News, Prophecy and other

[Soldier4Christ]

Yet there are so many that want to blame the Christians and the Jews for their behaviour. After all it is our fault that they are such horrible people.

[Shammu]

Brother, I thought long and hard about this case when I heard it on the news. One must think about the indoctrination and actual brain-washing of this false religion and what they teach the children from the very beginning. There is no irony that there is an evil and senseless violence just waiting to be unleashed for the slightest reason or NO reason at all. In fact, it's more than sufficient that their victims are Jews or Christians. It just doesn't matter that the victims are completely innocent of anything. Bluntly, this is an evil work of the devil.

Love In Christ,
Tom

John 1:10-13 NASB  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

I agree, with you brother, you have an insight I don't. Thats cause you were a cop.   So I've learned to trust your insight on matter, like these.

[Soldier4Christ]

Iran faces consequences in nuclear dispute: Cheney
Tue Mar 7, 2006 11:23 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons and faces "meaningful consequences" if it persists in defying the international community, Vice President Dick Cheney said on Tuesday.

Cheney, speaking to the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, also reaffirmed that the United States was keeping all options on the table -- including military force -- in its determination to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms.

"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences," Cheney said.

Cheney spoke as the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency governing board was meeting in Vienna to decide its next steps on Iran.

"For our part, the United States is keeping all options on the table. ... We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," Cheney said.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said late on Monday that Washington would seek to have European allies and others, possibly including Russia and China, join it in imposing travel and financial sanctions on Iran if it refused to halt nuclear uranium enrichment.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had dinner on Monday night with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and was to hold further meetings on Tuesday.

[Soldier4Christ]

Al-Qaida leader in Palestine soon to be revealed?
Terrorists' pamphlet demands non-Muslims vacate West Bank, Gaza


JERUSALEM – An al-Qaida leader as important as overall terror chief Osama bin Laden and the group's Iraq leader Abu Musab Zarqawi will soon reveal himself in the Palestinian territories and orchestrate local and global jihad from the area, according to a pamphlet distributed in the Gaza Strip and obtained by WorldNetDaily.

The pamphlet, signed by a group calling itself the Jaish al Jihad, or Army of Jihad, claimed to speak for al-Qaida. It warned all non-Muslims and foreign embassies to vacate the Palestinian areas within one month.

"Is there now among us a person like Saladin, like Sheik Osama bin Laden, like Abu Musab Zarqawi? The answer is yes. We have this man and he will appear with the help of Allah very soon on the land of Palestine," said the pamphlet, which was intercepted this week by the Palestinian General Intelligence after being circulated in southern Gaza.

The message continued: "We ask all foreigners who are not Muslims to leave our holy Islamic land. We will fight all those who do not believe that Allah is the one and only God. [We will fight] every government that will not apply the rules of Allah and Islam and that chooses to follow the rules of the West and the infidels that bring corruption to our lives and religion like prostitution, alcohol … and drugs."

The group threatened the Palestinian police and security services not to interrupt its planned activities, adding, "We will fight all the corrupted and unbelieving politicians. It will be a great war for the purity of the land of Islam and Palestine."

Abbas: Signs of al-Qaida in Palestinian territories

The pamphlet's distribution coincided with remarks last week by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that there were signs al-Qaida has established itself in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

"We have indications about a presence of al-Qaida in Gaza and the (West) Bank. This is intelligence information. We have not yet reached the point of arrests," Abbas said, after months of denying the global jihad group was able to infiltrate Palestinian territory.

"The last security report I received was three days ago," Abbas told the London-based al-Hayat newspaper. "This is the first time that I've spoken about this subject. This is a very serious matter."

Israel: Al-Qaida infiltrated after Gaza withdrawal, poised to attack

Abbas' statements followed a series of warnings by senior Israeli intelligence officials that al-Qaida operatives infiltrated Gaza while the Rafah crossing, the main terminal at Gaza's border with Egypt's Sinai desert, was opened for several days immediately after Israel's withdrawal from the area this past August.

Egyptian officials attempted to close the border several times, but Hamas and other terror groups managed to reopen the crossing, once using a controlled explosion along the border fence and another time ramming a dump truck through the border wall.

Egypt has admitted to difficulty eliminating al-Qaida cells in Sinai suspected of involvement in recent terror attacks, including the bombings in Sharm el Sheikh in July and Taba last year, which together killed more than 100 people.

