U.S. Troops in Iraq are paying High Price for Fuel

Military units pay an average of $3.23 a gallon for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, some $88 a day per service member in Iraq, according to an Associated Press review and interviews with defense officials.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the cost of the war exceeds half a trillion dollars — $10.3 billion a month.

Historically, in World War II, the average fuel consumption per soldier or Marine was about 1.67 gallons a day; in Iraq, it’s 27.3 gallons, according to briefing slides prepared by a Pentagon task force established to review consumption.

DFLP fighters launch projectile at Jewish kibbutz

5 April 2008

The National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), claimed responsibility for launching a homemade projectile at the Israeli kibbutz Nir'am, near the Gaza Strip, on Saturday afternoon.

The group said the attack was an act of resistance against ongoing occupation.


The above statement was from Fatah terrorist news.

All Fatah groups are actually not in an occupation, but use these excuse covers among others, that are being used to hide a very old blood feud, against all Palestine.

In modern terminology, Fatah are a very severe form of terrorist.

To clarify further, the Fatah terrorist organization will without mercy, murder anyone that is not like them, this includes those true to Islam, Jewish and Christian.

Fatah holds elections in Bethlehem?

5 April 2008

The Fatah movement held its regional elections for party officer positions in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday. The results were announced on Saturday.

1,358 people out of a total of 1,450 registered party members in the Bethlehem voted in elections that were open for 15 hours.

The election was supervised by Fatah's Mobilization and Organization Committee. In addition to electing other party, former Fatah alleged Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei was given the authority to hold further elections throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Fatah's secretary in Bethlehem, Fuad Kukali, resigned from his postion.

Fahmi Az-Za'arir, a Fatah spokesperson said that the elections were held in a "festive and democratic atmosphere." He said Fatah members would seek to come up with a unified approach to present political challenges.

Az-Za'arir added that eight out of 14 regional conferences have now been held in the West Bank in preparations for the upcoming Fatah movement conference.

Anti-Islamic campaign has opposite effect: spokesman

From an extremely Islamophobic web site, advocating boycotting Islam.

5 April 2008

Tehran-Current anti-Islamic campaign pursued by certain Western countries has so far had opposite effects, government spokesman, Gholam-hossein Elham said on Saturday.

He made the remarks at his weekly press conference while commenting on release of the anti-Islamic film, Fitna, by a Dutch parliamentarian as well as performing of an anti-Islamic play in Germany.

Muslim countries have condemned the film made by the far-right MP Geert Wilder, which was posted online on Thursday.

The film sets verses from the holy Quran against a background of violent images of terror attacks.

Broadcast of the movie raised strong condemnations both from inside and outside the Netherlands.

Iran called the film heinous, blasphemous and anti-Islamic and appealed to European governments to stop its further distribution.

Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh were among those countries to protest the release of the anti-Islam film.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference also added its voice to the growing criticism of the anti-Islam film.

The European Union also said the 15-minute film aired by a London-based website inflamed hatred.

"The new wave of the fight against Islam and promoting Islamophobia which was started by the US, has so far opposite effects in the world of Islam as well as other parts of the globe," Elham said.

Noting that such moves aimed to "promote cultural terrorism," the spokesman stressed that those acts would lead to more unity among followers of divine religions.

Elham hoped that officials of the countries where the anti-Islamic moves have been made would soon take due measures to stop those actions.

Elham stressed that insults against the holy prophet of Islam and the divine religion were against the principles of freedom of expression.

Bush's at the NATO Summit

President George W. Bush smiles at photographers as they gather in front of him Friday, April 4, 2008, during the afternoon session of the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest. White House photo by Eric Draper

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 5, 2008

Audio
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I'm speaking to you from Europe, where I attended the NATO summit and witnessed the hopeful progress of the continent's youngest democracies.

The summit was held in Romania, one of the 10 liberated nations that have joined the ranks of NATO since the end of the Cold War. After decades of tyranny and oppression, today Romania is an important member of an international alliance dedicated to liberty, and it is setting a bold example for other former communist nations that desire to live in peace and freedom.

One of those nations is Croatia, which I'm also visiting on my trip. Croatia is a very different place than it was just a decade ago. Since they attained their independence, the Croatian people have shown the world the potential of human freedom. They've overcome war and hardship to build peaceful relations with their neighbors, and they have built a maturing democracy on the rubble of a dictatorship.

This week NATO invited Croatia, as well as the nation of Albania, to join the NATO Alliance. These countries have made extraordinary progress on the road to freedom, prosperity, and peace. The invitation to join NATO represents the Alliance's confidence that they will continue to make necessary reforms and that they will become strong contributors to NATO's mission of collective defense.

I regret that NATO was not able to extend an invitation to a third nation, Macedonia, at this week's summit. Like Croatia and Albania, Macedonia has met all the criteria for NATO membership. Unfortunately, its invitation was delayed because of a dispute over its name. I made clear that the name issue should be resolved quickly, that NATO should intensify its engagement with Macedonia, and that we look forward to the day when this young democracy takes its place among the members of the NATO Alliance.

After a century when the great wars of Europe threatened destruction throughout the world, the continent has now entered into a promising new era. Less than two decades ago, Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia suffered under the yolk of communist oppression. The people in these countries know what the gift of liberty means, because they know what it is like to have their liberty denied. They know the death and destruction that can be caused by the followers of radical ideologies who kill the innocent in pursuit of political power. And these lessons have led them to work alongside America in the war on terror.

Today, soldiers from Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia are serving bravely in Afghanistan, helping the Afghan people defeat terrorists and secure a future of liberty. And forces from Albania and Macedonia are also serving in Iraq, where they're helping the Iraqi people build a society that rejects terror and lives in freedom. These nations have displayed the ultimate devotion to the principle of liberty -- sacrificing to provide it for others.

Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia are not alone in discarding the change to their past and embracing the promise of freedom. Another burgeoning democracy is Ukraine. Earlier this week I traveled to Kyiv to express America's support for beginning the process of bringing both Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. In recent years, both of these nations have seen tens of thousands take to the streets to peacefully demand their God-given liberty. The people of Ukraine and Georgia are an inspiration to the world and I was pleased that this week NATO declared that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of NATO.

Nearly seven years ago I came to Europe and spoke to the students and faculty at Warsaw University in Poland. On that day I declared that all of Europe's new democracies -- from the Baltic to the Black Sea -- should have the same chance for security and freedom and the same chance to join the institutions of Europe. Seven years later we have made good progress toward fulfilling this vision, and more work remains.

In many parts of the world, freedom is still a distant aspiration -- but in the ancient cities and villages of Europe, it is at the center of a new era of hope.

Thank you for listening.

END

Agreement on Missile Defense Between Russia and the United States Is on the Horizon

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Mike Terrill of MDAA, +1-602-885-1955

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, (www.missiledfenseadvocacy.org), went on record today with his MDAA membership discussing what an agreement on missile defense between Russia and the United States would mean in terms of stability and meeting the threat posed by Iran. His comments include the following:

"On the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush's retreat on the coast of the Black Sea at Sochi in Southern Russia this Sunday, we as a nation and a world wait with great anticipation for a collective endorsement of the proposed Missile Defense system to be placed in Europe and a mutual recognition of the threat from Iran by these two Presidents and the nations that they represent.

