THIS MURDERER BIN LADEN WILL FIND OUT WHO WILL GET IRON AND FIRE (NUKES)FIRED AT HIM.
Bin Laden says free Gaza with iron and fire By Lin Noueihed
Fri Mar 21, 12:46 AM ET
DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden urged Palestinians on Thursday to use iron and fire to end an Israeli blockade of Gaza, in a recording after the Vatican rejected accusations by the al Qaeda chief of a new crusade.In an audiotape broadcast by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite channel on Thursday, bin Laden urged Muslims to keep up the struggle against U.S. forces in Iraq as a path to liberating Palestine. The tape was released around the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.My speech is about the Gaza siege and the way to retrieve it and the rest of Palestine from the hands of the Zionist enemy, the Saudi-born militant said.
Our enemies did not take it by negotiations and dialogue but with fire and iron. And this is the way to get it back.On Wednesday, an Islamist Web site had issued another bin Laden recording which threatened the European Union with grave punishment for the publication of cartoons mocking Islam's Prophet Mohammad.In that recording, which coincided with the birthday of Islam's founder, bin Laden said the drawings were part of a crusade against Muslims in which Pope Benedict was involved.
The Vatican has rejected those accusations.
These accusations are totally unfounded, chief Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said.Italian security officials said they were examining the new bin Laden message and its impact on the Pope, who is preparing for busy Easter weekend celebrations. Obviously we can't ignore it but at this moment that doesn't mean the threat is being taken seriously, said an Italian security source.Bin Laden's message showed he regards Europe as fertile soil for al Qaeda, especially at a time of tension between free speech and Muslim values, but is unlikely to signal an imminent attack, security analysts and officials said.There is no evidence bin Laden's statements contain coded instructions to al Qaeda operatives and he has no track record of delivering warnings immediately before an attack, they said.
PUNISHMENT
Bin Laden said Europe would be punished for the cartoons, which were first published by a Danish paper in September 2005. The images ignited bloody unrest among Muslims when other newspapers around the world reprinted them the following year.Last month, some Danish papers republished one of the cartoons in solidarity with the cartoonist after three men were arrested on suspicion of plans to kill him, sparking more anger.Your publications of these drawings -- part of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican has a significant role -- is a confirmation from you that the war continues, said bin Laden, addressing those who are wise at the European Union.U.S. officials said the CIA was confident the voice was that of the fugitive leader of al Qaeda, blamed for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.Last month, the Vatican's top official for relations with Islam, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, condemned the cartoons. Lombardi pointed out Pope Benedict recently launched a permanent official dialogue with Muslim leaders. Al Qaeda has criticized the Pope before. Many Muslims were offended by a 2006 speech he made which they perceived as depicting Islam as a violent faith. The group's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said in December Benedict had insulted Islam and Muslims.Responding to the bin Laden statement, a spokeswoman for the EU presidency said: The European Union and its member states apply the principle of freedom of expression and freedom of religion, these are parts of our values and traditions.
The EU and its member states respect Islam.
The Danish Security and Intelligence Service said there was currently a heightened threat from militant extremists abroad against Denmark and Danes and Danish interests abroad, and that the bin Laden comments did not change that assessment. The Netherlands has said it fears a Muslim backlash when a right-wing lawmaker releases a film critical of the Koran.(Reporting by Philip Pullella, Sami Aboudi, Writing by Phil Stewart and Stephen Brown; Editing by Robert Woodward)
Israel shows little enthusiasm for Moscow peace conference Fri Mar 21, 4:53 AM ET
JERUSALEM (AFP) - A senior Israeli official on Friday expressed reservations over a proposal for a Middle East conference in Moscow promoted by visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Out of diplomatic courtesy, we didn't reject the plan, but the truth is, we are not enthusiastic, the official said, asking not to be named.
There have been enough international conferences. What is needed is to move forward in direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, he said.Lavrov has said he was discussing the proposed Moscow conference with all interested parties. He was scheduled to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the occupied West Bank on Friday, following talks on Thursday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Tel Aviv.Nothing has been finalised, Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev said after Thursday's talks.Israel supports any action that will move direct negotiation forward, he said.In Washington, a spokesman for Condoleezza Rice confirmed the US secretary of state had discussed Russia's proposal during her visit to Moscow this week.The main objective is to help the ongoing talks to create a positive atmosphere that will allow the peace process to reach a conclusion, Lavrov said on Thursday.Long-moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were revived at the US-sponsored Annapolis conference in November, but have made little progress since.
