To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - 'An irreconcilable hatred'
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:38:06 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

TUESDAY JANUARY 11 2000

'An irreconcilable hatred'
Commentary by David Kupelian

© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

A hundred thousand Israelis filled Tel Aviv's main square
yesterday.

In the pouring rain, they stood there, protesting their
government's willingness to give up the Golan Heights -- the
strategic plateau Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war --
in order to "buy" peace with Syria. After 50 years of living on
the edge of war, many Israelis feel worn out and desperate for
peace, and so Prime Minister Ehud Barak insists Israel will have
to make "painful concessions" in order to have peace with the
Syrians.

Look at a map. Israel is so small you can hardly find it. It is
surrounded by 23 Arab nations with land hundreds of thousands of
times that of tiny Israel. And yet Israel is about to relinquish
land -- "for peace."

What's wrong with this picture?

Full commentary:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_kupelian/20000111_xcdku_an_irreco
n.shtml

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - FCC threats and urban legends
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:43:06 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

TUESDAY JANUARY 11 2000

FCC threats and urban legends
by Joseph Farah, editor of WorldNetDaily.com

OK, you people, listen up.

I guess you could say this column is part 2 of a series on how
you've been duped, hoaxed and faked out into a false sense of
complacency by misinformation, disinformation and Internet fraud.

Yesterday, I told you how many WorldNetDaily readers believe
there is no actual threat to tax the Internet because of a
previous, widely disseminated e-mail hoax.

Now I'm going to tell you how you've been fooled again. That's
right. Now I'm receiving dozens of letters from readers who
insist the Federal Communications Commission is not really about
to regulate religious TV programming -- that it's all the result
of confusion surrounding a 20-year-old urban legend.

Once again, let's start at the beginning. There was an old
hoax. I'm one of the guys who told you about it. And, yes, you
may still receive an occasional e-mail even today claiming that
Madalyn Murray O'Hair has a petition before the FCC to end all
religious television programming.

FCC officials have reportedly received more letters about
petition No. 2493 by the atheist activist than any other real or
imagined issue that has ever come to the attention of the panel.
There is absolutely no basis in reality for the concern. O'Hair
never petitioned the FCC for such action. Yet, the Internet has
provided new life to this rumor -- even though O'Hair herself is
apparently dead.

Now, let's get to the real threat before us today.

Yes, Virginia, there is an FCC effort to regulate religious TV
programming. In fact, unless it is challenged by Congress or an
outpouring of citizen outrage, it is a fait accompli -- a
reality, a done deal. Here are the facts -- not speculation, not
rumors, not conjecture.

The new regs, approved on a 3-2 commission vote, would have a
chilling effect on religious television programming promoting a
specific faith because they are not generally "educational."

In its decision to grant a transfer of licenses between
Pittsburgh TV stations Cornerstone TeleVision, WQED -- a PBS
affiliate and member of the National Religious Broadcasters
(NRB) -- and Paxson Communications, the FCC singled out
religious stations by establishing new, stringent standards for
the "educational" programming that non-commercial educational TV
stations must air to remain qualified to hold their licenses.

The FCC wants to make a distinction between religious
programming and educational and cultural programming.

"For example, programming primarily devoted to religious
exhortation, proselytizing, or statements of personally held
religious views and beliefs generally would not qualify as
'general educational' programming," the FCC said. "Thus, church
services generally will not qualify as 'general education'
programming under our rules," the agency concluded.

FCC proponents claim there's nothing new about the new
regulations. Then why issue them? No explanation. In other
words, the FCC majority would have you believe we have never
actually enjoyed our First Amendment rights in America. We just
didn't know we lived in a fascist state, according to these guys.

In Paragraph 44 of the order, commissioners said the FCC would
not "disqualify any program simply because the subject matter of
the teaching or instruction is religious in nature." However,
the commissioners added, "We reiterate that the reserved
television channels are intended 'to serve the educational and
cultural broadcast needs of the entire community to which they
are assigned,' and to be 'responsive to the overall public as
opposed to the sway of particular political, economic, social or
religious interests.'"

The two dissenting members of the five-man commission said the
new rules bring the agency closer to "unacceptable content
regulation." Do you hear that skeptics? Even two members of the
FCC say the threat is real. Call it the revenge of Madalyn
Murray O'Hair.

