Arabic News Weekly Edition for Local, 7/7/2003
Weekly Edition, Local - Week of July 7, 2003
- The building of a new Iraq
The US went into Iraq for reasons that it knows itself. What it told the world is that it went into Iraq to liberate it from tyranny, and to give it freedom, democracy, and prosperity. That is certainly a noble objective. Iraq, Editorial, 7/12/2003 - Explosions in al-Ramadi, redeployment in Falouja as US soldiers are killed, attack in Sameraa
A position for the US forces in Sameraa city to the north of Baghdad was exposed to an attack by missiles on Thursday midnight. Witnesses said that several American soldiers were killed or wounded in an attack by missile. This news was not confirmed by the US forces leadership. Iraq-USA, Military, 7/12/2003 - Egypt’s illiteracy rate reduced to 29.8 percent
An official denied reports that Egypt’s illiteracy reached 44 per cent of population, revising the percentage down to 29.8. Egypt, Education, 7/12/2003 - Bremer discuss formation of ruling council with Iraqi opposition groups; Egypt - US consultations
News reports in Cairo said that an American delegation including 12 persons arrived in Cairo on Thursday evening in order to hold talks with Egyptian officials on the future of the American occupation of Iraq and the extent of Cairo's readiness to take part in political and military missions in Iraq in the coming phase. Iraq-USA, Military, 7/12/2003 - Maroc Hebdo: investigations in may 16 attacks probe international links, justice minister
The terrorist attacks of last May 16 in Casablanca are "surely organized crimes" and are linked to an international terrorist organization, said Moroccan justice minister, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, in an interview published by Moroccan weekly "Maroc Hebdo." Morocco, Local, 7/12/2003 - Syrian expatriates meeting in Belgium Syria-Belgium, Local, 7/12/2003
- Set up of Islamic ethics sciences watchdog studied Regional, Religion, 7/12/2003
- Extremist underground group's trial hears defense arguments
Attorneys supporting a group of members belonging to the "Salafia Jihadia" extremist underground group -the so-called Youssef Fikri group- presented on Thursday night their arguments at the trial that started on July 4. Morocco, Local, 7/12/2003 - Football: Morocco's Raja advances in Arab Cup
Morocco's Raja Casablanca made a considerable step towards the semi-final of the Arab Champion clubs, when it defeated this Friday here Jordan's Al Faycali (1-0). Morocco, Sports, 7/12/2003 - Morocco donates four tons of medicines to Mauritania Mauritania-Morocco, Culture, 7/11/2003
- Justice minister: new penal procedure code to preserve defense rights
Moroccan justice minister, Mohammed Bouzoubaa, said the new code of penal procedure is a purely Moroccan law, based on all advanced theories of penal policies meant to preserve the defense rights. Morocco, Judicial, 7/11/2003 - Mosque calls for prayer for first time in granada 600 years after moors left Spain
A mosque is to be dedicated Thursday in in the Albaicin neighborhood of Granada (southern Spain) 600 years after Moors left Spain and after 22 years of continuous efforts of the Moslem community to realize this project. Regional-Spain, Religion, 7/11/2003 - Damascus University -UNICEF sign cooperation Agreement Syria, Education, 7/11/2003
- Arab book exhibition displayed in Damascus Syria-Regional, Local, 7/11/2003
- Morocco grabs 1st gold medal at Sherbrooke's 15-17 World Athletics Championships
Siham Hilal gave Morocco on Wednesday its first gold medal in the 3rd IAAF World Youth Athletics Championships the world athletics championships in Sherbrooke(Quebec, Canada), when she finished first in the 3,000 race. Morocco, Sports, 7/11/2003 - Twenty persons stand trial for acquaintances with underground violent group
General prosecutor at the court of appeal of Rabat, Hassan Laoufi, announced that 20 persons stood trial on Wednesday at the court for acquaintance with the "Salafia Jihadia" underground group. Morocco, Local, 7/11/2003 - King Mohammed pays unexpected visit to port of Tangier
Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Wednesday paid an unexpected visit to the port of Tangier to inquire about arrangements taken for Moroccan expatriates in Europe who come home for their summer holidays. Morocco, Culture, 7/10/2003 - Over 400,000 people benefit from nationwide literacy campaign
The Nationwide literacy campaign dubbed "Massirat Ennour (March for light)," launched in Morocco end of last May, benefited some 431,544 persons, said state secretary in charge of literacy and informal education, Najima Rhozali Tay Tay. Morocco, Education, 7/10/2003 - Children rights code to be more effective
The new children rights code was drafted in a way that repairs some loopholes and will be given more efficiency with a train of coercive and dissuasive clauses it contains, said secretary of state in charge of family, solidarity and social action, Yasmina Baddou. Morocco, Culture, 7/10/2003 - Two attacks by Iraqi resistance in Falouja; US soldier killed
