News in brief from around the region.

International doctors blast official toll of Iraqi civil dead

PARIS - A group of top public-health physicians has branded the official toll of civilian dead from the Iraqi war as a serious underestimate and demanded an independent probe to establish the correct figures. Their statement is published on March 12 in the British Medical Journal. It marks a fresh attempt by medical campaigners to establish the number of Iraqi civilian casualties after a rough estimate of 100,000 dead, made by epidemiologists last October, was dismissed by the British government.

Poland to cut back its troops in Iraq

WARSAW - Poland will withdraw "several hundred" of its troops from Iraq in July, defense minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski was quoted as saying on March 11. "Currently, our mission involves stabilization and training, while after the first half of the year it will be more focused on training than on stabilization tasks, which require a smaller number of soldiers," Szmajdzinski told the Rzeczpospolita daily.

Turkey to set up hotline for human trafficking victims

ANKARA - Turkey is to set up a telephone hotline to help victims of human trafficking, mostly women from former Communist countries, the foreign ministry said on March 10. The "157" hotline, which will become operational on April 15, will be staffed by Russian, Romanian and Turkish speakers who will convey emergency calls from victims or third persons to the police, the statement said.

Tunisian was planning 'terrible' attacks on Germany

BERLIN - A Tunisian Islamic extremist with links to Al Qaeda was planning a series of "terrible" attacks against US and Israeli targets in Germany, the prosecution in his trial said on March 10. Ihsan Garnawi, 34, entered Germany illegally in January 2003 with the intention of creating a terrorist group to carry out bombings, but was arrested two months later. "A terrible crime would have taken place if Garnawi had not been arrested," federal prosecutor Silke Ritzert told the Berlin court.

Lebanese opposition leader wants Russian help in Hariri investigation

MOSCOW - Lebanese opposition leader Walid Jumblatt has called for Russian help to investigate the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Al Hariri, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported on March 10. "The official authorities are not investigating and are keeping evidence from us. We do not trust them," Jumblatt said upon arriving in Moscow on March 9, adding that he hoped that Russia "would support an international independent investigation of Hariri's murder".

Kuwait detains 32 suspects linked to gun battles

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait is holding 32 suspects, including two women, in connection with a series of deadly gunfights in January between Islamist militants and security forces, the minister of justice said on March 10. "We are detaining 17 Kuwaitis and 15 foreigners who carried out the terrorist actions in Kuwait recently," Ahmed Baker told Al Rai Al Aam newspaper. He did not specify the nationalities of the foreigners but they are said to include Saudis, Jordanians and bidoons, or stateless Arabs.

Banned paper reopens, magazine closed in Iran

TEHRAN - Iran's judiciary has lifted a ban on the reformist newspaper Neshat, shut down in 1999 for "insulting religious sanctities", its chief editor said on March 10. "It is one of the best verdicts in the history of the Islamic republic. It could restore the reputation of the judiciary," said Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, who spent 19 months in prison after the paper was closed. Neshat, meaning "Joy", was banned for publishing articles that criticized the death penalty in Islamic law.

Jordanian prisoners on hunger strike in Israel

BETHLEHEM - Up to 22 Jordanian prisoners doing time in Israel have been on hunger strike for a week campaigning for their release, a Palestinian prisoners rights group said on March 10. The Palestinian Prisoner Club said that 22 Jordanians, including five seriously unwell, had not eaten since "March 3 for freedom or martyrdom". "Their health has sharply deteriorated," it said. The rights group called on the Jordanian government to intervene immediately to save the men.

Britain 'dismayed' Israel will not prosecute over journalist's death

LONDON - Britain said on March 9 that it was "dismayed" at the Israeli army's decision not to prosecute an officer thought responsible for the killing of British journalist James Miller in the Gaza Strip in May 2003. "I deeply sympathize with James' family, who have worked so hard to secure justice for James. The British government will continue to raise James' case with the government of Israel," British Foreign Office minister Baroness Liz Symons said.
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Israel showcases high-tech military inventions

TEL AVIV - Israel on March 9 paraded its latest high-tech military inventions at a Tel Aviv weapons fair, wowing the crowds with James Bond-style gadgets nicknamed "Eye Ball", "Mosquito" and "FireBall". Israel Aircraft Industries proudly presented its new 120/121mm smart mortar bomb, commonly referred to as "FireBall", with pinpoint accuracy guided by GPS and laser-homing modes for a single-shot target kill in urban warfare.

5mn goldfish will die as Iran marks New Year

TEHRAN - Iran's love of goldfish as a symbol of good luck costs the lives of 5 million fish every year, a press report said on March 9. From March to early April, when Iranians celebrate Norooz (the Persian new year), millions of the small fish are bred in unsanitary pools and transferred in buckets and tanks to the big cities. But according to Shargh newspaper, 5 million of them do not survive the journey.

Turkish death toll from counterfeit liquor hits 22

ISTANBUL - The death toll in Turkey from drinking bootleg booze made from deadly methyl alcohol hit 22 after three more people died in Istanbul hospitals, health authorities said on March 9. Almost all the deaths occurred in Istanbul, with one person perishing in the northwestern city of Bursa, a spokeswoman for the city's health department said. Health officials have said that the bootleg raki, Turkey's national drink, contained up to 200 times more than the allowed limit of deadly methylated spirits.

Ultra-Orthodox mentor curses Sharon

JERUSALEM - Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual mentor of Israel's ultra-Orthodox Shas party, cursed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over his plan to end Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, media reported on March 9. "Oh the cruelty of a man daring to do such things. Let God strike him down ... He is torturing the people of Israel," the rabbi reportedly preached in a sermon at a Jerusalem synagogue on March 8.

