response 76 of 169:

Aug 11 05:10 UTC 2003

07:18   Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom: Syria and Lebanon are responsible
        for Hezbollah attacks in north 

08:29   Hamas claims firing of missile at Gush Katif settlement in which 6
        Israelis, including children, suffered shock

10:00   IDF chief Moshe Ya`alon says army believes PA won`t dismantle
        terror organizations during time left in cease-fire

11:04   Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas: If the cease-fire fails,
        it will be Israel`s fault

12:43   Magen David Adom: Two Shlomi residents wounded, one seriously, by
        Hezbollah artillery fire on northern border

13:08   16-year-old Shlomi resident dies of wounds sustained in Hezbollah
        artillery fire attack

response 78 of 169:

Aug 11 17:12 UTC 2003

11:43   Lebanese FM to meet with envoys of 5 UN Security Council member
        states, UN rep. to protest `Israeli aggression`

19:18   German, Spanish foreign ministers tell Jerusalem they have
        demanded from Syria that it rein in Hezbollah

15:00   Palestinians firing intermittently at IDF troops near Gaza
        settlement of Neve Dekalim, soldiers return fire

18:32   Abbas: PA security minister has `received clear instructions to
        disarm and arrest everyone who violates the cease-fire`

response 80 of 169:

Aug 12 14:18 UTC 2003

The good news:

14:54   Rambam hospital doctors successfully fertilize 2 women with treated
        semen taken from their HIV-positive husbands 

The bad news:

09:43   One person killed, Ten people injured in Rosh Ha`ayin [suicide-bomging]
        terror attack, two of them seriously, the rest are in light condition

10:10   Police: Palestinian carrying explosive device blows up, probably after
        being shot by security forces near Ariel

10:15   Three people seriously hurt in terror attack at hitchhikers station
        at entrance to West Bank city of Ariel

11:18   Hamas, Jihad say terror attacks in Rosh Ha`ayin and Ariel justified,
        but say they remain committed to truce

11:40   PM Ariel Sharon calls off release of some 80 Palestinian prisoners

12:33   Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas cuts Gulf visit short in response to
        suicide attacks

13:05   Security sources: Hamas cell responsible for Ariel attack, Tanzim
        cell for Rosh Ha`ayin attack; both from Nablus

14:00   In Web site announcement, Hamas claims responsibility for suicide
        bombing in West Bank settlement of Ariel

14:01   Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: There will be no diplomatic progress
        if terror doesn`t stop completely

16:13   Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claims responsibility for suicide bombing
        in Rosh Ha`ayin, names attacker as Hamis Juraan

15:59   Victim of Rosh Ha`ayin suicide bombing identified as local resident
        Yehezkel Yakutieli, 42

16:29   Victim of Ariel suicide bombing identified as 18-year-old Erez
        Hershkovitz from Elon Moreh

response 82 of 169:

Aug 16 16:23 UTC 2003

22:15   Shots fired at IDF post in area of Kadim settlement in West Bank

22:16   Shots fired at IDF post next to Gadid settlement in Gush Katif area
        of Gaza Strip

00:01   Mortar fired from Gaza Strip at Israeli target, but shell exploded
        in Palestinian territory

08:34   Former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin dies in Saudi hospital

07:39   Libya accepts responsibility for 1988 Pan Am bombing that killed 270,
        vows to fight terrorism

12:53   Libya expresses readiness to compensate victims of 1986 bomb attack
        on Berlin discotheque 

12:04   China`s two last SARS patients recover and leave hospital, marking
        end to virus which killed 349 people in country 

12:58   Mossad agent Yehudit Nasiyahu, who took part in nabbing of
        Adolph Eichmann from Argentina, dies over the weekend 

16:20   IDF to allow Palestinian farmers from W. Bank village of Anin,
        near Jenin, to cultivate lands west of fence 

response 84 of 169:

Aug 18 21:28 UTC 2003

re:  "#83 lk):  Humor: I wonder what Idi Amin requested for his last 
meal."

Should that be "who" he requested as his last meal??

response 86 of 169:

Aug 20 15:46 UTC 2003

20 killed, over 110 hurt in Jerusalem bus bomb 

At least 20 people were killed and over 110 were
wounded in a suicide bombing on a packed bus in
downtown Jerusalem last night. Soon after the
attack, Israel suspended all talks with the
Palestinian Authority on handing over four West
Bank cities. 

Thirteen of those wounded in the attack, which
took place around 9 P.M. in the capital's Shmuel
Hanavi neighborhood, are in serious condition,
while the rest were lightly injured. 

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas also
condemned the attack. "I announce my strong
condemnation of this horrible act which does
not serve the interest of the Palestinian
people at all, and I have given my instructions
to the security minister to launch an
investigation," said Abbas, who was meeting
with Islamic Jihad representatives in Gaza at
the time of the blast in an attempt to persuade
them to halt attacks against Israelis. 

