In the recording, a soldier in a watchtower radioed a colleague in the army post's operations room and describes Iman as "a little girl" who was "scared to death". After soldiers first opened fire, she dropped her schoolbag which was then hit by several bullets establishing that it did not contain explosive. At that point she was no longer carrying the bag and, the tape revealed, was heading away from the army post when she was shot.

Palestinian witnesses said they saw the captain shoot Iman twice in the head, walk away, turn back and fire a stream of bullets into her body.

On the tape, Capt R then "clarifies" to the soldiers under his command why he killed Iman: "This is commander. Anything that's mobile, that moves in the [security] zone, even if it's a three-year-old, needs to be killed."

At no point did the Israeli troops come under attack.

WASHINGTON: Under the shadow of fresh violence, President Barack Obama convened the first direct Israeli-Palestinian talks in two years Wednesday, challenging Middle East leaders to seize a fleeting opportunity to deliver peace to a region haunted by decades of hostility. ''I am hopeful, cautiously hopeful, but hopeful,'' Obama said with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinians beside him in the crowded East Room of the White House. Earlier Obama had met with each individually, and they gathered afterward for dinner. The mood appeared cordial as the leaders solemnly commenced the talks aimed at creating a sovereign Palestinian state beside a secure Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minsster Benjamin Netanyahu shook hands warmly and thanked Obama for bringing them together despite such intractable differences as Abbas' demand that Israel end settlement expansion in the West Bank. ''Do we have the wisdom and the courage to walk the path of peace?'' Obama asked. In turn, each of the leaders answered positively but with qualifications. And they spoke of hopes for a breakthrough within the one-year timeframe prescribed by Obama. Netanyahu said his nation desires a lasting peace, not an interlude between wars. He called Abbas ''my partner in peace,'' and said, ''Everybody loses if there is no peace.'' Abbas urged Israel to freeze settlement construction in areas the Palestinians want as part of their new state, and to end its blockade of Gaza, which is controlled by the militant Hamas movement. The settlements issue is a central obstacle to achieving a permanent peace. ''We will spare no effort and we will work diligently and tirelessly to ensure these negotiations achieve their cause,'' Abbas said, as translated into English. Said Jordan's King Abdullah II: ''Mr. President, we need your support as a mediator, honest broker and a partner. If hopes are disappointed again, the price of failure will be too high for all.'' With the Israelis and Palestinians far apart on key issues, expectations for the Washington talks are low, yet the stakes are high. Direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations broke off in December 2008, in the final weeks of the George W. Bush administration. The Obama administration spent its first 20 months in office coaxing the two sides back to the bargaining table. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a constant source of grievance and unrest among Muslims. The failure of past peace efforts has left both sides with rigid demands and public ambivalence about the value of a negotiated settlement. American officials are hopeful they can get the two sides this week at least to agree to a second round of talks, likely to be held in the second week of September. That could be followed by another meeting among Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly near the end of the month in New York. Beyond the settlements, Israel and the Palestinians face numerous hurdles in resolving other contentious issues, notably the borders of a future Palestinian state, the political status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. Also complicating the outlook are internal Palestinian divisions that have led to a split between Abbas' West Bank-based administration and Hamas, which controls Gaza. Hamas is not part of the negotiations and has asserted that talks will be futile. It claimed responsibility for attacks against Israelis Tuesday and Wednesday that killed four and wounded two. Each of the leaders pledged to work diligently toward peace, but they also made plain that their own national interests must be satisfied. ''We do not seek a temporary respite between outbursts of terror,'' said Netanyahu. And he stressed the central importance of security assurances for the Jewish state as part of any land-for-peace agreement with the Palestinians. ''We left Lebanon, we got terror. We left Gaza, we got terror. We want to...

US Vice-President Joe Biden has spoken at a ceremony marking the end of US combat operations in Iraq.

Palestinian security forces mount a huge operation after four Israeli settlers are killed ahead of the first direct peace talks in two years.

President Obama has addressed the American people to announce the end to the US combat mission in Iraq

On the eve of Middle East talks, the White House condemns an attack which killed four Jewish settlers and says it is crucial for peace efforts to continue.

US appears diminished after imperial adventure in Iraq

After seven and a half years, the American military's combat mission in Iraq formally ends on Tuesday.

