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Newsletter : 1fax0625.txt
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>JN June 25, 2001, Vol. 9, No. 105
Sharon Calls for Increased Pressure on Palestinians
By VOA News
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has called for increased international pressure on Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat to stop Palestinian attacks.
Sharon spoke to reporters Sunday in London after meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr. Sharon said there must be an end to the violence before peace is achieved. He said Israel is prepared to make compromises for peace, but not at the expense of the safety of Israeli citizens.
Sharon made a brief stop in the British capital on his way to Washington, where he will meet Tuesday with President Bush to discuss the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians that began on July 13.
Sharon's trip to Washington comes amid growing tension over the killing of a Palestinian activist from Yasir Arafat's Fatah faction. Osama Jawabreh was killed Sunday morning when a bomb exploded in a telephone booth he was using. An Arafat spokesman immediately accused Israel of assassinating Jawabreh. Sharon has not commented on the incident.
A high-ranking official on the plane carrying Sharon to Washington told reporters that several days ago Israel gave Arafat a list of dozens of Palestinian activists it wanted arrested within 24 hours. The official said no action was taken on that request.
A total of eight Palestinians and six Israelis have died since the ceasefire brokered by the United States began 12 days ago.
Sharon also is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington before Powell leaves for the Middle East.
Israeli government officials said Sharon would tell his American hosts that while he is interested in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians, Israel would continue to take all steps necessary to protect its citizens.
Palestinian Activist Killed
By Ross Dunn (VOA-Jerusalem)
Palestinian officials say 29-year-old Osama Jawabreh, for security reasons, preferred to use the public call box outside his home rather than a cellular phone.
Jawabreh, an activist for Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat's Fatah faction, died when the public phone exploded in his hands in the heart of the West Bank town of Nablus. He and the public telephone booth were hurled across the adjacent square.
Palestinian eyewitnesses say an Israeli drone was flying over the booth when Jawabreh picked up the phone. He was suspected of being involved in a series of terrorist attacks against Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers in the Nablus area.
A spokesman for the Israeli army refused to comment on Palestinian allegations that he was assassinated by Israeli special forces.
Fatah leader in the West Bank Marwan Barghouti accused Israel of breaking its ceasefire accord with the Palestinians. "This means that the Israeli government decided to put an end for the big lie that they distributed for the public opinion all over the world about the ceasefire. There is no real ceasefire on the ground."
Taleban Says bin Laden is Closely Watched
By VOA News
Afghanistan's Taleban authorities have dismissed media reports that exiled Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden is planning new attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets.
A Taleban foreign ministry spokesman told reporters in Kabul that bin Laden is being closely watched and that all of his activities are, quote, "under control." The spokesman said the alleged Saudi terrorist has no facilities on Afghan territory that he can use against other countries.
The Arab television channel MBC said Saturday that Osama bin Laden is preparing to carry out major attacks against U.S. and Israeli interests within the next two weeks.
A reporter for the channel said he spoke with the alleged Saudi terrorist and several of his top aides Thursday at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. The reporter said bin Laden forces have been mobilizing for what was described as a "big surprise" against U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide.
The reporter said Osama bin Laden recently left the Afghan city of Kandahar, where he has been living, because of fear of attack from U.S. forces.
On Friday, the United States ordered its warships in the Persian Gulf out to sea, citing a credible terrorism threat. The State Department issued a warning to Americans traveling abroad to be on alert.
Israel's military intelligence chief said Saturday he believes bin Laden will try to carry out attacks in Israel in the near future after fighters for the bin Laden organization failed in an attempt to launch an attack a few months ago.
The United States wants to try bin Laden for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa which killed 224 people. Washington also accuses him of planning last year's bombing of the U.S. warship Cole in Yemen's Aden harbor, killing 17 U.S. sailors.
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