OLMERT WERE READY TO SIGN DEAL

Olmert says was ready to sign Palestinian peace deal Sun Mar 15, 9:38 am ET

JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday that his government had been ready to sign a peace deal with the Palestinians but that they had lacked the courage to do so.The peace negotiations with the Palestinians had made a big step forward and were more interesting and deeper than any talks held in the past by any government, including (then premier, now outgoing Defence Minister) Ehud Barak at Camp David (in the United States in 2000), Olmert said.The fact that we haven't reached one (a peace agreement) so far is due to the weakness and lack of courage on the part of the Palestinian leaders, he told the weekly cabinet meeting, likely to be one of his last.We were ready to sign a peace deal but the Palestinians unfortunately did not have the courage to do so,he said.A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas slammed the remarks.What Olmert says is entirely false, Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.The proposals (during the talks) did not include conditions for the creation of an independent Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 with east Jerusalem as its capital.Israel did not present a single map and not a single serious position that could lead to a real peace on the base of two states,he said.

In November, Abbas charged that he had been unable to reach agreement with Israel on a single issue in 12 months of negotiations.Olmert hailed the work done by outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who has led the Israeli side in the talks since their relaunch at a conference in the United States in November 2007 but who looks set to go into opposition as right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu forms a new government after last month's general election.Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni headed the negotiating team and did a great amount of work that was detailed and complex and that has never been done before,he said.I have no doubt that any future government will not be able to hold negotiations without the groundwork laid by Tzipi Livni.

Olmert reiterated that Israel will have to make dramatic and painful concessions to reach a peace agreement.The outgoing premier has repeatedly irked Israeli nationalists by insisting that the Jewish state needs to share Jerusalem in any final peace deal with the Palestinians.The revival of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in 2007 came after the Islamist Hamas movement ousted forces loyal to Abbas from Gaza in June of that year, effectively confining his writ to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Nothing new in Bin Laden tape: US official Sat Mar 14, 2:50 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States on Saturday downplayed the latest audio recording by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, saying there was nothing new about the tape.In the recording, broadcast by Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden accused moderate Arab leaders of being complicit with Israel and the West against Muslims.Al-Qaeda addresses these themes with some frequency and at this point, there doesn't appear to be anything new here,a US counterterrorism official told AFP.These are well-worn themes for Al-Qaeda.Stressing the lack of correlation between past recordings and Al-Qaeda attacks, the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said: I wouldn't read too much into the timing of the release either.In the tape, bin Laden said it has become clear that some Arab leaders were complicit with the Crusader-Zionist alliance against our people. These are the leaders that America calls moderate,without naming them.He called on jihadists to liberate Iraq from the US army and then launch attacks on Israel from Jordan.Our state after the Gaza (offensive) should not be the same as our state before it. We should work hard and prepare for jihad (holy war) in order to bring about what is right, said the Al-Qaeda leader, who carries a 25-million-dollar US bounty on his head.

A US State Department official pointed to the comments as an example of the terror group's violent ideology.Al-Qaeda's message is always one that advocates murder and destruction,he told AFP.The undisputable fact is they murder indiscriminately women and children, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.The audio tape, the authenticity of which could not be verified, was the second by bin Laden in as many months in which he focused on the 22-day Israeli offensive on Gaza that killed over 1,300 Palestinians.

Two Gaza rockets hit Israel: military Sat Mar 14, 3:47 am ET

JERUSALEM (AFP) – Two rockets fired from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip slammed into open fields in southern Israel overnight, without causing any casualties or damage, the Israeli military said on Saturday.The two Qassam-type devices were fired from the northern Gaza Strip and landed in the western Negev, a military spokeswoman said, referring to the crude, homemade rockets used by Palestinian armed groups.Gaza militants have fired more than 160 rockets and mortar rounds on Israel since the end of a massive Israeli offensive at the turn of the year aimed at halting the projectiles, shaking the ceasefires that ended the fighting.Israel has in turn launched several air strikes at suspected militants, weapons caches, and smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border.On Thursday Hamas said the resistance movements had nothing to do with the recent rocket fire and vowed to combat such activities, saying they came at a bad time.Egypt has been struggling since the war ended in January to mediate a more lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and a prisoner exchange to return an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza militants in June 2006.The Islamist movement has ruled Gaza since June 2007, when it violently drove out forces loyal to the Western-backed president Mahmud Abbas.

Nine nations agree plan to combat arms flow to Gaza By Adrian Croft – Fri Mar 13, 5:51pm ET

LONDON (Reuters) – The United States, Canada and seven European nations agreed Friday to try to stop the flow of weapons to Gaza by methods such as interception at sea, information sharing and diplomatic pressure.Experts from the nine nations, meeting in London, agreed on a program of action to prevent arms reaching the Palestinian enclave bordering the Mediterranean, a senior British diplomat said.But states are not obliged to join any particular action and the diplomat said that naval vessels would not use force.Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway signed up to the program, the diplomat said.Stopping the flow of arms is seen as a crucial part of international efforts to bring a durable ceasefire to Gaza and persuade Israel to lift tough restrictions on humanitarian and reconstruction aid reaching the Palestinian territory.The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the program set guidelines for steps countries could take under international law. What it does is provide a platform to start some form of practical cooperation, he said.Israel and Hamas ordered ceasefires on January 18 after a 22-day Israeli offensive against the Islamist group which controls the territory. A Palestinian human rights group said this week 1,434 Gazans, including 960 civilians, were killed.

