Friday 21 January 2005, 11:14 Makka Time, 8:14 GMT
One Us soldier was killed and another one wounded in a raid on a bomb-making cell north of Baghdad, which ended up with capture of 12 people and the death of a fighter, according to the US army.
"One 1st Infantry Division Soldier was killed and one was wounded in an operation near Duluiya on 21 January at about 2.10am (2310 GMT Thursday)," claims the military statement.
Even if during the attacks on eight suspected locations, the US army captured 22 people 10 of them were released shortly afterwards.
The deaths toll for the Us military in Iraq since March 2003 is now 1362.
Il Romanaccio at 11:57 AM
Friday 21 January 2005, 16:57 Makka Time, 13:57 GMT
Saad Salah Isa al-Juburi, a politician, announced that candidates in the Assembly of indipendents party are leaving before the elections because under trheat of death.
41 candidates of the party, in the region of Salahaddin quit "after they were threatened by specific groups", reported al-Juburi on Friday.
Other eleven members of the commission had left previously after receiving threats from the fighters in the Saddam Hussein's hometwon Tikrit.
The level of security is seriously compromising an opportunity for democratic elections, so far all the most important cities in Iraq are not safe enough to let the people vote, as a big number of voters in a building would be an easy target for terrorists.
Il Romanaccio at 11:47 AM
Saturday 22 January 2005, 0:06 Makka Time, 21:06 GMT
An Ambulance full of explosive was driven close to a wedding, south of Baghdad just hours after another car-bomb killed 15 people and wounded 39 outside a Shia mosque.
Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of deaths but approximately 42 people were wounded.
The police declared : "A booby-trapped ambulance driven by a human bomber blew up where a wedding party was taking place."
Il Romanaccio at 11:36 AM
Friday 21 January 2005, 9:22 Makka Time, 6:22 GMT
United Nations's Secretary-Genearal Kofi Annan, speaking about the situation beetween Israel and Lebanon said that, even if there is been a six-month long period of peace, tension remains high and both sides should exercise restraint.
The relatively long period of peace, lasted for six months is been followed by several attacks.
Annan spoke about the January 9th attack by Hizb Allah fighters against an Israeli patrol and the incident occoured on January 17th, when a Hizb Allah roadside bomb exploded damaging an Israeli military vehicle demining explosives in the Shaaba Farm area.
"The resumption of military measures, for which Hizb Allah took credit, asserting its claimed prerogative to resist Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory by force, was disturbing," Annan added.
Il Romanaccio at 11:50 AM
Friday 21 January 2005, 11:13 Makka Time, 8:13 GMT
With the task to prevent attacks from the fighter groups toward Israel, Palestinian forces are being deployed along the Gaza Strip.
A Palestinian security official said : "We have begun deploying our forces north and east of Gaza City to prevent any violations or attacks against Israel."
"There was a security meeting this morning and Israel gave its green light to our working plan."
"We have guarantees from Israel that the posts will not be targeted at any time day or night and that there will be no incursions."
The operation began just after Abbas expressed his desire to stop the attacks coming from the independent fighters against Israel, yesterday.
Il Romanaccio at 11:39 AM
Friday 21 January 2005, 13:11 Makka Time, 10:11 GMT
According to the Iraqi police a car bomb exploded on Friday outside a Shia mosque in Baghdad, killing 10 people and wounding 40.
Shia worshippers were celebrating the "Eid al-Adha", the feast of Sacrifice which is one of the most important holidays in Islamic religion and it coincides with a pilgrimage to the Macca, in Saudi Arabia.
The death toll is bound to rise, as an Interior Ministry said.
Ziyad Al-Samarray, a journalist, told Al-Jazeera that many of the victims arrived at Yarmuk Hospital and are not indentified yet.
Il Romanaccio at 11:29 AM
Sunday 04 January 2004, 21:48 Makka Time, 18:48 GMT
Uzi Cohen, an official of the right wing party Likud (Ariel Sharon's party) proposed a "final Solution" to all the ethnic problems exhisting beetween Palestinians and Israelis.
Speaking to an Israeli public radio on Sunday he claimed: "Many people support the idea but few are willing to speak about it publicly," he suggested a coalition of intents involving Europe, United States and the Middle East to create a Palestinian state in northern Jordan, adding that the Hashimi royal family "might view favorably this idea".
He also added that Palestinians should be given 20 years to "leave voluntarily" the country but "In case they don't leave, plans would have to be drawn up to expel them by force."
Il Romanaccio at 10:07 AM
Wednesday 19 January 2005, 16:00 Makka Time, 13:00 GMT
Muhammad Mahdi Akif is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood , which is the biggest opposition to the government in Egypt.
He is expecting Mubarak (76) to be rielected for another five, six-year presidential term by the parliament.