In September, Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi Farkash, chief of intelligence for the Israeli Defense Forces, said al-Qaida infiltrated Gaza and was interested in attacking Israel.

Security officials said they feared al-Qaida terrorists who made it to Gaza will try to cross into the West Bank's Palestinian population centers, which border many of Israel's major cities.

Yaacov Amidror, former chief of research for Israeli military intelligence, told WND al-Qaida may seek to use Gaza as a sanctuary to plan attacks throughout the Middle East.

"Today, one of the weaknesses of al-Qaida is its lack of a safe haven in the Middle East," Amidror said. "The new realities in Gaza will make it one of the most convenient places for al-Qaida to base their global operations. The Gaza Strip will become a paradise because it will be an area in which the population and the terror groups in power, especially Hamas, share the same ideology as al-Qaida."

Al-Qaida and Hamas: Ideological partners?

Reuven Erlich, director of the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at Israel's Center for Special Studies, stressed the common ideological links between al-Qaida and Hamas, which is currently forming the next PA government.

The link, Erlich said, can be emphasized through Palestinian cleric Abdullah Azzam, who was al-Qaida's ideologue and until his death, Osama bin Laden's spiritual mentor.

"We found Azzam's picture on Hamas posters from Gaza and a lot of Hamas material," Erlich told WND. "Azzam's portrait in materials reveal that he is perceived by Hamas as one of the four 'outstanding figures' of the Islamic 'struggle' in Palestine and around the world."

Rice's border agreement has terrorists infiltrating Gaza

A senior Israel security official involved in the investigation of possible al-Qaida operatives in Gaza told WND last week he fears the global group can still make its way from Sinai into the Gaza Strip due to major security lapses at the Rafah crossing following a deal brokered in November by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

A recent WorldNetDaily probe found Rice's international border agreement, which called for European monitors at the Rafah crossing, is allowing terrorists to infiltrate the Gaza Strip, where they are poised to attack Israel. WND also found the deal allows Gaza-based terrorists freedom to travel into Sinai, where they can meet with regional jihadists.

Rice's agreement, which Israel accepted reportedly after intense American pressure, restricted the Jewish state to monitor the area by camera, called for a European presence at the border station and offered the Palestinians some veto power on vehicles and persons entering Gaza.

New border rules stipulate Israel cannot restrict who leaves Gaza, but it can ask the European monitors to delay for several hours anyone crossing the border if Israel provides information indicating an entrant may be a security threat.

Israeli security officials told WND the cameras at the border are not sufficient to identify entrants, and they said the Palestinians have been failing to supply accurate and timely lists of individuals crossing into Gaza. They charged the Palestinians have tampered with the names of entrants, accusing Palestinian border workers of deliberately disguising the personal information of terrorists crossing the border.

"The result," one security officials said, "is that the border between Gaza and Egypt is nonexistent."

Indeed, several senior terrorists based in Gaza told WorldNetDaily the past few weeks they were able to cross into the Sinai and back without a problem.

One terror leader said he went to Egypt for "vacation."

Hamas chief Mahmoud al-Zahar's brother, Fadel, entered Gaza through Rafah just day's after Rice's border deal was implemented, reportedly bringing with him 13 other wanted terrorists. Fadel Al-Zahar had been deported by Israel to Lebanon in 1991 after he was accused of orchestrating attacks.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tehran, Dubai to strengthen ties
Relations sure to be raised in UAE port controversy
Posted: March 6, 2006
6:44 p.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Senior officials of the Iranian government met with United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad ben Rashid al-Maktoum today in Dubai with both sides pledging to strengthen relations in all areas.

Iran is the center of the world's attention because of its efforts to develop and test nuclear weapons, while the UAE is the focus of a major controversy in the U.S. because of Dubai Ports World's efforts to control operations of U.S. ports.

The official Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency reports Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi and the UAE's Sheikh Mohammad pledged to strengthen ties between the two Persian Gulf nations.

Mostafavi also invited Sheikh Mohammad for a state visit to Tehran. The meetings included a briefing on the Iranians positions on Iraq, Palestinian developments and the status of Iran-Russia talks on the nuclear controversy. A briefing was offered on the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.

