World News Connection

Summary of Iraqi domestic press from December 27, 2004 to December 19, 2004. [more]

"If we study the recent propaganda war waged by Iran's enemies, we will see that it demonstrates their renewed use of old tricks that America has used for the past 25 years. Iran is very familiar with these tricks. However, as to why such accusations are raised at this time, it must be clearly connected with America's defeat in Iraq and the failure of the White House to force Iran to accept the unconditional surrender of its nuclear program." [more]

Interview with interim Iraqi Prime Minister Dr Iyad Allawi by Raja Talab and Ghayth al-Tarawinah; place, date not given: "Allawi: The Prophet's Family Is an Element Unifying the Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs, and Kurds" [more]

"In all parts of the world many scholars and those who want the world to be saved from the evil of America wished for Bush to be re-elected and for America to remain in the hands of his bullying friends in order to push America closer to ruination." [more]

"We are planning three parallel operations: The first operation is called Operation Double (Mivtza Makhpil) in which each family in the Qatif Bloc will join up with a family from outside the Bloc. Their relatives or friends will take up permanent residence here already in the first stage." [more]

"Hoshyar Zibari and Barham Salih will keep their posts after elections." [more]

"Taking a look at the new Bush administration composition in the ministries and institutions that are affiliated to the White House reveals that powerful and influential neo-conservative leaders that earlier were busy in America's research and study centers such as the American Enterprise, the Heritage Institute, the Near East Political Institute, etc., devising and drawing up projects such as the "New American Century", the national security document, have been transferred from centers of producing ideas to centers of decision-making." [more]

"Nine Coalitions and 81 Political Entities Presented Lists of Their Candidates For National Assembly. Four Political Entities Withdrew, and Three Entities Changed Their Status and Joined Existing Coalitions" [more]

Interview with Yemeni Judge Humud al-Hattar, "chairman of the committee for religious dialogue with Al-Qa'ida supporters in Yemen," by Mahmud Ma'ruf, in Sanaa; date not given: "Chairman of the Committee for Religious Dialogue With Al-Qa'ida Supporters in Yemen Humud al-Hattar Tells Al-Quds al-Arabi: Violence Is Due to Restricting Freedom of Islamists and the Positions Toward Arab Issues, Especially Palestine" [more]

Leonard Asper, president and chief executive officer of CanWest, said, "We are pleased that this acquisition is moving forward as planned and are excited about working with our new partners in Israel in building on a great global newspaper brand. One of our first priorities will be to bring CanWest MediaWorks' expertise to bear in improving the profile and circulation in North America of the Jerusalem Post." [more]

"The 'war on terrorism' the United States is babbling about can never coexist with genuine democracy. In the places where the United States wages the 'war on terrorism,' the democratic freedom and rights of the people are repressed and obliterated and the sovereignty of countries and nations is violated without any exception." [more]

"The deals were agreed as three Polish soldiers were killed in Iraq Wednesday and four injured when their Sokol helicopter made an emergency landing south of Baghdad." [more]

"It seems that the other side supporting Abbas is trying at the same time to carry out a harsh and violent pressure campaign on anyone they can apply pressure on within the wings of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, in order to fragment the determination of the firm and controlling group that support Al-Barghuthi. This also explains the emergence of media expressions about differing stances within the Brigades every now and then." [more]

"During the last three years, this holocaust has not only spread wider but also been given a general acceptability, to such an extent that now it seems to be a matter of routine even when several hundred Muslims are slaughtered in a single day." [more]

" With the Truman Doctrine and the declaration of support for the governments of the world against the destructive actions of the Communists, this expansionism increased. The Eisenhower Doctrine was a continuation, strengthening, and completion of the past expansionism. With the Kennedy and Nixon Doctrines, the military treaties, nuclear weapons, intercontinental missiles, and suppression of independence-seeking and freedom movements became widespread, while arms competition with the Soviet Union was approaching its height. Parallel to such expansionism, the concept of U.S. national security, or in other words, the interpretation of the Americans of their own national security and interests, became more expansive." [more]

"The failure of the controlled electronic media--outlets reaching the largest audience in Pakistan--to publicize the commander's statement on the unsuccessful effort to locate Bin Ladin or other Al-Qa'ida leaders contrasts with the airing those remarks received by Pakistan's private electronic and print media." [more]

"Comrade Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, deputy secretary general of the Iraq Command of the Ba'th Party, head of the Higher Jihad Committee, and commander of the armed resistance in sisterly Iraq, has addressed a message full of nationalist, jihadist, and religious spirit to all men of resistance and jihad in the land of the two rivers." [more]

"It is believed that the United States receives such defective information from Afghanistan's opportunist warlords, Indian secret agencies, or from Pakistani experts who never visited Kabul or Kandahar but who are earning dollars by writing imaginary stories about the Taliban and Al-Qa'ida. " [more]