Thirteen Israelis were killed during the offensive, which Israel said it launched to force Hamas to stop firing rockets and mortars at southern Israeli towns.The program read out by the diplomat says the nine countries, all NATO members, will take action, to the extent that national legal authorities permit and consistent with international law, to support interdiction efforts.Such efforts may include enquiry, boarding, searching, stopping, seizing, or other efforts necessary to prevent transfers of arms, ammunition and weapons components,it said, but added that naval ships would not use force.The program proposes sharing information about points of origin, carriers and transit routes of suspected arms shipments to Gaza, and cooperation to put diplomatic pressure on countries involved to stop weapons reaching Gaza.(Editing by Tim Pearce)

Hezbollah chief vows to never recognise Israel Fri Mar 13, 4:55 pm ET

BEIRUT (AFP) – Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Friday his movement would never recognise Israel, rejecting a US precondition for dialogue with the group it considers a terrorist organisation.To those who impose conditions on us, we say: We will never recognise Israel, he said in a speech during celebrations to recognise the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.The White House said Tuesday that both Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah must renounce violence and recognise Israel before they can expect even low-level US engagement.We reject the American conditions ... Today, tomorrow and after 1,000 years and even until the end of time, as long as Hezbollah exists, it will never recognise Israel, Nasrallah said.A senior US official said Thursday he was unhappy with a British decision to open low-level contact with Hezbollah and suggested London only indirectly informed the new US administration ahead of time.Nasrallah also saluted recent moves to smooth over Arab differences, with Saudi Arabia and Egypt seeking to improve ties with Syria, which has supported Hezbollah.All Arab reconciliation reinforces us, he said.

He called for Riyadh and Cairo to extend a hand to Iran, Hezbollah's main backer.A Hezbollah-led alliance has veto power over major decisions in the current unity government formed in July following a political crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war.Legislative elections are set for June 7 in Lebanon.

Final Gaza toll shows 960 civilians killed: group Thu Mar 12, 8:38 pm ET

GAZA (Reuters) – Israel's 22-day offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip killed 1,434 people, including 960 civilians, 239 police officers and 235 fighters, a Palestinian human rights group said Thursday.Israel carried out attacks by air, land and sea from December 27 to January 18 in a bid, it said, to force Hamas and other militant Islamist groups to stop firing rockets and mortars at southern Israeli towns across their border.The Palestinian Center for Human Rights' investigations reveal that throughout the course of the assault, Israeli Occupation Forces used excessive, indiscriminate force, in violation of the principle of distinction, the group said in a report (www.pchrgaza.org).The principle of distinction obliges all parties to the conflict to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.An Israeli military spokesman said the army had made every effort to minimize harm to the civilian population" during the fighting.The army said it telephoned warnings in advance to urge residents to leave combat zones. The army statement rejected the charges it had set out to intentionally harm civilians calling the allegations absurd and false.

The group said it would publish a list of the identities of those killed next week and would post them on its website in Arabic, with an English version to follow.It said the disproportionately high rate of death amongst the civilian population, when compared to that of resistance fighters was evidence that Israeli forces had not respected this principle.The rights group said 288 children and 121 women were among civilians killed in the bombing and shelling.The Ministry of Health have also confirmed that a total of 5,303 Palestinians were injured in the assault, including 1,606 children and 828 women, it said.It called for an international investigation into crimes committed by the Israeli forces and Israel's conduct of hostilities and prosecution of all political and military officials accused.The Israeli military statement questioned why the rights group had not made references to Israeli charges that Hamas had used civilians as human shields.During the offensive, 13 Israelis were killed, including 3 by rockets fired into Israel.Israeli media have quoted officers as saying there was far less resistance from Islamist gunmen than they had expected. A Palestinian opinion poll this week showed Hamas had gained significantly in popularity since the war.(Writing by Douglas Hamilton; Editing by Matthew Jones)

US discontent over British contact with Hezbollah by Lachlan Carmichael – Thu Mar 12, 7:09 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A senior US official said Thursday he was unhappy with a British decision to open low-level contact with Hezbollah and suggested London only indirectly informed the new administration ahead of time.The remarks contrasted with those last week from the State Department which said US officials had been informed about the move in advance and gave no sign of displeasure -- even if Washington was not ready to follow London's lead.The senior US government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to a group of journalists in Washington, clearly expressed discomfort with the British decision.He said he would like the British to explain to him the difference between the political, military and social wings of Hezbollah because we don?t see a difference between the integrated leadership that they see.

