Islamic
terrorists expand
Milan's CORIERE DELLA SERA 9/6/99: "The enemies of peace are
claiming to have been betrayed. Hamas' founder, Shaykh Ahmad
Yasin, vented his full fury: "They are selling off the Palestinian
cause." But he refused to reveal what kind of response the fundamentalists'
movement will make to the first understanding signed by Yasir
'Arafat with the Israeli Prime Minister, Labor's Ehud Baraq.
Pragmatic and prudent, Yasin, the spiritual leader, has in
the past not ruled out cooperation with 'Arafat's Authority,
but he now prefers to leave the response on the ground to
the hardliners. The radicals have been at work for some time.
Their representative in Syria, al-'Alami, and the two leaders
based in Jordan until a few weeks ago (Khalid Mish'al and
Musa Abu-Marzuq), have launched discreet contacts with two
friendly countries -- Libya and Iran. On the one hand they
have tried to secure further aid, while on the other they
have presented themselves as possible candidates to a more
militant leadership.
There has been a succession of meetings at secret Lebanese
locations. The change of course in the peace process -- which
has been in the air since Ehud Baraq's election to the post
of Israeli Prime Minister -- has prompted 'Ali Khamene'i,
the radical leader of the Khomeyni-ite regime, to press for
a change within the Hizballah, too. According to Arab sources,
a faction is taking shape within "God's party" that is by
no means resigned to detente.
The Shiites have apparently been flanked by a number of Palestinian
fringe groups, which are strong in the refugee camps around
Sidon. From the al-Biqa' Valley, where Shaykh Subhi al-Tufayli
reigns, orders have already gone out to reorganize cells abroad.
This mission has apparently been entrusted in 'Imad Mughniyah,
the elusive red primrose, and to 'Aqil 'Amiyah, two senior
officials of the Hizballah's secret unit.
Using Beirut airport, the extremists sent their men to Europe.
Their arrival was noted in Milan, Copenhagen, Cyprus, and
Spain. According to French sources, the Hizballah have established
a number of secret structures in the Andalusian region. The
hawks' initiatives have irritated a Tehran torn apart by political
feuds and in a state of ferment over the youth opposition
movement. So much so that someone has now, perhaps on Khatami's
orders, informed the Western police forces about the Hizballah
hotheads. This is an unprecedented move, and yet another symptom
of the area's extreme instability."
Hamas
vs. Jordan
Amman's AL SABIL 9/7/99: "Exclusive" interview with Shaykh Ahmad
Yasin, founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas:
[Al-Sabil] How do you view the Jordanian security authorities
measures against Hamas [Islamic resistance Movement] in Jordan?
[Yasin] What happened was unjustified and unrealistic and
we reject it. Such measures will only strengthen Hamas and
enhance its determination to adhere to its stands. We also
object to the Jordanian authorities succumbing to pressure
by Israel and the United States, which are doing their utmost
to serve the Israeli presence and security at the expense
of the Palestinian people's interest, future, cause, and homeland.
[Al-Sabil] Agencies cited Usamah Abu-Hamdan, Hamas representative
in Lebanon, as calling for dialogue between Hamas and the
Jordanian Government. Did you contact the Jordanian Government
on this crisis?
[Yasin] Since our brothers [in Hamas] are doing their duties
in this regard and have channels of communication with the
government and the king, there will be no need for us to make
contacts. Our brothers abroad have made arrangements and it
seems possible that a meeting will be held with the king.
We leave matters to them to act in a way serving the two people's
interests.
[Al-Sabil] The Israeli press says that what happened had
been coordinated with the Palestinian Authority [PA]. What
do you think?
[Yasin] This is obvious from the Jordanian public prosecutor's
statement. There relations with the PA and all the PA's options
move in this direction. Nevertheless, there are some who reject
these options. This is obvious. We say that it is within our
rights, as Palestinian people, to reject anything that does
not conform to the future of our people and homeland..."
Shas radio
raided
MA'ARIV 9/6/99: "Jerusalem Police officers and Communications
Ministry staffers yesterday raided five pirate radio stations
affiliated with SHAS [Torah Observing Sephardim] that operated
in the city. The police confiscated equipment worth about 1
million shekels. At the Shuva Yisra'el station, a broadcaster
was taken in for questioning. Qol Ha'emet, Channel 2000, Qol
Hasimha, and Qol Berama were closed.
[YEDIOT AHARONOT 9/6/99:] "SHAS members are furious with
the police raid at the pirate ultra-Orthodox radio stations
yesterday, which included Kol Ha'emet. SHAS officials were
astounded by the raid at what they refer to as 'the holy channels.'
