Radiojurnal.ro (tentative contre la censure)

US warns Iran to take deadline seriously

Rodica — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:14:00 GMT

The White House on Tuesday warned Iran's leader to take seriously a year-end deadline over its nuclear program, responding sternly to defiant language by the Iranian president.

US President Barack Obama wants Iran to respond to an offer of dialogue and show it will allay fears of weapons development.

Otherwise, Washington and its allies are warning of new, tougher sanctions on Iran.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may not recognize the deadline but "it is a very real deadline for the international community."

Ahmadinejad earlier Tuesday dismissed the year-end deadline set by the Obama administration and the West for Teheran to accept a UN-drafted deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, and claimed his government is now "10 times stronger" than a year ago.

Ahmadinejad also accused the US of fabricating a purported Iranian secret document that appears to lay out a plan for developing a critical component of an atomic bomb. (02,14)

Shalit deal hinges on Israel's demand to exile 100 prisoners

Rodica — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:12:00 GMT

At the center of Israel's demands regarding the deal to free abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit is an insistence that between 100 and 130 of the Palestinian prisoners who are to be released in exchange - individuals convicted of direct responsibility for the deaths of Israelis - will be expelled to the Gaza Strip or abroad and barred from returning to the West Bank.

The forum of seven senior cabinet ministers met until late on Monday night discussing the exchange deal. After the meeting Israel gave the German mediator of the deal its response to the mediator's proposal, including Jerusalem's demands regarding the prohibition against returning to the West Bank for certain Palestinian prisoners following their release.

Jerusalem is now waiting for Hamas to respond. According to highly placed sources in Jerusalem involved in the negotiations the senior Hamas leadership is expected to meet within a few days to discuss the proposal, probably in Damascus, and a deal is likely to take several more days or even weeks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in a meeting with representatives of the relatives of victims of terrorism, "There is no deal for the release of Gilad Shalit and I don't know if there will be." The representatives voiced their opposition to the deal because of the Hamas demand for the release of terrorists responsible for the murder of Israelis. The prime minister told the families that in considering the exchange he has been guided by "two essential principles, the desire to free prisoners and the desire to defend the citizens of Israel against future harm."

Speaking for Hamas, a Beirut-based leader in the organization said Tuesday night that the Islamist group cannot agree to a deal that includes the principle of exile." Osama Hamdan's statement came despite the fact that the organization had accepted the limitation in the past.

"Because Hamas, or any other Palestinian faction, cannot agree to the expulsion of Palestinians we insist that all the prisoners are released to their homes and families," Hamdan said, added that Israeli media reports about the future expulsions are merely an attempt to weaken Hamas' position in the negotiations.

The sources in Jerusalem emphasized that Israel is sincere about seeking to bridge the gaps between the positions, and that the expression of reservations is not an effort to avoid making a deal by blaming Hamas.

"We are looking for a way to complete the deal," one senior Israeli official said.

Among the issues hampering a consensus among the forum of seven ministers are concerns about releasing Palestinians who were sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Israelis.

There is also the issue of deterrence, which also extends to the broader context of Middle East politics. The fear is that Israel's acceptance of the deal would signal weakness.

The future security in the West Bank is another subject of concern, in particular the potential implications of releasing experienced terrorists to the fledgling Palestinian Authority.

The Shin Bet security service has already voiced concerns that some of the prisoners slated for release have honed their terrorist skills inside prison. Past experience has shown that many of the released prisoners will revert to terrorism.

Sufian Abu Zaida, a senior Fatah figure and the minister in charge of Palestinian prisoner affairs, on Tuesday called on Israel to carry out the prisoner exchange.

"One name more, one name less; one more prisoner, or one less. Drop it, and do what is important, and do it quickly. There is no wasting time. The release of the Hamas people to the West Bank will not undermine Abu Mazen [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas]," Abu Zayda said.

"One would think the government of Israel has lost sleep thinking how to bolster Abbas. Releasing of the prisoners has broad support among Palestinians and is of equal importance to all the factions," he said.

