Islamic Jihad accepts ceasefire after 10 killed in Israeli- Palestinian conflict
Islamic Jihad movement said Sunday that it accepted an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel after a day of cross-border violence that left nine Palestinians and one Israeli dead.
Adham Abu Selmeya, spokesman for emergency services in the Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza, told reporters that nine Palestinians were killed. "Seven died on Saturday and two were killed before dawn of Sunday in the intensive Israeli aerial raids on Gaza Strip."
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli fighter jets struck a training post belonging to the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing al-Quds Brigades on Saturday in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, killing five militants and wounding three others.
Jihad vowed heavy revenge, and had fired, together with four other militant groups, a barrage of long-range Russian-made Grad rockets, homemade rockets and mortar projectiles and shells against the central and southern Israeli towns.
Al-Quds Brigades as well as the four militant groups claimed responsibility on Saturday and Sunday in separate statements for firing more than 25 rockets and mortar shells at central and southern Israeli regions.
Israeli Radio quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying that one Israeli citizen in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon was killed and six others were wounded.
Meanwhile, the deposed government of Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip was holding contacts with Egypt, Turkey and several United Nations officials to contain the crisis, local media reported.
The Gaza-based Al-Aqsa Television reported on Sunday morning that the Hamas government was holding contacts with several regional parties to avoid further Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip.
The TV quoted official sources in the Hamas government as saying that it is also holding contacts with the leaders of the military factions, mainly the Islamic Jihad to avoid more violence in Gaza.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the West Bank also called on Israel to stop the violent retaliation on the Gaza Strip and called on Gaza militant groups "to avoid a large-scale Israeli war on the Gaza Strip."
In late 2008, Israel waged a three-week operation "Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip to prevent militants from firing rockets at Israel. More than 1,400 Palestinians and 11 Israelis were killed during the operation.
The war ended as several regional parties, including Egypt, mediated an indirect ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, the fragile ceasefire has been broken several times.
The last escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip between the enclave's militants and Israel was in late August this year, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 19:53:40
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Four people killed in Iraq's violence
Four people killed in Iraq's violence
Four people were killed and eight others injured Sunday in separate bomb and gunfire attacks in central and eastern Iraq, the police said.
Two soldiers were killed and three others injured when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in Abu Ghraib area, 20 km west of Baghdad, a local police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The blast destroyed one of the patrol's vehicles, the source said, adding that the Iraqi security forces sealed off the scene and carried out search operation in the area.
In a separate incident, two policemen and two civilians were wounded when a booby-trapped car went off near a police patrol in central the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, the source said.
In Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, gunmen opened fire on a house in the town of Bani Sa'ad, near the provincial capital city of Baquba, some 65 northeast of Baghdad, killing two brothers and wounding their mother, a source from the Diyala's operations command anonymously told Xinhua.
Also in the province, Iraqi security forces carried out search operations during the past 24 hours and arrested 14 suspects, including nine wanted individuals, the source added.
Violence is still common in the Iraqi cities despite the dramatic decrease since its peak in 2006 and 2007 when the country was engulfed in sectarian killings.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 19:20:46 FeedbackPrintRSS
BAGHDAD, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)
Four people were killed and eight others injured Sunday in separate bomb and gunfire attacks in central and eastern Iraq, the police said.
Two soldiers were killed and three others injured when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in Abu Ghraib area, 20 km west of Baghdad, a local police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The blast destroyed one of the patrol's vehicles, the source said, adding that the Iraqi security forces sealed off the scene and carried out search operation in the area.
In a separate incident, two policemen and two civilians were wounded when a booby-trapped car went off near a police patrol in central the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, the source said.
In Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, gunmen opened fire on a house in the town of Bani Sa'ad, near the provincial capital city of Baquba, some 65 northeast of Baghdad, killing two brothers and wounding their mother, a source from the Diyala's operations command anonymously told Xinhua.
Also in the province, Iraqi security forces carried out search operations during the past 24 hours and arrested 14 suspects, including nine wanted individuals, the source added.
Violence is still common in the Iraqi cities despite the dramatic decrease since its peak in 2006 and 2007 when the country was engulfed in sectarian killings.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 19:20:46 FeedbackPrintRSS
BAGHDAD, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)
Foreign intervention in Syria "foments temblor": Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
Foreign intervention in Syria "foments temblor": Assad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned that foreign intervention in Syria would "cause a temblor that could burn the entire Middle East."
Speaking during an interview with British Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Assad said that Syria now is in the center of the region, adding that "it is the fault line and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake."
"Do you want to see another Afghanistan here... or dozens of Afghanistans," Assad said, adding that "if the West's plan is to divide Syria, it would drag to divide the whole region."
He said the authorities had made "many mistakes" at the start of the uprising, but said only "terrorists" were being targeted now.
"We have very few police, only the army, who are trained to take on al-Qaida," he said. "If you sent in your army to the streets, the same thing would happen. Now, we are only fighting terrorists. That's why the fighting is becoming much less."
"The pace of reform is not too slow. The vision needs to be mature. It would take only 15 seconds to sign a law, but if it doesn't fit your society, you'll have division," he said.
The interview came in the wake of media reports claiming the killing of 17 people on Saturday, and 42 others on Friday during anti-government protests that erupted across Syria.
The death toll on Friday triggered the Arab league ministerial committee to send an urgent letter to the Syrian government to express its anger over the continued bloodshed in the country.
However, a Syrian foreign ministry source rejected Saturday the message from the AL ministerial committee, saying that "it was basically based on media lies broadcasted by tendentious provocative TV channels over what happened in Syria Friday."
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will brief the committee on Sunday on the situation in Syria.
The anti-government protest has continued in Syria for more than seven months with mounting calls for the downfall of the regime.
The Syrian government blamed the unrest on armed groups and thugs acting out a foreign conspiracy, citing the killing of more than 1,000 army personnel during the turmoil. However, the United Nations estimated that more than 3,000 people had been killed over the past seven months.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 18:57:58 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned that foreign intervention in Syria would "cause a temblor that could burn the entire Middle East."
Speaking during an interview with British Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Assad said that Syria now is in the center of the region, adding that "it is the fault line and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake."
"Do you want to see another Afghanistan here... or dozens of Afghanistans," Assad said, adding that "if the West's plan is to divide Syria, it would drag to divide the whole region."
He said the authorities had made "many mistakes" at the start of the uprising, but said only "terrorists" were being targeted now.
"We have very few police, only the army, who are trained to take on al-Qaida," he said. "If you sent in your army to the streets, the same thing would happen. Now, we are only fighting terrorists. That's why the fighting is becoming much less."
"The pace of reform is not too slow. The vision needs to be mature. It would take only 15 seconds to sign a law, but if it doesn't fit your society, you'll have division," he said.
The interview came in the wake of media reports claiming the killing of 17 people on Saturday, and 42 others on Friday during anti-government protests that erupted across Syria.
The death toll on Friday triggered the Arab league ministerial committee to send an urgent letter to the Syrian government to express its anger over the continued bloodshed in the country.
