and security guards outside the meeting said they did not interfere because they thought the gunmen were legitimate law enforcement, police said.
Ahmed al-Hijiya, president of the committee, was taken in the assault, which came a day after the coach of Iraq's national wrestling team was killed by kidnappers, said police Lt. Thaer Mahmoud.
Others taken Saturday included the deputy head of the Olympic committee, Ammar Jabbar al-Saadi; the chairman of the Taekwondo Federation, Jamal Abdul-Karim; and the chief of the Boxing Federation Union, Bashar Mustafa.
Two guards were killed, one while trying to flee the building.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-15-iraq-olympic-head_x.htm



Over 40 militants killed in Afghan clashes, says US
Posted 7/15/2006 7:22 AM ET
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 40 militants in clashes across southern Afghan on Saturday, according to the U.S. military.
The clashes come amid stepped up U.S.-led military efforts to crush armed extremists, primarily the Taliban, behind a bloody insurgency raging across Afghanistan, particularly in the south.
Skirmishes between coalition and Taliban militants raged throughout the southern Uruzgan province Friday into Saturday, with battlefield estimates indicating that 31 insurgents were killed in and around the Chora district, said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick.
Afghan and coalition soldiers also killed two male "foreigners" wearing burkas — the body-shrouding veil worn by women — and detained five Taliban in Uruzgan's Dihrawud district on Friday, an Afghan Defense Ministry statement said. The nationalities of the foreigners were unclear.
Soldiers at the scene later found an explosives-rigged vest, 16 roadside bombs and other explosive material, the statement said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-15-afghanistan-militants_x.htm



307 detained over Bombay train bombings
Updated 7/15/2006 8:12 AM ET
Women wait outside a police station for their sons who were picked up for questioning in a police raid in Bombay, India.
MUMBAI, India (AP) — Police investigating Bombay's deadly train bombings swept through several neighborhoods Saturday, rounding up more than 300 people for questioning.
Only 11 were detained, all for petty crimes unrelated to the bombings, said senior police inspector Joseph Gaikwad. The 11 were not thought to have been involved in the attacks, but police believed they may have information about the bombers.
Police have carried out several such sweeps since Tuesday's attacks, which killed more than 200 people. Saturday's house-to-house searches were conducted mainly in the slums of Bombay's Mahim neighborhood, an area popular with illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
"This was a routine combing exercise. We have questioned and released all but 11 of the 307 who were brought in from Mahim," Gaikwad said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-15-bombay-bombings_x.htm



Shuttle astronauts say goodbyes, begin trip back to Earth
Updated 7/15/2006 10:10 AM ET
CAPE CANAVERAL (AP) — Space shuttle Discovery decamped from the international space station Saturday to begin the return trip to Earth.
Pilot Mark Kelly fired up steering jets, slowly backed Discovery up and put it on a path away from the space station as they passed over the Pacific Ocean more than 220 miles below. Two hours earlier, Discovery's six astronauts snapped last-minute photos and bid farewell to the space station's crew before closing a hatch for departure.
They left behind crew mate Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency, who had come up in Discovery for a six-month stay at the station with Russian commander Pavel Vinogradov and U.S. flight engineer Jeff Williams.
"Have a safe journey back, soft landing and we'll see you on the ground in a few months," Williams radioed Discovery as it backed away.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2006-07-15-shuttle-trip-home_x.htm



The Boston Globe

Engineers watch shuttle leak for possible landing problem
By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press July 15, 2006
HOUSTON -- While astronauts set a possible record for using robotics in space, NASA engineers yesterday focused on a slow leak aboard the space shuttle Discovery that, if it worsens, could cause a first-of-its-kind shutdown of one of three hydraulic systems during Monday's landing attempt.
John Shannon, the shuttle program's deputy manager, said the problem was unlikely to affect the shuttle's return to Earth, but engineers were closely monitoring the leak in the pipeline of an auxiliary power unit that controls hydraulic steering and braking maneuvers.
It is leaking at a rate of ``about six drops per hour" and could be leaking harmless nitrogen or flammable hydrazine fuel, Shannon said.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/07/15/engineers_watch_shuttle_leak_for_possible_landing_problem/



USA Today continues

Pitt shocked by post-Katrina devastation
Posted 7/15/2006 9:11 AM ET
Alex Brandon, AP
Brad Pitt is in New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina to encourage environmentally friendly rebuilding in some of the hardest hit areas.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — After two days of getting his first up-close look at post-Katrina New Orleans, Brad Pitt said Friday he was shocked at the devastation that remains almost a year later.
"I was not prepared," the actor said, describing how he drove for miles and saw street after street of devastation.
Pitt was in New Orleans to give an update on a project he's promoting — a competition to choose ecologically sound designs for rebuilding neighborhoods.
"There's a big opportunity here," he said, to rebuild the city using energy-efficient building materials and appliances that would improve quality of life, particularly in low-income communities.
Global Green USA, a national environmental organization, is working with Pitt on the design project. Pitt heads a jury of architects, city residents and others who decided Friday on the top five environmentally friendly designs out of more than 100 entries. The designs were submitted by individuals and architect firms.
He admits the new designs, which use energy-saving materials such as metal roofing and recycled textiles, might not reflect the historic architecture often found in New Orleans. But, he said, it's time to look to the future.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-07-15-pitt-katrina_x.htm


