"For all the rhetoric of war with Iraq, the US military has so far made no overt moves to build up forces in the Gulf for a major offensive against Iraq," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A suit against Islamic groups and three top Saudi royals by relatives of the victims of the Sept 11 attacks should instead be brought against Washington for training terrorists. It also called for the United States to be sued over the killing of thousands of Palestinians and Arabs by US-made weapons supplied to Israel," reported the AFP news service.
"The United States has expressed official displeasure about critical comments made by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder regarding a possible US-led war on Iraq," reported the AFP news service.
"Israeli soldiers combed the streets of this West Bank city for Palestinian militants yesterday, rounding up at least 100 people and injuring several more with stun grenades," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Israel on Friday destroyed the family homes of two Palestinian militants held responsible for the killings of at least 17 Israelis, pursuing a policy meant to deter violence but condemned by human rights groups," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Record floods threatened a string of historic towns yesterday as central European leaders were due to meet to discuss the huge costs of the path of destruction wrought across the region," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Several American Muslim leaders who President George W. Bush publicly courted after the Sept 11 terrorism attacks say he is ignoring them now, and some blame conservative Christians and pro-Israel lobbyists for the reversal. Islamic support, which seemed so crucial as the nation embarked on its war on terrorism, is now losing ground to other concerns," reported the AP news agency.
"The United States gave Iraq vital battle-planning help during its war with Iran as part of a secret programme under then president Ronald Reagan even though US intelligence agencies knew the Iraqis would unleash chemical weapons," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Afghan foreign minister said on Saturday he was certain Saudi-born guerilla chief Osama bin Laden and ousted Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar survived last year’s US bombing and were living in the region. But Abdullah Abdullah said in an interview he was confident the two men, who disappeared after US-backed Afghan factions took control of most of the country last November, would be found," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is being forced to cut rations for millions of hungry and vulnerable Afghans because international donors have failed to stump up promised cash. Just seven months after Western nations pledged billions of dollars in aid to help rebuild Afghanistan, money is already running out for the most basic requirement – feeding people who continue to live on the borderline of survival," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Russia confirmed yesterday it was set to sign a US$40bil economic and trade co-opera-tion agreement with Iraq, a move that could complicate Washington’s plans to deal with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Under Putin, Russian foreign policy has sought to create a network of alliances to counter-balance alleged US domination of international affairs," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Iraq's parliament unanimously endorsed Monday the nomination of President Saddam Hussein for another seven-year term," reported the AP news agency.
"Palestinian police were back on the streets of Bethlehem early Tuesday after Israeli forces left the town, part of a trial that could lead to further Israeli withdrawals in the West Bank. But the violent Hamas and Islamic Jihad, responsible for dozens of suicide bomb attacks against Israelis during two years of fighting, rejected the agreement and pledged to step up their attacks," reported the AP news agency.
"An Islamic court in northern Nigeria on Monday rejected an appeal by a single mother sentenced to be stoned to death for having sex out of wedlock. President Olusegun Obasanjo's government has declared Shariah punishments such as beheadings, stonings and amputations unconstitutional. Some predominantly Muslim northern states, which began instituting Shariah shortly after civilian rule replaced military dictatorship in 1999, have accused him of meddling," reported the AP news agency.
"Fiji’s public service trade union has urged Muslim Customs officers to grow back their beards after the Customs Department ordered them to shave," reported the AP news agency.
"At least 85 Russian soldiers were killed when their copter crashed in Chechnya yesterday in an attack claimed by Chechen rebels, which could prove to be one of the highest-profile losses to federal troops in the 35-month guerilla war," reported the AFP news service.
"Flooding that has forced some 80,000 east Germans from their homes spread further through the region yesterday, threatening to add to the misery as the country faced its biggest relief effort since World War II. Europe is wrestling with the aftermath of violent rainstorms that swept the continent two weeks ago," reported the AP news agency.
"The surging river Elbe pressed northwards yesterday, leaving a trail of destruction and more victims in Germany, after European leaders agreed on the first measures to help flood-stricken central Europe," reported the AFP news service.
"Maverick Palestinian guerilla Abu Nidal, a leading international terror figure in the 1970s and 1980s, has been found shot dead in his Baghdad home," reported the AFP news service.
"A Pentagon adviser said on Sunday the United States would not need the support of European allies except Britain to launch an attack against Iraq. Pentagon adviser Richard Perle said the Bush administration would rely on help from Britain and dissident groups within Iraq, but would not expect other Nato allies to participate if the United States were to launch an attack," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Republicans have expressed growing concern over potential US military action in Iraq, echoing reservations of key US allies about President George W. Bush’s aim of toppling Saddam Hussein. Republican Senator Dick Lugar also expressed doubts about US readiness for any military action, particularly as resources were already committed to the front lines of the campaign in Afghanistan. Lawrence Eagleburger, the top US diplomat under former president Bush, said he did not think swift action against Baghdad was legitimate unless the President demonstrates ...that Saddam has his finger on a nuclear, biological or chemical trigger and he’s about to use it," reported the AFP news service.