However, a Syrian foreign ministry source rejected Saturday the message from the AL ministerial committee, saying that "it was basically based on media lies broadcasted by tendentious provocative TV channels over what happened in Syria Friday."
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will brief the committee on Sunday on the situation in Syria.
The anti-government protest has continued in Syria for more than seven months with mounting calls for the downfall of the regime.
The Syrian government blamed the unrest on armed groups and thugs acting out a foreign conspiracy, citing the killing of more than 1,000 army personnel during the turmoil. However, the United Nations estimated that more than 3,000 people had been killed over the past seven months.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 18:57:58 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)
Car bombing kills policeman, wounds four in Yemen's Aden
Car bombing kills policeman, wounds four in Yemen's Aden
At least one policeman was killed and four others were injured Sunday morning after sticky bombs attached to a police vehicle detonated in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a police official told Xinhua.
According to the local official, a car bomb exploded beneath the policemen vehicle, killing at least one policeman and injuring four others.
"The police vehicle stationed near Aden's International Airport exploded after terrorists planted an explosive device in the car," the official said, adding that "the policemen were in charge of guarding the airport."
An eyewitness said that the explosion was "powerful."
Sunday's attack came two days after the head of counter- terrorism force in Aden was killed in a car bombing in a main street near the Aden's International Airport.
A number of intelligence offices and police stations in Aden have repeatedly been the targets in the past several months.
Yemeni authorities usually accuse militants of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of being behind these attacks.
In nearby Abyan province, hundreds of AQAP militants captured in the provincial city and at least three towns late May.
Meanwhile, the country has been gripped by nine-month political crisis since protests erupted in late January demanding an immediate end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule.
Editor: Tang Danlu
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 17:49:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)
At least one policeman was killed and four others were injured Sunday morning after sticky bombs attached to a police vehicle detonated in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a police official told Xinhua.
According to the local official, a car bomb exploded beneath the policemen vehicle, killing at least one policeman and injuring four others.
"The police vehicle stationed near Aden's International Airport exploded after terrorists planted an explosive device in the car," the official said, adding that "the policemen were in charge of guarding the airport."
An eyewitness said that the explosion was "powerful."
Sunday's attack came two days after the head of counter- terrorism force in Aden was killed in a car bombing in a main street near the Aden's International Airport.
A number of intelligence offices and police stations in Aden have repeatedly been the targets in the past several months.
Yemeni authorities usually accuse militants of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of being behind these attacks.
In nearby Abyan province, hundreds of AQAP militants captured in the provincial city and at least three towns late May.
Meanwhile, the country has been gripped by nine-month political crisis since protests erupted in late January demanding an immediate end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule.
Editor: Tang Danlu
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 17:49:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)
Islamic Jihad accepts ceasefire in Gaza
Islamic Jihad accepts ceasefire in Gaza
Islamic Jihad movement said Sunday that it accepted an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel after a day of cross-border violence that left nine Palestinians and one Israeli dead, a Jihad spokesman said.
"We have responded to Egypt's efforts to reinforce lull while reserving our right to retaliate the Israeli aggression," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Jihad's armed wing.
The rockets that the Islamic Jihad fired from Gaza last night and killed an Israeli "have restored balance of deterrence with the enemy," Abu Ahmed told Xinhua.
The recent wave of violence started when Israeli airplanes hit a group of Islamic Jihad militants at a training site in southern Gaza Strip, killing five of them at the scene, in respond to rocket attacks by Jihad. Four others were killed in separate incidents while they were firing rockets into Israel.
Earlier Sunday, Israel Radio reported that the international community, including Egypt, was working to restore calm. However, the radio quoted an Israeli army spokesperson as saying that Israeli troops will respond to any fire from Gaza.
Yousef Rizka, an adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya, said the Hamas government is "not interested in escalation and tries to avoid it."
"We appreciate the Egyptian efforts to calm the situation down," Rizka told reporters.
Hamas, which took over Gaza by force in 2007, abided by a shaky truce that took effect after Israel's major military operation in Gaza nearly three years ago.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 17:42:40
Islamic Jihad movement said Sunday that it accepted an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel after a day of cross-border violence that left nine Palestinians and one Israeli dead, a Jihad spokesman said.
"We have responded to Egypt's efforts to reinforce lull while reserving our right to retaliate the Israeli aggression," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Jihad's armed wing.
The rockets that the Islamic Jihad fired from Gaza last night and killed an Israeli "have restored balance of deterrence with the enemy," Abu Ahmed told Xinhua.
The recent wave of violence started when Israeli airplanes hit a group of Islamic Jihad militants at a training site in southern Gaza Strip, killing five of them at the scene, in respond to rocket attacks by Jihad. Four others were killed in separate incidents while they were firing rockets into Israel.
Earlier Sunday, Israel Radio reported that the international community, including Egypt, was working to restore calm. However, the radio quoted an Israeli army spokesperson as saying that Israeli troops will respond to any fire from Gaza.
Yousef Rizka, an adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya, said the Hamas government is "not interested in escalation and tries to avoid it."
"We appreciate the Egyptian efforts to calm the situation down," Rizka told reporters.
Hamas, which took over Gaza by force in 2007, abided by a shaky truce that took effect after Israel's major military operation in Gaza nearly three years ago.
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 17:42:40
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Deputy head of Iranian Central Bank arrested over embezzlement: report
Deputy head of Iranian Central Bank arrested over embezzlement: report
The Deputy head of Iran's Central Bank has been arrested over an embezzlement scandal, several Iranian newspapers reported Saturday.
Hamid Pourmohammadi was arrested together with another banking official over a 2.6-billion-U.S.-dollar fraud case, allegedly one of the biggest fraud cases in the history of the Islamic Republic, according to the reports.
Iranian prosecutor general Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei announced Thursday that Iran's judiciary arrested two more people over the embezzlement scandal, raising the total number of the detained to 33.
Mohseni-Ejei, who was assigned on Sept. 15 to exclusively investigate the embezzlement case, did not reveal the names of the arrested people and said that legally it is impossible to publicize names of the arrested people unless their charges are proved by the court.
Regarding Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, the former CEO of Melli Bank, one of Iran's largest banks, who reportedly escaped to Canada after the embezzlement scandal was discovered, Mohseni-Ejei said that there are hopes that Khavari would return to the country in the following days.
Mohseni-Ejei said Tuesday that 31 people had been arrested and another 67 questioned for suspected links to the embezzlement case.
According to media reports, nearly 2.6 billion U.S. dollars was swindled out of several Iranian banks in more than two years by a company named Amir Mansour Aria, whose owner took advantage of some governmental recommendations to purchase assets of some state- owned enterprises, including Iran's second largest steel maker Khuzestan Steel Company.
Iranian Central Bank governor Mahmoud Bahmani said earlier that the owner also attempted to establish a bank but failed.
Reports said Ahmadinejad's chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim- Mashaei and some other entourages were involved in the financial scam. But the president strongly denied this and called on the judiciary to deal firmly with all people involved in the fraud.