JERUSALEM: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak have met secretly in Amman ahead of Middle East peace talks that start in Washington this week, Israeli media reported on Tuesday. The two met on Sunday in a private home in the Jordanian capital, where Barak also held talks with King Abdullah II. The Israeli defence ministry did not immediately confirm the reports. Abdullah and Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak will join an inaugural meeting in Washington on Wednesday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abbas, who are to launch direct talks the following day. Thursday's talks will launch the first direct negotiations between the two sides since the Palestinians broke off talks in December 2008, after Israel launched a devastating offensive against the Gaza Strip. – AFP

An Israeli rabbi says the world would be better without Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, prompting strong criticism from US officials.

Five leading Israeli theatres were facing a mounting political row yesterday after a pledge by 60 of the country's most prominent actors, writers and directors to boycott the companies' planned performances in a Jewish West Bank settlement.

TEHRAN: Three people, including two children, have been killed and 40 others injured in an earthquake which struck Iran’s biggest desert, Dasht-e Kavir, state television reported on Saturday. The 5.9 magnitude quake struck on Friday south of the northern city of Damghan. In a separate report, the state television website quoted secretary general of Iran Red Crescent, Zaher Rostani, as saying that an elderly woman was also among those killed in the quake. The website said six villages near Damghan were damaged in the quake which was about 278 kilometres east of Tehran. The tremor, which struck at 11:53 pm local time Friday, was also felt in the capital Tehran. Iran sits astride several major fault lines in the Earth’s crust, and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating. The worst in recent times was a 6.3 magnitude quake which hit the southern city of Bam in December 2003, killing 31,000 people, about a quarter of its population, and destroying the city’s ancient mud-built citadel. —AFP

A full judicial inquiry into all those killed in the war in Iraq should be held, a campaign group says.

Cities across Egypt have been hit by daily blackouts during the past two weeks, sparking protests and calls for the electricity minister to be sacked.

TEHRAN: Iran has made a proposal to Moscow to jointly produce nuclear fuel for its Russian-built Bushehr plant and future facilities, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was quoted as saying Thursday. “We have made a proposal to Russia for the creation of a consortium, licensed by that country, to do part of the work in Russia and part of it in Iran,” state news agency IRNA quoted Ali Akbar Salehi as saying. “Moscow is studying this offer,” he said. “We (Iran) should show the world our capability in uranium production and transforming it to nuclear fuel.” Iran is under four sets of UN Security Council sanctions for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment — the process which can be used to make nuclear fuel but also the fissile core of an atom bomb in highly purified forms. Iran claims it is capable of making nuclear fuel as it continues to enrich uranium to 20 per cent for a research reactor. Last week Russia started fuelling Iran's first and long-delayed nuclear power plant near Bushehr in southern Iran. Russia has pledged to supply the plant with fuel for 10 years. However as a permanent UN Security Council member, Russia also backed the latest sanctions in June against the Islamic republic, which is accused by world powers of seeking atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian programme. Tehran vehemently denies this.

Since his inauguration as president of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, Mahmoud Abbas has backed-down repeatedly from a number of demands, destroying his credibility, and that of the entire Palestinian people, in the eyes of Arabs and the rest of the world. He vowed not to resume negotiations following the Annapolis conference while settlement building continued, but he did. He said that he would not move from indirect to direct negotiations unless some sort of progress was made, but he is now preparing to travel to Washington next week even though none of his conditions for talks have been met.

It is unclear why President Abbas is attending negotiations which basically have no points of reference although if there were any, he would respect neither them nor those representing them, nor would he abide by their aims. It is no exaggeration to say that Abbas neither respects the Palestinian people and their views nor recognises their existence.

At least 18 people are killed and dozens are injured in a series of bomb attacks across Iraq.

Who's promoting Hosni Mubarak's son as Egypt's next leader?

Ynet learns military police suspect officer, soldier sold laptop computers stolen from aid ships while they docked in Ashdod, after controversial IDF raid. Officials say investigation likely to prove 'highly shameful' for Israel

Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood movement launches its own Facebook-style social networking site to promote moderate Islamic values, it says.

The US military says the number of its troops in Iraq is already below the 31 August target of 50,000, when US combat operations are due to end.