Hamas plays down chances of Fatah talks succeeding Fri Mar 21, 9:35 AM ET
GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas expressed doubt on Friday that Yemeni-sponsored reconciliation talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah faction would succeed despite an agreement to extend the discussions for an extra day. At the request of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the rival Palestinian factions agreed to meet on Saturday and make a further push for a breakthrough. Fatah is trying to avoid reaching an agreement by all possible means, said Ayman Taha, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, which the Islamist group seized in June after routing Abbas's Fatah forces.Taha said Abbas was not interested in resuming talks with Hamas because of an American veto.Abbas told reporters after meeting the Russian foreign minister in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the talks with Hamas had failed so far.But referring to Saturday's talks, Abbas added: We do not want to predict a failure. We hope for good results.The Yemeni proposal calls for the situation in the Gaza Strip to return to the way it was before the Hamas takeover and for Palestinian elections to be held.The main point of contention appeared to be Fatah's demand, included in the Yemeni proposal, for Hamas to give up control of the Gaza Strip.
The plan also envisages the creation of another unity government and rebuilding of Palestinian security forces along national rather than factional lines.Fatah has said it would agree to direct reconciliation talks with Hamas only if Hamas first consented to relinquish its hold on the Gaza Strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians.Members of Fatah's delegation announced on Thursday that they would stay another day at Yemen's request.Asked if he thought an agreement could be reached on Saturday, Saleh Rafat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, said: I don't think so.(Reporting Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Haitham Tamimi in Ramallah; Writing by Joseph Nasr, Editing by Tim Pearce)
Bomb targets Christian pastor's home Fri Mar 21, 3:36 PM ET
JERUSALEM - The teenage son of a Christian pastor was seriously wounded when a package bomb delivered to the family's West Bank home went off in his hands, Israeli officials said Friday. Police wouldn't release further details on Thursday's explosion or discuss possible motives. The boy's brother, reached by telephone at the family's home in the Jewish settlement of Ariel, confirmed the bombing but declined to elaborate.Israeli media speculated that the bomb — apparently delivered in one of the gift baskets Jews exchange on the Purim holiday that began Thursday night — might have been directed at the family's Christian missionary activities.
Israeli authorities and Orthodox Jews frown on missionary activity aimed at Jews, and some Muslims are angered by efforts to convert Muslims to Christianity.News reports identified the injured youth as Amiel Ortiz, son of David Ortiz, a missionary who leads a small Christian congregation in Ariel.He is in serious condition, still unconscious and hooked up to a respirator, Dr. Efrat Har-Lev of Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva told Channel 10 TV. He has shrapnel all over his body, and one of his eyes was hurt.She said his prospects for recovery were good because of his youth.
Russia to supply Abbas with armored vehicles, no guns Fri Mar 21, 5:12 PM ET
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - After months of delay, Russia agreed to Israeli conditions regarding the delivery of armored vehicles to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's security forces, Israeli officials said on Friday. Israel agreed in November to allow the Palestinians to receive up to 50 lightly armored vehicles but a dispute emerged over a Palestinian demand that they have guns mounted on them.Israeli officials said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during a meeting on Thursday that Russia agreed to shipping the vehicles without mounted guns.It was unclear when the vehicles would be delivered to Abbas's forces.We have been hearing about these armed vehicles for more than a year, said a Palestinian security official. Hopefully we will be able to receive the shipment.
Russian foreign ministry officials were not immediately available to comment.Israel had agreed to an initial delivery of 25 armored trucks and said an additional 25 could be authorized if Abbas's forces make progress exerting greater security control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.The vehicles were offered to the Palestinians by Russia several years ago but the transfer was put on hold after the Hamas Islamist group won elections in January 2006.(Additional reporting by Haitham Tamimi)(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Hamas, Islamic Jihad delegations head to Egypt Sat Mar 22, 6:47 AM ET
GAZA CITY (AFP) - A joint delegation from Hamas and Islamic Jihad travelled from the Gaza Strip to Egypt on Saturday for a new round of talks on the situation in the Hamas-ruled territory, a spokesman said. The delegations left this morning to discuss with Egyptian officials the latest developments in the issues that were discussed before, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP.Barhum declined to specify what the delegations would be talking about, but Egypt has been carrying out a flurry of talks in recent weeks aimed at securing some kind of formal ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
And in Cairo, a security official said the talks would focus on just such an objective.The source, who asked not to be identified, said two top aides of Egypt's powerful intelligence chief, General Omar Suleiman, will represent Cairo at the talks, which are to be held at the Rafah crossing from Gaza.In separate meetings with US and Israeli envoys and representatives from the main Palestinian factions, Egypt has also been trying to secure an agreement to lift Israel's blockade of Gaza and reopen its land crossings.Since Hamas took power, Israel has tightened restrictions on Gaza, preventing all but vital humanitarian aid from entering in an attempt to pressure the Hamas-run government to halt rocket attacks.A spokesman for the Hamas-run government hinted that the discussions would focus on trying to heal the internal Palestinian divide between Hamas and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party.