It has been further learned that Rabbi 'Ovadya Yosef said
he was furious with the confiscation of Kol Ha'emet's equipment,
which broadcast his sermons throughout Israel."]
USAID
PA private media-not!
Ramallah's AL AYYAM 9/5/99: "Media sources have reported that
the US Agency for International Development [USAID], which supports
development projects in the Palestinian territories, has suddenly
decided to cancel its program of assistance to private television
and radio stations in Palestine worth $6 million to be disbursed
over a two-year period.
The funds were to be disbursed in the fields of training
of journalists, statistical studies of the number of viewers
and listeners to television and radio stations and the importance
of these stations to citizens, encouraging programs exchange,
and studies of the legal status of these stations.
The decision to cancel the project took the owners and employees
of these Palestinian television and radio stations by surprise,
especially since USAID did not officially explain the reasons
for such a cancellation and after owners of the 32 stations
had committed themselves to provide the staff for this project
and abide by its provisions.
Several station owners said they were able to get an unofficial
reason for the cancellation which is a financial crisis and
the transfer of the allocated US funds to support projects
in Kosovo and in Turkey following the earthquake that hit
it about two weeks ago..."
PA call
to donor states: Pay your pledges!
AL QUDS in Jerusalem 9/6/99: "Finance Minister Muhammad Zuhdi
al-Nashashibi has called on the donor states to double their
contribution to economic development in Palestine during their
upcoming conference on 15 October in Tokyo. He said that the
assistance given to the Palestinian National Authority [PNA]
by the donor countries has receded enormously in the past two
years.
Al-Nashashibi put the amount of the aid that has been transferred
since the beginning of 1999 to date at about $175 million
only out of $750 million that the donor countries pledged
at the Frankfurt conference. The total aid for 1998 amounted
to $335 million, he said. In an exclusive interview given
to Al-Quds, the Finance Minister said that due to the difficult
circumstances and with the continued implementation of some
development projects, we are noticing a regression on the
cycle of Palestinian economic growth.
He cautioned against the negative ramifications this regression
will have on the rate of unemployment, inflation, and gross
national product. Despite the increase in the national product
in the past three years, the disproportionate increase in
population reduced per capita income.
Al-Nashashibi explained that the reduction in aid in 1998
and 1999 is due to several reasons. The main reason, he said,
is that our inability to reach a peace agreement with Israel
makes the donor countries feel that investment in Palestine
is not safe. Like any other investor, the donor countries
want an encouraging investment environment.
The constant Israeli obstacles, however, prevent this from
happening...The minister also referred to the economic crisis
in southeast Asia, Russia, and other places that has resulted
in pressure on financing sources to reconstruct these countries.
Moreover, crises due to war, such as in Kosovo, constitute
a pressure on financing sources and a reduction on the funds
available...
Regarding administrative reform in the PNA institutions,
Muhammad Zuhdi al-Nashashibi, member of the Higher Committee
for Reform and Administrative Development, said we should
proceed from the original concept of administrative reform,
which is the separation between the executive, legislative,
and judicial powers. We should secure the independence of
action of these institutions, achieve pluralism and accountability,
and instill the spirit of democracy and strong responsibility
in them.
Afterward, we proceed to the ministries. This requires the
clear definition of responsibilities and duties, the formation
of structures for every ministry, the drafting of job descriptions,
the allocation of responsibilities, and the definition of
work ethics from top to bottom and vice versa. It also requires
a performance scale and the implementation of the administrative
part of the civil service law.
The minister stressed that we must entrench accountability,
transparency, and internal and external auditing and monitoring.
We should have a master plan of objectives and a work plan
for each ministry so it would be responsible for applying
its work plan in light of the master plan..."
Uzbekistan
& Israel
VESTI 9/1/99: "Interest toward Uzbekistan on the part of Israeli
businessmen, journalists, scientists and ordinary citizens has
notably grown in recent times. The inflow of tourists is also
gradually increasing: My country, Uzbekistan, rightfully bears
the name of the pearl of Central Asia...
As for the development of economic relations between Uzbekistan
and Israel, it is my opinion that the state visit to Israel
by President I. Karimov last year laid the necessary foundations
for fruitful and stable cooperation. The search of ways and
mechanisms of cooperation is continued at present at a pace
which corresponds to the development level of legislative
bases of the two countries, and we are trying to use the existing
potential possibilities whose list is far from complete...
Visits to Israel of ministers of health and agriculture of
the Republic of Uzbekistan have been planned for the nearest
future. This is also one of the positive factors characterizing
the development of bilateral relations.