Now what are you going to do about this? Are you going to sit
back quietly in your easy chair and say, "No worries"? Are you
going to dismiss this real threat as a phony? Are you going to
say, "Well, I don't like religious TV anyway, who cares?" Or,
are you going to recognize the threat this represents to all
free speech and religious freedom and take action?

I recommend you sound off today to your senators and
representative in Washington. It's easy to do electronically at
WorldNetDaily's Legislative Action Center.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_btl/20000111_xcbtl_fcc_threat.sht
ml

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Thinkers forecast the end for money and the written word
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:52:46 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Thinkers forecast the end for money and the written word

By ROGER HIGHFIELD in London

The death of reading, the end of money and the continuing
appeal of religion are among the most important untold stories
of the age, according to a recently published survey of
influential thinkers.

In response to the question "what is today's most unreported
story?" more than 60 leading scientists and science writers
replied with answers including the failure of the population
timebomb to explode and the coming ability of scientists to
remodel the human body.

The findings are contained in an Internet survey conducted by
John Brockman, a New York agent and writer.

Full story:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/0001/11/features/features4.html

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Enterovirus, infant deaths - Israel
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:23:07 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

[BPRnote: This is a follow-up to a news item we sent out earlier
this week noting the deaths of two children in Israel due to a virus.]

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 08:41:57 -0500 (EST)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
To: promed-edr@promedmail.org
Subject: PRO/EDR> Enterovirus, infant deaths - Israel
Send reply to: promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu

 ENTEROVIRUS, INFANT DEATHS - ISRAEL
****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>

Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:42:15 +0200
From: Yael Haran <harans@internet-zahav.net.il>
Source: Ha'aretz Daily Newspaper =96 English Internet Edition, Israel
Tue 11 Jan 2000 [edited]
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/htmls/kat2_9.htm

*********************
From lab tests conducted by the Health Ministry following the infant's
death, it has been discovered that it is an intestinal virus, but the
exact type is not yet known.
*********************

Ministry looks for clues to lethal virus in Jerusalem water supply

By Haim Shadmi, Ha'aretz Correspondent

The Health Ministry is examining the possibility that the intestinal virus
that caused the death of a 5-month old baby in Jerusalem last week may be
in the drinking water used in northern Jerusalem. Yesterday, a Health
Ministry mobile laboratory unit for the study of contaminants from Tel
Hashomer Sheba hospital took water samples for examination.

Last weekend another baby died, this time in the settlement of Nokdim,
south of Jerusalem. The Health Ministry is investigating whether this case
is in any way related to the previous one. The baby in Nokdim died of
respiratory distress. He was admitted to Bikur Holim hospital in
Jerusalem, and then discharged, following which he died at home.

The death of a yet another infant, an 8-month old who died two and a half
weeks ago and who attended the same day-care center in Neveh Yaakov
as one of the other babies that died, is also being examined. In all, 5 babies
have died in the Jerusalem area in the last month.

Professional Health Ministry sources said yesterday that it was possible
that the source of the virus is in the Jerusalem water supply, and that as
of now this is the only possibility being considered. At a ministry
meeting, it was also reported that the number of infants currently
suffering from vomiting, diarrhea and fever -- the same symptoms that
struck the babies that died -- is 5-6 times higher than normal. Five other
children have been admitted to hospitals in Jerusalem suffering from
vomiting, diarrhea and rapid heartbeats. Two other infants admitted to
Hadassah Hospital on Friday were diagnosed as having an infection of the
heart muscle, the same complication that caused the death of the infant
who died from the virus.

The Health Ministry sources admitted that the ministry is having
difficulty identifying the virus. From lab tests conducted by the Health
Ministry following the infant's death, it has been discovered that it is
an intestinal virus, but the exact type is not yet known. The possibility
that the 2 infants from the Neveh Yaakov daycare center were infected at
their HMO healthy baby clinic has been ruled out at this point. The lab
tests conducted at Tel Hashomer showed that other infants in the daycare
center also carry the virus.

Epidemiologists point out that this winter is particularly bad in terms of
the incidence and severity of illnesses in general. They added that it is
not yet known if the infant deaths in Jerusalem have a common cause or
whether they were caused by unrelated factors.

