Bush Threatening World Leader's?

President Bush, left, greets French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the home of former President George H.W. Bush on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2007, in Kennebunkport, Maine. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Bush hosts Sarkozy for 'heart-to-heart'

11 August 2007
Video
by BEN FELLER

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine - President Bush welcomed French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Saturday for a "heart-to-heart" talk on world issues and to repair relations with France.

"We have had disagreements on Iraq in particular," Bush said as the French president arrived at the seaside vacation home of Bush's parents. "But I've never allowed disagreements to not find other ways to work together."

The White House billed the event as a casual meal between two leaders just getting to know each other.

But Bush said the two would also talk for 45 minutes on world issues, including Iran, where he wants Sarkozy's aid in halting Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

"We'll have a heart-to-heart talk," Bush said. "We'll be talking about a lot of key issues. The good thing about President Sarkozy is you know where he stands. He can tell you exactly what he thinks. I hope he'd say the same thing about me."

The French president had his own warm words, part of an overt attempt by the leaders of both countries to warm their nations' chilled relations. Sarkozy called the United States a longtime friend, one he admires for trying to spread freedom around the world.

"France is friends with democracies, not with dictatorships," Sarkozy said.

"Do we agree on everything? No," he said, an apparent reference to the divisive Iraq war. "Because even in family, there are disagreements. But we are still the same family."

Sarkozy arrived alone on a sparkling day. His wife, Cecilia, canceled at the last meeting because she and her kids were sick. She informed first lady Laura Bush in a phone call, and President Bush said the family understood. Sarkozy said they had sore throats.

By welcoming Sarkozy to his parents' seaside home, Bush is laying a foundation for what he hopes are drastically improved relations with France over the rest of his term. In turn, the newly elected Sarkozy is eager to bond with Bush and display a pro-American mind-set.

As he waited for Sarkozy to arrive, Bush stood with his wife and his parents. The president started chatting with reporters, which turned into an impromptu news conference.

Then Sarkozy came in looking casual in blue jeans and a sportscoat. After a series of warm greetings all around, Bush prodded him to address the media, too.

"Want to ask him a couple of questions?" Bush said. "He's never shy about the press."

In a place renowned for its lobster, the Bush family opted for picnic fare: hot dogs and hamburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob and blueberry pie.

The menu selection raised some eyebrows among the visiting French press; Laura Bush said the family wanted Sarkozy to enjoy an all-American meal.

Aides emphasized that the meeting was not viewed as a summit, but a social meal between two world leaders who happen to be vacationing near each other in New England.

But there is more to it than a get-to-know-you.

"It would be impossible to think of Jacques Chirac stopping by Kennebunkport for lunch," said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow for Europe studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. "This speaks volumes for the desires on both sides to try to turn the page."

Chirac, the former French president, had a bitter relationship with Bush. He opposed the war in Iraq and clashed with Bush over climate change and other matters.

Sarkozy, by contrast, has promised that the United States "can count on our friendship," while reminding Bush that friendship means respecting differing views.

So this lunch, casual as it may be, marks the symbolic start of something more: the "new era of relations with the French," as White House spokesman Tony Snow put it.

In a telling sign, Sarkozy apparently never considered postponing the date even after he had to dash from his New Hampshire vacation spot back to Paris for a funeral on Friday.

Sarkozy flew back to the United States right after, arriving Friday night. He is expected to get to the Bush compound late Saturday morning and visit for a couple of hours.

Sarkozy gives Bush a chance to shore up support in the core of Europe, although the new leader has clearly echoed Chirac's opposition to the Iraq war.

"Bush realizes that Europeans have either left Iraq or they're heading for the exits," Kupchan said. "And the Europeans may not think the war was a wise move, but they've stopped the finger-pointing. I think it's safe to say that both sides have put Iraq behind them."

That still leaves plenty of ground for Bush to build new ties with France. Building pressure against Iran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons pursuits is one area; pushing the U.N. Security Council to speed up humanitarian efforts in the Darfur region is another.

Then there's Afghanistan, where Sarkozy has shown ambivalence about the French mission.

"I don't think the French are getting ready to pull their troops out," Kupchan said. "But the last thing Bush wants is for the French, the Germans or others to go wobbly on Afghanistan. If a major country were to do so, the whole coalition could start unraveling."

In France, Sarkozy caused a considerable stir by opting to be in the United States for his first extended vacation as president. He chose Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, N.H., about 50 miles from the rocky shores of the Bush compound known as Walker's Point.

Sarkozy said he wanted to see the real America — small towns and tranquility. He made unintended news, however, by getting into a public flap with American photographers.

On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

2-8 August 2007

Settlers Set Fire to El-Kayal Mosque near Hebron’s Hisba Market


Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

5 Palestinians, including a child, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

2 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.

One of the victims was shot dead by IOF near a military checkpoint in the West Bank.

21 Palestinians, including a child, and an international human rights defender were wounded by IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

IOF conducted 29 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

IOF arrested 49 Palestinian civilians, including a child, in the West Bank.

IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

An old woman died at an IOF military checkpoint in the West Bank as IOF troops obstructed her evacuation to the hospital.

IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and a humanitarian crisis has emerged.

Some Palestinians have been stuck at the Egyptian side of Rafah International Crossing Point, and the number of deaths among them has mounted to 19.

IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians at Erez checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip when they were on their way back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested a Palestinian woman and a wound man.

IOF have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the West Bank.

Israeli settlers launched a series of attacks on Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron.

Summary

Bush’s Progress

Mindfully.org note: The Americans we listen to in the streets every day do not see progress on peace in Iraq or Afghanistan. What they see is a constant degradation of the society around them as major amounts of funding have been taken away from schools, libraries, transportation, health care, retirement, savings — all areas of society have suffered except the most wealthy segments.(2005)

Bush's Version of Encouraging News From Afghanistan and Iraq

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

August 11, 2007

Audio

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In America, August is considered a slow news month. But in the war on terror, America and our allies remain on the offense against our enemies. And this month, we've had some encouraging news from both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Earlier this week, I had a good meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan at Camp David. He updated me on the work his government is doing to help build a more hopeful future for the Afghan people. He told me that senior officials and tribal leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan are meeting to discuss how to deal with the extremists who are targeting both their countries. And he explained why he's confident that his government will prevail against the Taliban remnants who continue to launch attacks throughout his country.

