News in brief from around the region.
Bodies of five including kidnapped candidate found in Afghanistan
KANDAHAR - Afghan police have found the bodies of a parliamentary candidate, a district chief and three others after an intensive search in southern Afghanistan, a governor said on September 9. "We found the five sprayed with bullets in the mountains of Ghorak district after a massive search operation by Afghan police some days ago," said Assadullah Khalid, the governor of strife-torn Kandahar province. "The bodies were buried," he added. Haji Mohammed Nawab, who was standing in landmark elections on September 18, was abducted with the new district chief of Ghorak, Mohammed Yaqoob, and three policemen on September 1.
Turkey insists EU talks should start on Oct 3
ANKARA - Turkey renewed an appeal on September 9 to the EU to honor its commitment to start accession talks on October 3 amid ongoing differences between the 25 EU members on whether they should start without Turkish recognition of Cyprus. "I believe there should be no obstacles because Turkey has fulfilled all the conditions and all its obligations," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said. He stressed that Ankara enacted six judicial reforms and extended a customs union deal with the bloc to 10 members, including Cyprus, that joined last year - the conditions set by the EU at a summit in Brussels.
Sri Lanka probes bomb hoax on Saudi jet after passenger dies
COLOMBO - Sri Lankan authorities on September 9 began investigating a bomb hoax aboard a Saudi Arabian Airlines jumbo jet that sparked a stampede in which a woman passenger was killed, an official said. "We are trying to trace the call which initially came to the airport telephone operator and then connected to the control tower," airport chief Tiran Alles said. "An investigation is underway." Nineteen passengers who were seriously injured in the scramble to exit the Boeing 747 jet liner through emergency chutes were still in hospital, a day after the incident at Sri Lanka's only international airport, doctors said.
UN speech on Iraq's WMDs "a blot" on my record: Powell
WASHINGTON - Former US secretary of state Colin Powell said in a ABC News television interview to be broadcast on September 9 that his UN speech making the case for the US-led war on Iraq was "a blot" on his record. In the February 2003 presentation to the UN Security Council, Powell made the case for war on Iraq, offering 'proof' that the country had weapons of mass destruction. After the invasion , no weapons were found. "It's a blot" on my record, Powell said. "I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record.
Israel returns body of Hizbullah fighter to Lebanon
NAQURA, Lebanon - Israel on September 8 returned to Lebanon the body of a fighter from the Lebanese Shia t movement Hizbullah who was killed in recent clashes with Israeli troops. The body was handed over on the Lebanese-Israeli border shortly before midnight through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Some 200 Hizbullah scouts clad in black and brandishing Lebanese and Hizbullah flags formed a guard of honor around the coffin. Several officials of the movement were also on hand. One official, Sheikh Nabil Kahuk, declared: "Recovering the remains of martyrs is a priority for Hizbullah and confirms our commitment to the resistance."
Jordan king praises Sharon for 'courageous' Gaza pullout
JERUSALEM - Jordan's King Abdullah II has praised Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's pullout from the Gaza Strip as a "courageous move" that has inspired hopes of peace, in an interview with Israeli television. "This has been I think a courageous move that has given us all hope, whether you are Palestinian, Israeli or Arab. We can actually have peace," he said in an extract of the interview broadcast on public television on September 8. "I'm excited and I just hope we can continue the momentum ... We now have a golden opportunity, a new page to move forward," the king added.
Israeli held over anti-Arab attacks dies after suicide bid
JERUSALEM - The main Israeli suspect in a string of anti-Arab attacks died on September 8 from his injuries after he hanged himself in his prison cell a week ago, medical sources said. Eliran Golan, 23, was charged with links to nine bombings, including one targeting Arab Israeli communist MP Issam Makhul in October 2003 and another at a mosque in Haifa which wounded a woman in August 2001.
He tried to hang himself in his cell last week and was taken to hospital in a critical condition before succumbing to his injuries on September 8.