Israel hits Lebanon bridges, gas stations
Updated 7/15/2006 10:19 AM ET
U.N. DEBATE CONTINUES
UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council debated violence in Lebanon in an emergency meeting Friday that ended with no action on Beirut's demand for an immediate end to Israeli airstrikes on its territory.
The debate highlighted divisions in the council, with the United States standing alone in refusing to call for restraint from Israel during military operations in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
U.N. Ambassador John Bolton laid all blame for the region's escalating violence on Iran and Syria and their support for militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
"Syria and Iran must be held to account for supporting regional terrorism and their role in the current crisis," said Bolton said. "All militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, must disarm and disband immediately."
Lebanon's government requested the council session as Israeli planes launched fresh attacks on Hezbollah's command headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs and other targets.
Council members united in condemning the Hezbollah action and repeated rocket attacks into Israel, but most also voiced concern over the level of the Israeli military response, which French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere described as "disproportionate."
But the United States made no mention of Israeli attacks, calling instead on Iran and Syria to stop sponsoring Hezbollah and Hamas militants. Bolton specifically reiterated a call for Syria to arrest Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, who currently lives in Damascus.
An expected presidential statement from the Security Council failed to materialize from the meeting after what diplomatic sources said was disagreement on the language to be used.
Members instead released a statement welcoming U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's decision to send a three-man crisis team to the Middle East. The brief statement called on "all concerned states and parties to extend their full cooperation to the mission," which has been tasked with a one-week mission to rein in escalating violence in the region.
The team, led by Annan's special political adviser, Vijay Nambiar, arrived in Cairo on Friday for meetings with Egyptian officials and Arab League foreign ministers.
The U.N. officials are expected to travel to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Syria.
The United States on Thursday vetoed a U.N. resolution calling on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza. Bolton said the veto was a response to the "unbalanced" nature of the draft text, which he argued laid a disproportionate amount of blame on Israel.
-- Agence-France Presse
BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli warplanes pounded Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold and roads around the country, killing at least 15 Lebanese as they fled the onslaught. Hezbollah expanded its rocket fire, hitting another of Israel's main cities, and Israel warned that the guerrillas could strike Tel Aviv.
A senior Israeli intelligence official said Iranian troops helped Hezbollah fire a missile that damaged an Israeli warship off the Lebanese coast Friday night.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information, said about 100 Iranian soldiers are in Lebanon and helped fire the Iranian-made, radar-guided C-102 at the ship that killed one and left three missing.
The Lebanese guerrilla force has shown an increasing sophistication since snatching two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, sparking Israel's largest assault against Lebanon in 24 years.
Five Hezbollah rockets hit Tiberias in northern Israeli on Saturday, causing no injuries — the first rocket attack on Tiberias, about 22 miles south of the border, since the 1973 Mideast War. An Israeli intelligence official said Hezbollah has rockets with ranges of 60 to 120 miles that could reach Tel Aviv, Israel's largest metropolitan area.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-14-mideast_x.htm



World leaders convene for G8 summit beset by foreign policy
Updated 7/15/2006 10:13 AM ET
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — World leaders tore up a carefully prepared summit agenda Saturday and turned their attention to a growing crisis in the Middle East, hoping to reach common ground on ways to stop the fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was grateful that President Bush came early for bilateral talks that Putin said would allow them to synchronize their watches on a host of world crises and provide a "boost to the G8 summit."
Related story:Trade negotiators fail to agree on Russia's WTO membership
Putin designed this year's Group of Eight economic summit, the first held in Russia, to showcase his country's re-emergence on the world stage after a devastating economic collapse in 1998. He had hoped to focus on energy security, the fight against infectious diseases and education.
But officials were quickly clearing discussion time to address a new explosion of violence in the Middle East. The G8 countries — the United States, Russia, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada — were expected to issue a joint declaration on the Lebanon crisis, but drafters of the document were faced with dealing with differences between the U.S. and the other countries over how to proceed.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-15-g8-convene_x.htm



The Jerusalem Post

Home Front Command evacuates Kinneret beaches
By JPOST STAFF AND AP
For the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the city of Tiberias, located some 35 kilometers south of the Lebanese border on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee, came under a rocket attack on Saturday. Tiberias is located outside the area that the IDF predicted would be hit by Katyushas.
Three of the six Katyusha rockets fired at the city by Hizbullah landed in residential areas, including two that hit apartment building. One landed near the Club Hotel resort, and one landed 15-20 meters away a gas station. Three people were wounded in the attack.
The Home Front Command was urging residents and visitors in the city to take cover in protected areas.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886006292&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull



IAF strikes Syrian-Lebanese crossing
By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
IDF fighter jets struck the western side of bridges connecting between Lebanon and Syria on Saturday. That target was the closest to Syria that was hit since the campaign in Lebanon began. The IDF said that the strike was meant to prevent the transport of weapons from Syria into Lebanon.
Meanwhile, thousands of Lebanese were reported to be swarming the Syrian border crossing in an attempt to flee Lebanon.
Hizbullah leaders and operatives were also leaving Beirut on Saturday following a massive IAF strike on an 11-story building in south Beirut that served as the organization's command center, initial intelligence indicated. Channel 2 reported that the move appeared to be made under heavy security.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886004129&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Sailor's body found after warship strike
By YAAKOV KATZ, AP AND JPOST STAFF
Bodies of two of the four missing Israeli soldiers on a warship that was attacked by Hizbullah off the coast of Lebanon were found Saturday aboard the damaged vessel, military officials said.
Two of the bodies of the misssing soldiers were recovered, but the IDF spokesman would confirm only that one body was found on the ship, and said the other three soldiers were missing.
The warship was returning to the Israeli port of Haifa Saturday when the remains of the two soldiers were found in the wrecked part of the ship, the military officials said on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to speak to the press.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886004498&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



France moves its citizens out of Lebanon
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
France is putting in place a special ferry to evacuate its citizens in Lebanon who wish to leave starting on Sunday, the foreign minister said.
The ferry will transport to Cyprus any of the thousands of French who want out of Lebanon following recent IDF attacks on Hizbullah targets in response to the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers on Wednesday. Special Air France flights will bring evacuees to Paris from Cyprus, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Saturday.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886005994&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Hizbullah criticized in Lebanon
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT, Lebanon
A hero to some, a dangerous militia to others. The bloody fight Hizbullah picked with Israel has aggravated the longtime split in Lebanon over the guerrilla group - and raised worries about whether Lebanon's Western-backed government can survive.
The division runs through the Lebanese Cabinet itself, which is dominated by anti-Syrian politicians - some sharp critics of Hizbullah - but also includes two ministers from the Shi'ite Muslim terror group.
"The government is helpless," said former President Amin Gemayel, a longtime critic of Hizbullah. "Hizbullah took a unilateral action, but its repercussions will affect the entire country."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1150886002616&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Chavez: US causing ME 'Holocaust'
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Friday that US backing of Israel is responsible for flaming tensions in the Middle East and putting the world on course toward another "Holocaust."
"The fundamental blame falls again on the US empire. It's the empire that armed and supported the abuses of the Israeli elite, which has invaded, abused and defied the United Nations for a long time," Chavez said in a speech during a military act in Caracas.
"I'll seize this opportunity to condemn categorically and fully the aggression that the Israeli elite is carrying out against innocents over there in the Middle East," he said.
Chavez was referring to the new explosion of Mideast violence this week.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1150886003716&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



