Yahoo! News - Syria says Israel does not want peace, benefits from US occupation of Iraq: "Mon Feb 16, 4:24 PM ETAdd Mideast - AFP to My Yahoo!
DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri accused Israel of not wanting peace with the Palestinians and charged that the Jewish state was the sole beneficiary of the US-led occupation of Iraq (news - web sites).
'Israel, backed by the United States, is opposed to peace and remains a source of instability in the region,' the official Sana press agency quoted Otri as saying at a meeting of the joint Syrian-Iranian high committee.
"Israel is the only one who benefits from the US-British occupation of Iraq... which has become a source of ongoing concern and is unacceptable," Otri said.
He called on "Arab and Muslim states, especially Iraq's neighbors, to coordinate their efforts to find a resolution that will put an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people and to the occupation, and that will allow the Iraqis to exercise their democratic rights and form their own government." ...
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Greater Middle East Initiative: Arabs Complain They're in Dark on U.S. Reform Plans
Yahoo! News - Arabs Complain They're in Dark on U.S. Reform Plans: "Tue Feb 10, 9:34 AM ETAdd World - Reuters to My Yahoo! | By Jonathan Wright
CAIRO (Reuters) - The United States has kept most Arab governments in the dark about its plans for the Middle East, now taking shape under the title of the Greater Middle East Initiative, Arab diplomats and officials said Tuesday.
The way Washington has handled the initiative so far has added to Arab feeling that the Bush administration is planning a future for the region behind their backs, they said.
U.S. officials say they want European support for the initiative in readiness to announce it in June when the Group of Eight leaders hold their annual summit, hosted this year by President Bush (news - web sites) at Sea Island, Georgia. The Group of Eight does not include any Arab countries. "
CAIRO (Reuters) - The United States has kept most Arab governments in the dark about its plans for the Middle East, now taking shape under the title of the Greater Middle East Initiative, Arab diplomats and officials said Tuesday.
The way Washington has handled the initiative so far has added to Arab feeling that the Bush administration is planning a future for the region behind their backs, they said.
U.S. officials say they want European support for the initiative in readiness to announce it in June when the Group of Eight leaders hold their annual summit, hosted this year by President Bush (news - web sites) at Sea Island, Georgia. The Group of Eight does not include any Arab countries. "
Monday, February 09, 2004
Pilots call for evaluation of US intelligence: "... some of the intelligence surrounding these threats is tenuous to say the least"
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Pilots call for evaluation of US intelligence: "Press Association | Monday February 2, 2004
Pilots today called for greater scrutiny of warnings from US intelligence services, after a new terror alert forced six transatlantic flights to be grounded.
The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) is calling on the UK government to evaluate fully the 'strength and validity' of the security information that has led to disruption for hundreds of holidaymakers.
Four US-bound flights from Britain and France have already been scrapped in the last 24 hours and a further two services will be affected today.
...
Terrorism specialist Simon Reeve, author of the book on al-Qaida, The New Jackals, said the pilots' union was right to be sceptical about the quality of the intelligence that has prompted the cancellations.
He told the Press Association: "I think some of the evidence, some of the intelligence surrounding these threats is tenuous to say the least.
"But nobody in the intelligence community or airport security will want to take the chance of sending a plane in to the air if there is even a whisper of a threat." ...
Pilots today called for greater scrutiny of warnings from US intelligence services, after a new terror alert forced six transatlantic flights to be grounded.
The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) is calling on the UK government to evaluate fully the 'strength and validity' of the security information that has led to disruption for hundreds of holidaymakers.
Four US-bound flights from Britain and France have already been scrapped in the last 24 hours and a further two services will be affected today.
...
Terrorism specialist Simon Reeve, author of the book on al-Qaida, The New Jackals, said the pilots' union was right to be sceptical about the quality of the intelligence that has prompted the cancellations.
He told the Press Association: "I think some of the evidence, some of the intelligence surrounding these threats is tenuous to say the least.
"But nobody in the intelligence community or airport security will want to take the chance of sending a plane in to the air if there is even a whisper of a threat." ...
Sunday, February 08, 2004
U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is threatening the Iraqi and regional stability by empowering Kurdish and Shiite Muslim groups
Excite News: "Arab League Decries U.S. Actions in Iraq | Feb 7, 8:39 PM (ET) | By SALAH NASRAWI
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is threatening the Iraqi and regional stability by empowering Kurdish and Shiite Muslim groups, according to an Arab League report obtained Saturday by The Associated Press.
The report, drawn up by an Arab League delegation that visited Iraq in December, is circulating among the 22 members of the Cairo-based Arab League but has not been made public.
It reflects concerns among Arab countries that changes in the sharing of power in a post-Saddam Hussein government could give too much authority to the Kurdish and Shiite Muslim groups, inspiring those minority groups in neighboring countries to rise up and demand more power.
Arab states are predominantly Sunni, but Sunnis in Iraq have dominated politics - even though the Shiites make up 60 percent of the population. The only other places where Shiites dominate in population and political power is non-Arab Iran. The Saudi leadership have long feared unrest among its minority Shiite community." ...
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is threatening the Iraqi and regional stability by empowering Kurdish and Shiite Muslim groups, according to an Arab League report obtained Saturday by The Associated Press.
The report, drawn up by an Arab League delegation that visited Iraq in December, is circulating among the 22 members of the Cairo-based Arab League but has not been made public.
It reflects concerns among Arab countries that changes in the sharing of power in a post-Saddam Hussein government could give too much authority to the Kurdish and Shiite Muslim groups, inspiring those minority groups in neighboring countries to rise up and demand more power.
Arab states are predominantly Sunni, but Sunnis in Iraq have dominated politics - even though the Shiites make up 60 percent of the population. The only other places where Shiites dominate in population and political power is non-Arab Iran. The Saudi leadership have long feared unrest among its minority Shiite community." ...
U.S. intelligence on Iraq will make people 'very suspicious' about future claims
Excite News: "Annan: Intel Woes Affect U.S. Credibility | Feb 7, 8:28 AM (ET) | By EDITH M. LEDERER
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says he believes questions about U.S. intelligence on Iraq will make people 'very suspicious' about future claims. Secretary of State Colin Powell disagrees.
...
"There has been some damage - damage that will probably take some time to heal," Annan said at an international donors conference for Liberia. "People are going to be very suspicious when one talks to them about intelligence. And they are going to be very suspicious when we try to use intelligence to justify certain actions."
Powell strongly defended U.S. intelligence, saying Saddam had every intention of keeping Iraq's weapons programs going "and anyone who thinks he didn't is just dead wrong." ...
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says he believes questions about U.S. intelligence on Iraq will make people 'very suspicious' about future claims. Secretary of State Colin Powell disagrees.
...
"There has been some damage - damage that will probably take some time to heal," Annan said at an international donors conference for Liberia. "People are going to be very suspicious when one talks to them about intelligence. And they are going to be very suspicious when we try to use intelligence to justify certain actions."
Powell strongly defended U.S. intelligence, saying Saddam had every intention of keeping Iraq's weapons programs going "and anyone who thinks he didn't is just dead wrong." ...