Mid East | UnFox News - Not a Propaganda Arm of the Republican Party

Report: Israeli violence enjoys impunity

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:23:14 -0500

RAMALLAH, West Bank (IPS) - Only six percent of probes into offenses allegedly committed by Israeli soldiers and settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank yield indictments, a new report says. The report "Justice for All" released last week by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din examined 205 cases of alleged assault by Israeli settlers that were reported over the years. Only in 13 cases were indictments filed, while 163 cases were closed.

Car bomb strikes Iraqi city

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:31:27 -0500

The toll of 15 dead in market bombing is likely to rise.

Will text messaging be the death of Hebrew?

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:14:27 -0500

In a country where self-doubt runs deep, even a linguistic triumph like the rebirth of Hebrew can be a cause for concern. Some Israelis worry that their new common language may already be in serious decline.

Car bomb in Iraq kills 16, wounds 20 in Tal Afar (AP)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:11:45 -0500

AP - Iraqi police say at least 16 people have been killed and 20 wounded when a car bomb struck a market in the northern city of Tal Afar.

Baghdad zoo welcomes pair of US-donated tiger cubs (AP)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:35:49 -0500

AP - The Baghdad Zoo on Friday welcomed a pair of rare Bengal tiger cubs that were donated by a North Carolina animal sanctuary despite protests by animal rights activists.

Friday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 9 Wounded

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 -0500

Excerpt: At least six Iraqis were killed and another nine were wounded on a quiet prayer day. No Coalition casualties were reported. Meanwhile, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani traveled to Kirkuk to help ease tensions prohibiting the passage of a provincial elections law by the central government. Shi'ite cleric Ali Sistani advised all concerned parties to continue negotiations that will resolve the impasse.

Iran May Gain From Iraq's Suffering

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 -0500

Excerpt: BAQUBA -- The crisis over electricity failure grows as summer temperatures climb and a drought plagues Iraq. It is a crisis Iran is using to help Iraqis where the U.S. has failed.

Iraqis: Deal close on plan for US troops to leave (AP)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:39:25 -0500

AP - Iraq and the U.S. are near an agreement on all American combat troops leaving Iraq by October 2010, with the last soldiers out three years after that, two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. U.S. officials, however, insisted no dates had been agreed.

Rights group: Deaths of two Nilin boys "willful killing"

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:13:14 -0500

As a Palestinian human rights organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Al-Haq is deeply disturbed by the excessive and disproportionate use of force employed by Israeli Border Police in the village of Nilin last week, resulting in the willful killing of two Palestinian children.

Israel's siege of collective punishment

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:21:54 -0500

Imagine if Chinese-Americans visiting relatives were prevented by the Chinese government from returning to America. Or if an American traveled to Iran and was then forbidden from reaching an airport to come home. This happened to me at the hands of Israel, supposedly America's closest ally in the Middle East. I am a US citizen and small-business owner in Olathe, Kansas. I am also a Palestinian born in Gaza. I traveled to Gaza last December to care for my ill father. Israel trapped me there for four months. Yaser Wishah comments.

Iraqis: Deal close on plan for US troops to leave (AP)

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:17:21 -0500

Israeli soldier allowed to stay in army

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:02:48 -0500

Soldier who hit blindfolded Palestinian with rubber bullet charged with unworthy conduct

American deaths in Afghanistan war reach 500 (AP)

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:46:10 -0500

AP - The deadliest three months for American forces in Afghanistan have pushed the U.S. death toll to at least 500, forcing a war long overshadowed by Iraq back into the headlines.

An open letter: Father to father

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:15:37 -0500

Dear Hisam, father of Ahmed, may he rest in peace: I learned of the death of your son, Ahmed Musa, through a one-sentence newsflash on the Palestinian news station Ma'an last Tuesday: "Ahmed Musa, a young boy, was killed by a bullet of the occupying forces in Nil'in." I was immediately overcome with shock and grief and bitter tears. And above all, that relentless feeling of powerlessness that I know too well.

Syria frees democracy activist

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:47:07 -0500

Aref Dalila spent seven years in custody for calling for greater poltical freedoms.