US, Russia appear close to major trade agreement
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Russia appeared close to gaining a long-sought economic goal: US support for membership in the World Trade Organization, the group that sets the rules for global trade.
US and Russian trade negotiators were working to wrap up the talks so that a deal could be announced by US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin when the two leaders meet for talks Saturday.
Officials close to the talks stressed that not all details had been finalized, but speculation of an imminent agreement was heightened when it was announced Friday that the discussions were moving from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and her counterpart, Russian Economics Minister German Gref, have been meeting since Wednesday, racing the clock in hopes of getting an agreement that has been one of Russia's major economic goals for years.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886003321&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



War and peace
An act of war. This is how Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has correctly described the Wednesday morning attacks on soldiers defending Israel's sovereign border in the North. The words may also be applied to the escalating attacks across Israel's sovereign borders in the South. The responsibility of the Israeli government in such circumstances, the responsibility of any government, is to cripple the attackers and to restore security to its people.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150885983226&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Flood of people head into Gaza
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
RAFAH, Gaza Strip
Palestinian operatives forced open a border gate between Egypt and Gaza on Friday, wounding an Egyptian officer before letting hundreds of people who had been trapped on the Egyptian side of the border to get into Gaza.
Armed operatives stood by as people carrying suitcases crossed into Gaza. Some walked through on crutches while others walked or ran through the gate.
Egyptian police Capt. Mohammed Abdel Hadi said masked Palestinian fighters firing guns broke into the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, clearing the way for the trapped Gazans.
One Egyptian border policeman was wounded when the gunmen stormed the border, said Abdel Hadi, who heads police on the Egyptian side of Rafah.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886000414&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


Haaretz

Six hurt as rockets land in Tiberias, 35 km from Lebanon
By Yuval Azoulay, Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Three Katyusha rockets landed in Tiberias, located 35 kilometers from the Lebanese border, on Saturday. A residential building suffered a direct hit, sustaining damage. The owners of the residence were abroad.
Two rockets landed adjacent to a stadium in Tiberias and near the town's Club Hotel. Six people were lightly injured from rocket shrapnel.
Authorities have asked that bathers on the coast of the Sea of Galilee evacuate the area for fear of further Katyusha attacks.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738632.html



Six hurt as rockets land in Tiberias, 35 km from Lebanon
By Yuval Azoulay, Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Three Katyusha rockets landed in Tiberias, located 35 kilometers from the Lebanese border, on Saturday. A residential building suffered a direct hit, sustaining damage. The owners of the residence were abroad.
Two rockets landed adjacent to a stadium in Tiberias and near the town's Club Hotel. Six people were lightly injured from rocket shrapnel.
Authorities have asked that bathers on the coast of the Sea of Galilee evacuate the area for fear of further Katyusha attacks.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738632.html



At least 27 civilians killed in separate IAF strikes in Lebanon
By Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies
Israel Air Force strikes killed at least 27 Lebanese civilians on Saturday, pounding Lebanon for a fourth straight day to punish it for letting Hezbollah fighters threaten northern Israel.
An IAF missile wrecked a van near the southern port of Tyre, killing 15 passengers and wounding six, police said. The van was carrying families fleeing the village of Marwaheen after Israeli loudspeaker warnings to leave their homes. A police spokesman said more may have been wounded as the vehicle was directly hit.
IAF aircraft also bombed a Hezbollah office in southern Beirut's Haret Hreik district, and attacked roads, bridges and petrol stations in north, east and south Lebanon, killing at least 12 people and wounding 32, security sources said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738699.html



'It all looks like a single plot'
By Zvi Bar'el
One of the first Lebanese people to respond publicly to the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers on Wednesday was the former "veteran" abductee Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid. Shortly afterward Obeid spoke on the Hezbollah television station, Al-Manar, about the feelings that such an event stirs among prisoners awaiting release.
"The Israelis always know that behind them there is a country that will come to their aid," said Obeid. "Now the Lebanese prisoners who are still in jail and the Palestinian prisoners, too, know that there is a power behind them that can bring about their release ... I can only imagine the joy of the prisoners, who are already preparing for their release. The old equation has totally changed. Now our prisoners have someone to release them, too."
Obeid was abducted by Israel from his home in the south Lebanon village of Jibchit 17 years ago today. He was released as part of the prisoner-abductee exchange that took place in January 2004. When he was freed, he left behind prisoner Samir al-Kuntar, whom Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has committed to bringing home, and whom Israel has refused to include in any deal without receiving information on missing Israeli navigator Ron Arad. Al-Kuntar, whom the Hezbollah leader has crowned "the dean of the prisoners," has also become a symbol of Nasrallah's unkept promise.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738681.html



