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Al-Qaida says letter from its No.2 leader to al-Zarqawi is a U.S.
fake
CAIRO, Egypt- A posting on an
Islamic website Thursday accused the United States of fabricating a
letter in which al-Qaida's No. 2 leader asked for money and laid out
the terrorist group's plans for expanding the insurgency in the
Middle East. "We in al-Qaida declare that there is no truth to these
claims, and they are baseless, except in the imagination of the
politicians of the Black (White) House," according to the statement
on a website known as a clearing house for al-Qaida material. The
statement was signed Abu Maysara, who claims to be spokesman for al-Qaida
in Iraq...
Ghazi Kan'an - Second High Ranking Syrian Official to Commit Suicide
in Bashar Al-Assad's Presidency.
Syria's minister of interior and "strongman" in Lebanon for more
than a decade Ghazi Kan'an is the second high-ranking Syrian
official reported to have committed suicide since Bashar Al-Assad
became president of Syria. The first was prime minister Mahmoud Al-Zu'bi,
in June 2000. Following the death of Al-Zu'bi in 2000, Al-Ahram Al-Arabi
published an article by its editor Dr. Abd Al-Mun'im Al-Sa'id that
hinted at an indirect connection between the Syrian government and
Al-Zu'bi's death. The following are excerpts from Dr. Sa'id's
article:(1) "I do not know what went through the Prime Minister's
mind...
Russians
mop up after fight with Islamic insurgents that claimed over 100
lives
NALCHIK, Russia- Russian security
forces in an armoured personnel carrier smashed through the wall of
a store to rescue two hostages held by Islamic insurgents Friday as
authorities tried to clear out the last pockets of rebel resistance
after more than a day of fighting that claimed least 108 lives.
Chechen rebels claimed involvement in the near-simultaneous attacks
...
Israelis,
Palestinians move toward agreement on Gaza border security
JERUSALEM- Israel and the
Palestinians were moving toward agreement on new security arrangements
for the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, officials from both sides said
Saturday, a deal that could allow Palestinian residents of the coastal
strip relatively free movement for the first time...
Iran
has reverse-engineered, deployed nuke-capable cruise missiles from
Ukraine
Teheran received 12 long-range Kh-55 cruise missiles from Ukraine in
2001 and has since enhanced the missiles and deployed them in the
military, a leading Iranian opposition source said..
Israeli forces disguised as vegetable vendors capture senior Hamas
militant
HEBRON, West Bank- Israeli forces
disguised as vegetable vendors captured a senior Hamas operative who
had been on the run for eight years as well as a 14-year-old boy
whom militants tried to push into becoming a suicide bomber, the
army said Wednesday...
First
Abbas-Sharon meeting since Gaza pullout postponed for second time.
JERUSALEM, West Bank- Israeli-Palestinian
summit was called off Monday at the last minute, a sign that
Israel's Gaza pullout last month has failed for now to create the
peace momentum the international community had hoped for. The
meeting, set tentatively for Tuesday, stumbled over day-to-day
issues such as Israel's release of Palestinian prisoners, and not
over fundamental disputes that have kept the sides from reaching a
peace deal for more than a decade. The summit between Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was
postponed after the two sides deadlocked over the turnover of West
Bank towns to Palestinians control...
Sharon
pledges progress toward peace with Palestinians if they do their part.
TEL AVIV - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
pledged Tuesday to continue with steps toward peace with the
Palestinians, but only if they do their part first, while ruling out
new initiatives. Greeting party leaders on the occasion of the Jewish
New Year and Day of Atonement, Sharon said he would follow the
internationally backed "road map" plan that calls for a Palestinian
state...
Palestinian chaos: Fatah's Popular Army on the loose.
GAZA CITY - Despite opposition by the Palestinian
Authority, Fatah has deployed its so-called Popular Army. Over the
last month, Fatah's Popular Army has clashed with Palestinians
throughout the Gaza Strip. In most cases, the army was used to attack
rivals and disrupt protests by unions and opposition groups.
Palestinian sources said the Popular Army has been employed by Fatah
officials who also serve in the PA...
Iraqi
government announces new security measures ahead of referendum
TIKRIT, Iraq- The Iraqi government
on Saturday announced plans to clamp down with security measures
including a curfew, weapons ban and a closure of the borders ahead of
next week's constitutional referendum as Sunni Arabs geared up their
campaign against the charter. The military also said two U.S. army
soldiers died of wounds sustained Friday during the River Gate
offensive in western Iraq, bringing to eight the number of American
service members killed in recent operations aimed at clearing the
volatile area of militants. With their deaths, at least 1,952 U.S.
service members have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003...
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