The Iranian president also announced his government will start banking system reforms this year.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:24:23 FeedbackPrintRSS
TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
The Deputy head of Iran's Central Bank has been arrested over an embezzlement scandal, several Iranian newspapers reported Saturday.
Hamid Pourmohammadi was arrested together with another banking official over a 2.6-billion-U.S.-dollar fraud case, allegedly one of the biggest fraud cases in the history of the Islamic Republic, according to the reports.
Iranian prosecutor general Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei announced Thursday that Iran's judiciary arrested two more people over the embezzlement scandal, raising the total number of the detained to 33.
Mohseni-Ejei, who was assigned on Sept. 15 to exclusively investigate the embezzlement case, did not reveal the names of the arrested people and said that legally it is impossible to publicize names of the arrested people unless their charges are proved by the court.
Regarding Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, the former CEO of Melli Bank, one of Iran's largest banks, who reportedly escaped to Canada after the embezzlement scandal was discovered, Mohseni-Ejei said that there are hopes that Khavari would return to the country in the following days.
Mohseni-Ejei said Tuesday that 31 people had been arrested and another 67 questioned for suspected links to the embezzlement case.
According to media reports, nearly 2.6 billion U.S. dollars was swindled out of several Iranian banks in more than two years by a company named Amir Mansour Aria, whose owner took advantage of some governmental recommendations to purchase assets of some state- owned enterprises, including Iran's second largest steel maker Khuzestan Steel Company.
Iranian Central Bank governor Mahmoud Bahmani said earlier that the owner also attempted to establish a bank but failed.
Reports said Ahmadinejad's chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim- Mashaei and some other entourages were involved in the financial scam. But the president strongly denied this and called on the judiciary to deal firmly with all people involved in the fraud.
The Iranian president also announced his government will start banking system reforms this year.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:24:23 FeedbackPrintRSS
TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Six gunmen killed in clashes with government forces in Syria's Homs
Six gunmen killed in clashes with government forces in Syria's Homs
About six gunmen were killed in clashes with government forces Saturday in the central Homs province the hotbed of more than seven months of anti- government protests and one of the country's most volatile areas, the state- run SANA news agency reported.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:18:47 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
About six gunmen were killed in clashes with government forces Saturday in the central Homs province the hotbed of more than seven months of anti- government protests and one of the country's most volatile areas, the state- run SANA news agency reported.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:18:47 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
7 killed, several injured in Israel-Palestinian retaliatory attacks
7 killed, several injured in Israel-Palestinian retaliatory attacks
Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip launched rounds of retaliatory attacks against each other on Saturday, leaving seven Palestinians killed and several from both sides wounded.
Five militants belonging to the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing Al-Quds Brigades were killed and another three were critically injured Saturday afternoon, when Israel launched an airstrike on a Jihad training post in the Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.
The killed included Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, a senior member who headed the group's rocket engineering team.
Israel said the killed militants were behind two rocket attacks on central Israel two days ago.
Another two militants of Al-Quds Brigades were killed Saturday night in a second Israeli air raid on Rafah.
Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the Israeli war jets fired a missile and struck a group of militants near the inoperative Gaza Airport in Rafah.
Two militants were also seriously wounded by the shrapnel of missile, according to medics at Abu Yousef al-Najjar.
The militants were trying to launch rockets at some targets in southern Israel, in revenge for the earlier Israeli airstrike on the training post, witnesses said.
After the first airstrike, Israeli Radio said around seven Russian-made long-range Grad missiles were fired from Gaza at several towns and cities in central and southern Israel, wounding at least five Israelis, including one resident of Ashkelon, two of Ashdod, and one man in Gan Yavne.
One of the injured was in critical condition, according to the radio.
The "barrage" of rockets had destroyed a school in Ashdod and several houses in central and southern Israel, the radio said.
"Ashdod is under attack, without doubt," said Yehiel Lasri, mayor of Ashdod.
An unoccupied house in Ashkelon sustained damage from a direct hit, and fire department officials said they were trying to keep some nearby propane gas tanks from a fire breaking out as a result of the hit, Israel's Channel Two television reported Saturday night.
Israeli Home Front Command had instructed residents of cities and towns in a 40-kilometer radius around Gaza to remain in protected areas and not to assemble in groups of more than 500 people.
Adele Roemer, a resident of Kibbutz Nirim near Gaza, reported hearing blasts from beyond the border. "We were warned to stay within 15 seconds distance of protected areas," she told Xinhua.
A battery of the Israeli army's Iron Dome anti-missile system succeeded in downing one projectile fired towards Beersheba, according to the army.
Several militant groups in Gaza, including Al-Quds Brigades, have claimed responsibility for Saturday's rocket attacks on Israel.
Al-Quds Brigades said on Saturday evening that it had launched several long-range Grad rockets at central Israeli towns of Ashdod and Yavneh, as well as the southern Israeli town of Beersheba, as a response to the earlier killing of five of its militants.
"(The response) had started with hitting the (Israeli) cities of Ashdod and Yavneh and their suburbs with Grad rockets," the group said in a message sent via mobile phones to reporters in Gaza.
Earlier Saturday, the group issued a statement following the attack on its training base, saying that their response to the Israeli killing "will be hard."
The armed wings of two left-wing Palestinian groups, the Democratic Front (DFLP) and the Popular Front (PFLP), said in two separate statements that they also fired two Grad rockets and some mortar shells at southern Israel.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah movement, also said in a leaflet that its militants fired a Grad rocket from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel in revenge for the killing of five Jihad militants.
The Israel Police announced that they were raising a national alert level to "G", one stage below the most severe alert, in response to the spike in attacks. Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz has convened senior staff to decide on further military responses to the continuing rocket fire.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) called on the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip to be self- restraint and "not to give Israel an excuse to wage a war on the Gaza Strip."
The last escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups was in late August, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. A truce mediated by Egypt was then reached between the two sides.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:17:17 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip launched rounds of retaliatory attacks against each other on Saturday, leaving seven Palestinians killed and several from both sides wounded.
Five militants belonging to the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing Al-Quds Brigades were killed and another three were critically injured Saturday afternoon, when Israel launched an airstrike on a Jihad training post in the Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.
The killed included Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, a senior member who headed the group's rocket engineering team.
Israel said the killed militants were behind two rocket attacks on central Israel two days ago.
Another two militants of Al-Quds Brigades were killed Saturday night in a second Israeli air raid on Rafah.
Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the Israeli war jets fired a missile and struck a group of militants near the inoperative Gaza Airport in Rafah.
Two militants were also seriously wounded by the shrapnel of missile, according to medics at Abu Yousef al-Najjar.
The militants were trying to launch rockets at some targets in southern Israel, in revenge for the earlier Israeli airstrike on the training post, witnesses said.
After the first airstrike, Israeli Radio said around seven Russian-made long-range Grad missiles were fired from Gaza at several towns and cities in central and southern Israel, wounding at least five Israelis, including one resident of Ashkelon, two of Ashdod, and one man in Gan Yavne.
One of the injured was in critical condition, according to the radio.
