Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 09/04/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Sunday9thApril 2006 - 10th Rabi' al-Awwal 1427 Fresh bomb targets Iraq's Shias A car bomb has killed at least six people, most of them pilgrims, in a mainly Shia town south of Baghdad. The blast in Musayyib came as funerals were held in Baghdad for the 90 people killed when suicide bombers attacked an important Shia mosque in the city. Meanwhile, the Egyptian president said the violence amounts to a civil war, and warned the conflict threatened to spread beyond the country's borders. The situation could deteriorate further if US troops withdrew, Hosni Mubarak said in an interview on satellite television station al-Arabiya. As the bomb attacks on Shia communities continued, the leader of Iraq's largest Shia grouping issued a fresh plea for peaceful co-existence, and said the attacks were aimed at stopping efforts to form a government of national unity. Six die in new Israeli air strike Six innocent Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air strike in the town of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. It follows a series of attacks in the region, including an Israeli missile strike on a car on Saturday which left at least two dead and two wounded. Six Palestinians were also killed on Friday by Israeli forces in Gaza. The Zionist military claimed Saturday's second attack had targeted a camp used by militants associated with the Fatah resistance group. On Friday five people and a child died outside a militant training camp near Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, in the biggest attack since the Hamas militant group formed a new government. The boy killed had been travelling in a car with his father, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. EU to stand firm on Palestinian aid suspensionThe European Union is expected Monday to approve a decision to suspend Palestinian aid, rejecting Hamas claim that its cash-strapped government is being blackmailed by Europe and Washington. The 25-nation bloc, whose foreign ministers will discuss the standoff in Luxembourg, insists it cannot fund the resistance group until it renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and abides by past agreements with Palestinians. The EU - the biggest donor of aid to the Palestinians - announced Friday the suspension of direct aid by its executive Commission to the Palestinian Authority, after a Hamas-led government took office last month. The EU move was followed within hours by a similar announcement by the US State Department, in a clearly coordinated effort to increase pressure on Hamas after its shock January election win. Iran-US talks postponed: officialTalks between Iran and the United States on Iraq will not take place next week as indicated by earlier reports, Iranian officials said on Saturday. "These talks are not being held in the current (Iranian) week (starting Saturday)," an unnamed source in the Iranian embassy in Baghdad said. "But Iran-US talks about Iraqs issues will certainly take place at the right time and under certain conditions," the source added, without giving further details. On Thursday, an unnamed official at the embassy had said that the talks would probably take place in Baghdad next week. Any direct meeting would mark a break in a near three-decade pause in direct contacts between US and Iranian officials following the countrys 1979 Islamic revolution, despite heightened tensions due to the standoff over Irans nuclear programme. Iraqi prisoners vanishing in 'black hole': Blair envoyIraqis arrested by US-led forces have been vanishing into a 'black hole', British Prime Minister Tony Blairs human rights envoy told a Sunday newspaper. Had the United States taken this problem seriously from the beginning, it may have helped prevent the abuse of prisoners in Iraq, Ann Clwyd, an MP for the governing Labour Party, told The Observer newspaper in a rare interview about her work. Clwyd, who reports directly to Blair, expressed concern about the 'tremendous effort' required to trace detainees. Europes imams hunt for new theology of integrationImagine a style of Islam taking root in Europe in which mosques linked up with churches to share ideas on spirituality and Muslim scholars founded new schools of thought specifically on how to understand and appreciate life in the West. Thats what Muslim leaders from across Europe described on Saturday as part of broad visions that touched on everything from traditions of Islamic law to lesson plans for school children - all aiming toward the goal of seeking a clear European Muslim identity that retains traditions but does not clash with Western values. Some speakers even gave it a name: the 'theology of integration'. But - in quieter tones at a conference on Islams future in Europe - there was agreement that any significant changes are still a long way off for Europes 33 million Mus
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 07/04/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Friday7thApril 2006 - 8th Rabi' al-Awwal 1427 Israel arrests Palestinian ministerThe Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs in the Hamas-led government was arrested by Israeli security on Thursday on the outskirts of the holy city, Hamas and police sources said. Khaled Abu Arafeh was released from a police station in the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim more than five hours after he was detained at a checkpoint at the entrance to al Azaria, a suburb of east Jerusalem which Israel claims is part of the occupied West Bank. Israeli police had accused the minister of 'illegally entering an area under Palestinian control'. Witnesses said police had manhandled Abu Arafeh out of the car he was travelling in with two other people before bundling him into a jeep. His bodyguard was also briefly detained and later released. Hindu-Muslim riot leaves two dead in north IndiaTwo people were killed and several injured yesterday when groups of Hindus and Muslims clashed over prayers at a Hindu temple, officials said. The rioting erupted in a crowded neighbourhood of Aligarh town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh after Muslims objected to the use of loudspeakers overnight by Hindus, who were celebrating the birthday of the Hindu god-king, Rama. Knives, bricks and bamboo sticks were used in the fighting, and police reported gunshots being fired. Eight of the injured were in a critical condition, officials said. Aligarh, which has a large Muslim population, has seen frequent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the past. Eighteen people were killed and dozens were injured last month by bomb blasts in Uttar Pradesh. Pakistan says 40 rebels killed by security forcesPakistani authorities said on Thursday that up to 40 rebels were killed by security forces in clashes a day earlier in a remote tribal region near the Afghanistan border. After a major operation on Wednesday in North Waziristan tribal district, the military had said at least 16 rebels were killed and 19 captured. The army backed by gunship helicopters went into action in the Shawal region of North Waziristan after rebels attacked a security post with rockets, killing three soldiers. Another soldier died in the ensuing clashes. The army said Wednesday that eight bodies had been recovered in that incident and that another eight were either buried or taken away by fleeing rebels. Jaafari says will resign if parliament demandsIraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, facing a growing chorus of calls for his resignation, yesterday reiterated his refusal to step aside unless asked to do so by parliament. "I will stick to the result of the democratic process and reject any bargaining over it," he told journalists, but added: "If parlimament asks me to withdraw then I will." Jaafaris nomination has been the chief obstacle to efforts to form a unity government over three months after landmark parliamentary elections. In recent days a number of Shiites have joined Iraqs Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders in demanding that Jaafari withdraw his nomination as prime minister. They accuse Jaafari of failing to stop the killings that have left hundreds dead in recent weeks. 15 dead in car bomb inNajafA car bomb exploded near a sacred Shia shrine in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf on Thursday, killing at least 15 people, police said. A witness said he saw 10 bodies and body parts on the ground a few hundred metres from the Imam Ali shrine, which is sacred to Shias around the world. The blast came at a highly sensitive time when Iraqi leaders are struggling to form a government four months after parliamentary elections, raising fears that the deepening political vacuum will fuel sectarian violence. The West is using such terror acts to put pressure on Prime Minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari to step down. Some witnesses reports that have been overlooked by western media point to the fact that those who carry out these bombings and executions are foreign merceneries dressed in Arab clothing with the aim of instigating civil war in Iraq. Rights group urges Libya to free 18 Arab political inmatesA Syrian human rights group yesterday appealed to Libya to free 18 Arab political detainees languishing in jail since 1990 on charges of trying to overthrow Moamer Kadhafis regime. "The Libyan government recently freed political detainees but it continues to deliberately disregard the situation of dozens of Syrian and Palestinian prisoners of conscience who have been in jail since 1990," the Syrian Organization for Human Rights said in a statement. The group was referring to a decision by Libya in early March to release all 84 jailed members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement held since the late 1990s. The rights groups president said 15 of those in jail are Palestinians and three are Syrians. All are accused of
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 05/04/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Wednesday5thApril 2006 - 6th Rabi' al-Awwal 1427 Bombs in Baghdad kill at least 12A car bomb exploded yesterday in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 10 and wounding 28, police said. Another blast killed a woman and two of her young sons in the capital, officials added. The car bomb went off in the poor, mostly Shia area of Habibiyah, and damaged several cars and nearby sandwich stands, police said. In New Baghdad, bombing hit shortly after 7 am, killing the woman and two boys, ages 9 and 12. A third son, aged 13, was wounded, as were two brothers of a different family living in the same home, police said. Meanwhile, assailants gunned down a judge driving in eastern Baghdad and killed a receptionist who worked at the UAE Embassy and his friend as they were leaving the embassy in Mansour. In southern Iraq, gunmen killed a policeman and wounded another as the two were driving in the city of Basra, police said. Iran, US "to begin direct talks on Iraq in a week"Tehran and Washington will open direct talks over Iraq by early next week in Baghdad, ISNA news agency reported yesterday. The United States and Iran expressed willingness last month to hold talks about Iraq. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki termed the scheduled talks an opportunity for Iran, and a challenge for the US. For the first time in 27 years, Iran last month put direct talks with its political arch-enemy on the official agenda of the SNSC, which is the highest decision-making body in Iran. Ali Larijani, the secretary of the SNSC, said Iran always wanted a stable Iraq and was willing to meet with the US to help achieve that goal. Previous negotiations between the two states were either held indirectly through interest groups in Tehran and Washington, or on an informal basis. Hamas FM says ready to live 'side by side' with neighboursThe Hamas-led Palestinian government is ready to live side by side with its neighbours, the foreign minister said in a letter to the UN Secretary General on Tuesday that referred to a 'two state resolution' for the Mideast conflict. "We are looking for freedom and independence side by side with our neighbours and we are ready for serious discussions with the quartet," said a copy of the letter addressed to UN chief Kofi Annan. The quartet of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States, are the sponsors of the stalled Middle East peace process and the drafters of the roadmap seeking to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel. "Israeli procedures in the occupied territories will put an end to all hopes to reach a final and peaceful settlement based on the two-state resolution," the letter continued. Irantests flying boat in Gulf wargamesIran yesterday successfully tested a super-modern flying boat in Persian Gulf waters, state television said. The futuristic boat was tested during an ongoing massive wargame which Iran has launched on Friday. The military boat was designed locally by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. The high-speed boat which has a rare maneuvering power is capable of missions everywhere in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. The radar-evading flyer has such a design that it capably embarks on different missile firing with a highly accurate aiming, even on move. The domestically-built boat has been made by experts of Iran's Ministry of Defence. Iraq, Jordan sign UN-backed audit agreementIraq has signed a UN-sponsored agreement with the Audit Board of Jordan in a 'much-needed step' to modernise the fight against corruption, the UN Developent Programme (UNDP) said in a statement on Tuesday. The UNDP described the agreement as a 'landmark' scheme and said it would improve Iraqs audit bureau in its efforts to combat allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement. The project worth 4.8 million dollars is brokered and financed by UNDP-Iraq through international funding and will take 18 months to be completed, the statement said. In line with the agreement Jordan will train Iraqi auditors in dealing with money laundering, fraud detection, public procurement and privatisation. Reports of widespread corruption have gripped Iraqs post-war authorities, particularly in the multi-billion reconstruction drive across the country. Bahrain charges boat captain with manslaughterBahrain said on Tuesday it had charged with manslaughter the captain of a cruise boat that capsized off its coast last week, killing 58 passengers, and detained its owner. The owner of the twin-decked boat, which officials say was not licensed to sail, was ordered detained for seven days for questioning. Prosecutors said the captain and his assistant had been charged with manslaughter and other offences. Organisers of the dinner cruise told officials the captain told them the vessel could carry 200 passengers. The traditiona
