[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1328 (12 messages)

Blogger Thoughts: This subscriptions placed in blog to examine for bias...

imra Sun Feb 12 04:21:53 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1328

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

Chaos: Hamas to form its own security agencies
Polls: Kadima 38-43 Labor 17-21
Likud 15-17 NRP/Nat'l Union 6-10
Egyptian Diplomat Released
[& Palestinian Centre for Human Rights press release]
Wolfensohn:["We have no conditions"]
Will Help PNA Overcome Financial Crisis
Putin Breaks Western Siege of Hamas, Israel Furious
Amir Oren: Danger if Egypt falls under the influence of fanatic
MEMRI: Unemployment in the Middle East - Causes and Consequences
Excerpts: Influential imam praises cartoon protestors.
Corruption caused ship disaster.11 February 2006
Leftist poet Chaim Guri: Palestinian trees humanitarian
concern, Jewish evacuees politics
US prepares military blitz against Iran's nuclear sites
Jihad: Our new rocket more lethal
THE AIPAC CASE: CRIMINALIZING PUBLIC SPEECH

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Chaos: Hamas to form its own security agencies

Chaos: Hamas to form its own security agencies
www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/06/front2453776.0180555554.html
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, February 9, 2006

RAMALLAH - Hamas plans to form its own security agencies to operate
parallel to those of the Palestinian Authority.

"The PA does not want us to enter the security agencies," a senior Hamas
operative said. "So, we will create our own agencies."

The operatives said Hamas would not encounter a problem in funding its
security programs. They said Iran has relayed commitments to help Hamas
establish security agencies and fill any funding shortfall as a result of
a cutoff from the West.

PA security officials said they would not accept Hamas fighters unless
they fulfill requirement standards. The officials said even Hamas
insurgency commanders must start at the entry level. "We will have final
authority to accept who we allow in the security forces," a senior PA
commander said. "If we give this up, then Hamas is in complete charge."

The Islamic movement has not conceded on plans to take over PA security
agencies. They said Hamas expects to control several PA security agencies
once it leads a government.

"We expect the Hamas-led government to control the security services which
according to the law fall under the responsibility of the minister of
interior," said Hamas spokesman Mushir Al Masri, said. [The Jerusalem
District Court has awarded a $20 million judgement to victims of a Hamas
attack in 2002. This was the first time Hamas was sucessfully sued in an
Israeli court. It was not clear how the judgement would be implemented as
Hamas does not have assets in Israel.] At the same time, Hamas operatives
said thousands of trained fighters would be recruited for police and
security positions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They said the Hamas
troops would ensure internal security and defend against Israeli attacks.

The senior operative said the Islamic fighters would launch operations
that have been avoided by the PA. He cited anti-crime missions as well as
the battle against drugs and corruption.

Hamas was even prepared to halt unauthorized Palestinian missile strikes
against Israel. The senior operative said Hamas forces would arrest Fatah,
Islamic Jihad and other gunners who violate the so- called calm, or
Tahadiya, with Israel. Over the last week, Fatah has increased attacks
against Israel.

Since the Jan. 25 Hamas victory in the Palestinian Legislative Council
elections, PA security agencies have fallen in disarray. Palestinian
sources said the only security agency still operating as normal is the
traffic police.

Hamas said commanders have been drafting plans to organize security
intelligence agencies. Operatives said Hamas, which has weapons production
facilities, could quickly assume control over the entire Gaza Strip.

"We don't need the PA weapons," another Hamas operative said. "We have
enough factories to produce all the weapons and munitions we need." [On
Thursday, Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian infiltrators along the
Gaza-Israel border. The infiltrators were said to have attacked the Karni
border terminal, which processes cargo to and from the Gaza Strip.]

[On Thursday, Israel reported that the PA released scores of Islamic Jihad
and other insurgents since the Hamas victory. Officials said 35 Jihad
insurgents convicted of security offenses were released from Jericho
prison.]

On Thursday, an Egyptian diplomat was abducted by suspected Fatah gunmen
in Gaza City. The Egyptian was identified as Hossam Musseli, who worked as
a military adviser in the Egyptian mission in the Gaza Strip.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Polls: Kadima 38-43 Labor 17-21
Likud 15-17 NRP/Nat'l Union 6-10

Polls: Kadima 38-43 Labor 17-21 Likud 15-17 NRP/Nat'l Union 6-10
Aaron Lerner Date: 10 February 2006

#1 Telephone poll of a representative sample of adult Israelis (including
Arab Israelis) carried out by Maagar Mohot ("Brain Trust") for Makor
Rishon - survey date not indicated - published in Makor Rishon on 10
February 2006

#2 Telephone poll of a representative sample of 509 adult Israelis
(including Arab Israelis) carried out by Geocartographia for Israel Radio's
"Its all Talk" on 8 February 2006

#3 Telephone poll of a representative sample of 500 adult Israelis
(including Arab Israelis) carried out by Teleseker for Maariv on 8 February
2006 - published in Maariv on 10 February 2006 [NRP and National Union was
separate]

#4 Telephone poll of a representative sample of adult Israelis (including
Arab Israelis) carried out by Dialogue for Haaretz/Channel 10 week of 8
February 2006 - published in Haaretz on 9 February 2006 [NRP and National
Union was separate]

#5 Telephone poll of a representative sample of adult Israelis (including
Arab Israelis) carried out by Dahaf for Yediot Achronot week of 8 February
2006 - published in Yediot Ahronot on 10 February 2006 [NRP and National
Union was separate]

#6 Telephone poll of a representative sample of adult Israelis (including
Arab Israelis) carried out for The Jerusalem Post on 7 February 2006 -
published in The Jerusalem Post on 10 February 2006

Knesset election vote expressed in mandates[current in brackets]
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
39 38 40 40 43 40.5 [00] Kadima
16 15 15 15 15 17 [40] Likud
19 17 21 21 20 17 [22] Labor
00 00 00 00 00 00 [15] Shinui (both the party and the break-away "Secular
Zionist Party")
09 09 09 10 11 08.5 [11] Shas
08 09 08 09 08 09.0 [08] Arab parties
06 05 06 05 05 04 [06] Yachad [Meretz]
10 09 09 08 06 07.5 [07* & 6] National Union & NRP
07 08 07 05 06 07.5 [07*] Yisrael Beiteinu [Lieberman]
06 06 05 07 06 05.5 [05] Yahadut Hatorah
00 00 00 00 00 00 [00] Green Leaf (legalize hashish)
00 04 00 00 00 00 [00] Undecided
* National Union & Yisrael Beiteinu together have 7 seats

Dahaf also asked: "Should Israel also separate from most of the
Palestinians also by unilateral withdrawals?
Yes 59% No 37%

In sharp contrast:

Are you for or against significant unilateral withdrawals from Judea and
Samaria if after the elections it becomes clear that the PA doesn't fight
terror and it is not possible to advance in accordance with the Road Map"
For 35% Against 50% Other 15%
Telephone poll of a representative sample of 624 adult Israelis (including
Israeli Arabs) 5-6 February 2006 by Maagar Mohot Survey Institute
(headed by Professor Yitzchak Katz commissioned by the Zionist Organization
of America - ZOA

Dahaf: Should a state investigating commission be established to examine the
events at Amona?
Yes 54% No 43%

Teleseker also asked: If Kadima wins in the elections, what coalition would
you like it to form?