[Soldier4Christ]

Dubai company shills
for Iran nuke project
Essential ingredient for bombs shipped from China to Tehran by UAE company


WASHINGTON – Did the other shoe just drop in the controversy over the U.S. port deal with a United Arab Emirates company?

Another Dubai-based company, this one owned by the Iranian government, has been used by Tehran's defense ministry to procure a key component needed for the production of nuclear weapons, reports Iran Focus.

The development is sure to stoke the already red-hot embers of controversy in Washington over a proposed contract with Dubai Ports World to run port operations in the U.S. – a deal that prompted bipartisan criticism of the Bush administration.

Iran is a top concern of the Bush administration because of its efforts to develop and test nuclear weapons in the near future – perhaps as soon as late this month, according to some analysts and intelligence reports.

Iran Focus cites sources inside the Iranian government as saying Gulf Resources Development Corporation, the Iranian-owed Dubai company, has smuggled sizeable quantities of a type of graphite known as ceramic matrix composite, or CMC, from China to Iran.

The report has been confirmed by WND's own sources.

Ceramic matrix composite is an essential ingredient in the construction of nuclear weapons and helps to preserve highly enriched uranium. Without CMC insulation, highly enriched uranium cannot be placed in a bomb structure because of high radiation. Although CMC is a so-called "dual-use" item, international trading of CMC is prohibited for use in nuclear weapons under the Missile Technology Control Regime.

The Iranian Defense Ministry's front company set up its Dubai subsidiary in 1995. Iran has been using the Dubai-based company for over a decade to procure sensitive precursors for its secret military projects, taking advantage of the port's lax controls, free tax and convenient banking facilities, according to the report.

Worse yet, GRDC is not the only Iranian front company operating in Dubai, according to the report. As early as March 1989, a firm owned by the Indian government was reported to have shipped 60 tons of thionyl chloride, which can be used to manufacture mustard gas and nerve agents, to Iran via Dubai. In later years, Iran used front companies in Dubai to illegally import centrifuge parts, sensitive computer components, encryption devices and a range of blacklisted materials with military use.

An Iranian exile, Alireza Jafarzadeh, has made similar claims about GRDC's role in the production of Iran's nuclear weapons. Iran now reportedly is capable of producing its own CMC.

Because of its light weight, CMC is the key to longer-range nuclear missiles. Iran already boasts the capability of medium-range missiles that can strike most of Europe and all of the Middle East.

GRDC, while on a U.S. watch list of companies involved in illegal trading, operates freely in the UAE.


__________________________


And this is the company they want controlling our ports.

[Soldier4Christ]

Computer Glitch Slows Traffic At Area Airports

   
NEW YORK -- The main radar system, which controls all three New York metro airports, failed Tuesday afternoon, NewsChannel 4 has learned.

A backup system is up and running. However, there are delays at all three major airports (LaGuardia, JFK and Newark) and smaller airports in the New York metro area.

The problem is reportedly with the the main computer system at the New York Center in Ronkonkoma on Long Island.

The radar system can see the aircraft as a blip on the screen, but is not getting the identifying information tag attached to each flight. As a result, controllers at New York center are having to manually notify other centers and control towers about each plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration has increased separation between aircraft to fifteen miles.

There are up to one-hour delays at the major airports.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hamas Launches Web Site Encouraging Kids to Become 'Martyrs'

The Palestinian Authority's ruling Hamas terror group has launched a web site for children, preaching the moral desirability of being a suicide terrorist through cartoons and children's stories.



The Hamas-run Al-Fateh.net glorifies shahada, martyrdom, and presents the deaths of terrorists attacking Israelis as a time of celebration, according to a report by Palestinian Media Watch.

One of the stories on the site quotes a mother saying that when she heard her son had become a ubgone19, a martyr, she bought dates, candies and coffee to give out. An entire section of the site is called "Stories of the ubgone19s" and the most recently posted story honors Hamas terrorist Naseem Ja'abari, who murdered 16 people when he blew himself up on a bus in Be'er Sheva on August 31, 2004.

The page is egalitarian in its encouragement of martyrdom, with a prominently featured drawing of a religiously garbed girl participating in violent attacks (pictured above) on both the homepage and on a second page with a poem glorifying Jihad, Islamic conquest, and Shahada.

Hamas recently won the Palestinian Authority's parliamentary elections by a landslide and has since been subject to requests and demands that it at least verbally recognize Israel. One the web site, though, according to PMW, "Israel is repeatedly referred to as 'thief' and 'invader' and its defeat in battle is both desired and anticipated."