The "barrage" of rockets had destroyed a school in Ashdod and several houses in central and southern Israel, the radio said.
"Ashdod is under attack, without doubt," said Yehiel Lasri, mayor of Ashdod.
An unoccupied house in Ashkelon sustained damage from a direct hit, and fire department officials said they were trying to keep some nearby propane gas tanks from a fire breaking out as a result of the hit, Israel's Channel Two television reported Saturday night.
Israeli Home Front Command had instructed residents of cities and towns in a 40-kilometer radius around Gaza to remain in protected areas and not to assemble in groups of more than 500 people.
Adele Roemer, a resident of Kibbutz Nirim near Gaza, reported hearing blasts from beyond the border. "We were warned to stay within 15 seconds distance of protected areas," she told Xinhua.
A battery of the Israeli army's Iron Dome anti-missile system succeeded in downing one projectile fired towards Beersheba, according to the army.
Several militant groups in Gaza, including Al-Quds Brigades, have claimed responsibility for Saturday's rocket attacks on Israel.
Al-Quds Brigades said on Saturday evening that it had launched several long-range Grad rockets at central Israeli towns of Ashdod and Yavneh, as well as the southern Israeli town of Beersheba, as a response to the earlier killing of five of its militants.
"(The response) had started with hitting the (Israeli) cities of Ashdod and Yavneh and their suburbs with Grad rockets," the group said in a message sent via mobile phones to reporters in Gaza.
Earlier Saturday, the group issued a statement following the attack on its training base, saying that their response to the Israeli killing "will be hard."
The armed wings of two left-wing Palestinian groups, the Democratic Front (DFLP) and the Popular Front (PFLP), said in two separate statements that they also fired two Grad rockets and some mortar shells at southern Israel.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah movement, also said in a leaflet that its militants fired a Grad rocket from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel in revenge for the killing of five Jihad militants.
The Israel Police announced that they were raising a national alert level to "G", one stage below the most severe alert, in response to the spike in attacks. Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz has convened senior staff to decide on further military responses to the continuing rocket fire.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) called on the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip to be self- restraint and "not to give Israel an excuse to wage a war on the Gaza Strip."
The last escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups was in late August, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. A truce mediated by Egypt was then reached between the two sides.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:17:17 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Israeli jets raid Rafah in southern Gaza Strip, two Palestinians killed
Israeli jets raid Rafah in southern Gaza Strip, two Palestinians killed
Two Palestinian militants were killed and another two wounded on Saturday night in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, while another five militants were killed earlier that day also in an Israeli airstrike, medics and witnesses said.
Israeli war jets fired a missile and struck a group of militants belonging to the Islamic Jihad (Hoy War) movement's armed wing Al-Quds Brigades near the inoperative Gaza Airport on Saturday evening, eyewitnesses in the city told Xinhua.
Two Palestinians were killed and another two seriously wounded by the shrapnel of missile, according to medics at Abu Yousef al- Najjar.
The militants were trying to launch rockets at some targets in southern Israel, in revenge for an earlier Israeli airstrike on a Jihad training post in Rafah that killed five Jihad militants, witnesses said.
Israel killed five militants and critically wounded another three in the earlier airstrike, claiming that the killed were behind two Grad rocket attacks on central Israel two days ago.
After the earlier airstrike, Israeli Radio said around seven Russian-made long-range Grad missiles were fired from Gaza at several towns and cities in central and southern Israel, wounding at least five Israelis, one of them in critical condition.
The "barrage" of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip had destroyed a school in Ashdod and several houses in central and southern Israel, the radio said.
Several militant groups in Gaza, including Al-Quds Brigades, have claimed responsibility for Saturday's rocket attacks on Israel.
Al-Quds Brigades said on Saturday evening that it had launched several long-range Grad rockets at central Israeli towns of Ashdod and Yavneh, as well as the southern Israeli town of Be'er Sheba, as a response to the earlier killing of five of its militants.
"(The response) had started with hitting the (Israeli) cities of Ashdod and Yavneh and their suburbs with Grad rockets," the group said in a message sent to reporters in Gaza.
Earlier Saturday, the group issued a statement following the attack on its training base, saying that their response to the Israeli killing "will be hard."
The armed wings of two left-wing Palestinian groups, the Democratic Front (DFLP) and the Popular Front (PFLP), said in two separate statements that they also fired two Grad rockets and some mortar shells at southern Israel.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah movement, also said in a leaflet that its militants fired a Grad rocket from Gaza Strip at southern Israel in revenge for the killing of five Jihad militants.
The latest escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups was in late August, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. A truce mediated by Egypt was then reached between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) called on the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip to be self- restraint and "not to give Israel an excuse to wage a war on the Gaza Strip."
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 05:30:24 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Two Palestinian militants were killed and another two wounded on Saturday night in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, while another five militants were killed earlier that day also in an Israeli airstrike, medics and witnesses said.
Israeli war jets fired a missile and struck a group of militants belonging to the Islamic Jihad (Hoy War) movement's armed wing Al-Quds Brigades near the inoperative Gaza Airport on Saturday evening, eyewitnesses in the city told Xinhua.
Two Palestinians were killed and another two seriously wounded by the shrapnel of missile, according to medics at Abu Yousef al- Najjar.
The militants were trying to launch rockets at some targets in southern Israel, in revenge for an earlier Israeli airstrike on a Jihad training post in Rafah that killed five Jihad militants, witnesses said.
Israel killed five militants and critically wounded another three in the earlier airstrike, claiming that the killed were behind two Grad rocket attacks on central Israel two days ago.
After the earlier airstrike, Israeli Radio said around seven Russian-made long-range Grad missiles were fired from Gaza at several towns and cities in central and southern Israel, wounding at least five Israelis, one of them in critical condition.
The "barrage" of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip had destroyed a school in Ashdod and several houses in central and southern Israel, the radio said.
Several militant groups in Gaza, including Al-Quds Brigades, have claimed responsibility for Saturday's rocket attacks on Israel.
Al-Quds Brigades said on Saturday evening that it had launched several long-range Grad rockets at central Israeli towns of Ashdod and Yavneh, as well as the southern Israeli town of Be'er Sheba, as a response to the earlier killing of five of its militants.
"(The response) had started with hitting the (Israeli) cities of Ashdod and Yavneh and their suburbs with Grad rockets," the group said in a message sent to reporters in Gaza.
Earlier Saturday, the group issued a statement following the attack on its training base, saying that their response to the Israeli killing "will be hard."
The armed wings of two left-wing Palestinian groups, the Democratic Front (DFLP) and the Popular Front (PFLP), said in two separate statements that they also fired two Grad rockets and some mortar shells at southern Israel.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah movement, also said in a leaflet that its militants fired a Grad rocket from Gaza Strip at southern Israel in revenge for the killing of five Jihad militants.
The latest escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups was in late August, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. A truce mediated by Egypt was then reached between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) called on the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip to be self- restraint and "not to give Israel an excuse to wage a war on the Gaza Strip."