There have been meetings in the Palestinian territories to discuss recent ideas with our Egyptian brothers on difficult issues that concern the internal Palestinian situation, Ayman Taha told AFP.The two factions have been bitterly divided since Hamas gunmen drove Abbas's security forces from Gaza in June after a week of bloody clashes, effectively cleaving the Palestinian territories into rival camps.On Thursday, a Yemeni initiative to reconcile the groups ended in failure, with both sides accusing the other of rejecting the proposal, which called for a return to the power-sharing agreement that existed before the takeover.Yemeni authorities said efforts would be made on Saturday to revive those talks.Hamas has always said it is willing to negotiate with Abbas without preconditions, while Abbas has said the Islamists must return Gaza to his control before any talks can begin.
Hamas discusses Israel truce, border opening, with Egypt Sat Mar 22, 8:52 AM ET
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AFP) - Hamas and Islamic Jihad negotiators met with Egyptian officials on Saturday for more talks aimed at hammering out a truce with Israel and reopening the Rafah border crossing from the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian official said. In Sanaa, meanwhile, authorities said they were awaiting a response from Hamas on a Yemeni initiative that would bring about a reconciliation between the main Palestinian factions.The 40-minute meeting was held on the Egyptian side of Rafah, a town divided by the border with Gaza, said the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.The official gave no details on what progress might have been made towards a ceasefire with Israel, but said the border talks focused on reopening the Rafah crossing initially for three days a week. That would be a first step towards daily opening.Rafah has been closed almost continuously since the seizure of Gaza by Hamas, which Israel, the United States and European Union consider a terror group.Israel has also tightened restrictions on Gaza, preventing all but vital humanitarian aid from entering from its own territory in an attempt to pressure the Hamas-run government to halt rocket attacks.
Hamas, the Islamic movement that has controlled Gaza since ousting forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas last June, was represented by senior official Jamal Abu Hashem, the official said. Islamic Jihad sent Khaled al-Batsh.They met with two top aides of Egypt's powerful intelligence chief, General Omar Suleiman.In Gaza City, meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman hinted that the discussions would focus on trying to heal the internal Palestinian divide between Hamas and Abbas's Fatah party, which Yemen has also been working on.There have been meetings in the Palestinian territories to discuss recent ideas with our Egyptian brothers on difficult issues that concern the internal Palestinian situation, Ayman Taha told AFP.The two factions have been bitterly divided since Hamas gunmen drove Abbas's security forces out of Gaza, effectively cleaving the Palestinian territories into rival camps.On Thursday, the Yemeni initiative ended in failure, with both sides accusing the other of rejecting the proposal, which called for a return to the power-sharing agreement that existed before the takeover.Abbas charged that Hamas rejected the Yemeni proposal and had expressed reservations that voided it of substance. Hamas in turn charged that the Palestinian president shuns any dialogue.
However, Yemeni authorities said new efforts were being made on Saturday to get talks underway between Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi said representatives of Hamas have requested some time to consult their leadership.We have reached agreement on a final draft for the agreement which will be, God willing, signed by the representatives of Hamas and Fatah, he said, adding that Fatah delegates had already agreed to the draft.The agreement, which sets the framework for the unity talks, calls for a return to the political status quo that existed before Hamas seized Gaza.Hamas has always said it is willing to negotiate with Abbas without preconditions, while Abbas has said the Islamists must return Gaza to his control before any talks can begin.
Cheney: Israeli security safe in peace talks by Olivier Knox Sat Mar 22, 5:02 PM ET
JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday promised an unshakeable defense of Israel's security and assured Palestinians of US goodwill as he launched an Easter weekend bid to revive peace efforts. We want to see a resolution to the conflict, an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis, and a new beginning for the Palestinian people, he said as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.You were always a very good supporter and friend to the state of Israel, the prime minister said as they began a meeting and working dinner at his residence on what Olmert described as a far-ranging shared agenda.We are both very concerned about Iran, Olmert declared, adding that Israel was watching very carefully the situation in Lebanon and Syria and was anxious to carry on peace talks with the Palestinians.
