What Actually Happened in Fatah’s Elections?

In his WINEP speech Dayton acknowledged this crackdown when he said, “I don’t know how many of you are aware, but over the last year-and-a-half, the Palestinians have engaged upon a series of what they call security offensives throughout the West Bank, surprisingly well coordinated with the Israeli army.” He further admitted that during the 22-day Gaza war last winter, U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces prevented Palestinians in the West Bank from organizing mass protests against the Israeli army, which ironically allowed for the reduction of the Israeli military presence in the West Bank in order to redeploy those troops to Gaza. Dayton added, “As a matter of fact, a good portion of the Israeli army went off to Gaza from the West Bank— think about that for a minute, and the (Israeli military) commander (of the West Bank) was absent for eight straight days.”

For full article, visit http://www.counterpunch.org/amin08142009.html

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Israel’s Visa Rule: If You Visit Palestine, Stay There

Ismail had fallen afoul of an Israeli border policy, quietly begun in June, that bars foreigners who say they are visiting the Palestinian Authority from entering Israel. Israel says the visa helps to exclude visitors who threaten security. According to Israeli Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Haddad, the procedure is based on an unpublished 2006 decision by the Israeli interior and defense ministers that “any foreign national who wants to enter the Palestinian Authority must have a permit issued by the army, and entry is permitted only into PA territory.”

For full article, visit http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1917917,00.html

Gazan children to be screened for long-term effects of white phosphorus smoke

The children, 300 from the Afaluna Society for Deaf Children and 700 associated with the Culture and Free Thought Association in Gaza will be screened with particular attention to the long-term effects of the use of white phosphorus weapons by Israel during its war against the Gaza Strip.

Children requiring follow-up treatment and medications will be seen by both Japanese and Jordanian doctors, who are supporting the initiative.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37056

U.S. giving Palestinian security forces top-level training

So far, the program has produced 80 graduates divided into two 40-student classes. A third class, made up of commanders from the Palestinian National Security – the largest security force with 15,000 members, tasked with policing borders, providing military intelligence, military police services and presidential security – is currently being trained in Jordan.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1077216.html

Correction: King Abdullah’s dog wasn’t treated in Israel

On March 29th, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that a sick dog said to belong to Jordan’s King Abdullah was treated at an Israeli hospital. The story was published on Ynetnews as well.A further inquiry into the story revealed that the report was incorrect, prompting Yedioth Ahornoth to issue an apology to its readers.

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3698349,00.html

Hersh: Obama helped end Israel’s Gaza offensive

When former Vice President Dick Cheney learned that Obama had been putting pressure on the Israelis, he angrily disparaged him as “pro-Palestinian” and described him as someone who would “never make it in the major leagues.”

“The differences between Obama’s Syria policies and those of the Administration of George W. Bush have attracted relatively little attention,” Hersh writes, recalling Bush’s long list of preconditions for any improvement in US-Syrian relations and mockery of Syrian President Bashar Assad for believing that he holds the key to peace in the region.

For full article visit http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/03/hersh_obama_hel.php

King Abdullah’s dog dies in Israel

After falling seriously ill during IDF offensive in Gaza, Jordanian royal family’s pet secretly rushed to Jewish state for medical treatment at Beit Dagan veterinary hospital. Doctors regretfully fail to save beloved pet’s life.

For full article, visit http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3693607,00.html

Interview with Suheir Hammad

Click here to visit Suheir Hammad’s website.

In his first public appearance, Haniyeh affirms right of return

Affirming his rejection of “the settlement conspiracy of the alternative homeland,” the Hamas prime minister insisted on “sticking to the right of return” and the establishment of a Palestnian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Ismail Haniyeh

For more, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36716