"The Judea and Samaria Police is investigating the Gedud Ha'ivri (the Jewish Brigade), a militant right-wing group based in the West Bank settlement of Kfar Tapuach, for setting up unauthorized roadblocks in which its members randomly select Palestinian vehicles for inspection." [more]

"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan is 20 years old or more. He believes the Palestinian problem can be solved by a Palestinian enclave in Gaza and three or four enclaves in the West Bank that will leave Israel in control of half of the West Bank." [more]

"Abu-Jandal is educated and open-minded. He has the power of persuasion. The security and military sense that he trained on while in Al-Qa'ida in Afghanistan still dominates him. He had a key role in the organization and was trusted by Usama Bin Ladin." [more]

"Messianic Jews believe the destruction of the mosque and construction of the temple would expedite the appearance of a Jewish Messiah, or redeemer, who would rule the world from Jerusalem and bring about salvation for the Jewish people." [more]

Telephone interview with extreme right-wing activist No'am Federman by Anat Davidov. [more]

"The world will help Zimbabweans, but they must first help themselves. And helping themselves must mean going far beyond tame protests 1,000km away from Harare." [more]

"We say that had the nation sharpened its swords, stood on its feet, gathered its armies, and moved toward Washington to seek revenge, and had the slaying (of Berg) incident followed all the above, deflecting the winds and scattering the armies, then matters would have taken another course. But where is my nation? Can my nation not see what is happening to Muslims in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Indonesia, the Chechen Republic, and others?" [more]

"Before the US attack against Iraq, and the collapse of Saddam, Muqtada al-Sadr's political clout and the number of his supporters were unknown to the Americans." [more]

"It is worth mentioning that the mujahidin were very concerned about the safety of the Muslims, distinguishing between them and the infidel Crusaders. They released the Muslims and sent them away from the scene of the fighting, as opposed to what the apostate government did when they opened indiscriminate fire in every direction without discrimination." [more]

"Your brothers from Jama'at al-Tawhid Wa Al-Jihad have attacked Abd-al-Jabbar Yusuf, the traitor and apostate general and the Interior Ministry undersecretary, who belongs to the Islamic Da'wah Party, while he was in front of his house getting ready to leave for work." [more]

"The torture is not limited to the Abu Ghurayb prison and other jails all over that afflicted homeland. The occupation itself has become the instrument of torture and major destruction that is directed against the Iraqi people, their achievements, and culture." [more]

"Terrorism does not necessarily come from the Islamic world; it could come from anywhere. It could be championed by many other groups and could originate in all communities. Before fighting this phenomenon, we must understand why others resort to terrorism." [more]

"It is only through continuous struggle, which will lead to revolution, that we can today find true freedom. To create a world where equality and welfare will not be a dream, where the essence of progress will not be connected with the modern brutality of high technology. Instead, it will find its reward in the ability of society to guarantee equality in front of the law, and the power of each person to participate in the formulation of its social and financial role." [more]

"In the eyes of the Al-Qa'ida organization, the reason why the "Satan" can again tread on Arab soil is because the United Nations has failed to stop the United States." [more]

"Caution and liberation from the magic of media is also required so that we will not be mere viewers of catastrophes and events, but rather fight the enemy and make events. This is a decisive war, after which we will either rise and have pride or descend and be humiliated." [more]

"The communist resistance fighter said that it is comical to call them terrorists. He said that this is a war of independence. He said, "Just like what Mustafa Kemal Ataturk did". By now, I firmly believed that they were resistance fighters. He introduced his friends, who are fighting together in the Al-Fallujah region, with their professions: Architect, computer engineer, officer, and medical student." [more]

"An Al-Qa'ida leader avoided confirming his organization's responsibility for last week's terrorist bombing which targeted traffic police headquarters in Riyadh and claimed the lives of innocent civilians and children." [more]

"The Jordanian intelligence service lied twice: First, when it claimed that we were preparing to kill the people of Islam and innocent citizens. Second, when it claimed that it foiled a plot to defend the homeland and safeguard the blood of the people of Islam." [more]

"On his tense relationship with Bremer and whether this is the beginning of a 'mutiny' by the Iraqis against the Coalition Authority, Chalabi says: 'My relations with Ambassador Bremer are good.' They may differ on some points, he clarifies, but there is no 'mutiny.'" [more]

"For those who reject peace and want war, we are ready. As for those who want peace, we have given them a chance. Stop shedding our blood so as to preserve your blood." [more]

"'There are no conditions or opportunities in Chechnya for such experiments,' Dudayev said today in an exclusive interview with ITAR-TASS. 'Virtually all petrochemical facilities in the republic have been totally ruined, and only the shells of the buildings are left. So the equipment needed for the purpose doesn't exist.'" [more]