The state says, Enough!
By Aluf Benn
The inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem is bedecked with blossoming geranium plants in pink, red and white. In recent years, only a few maintenance and security staff, who looked after the empty house, got to enjoy this view. Ariel Sharon rarely slept here during his second term as prime minister, and used the villa only for meetings that he wished to hold away from his office. Now the residence is fulfilling its official role once again, with the entry of the new tenants, Aliza and Ehud Olmert, and their dog, Pita.
Two days ago, two stands were placed in the yard along with a few dozen chairs for the joint press conference by Olmert and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Koizumi's first visit to Israel, on his way to the G-8 summit in Russia, was intended to demonstrate international interest in a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For Olmert, it was further reinforcement of his status as a statesman of importance, hosting one of the world's major leaders in Jerusalem.
The Hezbollah attack on the northern border and the abduction of two soldiers to Lebanon, a few hours before the meeting with Koizumi, upset the agenda. Olmert stood with his guest before the journalists, but this wasn't the Olmert we're used to seeing. The winks and friendly pats on the back that are usually part of his meetings with foreign colleagues were nowhere in sight. He looked serious and thoughtful, and it was obvious that his mind was elsewhere.
Advertisement
Koizumi gave extensive answers, and the combination of the oppressive heat and the translation from Japanese to Hebrew appeared to try the prime minister's patience. He fidgeted with something in his left hand. Maybe it was the microphone cable; maybe he was SMS-ing with his aides. His announcement that Lebanon is responsible for the incident on the border, and that Israel would respond harshly and not release prisoners, was prepared beforehand. Only when he was asked about the possibility of the right-wing parties joining a national emergency government did he exchange glances with his communications adviser Assi Shariv. "I haven't dealt with that," Olmert replied, Sharon-style.
The short time that elapsed from the report of the abduction until Olmert's promise of a "very, very, very painful" response indicates that his decision to embark on an extensive military campaign in Lebanon was made in record time. That he had no doubts or hesitations. That the hours between the afternoon press conference and the convening of the cabinet in the evening weren't meant for a cooling-off, as with Sharon, but for refining the operational plans. The strategy was set as early as the morning, in coordination with Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Chief of Staff Dan Halutz: Lebanon would be presented as responsible, the blow would be directed at Hezbollah, and Syria would be left outside the playing field: In their consultations in the afternoon, in anticipation of the cabinet meeting, Olmert and Peretz agreed on the following outline: a broad aerial operation, and refraining, for now, from a ground entry into south Lebanon. The army came prepared this time with detailed lists of targets and methods of operation, said people in the Prime Minister's Bureau. Olmert rejected some of the proposals, and about others, he hinted that he would be ready to go even further.
The decision on the operation deep in Lebanon was the boldest Olmert has made since assuming the premiership in January. It constitutes a significant rejection of the policies of his predecessors, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, who aspired to avoid a second front in the north at a time of fighting in the territories. Barak decided to take this line in October 2000, on the day when three IDF soldiers were abducted at Har Dov. A few months before, at the time of the unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon, Barak had threatened a harsh response to any future attacks across the internationally recognized border.
But in the first test put to him by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during the first chaotic days of the Palestinian intifada, Barak chose to sit quietly by. He held a press conference in the Kirya (military headquarters) in Tel Aviv, timed for the evening news programs, and a moment before it started, his aides whispered that Israel would not respond this time; maybe next time. The tension dissipated. Sharon perpetuated this approach. Perhaps he was also influenced by the scars of the previous war in Lebanon, which nearly finished off his career. His responses to the sporadic outbreaks in the north were pinpointed, and directed primarily against Syria.
In the last part of his tenure, Sharon supported the diplomatic effort initiated by France and the United States to institute a new order in Lebanon and get the Syrian forces out of its territory. Versus Hezbollah, he opted to conduct negotiations over a prisoner exchange, and not to bomb.
Now Olmert has shown that his government is not a continuation of its predecessors. That his and Peretz's "civilian leadership" has no inhibitions when it comes to the use of force. That it is prepared to take a big risk with the Hezbollah rocket batteries, which could reach and maybe even Ra'anana. To endanger the resurgent tourism, the rising stock market and the economic growth of 2006 in order to strike back at Nasrallah, who sought to challenge the inexperience of his new adversaries in the Israeli leadership. Their predecessors, the generals - Sharon and Shaul Mofaz - accepted the rockets and the array of Hezbollah outposts along the border, as part of the deterrence equation in the north. Olmert isn't ready to accept this.
In closed forums, Olmert leveled criticism at his predecessors, who allowed Hezbollah to bolster its strength and consented to the balance of fear by which the IDF was not permitted to fire for fear of rocket attacks on the north. As Olmert sees it, he is now the one having to deal with the price of this failure. There are days when the state says - Enough! - he told the ministers at the end of the cabinet session, and that it mustn't fear a strike on the home front. The objective of the campaign is not the return of the abducted soldiers but "to exact a price" and reshape the deterrent balance in the north.
Those present at the meeting felt that the Chief of Staff was in a particularly combative mood. Maybe it was because of the two major military blunders of the week. The first was the missed target in the attempted bombing of the commanders of Hamas' military wing in Gaza, an operation Olmert approved despite the big risk of harming civilians. A Palestinian family was killed and the terror chiefs got away. A few hours later, Hezbollah surprised the patrol on the Lebanese border, and subsequently destroyed an IDF tank and prevented its rescue.
The ministers gave their backing to the aggressive approach - and Haim Ramon said: "If you don't bomb Hezbollah like crazy, we could cut the defense budget to 10 billion shekels." This is a sensitive point among the military officers: On Tuesday, Olmert was the guest of a forum of the general staff, and visited with air force officials, and mostly heard complaints about the budget. Even the GOC Northern Command, Udi Adam, talked about money and not about the dangers posed by Hezbollah. Interestingly, Olmert arrived for the visit to the Kirya in a suit, and not in shirtsleeves, as on his visits to the front. His alliance with Peretz, who accompanied him on the visit, also grew stronger this week.
Criticism of Olmert's policy has so far been heard only in a whisper. It focuses on the contention that his insistence on not holding negotiations about a release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, and later on for the abducted soldiers in the north, closed off the diplomatic option and left him with the F-16 and the Apache helicopters as his only tools. The problem with the military option is that it's easy to get into and very hard to get out of with honor. It's enough to look at the complications of the operation in Gaza, which so far has not brought about any change in Hamas' policy or brought Shalit's release any closer. But it appears that Olmert has another consideration, of which he is not speaking, in his decision to respond with force to the provocations in the south and north. He wants to set a precedent for the convergence plan in the West Bank and to show that Israel won't accept terror from beyond the fence after it withdraws, as it got from Lebanon and from Gaza.
The convergence
The "aftershock" of the war in Gaza was the surfacing of a debate within the ruling party about the convergence plan for the West Bank. This week, three camps emerged within the Kadima leadership. On the left were Meir Sheetrit and Shimon Peres, who oppose a unilateral withdrawal and call for an agreement with the Palestinians. To the right is Avi Dichter, who proposes evacuating the settlements and leaving the IDF in the field. In the middle are Olmert and Ministers Tzipi Livni and Haim Ramon, who advocate the convergence plan - Not unilaterally, says Olmert, but with international consent to the security border.
The controversy about the convergence plan has political causes: Kadima is entering a difficult process of maturation and institutionalization. The fresh young party, the product of Sharon's "big bang," must become organized in order to survive. People are busying themselves with registering members, with political conferences, with meetings with heads of local authorities - just as they once did in the Likud and Labor, the parties which they abandoned in disgust just a few months ago in order to found Kadima. In the background, the first hints of competition for the movement's leadership are already noticeable, just one hundred days after the party won the elections.
Sheetrit is criticizing the prime minister, and in Olmert's office, they're openly disdainful of the housing minister's "ideology." Olmert has to say that there will be a convergence. From the moment he presented the idea before the elections, the convergence plan became his political raison d'etre. He was elected to carry out the convergence, he believes that the withdrawal from most of the West Bank is vital to Israel's future, and he's known for his stubbornness. "I am totally determined to continue, in order eventually to separate from the Palestinians and to establish secure borders that will be recognized by the international community," he said on Monday at a meeting with the foreign press in Israel.
The preparations for convergence are being quietly coordinated by a committee headed by Foreign Ministry Director-General Aharon Abramovitch, under Livni's supervision. The team has already submitted its first report (numbering hundreds of pages) and meets with Olmert's aides Yoram Turbovitch and Shalom Turjeman at least once a week.
This week, the foreign minister revealed some of the conclusions. The goal of the process is to receive international recognition that the occupation has ended in the places Israel has left, Livni said Tuesday at the annual conference of the Re'ut Institute. The main test of this will be the freedom of entry and exit of the residents - a hint at the opening of the Allenby Bridge to traffic between the West Bank and Jordan, similar to the Rafah Crossing. The problem is that this could clash with Israel's security needs and the compromise, according to Livni, is "a solution that even if it is not a formal declaration of the end of the occupation, lessens (the responsibility) and also improves security."
It won't be easy to achieve: Israel wants to attain international consent to a demilitarization of the territories that are evacuated. "If we leave the army there, we won't be able to obtain a release from responsibility," the foreign minister explained.
For all the nice formulations of the Abramovitch Committee to be translated into detailed plans and actions, Olmert needs to convince the public that he has a security answer to the post-withdrawal risks, and that his leadership is up to the test.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738531.html