"This potential announcement of making our world safer would follow a string of international endorsements and acceptance for missile defense and add to the momentum of what has been achieved politically, technically and practically with Missile Defense. The significance of yesterday's 26 nations of NATO's endorsement of the European third site and recognition of the threat is monumental. The unilateral movement yesterday of the Czech Republic to agree to the deployment of a U.S. Missile Defense Radar adds great merit to the commitment and responsibility to help safeguard NATO and Europe from ballistic missile threats. The success of the U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency in February of this year, destroying a toxic satellite from space that posed a risk to human life globally, if not intercepted added to the credibility and usability of missile defense.

"The demonstrated United States testing successes of the various missile defense systems and intercepts including the Japanese this past December propels the international acceptance of missile defense. Iran's continued quest for nuclear technology and proliferation of ballistic missiles to go beyond 1,300 kilometers remains the most ominous driver for the collective international action of missile defense."

"The displayed international resolve on missile defense provides another option than what is available today to confront Iran and those in the future that may choose to use ballistic missiles to threaten human life. To have missile defense in place along with economic sanctions, and diplomatic tools adds to the stability and safety to NATO as well as prevents the use of preemptive military force and war."

Note to media: Riki Ellison is available this weekend to discuss the significance of an agreement on missile defense between Presidents Putin and Bush. He recently visited both Poland and the Czech Republic and has seen where the ground-based interceptors and the radar to support them are located. This is an opportunity to get information prior to a potential announcement that will be heard around the world. Call Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955 to arrange.

SOURCE MDAA

What is McCain Afraid of?

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) attends the 'Late Show With David Letterman' taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater April 1, 2008 in New York City.

McCain to meet with Secret Service

4 April 2008
By DAVID ESPO

MEMPHIS - Sen. John McCain intends to meet with Secret Service officials in the next several days in preparation for accepting security protection for the final several months of his White House bid.

McCain plans to meet with the Secret Service next week, he said in an interview for broadcast Sunday on Fox News.

"I think that it's important as we get more and more visibility, that we recognize the inevitable," McCain said. "And so we will be talking with them early to arrange for, very soon, some Secret Service protection."

McCain made the disclosure after the head of the Secret Service, Mark Sullivan, took the unusual step of discussing McCain's lack of government security at an open meeting Thursday with members of the House Appropriations Committee.

McCain aides said they did not know precisely when McCain would agree to accept the protection.

The Arizona senator has effectively wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination.

"Statutorily, he is not required to take protection," Sullivan said when asked about McCain's security during a hearing on the agency's budget. "As far as an actual request, we have not gotten one. We have no involvement at this point."

McCain has said previously he does not want Secret Service protection, fearing it would interfere with his brand of intimate campaigning with voters. McCain also has said he'll try to last as long as he can without it.

"I've never done it. After we won New Hampshire in 2000, they really tried to get us, but we said no," McCain said last November while campaigning in Concord, N.H. "It's an invasion of your ability to have contact with voters."

52 girls removed from Texas compound

Passengers sit inside a bus removing children from a polygamist retreat Friday, April 4, 2008, in El Dorado, Texas. Child welfare officials and state troopers removed a busload of children from the secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs following a complaint to state authorities.(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

5 April 2008

By MICHELLE ROBERTS

ELDORADO, Texas -Child welfare officials are scrambling to find foster homes for dozens of girls removed from a secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs after a 16-year-old living there complained of physical abuse.

Officials from Texas Child Protective Services, escorted by state troopers, took 52 girls, ages 6 months to 17 years, from the remote retreat on Friday afternoon.

By the end of the day, 18 were put legally into state custody, and CPS spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said interviews would continue Saturday. A warrant has been issued for at least one individual.

The girls put in state custody were believed to be in danger, Meisner said. "Those are the ones we believe have been abused or they are in imminent risk of harm, and it would not be safe for those children to remain in the compound," she said.

Child welfare officials were looking for foster homes for the girls, most of whom have rarely been outside the insular world of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They were being housed for now at a civic center, she said.

"We're dealing with children that aren't accustomed to the outside world, so we're trying to be very sensitive to their needs," Meisner said.

The investigation began with a call Monday alleging physical abuse of a 16-year-old girl living there, Meisner said. Authorities first arrived at the compound Thursday evening. They interviewed and searched through the night.

On Friday, a search warrant and arrest warrant were issued.

The search warrant sought records dealing with the birth of children to a 16-year-old and any records listing a marriage between a 50-year-old man and the girl, according to the San Angelo Standard-Times, which cited court records released late Friday in Tom Green County.

The individual listed in the arrest warrant had not been located by Friday evening, said Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange. She said she could not reveal whose name was on the warrant.

The ranch covers roughly 1,700 acres. It is north of this two-stoplight town, down a narrow paved road. Authorities blocked access to the compound's gate, keeping onlookers miles away.

State officials said they did not know how many people lived at the retreat, but local officials in 2006 put the number at about 150, as members of the reclusive church moved from a community on the Arizona-Utah line.

The congregation, known as FLDS, has been led by Jeffs since his father's death in 2002. It is one of several groups that split from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, based in Salt Lake City, decades after it renounced polygamy in 1890.

In November, Jeffs was sentenced to two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison in Utah for being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl who wed her cousin in an arranged marriage in 2001.

In Arizona, Jeffs is charged as an accomplice with four counts each of incest and sexual conduct with a minor stemming from two arranged marriages between teenage girls and their older male relatives. He is jailed in Kingman, Ariz., awaiting trial.

The Eldorado retreat, about 160 miles northwest of San Antonio, is on a former exotic game ranch. The church bought the property in 2004 for $700,000 and began an ambitious construction program anchored by an 80-foot-tall, gleaming white temple.

Video

Jessop talks about investigation at Jeffs' compound (4 April 2008)

President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Sanader of Croatia in Zagreb, Croatia

U.S. President George W. Bush and President Stjepan Mesic of Croatia review troops Friday, April 4, 2008, during welcoming ceremonies in Zagreb for the President and Mrs. Bush. (White House photo by Eric Draper)

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 5, 2008

St. Mark's Square

Zagreb, Croatia

PRIME MINISTER SANADER: (As translated.) Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. These are special days for Croatia. It is my pleasure to be able, in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, to greet the President of the United States, George Bush, the leader of the country which has so strongly contributed to the realization of the dream of peaceful, democratic and free world.

Mr. President, I'm addressing you in Croatian language, the language of our ancestors, many of whom found refuge and a way out of difficulties and injustice from this region in a then distant promised land in America. Their hands, also together with others, built and helped the realization of the American Dream.

When I look back today on Croatian and our dream on the life in a free, democratic country, on the life in ordered and civilized country, of equal citizens, of equal opportunities, then I see how it is precisely America, together with others, that helped for us to realize our dream, as well.

If I tell you that you are standing before the nation in which many grew up and matured with the names of the Voice of America, in those difficult, hostile times of communist dictatorship, I know you will know what I'm talking about. Our recent history taught us that we must believe in ourselves, rely on our forces. But we also learned that support from a friend is also important, especially when it comes at crucial moments. This is why, Mr. President, I want to thank you for the support and friendship.