It is well-known that Uzbekistan is the northernmost cotton-producing
country. It is precisely in this connection that we should
mention successful introduction of drop-irrigation technology
by the Netafim firm, which is carrying out a pilot test project
in our country envisaging cotton growing on the area of 300
hectares using selection material produced by the Zera'im
Gedera firm.
Positive results have already been achieved in the course
of activities in Uzbekistan of the Israeli MAD poultry-breeding
company; efforts are being made to use Israeli experience
for increasing the dairy productivity of local cows, and for
the introduction of numerous other activities in the field
of agriculture.
In the sphere of gas and chemical industry, an affiliate
of the Israeli Batman company has put forward interesting
proposals backed by Israeli state bodies. There is every reason
to believe that expert evaluation of the proposed projects,
tentatively estimated at $300 million, will make it possible
for the Israeli company to carry out its activities on a par
with a number of other well-known international firms. Also
noteworthy is the example of the Israeli Nisko company, which
won the international tender for supplying modern energy-consumption
counters to Uzbekistan...
I would like to note, in the light of the recent events
involving manifestations of anti-Semitism, that this phenomenon
dates back to thousands of years and involves unforgettable
tragedies; unfortunately, this phenomenon has survived until
the present day.
In this connection, the recent act of clemency by President
Islam Karimov, when amnesty was granted to Israeli citizen
Matatov, belongs to the list of goodwill gestures whose roots
can be traced back to the depths of the centuries-old history
of dignified co-existence of Uzbeks and Jews on our ancient
and hospitable land..."
Tukey-water-Israel
Ankara's ANATOLIA 9/7/99: "Following the evaluation after the
talks between the Turkish officials and an Israeli delegation
in Ankara to discuss Turkey`s sale of water to Israel, the cooperation
project for the sale of water to Israel from the Manavgat stream
is expected to be taken up in detail, it was reported on Tuesday.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement and said that the
Turkish and Israeli delegations led by Mithat Balkan, the
Deputy Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, and his Israeli
counterpart Yuav Biran held a meeting the day before, adding
that the Israeli delegation had also met with the officials
at the State Water Works (DSI).
The statement said the capacity of the Manavgat water-supply
facilities, quality of the water, cost of the water exportation
and transportation were the issued discussed at the meeting
between the DSI officials and the Israeli delegation..."
Up against
the Wall
AL QUDS in Jerusalem 9/6/99: "Wafa: The Higher Islamic Council
has called on the Arab and Muslim leaders and the honorable
leaders of the world to quickly intervene to stop the digging
and construction work the Israeli authorities are carrying out
along the southern wall of the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque.
A statement issued by the council said, "This kind of work
signals a new and dangerous stage consisting of pouring reinforced
concrete for the foundations in the area. Israeli authorities
have also caused some damage to the sites of the Islamic Omayyad
palaces and changed the civilization and historic sites in
the area."
The statement added that "the work is targeting the blessed
al-Aqsa Mosque in a continuation of the plans the Israeli
authorities started to implement since June 1967."
The council confirmed that al-Aqsa Mosque's walls and areas
around the outside wall are Islamic waqf property and that
the continued disregard to these facts is of grave consequences.
It is the duty of Muslims to hold on to their rights, a duty
dictated by their Islamic doctrine. It is their divine duty
to abide by this doctrine and defend their religion, holy
places, and legitimate rights.
The council noted that the Israeli authorities, represented
in the historic sites' department, had during the first years
of the occupation used the pretext that it was carrying out
scientific excavations of the ruins. The Islamic Council and
all other institutions in holy Jerusalem have rejected all
these pretexts at the time, and still reject them, but the
authorities continue to escalate their measures, which are
focused on the one objective of Judaizing Jerusalem and the
al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the area surrounding it.
The council said in its statement that the Israeli authorities
recently closed off the old southern exit point of al-Aqsa
Mosque, which overlooks the southern courtyards where the
digging and new building works are taking place currently.
The objective is to change the status quo. The Israeli authorities
have thus violated the international laws and agreements,
as well as the UNESCO agreements, in addition to violating
the divine doctrines.
The Islamic Council denied the nature of scientific and
historic research that the Israeli historic sites department
is carrying out. It asked Israel to stop the construction
work and digging behind the southern wall of the blessed al-Aqsa
Mosque. It called on the world once again, including the concerned
committees of the United Nations, to condemn these actions.
It called on the Arab and Muslim leaders, as well as the Islamic
and humanitarian organizations to apply pressure on Israel
to stop its acts..."
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