Here's how President Karzai put it: "The Taliban do pose dangers to our innocent people .... [But] they are not posing any threat to the government of Afghanistan, they are not posing any threat to the institutions of Afghanistan, or to the buildup of institutions of Afghanistan." He continued: The Taliban "is a force that's defeated" and it is "acting in cowardice by killing children going to school." In other words, the Taliban fighters can still launch attacks on the innocent, but they cannot stop the march of democracy in Afghanistan.
In Iraq, we are working to help put the Iraqi government on the same path. The surge that General Petraeus and our troops are carrying out is designed to help provide security for the Iraqi people, especially in Baghdad -- and aid the rise of an Iraqi government that can protect its people, deliver basic services for all its citizens, and serve as an ally in the war on terror. Our new strategy is delivering good results, and our commanders recently reported more good news.

One encouraging development was a coalition air strike that killed a terrorist named al-Badri earlier this month. Al-Badri was the mastermind of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines. That bombing sparked the escalation in sectarian violence we saw in 2006. Al-Badri was the most notorious al Qaeda commander in Samarra. He sheltered foreign terrorists, and he was responsible for attacks that claimed many innocent lives. His death is a victory for a free Iraq, and a sign that America and the Iraqi government will not surrender the future of Iraq to cold-blooded killers.

Al-Badri is just one of the many al Qaeda leaders and other extremists who are coming under a withering assault across Iraq. Only a year ago, al Qaeda ruled places like Ramadi, terrorizing the local population and intimidating local authorities. Today al Qaeda has largely been driven out of these cities, markets and schools are reopening, and normal life is returning. And since January, each month we have killed or captured an average of more than 1,500 al Qaeda terrorists and other enemies of Iraq's elected government.

Our surge is seizing the initiative from the enemy and handing it to the Iraqi people. And Iraqis are responding. Local residents are coming forward with tips that are helping U.S. and Iraqi forces rout out terrorists hiding among the population. While political progress has been slower than we had hoped, the Iraqi parliament passed more than 50 pieces of legislation in its most recent session. They approved a $41 billion budget, created an electoral commission and military courts, and laid the groundwork for private sector investment in production of gasoline and diesel fuel. At the same time, Iraqi forces have taken responsibility for security in a number of areas. They are taking losses at a much higher rate than we are. And they're making these sacrifices willingly, because they are determined to see their children live in freedom.

The enemy in Iraq is still dangerous, and the surge is still in its early stages. Changing conditions on the ground is difficult work. But our troops are proving that it can be done. They are carrying out their mission with skill and honor. They are accomplishing great things for the future of our Nation and for the future of a free Iraq.

Thank you for listening.

END

Israel's 'solution' for Palestinians

Column

10 August 2007

By As'ad Abdul Rahman

So, it is fascism that we have now. Israel is a rogue, brutal, imperial and powerful state that lacks spiritual purity, and is self-introverted.

The repeated calls by the parties of the government coalition for killing Palestinians, demolishing their homes and legislating their transfer, demonstrate the surge of fascism.

We have already gone beyond many red lines in recent years, to an extent that I don't rule out the possibility that the Knesset [Israel's parliament] would, in the coming years, pass legislations against the Arabs comparable to the racist Nuremberg Laws".

This was the concluding statement by Abraham Borg, the former President of the Knesset and Chairman of the Jewish Agency, which shocked Israeli society. The most important question is: what does Israel really want? What are its solutions to becoming a "normal state" in the region?

Israelis have long probed answers, and have adopted plans that were perceived as leading the Jewish state to safety. In fact, they have endorsed several solutions simultaneously, all aimed at having an "exclusively Jewish" state.

But all these solutions have, however, failed, whether they be the expulsion of the indigenous Palestinian Arabs, through "transfers" or through apartheid/racist discrimination or "one state for both peoples".

Systematic intimidation

Indeed, "transfer" of Palestinians was the primary Israeli plan. Since the UN Security Council resolution on the partition of Palestine in 1947, the Zionist gangs began - in coordination with the British forces - the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from the land allotted to the Jewish state.

The plan included systematic intimidation that forced Palestinians to flee their homeland. This policy of intimidation was extended to seize large parts of land assigned by that resolution to the Palestinian state.

Accordingly, Israel usurped 78.5 per cent of historical Palestine, and 850,000 Palestinians became refugees.

For decades, the eviction of the Palestinian natives and their "transfer" to Arab countries constituted an essential point in the Israeli political planning. It has been conceived as the "only" solution to the "Arab question" in Palestine.

The Israeli scheme of transferring Palestinians was later revealed in Zionist documents. With Israel's "completion" of Palestinians' forced migration from their homeland, and its dealing with those who stayed behind through racist laws, the refugee problem emerged ("inside" and "outside" Israel) as an international issue, with regional dimensions.

On the legal level, and in stark contravention of international norms, Israel has enforced the aforementioned laws, and thereby confiscated Palestinian properties. This is nothing but a demographic restructuring of the country by plucking out its Arabic character.

Of course, Israel has refused to re-instate the Palestinian refugees inside and outside it under the pretext of security and Jewish colonisation.

In March 1957, several Israeli leaders declared that "the Gaza Strip remains a source of problem unless the Palestinian refugees are settled somewhere else".

These leaders pursued the implementation of a scheme that continuously aimed at undermining the refugee problem, and subsequently established the "creeping annexation" idea of removing the Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and settling them in Arab countries.

Since June 1967, one of Israel's most basic problem in retaining its dominance of historical Palestine has been the Arab minority inside its 1948 borders, without adding to it new millions of Palestinians.

Though both Palestinians and Israelis have recognised each other in the 1993 Oslo Accords, Israel continues to call for the transfer of Palestinians.

And all this is taking place at a time when new Israeli historians have revealed the absurdity of such a solution, emphasising that Israel's evacuation of Palestinian citizens, the demolition of their villages and towns and establishment of new Jewish colonies in their place, and making geographic and demographic changes in Palestine in order to create an exclusive "Jewish state" are futile endeavours due to their deep implications.

What Israel regards as a historical "achievement" - the destruction of more than 532 Palestinian villages between 1948 and 1952 - is nothing more than a blind emulation of the Nazi policies from which the Jews and others suffered.

It was further proved that Israeli transfer operations were systemic, involving huge funds with direct supervision from the office of many Israeli prime ministers.

The Palestinians' "right of return" is now totally rejected by what may be called an Israeli consensus, and is seen as being destructive to the Jewish identity of the state of Israel.

But many in Israel have recently realised that transfer is not the proper solution, and the refugee problem will not be settled by imposing solutions, but rather by offering "reasonable" options.