"Question and answer session with President Kharzai; from the 'Good Morning Afghanistan' program: 'You and the President'" [more]

"The only way to fight terrorism, according to Castro, is 'to seek sincere cooperation' because war 'is not going to put an end to it, it is going to make it worse and worse, it is going to sow ever more hatred, more dissatisfaction, more tragedy.'" [more]

"He attributed the reasons for not carrying out their threats to stage a major operation deep inside US territories between the two (Al-Adha and Al-Fitr) ids in accordance with their former electronic messages to what he called the change to their strategies and plans." [more]

"It has become clear that the rulers are not qualified to apply the religion and defend the Muslims. In fact, they have provided evidence that they are implementing the schemes of the enemies of the nation and religion and that they are qualified to abandon the countries and peoples. Now, after we have known the situation of the rulers, we should examine the policy they have been pursuing. Anyone who examines the policy of those rulers will easily see that they follow their whims and desires and their personal interests and Crusader loyalties." [more]

"The secretary is not particularly moved by accusations that the intervention in Iraq is 'illegal.' 'I am not a lawyer; I dropped out of law school,' he jokes." [more]

"Second Friday prayer sermon by Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Head of the Expediency Council, in Tehran." [more]

"The banning of the hijab is consistent with all these crimes. It shows the scope of the Zionist-Crusade's moral and doctrinal hypocrisy and the extent of its savagery in its war against Islam and Muslims" [more]

"Al-Rashid warned Islamists of the fundamentalist, jihadist forums that replaced his website. He said that they are plagued with 'hypocrites and pins,' meaning intelligence organs." [more]

"He said that the US and UK governments 'must have known' that the evidence presented by their intelligence services about places in Iraq where there might be WMD 'was erroneous', because 'we made it known to them'." [more]

"The US Administration is the most prominent benefactor from any internal discord that could arise in Iraq because it would find excuses to weaken and divide the country, preoccupy its people with infighting, and move away from the real reason for all Iraq's current problems; namely, US occupation." [more]

"The organizer of the attack is thought to be an Islamic fanatic Sunni organization, a branch of Ansar al-Islam, which works from outside. One of al-Islam's sources of financing are people of al-Qa'ida from Saudi Arabia." [more]

"Action by Western nations on behalf of human rights and democracy in Saudi Arabia does not go beyond accusations made by Western writers and journalists who describe Saudi society as backward and dictatorial." [more]

"The speech generated overall negative comment in 62 percent of the 274 editorials collected by US embassy staff and FBIS monitors in 70 countries." [more]

"This missile has a range of 700-2,700 KM and it can carry 1,100 kg of explosive material." [more]

A selection of political highlights from the Central American press in early February 2004. [more]

"The Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh is a fundamentalist Islamist political party seeking to establish an Islamic state (Khilafat) in Bangladesh and in other Muslim countries through the adoption of Islamic (Shariah) law." [more]

"The attack was the most vicious in the area in the last two years. In retaliation, the foreign forces also attacked the Taliban, and when US aircraft arrived the Taliban retreated." [more]

"Interview via e-mail with Captain Khalid Shahbaz, Muslim chaplain at Camp Delta in Guantanamo, by Muhammad al-Shafi'i in London ... 'The detention of my predecessor, Imam Yusuf, will not affect my work; I supply the prisoners with their needs' " [more]

"You must know that what prevents you from joining jihad is nothing but your soul and Satan. If you hope to live a long life and fear death, then you must know that death is inevitable. You should not fear the path that you must tread." [more]

"Occupation ends on 1 July with the installation of the transition government. After that, Iraq will be a sovereign state -- and then no country in the world has the right to impose conditions on us. It will be up to us to cooperate with France, Germany and Russia." [more]

"Let them prepare from now for more sorrows and let them prepare the coffins and the largest number of hospitals and graves. The coming days are full of surprises and major events that will make them an historic example. We will teach them the painful lessons that they will never forget." [more]

"The US administration wishes to frighten the US people in order to justify its flouting of UN resolutions, its violation of human rights in Iraq, and its holding of prisoners at the Guantanamo Base." [more]

"Al-Muqrin gained combat experience during his stints in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzogvina, Algeria, and Somalia. [more]

"According to security sources, Abd-al-Aziz al-Muqrin is the mastermind and current leader of the Al-Qa'ida organization in Saudi Arabia. He led the bombing operation against the Al-Muhayya residential compound in Riyadh on 8 November. He is still at large." [more]

"In the first stage, the stage of attrition and engaging the enemy in battle, you need to make your enemy tired more than you need to kill a large number of its members. You need to scatter the enemy, demoralize it, spread it out over a large area, and cause it to get tired." [more]

"[al-Qa'ida] claimed that the 'upcoming attacks will make the United States lose its self-control and lose the ability to communicate with its army.'" [more]