Kadima/Labor/Meretz 37.3% Kadima/Likud/Shas/Yahadut Hatorah 28.9%
Kadima/Labor/Likud 24.5% Other 9.3%

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Egyptian Diplomat Released
[& Palestinian Centre for Human Rights press release]

Egyptian Diplomat Released
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?id=5355

GAZA, February 11, 2006 (WAFA-PLO news agency) - The Ministry of Interior
(MOI) announced Saturday that the Egyptian Diplomat Hussam al-Mously
released.

In a statement, the ministry added that the diplomat is released after being
kidnapped last Thursday by gunmen, called themselves "al-Ahrar Brigade"
asserting that he is in a good health and unharmed.

E.B. (14:00 P) (12:00 GMT)

===
Egyptian Diplomat Kidnapped in Gaza

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Press Release

Ref: 21/2006

Date: 10 February 2006

Time: 10:00 GMT

Egyptian Diplomat Kidnapped in Gaza

- PCHR strongly condemns the kidnapping of the Egyptian
diplomat, Husam El-Mousili, in Gaza on 9 February 2006. This crime is
another in a series of organized crimes, which have undermined the rule of
law in the OPT, particularly since the announcement of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC) election results. Similar crimes were carried out
prior to the elections but failed to undermine or delay the elections.

PCHR's initial investigations indicate that on Thursday, 9 February 2006,
unidentified gunmen travelling in a "Volkswagen" stopped the car of the
Egyptian diplomat, Husam El-Mousili, in Gaza city. They forced him out of
the car and took him to an unknown location. The diplomat was on his way to
work in the Egyptian Representative Office in Gaza City, near the Ministry
of Social Affairs in Thawra Street. The kidnapping took place near the
Representative Office and the identity of the kidnappers remains unknown.

This crime is connected to a series of crimes, which have undermined the
rule of law in the OPT and have added to the general security chaos that
exists, particularly in the Gaza Strip. These crimes have increased since
the announcement of the results of the PLC elections, which were held on 25
January 2006. The Centre views these crimes as an organized and intentional
attempt to undermine the results of the elections. Furthermore, these
crimes are an extension of similar crimes that preceded the elections, with
the aim of undermining or delaying them.

The kidnapping coincided with an attack by scores of gunmen against the
Ministry of Finance building in Gaza City. At approximately 22:00, fifty
gunmen working in the Palestinian security forces demonstrated in front of
the Ministry of Finance, to protest against the delay in payment of their
salaries. They burned tires during the demonstrations and broke into the
building. PCHR has learned that these gunmen were hired to work in the
security services 4 months ago but have only received salaries for one
month. Their names were not listed in the last payroll list. The gunmen
threatened to hold another demonstration on Saturday, 11 February, if their
salaries were not paid.

PCHR has observed scores of attacks over the past two weeks. They have
included attacks against European diplomatic missions and cultural centres
in Gaza City, under the pretext of protesting against the cartoons
slandering Prophet Mohammad that were published in European newspapers. The
EU mission headquarters in Gaza City was subject to an attack on 1 February,
at the hands of gunmen from the "Al-Yasir Brigades," affiliated with Fatah.
The gunmen climbed to the roof of the building, fired into the air, ordered
the closure of the building and threatened to kidnap Danish and Norwegian
nationals, if their countries did not issue an apology. And on 2 February
2006, a group of gunmen from the "Ahmad Abu El-Riesh Brigades," affiliated
with Fatah, attacked the French Cultural Centre in Gaza City. They smashed
a sign at the entrance of the centre and fired into the air. Later that
night, unidentified assailants threw a hand grenade at the centre, which
also includes a consular section. No damage was reported. And on 4
February 2006, a number of school children threw stones at the EU mission
headquarters and the German Cultural Centre in Gaza City.

Also as part of the ongoing escalation of crimes against the rule of law
after the elections, civilians have been vandalizing agricultural
greenhouses and other property of the "Agricultural Land Development
Project". This project runs the greenhouses in the evacuated Israeli
settlements in the southern Gaza Strip. These attacks were carried out
under the protection of armed gunmen. According to the PCHR's
investigations, these attacks reached their height on Sunday and Monday (5,
6 February, 2006), when scores of people dismantled a number of greenhouse
units in the former settlement of Gan Or. These actions were perpetrated
under the protection of Palestinian gunmen.

And on Thursday, 9 February 2006, five civilians were injured in an exchange
of fire between members of El-Sheikh Eid family in Awda square in Rafah.
The confrontations took place against the backdrop of earlier problems that
took place a few months ago, which led to the death of one and the injury of
others. Three female school students were injured in the clashes that took
place on 9 February 2006.

PCHR condemns the kidnapping of the Egyptian diplomat, and:

- Holds the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) fully responsible
for the continuation of kidnapping crimes, due to its failure to pursue the
perpetrators and bring them to justice.

- Calls upon the PNA to take serious and firm action, within the
limits of Palestinian Law and International Human Rights Law, against the
security chaos and repeated crimes which undermine the rule of law.

- Calls upon all national and Islamic parties to confront these
crimes and condemn them and to work towards establishing the rule of law.

-End-

Public Document

**************************************

For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8
2824776 - 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

-----------------------------------

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------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Wolfensohn:["We have no conditions"]
Will Help PNA Overcome Financial Crisis

Wolfensohn: Will Help PNA Overcome Financial Crisis
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=13560

GAZA, February 11, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) -[Official PA website] - The
international Quartet Committee's special envoy for Israeli disengagement,
James Wolfensohn, announced that he will work on helping the Palestinian
National Authority (PNA) past its current financial crisis, as the European
Union's Higher Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier
Solana prepares for a visit to the region in mid-February.

Following a meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential
premises in Ramallah City, Wolfensohn said that he will help the PNA
overcome its financial problems.

