31 octobre 2009
Gaza: Thousands rally for Islamic Jihad
Tens of thousands of Islamic Jihad loyalists held a rally in Gaza on Friday to commemorate the group's slain founder. Holding plastic models of rockets and wearing masks and mock suicide bomber's vests, the members chanted "death to Israel" and "Muhammad's army will be back to wipe off the Hebrew state." An Islamic Jihad leader, Nafez Azzam, called on the crowd Friday to reject negotiations with Israel and support violent resistance. The group was founded in 1979 by Fathi Shikaki as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Shikaki was gunned down in Malta in October 1995 by a man on a motorcycle in an attack widely attributed to Israel. Islamic Jihad, a terrorist organization smaller than Hamas, has carried out dozens of suicide bombings and other attacks against Israeli civilians.(23,26)
Turkey PM: If you don't want Iran to have nukes, give yours up
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that countries opposed to Iran's atomic program should give up their own nuclear weapons, and attacked as "arrogant" the sanctions imposed on Ankara's neighbor. He also said he wanted the Middle East, and then the whole world, to rid itself of nuclear weapons. During a trip to Iran this week, Erdogan said he backed Tehran's "right to peaceful nuclear energy" and called its approach in nuclear talks with Western powers "positive." The trip added to Western concern that NATO's only Muslim member may be shifting its foreign-policy focus towards the Islamic world and turning its back on Western allies. Iran says the sole aim of its nuclear program is to generate electricity, but Western powers suspect it of secretly planning to produce nuclear weapons and are trying to persuade it to stop enriching uranium. "... those who criticize Iran's nuclear program continue to possess the same weapons," said Erdogan, according to an advance copy, carried by state-run Anatolian news agency, of a televised address he was scheduled to make at 8 p.m. "I think that those who take this stance, who want these arrogant sanctions, need to first give these [weapons] up. We shared this opinion with our Iranian friends, our brothers." United Nations and U.S. sanctions have already been imposed on Iran over its nuclear program, and if current talks fail to produce agreement, Western powers may push for a further round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Israel is assumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal. Turkey, a European Union candidate, has been Israel's closest Muslim ally, but relations have soured since Israel's December-January offensive in the Gaza Strip. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad this week praised Erdogan for his "clear stance against" Israel. Erdogan also said Turkey wants the Middle East, and in time the world, to be free of nuclear weapons. "We want to live in a region completely purged of nuclear weapons. We want to live in a world in which nuclear weapons no longer exist," he said. Erdogan has tried to expand Turkey's influence in the Middle East and make it a regional power since his party, which traces it roots to an Islamist movement, took office in 2002. Erdogan also reiterated previous remarks that Turkey and Iran have set themselves a target of more than tripling annual bilateral trade by 2011 to $30 billion. (21,16)
At Abu Dhabi, PA resists US pressure to renew peace talks
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday announced that negotiations with Israel will not be renewed unless Jerusalem completely halts construction in the settlements, including in east Jerusalem. Speaking at a press conference in Abu Dhabi after meeting United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is due to arrive later Saturday evening and to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Abbas said that in its actions, Israel was "pouring oil onto the bonfire [of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict], crossing red lines and preparing the ground for further acts of violence." Abbas was presented by Clinton and US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell with understandings reached between the US and Israel earlier. According to the Israeli offer, no more construction will be undertaken in the settlements apart from the completion of 3,000 housing units which are already in advanced stages of completion. Also, Jerusalem would not include east Jerusalem in the deal. In the press conference, Abbas emphasized the issue of Jerusalem, saying the main issue in his talks with Clinton was the Jewish capital. "Jerusalem is in danger, and Arabs and Muslims must be aware of it," Abbas said. "Peace begins in Jerusalem, and without Jerusalem there will be no peace with the Israeli side," he added. The Netanyahu administration, like previous governments, refuses to negotiate over Jerusalem and rejects the labeling of Jewish neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city as settlements. Saeb Erekat, the top PA negotiator who was present in the Abbas-Clinton meeting, was quoted by Israel Radio as saying that "Clinton and Mitchell have clarified that at this point they cannot get more [generous offers] from Israel." (21,11)
29 octobre 2009
Turkey envoy: Good ties with Israel part of our global aspirations
Turkey's new ambassador to Israel said on Thursday that he is committed to improving the strained ties between the two countries. Ahmet Oguz Celikkol told an Israeli academic conference that good relations with Israel are part of Turkey's global aspirations. Ties between the two soured following Israel's winter offensive in the Gaza Strip.Turkey this month canceled an international military exercise in which Israeli pilots were set to participate. Tensions deepened after Turkey's state-run TV aired a drama series that portrayed Israeli soldiers killing a Palestinian girl. Celikkol says he hopes to work with local media and universities to help the Turkish and Israeli societies understand each other better. (18,52)
Qaida-linked group in Lebanon claims rocket attack on Israel