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 03/04/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Monday3rdApril 2006 - 4th Rabi' al-Awwal 1427 Iran successfully test-fires new high-speed torpedoIran conducted its second major test of a new missile within days, firing a high-speed torpedo that it said no submarine or warship can escape and boasting of its strength at a time of increased tensions with the US over its nuclear program. The tests Sunday came during war games that Irans elite Revolutionary Guards have been holding in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea since Friday. The new torpedo, called "Hoot", or 'whale', is the fastest known underwater-missile moving at 360 kilometers per hour (223 miles per hour) - too fast for any vessel to elude. The new weapon gives Iran superiority against any warship in the region, a Navy spokesperson said, in a veiled reference to US vessels in the Gulf. It was not immediately clear whether the torpedo can carry a nuclear warhead. Militants kill 5 policemen in southern Afghan attackSuspected Taleban militants shot dead five policemen and wounded three others in southern Afghanistan. The policemen were attacked on Sunday by four gunmen on two motorcycles in Charbagh, a southwestern residential neighborhood of Kandahar. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to talk to the media. A purported Taleban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier Sunday, an official said a Taleban rebel posing as a traveler shot dead four policemen as they slept at a remote checkpoint late Friday in the southern Helmand province. Taleban insurgents have stepped up attacks on Afghanistans fledgling police recently, and a series of ambushes in the neighboring provinces of Helmand and Kandahar has seen scores of officers killed. Four reported dead in fresh Kurdish riots in TurkeyA molotov cocktail attack set ablaze a bus in Istanbul late Sunday, resulting in three deaths, as Kurdish riots rattling southeast Turkey for six days spead to the west. Another person was killed in clashes in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, bringing the death toll from a week of violence to 12. A group of protestors hurled a molotov cocktail onto a bus in Istanbuls Bagcilar suburb and an elderly woman who got off in panic from the burning vehicle was hit by a car in the street, dying in hospital. Two more bodies were recovered after police removed the wreckage of the bus, which crashed into a truck while maneuvering to escape the hit. A fourth person, a 22-year-old Kurdish man, was killed by gunfire in the southeastern town of Kiziltepe, near the Syrian border, where street battles between rioters and the police flared for a second day in row. Gunmen blow up mosque north of BaghdadGunmen blew up a small Shia mosque northeast of Baghdad on Sunday. In Baqouba, 55 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, unidentified gunmen planted explosives around the small Guba mosque and blew it up, police said. No casualties were reported. Meanwhile, police reported the discovery of nearly 40 more bodies in several neighbourhoods of Baghdad. The continued violence put more pressure on Iraqi politicians to form a new government to quell the killings and halt what the west claims are 'sectarian death squads'. Dozens of corpses in Baghdad were found on Saturday in several neighbourhoods including Sadr City, Dora, Baiyaa, Amariyah and Obeidi, according to the police. They were all handcuffed, and had been shot in the head or chest. Rights activist sentenced to five years prison in SyriaA researcher and a human rights activist was sentenced on Sunday by Syrias State Security Court to five years in prison on charges of disseminating false information, inciting sectarian riots and forming a secret organization, a human rights activist said. Riyadh Darar, a human rights activist, was arrested last June after delivering a speech during the funeral of a Kurdish Sheikh, Ammar Qurabi. No comment was available from Syrian officials, who routinely decline to comment on such reports. Since taking office in July 2000, President Bashar Assad has released hundreds of political prisoners, but also clamped down on pro-democracy activists. Quartet meets in Jordan to discuss aid to PalestiniansThe 'Quartet', held an envoy-level meeting on Sunday to discuss the future of world economic aid to the Palestinians after a Hamas-led government took up responsibilities in the West Bank and the Gaza strip. The meeting focused on means of ensuring humanitarian aid to the Palestinians without giving money directly to the Hamas government led by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The Quartet comprises of the US, EU, Russia and the UN. The United States and the European Union have stated their intention to withhold financial aid from the Hamas government unless the resistance group recognizes Israel and renounces violence. During the meeting, latest de
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 31/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Friday 31thMarch 2006 - 1st Rabi' al-Awwal 1427 al-Sistani ignores Bush letterA letter from President Bush to Iraq's supreme Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatullah Ali al-Sistani, was hand-delivered earlier this week but sits unread and untranslated in the top religious figure's office, a key Sistani aide said yesterday. The aide said the ayatullah had laid the letter aside and did not ask for a translation because of increasing 'unhappiness' over American meddling in Iraqi attempts to form their first, permanent post-invasion government. The aide said the person who delivered the Bush letter said it carried Bush's thanks (sic) to al-Sistani for calling for calm among his followers in preventing the outbreak of civil war after a Shiite shrine was bombed late last month. The messenger also was said to have explained that the letter reinforced the American position that Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari should not be given a second term. Iran prepared for possible sanctionsIran is prepared for possible sanctions over its nuclear program, even though its government believes such an eventuality is highly unlikely, the countrys foreign minister said yesterday. The UN Security Council has given Iran 30 days to clear up suspicions that it is seeking nuclear weapons, and it could eventually impose economic sanctions, though Russia and China say they oppose such tough measures. "We have readied ourselves to deal with different conditions," Irans Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters in Geneva. Western countries have refused to rule out sanctions against Iran and US officials have said the threat of military action must also remain on the table. Tourists die in Bahrain boat disaster A tourist ferry carrying more than 130 people capsized and sank off the coast of Bahrain and at least 48 bodies have so far been recovered, officials said. The Bahraini coastguard commander told a news conference that 63 people had so far been rescued. He said most of those on board the boat were Asians, but passengers also included Europeans and Arabs. Initial reports suggested around 25 Britons, 20 Filipinos, 10 South Africans and 10 Egyptians were among those on board. Officials said the boat had been hired by a local contracting company for a cruise. Organisers said around 150 people had signed up for a dinner cruise but around 130 were believed to have been on board when the boat sank on Thursday night, around 1.5km off the coast. Pirates seize tanker off SomaliaSomali pirates have hijacked a fuel tanker 150km north of Mogadishu, according to port officials. The ship had just offloaded a cargo of fuel and had left El Ade port - a site seized by fighters with an alliance to regional commanders who killed at least 70 people last week. Somalia's lawless Indian Ocean waters are among the world's most dangerous. Crafts plying the waters often are attacked by armed men in heavily armed speedboats who demand ransom for the return of the ship or cargo, which often ends up being stolen. The piracy has often stopped food aid getting into the poor country. Sailors have been held for as long as 100 days and a cruise ship with more than 300 on board was attacked with rockets and machine guns last year. Saudis angry over US visa proceduresSaudi businessmen have objected to the Riyadh US embassys negligence of their applications for visa. No one respond to their inquiries about interviews schedules essential for visa issuance. The problem was raised in the Riyadh Commercial Chamber last Sunday during a meeting with a delegation of Illinois businessmen. Despite close relations with American officials in the US embassy in Riyadh and Washington, it is not easy for a number of renowned Saudi businessmen to get visa due to the set procedures. The US embassy in Riyadh specified a telephone number for replying to inquiries. Yet, no one replies. Kurds clash with Turkish police Thousands of Kurdish protesters lobbed stones and Molotov cocktails at Turkish police yesterday, in the third day of street battles in which three people have been killed and more than 250 others wounded. The fresh fighting erupted during funerals for two young men and an eight-year-old boy killed during Wednesday's clashes in Diyarbakir, the main city of Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast. The boy and one man were shot dead. The other man was crushed under a police armoured car. Some mourners, ignoring appeals for calm from local officials, attacked a police station. Police fired warning shots into the air with AK-47 assault rifles and sprayed tear gas. In Diyarbakir, a city of nearly one million, most shops and offices remained shut on Thursday and roads were blocked by barricades of burning tyres. The army deployed armoured vehicles in suburbs to discourage protesters. Danish Muslims sue newspaper A g
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 29/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Wednesday 29thMarch 2006 - 28thSafar 1427 US envoy 'calls for new Iraqi PM' The US ambassador to Iraq has told Shia leaders that the US government does not want Ibrahim Jaafari to remain prime minister. He said President Bush "doesn't want, doesn't support, doesn't accept" the retention of Mr Jaafari. The Iraqi PM's spokesman accused the US of trying to subvert Iraqi sovereignty. The Shia United Iraqi Alliance chose Mr Jaafari as its candidate in February after winning December's election. Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties had previously rejected the UIA's nomination and threatened to boycott a national unity government. The US ambassador had passed on his government's dissatisfaction with Mr Jaafari at a meeting with the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim. Bomb attack on Pakistan marketA bomb has killed a policeman and injured 16 civilians in Peshawar hours after the US consulate in the northwestern Pakistani city closed due to a security threat. Officials said a time bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded in the crowded Khyber bazaar in central Peshawar yesterday. The city's chief of police said the blast happened as the city was on high alert after threats to the US consulate. "It was a time bomb which exploded when the market was full of customers," Rehman said. "One policeman who was passing by was killed and 16 other people were hurt. A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad said earlier that the Peshawar consulate had closed "because of information about a specific and credible threat". 19 Iraqis kidnappedGunmen dressed as police kidnapped 19 people working for a money changer and two household appliance shops in Baghdad on Tuesday, police said. The abductions happened in three separate areas in northern and central Baghdad. It was not immediately clear whether the three incidents were related. On Monday, gunmen also kidnapped 16 employees of Baghdad trading company Al Saeed Import Export in the upscale Mansour district of the capital. Kidnappings have become a common occurence in Iraq and the US forces have been shown to have a hand in such incidences which are perpetrated to stir up unrest and civil war. Bashir warns he will not accept deployment of foreign troopsArab leaders gathered yesterday at a summit focused on mounting chaos in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while rifts emerged over host Sudans rejection of UN troops for war-torn Darfur. Addressing the summit amid tensions, its host, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, warned that Khartoum would not accept the deployment of foreign troops in its troubled western Darfur region. "The African Union forces are capable of accomplishing their mission in Darfur without any foreign intervention," Bashir told the one-day gathering in Khartoum. Instead, Bashir called on "Arab countries and the international community to support financially the AU forces," which are cash strapped and undermanned. The UN Security Council voted on Friday to speed up plans to deploy peacekeepers to replace the African Union mission in Darfur. Egypt threatens to sue USEgypt yesterday threatened to take legal action against a US museum unless it returns an ancient mask in its collection that the authorities claim was stolen from a warehouse years ago. The St Louis Art Museum has a week to turn over the 19th dynasty (1307-1196 BC) mask of Ka-nefer-nefer or face legal action, according to the secretary general of Egypts Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). "I have informed the American side in a letter that if they do no respond to our request we will take the necessary legal measures and file a case in a US court and inform Interpol," the antiquities chief said in a statement. Egypt has warned it will end cooperation with foreign museums and institutions that buy stolen artifacts. Action against 10 Haj firms for negligenceThe Ministry of Haj has taken punitive action against several domestic-pilgrim service companies for negligence. An official statement stated that services of 10 companies were suspended for one to three years. The ministry was acting on the decisions taken by a three-member committee comprising representatives of the ministries of Interior, Haj and Commerce, which imposed fines ranging from SR5,000 to SR20,000 on 31 companies, the statement said. Only 12 heads of state take part in Arab meetAn Arab summit opened in the Sudanese capital Khartoum yesterday with only about 12 heads of state present, a disappointment for the Sudanese hosts who wanted a show of solidarity against international criticism. Other governments from the 22-member Arab League sent senior representatives. Among the notable absentees were President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, the most populous Arab country,
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 28/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Tuesday 28thMarch 2006 - 27thSafar 1427 The real 'death-squads' exposedUS forces killed 22 people, wounded eight and detained 40 others, including some women, at a mosque in east Baghdad in an incident likely to lead to increased tensions. The US troops purportedly retaliated after coming 'under fire'. A videotape showed a heap of male bodies with gunshot wounds on the floor of the Imam's living quarters in what was said to be the Al Mustafa mosque. There were 5.56mm shell casings on the floor, which is the type of ammunition used by US soldiers. A weeping man in white Arab robes is shown stepping among the bodies. The US military would neither confirm not deny the incident but the US army in Iraq has been strongly criticized over the past week for killing Iraqi civilians and falsely claiming that they were insurgents or caught in cross fire or killed by 'death-squads' in secterian violence. Iranian police arrest five banditsIranian police said on Monday they had arrested five bandits who tried to infiltrate the Islamic republic through its southeastern border, two weeks after a deadly ambush in the area, state television reported. The police also said they had seized a number of weapons and ammunition but gave no further details. A week ago Iranian police announced they had killed 10 bandits who entered the country via the northeastern frontier with Afghanistan. Weapons, drugs and a satellite telephone were seized. That incident followed an ambush by Afghan bandits close to another border area in which at least 22 people were killed and another 12 reported missing. Lebanon talks seek to resolve fate of LahoudLebanons leaders held fresh talks yesterday focusing on one of the most contentious issues dividing supporters and opponents of Syria -- the fate of President Emile Lahoud whom the parliamentary majority wants to oust. The talks, which resumed after a five-day break, are aimed at ending Beiruts political paralysis, which set in after Syria pulled out its troops after dominating life in its tiny neighbour for some three decades. Samir Geagea, the head of the former Christian militia, the Lebanese Forces and a member of the countrys anti-Syrian majority also attended the Beirut talks. Several western powers have effectively boycotted Lahoud. During a four day visit to Lebanon, the envoy of UN secretary general Kofi Annan, did not meet the head of state. Haniya presents Hamas government to parliamentHamas prime minister designate Ismail Haniya yesterday urged the international community not to punish the Palestinians while he remained committed to armed struggle as he submitted his cabinet for MPs approval. Aziz Dweik, the speaker of the Ramallah-based parliament, opened the session, which was attended by MPs and Haniya in Gaza City, linked by videoconference because Israel will not allow Hamas MPs to travel between the two. "The Palestinian people should not be punished for exercising their right to choose their leaders in free and democratic elections," Haniya told MPs in a speech heard by deputies in the West Bank via a videolink. His comments come after both the US and EU threatened to slash funding to a Hamas-led administration unless it abandoned its resistance to the Zionist occupation. Farrakhan calls for US regime changeLouis Farrakhan, the leader of the 'Nation of Islam', has called for regime change in the United States. Speaking on Monday, he denounced US policies as wicked because they turned the world against America. "We need a new government, we need regime change in America," he said at the end of a visit to Cuba. Farrakhan, who led the Million Man March on the Washington Mall in 1995 to promote black self-reliance, said the Bush administration's domestic policies were "sucking the blood of the poor and the weak". The controversial African American leader defended Iran's right to develop a nuclear energy programme to reduce dependence on oil and said Washington's opposition was a pretext for a war. "The Muslim world should unite against America's desire for a pre-emptive strike against Iran and Syria," he said. Al Jazeera airs audio from fugitive Saddam aideSaddam Husseins former lieutenant, Izzat Ibrahim Al Douri, has called on Arab leaders to "support the insurgency in Iraq and boycott the government", in an audio tape aired by Al Jazeera television yesterday. Al Jazeera identified the voice on the tape as that of Ibrahim, but it was not immediately possible to confirm this. In the past, al Jazeera has shown its bias against the Shia-led government of Iraq and is seen by many as a mouthpiece for the West in the Arab world. The tape excerpts were aired earlier on Monday. Ibrahim has been credited with a major role in organising the bloody insurgency by Sunni Muslim militants. Syria arre
