Middle Orient News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President George W. Bush on Saturday rejected calls for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and tried to counter growing impatience with the war by calling it a “vital test” for American security. “The mission isn’t easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight,” Bush said …

KARABILAH (AP) — Helicopter gunships and fighter jets streaked across the desert sky in the hunt for foreign fighters near Syria’s border Saturday as part of two US-Iraqi offensives that have killed 50 insurgents so far in protracted battles. Operation Spear, or Romhe in Arabic, entered its second day in …

In numele lui Dumnezeu Aducem la cunostinta tuturor compatriotilor nostri care locuiesc in Romania ca data fiind desfasurarea alegerilor pentru cel de-al noualea mandat al Presedintiei Republicii Islamice Iran, in data de vineri 17 iunie 2005 , la sediul ambasadei va fi deschisa , intre orele 9.00-19.00 , o urna …

WASHINGTON — With warm words but few solid promises from President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has tough negotiating ahead to work out deals on boosting Africa’s poor and tackling climate change in time for next month’s summit of rich countries in Scotland. Bush inched towards Blair’s …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israel yesterday launched an air strike against what its army said were three Hamas members who fired mortars at Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip in a second day of increasing tension. On Tuesday, two Palestinian farmers and one Chinese labourer were killed by Palestinian mortar fire …

DAMASCUS — Spurred by the Kurds’ political advance in Iraq, the Kurdish minority in Syria is hoping the Baath Party congress in Damascus will help resolve their problems, which have been compounded by the recent murder of one of their leaders. In Iraq, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani has been elected …

KHARTOUM (Reuters) — Darfur peace talks are due to resume on Friday after a six-month gap that has seen the political and military landscape in Sudan’s vast west change in a way that could improve the chances for a deal. Despite recent infighting which has raised doubts over their ability …

BEIRUT — Two months after a one-million-strong march against Syria’s domination, many Lebanese feel cheated by opposition politicians who compromised with Damascus and failed one of their leaders — slain journalist Samir Kassir. “Leave us alone. None of you could protect him,” cried Gisele Khoury, during the funeral of her …

CAIRO — The US approach to political change in Egypt has shifted in favour of those who advocate caution to keep Islamists out of power until they clarify or modify their policies, diplomats and analysts say. Another school of thought, pressing for rapid change regardless of consequences, appeared to be …

BAGHDAD — Palestinian refugee Thaier Noureddine never wanted to leave Iraq, even if he could return to the land his family fled after the 1948 Middle East war. But he’s been desperate for a way out since Iraqi security forces arrested his brother Ghazwaan and three other Palestinians in a …