Israeli officer in prisoner abuse video quits post (AP)

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:48:50 -0500

AP - An officer filmed ordering a soldier to abuse a bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoner was indicted Thursday and has resigned his command of an army battalion but will continue to serve elsewhere, the Israeli military said.

Iraqi cleric links truce, US withdrawal timetable (AP)

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:00:17 -0500

AP - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will call on his fighters to maintain a cease-fire against American troops but may lift the order if a planned Iraq-U.S. security agreement lacks a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces, a spokesman said Thursday.

Legislators in Iraq adjourn for vacation without new election law

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:19:53 -0500

The failure of the legislation will probably delay provincial elections until next year and possibly jeopardize recent gains in security.

Middle East: Israeli soldiers charged over shooting of Palestinian prisoner

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:13:29 -0500

Pair face trial for 'unworthy conduct' after video showed blindfolded, handcuffed protester being shot in the foot

Baghdad murals

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:23:40 -0500

Murals have begun to appear on the security wall in the Shia district of Sadr City, Baghdad, as part of a multi-national $100,000 project to improve the area

Iraqi official defends spending (AP)

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:48:26 -0500

AP - An Iraqi lawmaker close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki defended the government's record on spending for reconstruction, saying Thursday that U.S. critics were overlooking Baghdad's progress over the past three years.

Israel considers military option for Iran nukes (AP)

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:27:21 -0500

AP - Israel is building up its strike capabilities amid growing anxiety over Iran's nuclear ambitions and appears confident that a military attack would cripple Tehran's atomic program, even if it can't destroy it.

Iraqis fail to agree on provincial election law

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:18:45 -0500

The failure to reach a deal before Parliament's summer recess left the fate nationwide provincial elections in doubt.

Israeli PM pledges prisoner release

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:05:09 -0500

Move is seen as gesture to bolster Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

Iraqis fail to agree on provincial election law

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:05:26 -0500

The failure to reach a deal before Parliament's summer recess left the fate nationwide provincial elections in doubt.

Israel to free about 150 Palestinian prisoners

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:05:26 -0500

The release, planned to take place at the end of August, may include several prominent prisoners.

Seth Freedman: Israel's front-line thugs

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:00:01 -0500

Seth Freedman: Consistent stands against the depravity of the West Bank's lawless settlers are the only way to put an end to their crimes

Thursday: 22 Iraqis Killed, 36 Wounded

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:00:00 -0500

Excerpt: Updated at 6:30 p.m. EDT, Aug. 8, 2008 At least 22 Iraqis were killed and 36 more were wounded in the latest violence. On a positive note, a thousand displaced families have returned to Diyala province. Meanwhile, a Sadrist spokesman warned of the consequences if U.S. forces make no concrete plans to leave Iraq. Also, the UN extended their mandate by one year.

Israel to release over 150 Palestinian prisoners (AP)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:18:22 -0500

AP - Israel's prime minister pledged to free more than 150 Palestinian prisoners in a meeting Wednesday with President Mahmoud Abbas, a gesture meant to energize their sluggish peace talks.

Iraqis fail to agree on provincial election law

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:54:21 -0500

The failure to reach a deal before Parliament's summer recess left the fate nationwide provincial elections in doubt.

Iraqi election bill falls to ethnic rivalry (AP)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:48:15 -0500

AP - Iraqi lawmakers failed Wednesday to agree on a provincial election law and adjourned for the month, casting doubt whether U.S.-backed balloting can be held this year in the country's 18 provinces.

Israel mulls military option for Iran nukes (AP)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:13:35 -0500

Israel transfers 'shooting' officer

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:42:40 -0500

The shooting was caught on camera and released by an Israeli human rights group.

US military works to keep out Iraq militia leaders (AP)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:21:25 -0500

AP - Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen who fled U.S.-Iraqi operations in Baghdad hope to return, but the U.S. military is confident they won't receive a warm homecoming, officials said Wednesday.

Iraq fails to spend '$79bn surplus'

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:40:48 -0500

US watchdog says bureaucracy, a lack of experience and violence are responsible.