--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[..edited..]

--
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.

------- End of forwarded message -------

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (1/11/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:13:34 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

LARGEST RALLY EVER
Between a quarter and a half of a million people - depending on which
estimate is used - took part in what was probably the largest demonstration
in Israeli history last night, calling on Prime Minister Barak not to sign
an agreement involving an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The
main boulevard leading to the rally was blocked with people up to a
kilometer away. Speakers representing many different public sectors told
Barak that the tremendous costs of the withdrawal would come at the
expense of the lower and middle classes, told Clinton not to intervene, and
announced that they would not allow the glorious settlement enterprise in
the Golan to be destroyed. A Russian immigrant, speaking in Russian,
emotionally told the crowds that the Golan is "everything" for him, and
repeated several times, "Ya ne oydu z'Golan" - "I am not leaving the
Golan!" Yehuda Harel, termed the "father of Golan settlement," looked out
at the giant cheering audience and said, "Today, we have stopped the
withdrawal from the Golan!"

Katzrin Mayor Sammy Bar-Lev, the evening's M.C., was delighted with
demonstration. Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Bar-Lev noted the "rich
cross-section of Israeli society [that was] represented there: religious
and secular, old and young, native Israelis and immigrants." He said that
he hopes Prime Minister Barak will stop and re-think the negotiations with
Syria: "Destroying a community of 7,000 citizens [Katzrin] is no small
matter. And what is Barak being offered in return? Not even real peace -
only 'security arrangements' with a dictatorial regime! We have had fine
security arrangements in the Golan for 33 years now."

Following are some excerpts from last night's speeches:

  *Gen (res.) Meir Dagan:
"They tell us that if we vote 'no' in a referendum, Israel will face a war.
 I can think of a worse scenario: that we return the Golan, and there will
still be a war - this time, with the Golan in our enemy's hands! The price
we will have to pay in blood in such a case will be unparalleled in the
history of the State."

  *Activist Moti Ashenazi:
"While I was driving here, I heard the radio announcer say that the 'right
wing' was hosting a protest against leaving the Golan Heights. This is a
lie. I stand before you tonight, and hereby declare: I am the Left! I am
the true Left - and I am joining you here!"

  *Rabbi Mordechai Elon, Dean of the Horev Yeshiva High School, Jerusalem:
"We have one question only, and it bursting forth from our hearts: You, our
brothers, you are our emissaries - is there a greater peace than the peace
between us? Are you willing to sell this for peace with a dictator? What
kind of peace do we want? We long for peace, and pray for it daily, but in
our daily prayers we say: 'L'ma'an achai v're'ai' -For the benefit of my
brothers and friends, - 'Adabra na Shalom bach' - I speak to you of peace.
Friends, peace must be achieved for the benefit of our people, not at their
expense!"
 
A video clip of the demonstration can be seen at <a
href="http://www.a7.org/engclips/110100/golan-demo-28.ram">
www.a7.org/engclips/110100/golan-demo-28.ram </a>.

LIKUD DEMANDS BARAK PRESENTATION
Prime Minister Barak will return from Shepherdstown today, without concrete
results in the talks with A-Shara. U.S. President Clinton has scheduled
another meeting between the Israelis and Syrians for as early as next week.
 White House sources said that Clinton is determined to achieve a
withdrawal agreement within two months, as the presidential campaign will
already be in high gear after that. The Likud demands that Barak report to
the Knesset tomorrow on the talks in Shepherdstown. The opposition party
claims that reports emanating from the West negate Barak's claims regarding
his withdrawal plans.

Meanwhile, Likud leader Ariel Sharon, MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) and other
MKs opposed to a Golan giveaway met this afternoon with advisors
experienced in the conducting of national referendums. Tomorrow,
contingents of the Likud and One Israel are slated to meet in an effort to
reach a compromise on the details of a Knesset referendum bill. At
present, the main point of disagreement is whether a special majority will
be required to approve a withdrawal. Other issues in dispute are the
funding of referendum-related advertisements and the gap in time between
the vote in the Knesset on the withdrawal and, if necessary, the subsequent
referendum.