Though the site shares its name with Yassir Arafat's rival terror group, Al-Fateh, the name means "The Conqueror" and is run by Hamas.

The following are excerpts from PMW's translation of a poem on the site and excerpts from the "Stories of the ubgone19s" section:

We rose up
We rose up against the thieves
We rose up against [them], and we shall never surrender
We will rise up in determination, like our ancestors
We will sacrifice, sacrifice our lives

Our father's bidding has taught us
That Jihad is the eternal path
And that the oppressors will be defeated...
We have become devoted and we will never surrender
One day we will defeat all the invaders
We bless and honor the proud
The blood of the ubgone19 has taught us
That Shahada is a new life
O Allah, bless the steps of the rebels
Indeed, Shahada is an open victory
[Al-Fateh website, March 7, 2006]

Stories of the ubgone19s

"...Our ubgone19 today is the the Shahada-seeker, the hero Naseem Al-Ja'abari."

Naseem's mother tells of her son's merits and says that when she heard of his terrorist action, she took the money he had left her and "went to buy dates and candies for the people who came to congratulate [us]." She goes on to tell how she heard her son committed the suicide bombing. Finally, she sends her greetings to all those people who want to become ubgone19s.

Naseem's mother also gloats that "[in light] of the success of the heroic attack in Be'er Sheva, the Zionist Secret Service admitted they failed in eliminating the Resistance [euphemism for terror group], its roots and infrastructure".

[Shammu]

Annan Urges Overhaul of U.N. Operations

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 44 minutes ago

UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged U.N. member states Tuesday to approve a radical overhaul of the world body's operations that would include a 2,500-member rapid reaction team to help millions facing hunger, violence and terrorism.

After decades of piecemeal reform, Annan told the 191 members a radical overhaul is needed because current
United Nations rules and regulations "make it very hard for the organization to conduct its work efficiently or effectively."

Since the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, he said, the United Nations has changed from an organization of conferences and meetings to a global body engaged in peacekeeping, humanitarian relief efforts, electoral assistance and human rights monitoring.

Senior U.N. officials said over the next few years the management reforms could cost about $500 million, but the overhaul could eventually lead to savings of about the same amount.

Annan's proposed shakeup, detailed in a report, would create a mobile civil service and convert 2,500 short-term peacekeeping positions into a flexible, civilian team that can be deployed quickly in urgent peacekeeping and political missions.

It would also allow a one-time staff buyout costing about $100,000 per person, modernize U.N. information technology systems, and consider outsourcing translation, editing, printing, payroll, medical insurance and computer support services.

At a raucous meeting later with U.N. staff, Annan and senior U.N. officials were peppered with questions by distrustful staffers concerned about losing jobs, about managers filtering their complaints, and about the U.N. outsourcing work to companies like Halliburton. The sharpest and most critical questions received loud applause.

The proposals are a response to last year's investigation into the U.N. oil-for-food program, which blamed shoddy management in part for widespread corruption. It cited weaknesses in oversight, accountability, responsibility and structure.

The report, titled "Investing in the United Nations," proposed improvements in the way the U.N. buys goods and services, an area of that has seen widespread corruption and is the subject of several investigations. Annan said the proposed changes would improve transparency and lead to a savings of up to $400 million.

The secretary-general stressed the report is an effort to transform the U.N.'s post-World War II management structure and practices so the world body can deal with 21st century problems.

More than 70 percent of its $10 billion annual budget now relates to peacekeeping operations — up from about 50 percent of a $4.5 billion budget 10 years ago — and over half of the U.N.'s 30,000 civilian staff now serve in the field, Annan noted.

Since the Cold War ended, the U.N. has taken on more than twice as many new peacekeeping missions as in the previous 44 years, the report said.

The United States has been pushing for a major management overhaul that would give the secretary-general more power and flexibility.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said "the notion of a radical overhaul is exactly what we've been suggesting."

"So now the burden, I think, is to persuade the other U.N. member states it's not just a U.S. reform, the secretary-general is proposing it. I think it's got support. Now we need to push it through," he said.

But the General Assembly, dominated by developing countries, controls the U.N.'s purse strings and must approve most of the reforms — and it is not expected to give up any power easily.

