“The American military has been asking the Israeli army for advice on fighting inside cities, and studying fighting in the West Bank city of Jenin last April, unnamed United States and Israeli sources have confirmed. Reports that US troops trained with Israeli forces for street-to-street fighting have been denied. If the US army believes the road to Baghdad lies through Jenin, there is reason for Iraqi civilians to be concerned. During fighting in the Jenin refugee camp last April, more than half the Palestinian dead were civilians.” Justin Huggler of The Independent files a disturbing story on the institutionalization of war crimes, from Warsaw, to Jenin, and perhaps to Baghdad, too. Read more about Israelis trained US troops in Jenin-style urban warfare
“For months, Israeli officials have been furiously shuttling between Jerusalem and the White House lobbying to have the peace ‘road-map’ torn up. A memo from Sharon’s office, published in the Israeli daily Haaretz two weeks ago, revealed that, along with more than 100 other alterations, Israel was urging the Americans to change the road map’s goal from creating an ‘independent’ Palestinian state to one with ‘certain attributes of sovereignty’.” Jonathan Cook reports on Ariel Sharon’s late conversion to the utility of a growing dividing wall that is changing facts on the ground for Palestinians. Read more about Sharon's real fence plan
“Belgium plans to impose restrictions on the Universal Jurisdiction Law, which facilitates indicting and trying foreigners for crimes against humanity not committed on Belgian soil. The amendments, however, would not affect the suit against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, since they would refer to charges brought only after July 2002. ” Sharon Sadeh reports for Haaretz. Read more about Amendments to Belgian war crimes law will not affect suit against Sharon, Yaron
“Early last evening I was on the phone to a friend in the US, when gunfire erupted nearby. It was loud enough that my friend on the other end of the line could hear it. A few seconds later another loud round went off. Moments later I could hear the sound of an ambulance approaching.” Rev. Sandra Olewine writes from Bethlehem. Read more about As war rages to the east of us, we continue to bury the dead here
At 3am the Israeli military invaded the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun with Apache helicopters and tanks. The bulldozers demolished 100s of trees, further desecrating the land. If one were not watching this happen, it might be easy to arrive here next year and truly believe that this was a land without a people. The Israeli military has destroyed thousands of dunams of orange and olive trees, shrubs, grass, and life. The US donated helicopters fired missiles into the Beit Hanoun Palestinian National Security building, killing two men who were at work. Kristen Ess writes from Gaza. Read more about Myriad forms of ethnic cleansing
Living under the Israeli occupation has led one Palestinian women to a life of fear and depression. As Israeli troops continue to make it impossible for her to live a normal life, she summons the courage to write a letter to her friends in Vermont. Reema Abu Hamdieh writes from Ramallah. Read more about 'I just want a moment of peace'
Child malnutrition is growing in Gaza and the West Bank - and it is a man-made problem, says Christian Aid journalist Dominic Nutt. This piece was published in The Guardian. Read more about Unnatural disaster
A breaking news report from BBC World Service reveals that Belgium’s universal jurisdiction law, under which a case has been lodged by survivors of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre against Ariel Sharon, Amos Yaron, and others, is now threatened by fears that the law will allow war crimes cases to be brought against former President George H.W. Bush for atrocities committed during the 1991 Gulf War, and against President George W. Bush and others in his administration for launching an illegal war on Iraq. Read more about Belgium's war crimes law under threat
Our arrival at Yasser Arafat’s headquarters was fairly dramatic, or at least it gave us, accustomed as we are to nothing more exciting than quietly writing at a computer in our comfortable home, a keen sense of the drama of the occasion. The meeting had been arranged from Amman, without our asking, by the friend of friends of ours, a Palestinian in Amman who had known Arafat for years and set up the meeting through one of Arafat’s advisers. Kathleen and Bill Christison write from Ramallah. Read more about A new Sykes-Picot Agreement: Yasser Arafat discusses the future
The Union of Health Work Committees Board of Directors has decided to name its new children and youth cultural center in the Rafah Refugee Camp after Rachel Corrie. By naming the center after Rachel, this will provide a lasting outstanding memorial to our Palestinian kids so that they can know and keep in mind that they are not alone in this struggle. Dr. Mona El-Farra writes for Union of Health Work Committees-Gaza. Read more about Gazan branch of Union of Health Work Committees to name new cultural center after Rachel Corrie