The old President of Egypt has ruled the nation since 1981 and the reason why he is probably going to be ri-elected is because there are no other options beside his own son, Jamal.
Akif said: "President Husni Mubarak grasps all the matters of state in his own hand - executive, judicial or legislative. We are in a police state governed by one man."
Il Romanaccio at 8:58 AM
Wednesday 19 January 2005, 16:04 Makka Time, 13:04 GMT
Mahmud Abbas is getting rid of the past, dozens of former Arafat's advisers were sacked by the leader.
The former structure of assistants around the president, belonged to Arafat for decades was corrupted.
Abbas fired about 60 civillian and military advisers, the names are stil not available but the Arafat office's employees in Ram Allah (West Bank) can still count on 1000 people.
Given the fact that Abdu Mazil (Abbas) was a former businessman his style is consequentially different from Arafat but basics ideas remain the same: he wants to built a Palestianin state beetween the West Bank, the Gaza strip and East Jerusalem, plus he wants to call back home in Palestine those refugees that are still living in territories occupied by Israel.
Il Romanaccio at 8:34 AM
Rome , January 19 2005 20:22
According to Greek legend, “Europa” was King Agenore's daughter.
Jupiter fell in love with this beautiful queen and in order to spend some “human” time with her, he transformed himself into a white bull and brought her to the island of Crete, across the sea.
The God of Thunder (Jupiter) wasn't so gentle when playing with the queen and her virginity was soon lost.
After the rape, The goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, announced that Europa's name was going to be used to represent an entire land.
Europa was described in the myth as the essence of joy, enthusiasm and courage in extraordinary situations.
The rape in this myth also represents the vast knowledge given by the Greeks to the rest of Europe: Democracy, taste for beauty, philosophy, arts, science and literature-- a cultural inheritance long credited to the Hellenistic tradition.
But the majority and the most ancient of urban centers and written documents that we know come from the area of the world known as the Middle East. As a result, we must keep in mind that the ancient Greeks were influenced by the culture of these more ancient area, as testified by the Ancient Egyptians, for example.
The Ottoman Empire ruled over an immense territory for centuries, becoming an formidable vehicle for culture, business and art throughout the countries of its reign.
As result the European countries always had a defensive attitude where not totally aggressive toward the Turkey.
Since the Congress of Vienna untill the First World War and later, the Ottoman Empire was deprived of many territories to please influential western countries or Russia in their desire for Coke or Iron.
The Turkish Mosul region (rich in oil) was assigned to England by the Aja, Court of Permanent Justice, in 1925, after a decision taken by the “Society of the Nations” (sort of an old United Nations).
Despite the fact that Turkey has always been a geographically important and a politically influential country, linking the Arab World with Europe, certain fears and resentiments are still part of the common European attitude. “Gray Wolf”, is a biographical work by British author H.C. Armstrong that claims Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (Salonika 1881) to be a brutal dictator.
But “The Father of all Turks” (his most common nickname) has shown his military talent and natural attitude for leading by fighting in the army during World War I. He gained a big popular following, and eventually founded The Republic of Turkey in 1923, inspired by Western political ideas. He banned the “fez” (Muslim hat), instituted human rights for women, replaced the Arabic script with a Latin alphabet and adopted the metric system. When he died in 1938, his body was inumated and a mausoleum was built that still receives daily visits from all over the world.
Currently, talks about Turkey's entrance into the E.U. are being widely discussed and commented on by politicians and opinion leaders.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi (Libya's leader) said that Turkey would be a “Trojan Horse” inside Europe and that Islamic terrorist groups would be extremely happy at the prospect of a predominantly Muslim country joining the E.U., implying a deadly danger.
Roberto Calderoli, an Italian Lega Nord (Union for the North) politician, later repeated this concept of the Trojan Hourse in a press interview.
This does not look enthusiastic, joyful or particulary courageous as in Europa's mythical attitude.
If this view of Turkey's Islamic presence still exists, politicians should be better informed about Turkey's history, namely the country's laicization imposed by Mustafa Kemal.
One can still argue that it was a military revolution, but getting rid of the Muslim religion, the coranic laws and the institution of the caliphate required a safe and strong lead, if necessarily armed.
Since 2002, Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), has been leading the nation and is responsible for providing Turkey an entrance to the European bloc as well.
Turkey might be not as rich and developed as other countries in the G-7, but its sincere inclination towards the EU's philosophy should not be under question.That is part of Turkey's history and cannot be ignored or misunderstood.
Germany's and France's Turkish communities are the largest in Europe and in other contries such Italy (especially in the south) and Spain, Islamic culture is still relevant, not to mention the Balcanic region in which the same cultural presence is very well integrated in the population.