A Lebanon-based al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility Thursday for a rocket attack against Israel this week, saying it was in retaliation for Israel's crackdown on protesters at a Jerusalem shrine. The claim from a group calling itself the Battalions of Ziad Jarrah came two days after a rocket was fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, causing no casualties. Lebanese troops subsequently found and dismantled four additional rockets in the village of Houla near the border with Israel. The claim of responsibility, made on a Web site often used by Islamic militants, could not be independently verified. The group is named after a Lebanese militant who as among the 19 suicide attackers that carried out the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. It has claimed responsibility for previous rocket-firings across the border into Israel. The group said its fighters set up five rockets in Houla on Tuesday night but one launched prematurely, leading the militants to flee the area leaving four rockets behind. It was the fifth such attack against Israel from Lebanon this year. Israel responded with artillery fire, but there were no reports of casualties. Earlier this month, Israel troops cracked down to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinian protesters in a fresh eruption of violence at the most volatile spot in the Holy Land. The site is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on Thursday suggested that Israel had arranged for collaborators in his country to fire Katyusha rockets at the Galilee earlier this week, in a bid to keep tensions high in the area. According to the Lebanese newspaper A-Sapir, Israel's declarations that it would not cease its intelligence activities on Lebanese territories validate Suleiman's accusations. (18,48)
Lebanon: Israel arranged Katyusha fire to keep tensions high
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on Thursday suggested that Israel had arranged for collaborators in his country to fire Katyusha rockets at the Galilee earlier this week, in a bid to keep tensions high in the area. According to the Lebanese newspaper A-Sapir, Israel's declarations that it would not cease its intelligence activities on Lebanese territories validate Suleiman's accusations. A panel of inquiry established by the Lebanese Army found that the rockets, fired from Houla in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, were launched from the home of the village's mayor.The mayor was not present in his home, according to the panel, and has no connection to the rocket fire. Lebanese troops found and dismantled four rockets ready for launching in a building under construction near the border with Israel on Wednesday, said a senior Lebanese army official. Three of the four Katyusha rockets found were ready to be fired, said the official. The discovery came one day after the Katyusha fired, the first such incident since last month. The attack on Tuesday drew a rapid response from Israeli artillery in a brief flare-up across the border that caused no casualties. (11,32)
Iran refuses to give up nuclear rights, but offers to compromise
Iran will not retreat "one iota" on its nuclear rights, but it is ready to cooperate on issues regarding atomic fuel, power plants and nuclear technology, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday. He said the provision of nuclear fuel for a Tehran research reactor was an opportunity for Iran to evaluate the "honesty" of world powers and the United Nations nuclear agency. "We welcome the uranium exchange deal and are ready for cooperation, but the countries involved in the deal should also fulfil their commitments," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Mashad in north-eastern Iran that was broadcast on television. He was speaking on the day Iran was expected to present its formal response to a UN-drafted nuclear fuel deal which is meant to help ease tension over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. Iranian media say Tehran will accept the framework of the deal, but also demand changes to it. Earlier Thursday a team of UN nuclear inspectors returned from a visit to a previously secret Iranian uranium enrichment site, with their leader expressing satisfaction with the mission. What the inspectors saw - and how freely they were allowed to work - will be key in deciding whether six world powers engaging Iran in efforts to reduce fears that it seeks to make nuclear weapons seek a new round of talks with Tehran. The Fordo site is near the holy city of Qom. Iran revealed it was building it September 21 in a confidential letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Just days later, the leaders of the U.S., Britain and France condemned Tehran for having kept it secret. The West believes Iran revealed the site's existence only because it had learned that the U.S. and its allies were about to make it public. Iran denies that. Tehran says it wants to enrich only to make nuclear fuel. But the West worries that Iran wants to create fissile warhead material. (11,30)
28 octobre 2009
Hamas warns Gazans against elections
The internal Palestinian strife continues to deepen, and Hamas is taking a firm stand against President Mahmoud Abbas' call for general elections in January. The Interior Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday warned the residents of the Strip to abstain for taking any part in the upcoming elections. The Hamas-controlled ministry issued a special statement saying it would not allow for elections to be held in the Strip in January, and that the security forces will investigate anyone cooperating or taking any part in the planned vote. The statement said, "The ministry objects to holding elections in the Strip, since he who called elections had no right to do so, and since the decision was made without national consent." The ministry further stated that "anyone cooperating with the call for elections is endangering themselves and will be summoned for investigation." Gaza sources told Ynet that Hamas had already warned the representatives of the various organizations against any involvement in the democratic process. A Gazan leader said that a Palestinian who was heard speaking in favor of elections in central Gaza City a few days ago was beaten by Hamas police officers. "They beat him up only because of what he said," the source said. Hamas on Wednesday again rejected holding or taking any part in the upcoming elections, which were called by the Palestinian president last week to take part in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. At the start of the week Abbas spoke at a special Fatah Central Committee meeting in Ramallah and said that despite the decree, the PA was still reaching out for reconciliation with Hamas. He said that this was not a tactical matter, and hinted that the presidential decree for elections was not meant to pressure Hamas.(20,53)