Today, together with you and the free world, we share the same values of freedom, the right of the people and individuals to live in peace and security, values of democracy and human rights, values of dialogue and mutual respect. Our veterans fought for these values in the homeland war. In the defense of these values, more than 15,000 Croatian citizens died. With their memory in our hearts and our souls, today we express our gratitude to them.

And on these values, and on the recognition of mutual interest is where we base constant improvement of our relations and Croatian-American friendship, to the benefit of our peoples and our business communities. But also there are broader messages. On these values, the Euro-Atlantic community of freedom, peace, democracy and well-being continues to be built.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are coming from Bucharest, from the NATO summit. Croatia has made another large step in the realization of the most important goals of our state policy. Dear friends, with the invitation of our country to join NATO, and with the new energy in our negotiations to accede EU, this visit by American President means that the aspirations of many Croatian generations have been fulfilled.

Our citizens in this important success not only see the realization of goals of those brave patriots, our veterans who defended Croatia in the recent difficult times, but also the century-old-long aspirations of Croatians -- people to go back to it to embrace a free democratic world. Our citizens also know that NATO today has supported the values they value and respect. Our negotiations with EU successfully leading to full membership in the next very brief period are also part of the same goal. In brief, Croatia is going where it belongs; Croatia is going back home. (Applause.)

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, the world is still not a totally secure place. Still in many ways, and for many ways, the fundamental civilization values which we share are threatened. They were attacked also on September 11th. They were attacked also in this region. Today they are still threatened in too many places across the world. The Euro-Atlantic community also has responsibility in the areas like Afghanistan and Darfur, but also in the resolution of the problems of diseases, poverty, disaster prevention, and other challenges for international security.

A common understanding of the new nature of global threats for world peace and security, and joint efforts to fight them are the only guarantee of the success, and the only way to continue to build the new international order, the order of cooperation instead of conflict, order of dialogue instead of separation.

You repeated in Bucharest the Cold War has ended. And a long demarcation line from Baltics to the area of our neighborhood and Black Sea and further, the people remember the horrible consequences of this period. We remember them here in Croatia, as well as our neighbors. This is why we especially care for the chance of finding unity, strengthening of new, unified Europe without demarcation lines.

The time in which alliances were against each other are gone. Today the times are where we look for allies along the same most -- the highest goals of human civilization, freedom and democracy. Not even peace in our neighborhood in southeast Europe is not full. Here still we need to invest in allies, freedom, democracy and equality. Euro-Atlantic integration of this is the most important, historically irreplaceable goal and incentive.

Croatia knew how to realize its future even when it seemed to be uncertain. Today we are at the threshold of Atlantic Alliance and European Union. The power of this success encourages us to continue to support our neighbors in their efforts. This is why we are very pleased to have with us the leaders of Albania, Macedonia, Presidents Bamir Topi and Branko Crvenkovski, Prime Ministers Sali Berisha and Nikola Gruevski.

The peoples in our southeast neighborhood also have the right to realize their aspirations. In Macedonia, our friends also have full rights for our support and encouragement. We will find the solution for Macedonia to join us soon in NATO Alliance.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Croats, Bosniacs and Serbs have the right to live in peaceful, democratic European country in which all three peoples are coexisting, sovereign and equal.

In Montenegro, they have the right to incorporate their state goals in new Atlantic home. And in Kosovo, they have the right to live in a new democratic order which will protect minority communities and include them in public administration and political life.

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, Serbia, too, has the right to its place in Europe and the world. It's paid the price for its misdirected former politics, and not only has the right, but I'm convinced it will also demonstrate that it is ready for new future. This is why I repeat our neighbors don't give up. The inclusion of the entire Europe southeast into the Euro-Atlantic integration will continue. The time is for future. Our partners are with you.

Mr. President, when I recall your historic speech in Warsaw in 2001, which opened a window of freedom for many countries and peoples, when I see the achievements, when I see how much you still invest in the achievement of lasting peace and stability in southeast Europe, I'm filled with confidence. And I will personally continue to offer my contribution to high common goals of Croatia, U.S.A., Europe and all our most important partners.

Croatia will -- more and more in European Union and NATO, continue its responsible mission in southeast Europe. In matching goals of European Union and NATO, we see additional incentive and space for such action.

Once again, Mr. President, I thank you for your visit, for your support and for your friendship.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, the President of the United States, George Bush. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Dobro Jutro. (Applause.) Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much. I'm honored to be here with the leaders from Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia. The United States appreciates the leadership you have shown in the cause of freedom. We're pleased Albania and Croatia have been invited to join NATO. And we look forward to Macedonia taking its place very soon in this great alliance for freedom. (Applause.)

Laura, who has joined me today, and I are proud to stand on the soil of an independent Croatia. (Applause.) Our countries are separated by thousands of miles, but we're united by a deep belief in God and the blessings of liberty He gave us. And today, on the edge of the great Adriatic, we stand together as one free people. (Applause.)

Croatia is a very different place than it was just a decade ago. The Croatian people have overcome war and hardship to build peaceful relations with your neighbors, and to build a maturing democracy in one of the most beautiful countries on the face of the Earth. (Applause.) Americans admire your courage and admire your persistence. And we look forward to welcoming you as a partner in NATO.

The invitation to join NATO that Croatia and Albania received this week is a vote of confidence that you will continue to make necessary reforms and become strong contributors to our great Alliance. Henceforth, should any danger threaten your people, America and the NATO Alliance will stand with you, and no one will be able to take your freedom away. (Applause.)

I regret that NATO did not extend an invitation to Macedonia at this week's summit. Macedonia has made difficult reforms at home, and is making major contributions to NATO missions abroad. Unfortunately, Macedonia's invitation was delayed because of a dispute over its name. In Bucharest, NATO allies declared that as soon as this issue is resolved, Macedonia will be extended an invitation to join the Alliance. America's position is clear: Macedonia should take its place in NATO as soon as possible. (Applause.)

The NATO Alliance is open to all countries in the region. We welcome the decisions of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro to take the next steps toward membership called Intensive [sic] Dialogue. And we hope that soon a free and prosperous Serbia will find its rightful place in the family of Europe, and live at peace with its neighbors. (Applause.)

With the changes underway in this region, Europe stands on the threshold of a new and hopeful history. The ancient and costly rivalries that led to two world wars have fallen away. We've seen the burning desire for freedom melt even the Iron Curtain. We've witnessed the rise of strong and vibrant democracies and free and open markets. And today the people of Europe are closer than ever before to a dream shared by millions: A Europe that is whole, a Europe that is at peace, and a Europe that is free. (Applause.)

The people of this region know what the gift of liberty means. You know the death and destruction that can be caused by the followers of radical ideologies. You know that, in a long run, the only way to defeat a hateful ideology is to promote the hopeful alternative of human freedom. And that is what our nations are doing today in the Middle East. The lack of freedom and opportunity in that region has given aid and comfort to the lies and ambitions of violent extremists. Resentments that began on the streets of the Middle East have resulted in the killing innocent people across the world. A great danger clouds the future of all free men and women, and this danger sits at the doorstep of Europe.