Nevertheless, the Israeli right-wing forces still hold on to the transfer policy as estimates show the Palestinian populations in 2050 will be twice that of the Jews in historical Palestine.

In this context came former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for a strategy that secures "an apparent Jewish demographic superiority in Israel". Such a solution won't be the last Zionist "invention" in the course of evicting more Palestinians.

Professor As'ad Abdul Rahman is the Chairman of the Palestinian Encyclopedia.

Recitation’s Only

He who does recitation’s only and thinks this is a sure way into Paradise, they are mistaken.

One must do all that Allah commands, if they wish to enter Paradise; for recitation alone will not save you.

-Housewife4Palestine

Bush Sends “Death Threat” to al-Maliki over Iran?

Bush said if al-Maliki thought Iran was constructive, he would have a heart-to-heart with him [Reuters]

Bush warns al-Maliki on Iran

10 August 2007

The US president has rebuked Iraq's prime minister for speaking too favourably about Iran.

"If the signal [from Nuri al-Maliki] is that Iran is constructive, I will have to have a heart-to-heart with my friend, the prime minister. Because I don't believe they are constructive," George Bush said.

But he voiced confidence that he and al-Maliki were on the same page on Iran as a threat.

"I don't think he, in his heart of heart, thinks they're constructive either."

Al-Maliki had thanked Iran for its "positive and constructive" work in "providing security and fighting terrorism in Iraq" on a visit to Tehran, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iranian leaders told the visiting al-Maliki that they wanted Iraq's friendship and would do all they could to boost Iraqi security.

Warm relations

Al-Maliki's talks appeared to confirm the increasingly warm relations that have emerged between majority Shia Iraq and overwhelmingly Shia Iran following the fall of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime.

Al-Maliki reported thanked Iran for its "positive and constructive" work in Iraq [AFP]

In a highly symbolic move, al-Maliki met the families of seven Iranian officials arrested in Iraq by US forces on accusations of being members of Iran's Quds force on a mission to stir up trouble. Iran says the men were diplomats.

It has developed into one of Iran's main complaints against the US, provoking fierce debate when the two sides held talks in Baghdad last month.

Al-Maliki promised the families that he would work for the detainees' release.

When asked whether he thought al-Maliki shared his views on Iran, Bush said: "So the first thing I looked for was commitment against the extremists.

"The second thing is 'does he [al-Maliki] understand with some extremist groups there's connections with Iran', and he does. And I'm confident.

'Price to pay'

"Now, is he trying to get Iran to play a more constructive role? I presume he is. But that doesn't - what my question is - well, my message to him is, is that when we catch you playing a non-constructive role there will be a price to pay."

The White House later clarified with Al Jazeera that Bush was referring to Iran when talking about a price to pay.

Bush, who called Iran "a very troubling nation", said Tehran was "a destabilising influence" in the Middle East and warned that "there will be consequences" for any Iranians shipping weapons, including sophisticated roadside bombs, inside Iraq.

Bush suggested al-Maliki had been photographed smiling with his Iranian hosts, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, only as a diplomatic nicety.

"You don't want the picture to be kind of, you know, duking it out," Bush said, holding up his fists like a boxer.

It was the second time this week Bush has had to defend his tough stance against Iran with cautionary words to a key ally in the face of possible differences over Tehran's motives.

He warned Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, on Monday during a visit to the US presidential retreat at Camp David to be more suspicious of Iran after the Afghan leader had brushed aside US accusations that Tehran was arming the Taliban.

Iran, with a majority of Shia Muslims like Iraq, has been an important political player in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Tehran denies Washington's accusations that it is supplying weapons to fighters to fuel violence, and instead blames the US military presence.

Baghdad has urged both countries to negotiate and not fight out their differences on Iraqi soil.


Source

Palestinian Boys Try to Catch a Glimpse

Palestinian boys try to catch a glimpse through a window of Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya (not seen) during Friday prayers in Khan Yunis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, 10 August 2007. (MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Officials Join Abu Dees Community in celebrating US-funded Infra-structure Improvements

US Consul General Jacob Walles meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 16 September 2006. (MaanImages/Fadi Arouri)

10 August 2007

Bethlehem - Ma'an - U.S. Consul General Jacob Walles and USAID acting director for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, David Harden on Friday joined Abu Dees mayor, Ibrahim Jaffal and local dignitaries in highlighting infra-structure improvements to the Old City of Abu Dees east of Jerusalem. The improvements were part of city-wide rehabilitation efforts made possible by approximately $144,000 of in-kind assistance provided to the municipal council by USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI). OTI’s assistance allowed for the stone tiling of the Old City’s unpaved alleys, installation of stone benches and trash receptacles and painting. City-wide improvements included the repair of sidewalks, mounting of 100 street signs, painting of crosswalks, placement of street reflectors, and new bus shelters near Al-Quds university in the city. The project, which was designed in coordination with local leaders and residents, also drew on the energies and enthusiasm of 300 community volunteers who donated their time to work together with municipal technical specialists.

Speaking to the crowd of residents gathered for the day’s celebrations, U.S. Consul General Walles said: “The new infra-structure not only beautifies the city, but also makes an important contribution to public safety. The community spirit that made these improvements possible, is the same kind of civic involvement that will prove instrumental in building the institutions necessary to create a viable Palestinian state.”

USAID/OTI will continue its assistance to Abu Dees as part of an overall $15 million small grants program for communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. To date, OTI has approved 134 grants that have made $6,767,560 available to municipalities seeking to improve the daily lives of residents.

Haniyeh Says Palestinian and Regional Sides Plotting to Get Rid of Hamas

10 August 2007

Khan Younis – Ma'an – Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, Isma'il Haniyeh on Friday accused Palestinian and regional sides of plotting to get rid of Hamas and to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In an before Friday prayers in a mosque in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Haniyeh accused them of attempting to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; of tightening the crippling siege on the Gaza Strip, endeavoring to topple the legitimate government [the Hamas-led deposed government], making security and political deals with Israel, and striking the infra-structure of the Palestinian resistance, particularly in the West Bank.

Haniyeh also said that the US president and the White House are conspiring against the Palestinian people in cooperation with regional and international forces, and that even Palestinians are taking part in the conspiracy.

He added that the presidential decrees and decisions which the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas ratified, have only served to widen the divisions between the Palestinian people. Furthermore, the dismissal of high-ranking officials, the ban on collecting taxes, and the orders given to military employees not to go to work were also increasing the separation between the two parts of the Palestinian homeland, he added.