Abu Zaida also criticized Israel for refusing to agree to the release of Palestinians who have served more than 30 years in prison. He was attending a Knesset round-table discussion, "Two States for Two Peoples: A Vision or a Dream," organized by MK Orit Zuaretz (Kadima).

Opposition leader and Kadima chairwoman MK Tzipi Livni told the forum, "This sort of event, where Israelis and Palestinians meet in Jerusalem, was commonplace last year. The idea that Israelis and Palestinians enter a room together in order to talk has become so uncommon that it is imperative to return to that stage, the point from which decisions are made."(04,12)

Abbas: I won't allow third intifada as long as I'm in office

Rodica — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that he would not allow a third Intifada to take place on his watch, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"As long as I'm in office, I will not allow anybody to start a new Intifada. Never, never," said Abbas in an interview with the newspaper.

Abbas, who has extended his tenure until June 2010, however warned that "if I leave, it's no longer my responsibility and I can't make any guarantees." The Palestinian president rebutted Israeli charges that he was responsible for holding up peace talks, and said that Israel is the side placing preconditions on negotiations. "We don't have conditions to go to negotiations," Abbas said, adding, "There is a road map binding on all and that all agreed to - there are obligations to Israel and obligations for the Palestinians." "The ball is in the international community's court and specifically in America's court," Abbas added. Abbas also said that he supports a deal for the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who is being held by Hamas, but stressed that he does not believe it will influence the unstable political situation in the Palestinian Authority. "I am for this deal and we have to get rid of this fast," he said, and went on to say that "in the Palestinian society everybody will be happy with it, even though it may give Hamas some popularity, but that doesn?t matter for me." Abbas added that he has hope U.S. President Barack Obama succeeds in getting Middle East peace talks back on track, as the establishment of a Palestinian state is an American strategic interest. "I want him [Obama] to declare the framework for negotiations and to ask Israel to stop the settlements along the lines of what I presented to the Israeli Minister of Defense," he added.(22,30)

Sheikh Salah banned from Jerusalem

Rodica — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:32:32 GMT

GOC Homefront Command Major General Yair Golan issued an order Monday banning the head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, Sheikh Raed Salah, from entering Jerusalem for three weeks.

The IDF Spokesperson's Office stated that the restraining order is aimed at keeping peace in the city, and that the army plans to have it extended to six months if Salah does not successfully appeal the order within seven days.

Salah is currently facing four indictments due to his participation in the Jerusalem riots of 2007, which broke out in response to Israel's archaeological dig at the entrance to Temple Mount.

The 51-year old Muslim leader was arrested in 2003 and indicted on charges of contact with a foreign agent, for which hereceived a two and a half year prison sentence. Over the years, Salah has been extremely outspoken on the issue of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

The most recent riots at Temple Mount this year were no exception for the sheikh, who made numerous fiery comments to Arab news agencies regarding Israel's restriction of Muslim prayer at the holy site.(00,32)

Carter apologizes for 'stigmatizing Israel'

Rodica — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:29:00 GMT

Former US President Jimmy Carter on Monday asked for the Jewish community's forgiveness for any negative stigma he may have caused Israel over the years. Carter, who is not a popular character in Israel, enraged the American Jewish community's in the past with various statements made in his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." In the book, carter blamed Israel for impeding the Middle East peace process via settlement construction, further claiming such policy will lead to apartheid. The former president also accused Israel of interfering with US efforts to broker peace in the region. "We must recognize Israel’s achievements under difficult circumstances, even as we strive in a positive way to help Israel continue to improve its relations with its Arab populations, but we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel. "As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so," he said. (00,29) "Al Het" refers to the Yom Kippur prayer asking God forgiveness for sins committed. Head of the Anti-Defamation League Abraham Foxman welcomed Carter's apology, saying it marked the beginning of reconciliation.

Mullen: Force must be option for Iran

Rodica — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:22:50 GMT

Military force would have only limited effect in stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons but must remain an option, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.