"I have listened to the President about how to move along in light of this
new situation," Wolfensohn said, referring to the victory of Hamas movement
in the latest Palestinian legislative elections.

As for the PNA's tax revenues, which were frozen by Israel over the past two
weeks, the Quartet's envoy pointed out that this is up to the agreements
signed with the Israeli government.

In response to a question about the pressure being exercised on Palestinians
about financial aid and a Hamas-formed government, Wolfensohn commented by
saying, "we have no conditions."

The PNA faces a budget deficit of $700 million, as it fights to provide
monthly salaries for its employees, which are estimated at about $100
million each month.

On the other hand, Javier Solana, the EU's Higher Representative for CFSP
declared that he will visit the Palestinian territories as part of a tour in
the Middle East region.

"Mr. Solana will visit the Middle East from February 13-16, and will meet
President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the Palestinian situations after the
legislative elections and their reflection on the entire peace process in
the region," a statement from Solana's office stated.

The EU representative will also visit Israel, where he'll meet with the
Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni.

This tour comes after the shockwave created by the publication of cartoons
offending Prophet Mohammed (Pbuh) in the Arab and Muslim world. The
statement further noted that Solana will emphasize in his tour, which
includes several Arab states, on the close relations between the European
Union and the Islamic countries.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Putin Breaks Western Siege of Hamas, Israel Furious

Putin Breaks Western Siege of Hamas, Israel Furious
France Agrees, EU Divided and US Seeks Russian Clarifications
11/02/2006

Palestine Media Center - PMC
www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=1092

The Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday invited Hamas to Moscow,
thus breaking the Israeli and US-led Western diplomatic siege of the Islamic
Resistance Movement, which won the Palestinian January 25 legislative
elections in a landslide, creating a political crisis with Israel, a rift
with the co-members of the Middle East Quartet and cracks in the anti-Hamas
pro-Israeli ranks, though he warned that "it is necessary (for Hamas) to
leave behind the extremist positions, to recognize Israel's right to exist
and to have relations with the international community."

Senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh, who topped the Islamic movement's
national list of "Change and Reform" in the parliamentary elections, said
that leaders of the group, "would be delighted" to visit Russia if Putin
tendered a formal invitation.

On January 31, Putin told Russian and foreign media at the Kremlin, Moscow:
"Our position concerning Hamas differs from the American and western
European positions. The foreign ministry of the Russian Federation never
declared that Hamas is a terrorist organization."

However he said: "But this does not mean that we approve and support
everything that Hamas does and all the declarations that they have made
recently," adding: "It is necessary to leave behind the extremist positions,
to recognize Israel's right to exist and to have relations with the
international community."

On Thursday, Putin invited leaders of Hamas to visit Moscow, reportedly
during mid-February. "Having maintained our contacts with the organization
Hamas, we intend to invite their leaders to Moscow in the near future to
search for solutions," Putin said.

Explaining his decision during a visit to Spain the Russian leader told
reporters in Madrid: "Hamas came to power ... as a result of democratic,
legitimate elections, and we must respect the choice of the Palestinian
people."

Putin's defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, on Friday added that "leading
states" will follow the Russian lead. "Sometime in the future, many leading
states will start supporting Hamas and have some contacts," he said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mikhail Kamynin, further explained his
leader's goals on Thursday. Russia wants "to maintain the peace process on
the basis of the roadmap and to continue seeking solutions that are
acceptable to Palestine, Israel and the international community," he said.

Russia's special Middle East envoy, Alexander Kalugin, said Russia would
attempt to convince Hamas to take up peaceful dialogue, and to recognize
Israel's right to exist.

"We want them to respect all of the past agreements to avoid terror
attacks," Kalugin told the Russian news agency Interfax, adding: "Of
course, it is also necessary to embark on the road toward recognition of
Israel 's right to exist."

Russia is a member of the so-called Quartet of Mideast peace negotiators
that also includes the United States, the United Nations and the European
Union. The Quartet drafted and sponsored the June 2003 "roadmap" peace plan,
which was later adopted by the UN General Assembly and calls on the
Palestinians to renounce violence and disarm anti-Israeli occupation groups
like Hamas.

Kalugin said that in talks with Hamas , Russia "will help promote the
principles agreed upon by the Quartet." and "will suggest that Hamas change
its position at a meeting with representatives from the group," the AP
reported.

US Seeking Russian Explanations

The fourth member of the Quartet, the United States, steered clear of
criticizing Russian President for inviting Hamas, rejected the notion that
Putin's remarks undermine the unity or power of the Quartet, and requested
clarifications from Moscow.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov on Friday to discuss Moscow's surprise plans to invite
Palestinian election winner Hamas for talks.

The US ambassador in Russia, William J. Burns, has requested clarification
of the message Putin intends to give to the Hamas officials, State
Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, told reporters on Friday.

Washington considered Putin's decision a "sovereign" practice.

But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "We have been assured
that should the Russian government meet with Hamas, that they would send
that -- that the meeting would be with the intent of sending that clear,
strong message," that Hamas disarms, recognizes Israel, and commits to
previous Palestinian - Israeli accords.

"Certainly, we are not going to have any contact with a terrorist
organization. But as for each state, they are going to have to make that
sovereign decision," McCormack said in Washington.

He rejected the notion that Putin's remarks would undermine the Quartet's
unity. "As a member of the Quartet, we would certainly expect that Russia
would deliver that same message," McCormack said.

The top US diplomat for the Middle East, David Welch, noted that Russia had
agreed to demand Hamas recognize Israel, disarm, renounce violence and keep
to previous Palestinian accords with Israel.

"We would expect that any meeting that occurs with any Palestinian
representatives, including Hamas, would emphasize these principles," Welch
told a news conference. "That should be the approach of any country -- that
is, to drive home what is agreed internationally," he added.

Rift in Quartet, Cracks in EU

Putin's invitation to Hamas revealed cracks in the unified stance of the
Quartet as shown by their statement after their meeting in London in
December.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged the international community to
give Hamas time to change its ways before ruling it out as a partner.

"We are at a very early stage of the game," Annan told reporters in New
York.

"Hamas won the election but they have never been in government. They need
time to organize themselves," he said.

Annan also told Hamas to listen to the warnings of the international
community, to take upon itself the commitments of the Palestinian National
Authority (PNA), and to abandon the path of violence and to recognize
Israel.

Meanwhile, Putin's invitation also led to differences among the members of
the European Union, another Quartet member.

France, in an apparent break with the United States, has signaled support
for the Russian meeting and said such talks might advance the position of
the Quartet.