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 05:30:24 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Islamic Jihad says it fires Grad rockets at central Israel
Islamic Jihad says it fires Grad rockets at central Israel
Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing, Saraya al-Quds, on Saturday claimed responsibility for firing two long-range Russian-made Grad rockets from the Gaza Strip at central Israel.
In a message sent via mobile phones to reporters in Gaza, the group said it had started to respond to the earlier killing of five of its militants by Israeli war jets "by hitting the cities of Ashdod and Yavneh and their suburbs with Grad rockets."
Earlier Saturday, Israeli jets struck a training post of Jihad in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, killing five of its militants and critically wounding another three.
Israel said the five militants were behind two Grad rocket attacks on central Israel two days ago.
The latest escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups was in late August, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. A truce mediated by Egypt was then reached between the two sides.
Following the aerial attack on the Jihad training base, the group said in a statement that their response to the killing of the five militants "will be strong."
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 05:29:56 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing, Saraya al-Quds, on Saturday claimed responsibility for firing two long-range Russian-made Grad rockets from the Gaza Strip at central Israel.
In a message sent via mobile phones to reporters in Gaza, the group said it had started to respond to the earlier killing of five of its militants by Israeli war jets "by hitting the cities of Ashdod and Yavneh and their suburbs with Grad rockets."
Earlier Saturday, Israeli jets struck a training post of Jihad in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, killing five of its militants and critically wounding another three.
Israel said the five militants were behind two Grad rocket attacks on central Israel two days ago.
The latest escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups was in late August, when around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. A truce mediated by Egypt was then reached between the two sides.
Following the aerial attack on the Jihad training base, the group said in a statement that their response to the killing of the five militants "will be strong."
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 05:29:56 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Iran says ready for defense cooperation with Egypt, Libya
Iran says ready for defense cooperation with Egypt, Libya
Iran's defense minister said Saturday Iran is ready to initiate defense cooperation with Egypt and Libya, Mehr news agency reported.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said "Iran is ready to initiate cooperation, but they (Egypt and Libya) should also call for it."
He said that Egypt and Libya are currently in transitional period, but there will be no problem for Iran to start cooperation with them in all areas including defense.
Commenting on the U.S. accusations that Iranian government was involved in a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington, Vahidi said it is an old policy which repeatedly takes new shapes trying to put pressure on the Islamic republic.
Vahidi also criticized the European Union(EU) for following U.S. policies towards Iran. The EU's support and imposition of more sanctions against Iran, is another link in the chain of the West's actions against Iran, he said.
The United States said on Oct. 11 that Manssor Arbabsayara, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, and Gholam Shakuri, a member of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps( IRGC), were charged with sponsoring and promoting terrorist activities abroad, including a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsayara was arrested by U.S. authorities, while Shakuri remains in Iran.
The high-profile accusations have brought fresh tensions to relations between the two arch-foes, with Iran fiercely denying such charges.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 02:10:25 FeedbackPrintRSS
TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Iran's defense minister said Saturday Iran is ready to initiate defense cooperation with Egypt and Libya, Mehr news agency reported.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said "Iran is ready to initiate cooperation, but they (Egypt and Libya) should also call for it."
He said that Egypt and Libya are currently in transitional period, but there will be no problem for Iran to start cooperation with them in all areas including defense.
Commenting on the U.S. accusations that Iranian government was involved in a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington, Vahidi said it is an old policy which repeatedly takes new shapes trying to put pressure on the Islamic republic.
Vahidi also criticized the European Union(EU) for following U.S. policies towards Iran. The EU's support and imposition of more sanctions against Iran, is another link in the chain of the West's actions against Iran, he said.
The United States said on Oct. 11 that Manssor Arbabsayara, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, and Gholam Shakuri, a member of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps( IRGC), were charged with sponsoring and promoting terrorist activities abroad, including a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsayara was arrested by U.S. authorities, while Shakuri remains in Iran.
The high-profile accusations have brought fresh tensions to relations between the two arch-foes, with Iran fiercely denying such charges.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 02:10:25 FeedbackPrintRSS
TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Iraqi PM rejects calls for new semi-autonomous region
Iraqi PM rejects calls for new semi-autonomous region
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki on Saturday rejected calls for a new semi-autonomous region earlier declared by the Sunni-dominated province of Salahudin, a statement from Maliki's office said.
"The Baath party wants Salahudin province to be safe haven for its members, but this will not happen," the statement quoted Maliki as saying in an interview with the state-run television of Iraqia, which is to be broadcasted late at night.
"Federalism is a constitutional issue, but the council of Salahudin province has no right to announce this," Maliki said.
Instead, the provincial council should have submitted a request to the cabinet and then to the parliament through other constitutional procedures, Maliki said.
However, the article 119 of the Iraqi constitution does not stipulate that provinces have to present a request to the cabinet or to the parliament.
"One or more governorates shall have the right to organize into a region based on a request to be voted on in a referendum submitted in one of the following two methods: First: A request by one-third of the council members of each governorate intending to form a region; Second: A request by one-tenth of the voters in each of the governorates intending to form a region.
On Thursday, Salahudin's provincial council declared their province as a new semi-autonomous region within the Iraqi state after a row with the central government over arresting members of ex-president Saddam Hussein's Baath party.
"The irresponsible actions of the central government against the people of the province were behind the decision (of announcing new region)," Sabbhan Mulla Chiyad deputy head of the council told Xinhua, referring to the latest ongoing roundup operations against hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party for allegedly plotting attacks to retake power after the withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of 2011.
The latest crackdown by Iraqi security forces on mainly Sunni Baath party members has ignited tension between the Sunni-backed political bloc of Iraqia, which condemned the operations, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government.
Sunnis see the arrests as part of attempts to further marginalize the minority group which ruled the country under Saddam's Baath party.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:25:22 FeedbackPrintRSS
BAGHDAD, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki on Saturday rejected calls for a new semi-autonomous region earlier declared by the Sunni-dominated province of Salahudin, a statement from Maliki's office said.
"The Baath party wants Salahudin province to be safe haven for its members, but this will not happen," the statement quoted Maliki as saying in an interview with the state-run television of Iraqia, which is to be broadcasted late at night.
"Federalism is a constitutional issue, but the council of Salahudin province has no right to announce this," Maliki said.
Instead, the provincial council should have submitted a request to the cabinet and then to the parliament through other constitutional procedures, Maliki said.
However, the article 119 of the Iraqi constitution does not stipulate that provinces have to present a request to the cabinet or to the parliament.
"One or more governorates shall have the right to organize into a region based on a request to be voted on in a referendum submitted in one of the following two methods: First: A request by one-third of the council members of each governorate intending to form a region; Second: A request by one-tenth of the voters in each of the governorates intending to form a region.
On Thursday, Salahudin's provincial council declared their province as a new semi-autonomous region within the Iraqi state after a row with the central government over arresting members of ex-president Saddam Hussein's Baath party.