Together the people of this region are helping to confront this danger. Today soldiers from Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia are serving bravely in Afghanistan -- helping the Afghan people defeat the terrorists and secure their future of liberty. Forces from Albania and Macedonia are serving in Iraq -- where they're helping the Iraqi people build a society that rejects terror and lives in freedom. It's only a matter of time before freedom takes root across that troubled region. And when it does, millions will remember the people of your nation stood with them in their hour of need. (Applause.)

At this great moment in history, you have a vital role. There are many people who don't appear to understand why it takes so long to build a democracy. You can tell them how hard it is to put in place a new and complex system of government for the first time. There are those who actually wonder if people were better off under their old tyranny. You can tell them that freedom is the only real path to prosperity and security and peace. And there are those who ask whether the pain and sacrifices for freedom are worth the costs. And they should come to Croatia. And you can show them that freedom is worth fighting for. (Applause.)

The great church in this square has stood since the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, it has seen long, dark winters of occupation and tyranny and war. But the spring is here at last. This is an era in history that generations of Croatians have prayed for. It is an era that Pope John Paul the Second envisioned when he came to this land, and prayed with the Croatian people, and asked for "a culture of peace." Today in this square, before this great church, we can now proudly say: Those prayers have been answered. (Applause.)

(Turns to interpreter.) They can't hear you. Don't worry about it.

May you always remember the joy of this moment in your history. And may the hopeful story of a peaceful Croatia find its way to those in the world who live as slaves, and still await a joyful spring.

May God bless Croatia. And thank you for coming.

END

Further Reading:

Bush celebrates NATO's expansion

Croatia, Albania get green light

Eight killed in fresh violence in western China

A Tibetan protester is forcibly dragged and detained by Nepali police during a pro-Tibetan protest outside of the Chinese embassy's visa section on March 31, 2008 in Kathmandu, Nepal. According to Nepali police 227 pro-Tibetan demonstrators were detained in the Nepalese capital.

5 April 2008

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Police fired on hundreds of protesters in a Tibeten area of western China, killing eight people, an overseas activist group said. State media reported one government official was seriously injured in what it called a riot.

Two monks also committed suicide late last month because of government oppression, another Tibetan activist group said Saturday.

The reports indicate that unrest is continuing in China's Tibetan areas despite a massive security presence in place since violent anti-government demonstrations broke out in mid-March in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, and neighboring provinces.

The London-based Free Tibet Campaign said Friday police fired on Buddhist monks and ordinary citizens who had marched on local government offices in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province near Tibet on April 3.

The protesters were demanding the release of two monks who were detained after 3,000 paramilitary troops searched their monastery and found photographs of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, the group said.

The U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia said it had unconfirmed reports that up to 15 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence.

Calls to local police and hospitals in the area were unanswered Saturday or else officials said they had no information.

The official Xinhua News Agency had no information on deaths or injuries but confirmed that a riot broke out near government offices in Donggu town in Garze.

An official was "attacked and seriously wounded," and police were "forced to fire warning shots and put down the violence," Xinhua said.

On Saturday, the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, based in India, said two monks committed suicide last month in Sichuan's Aba County following government oppression. Aba County has been the scene of large protests involving hundreds of monks and citizens.

One monk, identified as Lobsang Jinpa, from the Aba Kirti Monastery killed himself March 27, leaving a signed note saying "I do not want to live under Chinese oppression even for a minute," the human rights group said.

The second suicide occurred March 30 at the Aba Gomang Monastery, when a 75-year-old monk named Legtsok took his life, telling his followers he "can't beat the oppression anymore," the group said.

It was impossible to verify the information since Chinese authorities have banned foreign reporters from traveling to the region.

Also Saturday, state media reported more than 1 million people had signed an online Chinese petition alleging Western media bias in covering the Tibetan protests.

The petition alleges that some Western media organizations, including CNN and BBC, have reported "untrue and distorted" stories on the Lhasa riots.

Chinese authorities say 22 people died in anti-Beijing riots that broke out March 14 in Lhasa. The Tibetan government-in-exile says up to 140 were killed in the protests and ensuing crackdown.

Beijing has accused Dalai Lama supporters of orchestrating the violence, a charge the spiritual leader has repeatedly denied.

The protests are the longest and most sustained challenge to China's 57-year rule in the Himalayan region. China's subsequent crackdown has drawn international scrutiny and criticism in the run-up to this summer's Olympic Games.

Wanted: Armed and Extremely Dangerous

Do not release Marwan Barghouti :

Marwan Barghouti is not just a Fatah terrorist, but also an extremely dangerous man, to all Palestine.

"In innocence Please, Replace a Taxi"

Twilight Zone / Taxi driver

5 April 2008

By Gideon Levy

This happened after the car was officially confiscated from its owner by Israeli security forces, who transferred it to the custody of a military base. This happened after soldiers fired at the vehicle for no reason, when the members of a family - including a three-month-old infant - were riding inside, returning from a family gathering.

After a car has been shot at, you have to investigate, of course, even if the passengers have not done anything at all. You also have to confiscate the vehicle for "investigation," and then apparently someone has to vent his anger on it and destroy it. A destroyed taxi inside an army base. Nobody takes responsibility. A case of vandalism for its own sake and nobody gets excited.

"Concerning the purported damage, the driver is allowed to report it to the military authorities, who will deal with it accordingly," says the spokesman of the Judea and Samaria Police District, Superintendent Danny Poleg.

That's nice.

It was the first wedding anniversary of Sahar al-Adam, 29 and her husband Firas al-Adam, 30, a young couple with an infant son named Ahmed. Sahar is a teacher, Firas has been working for the past two years as a taxi driver between Hebron and his village, Beit Ula, west of the city. With his family's savings he bought the luxurious 2002 Mercedes, at a cost of NIS 145,000, and began to work as an incidental driver, since the gates of Israel were closed and his source of income as a construction worker disappeared. He is a handsome young man, wearing a black leather jacket, with no interest in anything related to politics.

On Wednesday, February 19, three days before their anniversary, Sahar drove with the baby to visit her parents, who live in the new Askar refugee camp in Nablus. The trip involved taking a taxi to Hebron, from there to Ramallah, from there to Hawara and from there to Askar - a matter of two and a half hours on a good day. The mother and baby spent a few days with Grandma and Grandpa; on Saturday Firas joined them to celebrate their anniversary.

At about 11 A.M. Firas arrived at the Hawara checkpoint at the entrance to Nablus, parked his taxi - he was not allowed to enter the besieged city in his vehicle - and arrived at his in-laws' home.

After lunch the couple wanted to leave. It was 5:30 P.M. They took a taxi to their taxi, parked in Hawara, and from there they drove home to Beit Ula in a good mood. The southern West Bank is relatively open in terms of traffic and the drive was pleasant. In the taxi were the parents and their baby, as well as Firas' brother Adel and his brother-in-law Ahmed, who joined them for the trip. The stretch between Hebron and Nablus is the greatest distance a resident of the territories can travel during his or her lifetime.

Five people were riding in the Mercedes, laden with pots of food and clothes from the grandparents. At about 8:30 P.M. they arrived at the Gush Etzion junction, which is preceded by a round traffic circle. The road was full of speed bumps and the checkpoint itself was not manned, as has been the case recently. Firas drove south at about 30 kilometers per hour. He noticed a group of soldiers standing innocently on the left side of the road, on the shoulder, in the opposite direction.