Cheney was to meet in the West Bank Sunday with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad as part of efforts to secure a peace deal before US President George W. Bush's term ends in January 2009.Reaching the necessary agreement will require tough decisions and painful concessions by both sides, but America is committed to moving the process forward, said the US vice president.Cheney arrived here after stops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia on a nine-day diplomatic foray that will also take him to Turkey before he returns to Washington on Tuesday.His stops in Israel and the West Bank aimed to encourage languishing peace talks, but also take up what he called darkening shadows in Iran, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.Israel and the Palestinians formally relaunched negotiations under US stewardship at an international conference in November, but have been divided since on the issue of Israeli settlements and violence in and around Gaza.
It is not America's role to dictate the outcome, but we will help in the negotiations, provide all the support and encouragement we can, as they work on a peace deal aimed at creating a Palestinian state, he said.Cheney said Israel had proven capable in the past of wrenching national sacrifices for peace when it had reliable Arab partners, but vowed the United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security.America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakeable, as is our commitment to Israel's right to defend itself, always, against terrorism, rocket attacks, and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction, he told Olmert at the prime minister's residence.
In Ramallah on Sunday, Cheney was to reaffirm Bush's commitment to fostering the creation of an independent Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel and focus especially on bolstering Palestinian institutions, aides said.Referring to Abbas and Fayyad, Cheney promised that they, too, can be certain of America's goodwill in this process.On Sunday, Cheney was to attend a sunrise Easter church service, then have breakfast with Israeli right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Later he is to have separate meetings with President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni before heading to the West Bank.After his talks in Ramallah, Cheney will travel to Tel Aviv for a meeting with Defence Minister Ehud Barak.The vice president's visit was part of a US diplomatic flurry before Bush returns here in May for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern state of Israel and then leaves office eight months later.His stop here came as Hamas and Islamic Jihad negotiators met with Egyptian officials, looking to hammer out a truce with Israel and reopening the Rafah border crossing from the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian official said. In Sanaa, meanwhile, authorities said they were awaiting a response from Hamas on a Yemeni initiative that would bring about a reconciliation between the main Palestinian factions.
Cheney to meet Abbas in bid to revive peace efforts by Olivier Knox SUN MAR 23,08
JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Vice President Dick Cheney was set to meet in the West Bank Sunday with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad as part of an Easter weekend bid to revive peace efforts. Cheney, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday, promised an unshakeable defense of Israel's security and while assuring Palestinians of US goodwill, as he renewed efforts to secure a peace deal before US President George W. Bush's term ends in January 2009.We want to see a resolution to the conflict, an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis, and a new beginning for the Palestinian people, he said as he met with the Israeli leader.Reaching the necessary agreement will require tough decisions and painful concessions by both sides, but America is committed to moving the process forward, said the US vice president.We are both very concerned about Iran, Olmert declared, adding that Israel was watching very carefully the situation in Lebanon and Syria and was anxious to carry on peace talks with the Palestinians.
Cheney arrived in Israel after stops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia on a nine-day diplomatic foray that will also take him to Turkey before he returns to Washington on Tuesday.His stops in Israel and the West Bank are aimed to encourage languishing peace talks, but also take up what he called darkening shadows in Iran, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.Israel and the Palestinians formally relaunched negotiations under US stewardship at an international conference in November, but have been divided since on the issue of Israeli settlements and violence in and around Gaza.It is not America's role to dictate the outcome, but we will help in the negotiations, provide all the support and encouragement we can, as they work on a peace deal aimed at creating a Palestinian state, he said.Cheney said Israel had proven capable in the past of wrenching national sacrifices for peace when it had reliable Arab partners, but vowed the United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security.America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakeable, as is our commitment to Israel's right to defend itself, always, against terrorism, rocket attacks, and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction, he told Olmert at the prime minister's residence.
In Ramallah on Sunday, Cheney was to reaffirm Bush's commitment to fostering the creation of an independent Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel and focus especially on bolstering Palestinian institutions, aides said.Referring to Abbas and Fayyad, Cheney promised that they, too, can be certain of America's goodwill in this process.On Sunday, Cheney was to attend a sunrise Easter church service, then have breakfast with Israeli right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Later he was to have separate meetings with President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni before heading to the West Bank.After his talks in Ramallah, Cheney was set to travel to Tel Aviv for a meeting with Defence Minister Ehud Barak.The vice president's visit was part of a US diplomatic flurry before Bush returns here in May for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern state of Israel and then leaves office eight months later.