"The irresponsible actions of the central government against the people of the province were behind the decision (of announcing new region)," Sabbhan Mulla Chiyad deputy head of the council told Xinhua, referring to the latest ongoing roundup operations against hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party for allegedly plotting attacks to retake power after the withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of 2011.
The latest crackdown by Iraqi security forces on mainly Sunni Baath party members has ignited tension between the Sunni-backed political bloc of Iraqia, which condemned the operations, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government.
Sunnis see the arrests as part of attempts to further marginalize the minority group which ruled the country under Saddam's Baath party.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:25:22 FeedbackPrintRSS
BAGHDAD, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Five Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza
Five Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza
Five Palestinian militants were killed Saturday when an Israeli war jet struck a military training site of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing al-Quds Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. The militant group vowed heavy revenge.
Palestinian medics said bodies of five militants and three wounded people were brought to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in the town, adding that the three injured were in critical condition.
Abu Ahmed, spokesman for al-Quds Brigades, confirmed to Xinhua that an Israeli drone attacked "Muhajer" training post in the neighborhood of Tal Sultan, west of Rafah town, while a number of Islamic Jihad militants were training, adding that five were killed and three others wounded in the attack.
The Israeli plane fired two missiles at the post, he said, while an Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that the airstrike targeted Ahmed Sheikh Khalil, a senior militant in charge of rocket makeshifts. Shekh Khalil had survived five rounds of Israeli airstrikes.
Al-Quds Brigades website said the group declared a highest status of emergency "to response to the coward crime of assassination." The website also quoted Abu Ahmed as saying that " this is the most serious escalation in several months."
"From now and on, we won't be able to speak about calm following this escalation. They had targeted our leaders and militants and our response to this crime will be selectively carried out on a proper time," said Abu Ahmed, referring to a fragile calm deal reached with Israel several months ago.
The armed Palestinian factions and militant groups had reached several months ago an agreement mediated by Egypt and Turkey. However, the calm was shaky due to violent escalation witnessed in the region between Israel and Gaza Strip militants.
In late August, around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in a significant violent escalation between Israel and Gaza militant groups after unknown militant groups attacked the southern Israeli town of Eilat and killed eight Israelis.
An Israeli army spokesman told Xinhua by phone that the Israeli warplanes struck "a terrorist cell that was behind the manufacturing and firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip to Israel, " adding that "this group had fired Russian-made Grad rockets from Gaza at Israel two days ago."
Two days ago, two Russian-made Grad rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into central Israel. No casualties were reported, and no one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israel had accused the Islamic Jihad armed wing for being behind the attack.
In response to the Grad rocket attack on central Israel, Israeli war jets struck with missiles three posts belonging to Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades. No injuries were reported, but it was a clear message to the militants that Israel would retaliate.
Meanwhile, Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, condemned the Israeli attacks on the Jihad military training camp, adding "this crime is carried out in the frame of the ongoing Israeli aggression to damage the happiness of the prisoners' release."
Nabil Abu Rdeineh, spokesman for Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas, called on Israel to immediately stop its military escalation in the Gaza Strip. The state-run news agency Wafa quoted him as saying "We shouldn't accept to bring back the atmosphere of war in Gaza."
The Israeli military escalation and the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israel increased 10 days after Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on releasing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held in Gaza since 2006, for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:25:00 FeedbackPrintRSS
by Fares Akram, Emad Drimly
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Five Palestinian militants were killed Saturday when an Israeli war jet struck a military training site of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's armed wing al-Quds Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. The militant group vowed heavy revenge.
Palestinian medics said bodies of five militants and three wounded people were brought to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in the town, adding that the three injured were in critical condition.
Abu Ahmed, spokesman for al-Quds Brigades, confirmed to Xinhua that an Israeli drone attacked "Muhajer" training post in the neighborhood of Tal Sultan, west of Rafah town, while a number of Islamic Jihad militants were training, adding that five were killed and three others wounded in the attack.
The Israeli plane fired two missiles at the post, he said, while an Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that the airstrike targeted Ahmed Sheikh Khalil, a senior militant in charge of rocket makeshifts. Shekh Khalil had survived five rounds of Israeli airstrikes.
Al-Quds Brigades website said the group declared a highest status of emergency "to response to the coward crime of assassination." The website also quoted Abu Ahmed as saying that " this is the most serious escalation in several months."
"From now and on, we won't be able to speak about calm following this escalation. They had targeted our leaders and militants and our response to this crime will be selectively carried out on a proper time," said Abu Ahmed, referring to a fragile calm deal reached with Israel several months ago.
The armed Palestinian factions and militant groups had reached several months ago an agreement mediated by Egypt and Turkey. However, the calm was shaky due to violent escalation witnessed in the region between Israel and Gaza Strip militants.
In late August, around 30 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in a significant violent escalation between Israel and Gaza militant groups after unknown militant groups attacked the southern Israeli town of Eilat and killed eight Israelis.
An Israeli army spokesman told Xinhua by phone that the Israeli warplanes struck "a terrorist cell that was behind the manufacturing and firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip to Israel, " adding that "this group had fired Russian-made Grad rockets from Gaza at Israel two days ago."
Two days ago, two Russian-made Grad rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into central Israel. No casualties were reported, and no one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israel had accused the Islamic Jihad armed wing for being behind the attack.
In response to the Grad rocket attack on central Israel, Israeli war jets struck with missiles three posts belonging to Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades. No injuries were reported, but it was a clear message to the militants that Israel would retaliate.
Meanwhile, Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, condemned the Israeli attacks on the Jihad military training camp, adding "this crime is carried out in the frame of the ongoing Israeli aggression to damage the happiness of the prisoners' release."
Nabil Abu Rdeineh, spokesman for Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas, called on Israel to immediately stop its military escalation in the Gaza Strip. The state-run news agency Wafa quoted him as saying "We shouldn't accept to bring back the atmosphere of war in Gaza."
The Israeli military escalation and the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israel increased 10 days after Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on releasing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held in Gaza since 2006, for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:25:00 FeedbackPrintRSS
by Fares Akram, Emad Drimly
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S., Iraqi officials talk relations after troops drawdown
U.S., Iraqi officials talk relations after troops drawdown
U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon on Saturday held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Falah al-Fayyadh to discuss relationship between the two countries after the U.S. side pulls out its forces in Iraq by end of the year.
According to a White House statement, Donilon and al-Fayyadh met at the White House and "reaffirmed the common vision of a broad, deep strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq as embodied in the Strategic Framework Agreement."
The White House said the two held a "far-reaching discussion of the elements of a fully normalized relationship between Iraq and the United States," discussing education, investment, and security.
It said they were committed to develop additional mechanisms to establish a continuous strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
After speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Oct. 21 that all U.S. troops stationed in Iraq will pull out of that country by the end of this year, and the Iraq War will be over.
Obama said after U.S. troops are pulled out from Iraq, the relationship between the two countries will be "one normal relationship between sovereign nations," and he will be welcoming Maliki to the White House for a visit in December.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:26:14 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon on Saturday held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Falah al-Fayyadh to discuss relationship between the two countries after the U.S. side pulls out its forces in Iraq by end of the year.