Hamas Member Dies After Being Tortured in Jail Run by Palestinian Authority

10 August 2007

Nablus – Ma'an – Hamas have said that Palestinian security sources in the West Bank have confirmed the death of a Hamas member they claim was tortured in a Palestinian security prison.

Twenty-two-year-old Mou'aiad Bani Odeh in an Israeli hospital, from Tamon in the north of the West Bank Tobas, died in an Israeli hospital after he was transferred from Al Junied Jail in Nablus.

The Palestinian media centre said that according to Palestinian sources, "Bani Odeh died after he was severely tortured in Al Junied Jail, which is run by the Palestinian Authority.

Bani Odeh's family are blaming the Palestinian security services for their son's death.

In a news conference Hamas said that this is an example of the torture their members are facing in Palestinian Authority jails.

Ground Realities

Hundreds protest decision to close probe into Palestinian girl’s death

Sign reads 'No immunity for soldiers in uniform' Photo: Activestills

‘It cannot be that a 10-year-old girl takes a bullet, it is proven that she was killed, and still no one is found guilty,’ protester says; seven people detained during rally

8 August 2007

by Tal Rabinovsky

Police detained seven people during a demonstration held outside the Jerusalem District Court Wednesday in protest of the decision to close the investigation into the death of a Palestinian girl killed last January

Officers said the protesters attempted to break into the building.

Protesters outside courthouse (Photo: Activestills)

Ten-year-old Abir Aramin of Anata, located on the outskirts of Jerusalem, was critically wounded on January 16 during a clash between Palestinian school students and Israeli Border Guard officers in the refugee camp. She lay clinically dead at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem for three days as doctors fought for her life, but was then taken off life support.

Last week prosecutors told the girl’s family that the investigation would be closed due to “lack of sufficient evidence”.

Yanai Yisraeli, 26, of Tel Aviv said after the rally, “It cannot be that a 10-year-old girl takes a bullet, it is proven that she was killed, and still no one is found guilty.”

“We consider this decision to be racist.”

According to human rights group Yesh Din, eyewitnesses said the Palestinian girl was hit after Border Guard officers pointed their rifles toward her.

Hamas Goes Navy?

Israeli navy battleship Photo: Danny Solomon


IDF says ready to battle Hamas at sea

Israeli navy given new instructions in light of Hamas' establishment of naval forces in Gaza, military officials say

9 august 2007

by Hanan Greenberg

"The new situation in the Gaza Strip obligates us to act differently at sea. There are threats that did not exist in the past. We recognize this, and are ready in accordance," a military source said Thursday night, responding to the report that Hamas had established a naval force in Gaza.

Hamas' navy is headed by senior Hamas commander Jamil al-Dahashan, who previously served as a Hamas special forces commander in south Gaza City.

The force is aimed at securing the shores from IDF marine operations as well as criminal activity of drug dealers.

Although the force does not as yet own any marine vessels, Israel is responding to the matter with the utmost gravity.

The Israeli navy suffered a difficult hit during the Second Lebanon War, when an anchored navy gunship was directly hit in a missile attack, killing four soldiers, and thus is taking no risks regarding Gaza.

According to military sources, new instructions have recently been handed down to Israeli patrol ship crews on how to deal with the threat of an attack by terror organizations using various marine vessels currently in their possession.

These instructions were given in light of intelligence information verifying the possibility of an attack on an Israeli Navy ship. The sources said the Navy’s activity, which is aimed mainly at preventing the smuggling of arms from Egypt into Gaza and intercepting terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israel by sea, has not been hindered.

“The security fence in Gaza serves as a serious barrier against terrorists, so it is only natural that they would try to reach Israel by sea,” an IDF official told Ynet. He admitted that there has recently been an increase in “incidents” off the Gaza coastline.

The military sources added that Hamas may also attempt to open fire at Israeli ships from the Strip itself, use a booby-trapped fishing boat or even a diver with an explosive device.

“We are not taking these threats lightly,” one officer said. “We cannot determine whether the terror groups have established a navy or not, but they definitely intend to attack any Israeli target, including naval forces positioned the area.”

Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Infiltrating Back into Gaza

Fatah operating in small groups.

11 August 2007

It appears a handful of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has infiltrated back into Gaza with the soul mission to attack Hamas in an attempt to retake Gaza.

For a little time now, they have been doing covert operations with the intention to topple the Hamas government. It appears they are working in groups of about 10 member’s each in Gaza city and the Southern strip.

So far the operations include planting explosives near Hamas headquarters’ in Gaza, along with carrying out several shooting attacks against outpost’s.

While no injuries were reported in any of the attacks, sources in Gaza believe that the units' operations will intensify. The unit members are former officers of Fatah's Preventative Security Force who are being sponsored by several wealthy families affiliated with Fatah.

Hamas is aware of these developments, and has started arresting Fatah activists, as well as increasing operations to seize weapons from Fatah members in Gaza.

The New Wiretapping Law

A Blank Check for Domestic Spying

August 10, 2007

By MARJORIE COHN

Responding to fear-mongering by the Bush administration, the Democrat-led Congress has put its stamp of approval on the unconstitutional wiretapping of Americans.

George W. Bush has perfected the art of ramming ill-considered legislation through Congress by hyping emergencies that don't exist. He did it with the USA Patriot Act, the authorization for the Iraq war, the Military Commissions Act, and now the "Protect America Act of 2007" which amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

FISA was enacted in 1978 in reaction to excesses of Richard Nixon and the FBI, who covertly spied on critics of administration policies. FISA set up a conservative system with judges who meet in secret and issue nearly every wiretapping order the administration requests.

But that wasn't good enough for Bush. In 2001, he secretly established his "Terrorist Surveillance Program," with which the National Security Agency has illegally spied on Americans. Instead of holding hearings and holding the executive accountable for his law-breaking, Congress capitulated once again to the White House's tactics. As Congress was about to adjourn for its summer recess, Bush officials threatened to label anyone who opposed their new legislation as soft on terror. True to form, Congress - including 16 Senate and 41 House Democrats - caved.

The new law takes the power to authorize electronic surveillance out of the hands of a judge and places it in the hands of the attorney general (AG) and the director of national intelligence (DNI). FISA had required the government to convince a judge there was probable cause to believe the target of the surveillance was a foreign power or the agent of a foreign power. The law didn't apply to wiretaps of foreign nationals abroad. Its restrictions were triggered only when the surveillance targeted a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or when the surveillance was obtained from a wiretap physically located in the United States. The attorney general was required to certify that the communications to be monitored would be exclusively between foreign powers and there was no substantial likelihood a U.S. person would be overheard.