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 25/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Saturday 25thMarch 2006 - 24thSafar 1427 Deadly attacks hit IraqA bombing outside an Iraqi mosque has left at least five Iraqis dead and 17 wounded, while the bodies of 15 more apparent victims of violence have been found in different parts of Baghdad. The latest bombing came as the Muslim worshippers were leaving the Saad Ibn Abi Wakkas mosque, in Khalis, 80km from the capital, after Friday prayers.Another Muslim, in the southern port city of Basra, was shot dead by unidentified men, also on leaving a mosque after prayers. Violence has been on the rise in Iraq since 22 February when a bomb destroyed a revered Shia shrine in Samarra, north of the capital. Hundreds have since been murdered by those wishing to instigate civil war through secterian strife. Rights group assails Syrian crackdown on activistsHuman Rights Watch yesterday called on Syrian President Bashar al Assad to halt 'blatant intimidation' of human rights workers after Damascus authorities arrested four activists in the past week. The New York-based group said that, in an escalating crackdown, Syrian security forces arrested human rights activist Ali Al Abdullah and one of his sons Thursday, after arresting another of his sons the week earlier. On Wednesday, Muhammad Najati Tayyara, the former vice president of the Human Rights Association in Syria, was detained and held 14 hours before being released. HRW said the most recent arrests were part of a pattern of 'increased harassment of human rights activists' in Syria. Somalia clashes leave 70 dead Fierce clashes that started three days ago between rival militias in the northern part of the Somali capital have left at least 70 people dead. Medical workers said at least 20 people were killed in fighting on Thursday, while the toll from Wednesday rose to 40 after families took their wounded to hospitals after clashes subsided at night. They cited figures gathered from hospitals in Mogadishu by the city's doctors' association. Witnesses and medical sources said the clashes were sparked on Wednesday when rival factions clashed over land ownership. Both sides used rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, assault rifles and hand grenades. Dozens of people fled their homes. Somalia has been wracked by chronic unrest with warlords and rival militias fighting for control of unruly fiefdoms since the 1991 overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Saudi, Libya among four to shun Arab summitThe leaders of Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia will skip the summit of the 22-member Arab League scheduled in Khartoum next week, an Arab League official said. Saudi King Abdullah, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and Omans Sultan Qaboos will not attend the meeting on March 28-29 in the Sudanese capital, the official said on condition of anonymity. The official did not elaborate on why they had decided not to attend their annual summit. Ahead of the gathering, Arab leaders are under pressure to take a more active role in Iraq and find a common stance on dealing with a Hamas-led Palestinian government. US denies asking Japan to stop Iran oil projectThe United States denied on Thursday it had asked Japan to suspend plans to develop an Iranian oil field as part of its efforts to curb Irans nuclear programs. The US has long objected to Japans plans to develop Irans Azadegan oil field, estimated to hold one of the worlds biggest oil reserves. But US officials denied a Japanese newspaper report that Americans had raised the issue anew as part of a Washington effort to build international pressure to stop what it believes is Irans pursuit of a nuclear bomb. The report came a week after Japans largest refiner, Nippon Oil Corp. said it would cut imports of Iranian crude due to risks associated with the country, the first hint that Tehrans nuclear dispute was affecting its vital oil trade. Russia says no to any Iran deal sidelining itRussia said yesterday that it would not accept any decision on Iran reached by western powers without Moscow being previously consulted. "I doubt we would accept (a proposal) taken behind our back and then presented to us as the only outcome possible," the Russian Foreign Minister said. He was commenting on reports earlier this week that Britain had been carrying out secret negotiations with other Western capitals. Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has the power to veto any resolution on Iran. Libya says feels 'cheated' over US terrorism listLibya feels 'cheated' that it will remain on the US State Departments list of state sponsors of terrorism this year even though it has made security concessions, the North African countrys top envoy to Washington said yesterday. Libya will remain on the list in the annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report publ
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 26/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Sunday 26thMarch 2006 - 25thSafar 1427 Iraq FM slams Arab standIraq's foreign minister has harshly criticised Arab states for not taking a greater role in Iraq, saying they should forgive the country's debts and open diplomatic missions. Hushyar Zibari made the comments yesterday as Arab foreign ministers met in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to prepare for a summit of Arab leaders on Monday. The summit aims to tackle a string of major issues facing the region - including violence in Iraq and the Palestinians' formation of a new Hamas-led government. Iraq's leaders have frequently expressed bitterness over Arab states' slowness in showing support for the country's new leadership, suggesting the Arab League - whose 22 members are majority Sunnis - is biased towards Iraq's Sunni minority. Violence spirals in SomaliaWarring factions have clashed for the fourth consecutive day in the north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, as heavy gun battles claimed five more lives, bringing the official death toll to 52 and more than 200 injured. Eyewitnesses and medics on Saturday reported unabated violence and a climbing death toll. The fighting was sparked by a row over land ownership in which a militia leader attempted to grab the piece of land attached to the Aisaley airport north of the capital and that is controlled by a rival warlord. Somalia has lacked an effective government since the 1991 overthrow of President Mohamed Siad Barre and has since then been wrecked by chronic unrest with warlords and rival militias fighting for control of unruly fiefdoms. Two Saudis arrested for kidnap, rape in BahrainTwo Saudi men were detained by Bahraini police in the early hours of Friday on suspicion they had kidnapped and raped an Egyptian woman. The two men, aged 26 and 28, were charged with dragging the 22- year-old woman from the hallway of the hotel where they are staying and into their room, where they allegedly raped her repeatedly. The crime was discovered by a hotel employee who found the woman gagged and bound inside the room during a routine inspection of the room as the two attempted to check-out of the hotel. One of the two was apprehended on the scene, while the other who fled the hotel was arrested an hour later by police. Sources said that the woman, a resident of Bahrain, was staying in the hotel to relax after a domestic disagreement with her husband. Iraq attacks leave 13 deadAn array of attacks in Baghdad and its environs has left 13 Iraqis dead. In Mahmudiya, located in the notorious "triangle of death" just south of the capital, six mortar rounds rained down on three houses, killing four people and wounding 13 yesterday. Another four Iraqis were killed earlier when a roadside bomb exploded near a bus travelling through the eastern edge of the city. In the small town of Balad Ruz, east of Baghdad near the Iranian border, a roadside bomb killed two teenage boys selling farm produce from the back of their bicycles. A passing car was also hit, but the three occupants were only injured. Ten more corpses were also discovered in Baghdad, bringing the number of bodies, most showing signs of torture, discovered by police over the last week to about 75. Gulf Arab states assure Hamas of aid without specificsGulf Arab states, including Kuwait, have pledged to continue aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority once Hamas takes power, an official said yesterday. A Hamas delegation, is currently in Kuwait as part of a tour of Arab countries to garner support in the face of US-led Western threat to cut aid to Palestinians. The delegation held talks with the Amir of Kuwait and other top Kuwaiti leaders. Meanwhile, a Palestinian delegation headed by the outgoing government made an urgent appeal during summit preparatory meetings in Khartoum for $100 million a month from Arab states to plug a gapping deficit. It said that Arab states have not fulfilled a pledge made at the last annual summit in Algeria to provide the Palestinian government with $55 million a month. Russia denies Iraq intelligence claimsRussia's Foreign Intelligence Service has denied that it provided information on US troop movements and plans to Iraq during the 2003 attack on the country. "Similar, baseless accusations concerning Russia's intelligence have been made more than once," a foreign intelligence service spokesman said on yesterday. "We do not consider it necessary to comment on such fabrications." An unclassified Pentagon report released on Friday cited two captured Iraqi documents that say the Russians collected information from sources "inside the American Central Command" and that battlefield intelligence was provided to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein through the Russian ambassador in Baghdad. The report also said the Russian government had sour
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 23/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Thursday 23rdMarch 2006 - 22ndSafar 1427 UK schoolgirl loses right to wear Islamic garbA British girl lost a legal battle yesterday to be allowed to wear full Islamic dress in school in a case which has been likened to the row in France over the wearing of hijabs. Shabina Begum, now 17, was sent home from school in September 2002 and ordered to change her clothes after she turned up wearing a jilbab, a long gown which covers the whole body except for the hands and face. She successfully appealed against the schools decision in March 2005 when the Appeal Court ruled her human rights had been breached by the ban. But Begums school, Denbigh High in Luton, north of London, itself appealed against last years decision and on Wednesday was backed by Britains highest court, the House of Lords. UN Council tries to end Iran impasseMembers of the UN Security Council are seeking to break an impasse over Iran's nuclear programme after Britain and France called off consultations because they were no closer to a deal with Russia and China on how to press Tehran to stop enriching uranium. Britain, France and the US planned to spend much of Wednesday in talks with each other and Russia and China, going back over proposals for a council statement. They could circulate a new text late in the day. The decision to cancel the council discussion on Tuesday reflected the failure of the US and its European allies to get Russia and China on board during a meeting of high-level diplomats in New York the night before. Russia and China say any Security Council action against Iran should be mild. Asian workers protest in DubaiAsian workers angered by low salaries and mistreatment have smashed cars and offices in a protest turned riot that interrupted construction of what is set to be the world's tallest skyscraper. The violence, causing an estimated $1 million in damage, illustrated the growing unrest among foreign workers who are the linchpin of Dubai's building boom. The violence erupted on Tuesday night when some 2500 workers on the Burj Dubai tower and surrounding housing developments chased and beat security officers, then broke into temporary offices and smashed computers and destroyed about two dozen cars and construction machines, witnesses said. Asian workers in gulf states are underpaid and live in slave-like conditions. Pilgrims attacked in IraqAttackers have killed two Shia pilgrims and wounded dozens in Baghdad, raking their vehicles with gunfire. The pilgrims were returning home a day after commemorating the 40th day of the martyrdom of al-Hussein, the Holy Prophet's grandson, in Kerbala, south of the capital. Police said 22 pilgrims were wounded and one was killed in an attack on their open-back truck in western Baghdad. In a second incident in the same area, one Shia was killed and 18 were wounded when their bus was hit by machine-gun fire. In Madaen, southeast of Baghdad, attackers blasted a police station with grenade and mortar fire before dawn on Wednesday, killing four policemen in the second such attack in two days. Police also reported the discovery of six more bodies on the streets of the capital on Wednesday, all apparent victims of what Western media calls 'secterian' bloodshed. Israel to draw its own borderThe Zionist state of Israel will draw its own border in the West Bank if talks with the Palestinians are 'impossible', acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said just days before Israels elections, putting pressure on Hamas, which is posed to take over the Palestinian government while refusing to recognize Israel. Israel considers Hamas a terror group, and Hamas does not accept the presence of a Jewish state in an Islamic Middle East. Olmert has said he wants to draw Israels borders by 2010, by completing the construction of Israels West Bank barrier. US dog handler sentenced to only six monthsA US soldier convicted of abusing detainees with his guard dog at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was sentenced to only six months in prison on yesterday by a court martial. Sergeant Michael Smith, 24, also was demoted to the rank of private, fined 750 dollars pay a month for three months, and will receive a bad conduct discharge from the army. Smith, who was photographed holding his unmuzzled, growling Belgian shepherd within inches of a cowering detainees, was found guilty on Tuesday of assaulting and maltreating prisoners Abu Ghraib prison in late 2003 and early 2004. The charges carried a maximum penalty of eight years and nine months. Egypt bars opposition leader from travelEgyptian authorities banned a senior member of the main opposition group from leaving the country yesterday, minutes before he was due to board a plane to Bahrain, a source at Cairo airport said. Brotherhood spokesman Issam Al Aryan had completed the necessary procedures to fly
