Al-Ayyam (WEST BANK): Abbas to Olmert: 'No Partial or Transitional Agreements' – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during a meeting in West Jerusalem Sunday that the Palestinians will not be part to any new interim, partial or delayed agreements, stressing his rejection of postponing any final status issues. He said there should either be an accord on everything or no agreement at all. Meanwhile, senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the gap with the Israelis is preventing the drafting of any joint documents.
Al-Hayat (LONDON): Iraqi Forces Take Over Security File of Mojahedin-e-Khalq; U.S. Army Denies – Iraqi forces yesterday took over from the multi-national forces responsibility of the Ashraf camp, the main headquarters of the opposition Iranian Mojahedin-e-Khalq. The government, which accuses the organization of carrying out "terrorist attacks against the Iraqi people," gave the group six months to leave the country. But the U.S. forces denied handing over the camp to the Iraqis or of setting a deadline to leave the country.
Az-Zaman (LONDON; IRAQ): 11,000 Detainees Released from U.S. Jails in Iraq – The U.S. forces announced yesterday the release this year of more than 11,000 detainees held in their jails in Iraq, while close to 20,000 remain in their custody. Meanwhile, the human rights committee in the Iraqi parliament accused the government of delaying the enacting of the general amnesty endorsed by the National Assembly, saying that about 100,000 detainees are still held in Iraqi jails on mere suspicion and without trial.
Al-Khabar (ALGERIA): Political Parties Call for French Apology to Algerians – Many political parties are calling to exert more pressure on France to apologize for the 132-year colonization of their country. The parties called on the government to follow the example of Libya, which has recently extracted an apology from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for Italy's occupation of the country. They said the Algerian government should exercise economic and political pressure on France in order to receive a similar apology.
Al-Anbaa (KUWAIT): Pakistani Army Stops Operations in Ramadan; Taliban to Continue Attacks – Pakistan's Taliban movement brushed aside the Pakistani army's announcement to suspend its operations against the group in the northwest of the country during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying the Taliban will continue to carry out its attacks. Violence in three areas has escalated in recent weeks, in which the army has been battling fighters inspired by al-Qaida and Afghanistan's Taliban.