27 octobre 2009
Katyusha explodes in north Israel; no casualties
A Katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon exploded in the Upper Galilee on Tuesday evening, the first such incident since last month. Nine Katyushas have struck northern Israel since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The rocket hit an open field near Kiryat Shemona and caused no casualties. A Lebanese security official confirmed that the rocket was fired from the Houla village in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces fired an artillery round at Houla in response to the attack, both IDF and Lebanese officials said. An IDF spokesman said that the army viewed the attack with "utmost severity," adding that Israel was holding Lebanon responsible for the incident. Hours before the attack, Defense Minister Ehud Barak toured the north and spoke of Israel's desire to maintain the relative quiet in that area of the country. "We have nine years of quiet in the north that were interrupted for a number of painful weeks for the Second Lebanon War," the defense minister said, referring to the month-long war against Hezbollah guerillas. "We are preparing for all other possibilities, including the possibility that they will subject the towns of the north to another test." Kiryat Shmona resident, Avishay Sabti, said he heard a loud explosion at around 6:45 P.M on Tuesday evening. "As someone who has lived in Kiryat Shmona, I have experience in these instances," Sabti said. "I immediately took cover, but I understood after a few minutes that this was just a lone [rocket] fired." Sabti said a siren was heard before the rocket exploded. He added that the town continues to function as it would on a normal day. There are people in the streets and the residents have not been instructed to take cover in shelters, Sabti said. Last month, two Katyushas struck the Western Galilee, leading Israel to file a complaint with the United Nations. The Israel Defense Forces fired retaliatory artillery at southern Lebanon in reponse to the rocket fire in September, as well. The incident in September was the first time since February that rockets had been fired from Lebanon into Israel, raising tensions along a border that remains volatile three years after a war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Israel believes that Hezbollah has been stockpiling its weapons cache at an enormous rate since the 2006 war. Israeli estimates have put the cache between 40,000 and 80,000. Earlier this month, a shell exploded at the home of a senior Hezbollah official. Hezbollah denied reports that the official had been killed in the blast, which Israel said proved the guerilla group to be in violation of a United Nations-brokered truce. Not long after, a United Nations investigation into the explosions indicated that Israel may have planted spy devices on Lebanese land in what a senior UN official said would be a violation of a cease-fire agreement. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force in Lebanon said its preliminary probe into two explosions in the south showed they had been caused by the detonation of underground sensor devices. The units were apparently buried by Israel Defense Forces troops during the 2006 war with the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, it said. (20,44)
Israeli-Russian businessman Gaydamak gets 6 years in jail
Israeli-Russian businessman Arcadi Gaydamak and his partner French businessman Pierre Falcone were sentenced Tuesday in Paris to six years in prison for their role in Angolagate, a case of arms sales worth $790 million to Angola in the 1990s. The huge arsenal -- 420 tanks, 150,000 shells, 170,000 anti-personnel mines, 12 helicopters, six warships -- shored up President Eduardo Dos Santos's regime during its vicious bush war against the UNITA rebels. Angola pushed to have the trial abandoned, while President Nicolas Sarkozy flew to Luanda in May 2008 to mend ties strained by the case. Observers believe a harsh verdict could poison France's relations with Angola, where it hopes to develop massive oil contracts. The arms sales began when Socialist president Francois Mitterrand was president in 1993 but continued until 1998, three years after conservative Jacques Chirac's election. Mitterrand's son and former Africa advisor, Jean-Christophe, faces a year in jail on charges of accepting millions of euros in "consultant fees" on the arms deals between 1993 and 1998. Others facing suspended jail sentences include former interior minister Charles Pasqua and novelist Paul-Loup Sulitzer. From October 2008 to March this year, judges struggled to make sense of a labyrinth of murky deals linking French politicians, businessmen and public figures and a massive arms shipment to a war-torn African country. Prosecutors claim the shipment was in itself illegal, although the main defendants dispute this, and allege many millions of dollars were skimmed off the contract to pay bribes to senior French and Angolan figures. But despite a promise to come and explain his role, Gaydamak has remained in Israel. He is said to have used his contacts in Eastern Europe to get his hands on the Soviet-designed weapons that were shipped to Luanda. Falcone, who holds French, Canadian and Angolan citizenship, was named Angola's ambassador to the United Nations Paris-based cultural organisation UNESCO in 2003 and has claimed diplomatic immunity in the case. Several defendants have insisted the trade was carried out in full view of French authorities but that Paris kept quiet to shore up a regional ally and protect an important source of oil.(17,13)