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 21/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Tuesday 21thMarch 2006 - 20thSafar 1427 Ongoing wave of violence in Iraq kills 39 At least 39 people were killed on Monday - continuing the wave of violence that has left nearly 1,000 Iraqis in this last month. As the Iraq war entered its fourth year, police found the bodies of at least 15 more people - including that of a 13-year-old girl - dumped in and near Baghdad. The discoveries marked the latest in a string of execution-style killings that have become an almost daily event. Among those killed in scattered violence Monday were 10 policemen. As night fell on Monday, a bomb struck a coffee shop in northern Baghdad, killing at least three civilians and injuring 23 others. Meanwhile, Western media sources are still fanning the flames of 'secterian strife' in Iraq by their propaganda. Charles urges religious tolerance Prince Charles has said he tried to warn of growing problems between Islam and the West more than a decade ago. Charles, on tour to Egypt, said he felt "real problems" were building when he issued a plea for greater tolerance in a 1993 speech. In an interview with Nile TV, he called for better understanding between religions and an end to terrorism. The prince said his heart was "incredibly heavy from all the destruction and death that occurs". He was interviewed ahead of a speech at Al-Azhar university, in Cairo, on Tuesday. Charles, one of the few non-Muslims to have been invited to speak at the university, will be awarded an honorary degree. Algeria earthquake 'kills four' An earthquake measuring 5.0 has killed at least four people and injured 36 others in Algeria. Some 30 houses are said to have collapsed in the town of Laalam in the province of Bejaia, about 300km (190 miles) east of the capital, Algiers. The earthquake struck at 2044 (1944 GMT). The tremor's epicentre was located near the town of Kherrata, between the cities of Bejaia and Setif, and measured magnitude 5.0. Algeria has suffered a number of deadly earthquakes in recent years. Six wounded in Gaza clashesSix people were wounded in separate exchanges of fire between members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Palestinian security personnel in the Gaza Strip on Monday. Two police officers, one member of the Brigades and a bystander were wounded in one clash, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said. In the second clash, which took place at the Rafah terminal, two bystanders were wounded. Elsewhere, armed men, mainly belonging to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, briefly stormed a military hospital in southern Gaza and a power plant overnight, demanding unpaid wages and jobs, the centre said. Jordan closes Iraq border crossingJordan has closed its border crossing with Iraq to prevent the entry of Palestinian residents in Iraq fleeing persecution amid sectarian violence there. The Jordanian authorities, fearful of a wave of immigration from among the 34,000 Palestinian refugees estimated to be living in Iraq, closed the border after a group of Palestinians arrived on Sunday. The refugees have been placed in a camp in no man's land between Jordan and Iraq, after the Iraqi authorities allegedly refused to allow them to return. Saddams foreign minister was CIA sourceIn the period before the Iraq war, Saddam Husseins foreign minister Naji Sabri, was a secret paid source of the CIA, it was reported yesterday. Citing unnamed current and former US intelligence officials, the report said Sabri provided details of Saddams weapons of mass destruction that turned out to be more accurate than CIA estimates.Intelligence sources said Sabri was paid more than $100,000 through an intermediary in a Sept. 2002 deal brokered by the French. Sabri may have thought he was working with the French, but some US intelligence officials believe he knew it was the CIA. Talks fail to map out Iran strategy Officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US have failed to agree how to respond to Iran's nuclear programme after more than four hours of talks. The discussions at Britain's UN mission on Monday were intended to map out a long-term strategy on the Iran nuclear crisis. The six-nation meeting at the British UN mission is meant to take a broader and longer-term view of the nuclear standoff with Iran, particularly if Tehran refuses to comply with IAEA demands. US Marines killed 15 members of two innocent familiesShortly after a roadside bomb killed a US Marine in a western Iraqi town last year, American forces went into nearby houses and shot dead 15 members of two innocent families, including a three year-old-girl, witnesses said. The story of the incident told to the press on Monday was largely forgotten until last week when the military said it was investigating potential misconduct by Marines after a Nov. 19 insurgent attack in the town of Haditha, 220
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 19/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Thursday 16thMarch 2006 - 15thSafar 1427 Global demonstrations to mark third anniversary of Iraq warThousands of anti-war protesters marched in Australia, UK, Turkey and many Asian countries at the start of global demonstrations yesterday, as campaigners marked the third anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq with a demand that coalition troops pull out. Police in London shut down streets in the heart of the capitals shopping and theater district ahead of a demonstration, which was attended by about 100,000 people. About 2,000 protesters marched in Tokyo. In Pakistan, hundreds of people held anti-war rallies in several cities. US continues assault on 'guerrilla targets' in IraqUS-led forces yesterday pressed on with a highly publicised offensive against suspected 'targets' near the northern Iraqi town of Samarra in their latest bid to weaken a raging insurgency, witnesses said. Many have been killed and even more injured in 'Operation Swarmer' - the latest air-offensive launched by the US-military. US military officials said the operation, involving 50 helicopters, was the biggest air assault since a similar airlift across Iraq just after the war in late April 2003. Hamas announces formation of new Palestinian governmentHamas announced the formation of its Cabinet yesterday, a government that excludes other Palestinian factions and increases the chance that it will be isolated by Israel and the US. Hamas will keep the key portfolios, including the Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry, in its hands and give lower-level postings to technocrats, officials said. Hamas designated prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, said the names ames of ministers will only be officially released after a scheduled meeting with President Mahmud Abbas. Britain accuses Iran of interfering in Iraqs internal affairsIran and Iraqs other neighbours should help Iraq to stand on its own feet rather than interfere in its internal affairs, British Defence Minister John Reid said yesterday at a press conference in Baghdad. Reid made the comment during a quick visit to Iraq during which he met with Iraqi officials on the eve of the third anniversary of the US-led war to oust the countrys former dictator Saddam Hussein. Reid also said that British forces were to stay in Iraq until a request is made by the Iraqi government for them to leave. This could only materialize when Iraqi troops are in full control to maintain peace, and not at constant risk of terrorists attacks, Reid said. US ships in Somali pirate clash Two US Navy warships returned fire on a group of suspected pirates off the Somali coast yesterday, killing one person and wounding five. The incident apparently happened as the ships were conducting maritime security operations, according to a statement by the US Naval Forces. The ships spotted a suspect vessel, which they claimed had opened fire on them. One suspected pirate was killed and a fire started on board the vessel. Hijackings and piracy have recently surged off Somalia - which has had no central government since 1991. Syrias oppn vows unity to oust AssadExiled Syrian opposition leaders including a former vice-president and the head of the Muslim Brotherhood said yesterday they were forming a united front to replace President Bashar Al Assad with democracy. Former vice-president Abdel Halim Khaddam, who broke with Assad last year after serving under his late father Hafez Al Assad, said that he had held talks with nationalists, liberals, Islamists, Kurds and communists and would announce a common programme for a transition to democracy. Bandits kill 22 in southeast IranBandits killed 22 people in Baluchistan, an impoverished province close to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is home to many of Irans minority tribes and police have often clashed there with drug traffickers from across the borders. Seven other people were injured and one was in critical condition. The British military in Iraq were accused of cooperating with the bandits. Iran also blames Britain for unrest in its restive and mainly Arab southwestern province of Khuzestan, across the border from southern Iraq where British troops are stationed. FBI in Pakistan to fix IranThe United States has established an office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Pakistan to accomplish its designs on Iran. According to a report, the FBI has been working in Islamabad for the last one and a half years. The FBI agents are working as fingerprint staff at the office of the Inspector General of Police in Islamabad under the guise of the Immigration Wing. The FBI agents have been assigned to keep an eye on all organisations and people working for Iranian interests in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bahrain govt, opposition strike secret deal to stop protestsThe Bahraini government and opposition struck a secret
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 16/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Thursday 16thMarch 2006 - 15thSafar 1427 Deal eludes Hamas and FatahHamas and the other parliamentary blocs in the Palestinian Legislative Council have failed at the end of a meeting in Gaza to agree on a common programme for a Palestinian government. A Fatah representative in the dialogue said yesterday - the fourth day of inconclusive coalition talks in Gaza - that the gap with Hamas's position was still big. He said that all the presentations and amendments in the revised Hamas offer did not meet the minimum demands of Fatah for joining a Hamas-led government. The dialogue is set to end by the weekend and then Hamas would announce its government. Palestinian officials said Fatah and Hamas were trying to find common ground and avoid tensions that could result in political paralysis or even violence, but that a confrontation was inevitable. Chief judge closes Saddam testimony to publicSaddam Hussein testified on Wednesday for the first time at his trial, calling on Iraqis to stop a bloody wave of sectarian violence and instead fight American troops, prompting the chief judge to close the courtroom, saying he was making political speeches. Even as the judge repeatedly yelled at him to stop, Saddam read from a prepared text, insisting he was still Iraqs president. "Let the (Iraqi) people unite and resist the invaders and their backers. Dont fight among yourselves," he said, praising the insurgency. " Finally chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman ordered the session to continue in secret, telling journalists to leave the chamber. The video and audio broadcast of the trial was cut off. UN creates new rights councilThe United Nations General Assembly has created a new UN human rights body, despite objections from the United States. Sustained applause greeted the announcement of the 170 to 4 vote with 3 abstentions. Joining the United States in a "no" vote were Israel, Marshall Islands and Palau. Abstaining were: Belarus, Iran and Venezuela. The new 47-seat UN Human Rights Council would replace the 53-country Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission. Members in the new council will be elected by secret ballot in the General Assembly by a majority vote of all members, not just those present and voting. Four Iraqis killed, suspect detained in US Al Qaeda raidFour Iraqis were killed, including two women and a child, in a US military operation yesterday against 'suspected al Qaeda members' north of Baghdad. US forces raided a house 80 kilometers north of Baghdad, near the town of Balad, searching for a suspected facilitator for al Qaeda in the area. The US military claimed it 'came under fire' and killed the women and child in 'self-defense'. Local officials in the area reported a much higher casualty toll. Libya and France sign nuclear dealLibya and France have signed a co-operation agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the first deal of its kind since Libya abandoned its efforts to build weapons of mass destruction in 2003. "This accord represents a qualitative leap in relations between the two countries and proves that Libya has transformed its weapons of mass destruction into constructive weapons," the Libyan public works minister said at Wednesday's signing ceremony in Tripoli. The Libyan government said it hopes to use nuclear energy to power desalination plants that could provide water for arid areas of the country. Saddams feared half-brother takes stand in trialSaddam Husseins former intelligence chief Barzan Al Tikriti, once one of Iraqs most feared men, formally took the stand in their trial on Wednesday, saying he faced trumped up charges of crimes against humanity. Barzan, also one of Saddams half brothers, is accused of ordering mass murder and torture, and of personally taking part in human rights abuses, including the destruction of villages. Number 38 on the US most wanted list in Iraq, Barzan levelled some of his comments at the US President and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying the democracy they speak of in Iraq does not exist. Britain woos Iranians amid tension with governmentBritains declaration that it will support efforts by Iranians to win more freedom marks a shift in emphasis in Londons relations with Tehran and is based on a recognition that nuclear talks have reached a dead end. Foreign Minister Jack Straw said this week that the Islamic state is heading in the wrong direction and that its people 'deserve better'. In a speech seen as more confrontational than usual, Straw also urged world bodies to boost the information flow to Iran. His speech had echoes of Washingtons more hostile approach and came just a month after the United States outlined plans to expand television broadcasts to its old enemy Iran. US 'may want to keep Iraq bases'The US may want to keep a long-term military pre
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 14/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Tuesday 14thMarch 2006 - 13thSafar 1427 US 'pushing for Iran regime change'The US administration is starting to push for regime change in Iran through confrontation rather than diplomacy, according to an American newspaper. The Washington Post reported that the Bush administration intends to mount a campaign against Tehran's religious leaders in its efforts to build international pressure against Iran's nuclear programme. The newspaper also said Bush, according to aides, had personally been spending more time on the Iran issue and his advisers had invited 30 to 40 specialists for consultations in recent months. Al-Hariri murder: Woman held in BrazilBrazilian police have arrested a Lebanese woman wanted for bank fraud and suspected of links to the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. Acting on an anonymous tip, police arrested Rana Abdel Rahim Koleilat, 39, on Sunday in Brazil's Sao Paulo city. Koleilat, who was carrying a false passport identifying her as Rana Klailat of Northern Ireland, offered police up to 200,000 Brazilian reals ($94,000) to release her and was in turn arrested for attempted bribery. Koleilat was wanted in Lebanon for bank fraud and for questioning by the Independent International Investigation Commission in relation to the truck bombing that killed al-Hariri and 20 other people in central Beirut in February 2005. Saddam's judge defends executionsThe former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court has said he issued death warrant for Shia men accused of plotting to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Awad Hamad al-Bandar, who oversaw the trial of 148 Shia men accused of the assassination plot in 1982, said in court on Monday that he personally issued a death warrant for them and insisted that it was legal. Al-Bandar, the first of the four senior defendants to give testimony in his own defence, accused the dead men of being part of a plot by the Dawa party to kill Saddam during Iraq's war with Iran. The killing of the men from the Shia town of Dujail is at the heart of the case. He also said farms had been razed around the town in reprisal. More than 55 die in the past two days in Occupied IraqIraq suffered two of its bloodiest days of violence after attackers struck two markets in a Shia area of Baghdad, killing at least 46 people and wounding more than 200 on Sunday. The killers struck with three car bombs and four mortars, causing pandemonium in Sadr City. Dozens of market stalls and vehicles were destroyed as the explosives ripped through the poor neighbourhood at peak shopping time, just before sundown, as residents bought provisions for their evening meal. Meanwhile, another 10 people were killed in a bomb blast yesterday, raising the death toll to over 55 in the past two days. US forces arrest 11 for attack on troops in AfghanistanUS-led forces have detained 11 people in connection with a roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan which killed four American soldiers. The arrests came during a continued assault by US soldiers against insurgents in the Pech Valley of Kunar province. "The coalition's response has resulted in the detention of 11 insurgents believed responsible for the attack," a US military statement said, adding that the hunt was in progress to kill or capture other rebels. "Operations to kill or capture other extremists, deny them sanctuary, and restore stability to the area are continuing," it said. US involved in illegal tactics in Iraq: British soldierAn elite British soldier revealed that he quit the army after refusing to fight in Iraq on moral grounds because of the illegal tactics used by US troops on the ground. Ben Griffin, a member of the Special Air Service (SAS) described in an interview with the The Sunday Telegraph the experiences that led him to end his impressive army career after just three months in Baghdad. The 28-year-old, who was discharged last June, is believed to be the first SAS soldier to refuse to go into combat and to quit the army on moral grounds. "We would radio back to our headquarters that we were not going to detain certain people because, as far as we were concerned, they were not a threat because they were old men or obviously farmers, but the Americans would say: "No, bring them back," Griffin said. Griffin said he believed US soldiers had no respect for Iraqis, whom they regarded as "sub-human". "You could almost split the Americans into two groups: ones who were complete crusaders, intent on killing Iraqis, and the others who were in Iraq because the army was going to pay their college fees," he said. "They had no understanding or interest in the Arab culture. The Americans would talk to the Iraqis as if they were stupid and these werent isolated cases, this was from the top down." "But most i