According to a White House statement, Donilon and al-Fayyadh met at the White House and "reaffirmed the common vision of a broad, deep strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq as embodied in the Strategic Framework Agreement."
The White House said the two held a "far-reaching discussion of the elements of a fully normalized relationship between Iraq and the United States," discussing education, investment, and security.
It said they were committed to develop additional mechanisms to establish a continuous strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
After speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Oct. 21 that all U.S. troops stationed in Iraq will pull out of that country by the end of this year, and the Iraq War will be over.
Obama said after U.S. troops are pulled out from Iraq, the relationship between the two countries will be "one normal relationship between sovereign nations," and he will be welcoming Maliki to the White House for a visit in December.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:26:14 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Arab League message to Syria "based on media lies": foreign ministry
Arab League message to Syria "based on media lies": foreign ministry
The message from the Arab League (AL) ministerial committee "was basically based on media lies broadcasted by tendentious provocative TV channels over what happened in Syria Friday," a Foreign Ministry source said Saturday.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem received a message late Friday from Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, who led a AL ministerial committee, expressing the AL's anger at the alleged bloodshed in the country on Friday, the source said.
According to the pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV, a total of 42 people were killed Friday across Syria by government forces, as thousands of people took to streets in several cities calling for international protection and an air embargo on Syria.
The source suggested that the AL official "was supposed to contact Syria's foreign minister to find out the truth before announcing the committee's stance prompted by the channels of incitement."
He further said that the Foreign Ministry was surprised by the message one day ahead of a meeting in Doha, Qatar, between the Syrian government and the ministerial committee.
The source appealed to the committee to "work for reaching a solution conducive to ensure security and stability in Syria instead of igniting sedition."
Al-Moallem will brief the committee Sunday on what is actually happening in Syria, the source added.
The ministerial committee sent an urgent letter to the Syrian government on Friday to express its anger over the continuing bloodshed in the country, said a statement issued by the pan-Arab body late Friday.
The committee said it hoped the Syrian government could protect its civilians, said the statement.
The meeting to be held on Sunday between the committee and the Syrian government is expected to achieve practical results, the statement added.
On Wednesday, the AL ministerial committee, including foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Sudan and the AL chief Nabil al-Arabi, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. The two sides discussed ways to end the seven-month-long crisis through a dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani said the meeting with al-Assad was clear and friendly and they felt the Syrian government's keenness to work with the committee.
At an emergency meeting held in Egypt's capital of Cairo on Oct. 16, the AL decided to give Syria a 15-day deadline to enact a cease-fire and called for a national dialogue between the Syrian authorities and the opposition.
More than 3,000 people, including army and security members, have been killed in the turmoil in Syria, according to figures released by the United Nations.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 20:29:15 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
The message from the Arab League (AL) ministerial committee "was basically based on media lies broadcasted by tendentious provocative TV channels over what happened in Syria Friday," a Foreign Ministry source said Saturday.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem received a message late Friday from Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, who led a AL ministerial committee, expressing the AL's anger at the alleged bloodshed in the country on Friday, the source said.
According to the pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV, a total of 42 people were killed Friday across Syria by government forces, as thousands of people took to streets in several cities calling for international protection and an air embargo on Syria.
The source suggested that the AL official "was supposed to contact Syria's foreign minister to find out the truth before announcing the committee's stance prompted by the channels of incitement."
He further said that the Foreign Ministry was surprised by the message one day ahead of a meeting in Doha, Qatar, between the Syrian government and the ministerial committee.
The source appealed to the committee to "work for reaching a solution conducive to ensure security and stability in Syria instead of igniting sedition."
Al-Moallem will brief the committee Sunday on what is actually happening in Syria, the source added.
The ministerial committee sent an urgent letter to the Syrian government on Friday to express its anger over the continuing bloodshed in the country, said a statement issued by the pan-Arab body late Friday.
The committee said it hoped the Syrian government could protect its civilians, said the statement.
The meeting to be held on Sunday between the committee and the Syrian government is expected to achieve practical results, the statement added.
On Wednesday, the AL ministerial committee, including foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Sudan and the AL chief Nabil al-Arabi, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. The two sides discussed ways to end the seven-month-long crisis through a dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani said the meeting with al-Assad was clear and friendly and they felt the Syrian government's keenness to work with the committee.
At an emergency meeting held in Egypt's capital of Cairo on Oct. 16, the AL decided to give Syria a 15-day deadline to enact a cease-fire and called for a national dialogue between the Syrian authorities and the opposition.
More than 3,000 people, including army and security members, have been killed in the turmoil in Syria, according to figures released by the United Nations.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 20:29:15 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Israeli raid kills five Palestinian militants
Israeli raid kills five Palestinian militants
An Israeli air strike killed five Palestinian militants and wounded two others in the Gaza Strip, witnesses and Israeli army spokesperson said Saturday.
The strike targeted a training site for the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian group said.
An Israeli army spokesman told Xinhua that the Israeli army carried out the attack, without revealing more details.
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 20:15:54 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
An Israeli air strike killed five Palestinian militants and wounded two others in the Gaza Strip, witnesses and Israeli army spokesperson said Saturday.
The strike targeted a training site for the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian group said.
An Israeli army spokesman told Xinhua that the Israeli army carried out the attack, without revealing more details.
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 20:15:54 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Palestinian official denies intention to dissolve PNA
Palestinian official denies intention to dissolve PNA
A Palestinian official on Saturday denied any intention to dissolve the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) if the bid for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations fails.
"The PNA is not a company to be dissolved when shareholders withdraw," said Mohammed Ishteya, a Palestinian negotiator, adding that the PNA is "a cumulative achievement for the Palestinian people's struggle."
"The Palestinian leadership cannot accept what Israel wants; either the continuation of settlement activities under false negotiations or keeping the PNA under its control," Ishteya said.
As peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for more than a year, Palestine Liberation Organization and the Fatah party formed two committees "to study available options and choices" to find a way out of stalemate, Ishteya said.
The United States, the sponsor of Israeli-Palestinian peace process, opposed the PNA's move to request a full membership at the United Nations. PNA President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the Palestinian application to the U.N. Security Council last month and Palestinian officials accused Washington of delaying the voting on the request.
Israeli media reported that the Palestinian leadership would break up the PNA if the bid for the U.N. membership fails.
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 19:42:35 FeedbackPrintRSS
RAMALLAH, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
A Palestinian official on Saturday denied any intention to dissolve the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) if the bid for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations fails.
"The PNA is not a company to be dissolved when shareholders withdraw," said Mohammed Ishteya, a Palestinian negotiator, adding that the PNA is "a cumulative achievement for the Palestinian people's struggle."
"The Palestinian leadership cannot accept what Israel wants; either the continuation of settlement activities under false negotiations or keeping the PNA under its control," Ishteya said.
As peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for more than a year, Palestine Liberation Organization and the Fatah party formed two committees "to study available options and choices" to find a way out of stalemate, Ishteya said.