Russian defense minister says Hezbollah uses 'terrorist methods'
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov on Saturday warned that other nations could be drawn into the escalating Middle East conflict, which he called "a war that has begun."
Ivanov appealed to the Islamic extremist group Hezbollah to stop using "terrorist methods" and said both sides must exercise restraint.
"We call on Hezbollah to stop resorting to any terrorist methods including attacking neighboring states," Ivanov said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738183.html


Shin Bet chief met secretly with Abbas to discuss captured soldier
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Palestinian sources told Haaretz on Friday that the head of the Shin Bet security service, Yuval Diskin, met secretly with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas this week in Amman to discuss the fate of Corporal Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by Palestinian militants and taken to Gaza nearly three weeks ago.
Diskin told Abbas that Israel would release Palestinian prisoners if a exchange deal were reached with the PA, not with Hamas, the Palestinian sources said. The two also discussed the latest developments in the violent clashes in the Gaza Strip.
The meeting was held after Jordan's King Abdullah II sent Diskin an urgent request to visit the Jordanian capital.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738652.html



Divisions over Hezbollah legitimacy as Arab FMs hold emergency talks
By The Associated Press
CAIRO - Foreign ministers of 18 Arab countries held an emergency summit in Cairo on Saturday over Israel's expanding assault on Lebanon, but squabbles over the legitimacy of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel - including the capture of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers that sparked the 4-day battle - appeared likely to keep participants from reaching a consensus, delegates said.
The Saudi foreign minister appeared to be leading a camp of ministers criticizing the guerrilla group's actions, calling them "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts."
"These acts will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them," Saudi al-Faisal told his counterparts.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738698.html



Six hurt as rockets land in Tiberias, 35 km from Lebanon
By Yuval Azoulay, Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Three Katyusha rockets landed Saturday in the city of Tiberias, located 35 kilometers from the Lebanese border. A residential building suffered a direct hit, sustaining damage. The owners of the residence were abroad.
Two rockets landed adjacent to a stadium in Tiberias and near the town's Club Hotel. Six people were lightly injured from rocket shrapnel.
Authorities have asked that bathers on the coast of the Sea of Galilee evacuate the area for fear of further Katyusha attacks.
Additional rockets landed near Tiberias - in Kfar Hitim, Evron, and Abu Snan. One person suffered from shock.
Rockets also landed Carmiel, Hatzor Haglilit, Peki'in, Safed, Nahariya, and Moshav Ben-Ami, in the western Galilee.
Two rockets hit empty homes Carmeil and Safed. Another landed adjacent to Carmiel College, causing a brushfire.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=738632&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0



The Daily Star

Washington vetoes proposed UN resolution to halt offensive in Gaza strip
Stepping up attacks on the government, an Israeli helicopter fired a missile overnight into the north Gaza offices of several Hamas lawmakers, including Mushir al-Masri.
Masri's office was completely destroyed in the blast.
Masri said "all options are open" to respond to the attack. He told a rally: "We will never recognize Israel, even if we all get crushed and wiped off the face of the earth."
Israeli forces withdrew overnight from central Gaza after two days of fighting, but an army spokeswoman said: "We don't rule out the possibility of going back in."
She said the only place where Israeli ground forces remain in Gaza is in Dahaniya, in the south, near the former international airport.
Meanwhile, Egypt persuaded senior Hamas member Mohammad Nazzal to leave the country at short notice on Thursday by telling him that his life was in danger, a source close to Nazzal's delegation said.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=73993