Modern Turkey can also count on valuable mineral resources, factories ( production level of grain is now higher than in Italy), and a sincere will and enthusiasm for joining the coalition. Turkey's cultural and political message should be used to create a bridge beetween the EU and the Middle East.
Comunicating instead of hiding from each other might provide an opportunity for these two political entities to resolve the ideological and religious differences that have always existed and significantly worsened after September eleventh, 2001.
Nowadays there is a strong political connection beetween Turkey, Israel and the United States. Enlarge and coordinate the American and the European market, positively globalizing these two areas, could be another good occasion to spread democracy and increase the level of security.
But in order to achieve this situation, there is a strong nead of good leaders, thinkers, historian and politicians to provide an appropiate communication and to avoid diplomatic mistakes.
The proportion of Muslims in a country cannot still be used to legitimize discrimination, as it was during the Middle Ages and modern history.
The European parliament was recently busy trying to obtain an official admission from Turkey on the Armenian population's genocide of the 1915, claiming the issue to be a crucial point in order to celebrate this inclusion.
But Mustafa Kemal, the legendary leader, already recognized that the massacre of the Armenian population was a terrible mistake, taking a sincere distance from that event in the name of the Turkish population.
Every attempt to justify or apologize in any way what was a horrible massacre involving a number of about 800,000/1,500,000 armenians is bound to fail but no one seems to remember, for instance, that in 1916, Russian and Armenian troops raided the Turkish city of Erzurum, indiscriminately killing many innocents and civillians.
This event is hardly ever dicussed, not to mention, the fact that all the richest European countries have been gradually overtaking pieces of the Ottoman Empire to please their own desire for power and oil during the last two centuries.
Short memory, anyone? Or Hypocrisy?
Either way, there is no need to panic because even if the Trojan Horse is arriving... we know is not carrying any soldiers this time.
Il Romanaccio at 8:19 PM
Wednesday 19 January 2005, 14:31 Makka Time, 11:31 GMT
Abu Mazin (Abbas) held a three-hour-long conference with Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
As result of this meeting a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades pledged to stop attacks inside Israel but not against the Israelis into the occupied territory of the Gaza Strip.
"We agree to suspend all military action inside Israel ... in order to support Abbas' political programme," said Zachariya Zubaidi of the brigades.
Palestinian public security chief Major-General Abd al-Razak al-Majaydah declared: [an] "arrangement is under way to deploy national security forces on the borders within two days to prevent violations".
According to an Al-Jazeera correspondent in the West Bank, the most important point of the discussion was about achieving a ceasefire beetween Palestine and Israel.
A Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri said: "Calm was one of the points raised in the meeting within the framework of stabilising the Palestinian situation. We have listened to Abu Mazin (Abbas) and we will study the issue within the movement."
"Both sides expressed their mutual interest to achieve the interests of our people and maintain national unity," and he added, "Further meetings are expected in coming days."
But a future ceasefire beetween Palestinians and Israelis implies the cooperation of Ariel Sharon who declared: "Firing at civilian settlements is something that cannot continue and must be dealt with as soon as possible," (referring to the Qassam missiles fired from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli towns by the Palestinian fighters) his intention is to increase the number of soldiers and tanks in the Gaza Strip unless Abbas will be able to deal with the group of fighters in Palestine.
Il Romanaccio at 1:50 PM
Wednesday 19 January 2005, 11:41 Makka Time, 8:41 GMT
Three car bombs rocked the center of the city killing 10 people.
According to the police a truck bomb exploded on Wednesday in central Baghdad killing 10 people and wounding nine. at about 7 am (0400 GMT).
Apparently a man drove a truck cab into the concrete barriers in front of the embassy, then left the cab and got in a car that was waiting for him, as reported by an Iraqi guard, the truck exploded shortly afterwards.
About 30 minutes later, another car bomb blew off near the al-Andalus traffic circle (Baghdad neighbourhood of Karrada) kiling 6 people, an Interior Ministry Official said.
According to the police, the third car bomb exploded in Baghdad close to an Iraqi army base killing two people and wounding five others.
Il Romanaccio at 10:48 AM
Tuesday 18 January 2005, 2:53 Makka Time, 23:53 GMT
Resistance fighters drove a car bomb into the Police headquarters in Baji killing at least 10 policeman and eight Iraqi soldiers at a checkpoint, on Monday.
In another attack on Monday, fighters were attacking polling stations with mortars and gun-rifles.
They killed a security guard and exchanged fire with US troops triyng to protect a school designated to be a polling station.
According to Al-Jazera, in Ramadi, three civillians were killed and nine others injured during clashes, started after a car bomb exploded targeting a US military patrol and the United States headquarters also came under gunfire in the city, yesterday.