Palestinian teenager shot dead by Israeli troops in Gaza
GAZA CITY - A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli soldiers on September 8 near the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, hospital and security sources said. Bashir Sufi, 18, was fatally wounded in the chest and abdomen by soldiers who were guarding the now empty Gaza settlement of Atsmona, the sources added. An Israeli military spokeswoman said troops fired towards three Palestinians who were trying to infiltrate the settlement's security fence, without confirming whether any had been hit. Sufi was the second Palestinian teenager shot dead in two days by Israeli troops guarding the abandoned Jewish settlements in Gaza.
No stability for Lebanon without truth on Hariri death: PM
CAIRO - Lebanon will not be stable so long as the death of former premier Rafiq Al Hariri remains a mystery, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said on September 8. "Stability cannot be achieved so long as the truth remains unknown," Siniora told reporters here after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Siniora said he told Mubarak: "Lebanon and all Lebanese are determined to know and find out the truth - who planned this incident and carried it out - because we believe that only knowledge of the truth will achieve stability."
Moroccan-born Dane arrested on terrorism incitement charges
COPENHAGEN - Danish police on September 8 arrested a Moroccan-born Dane on charges of inciting local Muslims to carry out acts of terrorism, according to the office of the accused man's lawyer. Said Mansour, who runs a publishing house in Copenhagen, risks up to six years in prison if convicted under Danish anti-terrorism laws. He was questioned by police after they raided his flat in a western Copenhagen suburb, the employee said. Danish news agency Ritzau said police had seized CDs, DVDs, films and other propaganda openly inciting young Muslims to join the Jihad, or holy war, against enemies of Islam.
Iran jumbo makes emergency landing in Saudi
TEHRAN - An Iran Air Boeing 747 packed with 400 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing on September 8 in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah after one of its engines broke down, state television said. The report said the plane had taken off from Jeddah but was forced to return after just 10 minutes in the air. It said most of the passengers were Iranians who had been in Saudi Arabia to visit the holy city of Mecca. US sanctions against Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution have prevented the country from buying new spare parts for its commercial fleet.
Iran denies oil offer to US hurricane victims
TEHRAN - Iran's oil ministry on September 7 fiercely denied reports that it had offered oil to the US as aid for Hurricane Katrina victims, asserting that US policies made such a gesture impossible. "Moves by the US to establish economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran are the main barriers to Iranian aid," said Iran's envoy to OPEC, Hossein Kazempour-Ardebili. "If US economic sanctions against Iran did not exist, and if there were no barrier for Iran's crude oil to enter the US, we could supply between 10 million and 20 million barrels of oil as aid," he told the ministry's Shana news service.
Israel will not accept Hamas in Palestinian vote
JERUSALEM - Israel will not accept Islamist movement Hamas contesting landmark Palestinian legislative elections in January, foreign minister Silvan Shalom said on September 7. "We are determined not to allow Hamas the chance of taking up weapons, continuing as a terrorist organization and participating in these elections," the rightwing minister told public radio. "No movement that denies Israel's right to exist can participate in elections," he said. Bolstered by strong showings in recent municipal ballots, Hamas has swallowed its opposition to the 1993 Oslo accords that set up the Palestinian Authority by deciding to contest the January 25 legislative elections.
Indonesia says no Israel ties before Palestinian state
JAKARTA - Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated state, will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel as long as peace in Palestine is not reached, foreign minister Hasan Wirayuda said on September 7. "Until that situation is achieved we will never establish diplomatic relations," Wirayuda told reporters in Jakarta. He was commenting on a recent report that alleged that Indonesia had been asked by Israeli officials to establish diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. Wirayuda said that no letter from Israeli officials had been received by Jakarta, adding that they "understand" Indonesia's prerequisite for a sovereign Palestine state.
Italy bans Tunisian airline following crash probe
ROME - Italy banned the Tunisian airline Tuninter, a subsidiary of national carrier Tunisair, from its airspace on September 7 after a preliminary investigation showed that a maintenance error caused the crash last month of one of its aircraft off Sicily. The temporary ban follows the completion of the civil aviation authority's analysis that showed that the August 6 crash was due to an improper gauge being installed on the ATR-72 plane that showed a nearly empty fuel tank to be full, according to a statement. Sixteen people died in the crash and 23 were pulled alive from the waters of the Mediterranean.