IN THE PROTEST'S AFTERMATH
Although it downplayed the size of last night's crowd, Israel's written
media could not ignore the sheer power of the event. Self-proclaimed
left-leaning journalist Nachum Barnea writes in today's Yediot Acharonot:
"There is no purpose to nit-pick about the numbers [that attended] - this
was simply one of the most impressive demonstrations in the history of
Rabin Square." Describing the crowd that participated, Barnea writes, "[In
addition to the right-wingers,] there were others who were identifiable as
Barak supporters: secular Jews, residents of agricultural communities,
Labor and Centrist party voters. These were the type of people who joined
the masses in the Square on election night to celebrate Barak's victory and
Netanyahu's defeat." How should Ehud Barak respond to the protest?
Barnea:
"He must not ignore the facts. The renewing of negotiations with Syria has
not inspired the type of joy that overtook the country with the initiative
of Egypt's Anwar Sadat [in 1977]... From the beginning, support for the
talks with Syria was restrained, and in the last few weeks, it has only
decreased... The problem is not only Barak's. All of the participants in
the Shepherdstown day-camp must take the situation into account, from
Clinton to A-Shara."

Middle East analyst Dr. Guy Bechor agrees. Speaking with Arutz-7 today,
Bechor noted that President Clinton had no choice but to take a break and
call an urgent meeting next week of the Israeli and Syrian delegations.
"There is a crisis of authority here," Bechor said. "It is quite clear that
A-Shara is merely a clerk, a messenger of Assad. A-Shara has no real
power to strike an agreement. This stands in sharp contrast to previous
negotiations between Begin and Sadat, Rabin and Hussein, and the like -
who were real leaders with the authority to make independent decisions. Barak,
too, faces a crisis of authority. He left the country when the 'street'
was docile, but of late, things have changed course with the formation of
new public and political pro-Golan coalitions. For Barak, this is a new,
somewhat overwhelming phenomenon, and he is limited in that even if he
does sign a deal, he is dependent on the Knesset and the public for approval."

Regarding Assad's reaction to last night's rally, Bechor said, "He
certainly saw the clips of last night's demonstration. Assad has a real
business mind. He knows that signing a deal with Israel would be
interpreted as the formal cessation of the conflict between Syria and
Israel. But he is well aware that Barak may not win the referendum, in
which case Assad may conclude that he could experience a double defeat
after all is said and done: he will fail to get control of the Golan, yet
his entire raison d'etre - namely, Syria's state of hostility with Israel -
will have been shattered."

In related news, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says that a
peace deal between Israel and Syria will not lead to peace throughout the
Middle East. According to Kissinger, peace deals only affect the state of
hostility between nations after an extended period of time. So reports
journalist Danny Ben-Israel, who heard Kissinger's speech at a New York
farewell party for the outgoing Israeli ambassador to the United States,
Zalman Shoval.

COURT FEARS BLOODSHED, REJECTS PETITION
The Supreme court this morning rejected an appeal by the Temple Mount
Faithful organization regarding the illegal excavation works by the Moslem
Waqf on the Temple Mount. The judges ruled that although the Waqf is
indeed transgressing the law, the court will not order the necessary law
enforcement agencies to halt the works, since such a move "is liable to
disturb the public peace and cause bloodshed," and that such "matters
should be dealt with on the governmental level." The justices added a
caveat, however: Since the courts are refraining from issuing judgements
on issues related to the Temple Mount, it is incumbent on the government to
directly address the matter.

RAMON VISITS YESHA
Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Chaim Ramon visited Gush Etzion, Karmei Tzur,
and Kiryat Arba today. While in Gush Etzion, Ramon said that the Barak
government is "fighting" to ensure that the Gush Etzion region, and other
settlement blocs in Yesha, do not end up in Palestinian hands in the
final-status arrangements. In response to a question about the future
status of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem, Ramon said that the area would in the
end be taken over by the "Palestinian entity" that would be formed.
Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Seri reports that Ramon had difficulty
explaining how the Palestinian "farms" that have been established
throughout Gush Etzion fit into the above-stated government's plans for the
area.