Teheran shows no signs of backing down in the standoff over what the United States and other countries say is its drive for a nuclear bomb, Adm. Mike Mullen, the top US military officer, told his staff in an annual assessment of the nation's risks and priorities.

"My belief remains that political means are the best tools to attain regional security and that military force will have limited results," Mullen wrote. "However, should the president call for military options, we must have them ready."

Iran denies that its nuclear program is aimed at producing a weapon. The Mideast nation says it is developing nuclear energy.

In the past two or three years the United States had all but ruled out an attack on Iran's known nuclear facilities as too risky, because of the backlash it might unleash.

"Most critically, Iran's internal unrest, unpredictable leadership and sponsorship of terrorism make it a regional and global concern," heightened by what Mullen called "its determined pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Mullen and other military leaders have suggested that if Iran was determined to build a weapon, an attack would probably fail to completely stop that effort. Mullen has tried to dissuade Israel from launching its own attack on Iran, whose leaders have called for Israel's destruction.

Mullen's annual review says nothing about what kind of military force he wants at hand, but any attack would presumably be done by air.

President Barack Obama has set a rough deadline of the end of this year for Iran to respond to an offer of dialogue and to show that it will allay fears of weapons development. The Obama administration is working with allies to ready a new set of international economic sanctions on Iran for repeatedly defying international demands to halt questionable activities and come clean about the nature and extent of the program.

On Monday, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona voiced support for attempting economic pressure against Iran before considering military action. "Sanctions have to be tried before we explore the last option," he said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

But McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wondered whether other countries such as Israel have the patience to see if sanctions will work.

Mullen, the president's chief military adviser, had said separately on Sunday that he is worried about Iran's intentions and said the clock is running on Obama's offer of engagement.

"I've said for a long time we don't need another conflict in that part of the world," he told reporters traveling with him on a visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. "I'm not predicting that would happen, but I think they've got to get to a position where they are a constructive force and not a destabilizing force."

In his assessment released Monday, Mullen also wrote that the main effort in Afghanistan must be to push forces into the war zone quickly, including the shifting of some personnel from Iraq. His year-end message serves as general marching orders for the coming year for his large staff of planners and others.

"Afghanistan has deteriorated in the last year, but reversing the Taliban 's momentum is achievable," Mullen wrote.

As to Iraq, he said security improvements mean the planned US withdrawal can go ahead.

"We must finish well in Iraq," he wrote.

Mullen listed several other threats and concerns, including threats that aren't identified with a given country such as terrorism, piracy and cyber attacks.

"The United States has given more thought and resources to the cyber threat," he wrote, "but "impeded progress here is a serious risk to our national security posture." (00,22)

Schalit swap deal likely to be approved, Post told

Rodica — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:17:00 GMT

The inner cabinet, known as the forum of seven, met into the night Monday in what was described by insiders as a final marathon discussion on the prisoner-swap deal that would end the Gaza captivity of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit.

According to sources close to the deliberations, the proposal to release some 950 Hamas gunmen and activists, some of whom have been convicted of fatal terrorist attacks, for the 23-year-old soldier was expected to gain approval by the forum, after which it would be presented to the full 30-member cabinet.

"There's a wide majority in support of the swap at this stage," a senior political source said.

According to multiple sources and observers, ministers from Shas will vote for the deal due to the party's spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's belief that the religious commandment of "redeeming the captive" overrides possible security risks in this case.

Labor's ministers, including party chairman and forum member Defense Minister Ehud Barak, have in the past advocated conducting such a prisoner swap.

Likud cabinet members Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich of Israel Beiteinu are also believed to support the deal, as is forum member and Intelligence Services Minister Dan Meridor, also of the Likud.

Among the ministers who are believed to oppose the deal on security grounds are Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud), Science Minister Daniel Hershkovitz (Habayit Hayehudi), National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau (Israel Beiteinu), Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) and Minister-without-Portfolio Bennie Begin (Likud). However, The Jerusalem Post has learned that several of these ministers are reconsidering their opposition as the discussions in the cabinet progress.

Within the forum itself, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has the power to break a reported deadlock among the other six members.