Under the new law, the attorney general and the director of national intelligence can authorize "surveillance directed at a person reasonably believed to be located outside of the United States." The surveillance could take place inside the U.S., and there is no requirement of any connection with al-Qaeda, terrorism or criminal behavior. The requirement that the AG certify there is no substantial likelihood a U.S. person will be overheard has been eliminated.

By its terms, the new law will sunset in 180 days. But this is a specious limitation. The AG and DNI can authorize surveillance for up to one year. So just before the statute is set to expire around February 1, 2008, they could approve surveillance that will last until after Bush leaves office.

There is provision for judicial review of the procedures the AG and DNI establish to make sure they are reasonably designed to ensure communications of U.S. persons are not overheard. But that requirement is also specious. They must submit their procedures to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court 120 days after the effective date of the act. The court doesn't have to respond to their submission until 180 days after the effective date of the act, and the standard of review is appallingly low. It's limited to whether the government's determination is "clearly erroneous." Even if the court were to find the proffer clearly erroneous, the AG and DNI have another 30 days to fix it. That takes the entire review process beyond the 6 month sunset period. Meanwhile, the surveillance can continue.

The Supreme Court held in the 1967 case of Katz v. United States that government wiretapping must be supported by a search warrant based on probable cause and issued by a judge. In 1972, the Court, in U.S. v. U.S. District Court (Keith), struck down warrantless domestic surveillance. The Court has recognized the "special needs" exception to the warrant requirement. The special need must be narrowly tailored to the problem. However, the new law is much too broad to come under this exception. Congress eliminated any need that the person surveilled be a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power. The government need only show it is seeking "foreign intelligence information." There is no requirement of any connection with terrorism. The special needs exception also requires an absence of discretion in the implementing authority. There is unlimited discretion now as long as the target is reasonably believed to be outside the United States.

The AG is required under the new law to report to Congress semi-annually, but only on incidents of non-compliance. Can we really trust Alberto Gonzales to be forthcoming about compliance with this law? Senator Christopher Dodd told Glenn Greenwald at the YearlyKos convention last week that neither he nor the other senators have any idea of how the Bush administration has been using its secret program to spy on Americans.

Finally, the new law requires telephone companies to collect data and turn it over to the federal government. It also grants immunity against lawsuits to these companies, many of which are currently defendants in civil cases.

Indeed, the mad rush to push this legislation through last week was likely a preemptive strike by Bush to head off adverse rulings in lawsuits challenging the legality of his Terrorist Surveillance Program. On August 9, a federal district court in San Francisco will hear oral arguments by lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild in CCR v. Bush. And on August 15, Guild lawyers and others will argue Al-Haramain v. Bush in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In six months, when the "Protect America Act of 2007" is set to expire, there will be even more political pressure on Congress to appear tough on terror in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election. We cannot expect a Congress that so easily caved in to the fears hyped by the Bush administration to stand firm in support of the Constitution.

Marjorie Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and President of the National Lawyers Guild. Her new book, Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law, has just been published by PoliPointPress. Her articles are archived at http://www.marjoriecohn.com/.

AT&T On Censorship Trail?

AT&T errs in edit of anti-Bush lyrics

10 August 2007

Video

By MICHELLE ROBERTS

SAN ANTONIO - Lyrics performed by Pearl Jam criticizing President Bush should not have been censored from a webcast by AT&T Inc., a company spokesman acknowledged Thursday.

AT&T, through its Blue Room entertainment site, offered a webcast of the band's headlining performance Sunday at Lollapalooza in Chicago. The event was shown with a brief delay so the company could bleep out excessive profanity or nudity.

But monitors hired by AT&T through a vendor went further and cut two lines from a song to the tune of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." One was "George Bush, leave this world alone" the second time it was sung, and the other was "George Bush find yourself another home," according to the band's Web site.

AT&T spokesman Michael Coe said that the silencing was a mistake and that the company was working with the vendor that produces the webcasts to avoid future misunderstandings. He said AT&T was working to secure the rights to post the entire song — part of a sing-along with the audience — on the Blue Room site.

Blue Room offers live concerts, sports interviews, video game advice and other entertainment content that requires a high-speed Internet connection. Although viewing the content is free, San Antonio-based AT&T uses the site as a way to promote its DSL broadband services.

Besides Pearl Jam's show, AT&T showed 21 other performances ranging from Pete Yorn to G. Love and Special Sauce during the three-day Lollapalooza music festival. Coe said no other complaints have been made about censoring.

Pearl Jam said in a posting on its Web site that in the future, it would work harder to ensure live broadcasts or webcasts are "free from arbitrary edits."

"If a company that is controlling a webcast is cutting out bits of our performance — not based on laws, but on their own preferences and interpretations — fans have little choice but to watch the censored version," they said.

The alternative rock band and Internet advocates were also using the incident to try to draw attention to the prospects of Internet service providers like AT&T deciding to give preferential treatment to content they favor or have deals with, leaving the rest on slower-moving Internet bandwidths.

Jenny Toomey, executive director of the Future of Music Coalition, said that although net neutrality wasn't being violated in this case, it still raises questions about whether AT&T and other service providers can be trusted not to hurt artists.

Internet speeds that depend only on the size of files, not the kind of content that's in them, is a democratizing force, she said.

"We've got to protect that, and artists get that," Toomey said.

AT&T and other providers would like the ability to charge more for transmitting certain kinds of data, like live video, faster or more reliably than other data but have insisted such premium services would help, not hurt, consumers.

Coe said, regardless, the issue of net neutrality is entirely separate from the mistake during the Pearl Jam show.

"This was our own Web site," he noted.

President Bush Addresses Border Security and Immigration Challenges

President George W. Bush signs H.R. 2272, The America Competes Act, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007, in the Oval Office. Pictured with the President are, from left: Director John Marburger of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Senator Jeff Bingaman of N.M.; Congressman Bart Gordon of Tenn.; and Senator Pete Domenici of N.M. White House photo by Chris Greenberg

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

August 10, 2007

Today, members of my Cabinet announced a series of important new Administrative actions to address border security and immigration challenges. These reforms represent steps my Administration can take within the boundaries of existing law to better secure our borders, improve worksite enforcement, streamline existing temporary worker programs, and help new immigrants assimilate into American society.