Uzbek police and soldiers to face charges over insurgency
TASHKENT - Uzbekistan's top prosecutor announced on September 7 that 25 police and military officers had been charged with criminal negligence for failing to prevent an uprising in May, said to have sparked a bloody military crackdown. The 25 had failed to protect structures under their guard and to rebuff a "bandit attack", Prosecutor General Rashid Kadyrov said in an article in the Khalk Suzi newspaper. Kadyrov also rounded on foreign media and nongovernmental organizations, which he said had been manipulated by those behind the violence in the province of Andijan in order to ensure negative coverage of the government's actions.
Cleric threatens Norway with 'punishment'
OSLO - A Muslim cleric who faces deportation from Norway says that the country could be punished if he is forced out. Mullah Krekar, in a September 7 interview with the Al Jazeera television network, said that sending him to Iraq would be "an offense that shouldn't be made without punishment. I have faith in Allah," he told Al Jazeera. "I defend my rights in court just like Western people defend their rights. I am patient like they are patient. But if my patience runs out I will react like Orientals do." Iraqi-born Krekar and his family have been living in Norway since 1991.
Kazakhstan sets date for election
ASTANA - Kazakhstan will hold presidential elections on December 4, members of the central Asian state's lower house of parliament ruled on September 6. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled the country since it emerged as an independent state following the collapse of the Soviet Union, has said that he intends to run for reelection. Kazakhstan has a population of 15 million people and sits on top of major oil deposits. Nazarbayev has ruled Kazakhstan through a series of referenda and elections criticized by the West as flawed. Under the constitution the president is elected for a seven-year term.
Pakistan, Israel held secret contacts for 'decades'
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Israel engaged in secret diplomacy for decades before embarking on historic talks in Turkey last week, reports quoting Pakistan's foreign minister said on September 6. Khurshid Kasuri was reportedly speaking after meeting his Israeli counterpart in Istanbul on September 1, the first official high-level contact since the two countries were formed almost six decades ago. "As far as this process of engagement [with Israel] is concerned ... there had been back-channel contacts for decades," Kasuri told state TV. "But we felt that the time has come that we must go public," Kasuri said.
Ukraine hopes UN will reverse decision on Lebanon peacekeepers
KIEV - Ukraine on September 6 called for the UN to review its decision to replace Kiev's peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon, following findings of "significant financial misconduct" by the troops. "We will do everything so that the decision to replace the Ukrainian contingent is reviewed," Vassyl Filipchuk, a foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters in Kiev. On September 2 UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said that a UN probe "has shown significant financial misconduct by Ukrainian military personnel, including the commanding officer, who served with the mission".
Iraqi Sunnis and Shias unite to mourn stampede hero
BAGHDAD - Hundreds of Iraqi Shias joined their Sunni compatriots on September 6 in commemorating the death of a Sunni man who died rescuing Shia pilgrims during the August 31 stampede, in which nearly 1,000 died. Members of the militia of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr filed into a Sunni mosque in to join in the commemoration of a Sunni man hailed as a hero in the tragedy. Othman Al Obeidi plunged into the Tigris to rescue a number of pilgrims who fell into the river during the bridge stampede. Reports say that he succeeded in rescuing six Shias before he himself drowned.
Al Arabiya TV threatened by unknown Islamist group
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - An unknown Islamist group on September 6 threatened Al Arabiya satellite television with reprisals for "tarnishing the reputation of mujahideen [holy warriors]", hinting that it might be the target of a car bombing. The Jihadist Group of the Soldiers of Islam said that its threat was addressed to "Al Arabiya and all Arab chains that participate in denigrating the jihad, characterizing it as terrorism and of tarnishing the reputation of the mujahideen ... in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya".
EU helping Libyan Aids sufferers
BRUSSELS - The European Commission has begun providing Libya with advice on dealing with Aids and technical help to help treat the disease, a spokeswoman said on September 6. EU and Libyan experts were due to meet for the first time to discuss the support, which includes upgrading the Benghazi Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology to international standards. "If all parties play their part in this joint effort the action plan should quickly result in a substantial improvement for the HIV/Aids sufferers and their families," external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement.