"If they are seeking the elimination of their economic might, devastation, and destruction under the feet of the soldiers of God, let them come to Iraq, as our strikes will reach the center of Tokyo ... if they are seeking that, let them try their luck with us." [more]

"The US imperialist military forces of aggression which are forward deployed in Japan and South Korea are not for deterring instability. Rather, they are for aggravating instability and tension and militarily attacking our Republic and other countries." [more]

"Statement by Muhammad Bin-Abdallah al-Mas'ari, secretary general and spokesman of the Saudi Committee in Defense of Legal Rights" [more]

"Al-Ablaj said that Al-Qa'ida leaders are currently busy working to issue a fatwa signed by reliable ulema that would allow them to fight the Arab and Islamic regimes." [more]

"We heard a missile passing over our heads immediately before we had finished eating and it exploded 100 meters from the house. We immediately started to leave fearing that we were the target and the targeting would be corrected so as to hit us." [more]

"We are acting according to a simple formula, namely, that the building is very difficult but the demolition might be done with a matchstick and that this is easier than easy. For example, can the United States protect its earthquake fault lines and forests?" [more]

"I believe that any visitor to Iraq now will himself discover that all of the Iraqi population, with all of its various nationalities, religions, and sects, is looking forward to the day when they will be rid of the occupation. This has significance." [more]

"The United States invaded the world with the magic of media exaggeration and controlled it by political acumen. Everyone agrees on that. We do not ignore its military power. But it is impossible and difficult for the United States to embroil itself in such wars. The United States was compelled to send its armies or enter into these battles that are exhausting its strength and economy." [more]

"He described Al-Khalid and Al-Zarar as cheapest and fine fighting machines, which can be termed more battle-worthy than the western tank. 'I have talked to Turkish and Saudi leadership, as Al-Khalid mass production with a price tag of only $ 2 million, as compared to $ 7 million of any western tank, has started. The tank has already been inducted in the armoured corps.'" [more]

"In fact the entire Islamic World is the target of [Bush's] allegation[s]. Iran and Syria are facing US threats right after its occupation of Baghdad. Now the intensity of these threats against Iran has increased, especially with reference to its nuclear program. The United States is very much concerned with the presence of Islamist groups in Lebanon. Libya is yet to get a pardon from the United States, despite its acceptance of the Lockerbie air crash. Indonesia is also under tremendous pressure because of the Bali blasts. Turkey has tried its best to please the West, but none of the European countries is interested in making a member of the European Union." [more]

"France's center-right Le Figaro said that on September 11 terrorists declared war on the entire West, and 'there can be no neutrality' despite the shortcomings of US policies. Even strongly antiwar, center-left Le Monde noted the threat for all democracies as it urged the US to 'listen to its allies.' " [more]

"Saddam Husayn is not the leader of the minority or a group, with whom he is affiliated or who are affiliated with him. He is the leader of all the great Iraqi people -- Arabs and Kurds; Shiites and Sunnis; Muslims and non-Muslims. Saddam Husayn does not attribute this saying to himself. This is what was decided by the great Iraqi people themselves in free, public elections." [more]

"Al-Ayiri noted that 'the collapse of the Ba'th government is a blessing for Islam and Muslims as the fall of the Arab Ba'th signals the collapse of the infidel pan-Arab slogans that swept the Islamic nation.'" [more]

"Asked if what he wants to convey is that Al-Qa'ida is succeeding in penetrating US institutions in the United States or abroad, he said: 'We have already penetrated US institutions. What is coming is worse. I cannot go into any more details because the matter is very sensitive.' " [more]

"I address you brothers from inside proud Iraq to say: Your main task now -- as Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen; Shiites and Sunnis; Muslims and Christians; and under all titles and of all religions and denominations -- is to expel the invaders from our country." [more]

"I swear to you, my brother, that the strike is coming. As I said earlier, you don't use the winning card at anytime. The strike must be well prepared. This means that it must be timed to occur when the giant starts staggering in his blood." [more]

"Firstly, since when has the American administration been supporting the holding of elections? The American administration has friendly and close ties with countries in which their people have never even seen a ballot box. They have never touched a ballot paper. They have never taken part in any elections. None of their officials have been elected by the people. Mr Bush has very friendly relations with them and he has never talked about the holding of elections in those countries. The American government supported the shah's government. There were no elections in this country when the former regime was in power." [more]

"There isn't a single fundamentalist movement with real existence on the ground and a site on the Internet that has not sided with al-Qa'ida and its leader Usama Bin Ladin." [more]

"He said the Islamic militia appreciated aid workers were helping the country's impoverished people and said anyone legally entering the country would be safe." [more]

"Countries like the United States determine right and wrong on the basis of their interests. If it is in their interest to arrest General Noriega, they forget years of his faithfulness. If they have to leave the Shah of Iran, they forget years of friendship." [more]