"We share with Russia the goal to bring Hamas to the positions which allow
us to reach the goal of two states living in peace and security," French
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Denis Simonneau, told reporters in Paris on
Friday, but indicated at the same time that Russia had not informed European
leaders of its intent to talk with Hamas.

"As long as we remain within the framework of the goals and principles that
we have set for ourselves, we consider that this (Russian) initiative can
contribute to advancing our positions," he explained.

Separately German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany is
expected in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, but a German
official insisted, "He is definitely not going to talk to Hamas."

EU hopeful and NATO member, Turkey, has announced Ankara will deal with
Hamas both as a "party" and as a government.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said he would invite
Hamas in his capacity as a party leader, but when the Islamic Movement
assumes power he'll invite it officially as he had invited previous
Palestinian government officials.

However the EU Austrian presidency has a completely different point of view.

On Friday, EU president Austria in a statement criticized Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for meeting in Syria with "Palestinian terrorist groups"
and called on Iran to end such contacts, according to AFP.

Austria called "upon Iran to end such links," the statement said, adding:
"The (Austrian EU) Presidency also called upon Iran to join the
international consensus on the need for a two state solution to the Middle
East conflict."

Ahmadinejad met on January 20 in Damascus with the leaders of ten
Palestinian movements including the Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

Iran rejected the EU "intervention" in its affairs. Austria's statement is
"an intervention in internal affairs of Iran and unacceptable," IRNA quoted
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hamid-Reza Asefi, as saying.

"What is ugly and unpleasant both rationally and logically is contact and
ties with the 'Zionist' regime that has been violating rights of the
Palestinian people and is a source of threat and instability in the Middle
East," Asefi said.

Israel: A Slap in the Face, a Stab in the Back

Meanwhile the Israeli reaction to Putin's move was furious, accusing Moscow
of stabbing Israel in the back and slapping Western countries in the face.

Moshe Katsav, Israel's president, said the Russian move endangered the peace
process in the Middle East.

Israel's Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, on Friday criticized Russia's plan
to invite Hamas leaders to Moscow, saying it undercut international pressure
on Hamas to recognize Israel.

In an interview with the New York Sun, the foreign minister warned during a
visit to the United States of a "slippery slope" embarked upon by Russia,
which could grant legitimacy and compromise with Hamas.

"I don't know if it's a bad idea for him," a flustered Israeli Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni said of Vladimir Putin. "I think it's a bad idea."

"There is a tendency sometimes among some in the international community to
try and understand, to reach agreements, to take a backward step," the
Israeli foreign minister added.

Separately, speaking on Israel Radio, Israeli cabinet minister of education,
Meir Sheetrit, accused Putin of "stabbing Israel in the back."

Russia "cannot fill any position regarding negotiations with the
Palestinians" unless it changes its position on Hamas, Sheetrit told Israel
Radio.

Sheetrit, a leading member of the Kadima party, also recalled Russia's
support of the Arab bloc during the Cold War, saying Putin's comments show
that "Russia is returning to the mistakes of the past."

Senior Israeli officials said Israel was seeking a full explanation from
Russia's ambassador to the Jewish state, and from other top Russian
officials.

"It's not just a slap in the face to Israel. It's a slap in the face to
Western countries," said one Israeli official, speaking on condition of
anonymity because talks with Russia were ongoing. "We are waiting for an
explanation."

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Amir Oren: Danger if Egypt falls under the influence of fanatic

Triple threat to NATO

By Amir Oren Haaretz 11 February 2006
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=681100&contrassID=2&subContrassID=15&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

... If Iran's supreme religious leader, Ali Khamenei, succeeds in helping
put a new Nasser into power in Egypt, and this time of the uncompromising
Islamic type, the shift there might carry the entire region into an
anti-West posture.

Twice in the past month the IDF's GOC Southern Command, Major General Yoav
Galant, has utilized internal forums to warn against cuts in the armored
forces in general and in his sector in particular. Galant convened senior
officers, many of them reservists, for a seminar on Egypt at Ben-Gurion
University of the Negev in Be'er Sheva. The experts who addressed the
officers mentioned a series of dangers - political, economic, demographic.
If there is "an iota of an iota of risk" that Egyptian policy will change
along with the regime, Galant warned in his summation, Israel must be
prepared for this.

Galant is currently in the minority. Mofaz, as the political figure whose
task it is to give the defense establishment directives, did not adopt
Galant's view; nor would it have been polite to do so on the eve of meetings
with senior officials from Egypt and other Arab states in Taormina. But it
is wrong simply to shrug off the apprehension that after three decades of
peace with Egypt, with its strategic advantages, the strongest Arab army is
liable to fall under the influence of fanatic Islam. When NATO officials
speak - very guardedly - about the looming need to take action against the
Tehran regime, as distinct from the Iranian nation, they are referring also
to these kinds of gloomy scenarios.

In order to avoid them, the Americans, if pressed, are capable of doing what
is contrary to their declarations and, it would seem, to their principles as
well: to reach a practical compromise with Tehran. As described by Peter
Robb in his book "Midnight in Sicily," which skirts Taormina and focuses on
Palermo in the northwest of the island, the U.S. Armed Forces drew on the
aid of the Mafia against Hitler and Mussolini, and against the Soviets was
assisted by Italy's right wing, which also hooked up with the Mafia. The
Americans are not against a deal with the devil, as long as he keeps his
word and does his part.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: MEMRI: Unemployment in the Middle East - Causes and Consequences

Inquiry & Analysis - Economic Studies
February 10, 2006
No. 265

Unemployment in the Middle East - Causes and Consequences

By Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli*

Introduction

The International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva, a specialized agency of the
United Nations, recently issued its annual World Employment Report 2004-2005
(Employment, Productivity and Poverty Reduction).

The report finds that, despite a robust economic growth in 2005, the number
of unemployed people worldwide climbed to new heights in 2005. According to
the report, the total number of jobless stood at 191.8 million people at the
end of 2005, an increase of 2.2 million since 2004 and 34.4 million since
1995.

Young people aged 15 to 24 comprise almost half of the world's unemployed
and are more than three times as likely as "adults" to be out of work. The
ILO called this figure "troublesome," given that youth make up only 25 per
cent of the working age population.(1)

In terms of focus, the report brings together "three linked themes":
employment, productivity and poverty reduction.

Unemployment in MENA - The Highest Rate in the World

The Middle East and North Africa [MENA](2) stands out as the region with the
highest rate of unemployment in the world. With an unemployment rate of 13.2
percent, the Middle East is ahead of sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region
in the world, which has the second highest rate of unemployment, 9.7
percent. The Arab League Economic Unity Council estimates unemployment in
the Middle East (members of the Arab League only) at 20 percent. The number
of unemployed people in MENA is particularly puzzling because the oil
producing countries employ 7-8 million expatriate workers transmitting
perhaps as much as $22 billion a year.