Don't miss The Guardian story about the Iranian authorities banning newspapers from publishing the names or pictures of the leaders of the country's green movement. Read Saeed Kamali Dehghan's article Iran bans mention of opposition leaders in press. Press freedom Iran Newspapers Roy Greenslade guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Facebook images of an Israeli servicewoman posing with blindfolded Palestinians have caused a storm. Now two former female conscripts have spoken out about their own experiences It was a single word scrawled on a wall at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that unlocked something deep inside Inbar Michelzon, two years after she had completed compulsory military service in the Israeli Defence Force. The word was "occupation". "I really felt like someone was speaking the unspoken," she recalled last week in a Tel Aviv cafe. "It was really shocking to me. There was graffiti saying, 'end the occupation'. And I felt like, OK, now I can talk about what I saw."

Jewish-American Emily Henochowicz recalls how she lost an eye at a protest in Israel after the storming of the Gaza aid flotilla

By cartoonist Leon Kuhn whose work can also be seen on his own website http://www.leonkuhn.org.uk where postcards of some of his cartoons can be ordered.

See Leon Kuhn's page on "SpideredNews | Politics" at http://www.spiderednews.com/LeonKuhn.htm

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled on Sunday a new long-range drone, dubbed Karar, which reportedly can bomb targets at high speed, state television reported.

Loading of uranium fuel into Russian-built Bushehr power station begins despite sanctions.

Iran hails the opening of its first nuclear power plant

After seven-and-a-half years, the final US combat troops have pulled out off Iraq – two weeks ahead of Barack Obama's 31 August deadline Paddy Allen Paul Scruton

The sacred is only strengthened by all our efforts to define and discuss it awayThe question: Would we be better off with nothing sacred? The cave below the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is the hidden core of the original Roman Christian temple. Before a service, the priests go down a flight of steps beneath the altar to prepare the Eucharist in private. For half an hour, the cave becomes the Holy of the Holies, a reminder of a time when the difference between the priestly caste and the rest of society was based upon their right of access to sacred places, off-limits to everyone else. But not completely off-limits. There is a peephole, drilled in the iron door that separates the grotto from the network of caves that run beneath the church. When I am in Bethlehem, I can never resist spying. The urge is too strong. Nothing should be immune from an inquisitive mind. Secret knowledge is not knowledge: it is an exercise in power, a way to tell people to shut up, because they don't know what they're talking about. There is no good reason to leave mysteries alone. Yet when scientists or logicians claim to have cleared up any particular mystery, there is always a sleight of hand. A successful laboratory experiment is one that succeeds in re-framing a particular question, thereby satisfying funders, tempting the editors of scientific journals and ultimately building a new consensus. The human genome project, for instance, is less an answer to the mysteries of life and more an attempt to redefine life in a form that can be expressed via digital technology and copyrighted as text. In this way, each advance creates new problems – ethical, epistemological, legal – and a whole set of new mysteries. The same is true of philosophy. All of the big eternal values – love, justice, beauty – are capable of being demystified, but only to a point: at this limit, they remain elusive without ever surrendering their urgency. Wittgenstein once argued that "what we cannot talk about we must pass over in silence", but this is precisely what we can never do. We keep banging on about Justice, capital 'J', for instance, as though it existed outside of any specific legal framework or court judgement and nothing will ever convince us otherwise. So to with Freedom, or Truth, or Love, or Beauty. Our most sacred values are sacred precisely because they escape the process of debates and definition that give rise to them. Given all this, we would surely go mad if we did not, occasionally, surrender. We need moments of humility and quiet submission, because the quest for truth or beauty or justice is so relentless and so crazy. The methods of contemplation offered by the priesthood seem, to me, to be as relevant in the Twenty-First Century as they were two, four or six thousand years ago. Of course, when we surrender ourselves, we are at our most vulnerable. Too often, the priesthood has been guilty of exploiting this vulnerability to exercise power. Even today, the church continues to exploit its unique relationship to the sacred to silence criticism and cover-up abuse. This is a gross offense to the victims, and a grave mistake for the church. Without argument and inquiry, there is no notion of the sacred, and no role for the church. The door with the spy-hole to the cave in the Church of the Nativity marks the line between the western, Catholic side of the church and the eastern Orthodox sector. The split in the original church is, in part, the result of a disagreement over the sacred: the physical nature of Christ. One might argue that open debate in the early church councils only succeeded in tearing the church apart. But the councils were a huge success: they delineated the mysteries that have defined the church as a sacred space for the past 1500 years and more. The existence of church councils, synods, universities and all the other spaces for debate is the great strength of the church. It is the willingness to debate that makes the church...

A Palestinian man who broke into the Turkish embassy in Israel, in an apparent bid for asylum, has been turned over to the Israeli authorities.