Suddenly there was gunfire. As they left the traffic circle Firas noticed a soldier running toward his taxi and shooting at it, hitting the hood of the engine with a single bullet. Firas stopped immediately. Sahar became hysterical. Immediately afterward the soldiers charged the vehicle, one of them firing another bullet at the hood. Firas opened the window and began to shout: "Why are you shooting? There's an infant in the car." One of the soldiers put a gun to the driver's head.

In an instant large police and army forces arrived. All the taxi's passengers were ordered to get out and put their hands up. The baby began to scream. Sahar was in shock. Firas asked the policemen and soldiers to let her and the infant get back into the taxi and they agreed. An Israeli ambulance then arrived, checked Sahar and determined that she hadn't incurred any injury, except for suffering an anxiety attack. The soldiers and police began to carry out a search of the taxi, among the pots and clothes. They then informed the family that they were free to go - except for Firas and his taxi. One of the policemen stopped another Palestinian taxi and the family entered it and drove home. Firas remained with the Mercedes.

One of the policemen took the keys of the taxi and drove it in the direction of the nearby Etzion military post; Firas was put into a police jeep and also driven there. Afterward the security forces brought in a tow truck and took the vehicle and Firas to the police station in Kiryat Arba for interrogation.

The interrogator Sami accused Firas of trying to run over the soldiers. Firas denied this out of hand. He explained that the soldiers were standing on the other side of the road, in a place where he couldn't possibly have run them over, that he was driving slowly and stopped immediately after the shooting, and that his entire family was in the taxi, including the infant. The interrogator asked: "Are you saying that the soldiers are lying?" And Firas replied: "Yes, the soldiers are lying." It was already 1:30 A.M. by then.

The interrogator asked him to wait outside and after about 15 minutes Firas was fingerprinted and released. The taxi was left to be checked. It was 2 A.M., the streets of Kiryat Arba - a hostile place for a Palestinian to wander around in - were deserted, and Firas said he didn't know the way home. He had never been in the police station there. "How will I return home at a time like this?" he asked the interrogator, who replied: "You'll manage."

Firas went on foot. When he reached the first Palestinian house, outside of Kiryat Arba, he knocked on the door and woke up the members of the household. They phoned and ordered a Palestinian taxi for him. At 3:30 A.M. Firas returned home. The entire family was waiting, awake and worried about him.

Without a taxi, his property or his source of livelihood, Firas turned the next day to the B'Tselem office in Hebron, and told his story to Musa Abu Hashhash, a field researcher for the human rights organization. The policemen who released him told Firas they would phone him in the coming days to come and take his taxi. And in fact, last Tuesday the police called and told him to come the next day to Etzion to fetch the Mercedes. But when he arrived the policemen told Firas the taxi was waiting for him at the Israel Defense Forces installation in Adurayim, in the southern Hebron hills.

Firas traveled to Adurayim equipped with a note: "To whom it may concern. From: Itzik Zada, Etzion interrogation, Hebron District. Firas al-Adam should be permitted to take his vehicle, a taxi, which is located in Adurayim."

He arrived in Adurayim and was shocked upon seeing the shattered taxi. He even recalls that he slapped his own face in astonishment. The windows, the mirrors and the headlights were smashed to smithereens. Inside were the two huge stones with which the policemen or the soldiers had carried out their work. "What happened to my taxi?" he shouted. A soldier said: "I don't know."

Have a good trip, the keys are inside - as they say in the old Gashash Hahiver comedy skit. Firas tried to turn on the motor. The taxi didn't start. There used to be an engine? There used to be.

Firas asked the soldiers to give him an hour, until a tow truck arrived. He then paid NIS 750 for bringing the piece of junk to his home in Beit Ula.

The spokesman for the Judea and Samaria Police District, Superintendent Danny Poleg, to Haaretz: "In the wake of an incident in which the taxi driver was involved, the taxi was seized by the soldiers during his detention and stored in an IDF parking lot in Adurayim.

The IDF Spokesperson adds: "During a routine activity at the Gush Etzion junction, an IDF soldier attempted to cross the road. A preliminary briefing indicated that a Palestinian taxi approached him at high speed and did not show any sign of stopping. The soldier felt a real threat to his life and therefore fired two shots. Those who sat in the car were not hurt and the vehicle suffered minor damage only. The incident will be investigated in depth."

We drove to Beit Ula together with Firas. The yellow taxi was parked in the yard of the spacious house; his father, an old man of 85, was guarding it. One immediately sees the total destruction. It was carried out with great malice. The two stones are still inside and there are two bullet holes in the hood.

Firas has yet to repair the serious damage. Before parting from us he asked us whether it is even worthwhile to repair the taxi or to wait until the authorities compensate him for it.

What we do today

What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.

People who give freely to others get back more than they give.

Israeli organisation accuses Ma'an of using "hate language"

4 April 2008

Ma'an News Agency, is associated by the Fatah terrorist organization, who’s leader is Mahmoud Abbas.

An Israeli organization that claims to be a watchdog for Palestinian media is to release a report accusing Ma'an News Agency of "glorifying terrorists" and using "hate language."

An article published in Friday's English-language Israeli daily newspaper The Jerusalem Post reveals that Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) is leveling a number of accusations at Ma'an, including that Ma'an "repeatedly honored murderers as 'martyrs' and referred to areas of pre-1967 Israel as 'occupied Palestine.'"

Extract from the PMW report

The following is an extract from the PMW report, written by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook –

"Ma'an has glorified the recent Palestinian murderer of eight Israeli yeshiva students, the Dimona suicide terrorist, the killers of the two Israeli hikers and the terrorists who attacked a boys' high school with the very highest Islamic status attainable, elevating them to the status of "Shahids" or "Martyrs of Allah." According to the accepted Palestinian interpretation of Islam, there is no higher status that a Muslim can achieve today than that of Shahid. In defining terrorist murders as "Shahids," Ma'an is by definition sending its readers a straightforward message of honor for the killers, and approval for the many murders. Negative or dishonorable actions could not elevate an individual to Shahid status.

In its English version of these reports, Ma'an did not honor the terrorists either as "Shahids" nor use the similar English term "Martyrs."Note, for example, the difference in Ma'an reporting on the murder of the two hikers:

Ma'an Arabic News – Two of the operatives died as Shahids

Ma'an English News – Two Israelis, two Palestinians killed by gunfire near Hebron

The explanation for this and all other discrepancies between Ma'an's English and Arabic reporting is that Ma'an certainly recognizes that this terminology, together with the examples of Ma'an's use of hate-language, readily expose Ma'an's lack of professionalism and messages of approval of terror. In addition, it must be assumed that the governments of The Netherlands and Denmark would be outraged to know they are funding terror glorification and hate journalism."

Another extract from the report reads –

"Ma'an news releases promote the hate message that Israel has no right to exist, calling Israel "Occupied Palestine" or territories occupied after 1948," Israel's government the "Occupation Authority" and its soldiers the "Occupation forces." Note also when Israel is mentioned it is often put within quotation marks – a common linguistic method to express non-recognition."