Il Romanaccio at 2:26 PM
Tuesday 18 January 2005, 13:56 Makka Time, 10:56 GMT
A candidate from the Iyad Allawi's interim Prime Minister list was killed on Tuesday by Iraqi resistance group in the southern city of Basra, as reported by officials from Baghdad and Basra.
No further details regarding the way he was assassinated are available.
This has to be cosidered, anyway, as an attempt like many others to stop the Iraqi National Guard and the United States forces.
Il Romanaccio at 2:17 PM
Tuesday 18 January 2005, 13:56 Makka Time, 10:56 GMT
According to Al-Jazeera a car bomb hit the offices of a Iraqi Shia party.
The bomb exploded on Tuesday by a checkpoint close to one of the major Shia party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)
A party spokesman, Haitham al-Hussaini, said: "A suicide bomber tried to drive into the Jadriyah office of SCIRI."
The chief of SCIRI's political relations told Al-Jazeera: "Terrorists and extremists from al-Qaida and al-Zarqawi groups are behind the attack, particularly those coming from outside Iraq."
Ziyad al-Samarai, Al-Jazeera's correspondent, said that the number of killed and wounded might rise as the bomb exploded close to the Baghdad University.
Il Romanaccio at 1:43 PM
Monday 17 January 2005, 11:29 Makka Time, 8:29 GMT
Ali al-Khatib, the 30 year-oldson of an officier close to the relevant religious figure Grand Ayat Allah Ali al-Sistani, was assassinated in the town of Numaniya (south east of baghdad) by an unknown killer.
His father, Sayyd Habib al Khatib, al-Sistani's aide in Wasit province survived to a similar attack two months ago.
Il Romanaccio at 10:57 AM
Monday 17 January 2005, 11:29 Makka Time, 8:29 GMT
Seven members of the National Guard plus one Iraqi died , today in a ambush with a car bomb at the checkpoint of al-Navar, close to the town of Baquba.
Fifteen others were wounded when the checkpoint came under fire at 6am (0300GMT), as reported by the Iraqi army.
Dr Ahmad Fuad said that three bodies were completely burnt.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hassan Salah said: "A Caprice-type vehicle managed to force past the first checkpoint and the suicide bomber slammed his car into an inner gate of the police station, causing a large explosion."
Il Romanaccio at 10:44 AM
Monday 17 January 2005, 11:51 Makka Time, 8:51 GMT
According to Al-Jazeera, Two Palestians fighters were killed on Monday by the Israeli occupation army, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Non Israeli soldiers were found dead during the attack and the death bodies were picked-up by the ambulance.
Two Qassam rockets, fired from the Palestine border landed in Israel, one of them close to the Gaza Strip, the other one close to the southern town of Sderot.
Some inhabitants of the town were killed in the past months by these rockets.
These home-made rockets are daily fired from the Palestinians resistancce fighters.
Il Romanaccio at 10:31 AM
Saturday 15 January 2005, 15:30 Makka Time, 12:30 GMT
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Kurilla speaking to the press on Saturday said: "A helicopter made an emergency landing. Whether it is engine failure or something else, we do not know yet,"
The United States Air Force helicopter (an OH 58 Kiowa) was forced to attempt an emergency landing in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul (previously belonged to the Ottoman empire).
The city of Mosul is witnessing daily rocket-attacks against the United States army, this area represents one of the main problems to solve before the general election on January 30.
Il Romanaccio at 1:46 PM
Saturday 15 January 2005, 23:37 Makka Time, 20:37 GMT
According to the police five Iraqi soldiers and a policeman were killed close to Samarra and Kirkuk, on Saturday.
A group of fighters against the foreign troops in Iraq ambushed a checkpoint close to the west of the Sunni Muslim region of Samarra killing four Iraqi soldiers as reported by liutenent Col. Mahmud Muhammad.
Another soldier was shot dead in north of Samarra as fighters were attacking an Iraqi army patrol, according to a police source.
A policeman was killed and four others wounded (one of them seriously) by an insurgents' attack to a police checkpoint nearby a United States base outside Kirkuk, said Turhan Yussif, police chief of the city.
Il Romanaccio at 1:31 PM
Sunday 16 January 2005, 13:53 Makka Time, 10:53 GMT
In order to fight the Palestinians resistance movements, Ariel Sharon (Israeli Prime Minister)
decided to ask his army for an unlimited and unrestricted operation in the Gaza Strip.
At the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, on Sunday he declared :"The current situation is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue" and that :
"The Tsahal [army] and the security forces have received orders to operate without any limits on time or their modus operandi to act against the terrorist organisations".
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, said a similar reaction from Israel will only undermine the prospects for peace beetween the countries:"This policy will not serve the peace process and I ask the Israeli people to reject this Sharon policy," as he claimed in a meeting in Ramallah with the Japanese Foreign Minister (Nobutaka Machimura).
Il Romanaccio at 1:14 PM