Legal loopholes spur rising numbers of working children in Syria
DAMASCUS: While most other children were spending their time racing around in school playgrounds, Rida Sarsawe was earning a living for his family by working as a carpenter. "I left school five years ago," said the 14-year-old from Hagar Aswad, an impoverished suburb south of Damascus.
"My parents didn't give me any money for books, so I started working," he explained
Rida may earn up to $10 a day as a craftsman, but he is also breaking Syrian law, which requires that children stay in school - and not enter the job market - until they are 15 years old. But in a country with an estimated 600,000 working children between 10 and 17, local activists say laws aimed at protecting children's rights are not being implemented.
"There's a contradiction in Syrian law," said Souad Kobbai, a member of the Human Rights Organization in Syria.
"The reformed child labor law prevents children from working until they are 15, but the basic Syrian labor law kept the minimum work age at 12," she asaid. "This is a legal loophole that must be closed."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=73972



Global energy body says OPEC can keep up with rising demand
New Investment will increase production
PARIS: World demand for oil will rise at about 2 percent a year for the next five years, but OPEC countries are leading an expansion of production that will replenish a supply safety cushion, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday. Investment by OPEC will increase the crude production capacity of the 11 countries belonging to the cartel by 10 percent from 2006 to 2011, with production of natural gas liquids set to increase by 44 percent. These increases, coupled with rising output from non-OPEC countries, will mean that growth in oil supplies outstrip growth in demand every year until 2010, adding vital spare production capacity to the global oil system.
A lack of spare capacity has been one of the key drivers of rising prices in the last 12 months. Spare capacity acts as a safety cushion by enabling OPEC to increase production in the event of disruption to supplies from an oil producing country. The assessments were published in two reports by the IEA, one being the regular monthly assessment of the oil market and the other a medium-term outlook.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73906



GCC plans baby step toward monetary union
RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council general secretariat in Riyadh is expected to announce a proposal making it mandatory for all stores to attach price tags to consumer goods in all six currencies of the member states. The step is meant to remind the public and commercial establishments of the project of the unified Gulf currency, which is expected to be functional in 2010.
Mohammad bin Obaid al- Mazroui, assistant GCC secretary general for economic affairs, said that "slthough this plan has been reviewed, the monetary authority will not immediately withdraw the member states' currencies on the launching of the new currency, but will be withdrawn in stages. In the first stage, prices of the products in member states will be given in their currencies along with the unified currency. This serves as an orientation period."
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73908



Saudi British Bank's first-half profits up by over 50 percent
RIYADH: Saudi British Bank (SABB) said Tuesday that its first-half net profit rose by 50.8 percent to SR1.809 billion ($482 million) compared to the same period of 2005. SABB recorded a net profit of SR1,200 million ($320 million) in the first half of 2005. Earnings per share increased to SR4.82 ($1.29) compared to SR3.20 ($0.85) for the same period last year.
Earnings per share for the half year ended June 30 have been adjusted to reflect a 1:2 bonus issue approved at the annual general meeting held on March 21 and a 5:1 share split effective April 8, 2006.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73895



Gulf region will ride energy boom to new heights
The economies of the Gulf region continue to exhibit signs of strong growth despite the sizeable drop in share prices in the first half of the year and the recent uptrend in short term interest rates. After growing at an average of around 8.5 percent in 2003, 5.9 percent in 2004 and 6.8 percent in 2005, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the region is forecast to grow at a healthy 6 percent this year. The UAE is believed to have recorded the highest real GDP growth last year at 8.5 percent, followed by Qatar's 8 percent, Saudi Arabia's 6.8 percent, Kuwait's 6.5 percent, Bahrain's 6.2 percent and Oman's 4.5 percent.
The index of the GCC stock markets dropped by around 28 percent since the beginning of the year and by more than 50 percent from the peak attained in late 2005. In other international stock markets the losses incurred following the burst of stock market bubbles came to an end within a year. For example, America's NASDAQ dropped by 59 percent from its peak in the first year after the bubble was burst before stabilizing. The Hang Seng index of the Hong Kong stock market was down 58 percent within a year of reaching its peak before establishing a new base. We expect the region's stock markets to reach the trough of their current down cycle later this year. However, the uptrend that is likely to follow will not be anywhere close to the boom conditions seen in 2003-2005.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73866



Egypt eases restrictions on poultry ahead of Ramadan
CAIRO: Egypt eased restrictions on poultry imports imposed amid the bird flu crisis this week, among a raft of measures aimed at lowering the retail price of food ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. "Whole frozen poultry, frozen eggs and egg powder will be off the list of banned imports," Foreign Trade and Industry Minister Rashid Mohammad Rashid told Egypt's official Middle East News Agency on Tuesday.
The retail price of meat and fish had doubled following the imposition of the import ban. Rashid also announced that import duties on fish and frozen meats, including poultry, would be lifted from mid-July until December 31.
"These decisions are aimed at enabling the poultry industry to eventually be fully functional while providing citizens with their meat, fish and dairy needs at reasonable prices in the run-up to the month of Ramadan," said Rashid.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73907



Sex, flats and things that roll: Craiglist site adds Beirut to searchable cities
BEIRUT: Jean-Yves Carpanese needs a four-bedroom apartment in Achrafieh. He also needs a convertible. Although the 47-year-old French native, who currently lives in Portland, Oregon, has a few Lebanese connections, the first address he visited was not in Lebanon but on the Web.
Mohammad Fares wants to sell his Dell laptop. Fares recently returned to Beirut from Chicago, and to offload his computer he turned to the site that has, over the last two years, helped him find a job, get a date and sell his stuff. Like Carpanese, Fares turned to Craigslist.
Finding a place to stay, a car, a job and or even a love interest is now just a quick click away, as Craigslist - the renowned online clearinghouse for job and housing searches, social networking and a variety of transactions large and small - has launched a site devoted to Beirut.
"I usually find what I am looking for. It is a powerful service for human resources," says Carpanese when contacted for an email interview with The Daily Star. Over the last three years, he has used Craigslist sites in Paris and Portland to help him find a home for his family.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&Article_id=73869



