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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (562)	11/24/2001 5:21:11 PM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 32591

Palestinians Call for Revenge, Israeli Killed By REUTERS Filed at 4:44 p.m. ET JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli was killed in what appeared to be a Palestinian mortar attack in Gaza on Saturday amid mounting tensions that seem certain to complicate a new U.S. mission to end 14 months of violence. Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of Palestinians had attended rallies in the West Bank and Gaza, vowing to strike at the heart of Israel to avenge an Israeli missile strike that had killed a leader from the militant Hamas group on Friday. An Israeli security source said two Israelis were also wounded in Saturday's apparent mortar attack near the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom, less than 48 hours before former U.S. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni and Assistant Secretary of State William Burns are due to arrive in the region. Some 50,000 Palestinians marched from the West Bank city of Jenin to nearby Nablus in the funeral procession of Hamas military leader Mahmoud Abu Hanoud, who was on Israel's wanted list in connection with suicide attacks on its citizens. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Israel Radio that Hanoud had been a ``professional terrorist'' planning future attacks and that killing him was an act of self defense. Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo accused Israel of trying to scupper the U.S. peace effort. France and the Arab League condemned the missile attack and its timing. Mourners in Jenin called on Hamas's military wing, Izz el-Deen al-Qassem, to use booby-trapped cars against Israel. In Gaza City, more than 10,000 demonstrators, some masked and pumping machinegun bullets into the air, chanted that their response would be ``very soon and very strong.'' Some 30,000 Palestinians burned Israeli flags and an effigy of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, vowing to ``start accumulating Israeli bodies as revenge for Hanoud.'' INTERNATIONAL REBUKE Israel's killing of Hanoud drew condemnation in Paris where a French Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized the ''particularly inappropriate and irresponsible act...at a time when parties have been asked to resume dialogue to bring about a cease-fire.'' In Cairo, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Israel's killings of Palestinians and other acts of violence constituted ``a serious challenge'' to the U.S. peace initiative. A statement issued by the Palestinian leadership called on the Palestinian people to ``use their public pain and anger as an element for a comprehensive national steadfastness to sabotage this criminal plan.'' The attack on Hanoud brought to at least seven the number of Palestinians to die violently on Friday, one day after five boys were killed in an explosion in the Gaza Strip that Palestinian authorities blamed on an Israeli booby-trap. Israeli officials said they were investigating the incident and expressed regret for their deaths. An army statement on Saturday said it was checking the ''possibility the children were killed due to involvement with an explosive that an Israeli army force laid in a place from which there was fire and terrorist activities against our troops.'' At least 720 Palestinians and 189 Israelis have been killed since an uprising against Israeli occupation erupted in September 2000 shortly after peace talks stalled. Washington wants calm in the Middle East to bolster Arab support for efforts to capture Islamic militant Osama bin Laden, whom it blames for September's attacks on the United States. VOWS OF REVENGE Hamas political leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi told the Gaza rally that Israel had not ``assassinated the will of our people.'' He said the attack was carried out ``under American sponsorship.'' ``It is a war between us and them... We tell Sharon our response will come without a doubt and, God willing, it will be painful,'' he said. Hamas has killed scores of Israelis in suicide bombings in recent years and has played an important role in the uprising. The Palestinians accuse Israel of assassinating more than 70 Palestinians since the uprising began last year. Israel says its policy, widely condemned by its Western allies, is aimed at militants who plan or carry out attacks. Palestinians say it has killed several political activists. Loudspeakers positioned on cars in Rafah and Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip called on locals to begin a three-day general strike to mark Hanoud's death. nytimes.com

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (562)	11/24/2001 8:07:45 PM
From: Scoobah	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

the young Assad of Syria is looking more like a young NAZI every day; Surely the WAR games being played next week with US, Israel and Turkey, are marking the end of the good nights sleep this little NAZI has been having news.bbc.co.uk Saturday, 24 November, 2001, 19:05 GMT New amnesty in Syria The late president jailed over 1,000 dissidents The Syrian authorities have freed 113 political prisoners, some of whom have been in jail for 20 years, in the second wave of an amnesty begun earlier this week. The prisoners, released by presidential pardon on Saturday, included members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Iraqi branch of the Al-Baath Socialist Party, according to a Syrian human rights group. The Syrian authorities gave no reason for the releases, although they coincide with the 31st anniversary of the rise to power of the late President, Hafez-al-Assad. Bashar al-Assad ordered the prisoners' release Aktham Nueisa, head of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, said that two of the released prisoners were senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood who had been behind bars for 15 years, while some of the Baath party members had spent 20 years in jail. Mr Nueisa said most of the dissidents were detained before Hafez-al-Assad's death in July 2000, after which his son, Bashar Assad, became president. Syria imprisoned many members of Islamist groups after crushing an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood in the city of Hama in 1982, in which 25,000 people are believed to have died. More detainees Nine prisoners from the Syrian Communist Labour Party were released earlier this week. But human rights groups say that the Syrian authorities are still detaining 1,200 more political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. In response to the first wave of releases, Mr Nueisa said there was no indication that Syria would free a separate group of opposition figures arrested in September after calling for greater political freedom. They include two liberal members of parliament, Maamun Homsi and Riad Seif. The MPs have been on trial since the end of October, charged with trying to change Syria's constitution by illegal means. If convicted, they face sentences of between five years and life in jail.