 IN BRIEF
        A new multimedia presentation relating to the biblical Mishkan
(Tabernacle) and its vessels has just been completed at Tel Shilo, where
the Mishkan was situated for over 300 years. Visitors will be treated to a
virtual tour not only through the Tabernacle itself, but through the living
quarters of the Levites and Kohanim (Priests) and the adjacent "Mikveh"
(ritual bath)...
        IDF Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz told the Knesset Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee today that Syria will refrain from initiating
terrorist strikes from Lebanon if it understands that such behavior will
earn a sharp response from the IDF against Syria's strategic assets in
Lebanon...
        Foreign Minister David Levy will travel to Morocco tomorrow for a
three-day visit. He will meet there with the Moroccan leadership,
including King Muhammad VI, and will discuss with them the Israel-Syria
talks...

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2000 / Shevat 4, 5760

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today (1/11/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:51:49 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Israel rejects PA demands in Monday afternoon talks

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Jan 11,2000 -- Israel on Monday rejected a demand placed on
the negotiating table when talks resumed in Ramallah, calling
upon Israel to permit the return of 3.7 million refugees and
compensate them for lost property, pain and suffering, even
those who would decide not to return to Israel. Israel maintains its position that Arab residents of
the lands prior to 1948 establishment of the state and prior
to the June 1967 Six Day War would not be permitted to return
under the guise of refugee status. Israel has indicated a
willingness to permit a limited number of Arabs to return to areas
under PA rule. According to PA officials, the 3.7 million
would include those persons who left prior to 1948 and 1967
and all of their descendants. Talks resumed on Monday
afternoon with both sides working to meet the preset February
13th deadline for establishing a framework for the final status
negotiations.

State of emergency declared in Israeli hospitals due to flu
epidemic

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Jan 11,2000 -- With reports of some hospitals having a
patient load as high as 200 percent, health officials are concerned as the flu
season continues to take its toll on the residents of Israel.
Hospital wards and emergency rooms are filled well beyond
capacity in many cases and there is a continuing stream of persons who are diagnosed as having the
flu and/or upper respiratory infections, requiring
hospitalization. Despite an increased availability of the flu
vaccine, health officials report the number of persons
admitted to date with flu type symptoms is unprecedented.
According to Jacky Asharov, the director of the emergency
department of Wolfson Hospital, the situation is critical and
many hospitals are unable to accept additional patients. He
explained that in many hospitals, persons are left in hallways
due to the lack of space but nevertheless; the level of medical
care is not compromised. Asharov admitted that one may receive
less attention vis-=E0-vis one=92s needs or even comfort but
stressed the medical community is capable of delivering the
necessary level of care even under these trying conditions.
Asharov added that in addition to the flu season, there are more hospital admissions every year as the number of older persons
living in Israel continues to increase. Asharov added that
there is an immediate need for health officials to begin dealing
with the chronic problem of the nationwide shortage of
hospital beds.

Syria talks resume next week; Clinton sees 2 month finale

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha/aretz

Tue Jan 11,2000 -- Barak returns to Israel today after a week
of talks with the Syrians here, but next Tuesday he will
depart again for the U.S. for the resumption of the negotiations
on January 19. This development was made possible by a series of
intensive contacts that took place in the final hours of the
Shepherdstown summit. On the day after the renewal of the talks
PA Chairman Yasser Arafat will visit Washington for a summit
meeting with President Bill Clinton - and a three-way Barak-
Clinton-Arafat meeting is possible, with some reports saying it
would result in an extension to the February deadline originally
set for an Israeli-Palestinian framework agreement for the final
status. Clinton spoke yesterday about a two-month time frame for
playing out the Israel-Syrian process, though the Israeli
delegation said there is no defined target date for achieving an
agreement.. The president also said he thought Lebanon would
soon join the talks.

Palestinians regain control over Jerusalem 'with consent of
Israel'