Although the Congress has not addressed our broken immigration system by passing comprehensive reform legislation, my Administration will continue to take every possible step to build upon the progress already made in strengthening our borders, enforcing our worksite laws, keeping our economy well-supplied with vital workers, and helping new Americans learn English.

I appreciate the work of Secretary Chertoff and Secretary Gutierrez in implementing these important reforms, which will improve our security and enrich our Nation.

Further Reading:

Fact Sheet

When Walmart Came to Town in India

Global retailers watch Wal-Mart's entry into India

9 August 2007

Mumbai: Wal-Mart Stores Inc's final entry into India after a long delay may fuel intense opposition to foreign retailers, forcing the government to move even more cautiously and slowing the ambitions of other incomers.

Protests against Wal-Mart and even newly-opened stores by India's Reliance Industries Ltd. are a lightning rod for Indians fearful of modern corporate retail and its impact on family-run stores, as well as for politicians with an eye on national elections in 2009.

And they have given foreign retailers who want a bite at India's $350 billion retail pie pause for thought.

Foreign companies entering the Indian market have struggled with a restrictive investment policy which limits their ownership in certain sectors like retail, banking and aviation.

Even before Monday's Wal-Mart deal with Bharti Enterprises was announced, protests were planned by hawkers, farmers and trade unions against the "back-door entry of Wal-Mart", a campaign they say is modelled on the "Quit India" call against the British.

"India is too big a market to ignore, so I expect continued and increased interest from foreign retailers, but I do not expect the floodgates to open," said Manoj Ladwa, chief executive of MLS Chase Solicitors in London.

"What foreign retailers need is for the government to set out a clear process towards further liberalisation. It's not so much the pace, as the direction that needs to be properly defined."

Wal-Mart and Bharti Enterprises said on Monday they would form an equal joint venture for cash-and-carry, or wholesale, and back-end supply chain management, more than eight months after Bharti first said it would partner the world's biggest retailer.

Wal-Mart, which plans to significantly step up its sourcing of locally-made goods, stressed the venture's investments in the supply-chain will benefit farmers and small manufacturers.

But Carrefour and Tesco have shelved their plans until there is greater clarity on policy, and Wal-Mart's entry is not going to convince them to rush in now.

"They are probably waiting to see how Wal-Mart does, how it handles the opposition, and for some of that to die down," said said Umesh Madhavan, an analyst at Euromonitor in Singapore.

"The opposition is not going to die soon as it's become a big political issue. In fact, there's more opposition now, and I don't see rules being relaxed at least for another couple of years, with national elections coming up," he said.

Officer Charged Over Shooting of Palestinian

9 August 2007

Occupied Jerusalem: The military has indicted an officer involved in shooting a Palestinian man in the West Bank last month, the army said yesterday.

The officer, a lieutenant, and five of his men commandeered a local taxi, drove through the town of Dahariya and shot an unarmed Palestinian who aroused their suspicion, according to an initial army investigation.

The officer acted on his own initiative in violation of military orders, and left the wounded man on the ground without treating him, the investigation found.

Seriously injured

The Palestinian man, who was seriously wounded, was later treated at a local clinic and transferred to an Israeli hospital.

Three senior commanders have already been reprimanded over the incident, and all of the soldiers involved have been suspended from operational duty. The indictment yesterday was the first in the case, the army said.

The lieutenant has been charged with assault and overstepping his authority in a manner that endangered lives, the army said. He will be held in jail until the end of the legal proceedings, the army said.

It is not common for the Israeli military to press charges against troops in cases involving Palestinians. The lieutenant was not identified in the indictment or accompanying statement, in keeping with military practice.

Barak Dismisses Peace Plan

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak (center) walks past a fighter plane during a ceremony at the Hazerim Air Force Base in southern Israel.

10 August 2007

Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying on Friday that talk of any peace deal with Palestine anytime soon was "fantasy," in response to US-led efforts to revive negotiations.

In private conversations reported by Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Barak said he would not carry out plans by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove roadblocks in the West Bank as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

But senior Abbas aide Saeb Erakat said on Friday the Palestinians were told that Barak will present a "map" to remove the checkpoints next week.


Barak's office stopped short of denying the Yedioth report in its entirety, but said: "There is no change in Barak's stance regarding the importance of the political process alongside our obligation to protect Israel's security."

A spokesman for Olmert declined to comment on the report in the mass circulation daily.

The Band-aid Approach

10 August 2007

by Housewife4Palestine

Their seems to be a growing problem with those from the outside, who are neither Palestinian nor Israeli in dealing with this ongoing war.

I am speaking in terms of activist from foreign countries, because they seem to be coming into the country with foreign idea’s that is now showing more hindrance then help.

From what I have seen, they are taking sides within some of the fractions, along with not fully understanding who the Palestinian people are, nor the whole scope of what the war completely curtails.

I for one, will say the Palestinians as well as all Arab nations, are very complex and these matter’s can not be taken lightly without creating distrust, dissention as well as just finding them as a growing nuisance; because some of their latest proposals towards peace is nothing more then a band-aid to the real issue’s at hand.

With these latest band-aid approaches, will not bring a full and lasting peace, because the wound never heals anymore then people not really wishing to wait another hundred plus years for this problem to keep going on.

Like this so called latest approach, that I have heard of the two sides’ just sitting around smoking and talking, I can sit and talk to my neighbor for 20 more years and still come to the same conclusion that their children are older and they still can not cook a decent meal. Did this solve anything, not really, we are older and it is still hard to eat at their home.

There is a lot of proposals’ out there for a viable peace towards this situation and Allah willing the time of prophesy being fulfilled, will only be the test of what true peace is all about. For man has proven so far especially the Israeli government with their two hand approach, that they wish all and the Palestinian people get one small area to stand on each other’s shoulder’s; as Israel is their jailer.

So the next time a foreign activist step’s into Palestine, look at the whole situation with out taking bias side’s and think the band-aid approach is going to work.

War Speculation

Syrian President Bashar Assad [EPA]

9 August 2007

Amid increasing speculation about the possibility of war between Israel and Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has publicly stated he has no interest in confrontation.

His declaration comes with peace talks between the two countries – which have no diplomatic relations – at stalemate.

Is there any evidence to suggest a conflict is looming?

If not, who is fuelling the rumours, and why?

Inside Story investigates.

Part 1

Part 2

Sweeping the Haditha Massacre under the Carpet?