Saudi citizens disappear in Syria
RIYADH - Saudi Arabia's only human rights watchdog expressed concern on September 5 over the reported disappearance of Saudi nationals visiting Syria. Saleh Khathalan, deputy president of the Saudi National Organization for Human Rights, was quoted by the daily Al Watan as saying that the watchdog is investigating the fate of five Saudi teachers who traveled to Syria as tourists and have vanished there. "Such incidents have been recurring in Syria, which is a dangerous indicator about the security status of the Saudi nationals in that country," Khathalan said.
Saudi king pessimistic on Arab conditions
RIYADH - Saudi King Abdullah deplored the divisions in the Arab world, blaming Arab idleness for Israel's continuing occupation of Arab territories. Speaking in an interview with Beirut's daily newspaper An Nahar, published on September 5, Abdullah said, "Look at this deep torpor plaguing the Arab world nowadays ... Until recently, we, the Arabs were more or less united and made a difference in the world, but this does not exist anymore," Abdullah said in his first interview since succeeding his late brother King Fahd last month.
Thirteen Taliban killed, 40 arrested in US-Afghan raid
KANDAHAR - Afghan and US forces searching for a kidnapped election candidate have killed 13 suspected rebels and arrested another 40 in a raid on a Taliban hideout, local officials said on September 5. The joint forces surrounded the rebel den between the districts of Ghorak and Khakrez in the southern province of Kandahar on Sunday, said defense ministry spokesman General Mohammed Zahir Azimi. "We arrested 40 Taliban in the area after a gunbattle," he said. He said there were no US or Afghan casualties and he had no details of the toll on the Taliban side.
Baghdad's latest battle: traffic gridlock
BAGHDAD - Vehicle traffic in Baghdad will be restricted with drivers allowed to use their car only every other day, the Iraqi authorities announced on September 5. The measure, which will come into force on September 6 and continue until further notice, will allow cars with even-ending number plates on to the roads one day, and those with uneven-ending number plates the next. Authorities said the measure was taken "for the general interest and because of the emergency circumstances", but did not immediately elaborate. Government vehicles, trucks and taxis will be exempt from the measure.
Nearly 150 injured in Turkey clashes
ANKARA - A total of 144 people were injured in street clashes in northwestern Turkey on September 4 between locals and Kurdish activists returning from a banned demonstration in favor of jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, a local official said. The unrest broke out in the town of Bozuhoyuk, in Bilecik province, when residents attacked buses carrying Kurdish activists returning home after being prevented from holding a rally in nearby Gemlik against Ocalan's prison conditions, Bilecik governor Musa Colak said.
Defeated presidential candidate named Tehran mayor
TEHRAN- Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was appointed on September 4 as the capital's new mayor, the job previously held by election winner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Qalibaf, 43, a former national police chief and Revolutionary Guards veteran, had run an expensive campaign in which he transformed himself from being a uniformed hardliner to a populist technocrat. Although once considered a possible favorite for the presidency, he finished a disappointing fourth place out of the seven candidates who stood in the first round of the elections after Ahmadinejad secured the core hardline vote.
Jordan provides Iraq with surveillance aircraft
AMMAN - A private Jordanian firm has delivered six military tactical surveillance aircraft to the Iraqi airforce as part of a deal signed last year, the Jordan Times reported on September 4. The aircraft manufactured by Jordan Aerospace Industries are among 16 two-seater military planes ordered by Iraq, the newspaper said quoting company director Muayyad Samarrai. They will be used "for surveillance missions, including those designed to prevent sabotage attacks on infrastructure facilities," it quoted Samarrai as saying. The company will also train Iraqi pilots on the aircraft, which are equipped with a system allowing pilots to "fly blind", the daily said.
Israel to accelerate West Bank barrier
JERUSALEM - Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said on September 4 that Israel would accelerate construction of its controversial West Bank barrier to fend off an increased risk of Palestinian attacks.