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: ArabicNews

Tue Jan 11,2000 -- The Palestinian security services have
lately obtained a free hand in Occupied Jerusalem in return
for intelligence coordination with Israel. The Israeli General
Security Services, GSS, have found it hard to accumulate
intelligence information in the Palestinian controlled territories and has been forced to resort to aid of the Palestinian
security forces. In return, the Palestinian security forces
started to operate in East Jerusalem with the approval of the
GSS and with its blessing, said Dr. Menahem Klein, an expert on
Jerusalem in the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies in a
study just released. Klein shows in his study that the
Palestinians employ a tourist police force in East Jerusalem,
who curb the pickpockets in tourist sites in the Old City of
East Jerusalem. The tourist police was established after the
heads of the churches complained to the Jerusalem police of the
pickpockets hurt their business. When the Israeli police failed
in handling their complaints, church heads appealed to Arafat,
who gave his orders to the Palestinian Preventive Security
headed by Colonel Jibril Rajoub, to act like a tourist police
in the city of Jerusalem. The scope of the various Palestinian
security services grew over time until it included guarding the senior officials in the Islamic Waqf, Jerusalem Mufti Sheikh
Akrameh Sabri and Faisal Husseini. Klein's study claims that a number of
Palestinian offices and institutions in Jerusalem are being
guarded at present by security personnel from the Palestinian
government. In addition to activities of the security services
in Occupied Jerusalem, the Palestinian government has
intensified its role in strengthening national institutions in
the city with the aim of augmenting its control in Jerusalem.
The Palestinians continue to build government institutions of
their own, as part of the steps to strengthen Palestinian hold
on the city, including establishing dozens of Palestinians
have established professional, youth, trade, etc organzations.
The leading institution among those is the Orient House, the headquarters
of the PLO in Occupied Jerusalem. In the conclusion on the
chapter devoted to Palestinian control of East Jerusalem,
Klein writes: "The Palestinians are indeed the weaker party in
the field and at the negotiating table, but just as they
succeeded in bringing Israel to recognize the PLO and to discuss
Jerusalem, so they will succeed in obtaining sovereignty in
East Jerusalem, thanks to an aggressive and correct struggle
which will enforce this outcome on Israel." For the complete
article, go to
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/000110/2000011025.html
 

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (1/10/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:57:46 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Police maintain a watchful eye on the Temple Mount

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- Police announce that 60 closed-circuit
television cameras are now operational, providing the Old
City=92s situation room with an around-the-clock surveillance
of all activities on or around the Temple Mount area. Police
on Sunday inaugurated the new state-of-the-art situation room,
which includes dozens of monitors and is manned by a 24-hour
staff to provide a constant vigilance of events in the Old City
and security officials hope to catch the perpetration of any
crime of terrorist attack as it happens, hoping to minimize
such incidents in the future. The program calls for the
installation of a total of 400 cameras and they hope to add 90
in the near future and have 300 operational by the middle of 2000. Cameras
in the future will also monitor critical motor vehicle routes,
traffic congestion and other pertinent data that will assist
police and other security agencies in maintaining order in and
around the Old City. According to Police Commander Mickey Levy,
cameras have been deployed as reported but none were actually
installed on the Temple Mount.

Syria opposing Israeli early warning stations

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- According to Minister of Jerusalem Affairs
Haim Ramon, the Syrian negotiators have indicated they oppose an
Israeli early warning station on the Golan Heights following a withdrawal from that
area but they are willing to consider an international force
composed of American, French and Syrian troops and a symbolic
Israeli presence.

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- Israel=92s chief negotiator on the PLO
Authority (PA) track, Oded Eran, met in Gaza with PA Chairman
Yassir Arafat, extending good wishes to the PA leader on the
Moslem holiday of Id el-Fitr. Eran is scheduled to meet on
Tuesday with Yassir Abed Rabbo and on Thursday with Dr. Saeb
Erekat, at which time the two will discuss the planned January
20 Israeli withdrawal from an additional 6.1 percent of lands in
Judea and Samaria.

Syrian President Assad 'living on borrowed time'

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- According to a report released by the Sunday
Times of London, the Mossad Intelligence Agency has acquired a
urine sample from Syrian President Hafez el-Assad and a
diagnosis revealed that the Syrian leader was "living on
borrowed time." According to the report, the sample was
obtained last year while el-Assad joined many international
leaders at the funeral service for King Hussein of Jordan. The Times report
indicated that the sample confirmed that the Syrian leader has
cancer of his urinary tract and enabled physicians to obtain
an accurate reading on the Syrian ruler=92=s diabetes mellitus.
The report added that it could also tell Israel what drugs
were present in the president=92s system, thereby hinting at
what diseases or medical ailments are being treatment. The
Times concluded that el-Assad was =93living on borrowed time.=94
The report indicated that Prime Minster Ehud Barak was aware of
the Syrian leader=92s deteriorating health and the fact that he
was only able to work several hours a day =96 adding that Israel
was attempting to reach an agreement while he was still alive
and in power, realizing that it remains unknown what the
situation would be in Damascus following his death.