Turkey wants impartial study of Armenian genocide claims

ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 8 called for an unbiased study by historians of claims that millions of Armenians were the victims of genocide under Ottoman rule during World War I. "We have already opened our archives to those who claim there was genocide. If they are sincere, they should also open their archives," Erdogan said. That would allow historians to work on documents each side has to determine what happened, he added.

Moles among US spy recruits?

WASHINGTON - The rapid growth of American intelligence agencies has raised concerns that terrorists might be hiding among the job applicants. Officials told the Los Angeles Times on March 8 that about 40 job applications from American citizens thus far have been rejected because of possible ties to terrorist organizations. The CIA and other agencies have been hiring scores of new agents, analysts and linguists since 9/11, and the influx has raised the threat of terror groups trying to get a mole inside.

Switzerland probes alleged UAE arms sale to Iraq

BERN - Switzerland is investigating allegations that the United Arab Emirates is planning to illegally export Swiss-bought tanks to Iraq, officials in Bern, Switzerland, said on March 8. "Up until now we have no reason to believe that the UAE want to deliver to Iraq the tanks that they bought from Switzerland," said Othmar Wyss of the state secretariat for the economy, while adding that Swiss authorities were contacting Abu Dhabi over the matter.

Russell Crowe says gladiator role made him Al Qaeda target

SYDNEY - Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has expressed his surprise at being told that he was targeted by Al Qaeda terrorists hoping to kidnap and hurt American film icons. Crowe said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had approached him before the 2001 Oscars and warned him that the network headed by Osama Bin Laden wanted to kidnap him. "... that was the first conversation in my life that I'd ever heard of Al Qaeda," Crowe told the March edition of GQ magazine.

Abducted Jordanian released in Iraq after ransom paid

AMMAN - A Jordanian businessman abducted in Iraq was released after his associates paid a $100,000 ransom, his family said on March 8. Ibrahim Maharmeh, who was seized on March 4 by unknown kidnappers in Baghdad, was set free on March 7, his brother Bilal said. Maharmeh, who lives almost permanently in Baghdad where he runs an import-export business, was abducted after word got around that he had sold a property in Iraq for over $200,000, his brother said.

Arab nations to revive Israel peace plan

JERUSALEM - King Abdullah II of Jordan said on March 7 that Arab nations would revive at their March summit in Algeria a Middle East peace plan that was first adopted in 2002. In an interview with Israel's Channel Two television, Abdullah said that Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were preparing to relaunch the plan, which would be adapted from its first version to ensure that it was better received by Israelis.

UN envoy raises alarm over mass rape in Darfur

KHARTOUM - The UN emergency relief chief raised the alarm on March 7 over the mass rape of women in Sudan's Darfur region as a French health group reported treating hundreds of victims in recent months. "The government officials said the Sudan had not known of this outrageous crime against women before. They conceded that it has recently become a rampant phenomenon in the society in which hundreds of cases have been documented," Jan Egeland told a Khartoum press conference.

Bulgarian soldier killed by US 'friendly fire' in Iraq

SOFIA - A Bulgarian soldier in Iraq was killed by "friendly fire" from a US soldier, Sofia said on March 7, in a second deadly mistake by US forces on the same day that an Italian intelligence agent rescuing a hostage was shot dead. "The information we have allows us to say with reasonable certainty that soldier Gardi Gardev was killed by friendly fire," Bulgarian defense minister Nikolai Svinarov said.

Dognapper on trial in Iran

TEHRAN - A young Iranian woman has gone on trial for kidnapping a dog, stealing its gold leash and robbing its owner of 3 million Iranian riyals ($337), press reports said on March 6. "A few months ago my mother's nurse stole our valuable dog and demanded a ransom," the plaintiff told the court. He said that he agreed to hand over the cash, but at the appointed payment time six men turned up, beat him and returned the dog - without its leash.

Saudi executes Indian for murdering compatriot

RIYADH - An Indian convicted of murdering a compatriot in Saudi Arabia was beheaded by the sword on March 6 in the northeastern town of Hafar Al Batin, the interior ministry said. The man had hit his victim over the head with a stone before slashing his throat and stealing his money, said a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

Jordan, Israel to cooperate on canal

JERUSALEM - Israel and Jordan agreed on March 6 to cooperate on building a canal between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in order to prevent the Dead Sea drying up, said Israeli deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres. The project was discussed during talks in Jerusalem between Peres and visiting Jordanian foreign minister Hani Mulki, the most senior Amman official to hold talks in the Jewish state in nearly four years.

Israeli minister slams collaborator death penalty

JERUSALEM - An Israeli minister on March 6 condemned the Palestinian Authority (PA) decision to re-implement the death penalty, calling for an immediate stay of execution for alleged collaborators. "It is unacceptable that the PA demands the release of terrorists from our jails ... while at the very same time it is about to commit state executions of people accused of helping Israel thwart terror," wrote Nathan Sharansky, minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora affairs, in an appeal to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

'I am not Saddam Hussein'

WASHINGTON - In an interview with Time magazine published on March 6, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad insisted that he should not be compared to Saddam Hussein and that he wanted to cooperate with international demands. When asked who had killed Hariri, Assad told the weekly: "The most important question is, who had the benefit of it?" At the end of the interview, conducted last week, Assad said: "Please send this message: I am not Saddam Hussein. I want to cooperate."

Jordanian boy nicks dad's salary for love

AMMAN - A seven-year-old Jordanian boy stole his father's salary to buy prepaid phone cards so that his friends could vote for his favorite female candidate on a television reality show, Petra news agency reported on March 6. After frantically searching for the envelope with his hard-earned cash, Jamal's father was tipped off by a neighbor who had seen the boy handing out phone cards to his mates. The father was able to recover some of his money, the agency said.