Schalit's mother, Aviva, told reporters outside the Prime Minister's Office on Monday that the decision of the inner cabinet would be made "in the next few hours... This will not go on much longer."

Rather than criticizing ministers believed to oppose the deal, Aviva said "it isn't a question of right or wrong."

The forum of seven met three times on Sunday to discuss the Schalit proposal, for a total of over eight hours. Monday's meetings lasted even longer, with discussions reportedly centered on Netanyahu's qualms over the release of "VIP" prisoners - senior terrorism planners and executors - to the West Bank. The prime minister prefers to expel them either to Gaza or overseas.

According to reports in foreign media sources not subject to the IDF censor, Netanyahu has delayed the swap for almost three weeks over the expulsion issue.

If the forum approves the agreement, it must gain the approval of the full cabinet, after which a 48-hour delay will set in for citizens' appeals to the High Court of Justice against the deal. Only then would it go into effect.

The timeline for a full cabinet meeting is unclear, though rumors circulated that ministers were asked to remain in Jerusalem late Monday to be able to participate in a full vote.

The exchange deal has its passionate supporters and critics, with both top security officials and terror victims' families coming down on both sides of the debate.

According to sources, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, who attended the forum discussions throughout Monday, supports a swap. But Mossad chief Meir Dagan and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin have expressed grave reservations over some parts of the deal, believing that many of the released terrorists would constitute a serious security threat to Israelis.

The Almagor Terror Victims Association has urged Netanyahu in recent days to oppose the proposal, saying it would encourage more terrorist attacks.

A senior Prime Minister's Office staffer, Natan Eshel, met on Monday with terror victims' families who oppose the deal and told them the prime minister's "primary consideration in all his decisions is the security of Israel and its citizens."

Meanwhile, members of the Campaign to Free Gilad Schalit staged a protest outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem in an effort to convince the ministers to vote for the deal.

The protesters held 120 life-size cardboard cutouts bearing the image of the abducted soldier.

Earlier on Monday, Gilad Schalit's father, Noam, explained why he was camped out in front of the Prime Minister's Office: "It won't help to sit at home. We'll wait until the end of the deliberations, and hear the outcome."

"We need to decide already, and so does Hamas. The time has come to end the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza," he said.

Aviva Schalit, the soldier's mother, called the vote by the inner cabinet vote a question of life or death for her son.

"I hope they decide today. Everyone who votes must realize their vote means either a death sentence for Gilad or his release," she told Army Radio on Monday morning.

"I can understand the difficulty the ministers are facing; it is not easy for us either," Aviva said. "It is inconceivable that after so many days, no alternative was proposed to releasing Gilad, and he is left there. He can still be brought back alive; the entire world saw that he is still living. He could have been home now, if so many mistakes had not been made," she said.

Also on Monday, Kadima and Ra'am-Ta'al quashed their own no-confidence motions in the Knesset because of the Schalit discussions.

According to Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni, the move was motivated by a desire to allow the government to focus on the prisoner deal.

MK Ahmed Tibi of the United Arab List-Ta'al, meanwhile, explained that the motion was delayed because his party supported the prisoner swap proposal. (23,17)

Meeting continues on the prisoner release proposals

Rodica — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:13:00 GMT

Aviva Shalit, mother of kidnapped soldier Gilad , says that the meeting due to take place between her and her husband, and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has been been cancelled and no new date for a meeting has been given. "We will probably get an answer at the end of the talks," she said. Speaking on Kol Yisrael's "h0a Kol Diburim" she added that she didn't want to consider that the government would decide against returning her son. She expressed hope that Prime Minister Netanyahu would keep his promise to set Gilad free.. Seven senior cabinet ministers - the so-called inner cabinet forum of seven have been meeting for the fourth time to discuss the proposed prisoner exchange with Hamas. Yesterday they met three times and last night's session was with top security officers and lasted several hours. Before this morning's meeting, the forum met with captured soldier Gilad Shalit's parents. Shalit's mother Aviva urged the ministers to remember that their vote would either sentence her son to death or set him free. She was asked by journalists if she had any information about the minister's sessions, following her meeting with them. She answered that she only knew deliberations were continuing. The forum is known to be divided over the deal which has been mediated by Germany and Egypt for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit. Cabinet sources told Kol Yisrael that the main dispute is over deporting prisoners who have been jailed for terrorist murders. A rally is now being held in front of the Prime Ministers office, led by dozens of members of the Free Shalit campaign. Talks are going on inside the office, with the Forum of seven ministers to decide on the prisoner swop with Hamas. Shalit's father Noam appeared at the rally and said that he hopes that a decision will be made Monday regarding his son. He added that the "time had also come to put an end to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinains in Gaza." (20,13)