In a speech to the assembly launching the report, Annan said, "This reform is not a cost-cutting exercise, any more than it is a grab for power by the Secretariat, or a desperate attempt to placate one or two major contributors to the budget."

Annan said that "for many years, this organization has been skimping on investment — investment in people, investment in systems, investment in information and communications technology."

It is time now, he said, for member states to invest in the United Nations so the organization can be better organized, more transparent, and give "better value to the hundreds of millions of people throughout the world who, by no fault of their own, find themselves in need of its services."

"The true stakeholders in an effective United Nations," he said, are the people threatened by extreme poverty, hunger, malnutrition, disease, environmental degradation, natural disasters, civil conflict, anarchy, violence, transnational organized crime, terrorism, oppression, bad government, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

"Let us not fail them," Annan said.

He called on member states to adopt the package as a whole, saying failure to reform one area "can greatly reduce, or even nullify, the value of reform in all the others."

Annan Urges Overhaul of U.N. Operations

[Shammu]

Rice, Lavrov expose widening US-Russia rift

By Saul Hudson Tue Mar 7, 7:27 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top diplomats from Russia and the United States exposed their countries' widening rift on Tuesday, publicly airing disagreements over how to curb Iran's nuclear programs and other issues, such as trade and democracy.

At a news conference, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov departed from their past practice of keeping their differences behind closed doors and exchanged complaints about the other's policies.

After Rice said she had expressed U.S. worries about Russia's democracy, Lavrov retorted that Moscow too had concerns about the United States and complained that Washington was the sole hold-out blocking its entry to the
World Trade Organization.

Lavrov, on his first visit to Washington as foreign minister, did seek to stress areas of cooperation such as non-proliferation but even then acknowledged that the United States and Russia typically disagreed on tactics.

"Despite the fact that our methods in achieving the goals are not usually -- do not necessarily coincide or are identical, however, the goals ... in our cooperation are identical and are shared," he said.

This month, Russia undercut America's drive to isolate Hamas by hosting the militant group in Moscow following its victory in Palestinian elections.

Lavrov touted the talks as the start of persuading Hamas to accept Palestinian-Israeli peace accords as demanded by major broker powers, including the United States, which has eschewed direct contact with Hamas.

Rice did not comment on Moscow's discussions with Hamas but her spokesman Sean McCormack played down their significance saying the group had not made any new commitments. "I did not hear anything different from Foreign Minister Lavrov," he said.

Russia has also in recent days been seeking to forge its own agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear programs and slow the U.S. campaign for eventual U.N. Security Council sanctions against the Islamic republic.

After meeting President George W. Bush at the White House, Lavrov tersely dismissed a reporter's question asking if Russia supported sanctions. "Have you seen a proposal for any sanctions? This is a hypothetical question," he said.

Hours before Lavrov arrived in Washington, the United States rejected what diplomats said was a Russian compromise proposal to allow Iran to do some atomic research for programs it says are solely for generating electricity.

That prompted Lavrov to deny at the news conference that Russia had a formal proposal, a U.S. official said.

Patrick Clawson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Russian idea could hurt Rice's year-long effort to change a widespread perception that the United States was to blame for the failure of negotiations with Iran.

"This is a problem for the United States," he said.

SOUL AND SUSPICION

Russia's diplomatic moves on Iran and Hamas come amid rising strains over what Washington sees as President
Vladimir Putin's increasing grip on power, one that belies his status as chair of July's summit of the Group of Eight industrialized democracies.

On Tuesday, Rice and Lavrov stood stiffly and at one point the Russian had to reassure Rice, a former Soviet specialist, he had not planted a question from a Russian journalist about trade.

"You confirm that you did not (plant it), right?" said Rice, who has complained about the erosion of media freedoms under Putin.

That sense of suspicion contrasted with the early days of Bush's presidency when Bush said he trusted Putin after looking into his soul.

Rice, Lavrov expose widening US-Russia rift

My note; Its about time, KEEP LOOKING UP FOLKS!

[Shammu]

U.S. Envoy Talks With Top Shiite Leader

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA AND STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writers Tue Mar 7, 8:40 PM ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. ambassador held talks with a top Shiite leader Tuesday as Iraqi factions wrangled over a new government. The prime minister declared he would not be "blackmailed" into stepping aside, and the Shiite majority balked at convening the parliament.

