News Update Place

The US president has pressed congress to expand the government’s domestic spying powers permanently to prevent attacks by “enemies”.

But critics say George Bush is riding rough-shod over civil liberties. Already, a Muslim group in California is suing the FBI to find out under what criteria their members are being spied on.

The Democratic-led congress in August temporarily expanded the Bush administration’s authority to monitor phone calls, emails and other electronic communications between individuals in the US and overseas terror suspects without obtaining a traditional court’s approval.
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A UN General Assembly committee has rejected Taiwan’s bid to join the world body - the 15th straight year the island has failed in its attempt to rejoin the United Nations.

The assembly’s general committee, which met behind closed doors instead of in public for the first time in years on Wednesday, refused to put Taiwan’s membership on the agenda for discussion during the assembly’s 62nd session.

“The general committee … decided not to recommend this item [Taiwan's membership application] as part of the agenda of the 62nd session,” Janos Tisovszky, spokesman for the assembly president, said.
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The Turkish prime minister has defended plans for an overhaul of the constitution amid a nervous response from the country’s secular establishment to his call for an easing of the ban on the hijab, the Islamic headscarf.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose wife and daughters observe the Islamic dress code, was quoted in Wednesday’s Financial Times as saying: “The right to higher education cannot be restricted because of what a girl wears.”

He said: “There is no such problem in Western societies, but there is a problem in Turkey and I believe it is the first duty of those in politics to solve the problem.”
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The UN has urged Israel to reconsider its decision to declare the Gaza Strip as an “enemy entity”, warning that cutting vital services would violate international law.

The Israeli move to cut off the power, water and fuel supplies on which Gaza is almost entirely dependent was backed by the United States on Wednesday.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said Ehud Olmert’s security cabinet had approved the “enemy entity” classification and there would be “limitations on imports to the Gaza Strip and a reduction in the supply of fuel and electricity”.

The move is seen as retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said Wednesday’s declaration intended to interrupt essential services could exacerbate the Palestinians’ difficult conditions.

“Such a step would be contrary to Israel’s obligations towards the civilian population under international humanitarian and human rights law,” he said on Wednesday.

Ban said 1.4 million people in Gaza, including the old, the very young and the sick were already suffering and “should not be punished for the unacceptable actions of militants and extremists”.

At the same time he said continued rocket fire from Gaza into Israel was unacceptable, calling “for it to stop immediately”.

“I understand Israel’s security concerns over this matter,” he added.

US backing

Rice assured “innocent Palestinians in Gaza”
the US would not abandon them [AFP]
Israel’s move on Gaza was backed by the US on Wednesday, with Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, saying the Hamas was “a hostile entity to the US as well”.

Speaking in a joint press conference with Livni in occupied Jerusalem, she said the US, however, would not “abandon the innocent Palestinians”.

“We will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza and indeed will make every effort to deal with their humanitarian needs,” she said.

Rice is on a visit to the Middle East in preparation for a US-led peace conference between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Israelis and Palestinians, however, have very different expectations of the talks.

Israeli leaders are seeking a softer joint declaration rather than a binding deal while the Palestinians are pushing for a firmer “framework agreement” on core issues of borders, the status of Jerusalem and refugees.

‘Declaration of war’

“Under no circumstances can Israel view it as an ‘enemy entity’. Gaza is not an independent state, Gaza is under occupation”
Saeb Erekat,
senior Palestinian negotiator
Tensions have been on the rise in the area since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in mid-June. Hamas responded to the Israeli government’s announcement saying the move amounted to a “declaration of war”.

Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister, said the Israeli cabinet “made this decision according to our legal advisers, so it is according to international law”.

But Saeb Erekat, the senior Palestinian negotiator and spokesman for the West Bank-based government, told Al Jazeera the Israeli move was “illegal and null and void”.

“I believe Gaza and West Bank are still under Israeli occupation. Under no circumstances can Israel view it as an ‘enemy entity’. Gaza is not an independent state, Gaza is under occupation,” he said.

Erekat said Israel was in “total violation of international law” and described the move as “a collective punishment and a preparation for further military escalation against the 1.5 million people of Gaza”.

“At the end of the day, it will not end the cycle of violence but complicate matters and breed more violence,” he added.