Two Marines cleared over Haditha case

US Marines enter a house during an evening raid in Haditha, west of Baghdad, in 2005. Two US Marines facing charges in connection with the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha two years ago were cleared of wrongdoing Thursday(AFP/File/Jaime Razuri)

9 August 2007

by Rob Woollard

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -Two US Marines facing charges in connection with the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha two years ago were cleared of wrongdoing Thursday, the military said.

In rulings released at the Marines Camp Pendleton base in southern California, Lieutenant General James Mattis announced that charges against Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt and Captain Randy Stone had been dropped.

Sharratt had been charged with three counts of murder while Stone was accused of failing to properly investigate the incident, the most serious case of alleged war crimes involving US forces in Iraq.

Prosecutors allege Marines went on a rampage, shooting men, women and children in the hours after a roadside bombing that tore a popular comrade in half while on patrol in Haditha on November 19, 2005.

Lawyers for soldiers in the case have insisted Marines acted lawfully and according to battlefield rules of engagement.

In his ruling, Mattis said after studying the report of an investigating officer in Sharratt's case there was insufficient evidence to press charges.

"Based on my review of all the evidence in this case ... I have dismissed the charges," Mattis said.

Sharratt was accused of shooting three Iraqi men execution-style during the incident. Sharratt said the men were shot at close quarters as Marines cleared a house where insurgents were believed to be operating.

In a statement recommending charges against Sharratt be dropped released last month, investigator Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ware said the allegations were "unsupported by the independent evidence."

"To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary," Ware added.

Mattis said Marines in Iraq were "fighting a shadowy enemy who hides among the innocent people, does not comply with any aspect of the law of war, and routinely targets and intentionally draws fire toward civilians."

"The challenges of this combat environment put extreme pressures on our Marines," Mattis wrote in his ruling.

A total of eight Marines were initially charged last December over the Haditha case. Four soldiers were accused of murder counts while four senior officers were charged with failing to properly investigate the deaths.

A Marines press release following the incident said 15 people had died in a massive roadside bomb. The Marines later acknowledged the release was false after a lengthy probe.

Stone, 35, had been charged with violation of a lawful order and two counts of dereliction of duty over the way the Haditha incident was reported.

However, after a preliminary hearing to determine whether Stone should face court martial, Mattis said he was satisfied his actions were not criminal.

"I have thoroughly reviewed and considered all of the evidence surrounding the Haditha incident and Captain Stone's conduct with respect to command reporting of and response to the incident," Mattis wrote.

"I am aware of the line that separates the merely remiss from the clearly criminal, and I do not believe that any mistakes Captain Stone made with respect to the incident rise to the level of criminal behavior."

Stone, a military judge who presides over court martials, was one of the most senior officers to be charged in the case.

The decision to drop charges against Stone and Sharratt leaves five other Marines -- two soldiers and three officers -- facing charges in the case.

Excuse Me, What Nationality Did You Say You Were?

7 August, 2007

By Joharah Baker

My older brother recently informed me that his three children were eligible for US passports, given that he, like myself and my other siblings, were all born in the United States. But my nephew and niece were hardly without citizenship even before this most recent discovery. Married to a Palestinian/German woman with both German [or EU] and Israeli citizenship, my brother’s children also have European Union passports while the baby, born in Palestine is also the bearer of an Israeli passport.

Not bad, for one family. It is safe to say that my brother, his wife and their three beautiful children are secure for life, never having to worry about finding themselves nation-less or without citizenship.

This is hardly the case for most Palestinians living in the eastern sector of Jerusalem. Following Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, those residents who happened to be present in the city at the time of the national census were granted “permanent residency status” in the city. Less than citizenship, this status placed these residents in a somewhat stable but constantly precarious situation.

It is not that the newly installed Israeli authority did not offer Palestinians Israeli citizenship. However, there were heavy strings attached, including an allegiance to the state, learning Hebrew and ultimately relinquishing their unique status of Palestinians in Jerusalem, the self-proclaimed capital of the Jewish state. Given that the wounds of the recent and previous war [of 1948] were still raw, this was not deemed an honorable option. Accepting Israeli citizenship was perceived as a ploy to neutralize the Palestinian presence and tip the demographic scales in favor of the rising Jewish majority. Hence, most Palestinian Jerusalemites opted for the residency status, thus upholding what they viewed as their national struggle against Israel.

With this system securely in place, Israel retained the right, at any time, to withdraw or suspend the status of any Jerusalemite under suspicion of acts of Palestinian national resistance. While this remained mostly a threat on paper, over the past decade or so, Israel has begun to put this self-granted power into practice, creating a myriad of reasons why this status could be revoked.

In 1995, Israel enforced the so-called “Center of Life” policy, which entails that Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem must prove that their center of life is within the unilaterally proclaimed municipality borders of Jerusalem. This means, Jerusalemites must produce proof that they live, work, go to school and pay taxes inside Jerusalem. Anything short of this puts them at risk of ID confiscation, all of their municipal rights revoked.

This new law touched thousands of families, especially those who married spouses holding West Bank IDs and who decided to make their homes outside of Jerusalem. Such decisions were usually made after the failure to obtain family reunification in Jerusalem. This process (whereby a non-Jerusalem resident is granted residency status on grounds of marriage to a Jerusalemite) is an extremely cumbersome, lengthy and oftentimes fruitless process. It has left tens of thousands of families in limbo, living either “illegally” within Jerusalem’s borders – at risk at all times of deportation outside the city – or living outside of Jerusalem and therefore at risk of losing their Jerusalem IDs.

According to the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights, the Israeli Interior Ministry recorded a 500 percent increase in Palestinians who lost their residency rights compared to previous years, estimated at 1.363 people last year alone.

There are a number of other “justifications” given for revoking Jerusalem ID’s including residing outside the country for a number of years. Some residents have even reported that they were informed of this risk after a period of six months. Jerusalemites outside the country always run the risk of not being allowed back into the country on grounds that their ID’s have been revoked. Furthermore, Israeli “law” in East Jerusalem prohibits holders of permanent Jerusalem residency to also have residency of any other country. This is also grounds for ID confiscation.

This “center of life” policy has further exasperated the situation of Palestinian Jerusalemites after the construction of the separation wall, which has cut into former Jerusalem suburbs and put it residents on the West Bank side of the barrier. It is predicted that these areas will eventually be pushed out of Jerusalem and included in Palestinian Authority areas. Tens of thousands of Jerusalemites would then have automatically lost their rights to the city.