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 12/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Sunday 12thMarch 2006 - 11thSafar 1427 Milosevic found dead in Hague cellSlobodan Milosevic, former Yugoslav dictator and war criminal has been found dead in his prison cell in The Hague, the UN has confirmed. Milosevic had been on trial for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes since 2002. Milosevic, who was in office for 13 years, was sent to The Hague war crimes court in June 2001, eight months after he was toppled in a popular uprising. When his trial began in Febuary 2002 he faced 60 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged central role in the wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo in which 200,000 Muslims were brutally killed. Abbas 'rejects' Hamas programme Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has rejected Hamas's proposed government programme because it does not meet his demands and those of the international community on relations with Israel. Abbas "rejected the Hamas government programme which was presented to him by prime minister-designate Ismail Haniya because the principal political points in it have to be clear for the international community", an official said. Abbas has given Hamas two weeks to change its programme in accordance with his demands, the official added. That would give Haniya until 28 March -the same day as a scheduled general election in the Zionist state of Israel. Jordan hangs two over murder Authorities in Jordan have executed a Libyan and a Jordanian convicted over the 2002 murder of a US diplomat, officials said. Yasser Saad bin Suweid, 43, and Yasser Fateh Freihat, 31, were hanged in Swaka prison south of the capital yesterday. Laurence Foley, 62, an official for the US Agency for International Development, was gunned down outside his Amman in October 2002. The two hanged convicts were sentenced to death in 2004. Tight security was in force on all access roads to the prison from Friday evening for the hangings. Pakistan troops kill 30 militants in raid on hideoutPakistani security forces backed by helicopter gunships attacked a hideout of 'militants' in a tribal region near the Afghan border, killing up to 30 people, the military said on Saturday. The overnight attack in the North Waziristan tribal region was ordered after intelligence reports suggested that miscreant were gathered in a compound along with a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives. Rugged North Waziristan has been the scene of fierce battles between security forces and 'militants' this month. More than 120 people have been killed. Protesters arrested in Bahrain Bahraini police have arrested 24 people after using tear gas to disperse a protest in the Gulf Arab state. The protesters were demanding the release of 10 youths arrested after a sit-in at the country's airport in December over the brief detention of a Shia Muslim cleric, Shaikh Mohammed Sanad, as he returned from Iran. A police official claimed protesters had stormed a shopping mall and vandalised property. Bahrain, headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, witnessed political unrest in the 1980s and the 1990s by its Shia majority who were demanding more rights from the Sunni-led government. The least wealthy of the Gulf oil producers, Bahrain has a history of political tension over unemployment and alleged human right abuses. Qatar extradites Egyptian suspect Qatar has extradited to Egypt an Egyptian suspected of financing attacks on tourists in Cairo last year, Egyptian security officials have said. The man was handed to Egyptian authorities on Friday. He was one of 14 people referred for trial by the public prosecutor this week for involvement in the two bombings and a shooting in April last year. The first bombing on 7 April in a Cairo bazaar popular with tourists killed the bomber, two French people and an American. On 30 April a bomber from the claimed to be from same group wounded tourists near Cairo's Egyptian museum while his sister and wife opened fire on a tourist bus in the south of the city. All three attackers were killed. Lebanese parties to resume embittered crisis talksTalks between Lebanese leaders aimed at digging the country out of political quagmire are to resume Monday amid persistent divisions, which caused the meeting to break off mid-way. The political roundtable, the first of its kind since the end of Lebanons civil war (1975-1990) and the April 2005 departure of Syrian troops, was designed to insulate Lebanese leaders from external pressures so they could forge a so-far elusive unity. The week-long talks kicked off on March 2 but were broken off several days later after Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a staunch opponent of Damascus for US support in efforts against Lebanons eastern neighbour. Iraq parliament to convene Iraq's president has invited parliament to convene on 19 March, a day after the powerful Shia Alli
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 09/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Thursday 9thMarch 2006 - 8thSafar 1427 Baghdad rocked by kidnappings and mass killings Armed men in camouflage uniforms abducted up to 50 employees of a private security firm in eastern Baghdad yesterday, less than 24 hours after 18 blindfolded bodies were found in an abandoned lorry in a western suburb. The slaughter was the latest in a series of killings which has sent fear through the city. Small groups of people have been periodically tortured and murdered in recent months, in addition to the many assassinated individually. The victims were handcuffed giving rise to the possibility that this brutal act was done by US-linked militia. Iran threatens reprisals if punished in nuclear rowIran warned the US on Wednesday it could inflict 'harm and pain' to match whatever punishment Washington persuaded the UN Security Council to dole out for Tehrans refusal to give up atomic research. "So if the United States wishes to choose that path, let the ball roll," a senior Iranian national security official said in an interview with Reuters.Iran, the worlds No. 4 oil provider, also said it would review its oil export policy should the Security Council tackle its case, which EU powers claimed was now inevitable as Tehran had flouted demands to prove it was not secretly after atomic bombs. US lawmakers vote to block ports dealA Republican-run US House of Representatives committee has voted overwhelmingly to block a Dubai-owned company from taking control of some US port operations in an election-year repudiation of President George Bush. The House Appropriations Committee voted by 62-2 on Wednesday to bar DP World, run by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, from holding leases or contracts at US ports. The vote underscored widespread public opposition to the deal and Republican fears of loosing its edge on the issue of national security in November's elections. Bush has promised to veto any legislation that would block the deal. Pakistan-Iran rail link suspendedTrain services linking Pakistan and Iran have been suspended after a series of bombings and rocket attacks on the rail network in Pakistan. The service connected Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, with the Iranian border town of Zahedan. "There were five rocket attacks on the Quetta-Zahedan track over the past 10 days," an official said. It is the only rail link between the two countries. Pakistani authorities suspect that Baluch tribesmen have carried out the attacks as part of a campaign to compel the central government to increase payments the region receives for resources extracted there. Cairo-Tel Aviv bus service to resume after 10 yearsIsraeli and Egypt agreed in principle yesterday to renew the Tel Aviv-Cairo daily bus service after 10 years, it was reported. The Zionist Tourism Minister and his Egyptian counterpart, agreed to renew the symbolic service, which an Israeli public bus company suspended in 1996 because it was unprofitable, the report said. The two ministers met during a conference in Berlin and agreed that their governments would soon meet to reach a final agreement on the issue. The link was inaugurated with great fanfare in 1981 after Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel two years earlier. Jordan jails would-be jihadisJordans state security court yesterday jailed 11 men for crossing into Syria in the hope of joining insurgents fighting US troops in Iraq, judicial sources said. Four others among the group of Jordanians who were indicted in October were acquitted for lack of evidence, the sources said. Five of the suspects were sentenced in absentia to 15 years hard labour while six, under arrest since July 2005, were given between 20 months and four years in jail, the sources said. Ten of the men were arrested in July after they returned to Jordan from neighbouring Syria, having failed to enter Iraq. The other five are still on the run. Yemeni opposition warns of elections delayYemens major opposition parties warned yesterday that presidential and municipal elections due next September could not be held on time owing to disagreements over the formation of electoral committees. Seven opposition parties told a Press conference that the Higher Commission for Elections and Referenda was insisting on not letting opposition parties participate in forming the electoral committees charged with the administration of the polls. The parties, grouped in the 'Joint Meeting' block, also cautioned that the elections could come out with 'illegal results' if the opposition do not take part in operating the process. Malaysian Muslim women suffer 'apartheid': Mahathirs daughterThe daughter of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has likened the status of Muslim women in Malaysia to that of South
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 07/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Tuesday 7thMarch 2006 - 6thSafar 1427 Hamas votes to revoke Abbas powersHamas has signalled that it will take a confrontational approach in dealing with rival Fatah whom they defeated in January's Palestinian parliament election. At the first working session of the parliament, Hamas voted to cancel all decisions made in the last session of the outgoing legislature. This includes additional powers given to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. Fatah legislators walked out in protest before Monday's vote was held. They had argued that Hamas was twisting the rules by holding the vote, and that the last session of the Fatah-controlled parliament was legal. Israeli raid kills four PalestiniansFour Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air attack on a car in Gaza City. Witnesses said two, whose names were not immediately known, were travelling in the car when it exploded into a ball of flames on Monday. The sources said the other two victims were a woman and a child on the road. Seven other bystanders, most of them children, were also wounded in the explosion. At least one rocket was fired from an Israeli occupation army aircraft into the car as it drove down Salah al-Din Street in the Gaza City centre. A Zionist army spokeswoman confirmed that the military carried out the attack on a wanted member from Islamic Jihad. The others were - of course - 'collateral damage'.Monday's deaths bring to 4975 the number of palestinians killed since the second Palestinian uprising in 2000. Pakistan puts rebel town under curfew after days of fighting Pakistan imposed a curfew on the battle-scarred tribal town of Miran Shah yesterday in an attempt to end three days of fighting between pro-Taliban militants and government troops. Thousands of civilians continued to flee the tribal area as helicopter gunships attacked suspected rebel hideouts and militants attacked army checkposts in neighbouring towns. Meanwhile tension in the border areas was heightened after Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, accused the Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, of being "totally oblivious" to events in his own country. US dismisses talk of compromise on Iran A senior US official has said that unless Iran executes a dramatic about-turn and suspends all its nuclear activities, the UN Security Council will intervene 'quite actively'. His remarks followed an official dismissal of reports an eleventh-hour compromise might be struck over Iran's nuclear program. The United States has long spearheaded a campaign to haul Iran before the Security Council, which has the power to impose economic or other sanctions. The UN's atomic energy agency voted last month to refer the Iran dispute to the Security Council. The process of bringing Iran before the Security Council has been delayed several times. UK troops to quit Iraq by summer 2008Britain plans to pull out nearly all its soldiers from Iraq by the summer of 2008, with the first withdrawals within weeks, a top military commander said in an interview on Tuesday. Britain's most senior officer in Iraq outlined a phased two-year withdrawal plan in an interview with a newspaper. "There is a fine line between staying too long and leaving too soon," he was quoted as saying. Britain has given no firm timetable for the withdrawal of its 8,000 troops in Iraq, based in and around the southern port of Basra. 16 dead in IraqA string of explosions in Baghdad and other cities claimed at least 16 lives and sniper fire killed the Iraqi major-general in charge of forces protecting the beleaguered capital. The bloodiest attack happened in Baqouba, where a car bomb targeting an Iraqi police patrol exploded near the mayors office and a market, killing six people and injuring 23, including many children and four patrolmen, police said. Maj-Gen Mibder Hatim al-Dulaimi, who was in charge of the Iraqi armys 6th Division, was killed when gunmen fired at his convoy from houses along the route to inspect his troops. 11 die as boat sinks in IndonesiaAlmost 11 people were killed after a motor-boat capsized in eastern Indonesia, the local police said on Monday. The 11-meter boat carrying 23 people sank while on a voyage from Falabisahaya to Tubang, two villages on Taliabu island in North Maluku province, It was reported. The remaining 12 passengers survived the accident, which was caused by high waves and bad weather. He said the accident occurred about 25 minutes after the boat left Falabisahaya for the three-hour voyage to Tubang. Taliabu, an island in the Sula chain in the Maluku Sea, is about 2,100 km northeast of Jakarta. Afghanistan defends intelligence about militantsAfghanistan yesterday called for sincere cooperation from Pakistan in the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants, amid a deepening row between the neighbours over the violence.