The inability to agree is threatening to crush American hopes of beginning a troop pullout this summer as violence rages on. Bombings, mortar blasts and gunfire killed 19 more people throughout the country Tuesday, and police also reported finding four more bullet-riddled bodies — two of them with their eyes gouged out.

Holding a first session of parliament is a required step toward forming a new government. Fifteen days after the first meeting, parliament is supposed to elect a new president — a job the incumbent, Jalal Talabani, wants to keep. In 15 more days, the parliament is to approve the nominated prime minister and 30 days later must vote on his Cabinet.

Underscoring U.S. concerns over the deteriorating political situation, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad held a meeting with Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the powerful Shiite Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in
Iraq, one of the two dominant parties in the Shiite coalition that won the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections.

The two met at al-Hakim's Baghdad home to discuss "the current political situation concerning the formation of a new government and developments related to the alliance's candidate to head the Cabinet (al-Jaafari)," the SCIRI Web site reported with an accompanying photo of the session.

The U.S. Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for further information.

In an interview published Tuesday, Khalilzad said the 2003 U.S. ouster of Saddam Hussein had opened a "Pandora's box" that could see the violence and turmoil now gripping Iraq turn into an all-out regional war if American troops are withdrawn too quickly.

"We have opened the Pandora's box and the question is, what is the way forward?" Khalilzad told the Los Angeles Times. "The way forward, in my view, is an effort to build bridges across (Iraq's) communities."

But narrowing differences among Iraq's Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds has become an increasingly difficult task in the aftermath of the Feb. 22 bombing that destroyed the golden dome atop a Shiite shrine in the mainly Sunni city of Samarra.

The attack set off two weeks of sectarian revenge attacks, mainly targeting Sunni mosques, clerics and neighborhoods. Sunni politicians have accused the Mahdi Army, the Shiite militia loyal to firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, of launching many of the attacks with the blessing of the Shiite-controlled government security apparatus.

In a report Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said U.S.-led coalition forces and Iraq's authorities may be violating international law by arbitrarily detaining thousands of people.

The report, which studied the situation in Iraq over the last three months, said Iraq's prison system remains a major concern and lamented that an investigation into allegations of torture in Iraqi Interior Ministry jails had not yet been made public as promised.

Annan's criticism of Multinational Forces and the Iraqi authorities in responding to violence was among the strongest he has made, although many of his claims were not new. He said the detainment of thousands of Iraqis "constitutes de facto arbitrary detention."

Accusations such as those brought by Sunni politicians and echoed by Annan — and the simmering feud between Talabani, the Kurdish president, and Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Shiite prime minister who owed his re-nomination to al-Sadr's backing — spurred the formation of a coalition determined to block al-Jaafari's second term.

If Kurds and Sunnis refuse Cabinet posts because of al-Jaafari, it could mark a failure of the U.S. goal of setting up a unity government with support of all ethnic and religious factions.

Washington policy holds that such a unity government would inspire sufficient loyalty from all parties to enable it to fight the raging insurgency by itself as American forces began to withdraw.

Talabani, with the backing of Sunni and some secular political parties, notified al-Hakim last week that the opposition coalition members would not join any government led by al-Jaafari.

Al-Hakim tried to fend off the political insurrection by having aides issue statements that alternately sought to placate both the anti-al-Jaafari coalition and his fellow Shiites led by al-Sadr.

Al-Hakim is widely believed to agree that al-Jaafari is a divisive figure but is worried about provoking a split within his own Shiite ranks if he publicly says so.

Al-Jaafari declared Tuesday he would not be "blackmailed" into standing aside.

"Dr. al-Jaafari will not be subdued by blackmail. Dr. al-Jaafari is not violating the constitution. I am not moody, and I am not personalizing the constitution," the prime minister said.

An evening meeting between the Kurdish faction in parliament and the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance failed to break the impasse.

"There is no progress. We are sticking to our stance and they explained their stance," Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman told The Associated Press.

The gloves were clearly off as Othman said the Kurds demanded that al-Hakim respond in writing whether he supported al-Jaafari and why.

On Monday, the Shiites blunted Talabani's effort to bring the dispute to a head by calling parliament into session Sunday for the first time since the election and the Feb. 12 certification of the vote — a deadline dictated by the new constitution.