Suicide bomber strikes crowded Iraqi army recruitment centre in Baghdad early in the morning, killing 60

Lawyer for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani tells BBC he is confident she will not be executed

A former Israeli soldier has said she did nothing wrong by posting pictures of her and Palestinian prisoners onto Facebook.

At least 41 people are killed in a suicide attack on an army recruitment centre in Baghdad, officials say.

As Iran's first power plant is set to come online in mid-September, the country needs more nuclear power plants to meet its electricity needs, an Iranian lawmaker says.

Israeli defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved plans to purchase 20 US-built F-35 planes in a move set to ramp up the capabilities of the Israeli air force.

The German government has denied any involvement in the decision to release an alleged Israeli spy wanted for the killing of a Hamas leader in Dubai back in January.

The undersecretary of the US Department of the Treasury plans to visit Middle Eastern countries to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

Ex-soldier seen posing provocatively with bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has praised his Venezuelan counterpart's stance regarding the recent UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution against Tehran.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced a law instructing the government to cooperate with the UN atomic agency only within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Palestinians have slammed Israel for refusing to halt its illegal settlement activity in the West Bank, charging Tel Aviv with rejecting a "serious" peace process.

The Venezuelan ambassador to Tehran says his country is ready to sell gasoline to Iran despite US and EU unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

A senior Iranian lawmaker has blasted the US for 'meddling with Iran's nuclear rights' as provisioned by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran is in talks with Syria to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) after Damascus and Ankara reached a similar deal, says the Iranian commerce minister.

Hezbollah's recent revelation in airing photos taken by Israel's unmanned surveillance planes has markedly affected the sale of the drones.

Iranian Telecommunications Minister Reza Taqipour has announced the country's plan to send a satellite with imaging capabilities into orbit.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says Tehran will begin constructing another enrichment plant by early 2011.

A senior Iranian official has rejected reports claiming that the country's oil exports have decreased due to recent sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear program.

Ken O'Keefe faced Tim Sebastian in a classic Hardtalk in which he predicted virtually all that would happen in Iraq two months before the invasion/occupation. He discusses renouncing his US...

On this edition of Peter Lavelle's CrossTalk, he asks his guests, including Robert Fisk, whether the real problem when finding peace in the Middle East is the US-Israel alliance

News and Views from London with George Galloway interviewing Viva Palestina organiser Kevin Ovenden

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, suffering on the global front after a string of setbacks, is meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington to discuss a range of thorny issues....

A group of people took produce labeled as WEST BANK as country of origin from a TESCO store in Swanseas City Centre. The two filled their trollies with dates, fresh herbs, fruit and salads....

Full video of Daniel Machover from press conference organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Also appearing was Sarah Colborne who was on the ship stormed by Israeli commandos. ...

RussiaToday — 31 May 2010 — Follow latest updates at

Breaking News » World » Middle East » Palestine and Israel

Viva Palestina founder George Galloway, speaking to a crowd of around 20,000 protesting outside the Israeli Embassy in London, revealed the latest plan to bring about the end of the...

Press Conference for George Galloway after the events of the attacks in international waters was held in Dallas, Texas.

Fatenah is a 27 year old woman living in the Gaza Strip. Her life is similar to the lives of many other women in Gaza. Her life changes the day she discovers to have breast cancer.
This...

Americans murdering civiilians for fun in Iraq - Leaked Video Wikileaks

Press Conference for George Galloway after the events of the attacks in international waters was held in Dallas, Texas.

Depuis le mardi 16 mars 2010, ce sont plus dune centaine de palestiniens qui ont été blessés par la police israélienne à Jérusalem-Est et en différents endroits de Cisjordanie occupée....

Brave, young man speaks out against Egyptian police after Viva Palestina convoy was attacked and many members of the convoy were arrested and seriously wounded.

May Allah smile upon...

RussiaToday Follow latest updates at

Breaking News » World » Middle East » Lebanon

North Belfast Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly interviews George Galloway MP, leader of the RESPECT party in Britain on his views and opinions across a wide range of issues. The interview was part...

Rap song on the Palestinian death camps. Excellent introduction by George Galloway on democracy.

Dubai hunts 'Europeans' for Hamas murder
By Wissam Keyrouz (AFP) 4 hours ago
DUBAI — Police are hunting 11 suspects with European passports, including a woman, for the murder in a...

