We are looking for sales & marketing representatives in different countries. Apply now!

Short Takes:
Osama El-Baz, advisor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for political affairs assured Egypt's and the Arab world's opposition to the US support for Israel's retention of its military superiority over the Arab states. Yesterday, El-Baz said this supremacy disturbs the balance in the area and threatens peace and security in Middle East as well as pushes its countries to get into an arms race, adding that it tempts the Israelis to use aggression to settle any dispute with the Arabs, saying that achieving security in the area in the post-peace stage requires that Israel end its military nuclear program in a specific time period. Go

The Lower House of the Jordanian Parliament voted to dismiss corruption charges against Prime Minister Abdul Raouf al-Rawabdeh, Jordan Times reported, adding that 68 of 72 deputies voted to dismiss the charges. Go

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday in Amman received Moldova's foreign minister who handed him a message from the president of Moldavia, dealing with his country's desire to strengthen bilateral relations with Jordan in various fields, especially in the economic areas. Go

A three-day meeting concerning democracy and Islam will be held in Algeria starting on March 20. Official sources in the supreme Islamic council in Algeria said yesterday that they addressed invitations to some religions figures and thinkers in the Western and Arab countries and that among the personalities is the Sheikk of Al Azhar, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi; French intellectual Roger Garoudy, head of Islam and the West association; as well as the thinker Ingmar Carleson. Go

The Moroccan secretary of state for cooperation, Ms. Aicha Belarbi, flies this Thursday to Lesotho to represent King Mohammed VI in the wedding ceremony of this country's King Lestie III. On route to Lesotho, Belarbi will make a stopover in South Africa, where she will confer with Aziz Pahad, South African deputy minister of foreign affairs. Go

The political bureau of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine held a meeting yesterday to discuss a call to form a new national council with the participation of all the political powers to keep the Palestinian identity in a unified framework for the Palestinian people. They urged in a press statement today to stop the negotiations with Israel and form or elect a Palestinian national council in which all power and political movements in the Palestinian arena participate to make a comprehensive political and organizational review of the Palestinian National Authority's work during the recent years. Go

In the context of intensive efforts exerted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so as to put a stop to the problem of land mines in Egypt, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa will receive the UN mission to appraise the problem in question. It is noteworthy that the UN mission had paid a visit to Alamen area and got acquainted with the size of the perilous problem of mines which impedes the plan of reclaiming the western desert. Go

Public Prosecutor Justice Maher Abdel-Wahed made it certain that no one to be found guilty in Al-Kosheh incidents would escape trial. "Relevant investigations are still on," he added, pointing out that trade problems between Muslims and Christians lie behind the outbreak of events in Al-Kosheh village and Dar El-Salam. "These events are being utilized by some foreign quarters in marring Egypt's reputation in the west," he added. Go

Israeli sources have stated that the Israeli Army continues work to implement the well-known withdrawal plan known as Ofik Hadash according to only one scenario which says that the withdrawal will be made in July. Go

The chief of the Israeli army, Shaul Mofaz has admitted that soldiers have feelings of great concern and fear due to the damage and losses inflicted on them, resulting from the operations carried out by the Lebanese resistance in the occupied part of south Lebanon. Go

The Qatari armed forces' chief of staff, Hamad Bin Ali al-Atiyeh, met on Wednesday in Doha with the deputy commander of the US third army in the central command, Lt. Gen. Warren Edward, currently visiting Doha. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak concerning the obstacles confronting the peace process on the different tracks. Egyptian sources told ArabicNews.com that Mubarak informed Barak of the Arab states' opposition to the Israeli attack on Lebanon and that Israel must implement UN Security Council resolution 425 and withdraw from south Lebanon with no restrictions because that will guarantee northern Israel's safety and security yet continuing this fear and anxiety in Israel is unjustified. Egyptian sources added that Barak promised Mubarak to withdraw from south Lebanon yet he did not set a date and that he will resume the negotiations with Syria and Palestine because he wants to reach peace with the Arab states and Middle East. Go