Sensing a split in their ranks and uncertain how to overcome it, the Shiites blocked the convocation of parliament by having the Shiite vice president refuse to sign Talabani's decree. On Tuesday the Shiites sent Talabani a letter formally asking him to delay his decree.

U.S. Envoy Talks With Top Shiite Leader

[Shammu]

Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 19:07 GMT

Iran forces 'infiltrating Iraq'

Iranian revolutionary forces have been infiltrating Iraq, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said.

"They [Iran] are currently putting people into Iraq to do things that are harmful to the future of Iraq," Mr Rumsfeld told a news conference.

"We know it, and it is something that they... will look back on as having been an error in judgement," he added.

His comments come amid an upsurge in sectarian violence in Iraq, touched off by the bombing of a sacred Shia shrine.

Weapons claim

Asked whether the alleged insertion of Iranian forces into Iraq was backed by the central government in Tehran, Mr Rumsfeld said: "Of course, the Quds force does not go milling around willy-nilly, one would think."

Al Quds is a division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the network of soldiers and vigilantes whose mandate is to defeat threats to the 1979 Islamic revolution. The Al Quds Division is responsible for operations outside Iran. General Peter Pace, chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there had also been some improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and weapons that "we believe are traceable back to Iran".

A claim by Britain last October that Iran had provided the technology for bomb attacks on British troops in southern Iraq sparked a heated dispute.

IEDs employing shaped charges and infra-red triggering have killed at least 10 British soldiers in the south of Iraq since May last year, and were first seen in Lebanon where they are used by Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran and Syria.

Yet Iran has denied that it is in any way responsible for supplying the technology.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Mr Rumsfeld also rejected suggestions civil war was engulfing Iraq, hitting out at what he said were exaggerated media reports of violence there.

"I do not believe they're in a civil war today," he said.

He added: "There's always been a potential for a civil war. That country was held together through a repressive regime that put hundreds of thousands of human beings into mass graves."

But he acknowledged that the 22 February attack on the mosque in the city of Samarra had delayed efforts to form a unified government in Iraq.

Iran forces 'infiltrating Iraq'

[Shammu]

North Korea Refuses Return to Nuke Talks

2 hours, 27 minutes ago

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea reiterated its pledge not to return to nuclear disarmament talks after a meeting with U.S. officials about the communist regime's alleged illicit financial activity, a top North Korean diplomat was quoted as saying Wednesday.

At Tuesday's meeting in New York, the Americans emphasized that moves against a Macau bank where Pyongyang held accounts were part of regulatory moves "to protect the U.S. financial system from abuse, and not a sanction on North Korea," according to a U.S. Treasury Department statement.

"Our position is consistent that (North Korea) cannot return to the talks in the midst of the continued pressure (from the United States)," Ri Gun, director-general of North Korean Foreign Ministry's American affairs bureau, said after the talks Tuesday, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Ri headed the North's delegation to the meeting.

Last September, the United States blacklisted Banco Delta Asia and several North Korean companies it said were involved in illicit activities, including counterfeiting, money laundering and funding weapons proliferation.

North Korea denies the allegations and has maintained since November that it will not return to six-party talks on its nuclear program until the restrictions are lifted. Washington says the issue is unrelated to the nuclear talks.

Ri, director-general of North Korean Foreign Ministry's American affairs bureau and the North's deputy nuclear negotiator, said the North Koreans had offered their own solution to the financial impasse, but gave no details.

"Today, the (North) and the U.S. had enough dialogue on mutual interests and concerns," Ri said, according to Yonhap. "We got to know each other's position and confirmed differences once again."

The North agreed in September at the nuclear talks — which also include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea — to abandon its atomic program in exchange for aid and security guarantees. However, no progress has been made since then on implementing the accord.

The North has publicly claimed it has nuclear weapons, but has not performed any known tests that would confirm its arsenal.

North Korea Refuses Return to Nuke Talks

[Shammu]

Dubai event to honour Arab women
By Indlieb Farazi

Tuesday 07 March 2006, 15:37 Makka Time, 12:37 GMT 

Women from across the Middle East have gathered in Dubai to mark International Women's Day and recognise women's achievements in the region.

On Tuesday, in the first of a two-day event, the Middle East Businesswomen & Leaders Achievement Awards will promote regional women's leadership and honour outstanding leaders.

The event, now in its eighth year, is held annually on 8 March to commemorate International Women's Day.