The following table (to see table, visit:
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA26506 ) adapted from ILO Table 1,
page 23, provides data on unemployment, employment to population ratio, and
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as a perspective in MENA within the
broader global context.

Employment to Population Ratios

Employment to population ratio is a measure of the percentage of working-age
population who are employed. Although MENA has registered a notable increase
in this measurement, it has remained the lowest in the world, with 45.4 in
1993, and increasing only slightly to 46.4 a decade later. The latter figure
contrasts with a ratio of 62.5 worldwide and a ratio of 57.0 in densely
populated South Asia.(3)

The little increase in MENA reflects changes in women's employment. The
ratio for women, which increased from 20.4 in 1993 to 23.5 in 2003,
indicates fewer social and cultural restrictions on women's employment,
although the ratio of 23.5 remains the lowest in the world.(4) The figure
for males, by contrast, has remained relatively constant (69.6 in 1993 and
68.6 in 2003).

Working Poverty in MENA

The ILO developed the concept of "working poverty" to cover those who work
but do not earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the $1-
or $2-a-day poverty line.(5) In terms of $1-a-day and $2-a-day poverty data,
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fares much better than most other
regions in the world. The report does indicate, however, that the incidence
of working poverty is much higher in the non-oil producing countries than in
the oil-producing countries.(6) Nevertheless, to halve $1 a day working
poverty by 2015, the GDP must grow at 4-5 percent a year. To halve the $2 a
day working poverty by 2015, the GDP must grow by 8-10 percent a year.(7)
This rate of growth will not be easy to achieve without profound structural
reforms in both the economy and polity of most countries involved, in
particular the non-oil producing countries.

Low Productivity of Workers

The table printed above provides other startling data. While GDP in MENA
registered an annual increase of 5.5 percent in 1993-2003, which is the
second highest in the world, productivity, which measures how efficiently
resources are used, increased by about 0.1 percent annually during the same
period (for total of 0.9 percent over the last 10 years) which is better
only than sub-Saharan Africa, which registered negative productivity.(8) It
is only one-tenth of world average productivity increase of a little more
than 1 per cent per annum.

MENA is the only region where productivity has not moved in tandem with GDP.
The explanation for this unusual pattern is that the GDP growth was fueled
primarily by the increases in oil revenues accompanied, according to the ILO
report, by "stagnant productivity." It is a perfect example, the ILO says,
of why in the long term, "decent employment creation and productivity growth
have to go hand in hand with GDP growth. Only then will economic growth lead
to poverty reduction."(9) By contrast, East Asia has managed to benefit from
"the virtuous cycle" of productivity growth, employment generation, and GDP
growth.(10)

The report does make a distinction in the level of productivity between oil-
and non-oil producing countries. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
have a much higher productivity than non-oil producing countries such as
Egypt, Morocco and Yemen.(11) What the report fails to mention is that the
above-average higher productivity in the two oil-producing countries can at
least be attributed to emigrant labor from South and East Asia who, like
most migrant workers, are often highly motivated, and hence productive, as
they seek to maximize their income during the life of their often fixed-term
contract with their employers.

Notable Features About Middle East and North Africa

The most significant feature is the structure of the population. MENA is
characterized by its growing young population, with 37 percent below the age
of 15 years in 2000, and 58 percent below the age of 25 years.(12) The
working-age population is increasing by three percent a year. The biggest
challenge facing policy makers in the region is the high rate of youth
unemployment, estimated at 25.6 percent in 2003, which is the highest in the
world. Although fertility rate (births per woman) in the region may be
declining, it is still higher than in other developing countries, and there
is the concern that population growth could outpace economic growth.(13)

The unemployment rate of the MENA region has been hovering around the 13 per
cent mark for the last decade. According to the ILO report this steady rate
of unemployment reflects an average of 500,000 of additional unemployed per
year. The increase in employment is not enough to absorb all those who enter
the labor market annually. In May 2005, Taleb Rifa'i, regional director of
ILO, asserted that the high rate of unemployment in the Arab world, which at
one estimate reached 20 percent, will ultimately result in a state of
underemployment, as most people will be forced to take up jobs for low
compensation packages that do not suit their qualifications, and will
further result in increased poverty.(14)

High Rate of Unemployment in the Arab Countries

Ahmad Gowaili, secretary-general of the Arab League Economic Unity Council,
referred to an unemployment rate of 20 percent in the Arab countries.
According to Gowaili, this percentage is translated into 22 million
unemployed, of whom 60 percent are youth. This figure, he added, is likely
to increase by three percent annually. He attributes the main cause of
unemployment to the failure in most Arab countries to link educational
orientation to the labor market requirements. (15)

The Challenge for Policy Makers

Apart from addressing the high unemployment rate among their youth, the
other challenge for policy makers in MENA is to insure that the share of
people working but still not being able to lift themselves and their
families above $2 a day should be brought down. To reduce the unemployment
by half in 2015, MENA needs GDP growth rates much higher than the historical
growth rates of 3.5 percent.(16)

Experience elsewhere suggests that to achieve such a steady and high rate of
growth with a corresponding rate of employment, it would be necessary to
shift workers from a low productive employment, and from what the
director-general of ILO called "the urban alleyways" of many cities in the
region, into a more knowledge-based production of high value-added
commodities. The shift to a more knowledge-based employment is also dictated
by the limited prospects of increasing the scope of agriculture in most Arab
countries. The Economic Unity Council of the Arab League points out that the
Arab countries occupy 10 percent of the world territory, five percent of the
world population, but only 0.5 percent of its water resources.(17) In fact,
the Arab countries already import food commodities worth $15 billion, and
rising.(18)

To reach a higher level of knowledge base, the Arab countries in the region
would need to invest more in Research and Development (R&D). The Economic
Unity Council of the Arab League estimates that the Arab countries spent
0.24 percent of their GNP on R&D.(19) Figures available elsewhere for
individual countries show the big gap between the highest rated country in
the world, Norway, with 1.6 percent of GNP in R&D, and Egypt, among the
lowest, with 0.2 percent of GNP spent on R&D. In between are Israel with 0.9
percent; Qatar, 0.7 percent; and Jordan and Tunisia, 0.3 percent.(20)

The Arab countries in MENA would also need to attract foreign direct
investment (FDI). These countries remain the least attractive to FDI,
acquiring only between one to three percent of total FDI, because of
inhospitable environment for foreign-dominated businesses, various
restrictions on foreign exchange, inefficient labor market, absence of an
adequate commercial code, and stifling bureaucracy. Above all, there is a
psychological mindset that equates globalization with imperialism: Instead
of seeking to bring its benefits to their countries, many Arab intellectuals
treat it with suspicion and mistrust. Hence has emerged the contrast whereby
in 2005 China attracted $62 billion in FDI, against $6 billion in Arab
countries - a lot of which went into the oil and gas sector.