Panama Canal

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: World Net Daily

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- A newly declassified U.S. military document
shows China does pose at least an "indirect" threat to the
Panama Canal. Judicial Watch, a public-interest government
watchdog group based in Washington, forced the military document
to be released by the Clinton administration through the Freedom
of Information Act. "The fact that the Clinton White House
elected to release this assessment after the transfer of the
Panama Canal is very revealing," stated Judicial Watch Chairman
Larry Klayman. "It confirms why the Clinton administration
wanted to keep this data secret." The document, an "Intelligence
Assessment" prepared by the U.S. Southern Command Joint
Intelligence Center, is heavily blacked out and stamped with an original classification of "Top Secret//X1." The assessment
was prepared in October 1999, two months prior to the official
turn over of the Panama Canal. According to the U.S. military
assessment, the Chinese firm that acquired control of the canal,
"Hutchison Whampoa," does indeed represent a threat.
"Hutchison's containerized shipping facilities in the Panama
Canal, as well as the Bahamas, could provide a conduit for
illegal shipments of technology or prohibited items from the
west to China, or facilitate the movement of arms and other
prohibited items into the Americas," concluded the U.S. military
intelligence report.

Talks to resume Monday afternoon in Ramallah

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- Negotiators from Israel and the PLO
Authority (PA) will meet on Monday afternoon in the PA
autonomous city of Ramallah. According to chief negotiator Oded
Eran, the two sides will discuss the refugee problem. The
current talks are geared at arriving at a framework for the
final status talks as spelled out in the Oslo Agreements, no
later than February. In a related matter, Prime Minister Ehud
Barak and President Bill Clinton telephoned PA Chairman Yassir
Arafat to extend good wishes on the Moslem holiday of Id el-Fitr
and Arafat was told the talks between Israel and the PA would
not take a backseat to the current negotiations between Israel
and Syria.

Iran's foreign minister arrives in Britain, visit is criticized
by U.S.

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: AP

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi
arrived to a warm official welcome in Britain today, but
protesters denounced the first visit by an Iranian Cabinet official since the 1979 Islamic
revolution. Kharrazi headed to meetings with British leaders,
including Prime Minister Tony Blair, and members of the House
of Commons. Demonstrators demanding the release of 13 Iranian
Jews -- who were arrested on spying charges a year ago -- staged
a vigil outside Downing Street, where Kharrazi was meeting
Blair. The Blair meeting underlined the importance the Labor
Party government attaches to a visit it says is part of a policy
of "engagement" to encourage moderate elements in the onetime
pariah state. Critics, including the United States, regard the
overtures by Britain and other European Union nations as
premature while Iran continues to denounce Israel, criticize the Middle East peace talks and support extremist groups. "A
lingering concern in Washington is whether Iran will use the terrorist
establishment it does support ... to wreck the peace process," said Steven Simon,
assistant director of the London-based International Institute
of Strategic Studies.

Japan's diplomatic ties with N. Korea could be helped by
Italy's move

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters

Mon Jan 10,2000 -- Italy's move to forge diplomatic ties with
North Korea could indirectly help Japan's talks to normalise its
relations with North Korea, Japan said Monday. A spokesman for
Japan's Foreign Minister Yohei Kono told Italian ministers Japan
hoped Rome would "take initiatives so North Korea will become
more constructive." "Kono said that for the stability of northeast Asia, it's important to engage North Korea in the
international community," the spokesman quoted, adding that
Japan believed the normalisation of ties between itself and
Pyongyang was vital for that stability. Italian Prime Minister
Massimo D'Alema said, "Italy would like to take initiatives so
North Korea will move towards democracy, and from that point
of view Italy established diplomatic relations with North
Korea." Kono was in Rome on a European tour also set to take in
Brussels, London and Paris. Japan has welcomed Italy's decision,
announced last week, to become the first Group of Seven country
to establish ties with North Korea. Tokyo lifted sanctions
against Pyongyang last month, prompting a first round of
preparatory talks aimed at eventually normalising ties between
the two foes. They are set to meet again early this year.

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