3. ‘Thousands’ desert Somalia forces
BBC Friday, 12 December 2008
More than 80% of Somalia’s soldiers and police – about 15,000 members – have deserted, some taking weapons, uniforms and vehicles, the UN says.
The head of the UN monitoring group on Somalia, Dumisani Kumalo, said Islamist insurgents got many of their weapons and ammunition from the deserters.
The head of the Somali police rejected the UN’s report.
Israel’s treatment of an award-winning young Palestinian journalist is part of a terrible pattern
John Pilger
The Guardian
IOA bans entry of Palestinians less than 45 years old into Aqsa Mosque
A spokesman for the Israeli occupation forces has said that all Palestinians under 45 years old living in the West Bank would be barred from entering the Aqsa Mosque during Friday congregations in the holy month of Ramadan.
The Hebrew radio quoted the spokesman as saying that the decision was ordered by Israeli war minister Ehud Barak.
It said that the decision also applies to women who are under 30 years old. Anyone exceeding that age should obtain a special permit from the Israeli military authorities, the broadcast added.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been denied passage to occupied Jerusalem to pray in the holy Aqsa Mosque for many years.
* (Source: Palestine-Info Centre)
Read More »Palestinians less than 45 years old banned entry into aqsa mosque by ioa
by Eli Lake
(source:The Washington Times)
President Obama has reaffirmed a 4-decade-old secret understanding that has allowed Israel to keep a nuclear arsenal without opening it to international inspections, three officials familiar with the understanding said.
The officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they were discussing private conversations, said Mr. Obama pledged to maintain the agreement when he first hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in May.
Under the understanding, the U.S. has not pressured Israel to disclose its nuclear weapons or to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which could require Israel to give up its estimated several hundred nuclear bombs.