Ma'an's response

Ma'an was asked by Jerusalem Post journalist Gil Hoffman to write a response to PMW's accusations. The following is that response, reproduced in full.

"The PMW report cites two main discrepancies between Ma'an's English and Arabic coverage: the use of the terms Shahid/Istishhadi and the characterization of some Israeli forces/areas/actions as being occupation.

The term Shahid, as translated in the Hans Wehr Dictionary of modern Arabic (page 572), may refer to one killed in action or a martyr. Istishhad is given to heroes or martyrs. The second term implies intent – one who engages in battle, for instance, rather than one who is simply victimized by it. In the Palestinian cultural/religious tradition, the martyrdom aspect is significantly different from the Judeo-Christian understanding. Those who die as martyrs may be defending their wives or their property, not necessarily engaging in the Western notion of a holy crusade. The PMW interpretation, while undoubtedly held by some religious individuals is not necessarily the general interpretation of these terms.

Our use of the occupation concept stems from international law and internationally-recognized boundaries. In simple terms, Israeli forces operating in Tel Aviv may be considered Israeli security forces, while those in Bethlehem are occupying forces. Tel Aviv falls on the Israeli side of the “Green Line”. Bethlehem does not. That distinction is the crux of our decision-making.

The example cited from February 29, 2008, uses the terms “occupation authorities”, “occupation municipality”, “residents of ...the territories occupied since 1948” and “ 'Israeli' identity cards. Taken out of context, these certainly sound like biased and offensive terms. When looked at more closely, however, they are terms that reflect both the uneasy ethnic distinctions of Israeli society and Israel's status, under international law, as an occupation force. The article refers to crackdowns on access to the Al-Aqsa compound, an area in the Old City of East Jerusalem. Annexed following the 1967 war, East Jerusalem fell on the Palestinian side of the 1949 armistice line, the “Green Line”. Since 1967 the international community has considered it occupied territory, as do Palestinians. Ma'an's Arabic terminology reflects the internationally-recognized reality that the current Jerusalem municipal boundaries include Palestinian territory. In fact, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem are eligible to vote in Palestinian national elections, a right not accorded to ethnic Palestinians in Israel proper. The US did not move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for this very reason.

Moreover, describing Palestinians who live in Israel or Arab Israelis as residents of territories occupied since 1948 is perhaps the most accurate way of describing people whose citizenship is a matter of legal default rather than national identity. They do not have the same citizenship obligations, such as mandatory military service, that Jewish Israelis do, and the Israeli national anthem hardly reflects their hope. The construction, though awkward, reflects their uncomfortable position as residents of areas on which Israeli national identity has been superimposed. Meanwhile use of the word Israeli in quotation marks simply reflects common usage of “Israeli identity cards” to refer to the blue id cards possessed residents of Jerusalem or Israel and “Palestinian identity cards” to reflect the green id cards held by residents of the West Bank and Gaza. Had we been referring to the green id cards, we likely would have said green “Palestinian” identity cards.

In the 2 hours that the Jerusalem Post gave us to issue a formal response, we were not able to track down each cited article from our archives. Hyperlinks to the articles mentioned as hate speech would have been helpful. Interestingly, the only hyperlink included in the PMW's report was the one leading to their donation page.

Finally, our funding is issued through the Dutch and the Danish representative offices in Ramallah, who employ local, native Arabic speakers to assist in coordinating projects. We are fairly certain that they monitor our Arabic site in addition to our English one. Culturally-appropriate differences in terminology are, therefore, merely that and not an attempt to hoodwink our generous donors."

The Jerusalem Post article can be found at: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1207238156388&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

A Whale of a Lying Tale

Probably Fatah Al-Quds Brigades member, impersonating the former Hamas with a mock rally against the Gaza blockade in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on 4 April 2008.

Young Fatah youth, probably Al-Quds Brigades impersonating the former Hamas with a mock rally against the Gaza blockade in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on 4 April 2008.

“If a person tells the truth, the words or actions are small. If a person tells a lie, they talk too much and there actions get bigger, until it is the size of a whale."

It is interesting that Fatah did not get by impersonating the former Hamas in other ways, now they had to try with a mock rally.

What is horrible, they are using their own children and this is despicable.

Well the joke is on Fatah, because this little notion is not believable either.

Abbas: Another Case of Blasphemy

Mahmoud Abbas commits blasphemy again as he perpetrates going to Jumma (Friday) prayers on 3 April 2008 in Ramallah, West Bank.

Alert: Fatah Security Forces Coming

4 April 2008

Using existing members of Fatah terrorist Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah Security Forces and Fatah illegal police. Is said to be deployed within weeks and is said to be backed by the United States.

To begin with, the first illegal deployment is said to begin in Jenin.

A compound for the Fatah Security Forces is being built within the walls of Jenin's Muqata (headquarters), a building dating back to British rule that was flattened at the outset of a Palestinian uprising in 2000.

New metal trailers, housing 16 men each, are being assembled in neat rows next to the Muqata's ruins, still used as a prison. Suleiman Emran, who is commander in Jenin, said 250 members were already at the Muqata and that he could quickly accommodate more. He said two trailers could be assembled per day.

The purpose of this deployment, is to attack the Palestine unified military, with the endorsement of U.S. President George W. Bush.

More than 600 men from Fatah Security Forces and 400 from Abbas's Fatah Guard’s are training in Jordan and due to return in late May for further instruction on new equipment.

The senior U.S. official said they might also be sent to Jenin if the forces there need back up. However, Emran said that would not happen before August.

UK Queen's Husband admitted to hospital

“God willing, Prince Philip will be all good again.”

4 April 2008

By D'ARCY DORAN

LONDON - Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, has been admitted to a hospital with a chest infection, Buckingham Palace said Friday.

A spokeswoman said the 86-year-old was taken to the hospital for "assessment and treatment for a chest infection." She said she had no information about his condition.

"His royal highness's program of engagements for the weekend have been canceled," the spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in line with palace policy.

The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that he was admitted Thursday night. Officials at King Edward VII's Hospital in central London said they would not comment on Philip's condition.

Philip has been married to the queen since 1947. A member of the Greek royal family, he renounced his royal title when he became a naturalized British subject in 1947.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1939, and saw active service throughout World War II, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. After Elizabeth became queen, Philip gave up his naval career to support her.

He has no constitutional role other than as one of the queen's privy counsellors.

Philip is a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. His paternal grandfather, King George I of Greece, was Queen Alexandra's brother.

__________

A Statement from HRM Deborah of Palestine and the Messenger of Peace

All obligations upon myself today, is suspended and my thoughts and heart go out to the Royal House in England, Queen Elizabeth ll and the health condition of Prince Philip at his time of ill health.

It is with respect and love, that I do hope Prince Philip’s health will improve in a speedy manner.

_______

Update to Prince Phillip’s Condition

“I was notified late yesterday, that Prince Philip was doing so much better and was getting well, thank you.”-HRM Deborah

Employers slashed 80,000 jobs in March

4 April 2007

By JEANNINE AVERSA

Employers buffeted by talk of recession slashed 80,000 jobs in March, the most in five years and the third straight month of losses.

At the same time, the national unemployment rate rose from 4.8 percent to 5.1 percent, the clearest signal yet that the economy might already be shrinking.