A short time after the explosion, the
Hezbollah-run television station Al-Manar and
several news agencies received phone calls
claiming to be from Islamic Jihad's military
wing in which they took responsibility for the
attack. 

Late last night, [Hamas] distributed a leaflet
in Hebron saying the bombing was carried out by
a supporter of the group, Raed Abdel-Hamed Mesk.
However, Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi insisted
that Hamas was not involved. "We are commited to
the truce. I don't know who carried out this
action," he said. 

The leaflet called last night's attack "a modest
and preliminary response to the violation of
the cease-fire by the Sharon government.
Whoever attacks us with water, we will attack
him with fire." 

"We have proved that we are not weak, and that we
will hit as needed. WE OBLIGATED OURSELVES TO THE
HUDNA [TRUCE] ONLY FOR INTERNAL PALESTINIAN REASONS."
Spokesmen for Jihad issued similar statements. 

response 88 of 169:

Aug 21 04:52 UTC 2003

"Round up the usual suspects!"

response 90 of 169:

Aug 21 13:34 UTC 2003

Hamas doesn't really want the settlements dismantled, or they wouldn't
keep derailing the peace process.  It's not hard to figure out their
motivation; if the peace process ever moved far enough along that the
Palastinians had real hope for the future, support for Hamas would dry up.

response 92 of 169:

Aug 21 15:58 UTC 2003

I tend to agree with gull on this. I think groups like Hamas are not 
interested in peace and will do whatever it takes to derail the peace 
process. Unfortunately, I also think that whenever Israel treats the 
Palestinians harshly, they drum up support for Hamas. It is a circle. 
Hamas blows something up in Israel. Israel kills some Palestinians in 
retaliation or bulldozes some houses or whatever. The Palestianians get 
angry and support Hamas. Hamas blows something up in Israel...and so on 
and so on. And of course, because Israel can be counted on to 
retaliate, all Hamas has to do whenever it looks like their might be 
peace is to blow something up in Israel. I have never seen a country as 
easily manipulated as Israel has been by Hamas. Unfortunately, both 
innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians are suffering for it. 

response 94 of 169:

Aug 21 16:23 UTC 2003

Unfortunately, we see that Ms. slynne entirely ignores the fact that 
the so-called "Road Map" (which we believe is not worth the paper on 
which it is printed) obligates the Arabs to disarm/dismantle Hamas and 
other terrorist organizations.  Also, unfortunately, we see that Mr. 
Abbas has chosen to totally ignore that requirement, as well.  Until 
Arab leadership complies to this requirement, one ought not expect the 
situation to substantially change.

Here, by the way, is Phase 1 of the "roadmap," as found on MSNBC.  What 
efforts do you feel the Arabs have made so far?  What requirements have 
they met?

"Phase One

"Begins with statements by both sides renouncing violence and affirming 
the right of the other side to a state. 

"Palestinians halt violence, make efforts to disarm violent radicals 
and stop them from carrying out terror attacks, restructure security 
services and reform their administration in preparation for statehood. 

"Israel and the Palestinians resume security coordination. 

"Israel stops operations that harm Palestinian civilians, takes steps 
to normalize Palestinian life, gradually withdraws forces from 
Palestinian cities and towns back to pre-violence lines as security and 
cooperation increases. Israel dismantles settlement outposts 
established in recent years and freezes all settlement construction in 
the West Bank and Gaza."

response 96 of 169:

Aug 21 16:51 UTC 2003

The news says that the Israelis took out a Hamas leader today via rocket
attacks on the car he was in.  Perhaps a / the Hamas leader who claimed
responsibility for the bus bombing.  The "cease fire" such as it was is now
off.

I'm not going to be an apologist for *everything* that Israel does, but 2
things strike me about this:

1) The Israeli attack was directed at a particular person, the leader of a
group acknowledged to be "at war" with Israel.  The bus bombing was an
indescriminate act of terrorism directed at no one personally responsible for
any miseries of the Palestinians.  Why not try to take out Israeli leaders,
or at least military personnel?  Civilian bus attack?  That's bullshit.

2) How is it that the Israelis could find and take out a Hamas leader, but
the Palestinian leaders couldn't seem to snatch up the guy, for questioning,
imprisonment, etc.?  Or is it that they *wouldn't*?  Talk of condemnation is
one thing, but let's see it backed up by tangible actions.

response 98 of 169:

Aug 21 17:51 UTC 2003

Granted that Hamas is NOT interested in peace, hence their attacks.

However, you'd think that by now there wouldn't be any more "top Hamas
leaders" for Israel to attack, given the how often those middle-of-the-city
rocket attacks seem to happen.