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 04/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Saturday 4thMarch 2006 - 3rdSafar 1427 19 killed in Baghdad attacksArmed men stormed an electricity substation and killed Shia factory workers in overnight attacks that killed at least 19 people in Baghdad's southeastern suburbs yesterday. Dozens of armed men arrived in pickups and set fire to the station. In the adjacent Maamil suburb, armed men shot to death 10 Shia southerners employed at a brick factory as they slept in their shacks. Police thought the armed men may have been part of the group that attacked the power station. The government imposed the vehicle ban yesterday in an effort to avert more attacks on the congregation of the Jumu'ah prayers. Muslims in Athens wait for first mosqueIn a small, cold and decrepit apartment in central Athens, scores of Muslims trip over each other to find a space to pray as rain drips onto their heads from the leaky roof. But for these faithful, there is no other choice. About 130 makeshift mosques like this-windowless, airless basements or rooms in warehouses-are all these Muslims have until the Greek capitals first mosque is erected. A mosque has long been planned for the estimated 150,000 Muslims living in Athens but has been held up over objections from the powerful Orthodox Church. Athens has not had a functioning mosque since the end of Ottoman rule in the early 1800s. The city remains the only capital in western Europe without an Islamic place of worship. Italy plays down Qadhafis hate claimsItaly yesterday played down on threats by Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi of further reprisals on Italians if Tripolis historic compensation claim for decades of colonisation by Rome remains unheeded. Qadhafi said rioters who sacked the Italian consulate in Benghazi two weeks ago had wanted to kill the consul because Libyans "hate" Italians. The comments in a televised speech on Thursday mark a new low in relations between Italy and its former North African colony. Italys Foreign Minister played down the comments, which come at a sensitive time in relations between the Mediterranean neighbours. IAEA politically motivated, says AhmadinejadThe UN nuclear watchdogs treatment of Iran is politically motivated, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday as last-ditch nuclear talks with European nations in Vienna ended without agreement. Ahmadinejad, who wrapped up a visit to Malaysia on Friday, accused international bodies of bias. The IAEAs 35-nation board of governors will convene on Monday to weigh a report by the IAEA chief saying essentially that Iran has ignored a Feb. 4 call to reimpose a suspension of enrichment work to regain world trust. Egypt tortured UK detaineesThree Britons who spent nearly four years in prison in Egypt for membership of a banned Islamic group said on Wednesday they had been repeatedly tortured for their political beliefs. The allegations came after Reza Pankhurst, Ian Nisbet and Maajid Nawaz were freed by the Egyptian authorities and returned to Londons main Heathrow Airport early on Wednesday evening. All three freely admit to being members of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain, which advocates the creation of a worldwide Islamic state. Although currently legal in Britain, the organisation is proscribed in Egypt. US 'flying gunships' moving to IraqThe US Air Force has begun moving heavily armed AC-130 aircraft - the lethal "flying gunships" of the Vietnam War - to a base in Iraq as commanders search for new tools to counter the Iraqi resistance. This was confirmed by other Air Force officers, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the subject. The gunships were designed primarily for battlefield use to place saturated fire on massed troops. The use of AC-130s in urban settings, where resistance fighters may be among crowded populations of noncombatants, has been criticised by human rights groups. Sudan threatens to pull out of AUA Sudanese minister has said his country might pull out of the African Union if the AU's Peace and Security Council approves replacement of the AU force in Darfur with a UN force. Khartoum has repeatedly rejected the proposal for deployment of international troops in Darfur. AU foreign ministers are to meet on 10 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to decide on the transition, agreed upon earlier in principle. Earlier, Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, warned Darfur would become a "graveyard" for any foreign military contingent entering the region against Khartoum's will. Iraqi Imams accuse outsidersShia and Sunni preachers on Friday accused the Americans and the Zionists of sparking sectarian violence in Iraq, while calling for national unity in the face of violence, which has left hundreds dead. "No Arab or Iraqi could have carried out the bombing of the Shia Ali al-Hadi mausoleum in Samarra, or the recent bloody at
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 03/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Friday 3rdMarch 2006 - 2ndSafar 1427 Explosion at US consulate in Karachi kills diplomat A suicide bomber killed an American diplomat and three other people in the port city of Karachi yesterday on the eve of President George Bush's first visit to Pakistan. The blast tore through the rear car park of the Marriott hotel, 20 metres from the US consulate, wounding 52 people, propelling vehicles into the air and showering the streets with debris. The American diplomat, his driver and a Pakistani soldier who apparently tried to prevent the bomber reaching the consulate were killed immediately. An unidentified woman also died. Bush vowed to press ahead with his trip, the final leg of his south Asian tour, saying he would not be deterred by "terrorists and killers". Zionist military given free reinIsrael says it has lifted all restrictions on its military and that it is intensifying its war against alleged terrorists, including al-Qaida.Ehud Olmert, the acting Zionist prime minister, made the statement yesterday, saying he would use an "iron fist" against Palestinian resistance fighters and al-Qaida. "I have issued an order to all the security forces of Israel to use special means to confront the buds of terrorist action," Olmert told a news conference in Jerusalem. "We are systematically intensifying our war" he added. In recent weeks, the Zionists have stepped up arrest raids in the West Bank and killed many Palestinians in Gaza. 36 dead in Iraq attacksInsurgent attacks across Iraq killed 36 people and wounded scores more in renewed violence yesterday as US occupation forces said they had captured 61 'rebels' linked to Al-Qaida. In one of the bloodiest attacks, at least five people were killed and eight wounded when a car bomb went off in the Shia-dominated Sadr City district of Baghdad, a security official said. In another attack in Baghdad, four people were killed and 11 wounded, mostly women, when a bomb exploded in a market in the mixed southeastern Jaafaraniya district. Meanwhile, the Iraqi authorities have announced a daytime ban on vehicles in Baghdad and surrounding areas today in response to the latest upsurge in violence. Algerian amnesty takes effectAlgeria will pardon or reduce sentences for more than 2000 convicted or suspected Muslim fighters, the Justice Ministry has said, moving ahead with a government effort to turn the page on a brutal insurgency. Some 2100 suspects will benefit from pardons or an end to legal proceedings they faced it was reported yesterday. Another 100 fighters, convicted for severe crimes, will have their sentences reduced. The measures, which stem from a national reconciliation plan that was overwhelmingly approved in a September referendum, take effect immediately. Libya frees Brotherhood membersLibya has released all 84 jailed members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement who had been held in the country since the late 1990s, according to official sources. "All the 84 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were released today" one source said on yesterday. Libya arrested, at the end of the 1990s, 152 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2002 two were sentenced to death, 73 to life in prison and 66 were acquitted. The others were handed 10 year jail sentences. The condemned, mainly students and academics, were accused of supporting or belonging to al-Jamaa al-Islamiya al-Libiya, an Islamist group created in 1979, whose beliefs reflect those of Egypt's banned but tolerated Muslim Brotherhood. Australia wins A$70 million wheat contract in Iraq Australia has won a 350,000 ton wheat contract in Iraq worth up to 70 million Australian dollars (US$52.3 million), the trade minister said Today. He said he had received a cable from his Iraqi counterpart, Ahmad Chalabi, announcing that Iraq was allocating 350,000 tons of a 1.5 million ton wheat contract to Australia. Last month, Iraq had suspended its wheat trade with Australia amid allegations the country's monopoly wheat exporter, AWB Ltd., paid up to US$222 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's government under the UN oil-for-food program but later agreed to resume imports as long as AWB was not involved. Abbas claims al-Qaida is operating in Gaza The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, said yesterday that he believes al-Qaida has infiltrated the occupied territories and could further destabilise the region. "We have indications about a presence of al-Qaida in Gaza and the West Bank. This is intelligence information. We have not yet reached the point of arrests," Mr Abbas said. Later he added that Palestinian security forces had been given the task of heading off any extremist plots. The leader of Hamas in the Palestinian parliament, Salah Bardawil, yesterday said his organisation knew of no al-Qaida activi
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 02/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Thursday 2ndMarch 2006 -1stSafar 1427 Saddam admits ordering 'trials' of ShiasFormer Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has admitted that he ordered the trial of those suspected of involvement in an assassination attempt on him in the town of Dujail. Saying that he had also ordered the confiscation of their lands, Saddam yesterday told the court that doing so was not a crime (sic). The prosecution said the move was a reprisal by the then Iraqi leader, following the 8th July, 1982 attempt to assassinate him in the town of Dujail. Saddam and seven co-defendants are on trial for the torture, illegal imprisonment and executions of 148 Shias, as well as the arrest and torture of others and the confiscation and razing of their farmlands. Iran president wants nuclear support from MalaysiaIranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad arrived in Malaysia on yesterday, taking his international campaign to win support for his countrys nuclear programme to an influential Muslim nation with strong US ties. Malaysia chairs both the worlds largest grouping of Muslim nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, and the Non-Aligned Movement, and has given Iran moral support for Tehran's peaceful nuclear programme. Iran has been reported to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions, after failing to convince the West its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful. 30 killed as violence continues in Iraq Bombings in Baghdad killed 26 people, and four others died when mortar rounds slammed into their homes in a nearby town yesterday, the second day of surging violence after authorities lifted a curfew. Wednesday's most serious attack - a car bomb near a traffic police office in a primarily Shiite neighborhood in southeast Baghdad - killed at least 23 people and wounded 58. About an hour earlier, a bomb hidden under a car detonated as a police patrol passed near downtown Tahrir Square; three civilians died and 15 were wounded. North of Baghdad, gunmen ambushed a police convoy carrying 50 officers, killing two passengers and abducting 10, police said. Four officers were seriously wounded. Jordan inmates release hostages Jordanian prisoners loyal to al-Qaida have released six policemen and a prison chief. The hostage-taking took place after Jordanian troops clashed with prisoners in three major prisons when they went in to move high-security detainees. The policemen were freed after inmates were promised they would not be punished for the hostage-taking. The fighting, which involved 150 inmates, was the most serious in Jordan in recent years. Last year there were several strikes by high-security detainees protesting against poor prison conditions and ill treatment. Jordan denies there are systematic violations of prisoners' rights in its jails. Mubarak warns US not to attack Iran Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak strongly advised the United States not to attack Iran, warning that military action would create more terrorists in neighboring Iraq, according to comments published yesterday. Mubarak also told Egyptian newspaper editors he warned Vice President Dick Cheney that ground troops ``will have a hard time'' in such a conflict. He said Shiite Muslims in the Gulf region also could turn against the United States because ``Iran generously provides for Shiites in every country and these people are ready to do anything if Iran is attacked.'' Zionists kill Islamic Jihad leader Islamic Jihad's top military commander in Gaza was killed yesterday in a car blast that rocked a busy street in Gaza City, knocking out electricity and wounding two other people. The Zionist military, which carries out pinpointed attacks against freedom-fighters in the coastal strip, claimed it was not involved in the death of Khaled Dahdouh. But Islamic Jihad accused Israel of killing Dahdouh in an airstrike and vowed revenge for his death. Islamic Jihad has been the target of recent Israeli attacks. Islamic Jihad has rejected Hamas' offer to join a Palestinian government. Yemeni prisoner refuses Gitmo Hearing A Yemeni prisoner at Guantanamo Bay accused of serving as a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden refused to participate in military proceedings against him yesterday, insisting that he would not receive a fair trial. Ali Hamza Ahmad Sulayman al Bahlul, who had said he was boycotting the tribunal, attended most of the day's hearing. But after an afternoon recess al Bahlul apparently refused to return. The presiding military officer said he wasn't certain how to proceed. Al Bahlul repeatedly said, ``I had no direct relationship with the events of Sept. 11.'' He is one of about 490 prisoners at Guantanamo, charged with conspiracy to attack civilian targets and conspiracy to commit murder. Veterans flock to mental health clinics About a third of the US soldiers and marines returning from
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 1/03/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Wednesday 1stMarch 2006 - 30th Muharram 1427 Iraq erupts into fresh violenceA series of attacks targeting Iraq's Shia majority have killed 64 people and wounded 180 as fears grow that a new wave of sectarian violence may be unleashed across the country. In one of the biggest attacks, a car bomb exploded on Tuesday evening outside a Shia mosque in Baghdad's northeastern al-Hurriya neighbourhood, killing 21 people and injuring 43 according to a local security official. The explosion came soon after three bombs went off in quick succession in Shia areas of the capital, leaving 30 people dead and 130 wounded. Syria flays Israel for 'nuclear dumping'Syria has accused Israel of using the Golan Heights as a dumping ground for nuclear waste. Bashar Ja'afari, the Syrian Ambassador, told the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament that all Arab states were committed to creating a zone in the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. "However, Israel, which has unambiguous support from major nuclear weapon states, continues to reject the will of the international community and dumps its nuclear waste in the Syrian Golan Heights," said Ja'afari, the first speaker in Tuesday's session. Israel has controlled the Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East War. Documents link Saddam to massacreThe chief prosecutor in Saddam Hussein's trial read out documents in court on Tuesday which he said established that the former Iraqi leader signed a death warrant for 148 people. The document, dated 14 June 1984, was signed by Awad al-Bandar, chief of the Revolutionary Court and his co-accused, and approved by the former president. Saddam and seven others are charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the execution of 148 villagers from Dujail after an assassination attempt on him there in 1982. Meanwhile, Saddam's trial was again thrown into disarray when his top defence lawyers walked out after their pleas for an adjournment and the removal of the judge were rejected. Police say al-Qaida helped fund suicide bombings in IndonesiaOsama bin Ladens 'terror network' helped fund all of the suicide bombings in Indonesia in the past four years, a senior police official said yesterday, highlighting links between al-Qaida and the regional militant group Jama'ah Islamiyah. Money for the attacks, which have occurred annually in the worlds most populous Muslim country since 2002, was delivered by courier to leaders of Jama'ah Islamiyah according to Indonesias counterterrorism taskforce. Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian nation known to have been hit by suicide bombers. Apostates Rushdie and Nasreen are at it againThe recent violence surrounding the publication in the West of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed illustrate the danger of Islamic "totalitarianism," Salman Rushdie and a group of other writers have said in a statement. Rushdie, French philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy and exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen were among those putting their names to the statement, to be published today in a French weekly newspapers - one of many which reprinted the controversial cartoons. "After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new global threat: Islamism," they wrote. US settling suit by Egyptian held after Sept 11The US government has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by an Egyptian who was among dozens of Muslims detained after the Sept. 11 attacks, held for months and then deported. The settlement is the first the government has made in a number of suits saying that non-citizens were abused and their constitutional rights violated after the attacks. The Egyptian, Ehab Elmaghraby, used to run a restaurant in Manhattan. He was one of two plaintiffs in the suit. The other, a Pakistani, is still pursuing the suit. Sudan leaders face UN sanctions The UN intends to impose targeted sanctions on up to 10 members of Sudan's government and others involved in the Darfur crisis, after claims of increased killings in recent months and access being denied to aid camps. A security council resolution, sponsored by Britain, will recommend a travel ban, a freeze on overseas accounts and other assets, and, possibly, the issuing of warrants by the International Criminal Court, which deals with crimes against humanity. The UN drew up a confidential list last year of dozens of Sudanese leaders it claims are responsible for deaths and displacement, as well as leaders of the government-backed militia and two rebel movements. US rejects new UN rights council, wants more talksThe US has rejected a draft resolution for a new UN Human Rights Council and called for new negotiations despite fears from UN officials and others that more talks would sink the proposal. Sighting what they called 'manifold deficiencies