"President Hamid Karzai paid homage yesterday to millions of Afghans who died fighting foreign occupation as the capital marked 83 years of independence from Britain amid tight security," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A series of videotapes shed new light on the inner workings of the al-Qaeda network, including chemical gas experiments on dogs and terrorist training tactics, CNN reported on Sunday. The US government has repeatedly warned since Sept 11 that al-Qaeda may be trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction," reported the AFP news service.
"Tokyo stocks made marginal gains in early trading Wednesday, unruffled by a drop on Wall Street. The dollar was lower against the yen," reported the AP news agency.
"As much as President George W. Bush wants to see Saddam Hussein toppled, the United States does not condone hostage-taking in pursuit of that goal," reported the AP news agency.
"Suspected members of the al-Qaida linked Abu Sayyaf rebel group kidnapped eight people in the militants' first such strike after a six-month U.S. and Philippine campaign against them," reported the AP news agency.
"A dissident group calling for Saddam Hussein’s overthrow occupied the Iraqi Embassy here yesterday, threatening several people with weapons and taking a number of hostages, including the acting ambassador. German police, however, ended the siege several hours later – detaining five people and freeing two," reported the AP news agency.
"Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov yesterday rushed to the scene of a Russian military helicopter crash in Chechnya as the death toll from the debacle climbed to 105, one of the biggest losses in the 35-month war. Chechen rebels said they shot down the Mi-26 transport helicopter on Monday, a claim rejected by Russian officials who cited engine trouble as a possible cause," reported the AFP news service.
"Rebel claims to have downed a giant Russian helicopter in Chechnya, killing more than 100 soldiers, gained credence yesterday when a military source said a discarded missile launcher had been found near the crash site," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The US military recently conducted the largest ever military exercises in the United States that included computer simulation and the use of an airborne command centre," reported the AFP news service.
"President Pervez Musharraf said that self-exiled ex-premier Benazir Bhutto would be arrested immediately if she flew back to Pakistan as planned to contest the Oct 10 elections," reported the AFP news service.
"Two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in separate incidents yesterday, as the army continued its sweep for wanted militants while kicking off in Bethlehem a plan to withdraw from some re-occupied areas," reported the news Agencies. .
"The fate of maverick Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal remained a mystery yesterday, with a spokesman from his organisation here denying a report that he was dead and a prominent daily saying he had been assassinated," reported the AFP news service.
"Muslim extremists beheaded at least two of the six Jehovah's Witnesses they kidnapped in the southern Philippines and dumped their heads in a southern public market. Rescuers combed through rubble in search of survivors yesterday after an explosion ripped through an apartment block here, killing at least seven people and burying scores of others. Those attacks were blamed on Chechen separatist rebels who continue to battle Russian rule in their region. The rebels have always denied responsibility. But they did claim to be behind Russia’s worst military air disaster on Monday in the province, when an army helicopter crashed, killing more than 100 soldiers," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Five suspected members of a previously little-known Iraqi opposition group were to appear before a judge yesterday after a five-hour hostage drama at Baghdad’s embassy in Germany," reported the AFP news service.
"The FBI has issued a worldwide alert seeking the arrest or information about a 21-year-old Saudi man suspected of being an associate of the Sept 11 hijackers. The FBI has issued a worldwide alert seeking the arrest or information about a 21-year-old Saudi man suspected of being an associate of the Sept 11 hijackers. Acting after a new review of documents seized in the investigation of the hijacked airliner attacks on America, the FBI late on Tuesday identified the man as Saud Al-Rasheed, of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and posted his photograph on its Webpage," reported the Reuters news agency.
"President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government was silent on Tuesday over a court ruling condemning a single mother to be stoned to death, despite mounting international pressure to overturn the sentence. Presidential spokesman Tunji Oseni declined to comment on Monday’s verdict or the resulting protests from governments and human rights groups across Europe and the United States," reported the AP news agency.
"The biggest war game in US military history, staged this month at a cost of US$253mil with 13,000 troops, was rigged to ensure that the Americans beat their Middle Eastern adversaries. Gen Paul Van Riper, a retired marine lieutenant-general, protested by quitting his role as commander of enemy forces, and warning that the Pentagon might wrongly conclude that its experimental tactics were working. He said he quit when he found out his orders were being overruled by the military co-ordinators of the game," reported the Guardian News Service.