Nasrallah has dismissed international law
By Chibli Mallat
Commentary by
Friday, July 14, 2006
The worst, inevitable scenario has taken place. The domestic deadlock in Lebanon has now taken on an international dimension as a result of the Cedar Revolution's failing to produce a president who would have started a new dynamic of peace in Lebanon, and by extension in the region.
If that was the inevitable part, the worst one comes from the terms chosen by Hizbullah's leadership Wednesday after its forces crossed the Israeli-Lebanese border to kidnap two Israeli soldiers. In his news conference, the party's secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, dismissed international law. Such dismissal will come to haunt us all, including Hizbullah's top cadres, because respect for international law is the one differentiating characteristic that Lebanon, as a small country, has managed to retain in a lawless region. For years it stuck to the legitimacy of United Nations Security Council Resolution 425, and today it seeks to establish a mixed Lebanese-international tribunal to put on trial those responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
As defined by the Security Council, one consequence was particularly grave in the way Hizbullah crossed the Lebanese-Israeli border. As it did with Hamas, whose leadership it has callously decapitated in Palestinian areas during the past three years, Israel will want to go after Lebanese leaders, and neither Europe nor the US will stand in the way of such a vengeful path as the violence spins out of control.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=73940



Syria Times

President reviews Palestine, Iraq situations with AL chief
President Bashar al-Assads meeting with Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amre Moussa yesterday morning at al-Rawda Palace concentrated on the latest developments in the Palestinian arena, and ongoing efforts and consultations to rid the Palestinian people of the suffering and stop the continued Israeli aggression on them.
SyriaTimes ‏
first ‏
11-7-2006 ‏
summary: President Bashar al-Assads meeting with Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amre Moussa yesterday morning at al-Rawda Palace concentrated on the latest developments in the Palestinian arena, and ongoing efforts and consultations to rid the Palestinian people of the suffering and stop the continued Israeli aggression on them. ‏
http://syriatimes.tishreen.info/_default.asp?FileName=48065476020060711181744



Israeli aggression has never stopped, says Meshaal
Head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian national resistance Movement of Hamas Khaled Mashaal, yesterday said that the Israeli terrorist aggression did not come in retaliation to the operation in which an Israeli soldier was captured, because the Israeli aggression has never stopped before and after the operation.
DAMASCUS ‏
SyriaTimes ‏
first ‏
11-7-2006 ‏
summary: Head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian national resistance Movement of Hamas Khaled Mashaal, yesterday said that the Israeli terrorist aggression did not come in retaliation to the operation in which an Israeli soldier was captured, because the Israeli aggression has never stopped before and after the operation. ‏

http://syriatimes.tishreen.info/_default.asp?FileName=48065476020060711181659



2 Palestinian fighters killed in Israeli strike
Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a car in southern Gaza on Monday, killing two Islamic Jihad fighters, hospital officials and members of the group said. Israel confirmed it launched an airstrike, but did not say who was targeted.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip ‏
SyriaTimes ‏
first ‏
11-7-2006 ‏
summary: Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a car in southern Gaza on Monday, killing two Islamic Jihad fighters, hospital officials and members of the group said. Israel confirmed it launched an airstrike, but did not say who was targeted. ‏
Islamic Jihad said two of its members were killed en route to an attack against Israel. ‏
The car was hit in the village of Abassan in southern Gaza, hospital officials said.

http://syriatimes.tishreen.info/_default.asp?FileName=48065476020060711181630



Damascus march in solidarity with the Palestinian people
Damascus City witnessed yesterday a huge mass march, with the participation of intellectuals, economic, popular, religious and civil activists, peopleصs organizations, trade and vocational unions, workers, farmers, youth, women and students.
SyriaTimes ‏
first ‏
11-7-2006 ‏
summary: Damascus City witnessed yesterday a huge mass march, with the participation of intellectuals, economic, popular, religious and civil activists, peopleصs organizations, trade and vocational unions, workers, farmers, youth, women and students. ‏
The march was organized to express solidarity with the Palestinian peopleصs steadfastness in the face of the ongoing barbaric Israeli aggression. ‏

http://syriatimes.tishreen.info/_default.asp?FileName=48065476020060711181549



British MP George Galloway opens up to Syria Times.Exclusive interview by Mohammad Agha – Editor-in-Chief
Syria the last castle of Arab dignity and Arab rights‏
7-8-2005‏ ‏
summary: Syria the last castle of Arab dignity and Arab rights ‏
summary: Syria the last castle of Arab dignity and Arab rights‏ ‏
The US can control the skies, but not a single Arab street‏ ‏
The Americans guarded by the British killed thousands of people in Falluja‏ ‏
Lebanon should not be allowed to be used as a knife in Syria`s back‏ ‏
I was very impressed by‏ ‏
‏Editor`s remark: A day before this interview was made (31st of Jluy), Mr. Galloway delivered a lecture at al-Assad Library on " Justice in the New World Order!".‏ ‏
‏*Mr. George Galloway, first of all, we`d like to express our appreciation for your honest and honourable attitudes as a friend and supporter of just causes of the Arab people and of all peoples in the world and as a freedom fighter , as a type and example to follow not only as individual.‏ ‏
--Thank you. I have the honour to be described as a freedom fighter. In my latest book which is called " I`m Not the Only One", I dedicated the book to each and every underdog soldier in the night; and this is a dedication to the freedom fighters of the poor, who are soldiers in the night fighting for every one. ‏ ‏

http://syriatimes.tishreen.info/_default.asp?FileName=79783973120050807145803



Iran won`t give final nuclear response today
Iran will not answer at a meeting this week to a package of proposals backed by six world powers that aims to end a nuclear standoff with the West, an Iranian nuclear official said on Monday.
SyriaTimes ‏
first ‏
11-7-2006 ‏
summary: Iran will not answer at a meeting this week to a package of proposals backed by six world powers that aims to end a nuclear standoff with the West, an Iranian nuclear official said on Monday. ‏
Iranian chief nuclear egotiator Ali Larijani meets European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana today, when the EU has said it wants a "substantial response" to the offer. ‏