The Consequences of High Rates of Unemployment

With a persistently high level of unemployment, many educated young Arabs
are seeking opportunities outside their countries. In doing so, they seek to
escape the obligation to accept jobs outside their specialization,
inadequate scientific and technological infrastructure, low income
opportunities for the highly skilled, and political instability or political
oppression in the native countries; and they seek to gain opportunities for
entrepreneurship with minimal bureaucratic constraints.(21)

Among the lower skilled, migrations may be tied to the serious phenomena of
human trafficking and grave physical risks. It is common nowadays to read
about boats loaded with illegal workers sinking on the way from North Africa
to southern Europe. Moreover, as a result of a high rate of unemployment,
"different forms of passive and active violence are on the upswing reducing
the spaces for dialogue, conflict resolution and consensus building."(22)

Conclusion

Like any other commodity, oil is subject to price fluctuations, and these
are often pretty sharp. A declining oil price with a high unemployment rate
is, in the words of Augusto Lopez Claros, chief economist of the World
Economic Forum, "a lethal combination."(23)

In the words of ILO Director General Juan Somavia, "the world is facing a
global jobs crisis of mammoth proportions, and a deficit in decent work that
isn't going to go away by itself." Clearly, the statement is particularly
pertinent to the situation in MENA, and especially to the Arab countries in
that region.

Unemployment is a grave source of hopelessness, and hopelessness drives
people to extremes. This was clearly demonstrated in the twentieth century
in the rise of Nazism and Fascism. Unemployment has the great potential of
being a source of political instability and even violence, and it is to no
one's advantage to treat this economic dislocation with equanimity.

Klaus Schwab, the president of the World Economic Forum, warned that
unemployment in the Middle East was "a time bomb" that would require the
creation of 100 million new jobs in the next 10 years to defuse it.(24)

* Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli is Senior Analyst of MEMRI's Middle East Economic
Studies Program.

Endnotes:
(1) A statement by ILO director-general at the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2006.
(2) The Middle Eastern and North African countries covered in the report
are: Bahrain, Djibouti, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic,
United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Yemen; the North
African countries include Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco,
Sudan, Tunisia.
(3) ILO Report, Table 1.3, p.27.
(4) Ibid., p.56.
(5) ILO Report, p.26.
(6) Ibid., p. 56.
(7) Ibid., p.32, table 1.4.
(8) Ibid., p.56.
(9) Ibid., p.30.
(10) Ibid., p.31.
(11) Ibid. pp. 57-58.
(12) According to the study by UNDP, the percentage of population under 15
in 1999 stood as follows in selected countries: UAE (26.7); Libya (34.7);
Egypt (36.0); Iran (38.7); Jordan (40.2); Syria (41.7); and Saudi Arabia
(43.4). Op. cit., pp.52-53.
(13) Ibid., p.56.
(14) People's Daily Online, May 8, 2005. The unemployment rate of 20 percent
in the Arab countries was stated by Ahmed Gowaili, secretary-general of the
Arab League Economic Unity Council. Al-Ahram (Egypt), January 26, 2006
(15) World Tribune.com (February 10, 2003) and Al-Ahram (Egypt), January 26,
2006.
(16) ILO Report, p.58.
(17) Al-Ahram (Egypt), January 26, 2006.
(18) Loc. cit.
(19) Loc. cit.
(20) UNDP,pp.52-53.
(21) ILO Report, p.61.
(22) "Dealing with the Global Jobs Crisis," opinion piece by Juan Somavia,
director-general of International Labour Office, January 25, 2006.
(23) Tehran Times (Iran), April 5, 2005.
(24) Al-Hayat (London), February 10, 2006.

*********************
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent,
non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle
East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background
information, are available on request.

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with
proper attribution.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Excerpts: Influential imam praises cartoon protestors.
Corruption caused ship disaster.11 February 2006

Excerpts: Influential imam praises cartoon protestors.Corruption caused ship
disaster.11 February 2006

+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi )11 Feb'08
Punish Mockers of the Prophet: Makkah Imam
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News -

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
" 'tough punishment should be imposed on those who make a mockery of the
Prophet'
"He praised Muslims all over the world for standing up to the challenge and
protesting the publication of cartoons"

"called on wealthy Muslims to use their money to confront the smear
campaigns against Islam"

================================================================
FULL TEXT:
JEDDAH, 11 February 2006 - An influential imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah
yesterday called for the imposition of stiff punishment on those daring to
mock the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Delivering his Friday sermon, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais also emphasized
the need to activate international resolutions that condemn and punish such
crimes as defamation of religions and prophets.
"All Islamic countries have condemned this act of crime," Al-Sudais told the
faithful who packed the large mosque complex, referring to the blasphemous
cartoons published by Western newspapers.
"We make a call from the podium of the Grand Mosque and the birthplace of
Islam, on behalf of Muslims all over the world, that tough punishment should
be imposed on those who make a mockery of the Prophet," the imam said.
Sudais said Western countries and organizations were adopting double
standards on the issue of Danish cartoons allowing abuse of Muslim
sanctities and their Prophet.
"The repulsive cartoons depicting the Prophet have violated the sanctity of
1.5 billion Muslims around the world and their feelings.... This has exposed
those who are actually promoting extremism, violence and hatred between
peoples," Sudais said.
He praised Muslims all over the world for standing up to the challenge and
protesting the publication of cartoons.
Sudais told Islamic scholars and intellectuals to do more to spread the
message of the Prophet and his noble qualities and ideals. "We must seize
this opportunity to spread the correct perspective of his noble life through
publications and programs in various languages," he added.
The imam called on wealthy Muslims to use their money to confront the smear
campaigns against Islam.
[IMRA: How about the pre-attack suicide bombers who are pictured with the
Koran and murders of children who call out "Allah Akbar (Allah is great)
before they fire?]