While this is a contravention of basic human rights for which Israel should not be allowed a free hand, it is less detrimental to those who hold multiple citizenships and who can build their lives somewhere else. For Palestinian Jerusalemites, this is a gross and devastating violation of their basic right to life. In practical terms, if a Jerusalem resident – who has no other citizenship – has their ID revoked, they are basically stateless, with no rights to any country. This means no medical or national insurance, no means of traveling, no rights to land or property or to marry and register children.

This looming threat has left Palestinians in Jerusalem constantly scurrying for validation. For any simple government-required task such as marriage and birth certificates, Jerusalemites are demanded to produce paper upon paper, proving that their center of life is within the municipality borders. School and medical records are carefully preserved and electricity, water and telephone bills are stashed way in safe places for future reference.

Still, it is this silent battle being waged by the Israeli government aimed at ridding its “eternal capital” of any Palestinian presence that is going on virtually unnoticed. Israel openly admits that it keeps the Arab Palestinian population in Jerusalem at less than 30 percent. With these recent and even more discriminatory measures, it seems it is bringing the bar down considerably. While the world focuses on bogus promises of peace and pitting one Palestinian group against another, Israel continues to deprive Jerusalem’s Palestinians of their most basic rights, undeterred.

So, if for some reason, my brother’s children do not get their US passports or the other two children are not granted Israeli citizenship like their mother and youngest sister, they have at least one other passport to fall back on. Unfortunately, most Jerusalemites cannot claim this same luxury. If for example, my Jerusalemite relatives lose their ID cards, they have no other country to call their own.

Islam: The Empire Of Faith

Islam a Unique History unlike Any Other

For Muslims, God is unique and without equal. They attempt to think and talk about God without either making Him into a thing or a projection of the human self. The Quran avoids this by constantly shifting pronouns to discourage believers from inadvertently reifying God and creating any physical image of Him.

Following is a documentary on the partial history of Islam by PBS:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Villagers Face Evacuation Orders, Movement Restrictions

Hussain Bsharat from Makhool says grazing land for his flocks has been limited by the Israeli military. (Shabtai Gold/IRIN)

AL-HADIDIYA, 8 August 2007 (IRIN) - Palestinian residents of al-Hadidiya village in Jordan Valley (in the West Bank), live without electricity or running water and most importantly, they say, face demolition and evacuation orders.

"Five families tried to fight the orders in an Israeli court," said Ali Bsharat, an al-Hadidiya resident. "They lost."

The five then had to sign documents and commit to leave the area.

"We don't want to leave," Bsharat said, but implied that it may just be a matter of time before all the residents are forced to do so.

Tzidki Maimon from Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank explained the orders, saying the residents "invaded the land illegally. They set up tents and animal pens" in violation of Israeli laws in the occupied West Bank.

"Israel must take action against those acting illegally," said Maimon.

The villagers said they moved to the land after their previous living area was declared a "military zone" by Israel.

Water

"In 1997 we were connected to Mekorot [the Israeli water company]. But, eight months later, they cut the water off, [they] closed the pipes," said Saker from Hadidiya.

Residents and observers blamed the changing political situation inside Israel in the late 1990s for the decision.

The pipes, tauntingly still visible, stick out of the nearby ground, bringing water to Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law. This touches a nerve with Saker.

"We are doing no harm to Israel. We have rights to our land. Where are the settlers' documents for land rights?" he asked, raising his voice in anger and frustration.

Amnesty International recently expressed concern, saying the villagers face "increasing pressures as the army restricts their movement and their access to water."

Israeli human rights body

A new report by the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem launched on 7 August described the limitations on movement within the West Bank as "illegal" and said they constituted a form of collective punishment.

The report entitled "Ground to a Halt" said the limitations harmed the "Palestinian fabric of life," including the economy, social ties and access to health care. It also impaired the ability to develop the health system.

"Israel has the right and duty to protect its citizens, but that protection must use legal means that do not violate human rights," said Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for B'tselem.

The group called on Israel to "immediately remove all the permanent and sweeping restrictions on movement inside the West Bank" and evacuate all settlements.

Movement restrictions

Meanwhile, an estimated 100 residents of Hadidiya, located in the northeast section of the West Bank in an area known as the Jordan Valley, must use tankers to bring in water.

However, due to the restrictions on movement, the water tanker and its tractor can be confiscated by the Israeli army if it deems them to be in violation of the rules dictating which roads can be used and when.

"This can mean we will be without water for a day," said Saker, unless they hire a private replacement tractor, which triples the cost for the impoverished shepherds. Additionally, to get the tanker and tractor back they must pay hefty fines.

In nearby Makhool, a smaller encampment, about 80 residents face similar ordeals, except their water is more expensive as they do not own a tractor and must always pay the extra cost to hire one.

Restrictions on movement are a daily problem.

"Sometimes, if we graze too close to roads or the military bases, we can be detained or arrested by the army," said Haj Hussain Bsharat.

The last time this happened to him, his flock was let loose on the side of the road while he was taken away, Bsharat said.

"We offered the people alternative solutions. They systematically refuse and ignore the law," said Maimon from the Civil Administration.

No permission to build

Further south sits Furush Beit Dajan. About 15 percent of the local population are refugees from the 1948 War, registered with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

One refugee, Muhammed Balaine, whose family was originally from an area near Beersheba in Israel's south, said "the main problem" for the village's roughly 1,200 residents "is we have no permission to build. Our village is not on the official [Israeli] map" as it too is considered illegal.

Like Hadidiya, Furush Beit Dajan is in Area C, under full Israeli control, according to the Oslo Accords.

"My house is old. It has asbestos, which can cause cancer. It is bad for our health. We can't put on a real roof, because then it would be considered a [full-fledged] building and at risk of demolition orders," said Balaine.

Electricity

The villagers use generators for electricity, as they are not connected to the main grid. Balaine said this increases costs.

He envies a nearby village where the Spanish government paid for expensive solar panels, which generate electricity.

"They don't have any expenses," Balaine said, hoping that such a sustainable system would reach his village as well.

Restrictions on movement are a concern here too, as accessing the closest hospital involves traveling through several checkpoints, which aid workers say wastes precious time during an emergency.

Access to water is also a daily struggle. Three of the village's seven wells were closed by nearby settlers for their own use, residents said.

"Water is the vein of life," said Muhammed. "Water access for us diminishes each year," he said. "Once the water is gone, that's it."

This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. All IRIN material may be reposted or reprinted free-of-charge; refer to the copyright page for conditions of use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.