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 27/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Monday 27th February 2006 - 28th Muharram 1427 30 killed in Iraq clashes, attacksMortar fire killed 15 people and clashes erupted around two mosques in Baghdad yesterday. Five killed in a minibus and teenagers gunned down while playing soccer were among the 30 dead. Violence has surged since a suspected US linked militia bomb attack onthe Samarra shrine. Meanwhile, authorities have arrested 10 people, including four security guards, over last weeks bombing of the revered Shia shrine. Meanwhile, Western news agencies are fanning the flames of secterian violence in a bid to divide the Muslims in Iraq. Al-Qaida prisoners seize block of Afghan jailHundreds of Afghan soldiers with tanks and grenade-launchers surrounded Kabuls main prison on Sunday after a riot by inmates who seized control of much of the facility, officials said, adding that at least 30 prisoners were wounded in attempts to quell the riot. As night fell, government negotiators suspended talks to end the standoff at the notorious Pul-i-Charki jail, which later this year is slated to receive dozens of Afghans currently in US military custody at Guantanamo Bay. A police officer at the scene said seven prisoners had been killed since the riots started. Rockets hit Shia tomb in Iraq Armed men have fired two rockets at a Shia tomb south of Baghdad causing damage but no casualties, officials said. The tomb of Salman al-Farisi, one of the Prophet's (s.a.w.) companions,was attacked after sunset with two rockets, saidan aide to Shia political leader Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim.The tomb is located in the village of Salman Pak, 30km southeast of Baghdad. The village carries the name of the man. The attack comes two days after a Shia shrine in the central city of Samarra was heavily damaged by an explosion. Washington Post misquotes Hamas PMHamass Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh yesterday denied he had suggested the Palestinian Movement might one day recognise Israel, saying there was only a possibility of achieving a long-term truce. The Washington Post newspaper, on its Web site, quoted Haniyeh as saying in an interview: "If Israel declares that it will give the Palestinian people a state and give them back all their rights, then we are ready to recognise them." But Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza that he "did not tackle the issue of recognising (Israel) in my interview with the Washington Post." Iran and Russia reach tenuous deal on nuclear programmes Iran and Russia signalled agreement yesterday on a joint uranium enrichment project aimed at reducing suspicions that Tehran is bent on building a nuclear bomb. The IAEA chief, Mohamed El Baradei, is about to issue a major report on three years of nuclear inspections in Iran. Moscow said at the weekend that it wanted the row confined to the IAEA and not taken to the security council, which can impose sanctions. The compromise on offer, previously rejected by Iran, is that Russia would manufacture enriched uranium for a civil nuclear programme in Iran, providing guaranteed supplies of nuclear fuel. Court starts hearing Bosnia's genocide case The World Court is today due to start hearing Bosnia's claim for billions of pounds in reparations from Serbia for the genocide against Bosnia in the 1992-95 war in former Yugoslavia. Bosnia first lodged the claim in 1993. It has taken the panel of judges at the UN court, the International Court of Justice, 13 years to hear the case, a delay that has attracted criticism from human rights activists and international legal experts. The Bosnian argument has to prove the war was an international conflict and not, as Serbia claims, a civil war within Bosnia. Pakistan to seek civil N-technology from USPakistan will ask the US president to offer it cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology. No formal agenda has been prepared for the summit talks between Pervez Musharraf and Bush but Kashmir, terrorism and nuclear proliferation with reference to Iran are on top of the items to be discussed. Bush is expected to use this opportunity to push his 'anti-terror' agenda and for democratic reforms. Iranian students firebomb British embassySeveral hundred students threw stones and firebombs at the British Embassy in Tehran in protest at the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Iraq. A few windows were broken in the embassy, and firebombs went off outside its walls during the two-hour protest on Sunday, before Iranian police wielding sticks waded into the demonstrators and dispersed them. Nearly 1,000 students gathered outside the embassy and held a peaceful protest, chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Britain" and blaming the two countries for Wednesday's bombing of the shrine in the Iraqi town of Samarra. 60 former Taliban surrenderSixty former Taliban, including five high-rankin
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 26/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Sunday 26th February 2006 - 27th Muharram 1427 Iraq leaders unite to thwart civil warIraqi political leaders have agreed to push ahead with efforts to form a government and condemned sectarian violence in a bid to ease tensions. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Prime Minister yesterday called on Iraqis to unite and fight terrorism in a news conference carried live to the nation on state television. Meanwhile, Bush is reported to have called Iraqi leaders and 'threatened to withdraw 136,000 troops. Meanwhile, a car bomb exploded in Karbala killing at least four people and injuring scores yesterday. Lebanon refuses to extradite Hizbollah suspectsLebanon yesterday refused to extradite to the US four suspected Hizbollah members believed to have carried out attacks against Americans in Beirut during the 1980s. Local media said that during her visit to Beirut earlier this week US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had made the demand to Prime Minister Foaud Seniora. The judicial sources said the general amnesty law which was adopted in 1991 after the 1975-1990 civil war ended in Lebanon covered incidents of which the four were accused. Russia wants to complete Iran nuclear plant swiftlyRussia wants to complete building a nuclear power station in Iran as soon as possible, the countrys top nuclear official said yesterday. Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russias atomic energy agency Rosatom, said during a visit to Teheran that the civilian nuclear plant at Bushehr in Iran would be launched as fast as possible. Russias building of the nuclear plant at Bushehr has long provoked objections from US officials. Moscow says Iran has a right to civilian atomic energy and brushes aside criticism of the contract, which is worth around $1 billion. Hamas leader lists terms for recognising IsraelThe Palestinian prime minister-designate said Hamas is ready to recognize Israel if it gives the Palestinian people their full rights and a state in lands occupied since 1967, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Hamas chose Ismail Haniyeh, a 43-year-old Gazan viewed by many Palestinians as a pragmatist, as the new prime minister after sweeping the elections on Jan 25. The group hopes to complete forming a Palestinian government within two weeks. Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. Rice Experiences Rough Week in Mideast It was probably Condoleezza Rice's unhappiest week as secretary of state, one so disappointing that it raises questions about the Bush administration's ability to shape Middle East events in the near term.During her three days in the region, Egyptian and Saudi Arabian leaders - with Rice standing awkwardly at their side before the news media - refused to support the US financial boycott of Hamas as it takes control of the Palestinian parliament. Rice went to the Middle East hoping to build an Arab consensus for pressuring Hamas to either abandon attacks on Israel and accept its legitimacy, or risk losing so much foreign aid that they could be unable to govern effectively. Iran slams US for creating terror groupsIrans foreign minister denounced the United States yesterday for creating terror groups like Al Qaida and reaffirmed Tehrans support for a united Iraq following escalating violence there between Muslim groups. Reacting to Wednesdays bombing of a key Shia mosque in the Iraqi city of Samarra, he said 'some hands' were working to stoke ethnic and religious unrest 'not only in Iraq but in the Islamic world'. Mottaki also sharply criticised the US for its role in the current global terrorism crisis, saying that it had a hand in creating todays extremists with its cold war support of militant groups. Children of legislator kidnappedGunmen yesterday kidnapped three children of a Shia legislator, amid rising sectarian tension in the southern city of Basra and across Iraq. Qasim Attiyah Al Jbouris son and two daughters were seized by several armed men near their fathers home in Basras western Hayaniyah neighbourhood, police officials said. It was not immediately clear whether the kidnappings were politically motivated. Al Jbouri, a member of the Islamic Dawa Party, is the former head of Basras provincial council. Police identified his children as Sadeq, 11, Asma, 9, and Altaf, 7. Former intelligence chief sentenced to death in AfghanistanA court in Afghanistan on Saturday sentenced to death a former intelligence chief who was found guilty of systematic killings and other human rights violations during Afghanistans communist era. Asadullah Sarwari headed the feared intelligence department of the first communist government in 1978. Relatives of people who were killed or went missing when he was in charge also attended the trial. Russian-educated Sarwari had served as an air force pilot under the monarchy, and later as the air force
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 23/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Thursday 23rd February 2006 - 24th Muharram 1427 Shrine bombing aimed at destabilizing IraqArmed men detonated bombs inside one of Iraq's holiest Shia shrines, destroying its golden dome. Part of the shrine's tiled northern wall also was damaged. The shrine is the grave site of the great grandchildren of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). The US immediately pointed a finger at al-Qaeda and the western news sources put out headings such as 'Iraq on the verge of civil war' and 'Bombing prompts sectarian violence'. Meanwhile, Jalal Talibani, the Iraqi president said, "We are facing a major conspiracy that is targeting Iraq's unity." Both Sunni and Shia leaders condemned the attach and called for calm. Report: Nearly 100 dead in US custody Nearly 100 prisoners have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since August 2002 according to a new report. The report claims that 11 more deaths are deemed suspicious and that between eight and 12 prisoners were tortured to death. However, charges are rare and sentences are light, the report said. The report comes a week after new photographs of brutal prisoner abuse at Baghdad's notorious US-run Abu Ghraib prison emerged. More than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the US invasion of Iraq. Iranians protest at Italian embassyAround a hundred Iranians yesterday demonstrated outside Tehrans Italian embassy against insulting cartoons of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.) that have enflamed the Muslim world. Dozens of anti-riot police held back the protestors from the embassy walls as they shouted: "Death to America; Death to Israel; Death to Italy; Death to France."The crowd had chosen the Italian embassy for the latest demonstration in anger over Italys Reform Minister Roberto Calderoli who wore a T-shirt bearing the controversial cartoons. West Bank playground demolishedThe Zionist occupation army has bulldozed a public park, including a children's playground and swimming pool, in a West Bank village, witnesses said. The bulldozer, protected by a force of Jewish soldiers, demolished the park on Wednesday, on the grounds that it had been built without permission of the Israeli authorities in the occupied territory. The army also destroyed two houses built 'without permission' in two other villages yesterday. Also on Wednesday, a four-year-old Palestinian boy was seriously wounded when he was hit in the face by fragments of a bomb shell in the Gaza Strip, medical sources and witnesses said. Women rally in IslamabadAbout 200 women held a peaceful rally on Wednesday, condemning the blasphemous cartoons printed by Western media. Chanting slogans against Denmark and other Western countries, the women demanded punishment for the cartoonists and urged the government to sever ties with countries where the drawings were published. The protest, organized by the MMA, was part of a series of demonstrations across the country in recent weeks. Toll rises in Nigeria sectarian riotsAt least 76 people have been killed as religious violence continues to rage across Nigeria. Gangs armed with machetes and shotguns roamed the streets of the predominately Christian city of Onitsha in the south of the country. Residents said two mosques were burned down and least 30 people were killed, most of them northern Muslims. Thousands of Muslims, originally from the north of the country, fled to the citys military barracks. Archbishop Peter Akinola said that it was no longer be possible to restrain restive Christian youths and warned Muslims that they did not have a "monopoly on violence". Kuwaiti group calls for funding HamasA Kuwaiti Islamist group yesterday called on the oil-rich emirate and other Arab and Muslim countries to boost financial aid to Palestinians in the face of Western threats to freeze funding for a Hamas-led government. The Salafi Movement urged the government in a statement to increase aid to Palestinians, provide loans and grants and to contribute to rebuilding Palestinian infrastructure. Meanwhile, Iran vowed on Wednesday to fund a new Palestinian government headed by Hamas, while Egypts Muslim Brotherhood launched a fund-raising campaign on Monday to support Palestinians. Contamination rumours spark panic in CairoHealth officials yesterday sought to reassure the public that Cairo's drinking water supply is safe, after fears of bird flu sparked panicked buying of bottled water. State television and radio broadcast repeated reports yesterday that drinking water in Egypt's capital city was safe, after a rumour that chickens infected with bird flu had been tossed into Cairo's water reservoirs and into the Nile. The rumour spread quickly across the city late on Tuesday, leading to thousands of phone calls and mobile phone text messages. 17 Al Qaida suspects on trial in Yemen A group of 17 Al Qaida sus
