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JAKARTA, Indonesia - One of southeast Asia's most-wanted terrorist suspects, accused of plotting a series of deadly bombings in Bali, was believed to have been killed Wednesday when an elite Indonesian anti-terrorism unit stormed a suspected militant hideout, police said. Azahari bin Husin, a Malaysian accused of leading an al-Qaida-linked group and masterminding at least four deadly blasts in Indonesia in recent years, either was shot to death or blew himself up to avoid capture, senior police official Gen. Gorries Mere told The Associated Press. Local TV stations reported that Azahari, who security officials have said always wore explosives around...

Requests by international visitors to attend Arafat's funeral have already started coming in, Deputy Internal Security Minister Yaakov Edri, who is filling in for Gideon Ezra while he is abroad, said Wednesday. A farewell ceremony for Arafat will be held in Cairo's International Airport on Thursday. Arafat's funeral will be held in Ramallah on Friday. French President Jacques Chirac has alerted Israel that he will attend the funeral. German's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will attend the ceremony in Cairo, as will the deputy foreign ministers of Britain, Russia and Spain. United Nations' Kofi Annan, however, is not expected to arrive....

www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_e/ipc_e-1/e_News/news2004/2004_09/103.html RAMALLAH, Palestine, September 18, 2004 (IPC+ Agencies)-- [Official PA website] Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri E. Ahamed, met on Friday with President Yasser Arafat at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "India has historically been unwavering in its support for the Palestinian cause. We remain convinced that the Palestinian people will succeed in realizing their national aspirations. It is our view that restrictions on the freedom of movement of President Arafat would not help the cause of peace," an excerpt of minister Ahamed's statement read. The statement, which was published yesterday by the...

Translation from Hebrew to English by me: snip The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat said today that all Palestinians are willing to be shadeeds (martyrs). Arafat said this in response to the Israeli minister of Internal Security, Zachi Hanegbi, who said he could care less if all the terrorist prisoners died or were hurt during their hunger strike.

United States President George W. Bush told Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday that he would send a letter to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia in the near future to balance the letter of understanding he had transferred to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Bush said he would shortly send a personal letter to Qureia "that will explain my views, and we will expand dialogue between the United States and Palestinians." In the letter, Bush will clarify that the U.S. believes that the problems concerning a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians should be resolved in negotiations between the two...

The PLO's representative in Lebanon has warned the US that America will pay dearly if Israel were to assassinate PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. America's interests would be in danger all over the world, Sultan Abu Einen said Friday. "All our people all over the world will turn into time bombs if this thing happens," Einen said at a rally in the al-Rashidiya refugee camp in southern Lebanon. About 10, 000 people took part in the rally, Israel Radio reported. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said last week he had freed himself of a pledge he had made to US President George...

Japan slams assassination of Rantissi as `thoughtless and unjustifiable` (Reuters)

Translation from Hebrew to English by me The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Arafat, has opened a mourners tent in the Muqata area in Ramallah in order to receive grief messages on the killling of Rantisi. Arafat called upon all the forces and factions (terrorist groups) of the "Palestinian people" to deal with the "Zionist attack."

A small window of opportunities to reach an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians opened recently, said Terje Roed-Larsen, the United Nations' Middle East envoy, on Wednesday. Lecturing at Ben-Gurion University, Larsen added that he is trying to advance political contacts, which might restore mutual trust between the sides, reported Ynet. "Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinian people and, therefore, the negotiations must be held with him", said Larsen to Ynet. In his monthly briefing on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Larsen told the Security Council last Friday that the Geneva Accord is based on an 'absolutist approach,' and its 'quick...

Palestinians in the West Bank reacted with shock and disbelief to the capture of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, with many expressing deep disappointment that the man who symbolized defiance against the US and Israel surrendered without resistance. For many ordinary Palestinians, the TV footage of a disheveled Saddam obediently submitting to a medical exam by his U.S. captors was painful to watch: it sealed the defeat of the one Arab leader they felt always stood by them. Saddam should have put up a fight or committed suicide, they said, and his surrender is a stain on Arab honor. "It...

Hamas founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin has told a German magazine that a Jewish state could be established in Europe. In interview excerpts slated for publication on Monday in 'Der Spiegel,' Yassin opposed a two-state solution in which a Palestinian state would coexist next to Israel. "That would not work," he said. "The Israelis claim 80 percent of the territory and will only let us have 20 percent. It would only be an interim solution." Asked if there was no place at all for a Jewish state, he said, "They could set up a state in Europe." Yassin...

MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) submitted a Knesset bill today (Sunday) forbidding burial on the Temple Mount. There have been reports recently that Yassir Arafat intends to be buried there in order to strengthen the Arab claim to Judaism’s holiest site. “I intend to prevent the transformation of the Temple Mount into a Palestinian national site,” Eldad said. MK Eldad submitted the proposed law, which also prohibits burial within Jerusalem’s Old City, in response to increasing reports that Yassir Arafat intends to be buried on the Temple Mount - in a final attempt, according to Eldad, “to strengthen the Arab...

Palestinian sources report that PA Prime Minister Qurei met Popular Front Chariman Ahmed Sadat in the Jericho Monday evening. The two reportedly discussed the proposed cease fire and other regional developments. Sadat is currently serving sentence in a Palestinian jail for his involvement in the murder of MK Rehavam Ze/evi. Meanwhile, Palestinians fired at IDF forces east of Jenin. Earlier, an IDF post near Netzer Hazani in the Gaza Strip was fired upon. No casualties or damage were reported in either incident.

Yasser Arafat condemns Riyadh attack, calling it a criminal and terrorist act (Israel Radio)

Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat transfers $100,000 from funds directed to the Palestinian Authority to his wife Suha who lives in Paris along with the couple's daughter, according to an investigative report conducted by CBS television show 60 Minutes, to be aired Sunday accross the United States. According to the report, Arafat has accumulated in his private accounts more than $800 million from aid originally appropriated to the Palestinian authority. PA Finance Minister Salam Fayad aided in the CBS investigation. Fayad is currently trying to track down all the PA-allocated money that never reached its intended destination.

PA chairman put on edge Tuesday as IDF operated near Muqata, saying `I feel the smell of paradise,` Arafat aide says (AP)

AFP - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad renewed his attack on "arrogant" Jews, saying reaction to his recent controversial comments confirms "they do control the world". The veteran leader, who retires later this month, also criticised Western media, who he said took his comments at last week's summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Malaysia out of context. "In my speech I condemned all violence, even the suicide bombings, and I told all Muslims it's about time we stopped all these things and paused to think and do something that is much more productive," he told the...

Even the very worst of our enemies possess some redeeming qualities. Hitler, for instance, made the trains run on time. In a more recent example, the two sons of Saddam Hussein, who should've been captured, given a fair trial and hanged for their crimes or, possibly, spared in exchange for some important information, chose to take their destiny into their own hands and died fighting a battle they knew they could not win. I can offer you at least two reasons why good qualities of our adversaries should be acknowledged. First, we are supposed to be the good guys, and...

(IsraelNN.com) Yasser Arafat’s personal physician arrived for Jordan to check the PA leader. PA sources report the career terrorist has the flu and has cancelled all meetings as a result.