The new snapshot of the job market, released by the Labor Department Friday, underscored the damage that a trio of crises _in the housing, credit and financial sectors — has inflicted on companies, jobseekers and the economy as a whole.

"The labor market has indeed turned south," said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. "That was the one last bastion of hope to stay out of a recession. Now the question is how deep and how long will it last?"

The unemployment rate was the highest since September 2005, when significant job losses followed the devastating blows of Gulf Coast hurricanes.

Job losses were widespread in March. Construction, manufacturing, retailing, financial services and various business services all racked up losses. That overwhelmed gains elsewhere, including in education and health care, leisure and hospitality as well as in government.

The new employment figures were much weaker than economists were expecting. They were anticipating a drop of 50,000 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate to rise to 5 percent.

The 5.1 percent rate is relatively modest by historical standards, but was nonetheless the highest in 2 1/2 years.

Job cuts in both January and February turned out to be even deeper. Employers got rid of 76,000 in each month. The elimination of 80,000 jobs in March was the most since March 2003, when the labor market was still struggling to recover from the 2001 recession.

The economy is suffering the effects of a housing collapse, a credit crunch and a financial system in turmoil. That's causing people and businesses to hunker down, crimping spending, capital investment and hiring. Those things in turn further weaken the economy in what has become a vicious cycle.

For the first time, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke acknowledged Wednesday that the country could be heading toward a recession, saying federal policymakers are "fighting against the wind" in combating it. Many other economists and the public believe the recession already has arrived.

Bernanke wouldn't tip his hand about the Fed's next move. However, many economists believe the central bank will lower interest rates again when they meet later this month.

The Fed has taken a number of extraordinary actions recently — slashing interest rates, providing financial backing to JP Morgan's takeover of troubled Bear Stearns and opening an emergency lending program for big investment houses. All the actions are ultimately aimed at limiting damage to the national economy.

With a public on edge, Congress, the White House and presidential contenders are scrambling to come up with their own relief plans even as they engage in a political blame game.

With the pace of hiring slowing down, the number of unemployed people increased to 7.8 million in March; workers with jobs saw only modest wage gains at the same time.

Average hourly earnings for jobholders rose to $17.86 in March, a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month. That matched economists' forecasts. Over the past 12 months, wages grew 3.6 percent. With lofty energy and food prices, workers may feel like their paychecks are shrinking.

Many analysts believe the economy shrank in the first three months of this year and could still be ebbing now. The government will release its estimate of first-quarter economic growth later this month. Under one rough rule, if the economy contracts for six straight months it is considered in a recession.

Bernanke, however, has said he is hopeful the economy will improve in the second half of this year, helped by the government's $168 billion stimulus package of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for businesses, as well as the Fed's rate reductions.

Still, even Bernanke predicted this week that the unemployment rate would rise in the months ahead. Some analysts say it could climb to 5.5 percent or higher by year's end.

Old Story no New Twist

Soldiers detain a peace activist associated with Fatah, during a demonstration against the former occupation and the confiscation of Palestinian land, marking Land Day, in the village of Maasara near the West Bank town of Bethlehem on April 4, 2008.

Former Hamas to never Crawl in Pond of Blood in Sorrow

4 April 2008

by HRM Deborah

Fatah’s Al-Quds Brigades, found traces of blood from Jewish soldiers who were injured in an incursion east of Khan Younis on Thursday.

The brigades had photographed the blood of the soldiers who were injured after being targeted by dozens of mortar shells in the incursion.

The brigades sent the following message to the military, "any aggression against the Palestinian people, especially the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank will bring woe to their soldiers and towns."

While the message above may appear to include the former Hamas movement in actuality it does not, for there is people within Fatah fraction groups impersonating what former Hamas use to look like as well as making statement’s as though they are former Hamas and this also is not true.

This includes the latest attacks by sniper’s on Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, as well as the other attacks and criminal activity. The fraction groups formally called Hamas, is living in peace. While the many Fatah fractions groups apparently at this time, is trying to spark a fight between the Jewish people and the Arab Palestinians formally of Hamas.

This is just a latest deception by Fatah fraction groups associated with Mahmoud Abbas to create not just violence towards Arab Palestinians and the Jewish people but to create mistrust through deceptive means.

It must be reaffirmed, that all fractions groups formally of Hamas is at peace with Christians and the Jewish people, there is no true statements of violence nor any violence coming from the former Hamas.

It must be understood, that all those that was formally Hamas, is at peace and is making every effort to stay so, there word was spoken in peace and they do not go back on there word.

Furthermore, it is better to have peace with the Jewish and Christian neighbor’s, rebuild the country to its greatness, then crawl around in a pond of blood in sorrow.

Who Said 'Surge' is not Working in Iraq?

Waiting in the Grass

Detained blindfolded Fatah terrorist’s sit in the grass at the Kisufim military base after they were arrested in the Gaza Strip during a military operation on 3 April 2008.

3 April 2008

Seven Fatah terrorist‘s from Al-Quds Brigades, including at least two terrorist, were wounded today during a gunfight between terrorist’s and soldiers in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Two civilians were seriously wounded in crossfire, was reported.

All the wounded, where taken to the hospital.

The army confirmed that soldiers operating in the area had opened fire on a Fatah terrorist cell.

Apparently, the Al-Quds Brigades fighters targeted the military with two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and five mortar shells before clashing with them for several hours.

Faces of Fatah Terrorist Today

These men are from Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades fraction, trying to impersonate what former Hamas use to look like.

The resistance group’s that use to be associated formally as Hamas, is living in peace with their Christian and Jewish neighbors.

Bush wins NATO nod on missile defense

U.S. President George W. Bush (C) speaks with Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko (L) during the meeting on Afghanistan at the NATO summit in Bucharest April 3, 2008.

3 April 2008

By MATTHEW LEE

President Bush won NATO's endorsement Thursday for his plan to build a missile defense system in Europe over Russian objections. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called it a "breakthrough agreement" for the military alliance.

"Now it is clearly understood in the alliance that the challenges of the 21st century, the threats of the 21st century, make it necessary to have missile defense that can defend the countries of Europe," Rice told reporters at the NATO summit.

Progress on missile defense represented perhaps the biggest boon to Bush from the NATO summit. Russia has fiercely opposed it.

Rice also noted that NATO has "also asked Russia to stop its criticism of the alliance effort and to join in the cooperative efforts that have been offered to it by the United States."

A NATO statement calls on the alliance to explore ways in which the planned U.S. project, to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic, can be linked with future missile shields elsewhere. It says leaders should come up with recommendations to be considered at their next meeting in 2009.

U.S. President George W. Bush speaks with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, left, prior to the start of the NATO Summit meeting on Afghanistan, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, April 3, 2008.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The U.S. plan calls for 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland and a tracking radar site in the Czech Republic.

At a news conference in Bucharest on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg announced that negotiations with the Americans have been successfully completed and that a deal would be signed in early May.

The Poles have yet to agree to the plan, but in Warsaw on Thursday, talks picked up between Polish and U.S. officials about it.

The backing from NATO and the announcement with the Czechs provides Bush with a powerful leg up in his negotiations with Moscow over the issue.