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 22/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Wednesday 22nd February 2006 - 23rd Muharram 1427 Five dead in Yemen floodsAt least five people have been killed in severe flooding brought on by torrential rains in southwestern Yemen. The five drowned late on Monday in the floods that swept through Dhamar, 70km south of Sanaa. Rescue efforts were continuing on yesterday, and a main road linking Sanaa with cities to the south remained closed and about 1900 people were still trapped in their homes. The flooding occurred at the start of Yemen's rainy season. In April, 10 people were killed in torrential floods. 15 killed in Somalia clashesAt least 15 people have been killed and 23 wounded in fighting between armed men loyal to warlords controlling the Somali capital and security militia yesterday. The clashes bring the death toll to 33, with dozens wounded, since they first erupted on Saturday. Residents of the capital described the fighting as the heaviest in five years. Tuesday's fighting forced several hundreds of terrified town-dwellers to flee the battlezone. Eighteen people have been killed in the past three days. Mahathir paid $1.2 m to meet BushFormer prime minister Mahathir Mohammad says disgraced American lobbyist Jack Abramoff was paid $1.2 million to organise his 2002 meeting with US President George W Bush, but denied the money came from the Malaysian government. Mahathir said he was aware a payment was made to Abramoff, but he didnt know who made it. He said he was persuaded by US think tank Heritage Foundation to meet Bush. Mahathir said on Monday that paying a lobbyist to see the US leader was an accepted practice. Bomb kills 22 in Baghdad marketA car bomb has exploded at an outdoor market in southwestern Baghdad, killing 22 people and wounding 28. The police said the car was parked along a street about 30 metres from a police checkpoint in a Shia part of the mostly Sunni neighbourhood of Dora. Tuesday's blast left several cars burning and some nearby stores ablaze. Dora is among the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Baghdad, where car bombings and roadside bombs have been a daily occurrence since a extremists funded by the US began their anti-government campaign began in the summer of 2003. Guantanamo actors detained under anti-terrorism lawsBritish security officials detained two actors who portrayed the abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay after they returned home from a German festival showing their film on the US prison yesterday.Authorities stopped the actors for questioning under anti-terrorism laws on Thursday after they returned to Londons Luton airport from the Berlin Film Festival, which premiered the film 'The Road to Guantanamo'. The film depicts the story of three men from the central English town of Tipton who end up at the US detention centre on Cubas southeastern tip for two years. Scores killed in Nigeria riotsAt least six Muslims were beaten to death in the predominantly southern Christian city of Onitsha, witnesses said. Christian mobs which also burned two mosques there. Tuesday's violence brought to 49 the total number of people killed in sectarian violence in Nigeria since Saturday. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country of more than 130 million people, is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a mainly Christian south. Bush backs deal with Dubai port firmThe US President has said that the deal allowing an Arab company to take over six major US seaports must go forward, and he would veto any congressional effort to stop it. Bush yesterday said the seaports arrangement was "a legitimate deal that will not jeopardise the security of the country." The US Senate majority leader had earlier called for the takeover to be delayed, saying the deal raises serious questions regarding the "safety and security of our homeland". The Dubai Ports World is owned by the UAE government Syrian opposition rejects US fundingSecular opposition groups in Syria on yesterday rejected a US plan to allocate five million dollars to pro-reform activists. The groups, under the 'Damascus Declaration' banner, rejected "any financial assistance from any party", after the US State Department announced Friday it would give the funds 'to accelerate the work of reformers in Syria'. The Damascus Declaration, made up of several opposition groups and figures, also called for the formation of 'democratic and modern' parties in Syria and the release of all political detainees. London firm to 'redesign' Najaf The firm Llewellyn Davies Yeang, based in London, has signed a $1.6m (£916,000) contract to redesign the centre of the ancient city of Najaf. But it will not visit the site. Instead, the firm's Iraqi partners, mainly former exiles who returned to the country after the fall of Saddam Hussein, are carrying out the site work and liaising with the London
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 21/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Tuesday 21st February 2006 - 22nd Muharram 1427 West may have to accept a nuclear Iran - El-BaradeiIAEA chief Mohammad El-Baradei said that the West might have no choice but to allow Iran to carry out small-scale uranium enrichment on its soil. El-Baradei suggested that Iran could be allowed to conduct limited uranium enrichment under certain conditions as a compromise to defuse its nuclear standoff with Western states. Iran resumed small-scale uranium enrichment earlier this month, after the International Atomic Energy Agency referred its nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council, which can impose sanctions. Irans Foreign Minister welcomed El-Baradeis proposal as a 'step forward'. Hamas dismisses Israeli sanctions Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniya has dismissed the effect of Israeli financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Haniya said that Arab and Islamic states would offset a drop in Western aid and said Hamas would not disarm or recognise Israel. On Sunday, Israel approved a series of punitive measures against the Palestinians. The EU, the biggest donor to the Palestinian Authority, has threatened to stop funding unless Hamas recognises Israel and renounces violence. Iran leader urges Muslims to fund PalestiniansIrans supreme leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei yesterday called on Muslims worldwide to provide financial support to the Palestinians during his talks with the representatives of Hamas, state television reported. "We must make a plan so all Muslims will be able to supply the Palestinians with a yearly financial aid package," Khamenei told Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal. He lauded Hamas for not moderating its fierce resistance to Israel after its upset victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections last month. Pakistan bans poultry imports from India, Iran, FrancePakistan has banned all poultry imports from India, Iran and France after the countries reported cases of the H5N1 bird flu, officials said yesterday. Agriculture authorities have also set up quarantine facilities on a rail link between India and Pakistan, which reopened over the weekend after four decades. Indias first H5N1 bird flu outbreak was confirmed on Saturday in western Maharashtra state, where according to officials 50,000 birds died last week. Hundreds of thousands of birds were being destroyed Monday. New attacks in Iraq - 23 dead23 Iraqis were killed and scores more wounded in a slew of attacks across the country yesterday. In the days bloodiest attack, a suicide bomber killed 12 people on a mini-bus in a Shia neighbourhood in northern Baghdad. Rescue teams were combing the blackened vehicle to extract charred human remains. At least eight wounded were rushed to the hospital, he added. The attacker struck in Kadhamiyah, which has been regularly targeted by US funded extremists intent on fanning sectarian strife among Iraqs religious groups. Karbala governor suspends ties with USThe governor of the Iraqi city of Karbala said yesterday he had suspended ties with US forces because of excessive security measures employed by US troops during a visit to his offices. Governor Akil Al Khazali complained the soldiers behaviour was excessive and disrespected the governorship. "We have decided to suspend ties with the Americans," he added. The American delegation showed disrespect towards the Iraqi forces who were also present in the governors building and the US troops used sniffer dogs even to check the governors chair. Holocaust denier jailed while Danish blasphemer walks freeDavid Irving, the historian who questioned the holocaust, was last night starting a three-year prison sentence in Vienna. Irving went on trial for two speeches he delivered in the country almost 17 years ago. Ironically, the Danish cartoonist who sparked the anger of Muslims around the world by insulting Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) walks free and no charges have been brought against him. Kashmiris reject Indian talk offerKashmirs main alliance yesterday rejected an invitation by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend a conference to boost a peace process in the restive Himalayan region. The conference, scheduled for Saturday, has been called by New Delhi to widen the dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir where Muslims have revolted against Indian rule since 1989. Singh has called all the groups in the region for the peace conference but has not invited nuclear rival Pakistan with which New Delhi has a separate peace process. Turkmen ruler coins lasting memento for 66th birthday The president of Turkmenistan, described as a despot by the west, has celebrated his 66th birthday by creating a new set of gold and silver coins in honour of poetry he has written. Last year, to celebrate his 65th birthday, Saparmurat Niyazov issued coins featuring his fa
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Fw: Inews Daily - 18/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Saturday 18th February 2006 - 19th Muharram 1427 Islamabad bans protest rallyThe Pakistani law-enforcement agencies detained over 200 activists on Saturday in an attempt to thwart a protest march planned for the capital on Sunday to protest against blasphemous cartoons. A security official said that Islamabad would be sealed. Police pickets have been set up at exit and entry points of Islamabad while random checking of vehicles had started. Information minister Rashid Ahmed said the government had taken every step to convey its displeasure over the publication of sacrilegious cartoons in Europe. He said that some elements wanted to gain political mileage from the violent protests and were hoping such demos would continue until next month when US President George W. Bush would be visiting Pakistan. Mr Ahmed said that violent protests in the country had provided Jews and the anti-Muslim lobby with another opportunity to defame them. Hamas takes over parliament Hamas took over as the dominant party in the Palestinian parliament yesterday and swiftly rejected President Mahmoud Abbas's call to pursue his peacemaking efforts with Israel. The swearing-in of the parliament, elected last month, paves the way for Hamas to form a government that is on a potential collision course with Abbas and faces a boycott by the US and Israel unless it renounces its freedom-fightinhg efforts. Hamas won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council in a January 25 parliamentary election. Nigeria cartoon riots kill 16 Rioting over the controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) claimed another 16 lives last night in Nigeria as Muslims marched in protest. The violence erupted as the Danish cartoonist whose drawings originally sparked the outcry, Kurt Westergaard, said in an interview with a British newspaper that the Islamic faith provided 'spiritual ammunition' for terrorism. The cartoonist, who has since gone into hiding after a bounty was put on his head, said he did not regret the drawings. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 Muslims gathered in the UK Capital yesterday to protest the blasphemous cartoons. Yemeni soldiers die fighting rebels Five Yemeni soldiers and an army captain have been killed in battles with Shia rebels in the northwest of the country, near the border with Saudi Arabia. At least 22 people - 16 of them government forces - have been killed in battles in the region over the past week. Tribal officials said government troops were attacking rebel hideouts near Saada on Saturday and that dozens of families had fled the region in the past two weeks.The fighting dates to June 2004, when Shia Muslim cleric Hussein Badraddin al-Hawthi lead his forces in an uprising against the government. Al-Hawthi was killed in September 2004, but his followers have continued their minority rebellion. Several die in Somalia clashesAt least 12 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded when rival militias using mortars, anti-aircraft guns and artillery clashed in Somalia's capital on Saturday. Residents said civilians including women and children were among the casualties when heavy fighting over territory broke out between gunmen loyal to Mogadishu's Islamic courts and a local warlord in the south of the capital. Fighting among Somalia's myriad of clans and sub-clans has been common since warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and took over the nation of about 10 million. China, Iran close to completing deal to develop oil fieldIran and China are close to setting plans to develop Iran's Yadavaran oil field in a multibillion-dollar deal that comes as Tehran faces the prospect of sanctions over its nuclear program. In exchange for developing Yadavaran, one of Iran's largest onshore oil fields, China would buy 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas a year for 25 years beginning in 2009, a Chinese official said. The deal, which is thought potentially to be worth about $100 billion, could complicate efforts by the Bush administration to isolate Iran economically. Bahrain's Islamist MP calls for removal of Karbala banners A Bahraini MP on Saturday called upon the government to remove banners that he said promoted disunity and stressed sectarian divisions. Shaikh Jassem Al Saeedi said that the banners put up by the Bahrain Enlightenment Society in several areas of the country were fuelling social and religious tension and the government had a duty to take them off the streets. The large banners, allegedly quoting Shiite cleric Shaikh Eisa Ahmad Qasim, and signed by the Islamic Enlightenment Society read: "The battle of Karbala is still going on between the two sides in the present and in the future. It is being held within the soul, at home and in all areas of life and society. People will remain divided and they are either in the Hussain
Bismillah [hidayahnet] Inews Daily - 17/02/06
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Inews Daily Friday 17th February 2006 - 18th Muharram 1427 Baghdad asks Danish troops to stayThe Iraqi interim government has officially asked Denmark to keep its soldiers in Iraq, after Basra city council told Danish troops to leave until their country apologises for the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). The Danish prime minister on Tuesday asked the Iraqi government to speak out on the issue of around 530 Danish troops, mostly based in Basra in southern Iraq under British command. Pakistan bomb hits gas suppliesSeveral cities in Pakistan were left without gas when a bomb exploded in the southwest of the country, rupturing a pipeline. No one was injured by the blast that occurred before dawn on Thursday at the Pir Koh gas field in Baluchistan province. No one claimed responsibility. Authorities could not say when the pipeline would be repaired. Land mines near the pipe will need to be cleared before workers can go to the site to begin repair work. Moscow to hold talks with HamasA high-level delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas will hold talks with Russian officials in Moscow early next month. The US and European Union have threatened to cut off massive aid to the Palestinians unless Hamas recognises Israel and renounces 'violence'. The invitation was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a news conference. Hamas has been labeled as a terrorist organisation by the US government. Iran renames Danish pastriesBakeries across the Iranian capital, Tehran, were covering up their ads for Danish pastries Thursday after the confectioners' union ordered the name change in retaliation for caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) published in a Danish newspaper. "Given the insults by Danish newspapers against the prophet, as of now the name of Danish pastries will give way to 'Rose of Muhammad' pastries," the union said in its order. In Iran, the pastries are domestically baked, not imported. Saddam Trial Becoming Like a TV Sitcom It's supposed to be a serious affair, but after three months and 12 hearings, the Saddam Hussein trial has become like a TV sitcom steeped in Iraqi pop culture and local vernacular. Saddam and Barzan Ibrahim, his half brother and co-defendant, try their best to unsettle the judge, using tactics from insulting his nonexistent mustache to showing up in long underwear. Saddam and his half brother are responsible for the killing and torture of thousands of innocent Shiites and Kurds. UAE embarking on terror crackdownThe United Arab Emirates is trying to shield itself against terror by cracking down on extremists and promoting a culture of moderation, Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al Nahayan said. The minister said authorities in the Gulf country had not uncovered organised terrorist cells in the accepted sense of the word, but a group of individuals, mostly expatriates, who espouse views that conflict with the line of centrism and moderation upheld by the UAE. UN helicopters to curtail serviceThe United Nations Helicopter Assistance Service (UNHAS) has decided to curtail its services in the Pakistani quake zone because of lack of adequate funding. It is feared that scaling down of air operation could adversely affect the relief operation. It is estimated that an additional $13 million are needed to continue helicopter operations until the end of this special operation, currently set at April 14, 2006. UK to build ties with banned Islamist group A leaked Foreign Office memo published yesterday reveals that the British government is to establish ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, a group banned by the Egyptian government. The memo, written on January 17, recommends increased engagement with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the oldest Islamist group in the world. The recommendation has been accepted by Jack Straw, the foreign secretary. Inews Daily - No Copyright - http://www.fsphost.com/inewsdaily - [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of Hidayahnet unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from Hidayahnet, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. SPONSORED LINKS Divine inspiration Islam YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "hidayahnet" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is