The eighth Global Businesswomen and Leaders Forum will run from 7-8 March at the Burj al-Arab in Dubai.

One of the speakers hopes the forum will put an end to negative perceptions the media have about Saudi women.

Sawsan Shadly, a Saudi businesswoman, told Aljazeera.net: "I think forums such as this one will offer new chances for Saudi businesswomen.

Ostacle course

"There are obstacles for Saudi businesswomen in the GCC. Previously, Saudi law meant that a woman could only run a business if she had a male wakeel or sponsor. But things are changing," Shadly said.

"Changes in Saudi law mean that now a woman can run her own business independently of any wakeel."

Shadly, who runs her own events management company, said: "Forums such as these can show Saudi women in a different light. It is our turn to give a good impression of who we are. It is our turn to show how successful women can be and that Saudis are not just terrorists."

The conference and awards recognise Middle Eastern women who are models of community leadership.

More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the forum. Participants will interact at the forum, deliver speeches, take part in panel discussions and discuss case studies.

Women negotiate

Fatma ba-Uthman, an academic from Saudi Arabia, is another speaker at the event. Ba-Uthman will be holding a workshop on how to make decisions and negotiate successfully.

"The forum will help to bridge the gap between men and women. It is a chance to show the west that the Arab world also has educated, quality women"

Fatma ba-Uthman, Saudi academic She said: "Women are patient, good listeners and more, but we need to tap into these skills and implement them into the business world.
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"The importance of such a forum is getting women in the region to share ideas together.

"The forum will help to bridge the gap between men and women. It is a chance to show the West that the Arab world also has educated, quality women."

Ihab Hamad, media and public-relations manager for Datamatix, the company responsible for organising the event, said: "By honouring these exceptional women, we hope to advance their business and personal networks.

"We also want to increase the number of role models and mentors for all young achievers, both male and female."

The forum includes presentations, open discussions and Q&A sessions, and provides networking opportunities for conference delegates.

Topics for discussion include investment opportunities for businesswomen; women in politics; and the emerging role of women in the Middle East media industry.

Empowering women

The forum is open to those interested in the field of professional development and business empowerment of Middle East women.

This includes researchers, policy makers, and officials of government and business organisations.

Aljazeera's soon to be launched channel, Aljazeera International, will cover events such as the forum. A spokeswoman for AJI's Everywoman Programme, said: "International Women's Day is an important day for every woman. Although we are based out of Qatar, we have a global remit and are committed to starting a dialogue between women that allows us to tell our stories regardless of ethnic or religious differences."

Dubai event to honour Arab women

[Shammu]

Algeria frees Islamic Front leader

Tuesday 07 March 2006, 7:26 Makka Time, 4:26 GMT 

Algerian authorities have released a leader of the banned Islamic Salvation Front as part of a mass pardon.

This follows Ali Belhadj's arrest last year for praising Iraq's insurgency despite being barred from making public statements.

Belhadj, the group's former deputy leader, went to visit his mother's grave at the Kuba cemetery after his release on Monday, his brother Abdelhafid told reporters.

Belhadj's mother died while he was in the al-Harrach prison in a suburb of Algiers.

Belhadj was one of 2200 Islamist prisoners being pardoned or having their sentences reduced as part of the Algerian government's effort to turn the page on the brutal insurgency that left about 150,000 people dead in the 1990s, his brother said.

Belhadj was barred from political or charitable activity and from making public statements when he was released in 2003, after serving a 12-year term for threatening national security.

Belhadj, a charismatic preacher, refused to sign the order condemning himself and fellow Salvation Front leader Abassi Madani to silence.

Still, it was considered legally binding.

Internal conflict

Last July, Belhadj praised the Iraqi anti-government uprising on Aljazeera television and condoned the kidnapping in Iraq of two Algerian diplomats, who were later killed.

The Salvation Front rose to power in Algeria's first multiparty national elections in December 1991.

The army cancelled the second round of the vote, igniting an insurgency that ravaged the country.

Tens of thousands of civilians were killed.

Government security forces were accused of playing at least a passive role in some of the bloodshed, which largely ended with a cease-fire in 1997.

As part of national reconciliation efforts approved in a referendum last year, jails around the country started releasing prisoners this weekend.

The plan foresees pardons for people convicted of crimes that did not involve massacre, rape or explosions in public places.

Algeria frees Islamic Front leader