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Short Takes:
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika directed a message to the Algerian people on the 37th anniversary of the national Independence Day. In his message he stated his political initiatives and urged his people to achieve national reconciliation. In his Independence Day message, Bouteflika focused on the importance of the great sacrifices the Algerian people made for independence and he gave a critic of each stage of the previous Algerian rule. Go

The London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat daily quoted an official at the Syrian Ministry of the Interior as saying that a joint decision between the Syrian and Lebanese governments that was released recently provides for permitting Palestinians who carry documents as residents in Syria and Lebanon to freely enter and exit the two states, as do the citizens of the two countries. In its Sunday issue the paper added that the Palestinians who live in Syria have become able to enter the Lebanese territories without any previous measures and for a period of seven days. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met today in Cairo with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to discuss the prospects for the Middle East peace process in light of Mubarak's visit last week to the United States and Arafat's discussion last week with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Go

The United Nations Fooda and Agriculture Organization office in Baghdad warned of the great effects of the drought currently taking peace in Iraq, which threatens agricultural and animal production. In a statement yesterday, the organization said the basin of the Degla River witnessed the lowest level of water flow and that a drought could cause loses in the agricultural crops at a rate of 37% for wheat and 63% for malt in central and southern Iraq. Go

Iraq said it is ready to deal with any draft presented to the United Nations Security Council that would consider lifting the international sanctions imposed for nine years. Go

Ankara sources said in Monday that Turkish forces once again on Monday were deployed in northern Iraq in a new invasion of the region under the pretext of chasing the armed Kurds. No news was reported on the number of Turkish troops which entered the Iraqi territories or the number of dead or wounded between the two sides. Go

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani on Monday released a decree that provided for appointing the chairman of the Emir's divan, Abdullah Bin Khaleifa al-Ateyah, as a minister of state. The Qatar News Agency in its news broadcast on Sunday night did not mention the tasks assigned to the new post. Go

A large British delegation including several members of the house of commons representing both the Labor and the Conservative parties as well as several economic activists in Britain arrived in Tripoli on Monday. In a press statement, a member of the house of commons for the Labor Party, Lord Nazir, said: "We are here to strengthen relations with the Libyan people and to understand more and to have a clearer picture." He stated that the size of this delegation shows the extent of appreciation for Libya's role in the world. Go

Meetings between the delegations of the Israeli civil aviation directorate with a Jordanian civil aviation delegation started in Tel Aviv on Monday in order to organize Israeli - Jordanian relations in the area of civil aviation. In a statement to Israel Radio, the chairman of the Israeli civil aviation directorate said that the Israeli - Jordanian meeting dealt with several matters, including the possibility of exchanging expertise in the area of maintenance and the number of passengers. Go

Israel Radio said on Monday that Israeli - Palestinian trade and industrial meetings are currently being held with the objective of studying means of strengthening cooperation between the Palestinian government and Israel. Trade director general at the Palestinian government Abdul Hafeez Noufel expressed his optimism that the coming phase will witness an improvement in the trade and economic relations between the two sides. Go

Some 30 detained Algerian gunmen were released on Monday following the pardon released by Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika. On Sunday the Algerian president issued a pardon which covered thousands of Algerian gunmen who were not involved in killing crimes or rapes. Go

It was announced in Khartoum on Monday that Sudan will take part in the meetings of the 35th Organization of African Unity Summit conference to be held in Algeria on July 12 - 14. The Sudanese delegation to the conference will be headed by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Go