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said March 6 that Britain had authorized low-level contact with the political wing of Lebanon's Hezbollah to stress the urgency of disbanding militias.He underscored the need to curb Shiite-led Iran's influence with the Shiite Muslim militant group and others in the region in a statement immediately hailed by Hezbollah.The US government official, when asked if London consulted Washington ahead of time, replied: I would say informed under a previous administration is a more accurate description.He was apparently referring to the administration of president George W. Bush, which was succeeded January 20 by that of President Barack Obama.The official also objected to the glorification in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut of Imad Mugnieh, a Hezbollah commander who was killed in a car bombing in February 2008 that the movement blamed on Israel.For years Hezbollah denied having any knowledge of Imad Mugnieh, for years Hezbollah pretended that Imad Mugnieh and that whole era of Hezbollah was not really Hezbollah, it was something else,the official said.And now all over south Beirut are all these posters extolling the virtues of Imad Mugnieh, said the official of the man who made America's most wanted list for his role in anti-US and anti-Israeli attacks in the 1980s and 1990s.When a journalist suggested he did not sound happy with the British decision, he replied: No.Last week, Gordon Duguid, a State Department spokesman said we are not ready to take the same step that the British took, declining to either praise or criticize it.However, the Obama administration, which has talked about engaging states hostile to the United States, seemed interested in the results of the British contacts with Hezbollah when Duguid said we will watch how that proceeds.And in sharp contrast to the senior government official, a State Department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity last week that Washington envisioned possible benefits from the British decision.

AP names 2 editors for Mideast regional desk Thu Mar 12, 12:58 pm ET

NEW YORK – The Associated Press named two veteran editors to key positions on the newly created Middle East regional desk in Cairo Thursday as it seeks to further strengthen breaking news and enterprise coverage across the volatile region.Marjorie Olster will assume the new position of day supervisor, overseeing coverage of breaking news on the Middle East desk, which fields stories from the Arab world, Israel and Iran. Olster has been an editor and supervisor on the AP's International Desk in New York.Lee Keath, a veteran correspondent and news editor for the AP, will become Enterprise Editor, also a new position, strengthening the news cooperative's in-depth coverage across formats. He and Olster will report to Middle East Regional Editor Sally Buzbee.The announcements were made by John Daniszewski, AP's managing editor for international news.The Middle East desk is one of four regional hubs outside the United States. AP created two regional desks in the United States, the South desk in Atlanta, last year, and the East desk in Philadelphia earlier this year. Additional regional centers are to open in Chicago and Phoenix.All are designed to eliminate duplication and speed editing and coordination across text, photo and TV news.Olster, 46, has worked for AP in New York since 2004. Before that she worked as a correspondent in Jerusalem and Madrid and a business reporter in New York for Reuters. She has taught financial journalism at Columbia University and holds a master's degree from the University of Florida.Keath, 40, has served as AP's Middle East news editor since 2005 and before that as an editor on the AP's International Desk in New York. He worked as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse in Cairo, Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank before joining AP. Keath holds a degree in Middle East studies from the University of Virginia.

Egypt hosts stepped-up talks on Mideast prisoner swap by Alain Navarro – Wed Mar 11, 2:03 pm ET

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt hosted closed-door talks on Wednesday on a prisoner swap between the Islamist movement Hamas and Israel that would set free soldier Gilad Shalit along with hundreds of Palestinians.For a third time in two weeks, Israeli negotiator Ofer Dekel returned to Cairo on Tuesday night in an effort to nail down an elusive deal, that could pave the way for a long-term truce for the Gaza Strip.Intensive and tough negotiations are underway on the names of the Hamas prisoners to be traded for Shalit, a source close to the talks told AFP, asking not to be named.Dekel is now expected to spend a second night in Egypt and will pursue talks, in an apparent sign that things are moving,the source said later on Wednesday.He said the two sides were in a race against the clock to seal a deal before an April 3 time-limit for Israeli right-wing hardliner and prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government.Israel has insisted that any agreement for a lasting ceasefire in and around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip depends on the release of Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian guerrillas in June 2006.Dekel is locked in talks with Egypt's intelligence chief General Omar Suleiman, who has been working to mediate a deal in the absence of direct talks between Hamas and Israel -- which boycotts the group as a terrorist outfit.The negotiations coincide with talks between rival factions including Hamas and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah faction to try to form a unity government that would be acceptable to the international community.The latest prisoner swap efforts coincide with a visit to Cairo by Mussa Abu Marzuk, the deputy head of Hamas's politburo, for the inter-Palestinian talks.

I don't have information on Shalit. I don't even know if he is alive or not, the Damascus-based Abu Marzuk told an Arab newspaper.Only the factions holding him know, and such information comes at a price.He said 450 convicted Islamists were up for release as well as 550 other detainees: youths, women and Hamas political figures.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, Dekel has proposed a deal for the release of 400 prisoners, including 220 with blood on their hands for anti-Israeli attacks.

There are some names of terrorists (on the list) whose release would be unacceptable for Israeli public opinion,said the source close to the talks. The question is whether Hamas is flexible enough to remove such names.He said Cairo was preparing a two-stage release: about 300 Palestinians would walk free in return for Shalit's transfer to Egypt, and he would return home once the rest are released.