+++AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 9-15 Feb.'06:"Elusive culprit -- again"

Magda El-Ghitany reports from Safaga on the murky investigation into the
sinking of the ferry boat in which almost 1000 Egyptians lost their lives

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
" 'if his company had done this anywhere else he would already been in
prison' "

" 'a blunt indication of the strength of corruption, the pervasiveness of
which has now gotten completely beyond government control' "

"Officials were quick to stress that the ferry had passed all the required
safety inspections and fully complied with international requirements"

"carbon dioxide fire extinguishers were not available and the crew had to
use water to extinguish the flames which dsturbed the boat's balance. There
were no water pumps to get the water out, and the ferry's equipment, which
would automatically have sent distress signals to surrounding ports and
boats, appear not to have been working"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
It is almost a week since Al-Salam 98 sank beneath the waters of the Red
Sea. The ferry was carrying 1,414 passengers, more than a thousand of whom
perished in the disaster. The official investigation into the causes of the
sinking of the 35-year-old boat has yet to make its finding public, leading
to a spate of speculation and rumour.
According to early official statements the catastrophe began soon after the
ferry had left the Saudi port of Dubba on its way to Safaga when a fire
broke out on one of the ferry's lower decks. The flames soon spread, and as
crew members used water to extinguish the flames the roll-on roll-off ferry,
built to a notoriously unstable design, quickly lost balance. In the tilting
boat passengers were unable to reach many of the lifeboats and did not know
how to use the ones they could reach.
Officials were quick to stress that the ferry had passed all the required
safety inspections and fully complied with international safety
requirements. They insist there can be no allocation of blame before the
investigation is complete.
Yet as the official investigation continues unanswered questions surrounding
the disaster have increased, not least the role of Salah Gomaa, captain of
Al-Salam's sister ship the Saint Catherine, who was reportedly told by the
company's owner that he should not stop to help the stricken ferry, though
Saint Catherine was in the vicinity, but instead continue to his
destination. Both boats are the property of the Al-Salam Transport Company,
owned by Mamdouh Ismail, a member of the Shura Council.
Gomaa told Al-Ahram Weekly that the decision not to go to the aid of the
stricken vessel was entirely his.
. . .
According to international marine arbitrator and Red Sea expert Wessam
Hafez, who is preparing his own report on the disaster, "all the authorities
responsible for allowing the ferry to set sail must carry responsibility."
The fire, he said, appears to have been caused by sea water entering the
boat through a hole and then sparking an electrical fire. To make matters
worse carbon dioxide fire extinguishers were not available and the crew had
to use water to extinguish the flames which disturbed the boat's balance.
There were no water pumps to get the water out, and the ferry's equipment,
which would automatically have sent distress signals to surrounding ports
and boats, appear not to have been working.
"The absence of a working distress signal system is a grave violation of
maritime law by the company boat's owner," he said.
While it was the company's responsibility to ensure the boat was equipped
with a warning system, it was the responsibility of the Egyptian and Saudi
Arabian maritime inspection offices to check that the vessel was seaworthy
before its departure from port.
"It was their job to prevent the ferry from going anywhere, and they
failed," said Hafez, who added that the company owner may well have had "his
own ways of encouraging officials in the two offices to turn a blind eye to
the ferry's defects".
That the rescue operation began "four hours after the authorities had been
informed of the disaster", says Hafez, led to unnecessary loss of life. "If
they had started the minute they knew about it and used planes to reach the
scene of the tragedy the cost in human lives would have been reduced."
Hafez also criticises the Safaga maritime station, responsible for
monitoring the boat's passage. The problem, he says, is that the station
does not employ "marine officers and the staff do not have sufficient
experience to act in critical situations".
Hafez also notes that ferries like Al-Salam 98 -- including Salem Express
and Al-Salam 95, both sunken ships belonging to the same company -- are
bought at knockdown prices in Europe, where they are no longer licensed to
carry passengers and can only carry livestock.
"Ismail, as the owner of the boats, should be brought to justice," says
Hafez. "If his company had done this anywhere else he would already be in
prison."
It is essential, believes Hafez, that the government punish all the involved
parties. "There are many ferries similar to Al-Salam 98 that are still
sailing. Do we have to wait till they all sink before anything is done?" he
asked.
... Mubarak, however, has assured the public that those responsible for the
disaster will not escape punishment.... .
That Ismail, as a member of the Shura Council, enjoys diplomatic immunity
has caused uproar among relatives of the victims. "Al-Salam 98, and the two
ferries that sank before it, all belonged to Al-Salam. ... .
On Sunday MPs will submit demands for a full and comprehensive investigation
into the disaster though one senior official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, voiced his fears that "the ongoing investigations will either end
up in attributing the whole disaster to fate or else find a scapegoat while
those really responsible go free."
Yesterday, in his daily Al-Akhbar column, prominent writer Ahmed Ragab
sarcastically wrote that the sinking of the ferry is "a blunt indication of
the strength of corruption, the pervasiveness of which has now gotten
completely beyond government control".
. . . .

Dr. Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Leftist poet Chaim Guri: Palestinian trees humanitarian
concern, Jewish evacuees politics

Leftist poet Chaim Guri: Palestinian trees humanitarian concern, Jewish
evacuees politics

Aaron Lerner Date: 12 February 2006

In a live interview broadcast on Israel Radio this morning, leftist author
and poet Chaim Guri responded to criticism that while the Israeli Left is
concerned about Palestinian olive trees that they express no humanitarian
interest in the fate of the Jews who were evacuated from the Gaza Strip and
have suffered greatly because the Government has failed to provide the
compensation and other services.

Guri explained that the "plight of Palestinians is a humanitarian concern
while the settlers removed from Gush Katif is politics."

Guri went on to explained that the Palestinians were the "poor of one's own
city" - thus qualifying for priority.

The phrase "poor of one's own city" is a phrase from Jewish law regarding
priority in the distribution of limited resources in humanitarian cases.
That, other things being equal (in terms of critical nature of need, etc.),
one first takes care of one's own poor.

Settler leader Bentzi Lieberman responded on the program that when Guri says
that he considers Palestinians who genuinely desire the eradication of
Israel to have the same standing - if not higher standing - than fellow
Jews - that this illustrates a seriously distorted morality on the part of
this representative of the Israeli Left.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: US prepares military blitz against Iran's nuclear sites

US prepares military blitz against Iran's nuclear sites
By Philip Sherwell in Washington - The Sunday Telegraph (UK) 12 February
2006
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/12/wiran12.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/02/12/ixportaltop.html
[Map and other details
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/02/12/wiran12abig.jpg ]

Strategists at the Pentagon are drawing up plans for devastating bombing
raids backed by submarine-launched ballistic missile attacks against Iran's
nuclear sites as a "last resort" to block Teheran's efforts to develop an
atomic bomb.