The United States, the sponsor of Israeli-Palestinian peace process, opposed the PNA's move to request a full membership at the United Nations. PNA President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the Palestinian application to the U.N. Security Council last month and Palestinian officials accused Washington of delaying the voting on the request.
Israeli media reported that the Palestinian leadership would break up the PNA if the bid for the U.N. membership fails.
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 19:42:35 FeedbackPrintRSS
RAMALLAH, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Blast wounds several Palestinians in southern Gaza Strip
Blast wounds several Palestinians in southern Gaza Strip
Several Palestinians were wounded when a blast rocked a training site for militants in southern Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon, medical sources and witnesses said.
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 19:39:46 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Several Palestinians were wounded when a blast rocked a training site for militants in southern Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon, medical sources and witnesses said.
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 19:39:46 FeedbackPrintRSS
GAZA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Syrian government forces injured in Friday's clashes: report
Syrian government forces injured in Friday's clashes: report
A number of law-enforcement agents were injured Friday by the gunfire of armed groups in central Syria and dozens of wanted gunmen were arrested, the state- run SANA news agency reported Saturday.
The agents were injured in the al-Qusour neighborhood in the central province of Hama during an attack by unidentified gunmen, said the report.
An official source refuted reports broadcasted by al-Jazeera TV that warplanes flew over the city and countryside of Homs, saying such reports aimed to "provoke and incite the Syrian citizens."
The report "comes in the framework of the conspiracy against Syria," said the source, adding that plotters, inside and outside, "seek to incite the world public opinion and the international community against Syria."
Meanwhile, SANA said Syrian authorities in Homs arrested over the past few days scores of wanted gunmen and seized a large quantity of weapons while tracking down the armed groups in al- Nazihin neighborhood in Homs, including automatic rifles, night binoculars and Israeli-made bombs.
An explosive device planted by armed groups was dismantled by a military engineering unit in the Damascus suburb of Douma, SANA said, adding that a engineering unit in Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria dismantled an explosive device weighing three kilograms.
Another explosive device, weighing 25 kilograms, was also dismantled by the authorities in downtown Deir Ezzor city near the Electric Company.
In another account, the Doha-based al-Jazeera TV cited witnesses as saying that a total of 42 people were killed Friday during confrontations with government forces, as thousands of people thronged to the streets in several Syrian cities calling for international protection and an air embargo.
However, Hasan Abdul-Azim, a prominent opposition figure rejected such calls that "aim to entail the foreign intervention in Syria's affairs," according to the private Sham-Fm radio.
Also, the Third Way Movement, a moderate opposition group pursuing a compromise between adamant opposition groups outside Syria and the regime to salvage the country from menacing dangers, decried in a statement that such calls "represent a clear-cut demand for flagrant international intervention."
The anti-government protest has continued unabatedly for more than seven months with mounting calls for the downfall of the regime.
The Syrian government blamed the unrest on armed groups and thugs acting out a foreign conspiracy, citing the killing of more than 1,000 army personnel during the turmoil. However, the United Nations estimated that more than 3,000 people had been killed over the past seven months.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 18:19:21 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
A number of law-enforcement agents were injured Friday by the gunfire of armed groups in central Syria and dozens of wanted gunmen were arrested, the state- run SANA news agency reported Saturday.
The agents were injured in the al-Qusour neighborhood in the central province of Hama during an attack by unidentified gunmen, said the report.
An official source refuted reports broadcasted by al-Jazeera TV that warplanes flew over the city and countryside of Homs, saying such reports aimed to "provoke and incite the Syrian citizens."
The report "comes in the framework of the conspiracy against Syria," said the source, adding that plotters, inside and outside, "seek to incite the world public opinion and the international community against Syria."
Meanwhile, SANA said Syrian authorities in Homs arrested over the past few days scores of wanted gunmen and seized a large quantity of weapons while tracking down the armed groups in al- Nazihin neighborhood in Homs, including automatic rifles, night binoculars and Israeli-made bombs.
An explosive device planted by armed groups was dismantled by a military engineering unit in the Damascus suburb of Douma, SANA said, adding that a engineering unit in Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria dismantled an explosive device weighing three kilograms.
Another explosive device, weighing 25 kilograms, was also dismantled by the authorities in downtown Deir Ezzor city near the Electric Company.
In another account, the Doha-based al-Jazeera TV cited witnesses as saying that a total of 42 people were killed Friday during confrontations with government forces, as thousands of people thronged to the streets in several Syrian cities calling for international protection and an air embargo.
However, Hasan Abdul-Azim, a prominent opposition figure rejected such calls that "aim to entail the foreign intervention in Syria's affairs," according to the private Sham-Fm radio.
Also, the Third Way Movement, a moderate opposition group pursuing a compromise between adamant opposition groups outside Syria and the regime to salvage the country from menacing dangers, decried in a statement that such calls "represent a clear-cut demand for flagrant international intervention."
The anti-government protest has continued unabatedly for more than seven months with mounting calls for the downfall of the regime.
The Syrian government blamed the unrest on armed groups and thugs acting out a foreign conspiracy, citing the killing of more than 1,000 army personnel during the turmoil. However, the United Nations estimated that more than 3,000 people had been killed over the past seven months.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 18:19:21 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Six security members injured in attack on police station in southern Yemen
Six security members injured in attack on police station in southern Yemen
At least six security members were seriously injured Saturday morning in a bomb attack targeted a police headquarters in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a police officer told Xinhua.
The local police officer said on condition of anonymity that three bombs detonated at the main gate of a police station headquarters in Khor Maksar district, seriously injuring at least six security members.
"Unidentified people threw grenade bombs on the soldiers guarding the police station, causing serious injuries among them," he said, adding that "heavy clashes took place after the explosion. "
Saturday's attack came just one day after the head of counter- terrorism force in Aden was killed when a car bomb exploded beneath his vehicle near the Aden's International Airport.
A number of intelligence offices and police stations in Aden have repeatedly been the targets in the last several months.
The government authorities usually accuse militants of the al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of being behind these attacks.
In nearby Abyan province, hundreds of AQAP militants captured the provincial city and at least three towns late in May.
Editor: Zhang Xiang
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 17:32:17 FeedbackPrintRSS
ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
At least six security members were seriously injured Saturday morning in a bomb attack targeted a police headquarters in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, a police officer told Xinhua.
The local police officer said on condition of anonymity that three bombs detonated at the main gate of a police station headquarters in Khor Maksar district, seriously injuring at least six security members.
"Unidentified people threw grenade bombs on the soldiers guarding the police station, causing serious injuries among them," he said, adding that "heavy clashes took place after the explosion. "
Saturday's attack came just one day after the head of counter- terrorism force in Aden was killed when a car bomb exploded beneath his vehicle near the Aden's International Airport.
A number of intelligence offices and police stations in Aden have repeatedly been the targets in the last several months.
The government authorities usually accuse militants of the al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of being behind these attacks.
In nearby Abyan province, hundreds of AQAP militants captured the provincial city and at least three towns late in May.
Editor: Zhang Xiang
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 17:32:17 FeedbackPrintRSS
ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
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