A gutsy college student asks Obama a question. The president states, "The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries."

Dr. Norman Finkelstein standing up to zionists using the Holocaust as an excuse for Israeli's War Crimes.

Clip is from American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein.

Lowkey's new promo for "Long Live Palestine" song featuring input from Tony Benn, Robert Fisk, George Galloway, Gerald Kaufman, Logic, Shadia Mansour and Victory produced by Simon...

STWC

Video shot outside Iraq inquiry the day that Tony Blair gave 'evidence'

George Galloway's very popular and award winning radio show - the fastest growing radio show on the air waves. Today's radio show covers current affairs, especially Tony Blair's performance...

An exclusive interview with Cynthia McKinney: US Campaigner covering War Crimes, Torture, Vote rigging via computer counting, Obama's total failure in international politics and Canada's...

Must Hear : George Galloway's very popular and award winning radio show - the fastest growing radio show on the air waves. Today's radio show covers current affairs, especially George's...

George Galloway whilst attempting to coordinate humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, is deported by the Egyptians. Thanks to SetFree who states "For those of you who say I only pick on...

Al Jazeera Wed 06 Jan 2010 @ 1700GMT: First vehicle (C-11) crossing the Rafah border. 31d 07h 02m 26s from London.

Get News & Follow the convoy:

Breaking News » World » Middle East » Palestine and Israel

AJE's Sohail Rahman reports and discusses Egypt's decision to block the Viva Palestina Convoy from entering Egypt at Nuweiba. Includes commentary from Institute of Palestinian Studies' Mouin...

The Viva Palestina Aid Convoy en-route to Gaza, has been prevented and blocked by Egypt from entering it's territory so as to provide aid and assistance to the people in the impoverished and...

If one wants to know why and how the conflict started in Palestine more than 60 years ago, the "confessions" of Israeli and Zionist leaders should make it very clear.

700,000...

If you were to ask someone in the Middle East why the US is fighting two wars over there, about half of the responses you'd hear would be that the US is trying to impose Christianity on the...

Dispatches investigates one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in Britain, which is working in support of the interests of the State of Israel. This film contains scenes...

No Way Through highlights mobility restrictions imposed in the West Bank, that are limiting its habitants access to health care, thus violating a fundamental human right.

Take Action...

Must Hear : George Galloway's very popular and award winning radio show - the fastest growing radio show on the air waves. Today's radio show covers current affairs, especially George's...

George Galloway whilst attempting to coordinate humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, is deported by the Egyptians. Thanks to SetFree who states "For those of you who say I only pick on...

20 years to the fall of the Berlin wall
- Demonstrators toppled 8 meters tall concrete wall in Ni'ilin
The protest in Nilin was held today to mark the 20th anniversary to the fall of...

AJE's Sohail Rahman reports and discusses Egypt's decision to block the Viva Palestina Convoy from entering Egypt at Nuweiba. Includes commentary from Institute of Palestinian Studies' Mouin...

The Viva Palestina Aid Convoy en-route to Gaza, has been prevented and blocked by Egypt from entering it's territory so as to provide aid and assistance to the people in the impoverished and...

If you were to ask someone in the Middle East why the US is fighting two wars over there, about half of the responses you'd hear would be that the US is trying to impose Christianity on the...

Covers the economy (@ 3 minutes) and then covers Israeli's control of American policy (@ 5 minutes in)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied that his country violated the rules of the UN nuclear watchdog. He said the new plant will not be operational for at least another 18 months....

The United Nations investigation into the war on Gaza has accused Israel of committing war crimes and called on both Israel and the Palestinian factions to conduct their own inquiries or face...

Please see this report on Press TV about this brave girl, Amira Al Karem (15 years old) who decided to take all the risks and to go to the Intenational Criminal Court (ICC), even it was not...

"Walled Horizons" is the recently premiered short film produced by UN Jerusalem on the humanitarian impact of the West Bank Wall.

Walled Horizons is narrated by and features Roger...

"Walled Horizons" is the recently premiered short film produced by UN Jerusalem on the humanitarian impact of the West Bank Wall.

Walled Horizons is narrated by and features Roger...

The following youtube clip is of arguably one of the bravest girls in the world today.

Covers the economy (@ 3 minutes) and then covers Israeli's control of American policy (@ 5 minutes in)

Documentary on Palestine, including plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

Why is the American (and Canadian) media so biased in the coverage of the Israeli - Palestine conflict?