"Israeli forces blasted their way into a Gaza town early yesterday, killing a Palestinian civilian and wounding four more in an operation to root out militants, as fresh violence threatened to cripple the latest efforts to restore calm. Israel warned Palestinian security forces that if it did not rein in militants, Israel would," reported the AFP news service.
"Iraq’s intelligence chief said yesterday Palestinian guerilla leader Abu Nidal put a pistol into his mouth and pulled the trigger when Iraqi security men went to his apartment here to arrest him," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Half of Americans believe Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, but support for sending U.S. troops to remove Saddam Hussein has slipped. The CNN/USA Today poll showed support for deploying troops to Iraq has dropped from 61 percent in June to 53 percent this week," reported the AP news agency.
"US President George W. Bush on Wednesday brushed aside speculation about imminent military action against Iraq, saying he was a patient man who would consult with US allies and Congress beforehand," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Tens of thousands of relief workers fought yesterday to shore up dams along the swollen Elbe as it surged into northern Germany, while political leaders gathered to confer on the multi-billion euro cost of damage caused by the floods," reported the AFP news service.
"Israel’s Interior Minister said yesterday he had begun steps to revoke the residency status of four East Jerusalem Arabs held for attacks including a college bombing that killed nine people, five of them American. Interior Minister Eli Yishai said there is no need to wait for a trial, because the evidence is clear and based on intelligence of their terrorist activity," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A Virginia couple accused of having sex inside St Patrick’s Cathedral to earn prizes from a pair of radio shock jocks was heckled on Wednesday as they left a Manhattan courthouse. The incident was part of a regular feature where couples can win prizes from radio station WNEW for having sex in risky places," reported the AP news agency.
"The child sex abuse crisis in Australia’s Catholic Church deepened yesterday as newspapers reported three more boys had claimed they were assaulted at church-run summer camps held in the 1960s," reported the AP news agency.
"A Miami International Airport concourse was evacuated on Wednesday after a canister of pepper spray discharged, causing 43 people to suffer respiratory distress. Miami airport spokesman Alicia Diaz said officials were certain that pepper spray was the irritant. Security regulations allow passengers to carry pepper spray, but only if the canister has a way of preventing accidental discharge," reported the AP news agency.
"The U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has not publicly disclosed any of its rulings in nearly two decades, rejected some of the Ashcroft guidelines in May as not reasonably designed to safeguard the privacy of Americans. The court also disclosed the FBI acknowledged making more than 75 mistakes in applications for espionage and terrorism warrants under the surveillance law, including one instance in which former Director Louis Freeh gave inaccurate information to judges," reported the AP news agency.
"Republican former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger said on Thursday he was not convinced that the time was right for military action against Iraq, while Madeleine Albright, who held the job until last year, said Iraq is not a direct threat to the US. Eagleburger, part of a Republican faction with reservations about attacking Iraq, said that unless the Bush administration has evidence that Iraq is very close to developing weapons of mass destruction, he would not support a unilateral US military campaign to topple President Saddam Hussein," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A report on Saudi investors withdrawing their assets in the United States because of fears they might be frozen was the main business news item this week in the Middle East. the outflows could pick up in response to the suit filed in the United States last week against three members of the Saudi royal family, Sudan and several Gulf banks and charities by relatives of the victims of the September 11 attacks, accused of financing the al-Qaeda network," reported the AFP news service.
"A Palestinian suspected of having ties to terrorists was deported to an undisclosed Middle Eastern country, ending his seven-year legal battle to stay in the United States. His brother-in-law, professor Sami Al-Arian, of University of South Florida computer science, said the issue was, still is, an issue of academic freedom, the right to espouse views, even though they may be unpopular. Bush said the guy has ties to people who want to undermine the United States of America," reported the AP news agency.
"Two armed Palestinians were killed in an attack on an Israeli army post in the Gaza Strip yesterday, only hours after militant groups reiterated their rejection of a new security initiative. Hamas official Ismail Haniya said his group affirms its rejection of the plan, which is aimed at putting an end to the intifada, perpetuating the occupation, ensuring the security of the Zionist entity and dividing Palestinian ranks," reported the AFP news service.
"Senior Iraqi military officers in exile have opened centres to encourage 200,000 former soldiers to take up arms against Saddam Hussein, the head of the exiles’ military council said on Thursday. Maj Gen Tawfiq al-Yassiri, who helped lead an armed rebellion against Saddam immediately after the Gulf War in 1991, said a US led military campaign to remove Saddam would succeed, although Saddam planned to transform Iraqi cities into battlegrounds and avoid placing troops in the desert, where they could be easily attacked by US planes," reported the Reuters news agency.