Mofaz told a weekly cabinet meeting he had issued instructions for work to be speeded up after intelligence indicated that West Bank militants were planning more attacks. The government has been heavily criticized following a suicide attack on August 28 in the Israeli city of Beersheva, which was carried out by a Palestinian bomber from the southern West Bank where much of the work on the barrier has yet to be completed.
Israelis to get Gaza rocket alert system
JERUSALEM - Israeli towns around the Gaza Strip are to be equipped with a hi-tech system for detecting possible Palestinian rocket attacks the army believes are increasing in range, an army source said on September 4. "We know that they [militants] are trying to considerably improve their technology so we are preparing for any scenario," he said. According to the Yediot Aharonot daily, Palestinian militants already have rockets with a range of 16.5 kilometers (10 miles) which would notably put Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's ranch in the Negev desert within reach of Gaza.
Lebanese president must go, demand critics
BEIRUT - Critics of Lebanon's pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud were gleefully predicting on September 4 that he will be forced to leave office after four top aides were charged over the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Al Hariri. "Lahoud's mandate is over and the police regime has been killed off," declared Druze leader and MP Walid Jumblatt in the Al Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by the Hariri family. "Emile Lahoud and [Syrian President] Bashar Al Assad are waiting their turn [to be charged]," said one banner carried by a crowd gathered at Hariri's Beirut grave.
Afghanistan offers 100,000 dollars to Katrina victims
KABUL - War-torn and impoverished Afghanistan has offered 100,000 dollars in disaster relief aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the US embassy in Kabul announced on September 4 "The people and the Government of the United States have given us extensive support in difficult situations and have played a leading role in the stabilization and reconstruction of our country and now we want to assist them in their time of need," said Khan Muhammad, an Afghan elder who delivered the aid pledge of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to the US embassy.
Thief robs emir of Bahrain of 'hundreds of thousands' of euros
NICE - A thief who burgled a villa in the south of France belonging to the emir of Bahrain escaped with several hundred thousand euros [dollars], police sources said on September 4. Emir Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa was away at the time and a chambermaid surprised and chased away the thief.
Kuwait donates 10 million dollars to Iraq stampede victims
KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait will send 10 million dollars in aid to the Iraqi government and relatives of hundreds of victims who died in a stampede in Baghdad earlier this week, the cabinet said on September 4. Five million dollars will be donated to the Iraq Red Crescent Society to help relatives of the victims while the rest will be sent to the Iraqi government, said the statement issued after the weekly cabinet meeting. Kuwait's health ministry on September 3 shipped 12 tons of medical supplies to the victims.
UAE denies Dubai hosting 'secret' Israeli diplomatic mission
ABU DHABI - The UAE on September 4 flatly denied Israeli press reports that Israel had opened a diplomatic mission in Dubai. A foreign ministry source "categorically denied reports ... about the opening of an Israeli representative office in Dubai," the official WAM news agency reported. The UAE "is fully committed to the Arab peace initiative announced at the Beirut and Algiers summits [in 2002 and March this year] which links any normalization of ties with Israel with recognition of the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, including their right to the establishment of an independent state with holy Jerusalem as its capital," the source said.
Saddam's granddaughter gets engaged to cousin
AMMAN - A granddaughter of Saddam Hussein has become engaged to one of her cousins, her family said on September 3, reportedly with the blessing of the deposed Iraqi dictator from his prison cell. Nabeh Saddam Kamel Al Hassan, 18, was engaged to a cousin whose name has not been disclosed at a private ceremony at her mother's house attended only by family members. According to the independent daily Al Arab Al Yum, Saddam Hussein "gave his blessing to the union" from his prison cell, without giving further details.
Mauritanian amnesty to benefit 115 political prisoners, ex-president
NOUAKCHOTT - A general amnesty for political prisoners announced by Mauritania's new military junta will benefit 115 people, including former president Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, the country's justice minister said on September 3. Mahfoudh Ould Bettah released a list of 115 people imprisoned under the rule of former President Maaouiya Ould Taya, who were to be covered by the amnesty. He said the decision by the junta, which seized power in the country last month, was proof that it wanted to "turn a page on the past to start, with all Mauritanians without exception, rebuilding the country on healthy foundations."
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