Bush is seeing Russian President Vladimir Putin twice this week — during the summit and Sunday in Sochi, Russia. White House officials have talked optimistically in recent days that the weekend meeting could break the missile defense logjam.

Rice said she was hopeful that Bush and Putin would agree on a broad framework for cooperation between the countries, but it was still unclear whether they would reach a deal on missile defense. The administration has worked to allay Russian leaders' fears that the system is a threat to them.

"We hope that we can move beyond that to an understanding that we will all have an interest in cooperation on missile defense," Rice said. "But we will see."

On Afghanistan, Bush did win a commitment of more troops to Afghanistan's most dangerous areas, although his national security adviser acknowledged more needs to be done.

"We are not at the level of what at this point in time our commanders looking forward say we need and that's why we said more to do," Stephen Hadley said at the briefing with Rice.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France will send as many as 1,000 troops to the eastern part of the country, freeing up some U.S. forces to move to the south. Canada had threatened to pull its soldiers out of the volatile south, the front line in the fight against a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida forces, unless it received 1,000 reinforcements from another ally.

On NATO expansion, Bush did suffer setback in his drive to have the alliance include Ukraine and Georgia, two former Soviet republics.

"NATO's door must remain open to other nations in Europe that share our love for liberty and demonstrate a commitment to reform and seek to strengthen their ties with the trans-Atlantic community," Bush said in brief remarks at an alliance meeting. "We must give other nations seeking membership a full and fair hearing."

Fellow NATO leaders, fearing a clash with Moscow, rejected Bush's appeal to allow the countries to get on a path toward membership. But Hadley said the president plans to make a new pitch before he leaves office in January. The United States expects to raise the matter at a meeting of NATO foreign minister in December, Hadley said.

The president expressed regret that NATO also declined to offer full membership at this meeting to Macedonia. The invitation was blocked by Greece, which says the country's name implies a territorial claim to a northern region of Greece, also called Macedonia.

"Macedonia's made difficult reforms at home," Bush said. "It is making major contributions to NATO missions abroad. The name issue needs to be resolved quickly so that Macedonia can be welcomed into NATO as soon as possible."

Albania and Croatia were invited to join the alliance, now currently at 26 members.

Progress on missile defense represented perhaps the biggest boon to Bush from the summit. NATO leaders were adopting a statement that "ballistic missile proliferation poses an increasing threat to allied forces, territory and populations" and that the U.S.-led system would help protect allies.

The statement calls on all NATO members to explore ways in which the planned U.S. project can be linked with future missile shields elsewhere The plan calls for 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland and a tracking radar site in the Czech Republic.

Russia charges the intent of the system would be to weaken its nuclear deterrent capabilities and upset the balance of power in Europe. Bush has denied that, saying the facilities are designed to protect Europe against a potential missile attack — or even just nuclear blackmail — by Iran. The dispute has become heated at times, with confrontational, Cold War-style rhetoric from Moscow.

Bush essentially has rejected Russia's suggestion that the U.S. substitute an early warning radar in Azerbaijan for the Europe-based system. But U.S. officials have been working to come up with a list of concessions and assurances that could resolve Moscow's fears, such as offering to let Russia share in the information the system collects and promising not to activate it without a verifiable threat.

200 Palestinians Stranded in Egypt Return Home

A Palestinian boy stands on the wall while Egyptian police watch people as they cross to Egypt through the borderl between Egypt and Rafah 28 January 2008 in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip. Egyptian security forces began putting up fences to plug the breaches along the border.

3 April 2008

Egypt temporarily opened a border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Thursday to allow around 200 Palestinians stranded in Egypt to return home, Egyptian security sources said.

A hole was blown into the border in January, allowing Palestinians to cross into Egypt to seek relief from an Israeli blockade that occurred towards the end of the war.

The border has since been resealed, stranding hundreds of Palestinians inside Egypt.

Apparently, many Palestinians, who returned home through the Rafah crossing, had been living with relatives in towns on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said Egypt was working to reopen the Rafah crossing on a more regular basis.

McCain Calls for U.S. Military Buildup Without Draft

McCain’s Propaganda for Warmongering

John McCain, U.S. senator from Arizona and Republican presidential nominee, speaks at the Navy and Marine Stadium at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. (Photographer: Mannie Garcia/Bloomberg News )

by Edwin Chen

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- John McCain said the U.S. must make building up the military ``an urgent priority'' because of the stress placed on the armed forces by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Personnel shortages, while ``acute,'' can be relieved without reviving the draft, he said.

``We waited too long to begin that buildup,'' the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said today in an address in Pensacola, Florida. McCain noted that he long has advocated enlarging U.S. military forces.

``Had we begun to do it right after 9/11 -- as we realized that we were now in a global struggle against a malicious enemy, or as we embarked on two wars, or even when it became clear to many of us that our flawed strategy and inadequate troop levels in Iraq were going to result in that conflict lasting far longer than anticipated -- we would not be in the situation we are in now,'' he said.

McCain didn't give a specific goal for a military expansion or mention the potential price tag. He previously has advocated boosting the Army by 80,000 soldiers and the Marines by 20,000, along the lines of a plan already advanced by the Pentagon.

The Arizona senator is seeking to reinforce his national security expertise -- what his campaign views as his strongest argument in a general election battle against either Democratic candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York or Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

Military Background

``I'll match my credentials on national security certainly against Senator Obama and Senator Clinton any day of the week,'' he told reporters aboard his campaign plane earlier this week.

McCain, a 1958 Naval Academy graduate, was a pilot during the Vietnam War and spent 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi after he was shot down during a bombing mission.

McCain also has been a vocal supporter of the Iraq War, though he has criticized the way President George W. Bush's administration managed the initial occupation.

``We must increase the size of our military, and much more so than we have done to date,'' McCain said. ``It is an urgent priority.''

There are about 1 million active and reserve soldiers now, according to Pentagon figures, and the Army currently plans to expand by about 74,000 personnel by 2013 at a cost estimated at $70 billion.

War Strain

As evidence of the personnel shortfall, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, said today that the military can't meet its troop needs in Afghanistan because of the Iraq conflict.

``Having forces in Iraq at the level they're at don't allow us to fill the need that we have in Afghanistan,'' Mullen said at a Pentagon news conference.

While reiterating his opposition to bringing back military conscription, McCain said strengthening U.S. armed forces ``is going to require greater numbers of Americans to serve than have recently showed a willingness to do.''

McCain's call on Americans to consider enlisting in the military dovetailed with his campaign theme today: public service and volunteering. He spoke about that earlier today at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

`Historic Importance'

``I want every American to know that, despite its attendant risks and sacrifices, military service even for one or two enlistments or for a career is one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have,'' McCain said. ``Few other occupations so completely invest your life with personal and even historic importance.''

McCain also said Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs should be more freely allowed on the nation's college campuses, calling it ``disgraceful'' that some schools bar them.

Earlier today, McCain, 71, said he is beginning his search for a vice presidential candidate and is compiling a list of names, none of which he would disclose.

``We just started this process,'' he said on the Don Imus program on New York radio station WABC. ``I don't know how long it takes but if I had a personal preference I'd like to do it before the convention.''

McCain was in Pensacola as a part of his weeklong ``Service to America'' tour designed to highlight his life and career in military and public service.