Central Command and Strategic Command planners are identifying targets,
assessing weapon-loads and working on logistics for an operation, the Sunday
Telegraph has learnt.

They are reporting to the office of Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary,
as America updates plans for action if the diplomatic offensive fails to
thwart the Islamic republic's nuclear bomb ambitions. Teheran claims that it
is developing only a civilian energy programme.

"This is more than just the standard military contingency assessment," said
a senior Pentagon adviser. "This has taken on much greater urgency in recent
months."

The prospect of military action could put Washington at odds with Britain
which fears that an attack would spark violence across the Middle East,
reprisals in the West and may not cripple Teheran's nuclear programme. But
the steady flow of disclosures about Iran's secret nuclear operations and
the virulent anti-Israeli threats of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has
prompted the fresh assessment of military options by Washington. The most
likely strategy would involve aerial bombardment by long-distance B2
bombers, each armed with up to 40,000lb of precision weapons, including the
latest bunker-busting devices. They would fly from bases in Missouri with
mid-air refuelling.

The Bush administration has recently announced plans to add conventional
ballistic missiles to the armoury of its nuclear Trident submarines within
the next two years. If ready in time, they would also form part of the plan
of attack.

Teheran has dispersed its nuclear plants, burying some deep underground, and
has recently increased its air defences, but Pentagon planners believe that
the raids could seriously set back Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran was last weekend reported to the United Nations Security Council by the
International Atomic Energy Agency for its banned nuclear activities.
Teheran reacted by announcing that it would resume full-scale uranium
enrichment - producing material that could arm nuclear devices.

The White House says that it wants a diplomatic solution to the stand-off,
but President George W Bush has refused to rule out military action and
reaffirmed last weekend that Iran's nuclear ambitions "will not be
tolerated".

Sen John McCain, the Republican front-runner to succeed Mr Bush in 2008, has
advocated military strikes as a last resort. He said recently: "There is
only only one thing worse than the United States exercising a military
option and that is a nuclear-armed Iran."

Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat, has made the same case and Mr Bush is
expected to be faced by the decision within two years.

By then, Iran will be close to acquiring the knowledge to make an atomic
bomb, although the construction will take longer. The President will not
want to be seen as leaving the White House having allowed Iran's ayatollahs
to go atomic.

In Teheran yesterday, crowds celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic
revolution chanted "Nuclear technology is our inalienable right" and cheered
Mr Ahmadinejad when he said that Iran may reconsider membership of the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He was defiant over possible economic sanctions.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Jihad: Our new rocket more lethal

Jihad: Our new rocket more lethal

Islamic Jihad spokesman says new rocket contains TNT, can reach central
Ashkelon
Ali Waked YNET 12 February 2006
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3214489,00.html

Al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad's military wing, announced Saturday the
organization has been able to develop a longer-range rocket that is more
lethal and can reach central Ashkelon.

Terror Threats

Fatah: We have better rockets / Ali Waked

Disturbing announcement: Senior al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades figure says group
possesses longer range missile that could hit southern Israel communities
previously immune to rocket threat
Full Story

According to the group, the new rocket has a range of 13-16 kilometers
(about 8-10 miles) and contains TNT, as well as other components that make
it more powerful.

However, a Qassam rocket apparently fired by the group at the western Negev
Saturday is an older type of rocket.

Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Hamza said the military wing's engineering unit
was finally able to produce the new Quds rocket, which is an improved
version of the Quds 101 rocket currently used by the group.

The spokesman added the new rocket, which he said is 2.3 meters long (about
7 feet,) has been successfully tested by the organization and was produced
using great investment at special labs.

Abu Hamza warned the new rocket will be put into use soon and noted the
previous Quds model was able to cause damages in the Ashkelon area, north of
the Gaza Strip. The spokesman added Islamic Jihad will continue to undertake
work aimed at improving its launching capabilities.

Recently, almost all Palestinian organizations in the Gaza Strip announced
they have been able to improve the rockets in their possession, which they
said are more lethal than the current Qassam rockets.

At one point, Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said the group was able to
acquire Grad missiles.

(02.11.06, 19:01)

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: THE AIPAC CASE: CRIMINALIZING PUBLIC SPEECH

THE AIPAC CASE: CRIMINALIZING PUBLIC SPEECH

Secrecy News
From the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2006, Issue No. 19
February 11, 2006

In an unprecedented and previously unimaginable case, two former employees
of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee were accused last year of
mishandling classified government information. Now they are asking a
federal court to dismiss the charges against them.

The prosecution of the former AIPAC officials, Steven J. Rosen and Keith
Weissman, represents an extraordinary attempt by the Bush Administration to
use the Espionage Act to restrict the activities and even the conversations
of members of the public who are not government employees.

"The prosecutors in this case have taken the unprecedented step of
criminalizing an alleged leak not just against the government official who
was charged with protecting such information, but also members of public
policy organization with First Amendment protection who listened to what
this government official had to say," the new defense motion to dismiss
states.

"If this indictment is allowed to stand, a statute which in the first
instance is intended to address classic spying will not only be applied to
erring government officials but now will be applied to private American
citizens pursuing first amendment protected activities."

What Rosen and Weissman are charged with is nothing more than "what members
of the media, members of the Washington policy community, lobbyists and
members of congressional staffs do perhaps hundreds of times every day," the
defense says.

There is no allegation that Rosen or Weissman "ever stole, secreted,
purloined, paid for or otherwise obtained classified information from any
person -- inside or outside government -- by any illegal means."

Instead, they listened to, and repeated, information provided by former
Pentagon official Lawrence A. Franklin that was purportedly classified.

"Never has a lobbyist, reporter, or any other non-government employee been
charged... for receiving oral information the government alleges to be
national defense material as part of that person's normal First Amendment
protected activities."

"The government's construction of [the Espionage Act] would allow for the
punishment of any private citizen who obtains classified information --
regardless of how or why -- and then discloses it to another private
citizen."

"Such a result would be profoundly disturbing," according to the Defendants'
motion.

Remarkably, the legal memorandum on behalf of the defendants was co-authored
by Viet Dinh, the former Justice Department attorney who is best known as
one of the architects of the USA Patriot Act.

The defense memorandum was filed under seal on January 19 and unsealed by
the court in the Eastern District of Virginia on February 9.

A copy was obtained by Secrecy News and posted on the Federation of American
Scientists web site. See (4.2 MB PDF file):

www.fas.org/sgp/jud/rosen011906.pdf

_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.
Secrecy News Blog: www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

------------------------------

From: imra-owner@imra.org.il
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End of [imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1328 (12 messages)
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