http://syriatimes.tishreen.info/_default.asp?FileName=48065476020060711181525



Arab News

With Battle Raging, Saudis Seek Ways to Leave Lebanon
Lulwa Shalhoub & Raid Qusti, Arab News
DAMASCUS/RIYADH, 15 July 2006 — Saudi tourists have been forced to look for alternative ways to leave Lebanon and enter Syria following the Israeli bombing of the main highway running between Beirut and Damascus in the Dahr Al-Baidar region of Lebanon early yesterday morning.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah gave directives to the Saudi Embassy in Beirut to help Saudi nationals evacuate the city by finding them necessary transportation at the government’s expense.
The embassy has provided several buses for Saudi families for transit to Syria. Saudi Ambassador in Beirut Abdul Aziz Khawjah said yesterday that buses were leaving the embassy grounds every half hour.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=85364&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Nasrallah Escapes Assassination Bid
Agencies
BEIRUT, 15 July 2006 — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah declared “open war” against Israel yesterday after emerging unscathed from an Israeli airstrike on his home and office in the Lebanese capital.
“You wanted an open war, you will get an open war,” Nasrallah said in a defiant audio message after the evening raid, the latest salvo in an escalating Israeli air campaign against Lebanon over Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers on Wednesday.
“It will be war at all levels... to Haifa, and beyond Haifa,” Nasrallah said, referring to Israel’s third largest city which commanders there said came under unprecedented rocket fire from Lebanon on Thursday.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=85398&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Israel Presses On With Gaza Strip Air Assault
Hisham Abu Taha, Arab News
GAZA CITY, 15 July 2006 — Reprieved by the US in the UN Security Council on Thursday, Israel yesterday pressed ahead with its Gaza air assault in a bid to retrieve a captured soldier and stop rocket attacks. Meanwhile, the pullback of some ground troops from Gaza was seen by Palestinians as the sign of a reduction in aggression.
Also yesterday, Palestinians blew a hole in a wall on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, allowing 500 people who had been stranded owing to closures related to the assault to cross into the territory.
Gunmen, believed to be from the armed wing of the governing Palestinian movement Hamas, blew a hole in the wall around 70 meters from the Rafah border terminal, allowing hundreds of travelers into Gaza, witnesses said.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=85399&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Manmohan Points Finger at Pakistan
Shahid Raza Burney, Arab News
BOMBAY, 15 July 2006 — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday blamed Pakistan for the Bombay train bombings and alleged that the attackers had support “from across the border.” Addressing a crowded press conference at the airport at the end of his visit, Manmohan warned that the peace process with Pakistan could be harmed.
The premier, on his first visit to Bombay since the blasts that killed 200 and injured over 700, warned that the peace process would struggle to advance unless Pakistan cracked down on militants operating from its soil.
“The terrorists were supported by elements across the border without which they cannot hit with such effect,” Manmohan said.
“I explained to the government of Pakistan ... that if such acts of terrorism are not controlled, it is exceedingly difficult for any government to carry forward what may be called the normalization of relations and the peace process,” he said.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=85400&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Terrorism Has No Religion, Say Bombay Muslims
Arab News
BOMBAY, 15 July 2006 — For the first time in Bombay’s history, Muslim religious leaders representing virtually every sect came together on Thursday evening to condemn the serial bomb blasts in the city as a “barbaric”, “inhuman” and “cowardly” act.
“We teach in our madrassas that you have to be a decent human being first before you can call yourself a Muslim. How can an act which is inhuman ever be considered to be Islamic?” said Maulana Gulzar Azmi, national council member of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind.
“We are one with all citizens of Bombay and the country in condemning such wanton acts of terror, expressing our solidarity with the family members of the victims and we share their grief and sorrow,” said Maulana Mustaqim Azmi, member, Ulema Council.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=85354&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Israeli Terror Bombing Revives Painful Memories
Siraj Wahab, Arab News
JEDDAH, 15 July 2006 — Friday is usually the quietest day of the week in Jeddah, as people direct their energies to prayer and their families, but this day was more solemn than most as a sense of foreboding seemed to grab hold of the city with news spreading about the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the widening conflict in the Middle East.
Newspapers were selling quickly as Saudis sought more information about Lebanon’s plunge back into war.
Almost all the Arabic newspapers ran banner headlines with heart-rending photographs of the victims of the Israeli bombardment.
“Lebanon in Flames,” screamed Okaz Arabic daily, “Israel Strangles Lebanon,” reported Al-Jazirah. “Israel Tightens Siege of Lebanon,” said Asharq Al-Awsat, which also highlighted a statement by the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt blasting Hezbollah for escalating tensions in the region. “Hezbollah Operation Whets Israeli Appetite for War, Hostilities,” wrote Al-Eqtisadiah.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=85353&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Women Shoura Consultants: Profound Progress or Baby Steps?
Maha Akeel, Arab News
JEDDAH, 15 July 2006 — The recent appointment of six women as part-time consultants in the Shoura Council and as the Kingdom’s representatives in women’s conferences abroad could be a step toward a larger role for women’s participation in the council, said the vice president of the Shoura Council, the Kingdom’s unelected consultative body.
However, many women who have been calling for the inclusion of women as members in the council, especially in light of religious texts supporting this right, say the move falls far short of what they ultimately desire.
The six women have been selected by the president of the council to advise on issues concerning women and to represent Saudi Arabia in conferences abroad, such as the Women Parliamentarians’ Regional Conference held last week in Bahrain. The appointments have reignited the debate about women’s participation in the Shoura Council.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=85402&d=15&m=7&y=2006



Afflicted by a Heat Wave
Tariq A. Al-Maeena, close_encounters@gawab.com
As we shift into the peak of the summer months and vacation time, it is understandable to assume that just about everybody has brushed away pending matters on their desks and taken time off for rest and recreation. However, when it comes to our friends in the civil sector, nothing apparently has changed.
Having stated for so long that in my modest opinion some of our local public service bureaus are on an eternal holiday away from their responsibilities, I am once again not disillusioned at the status quo. But the question I often end up asking myself is: Why are these public servants on holiday during summer months when it seems all year long they are enjoying similar liberties?
Perhaps the difference is that during the summer months, public servants actually get to board an aircraft and depart to some exotic destination with the singular purpose of doing nothing but relax, whereas during the rest of the year they stay at their desks, do very little, and remain relaxed.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=85370&d=15&m=7&y=2006

continued ...