 |
 |
Newsletter : 2fax0522.txt
Directory | Previous file | Next file
FBI Warns Of Terror Threats In New York
By VOA News
Law enforcement officials in New York City say they have been warned about possible terrorist threats to city landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says police are working very closely with federal authorities and are doing their best to prevent another attack (Editor's Note: Israel Faxx exclusively reported Monday that NYPD officers are being trained in Israel to prevent suicide bombings from occurring).
Media reports say the warning is based on uncorroborated information from what a law enforcement official called "detainees."
Al Qaeda Cooperation With Palestinian Terror Groups
By IsraelNationalNews.com
Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hizbullah are in cahoots. Representatives of the three terrorist organizations met in Lebanon at the end of March to discuss future joint terror activity, according to an ABC News report. News of the meeting came as FBI director Robert Mueller warned that terror attacks in the United States, including suicide bombings, are "inevitable."
Mueller's remarks followed similar comments made by Vice President Dick Cheney to the effect that an attack on American soil equal to or of greater magnitude than the Sept. 11 attack on America is "almost a certainty."
It's not only Al Qaeda alone that Americans must fear. Sen. Bob Graham, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that groups including Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad could be planning attacks against U.S. targets. Graham, speaking with CNN, also confirmed reports that some two dozen people with ties to terror organizations had recently entered America hidden in container ships, and that they were on the loose.
Sharon Faces Crucial Test of Political Strength
By Ross Dunn (VOA-Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faces a crucial test of his political strength on Wednesday, when the parliament votes for a second time on his planned austerity budget. The move comes after Sharon fired rebel ministers in his cabinet who voted to reject the economic plan.
Sharon has decided to go on the offensive against rebel factions in his government that voted against his budget plan on Monday. He is challenging two ultra-orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, to support the government when his package of economic measures is put up for another vote on Wednesday.
Otherwise, Sharon said there was no chance that he would rescind his dismissals of four cabinet ministers and three deputies from Shas and two deputy ministers from United Torah Judaism. The dismissals are to go into effect Wednesday, and Sharon said he would not negotiate with the factions until after the re-vote.
One of Sharon's cabinet ministers, Ruby Rivlin, said that the prime minister has called the bluff of the religious factions and they are now likely to vote in support of Sharon. "They are very much worried and I really believe that the prime minister with a firm position, will find in the end that he is the same Knesset, in a better condition."
The loss of the two religious parties would leave Sharon with 60 supporters in the 120 member Knesset. This could put the government at risk during future no-confidence motions, where a single defector could force early elections.
Palestinians in Cyprus to Begin Onward Journey
By Roger Wilkison (VOA-Brussels)
The European Union said a Spanish military aircraft will fly out of Cyprus Wednesday with 12 of the 13 Palestinian militants who were freed nearly two weeks ago from Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity after a five-and-a-half-week Israeli siege. The 12 men will be dispersed among six EU countries, while the 13th will remain in Cyprus until a country is found to host him.
The EU agreed to take the 13 men, who are regarded as dangerous by Israel, as part of a deal it brokered earlier this month to end the siege of the church. That deal was regarded as a diplomatic triumph for the 15-nation bloc, which has been striving to play a bigger role in Middle East peacemaking.
But after taking 10 days to decide which countries should receive which of the 13 militants, the EU finds its image tarnished by what diplomats say was unseemly wrangling among its member states. EU foreign ministers finally hammered out an agreement on Sunday on how many of the militants each country would take, but details were not worked out until Monday night.
The men have been staying at a beachfront hotel in Cyprus under heavy guard for nearly two weeks, but Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said everything is now set for all but one of them to begin the last leg of their journey into exile.
"They will be distributed to a number of countries in the European Union, beginning [Wednesday]," said Papandreou. "Two will be left in Athens, then three in Rome, another three in Madrid, and the rest will be taken to Portugal, Ireland and Belgium, one being left in Cyprus. This will be the distribution, and this is one thing we have done after coordinating amongst ourselves."
The militants will be given 12-month temporary residence permits in their countries of destination. They will be provided with housing and work permits but will not be allowed to travel outside their host countries. The EU said the men will be put under police surveillance for their own protection.