Ben Eliezer: Israel has taken steps to bring Abbas back to negotiations

Rodica — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:13:00 GMT

Cabinet Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has asked the visiting Egyptian intelligence chief, Omer Suleiman, to help set up a meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to propel peace talks forward.

Ben-Eliezer said the government had taken many steps to bring Abbas back to the negotiating table, including its support for a Palestinian state alongside Israel living in peace and security. Suleiman said he supported every effort to get Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume the peace process.

Suleiman also met Sunday with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose office said their talks focused on ways to deal with regional threats. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Suleiman that the greatest danger facing the region is from Iran.(11,13)

Hariri asks Assad to join forces against Israel

Rodica — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:03:00 GMT

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri told Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday that he sought to improve the relations between their countries to better defend Lebanon against Israel, the Syrian news agency Champress reported.

During a meeting in Damascus, Hariri also accused Israel of violating and denying Arab rights, according to the agency.

The leaders met to end nearly five years of animosity between Damascus and a broad political alliance led by Hariri.
Syria's official SANA news agency said the pair discussed how to turn the page on recent turmoil in bilateral relations. It quoted Hariri as saying he was looking for "real and strategic ties with Syria."

According to Champress, Assad told Hariri that Syria was working to establish the best possible relations with its smaller neighbor, which would protect both countries' interests. He stressed that stability in Lebanon was an inseparable part of stability in Syria, the news agency said.

"I can say that the dialogue was constructive and the atmosphere was cordial," Buthaina Shaaban, an Assad aide, told reporters after a first round of talks that lasted three hours.

She said the meeting had broken the ice between the two leaders who discussed all issues in a "frank, transparent and cordial climate".

Earlier Saturday, Assad warmly welcomed the prime minister at the entrance of the presidential palace in Damascus after Hariri, a billionaire businessman, flew in to the Syrian capital on his private jet.

Lebanese political sources expect the two leaders to agree on opening a new page in their personal relationship and on strengthening cooperation between their governments to guarantee Lebanon's stability.

"At the end of the day, Syria is the nearest country to us. God willing this visit will bring stability and security to Lebanon," Bahia al-Hariri, a member of the Lebanese parliament and the premier's aunt, said in Lebanon.

Hariri's "March 14" alliance has accused Syria of assassinating his politician father, Rafik al-Hariri, in February 2005. They also blamed Damascus for attacking and killing other politicians and journalists.

Syria denies the allegations. A special court based in The Hague has yet to indict anyone for the Hariri killing.

Outrage in Lebanon over the assassination and international pressure forced Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in April 2005, ending three decades of military presence in its smaller neighbour.

Saad al-Hariri's coalition has often clashed in the past with Syria's allies in Lebanon, led by the powerful Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, and the political crisis has threatened to plunge Lebanon into a new civil war.

Rapprochement between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which backs Hariri, earlier this year eased tension and allowed Hariri, who won a parliamentary election in June, to form a unity government that includes Hezbollah and other Damascus allies.

Hezbollah, which fought a war against Israel in 2006, the Second Lebanon War, is the only armed group in Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist group by Washington but Hariri's government has said it is a legitimate force whose aim was to end Israeli occupation of some Lebanese territory.

Hariri, accompanied by only one senior aide, will spend the night in the Syrian capital and hold further talks with senior officials before returning to Beirut on Sunday. (23,03)