Witnesses said that members of the Iraqi resistance fired two attacks by over the shoulder RPJ missiles at the headquarters of the American forces and an American military vehicle in Falouja to the west of Baghdad. Iraq-USA, Military, 7/10/2003 - Yemen arrests fleeing Islamists
The Yemeni security forces arrested on Wednesday five persons among them two wanted Islamists who fled military confrontations. Yemen, Local, 7/10/2003 - Al-Riyadh: Jordan denies presence of an armed group currently on trial in Jordan
Director general of the Jordan’s state security court Col. Mahmoud Obeidat has denied the existence of an armed organization on trial in Jordan, stressing that persons who were arrested are but a group under formation but has not reached the level of an organization. Jordan, Local, 7/10/2003 - Group of 28 alleged members of Assalafia Al Jihadia extremist group before appeal court of Fez
A group of 28 alleged members of the Assalafia Al Jihadia extremist group appeared Tuesday before the Criminal chamber of the appeal court of Fez. Morocco, Local, 7/10/2003 - Nineteen alleged members of Al Hijra Wa Takfir extremist group appear before appeal court of Taza
Nineteen alleged members of Al Hijra Wa Takfir extremist group were brought before the appeal court of Taza, authorities said Wednesday. Morocco, Local, 7/10/2003 - Israei occupation shoots Palestinian in the neck, Wounds his wife
Eiad Shalameesh, 28, was shot dead with live bullets in the neck, hand and the leg while his wife Kholood was critically wounded after being shot in the head, K.Sliman hospital sources, in Hebron, said. Palestine-Israel, Military, 7/9/2003 - Sudanese plane crash crisis: 115 killed, one child survives
Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael said the American sanctions imposed on Sudan was responsible for the plane incident. He stressed that the crashed plane had not undergone maintenance in five to 7 years because of lack of spare parts. Sudan, Local, 7/9/2003 - Three Moroccans to assist French coach of Qatari team
Three Moroccan technicians will assist French coach of Qatari team, Phillippe Troussier, who coached the Japanese team during the world cup finals in 2002. Morocco-Qatar, Sports, 7/9/2003 - Morocco has 4,277 cooperatives with a $ 800 million capital
Morocco has 4,277 cooperatives, mustering 267,466 members, with an overall capital of 6.7 billion Dirhams (US$ 800 million), according to 2002 statistics released by Morocco's office of cooperation development. Morocco, Local, 7/9/2003 - Salafia Jihadia extremist group members sentenced to 10 to 18 months in jail
The first instance court of Taza handed out on Monday prison sentences ranging between 10 and 18 months against a group of six individuals standing trial for acquaintances with the "Salafia Jihadia" extremist group. Morocco, Local, 7/9/2003 - Two American soldiers, one British wounded in two attacks in Iraq
An officer in the US army said that two American soldiers were slightly wounded in an explosion that inflected damage in their vehicles at the outskirts of Baghdad. The army officer who was talking from the explosion site said that an explosive went off on the highway linking Baghdad and Baghdad's International airport. Iraq-USA, Military, 7/9/2003 - Two Americans killed, four wounded in Iraqi attacks
Iraqi resistance continued operations against the American occupation forces and killed during in 24 hours two Americans and wounded other 4, at a time when Baghdad's municipal council held its first meetings in the presence of the US administrator of Iraq Paul Bremer. Iraq-USA, Military, 7/8/2003 - 571 Palestinian children killed by Israel since the intifada; destruction of Palestinian land continues
A Palestinian authority report said "Four Palestinian civilians were wounded, one critically, Monday by Israeli occupation forces IOF in Rafah City and Tulkarim...Amin Al Karoot, 16, was critically wounded after being shot with two bullets in the leg." Palestine-Israel, Military, 7/8/2003 - Leader of Assalafia Al Jihadia extremist group admits murders
One the "Assalafia Aljihadia" extremist group leaders, Youssef Fikri, acknowledged the murders he was charged with by the Casablanca Appeal Court, except that of his uncle. Morocco, Local, 7/8/2003 - Football: Hassania Agadir win Morocco's league for second time
Hassania Club of Agadir on Sunday won the Moroccan football league for the second time in a row, toppling such prestigious teams as RAJA and WYDAD Casablanca. Morocco, Sports, 7/8/2003 - Football: Morocco qualifies for African nations cup finals
The Atlas Lions of Morocco on Sunday defeated Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Bata to comfortably top their group and move to the African Nations Cup (CAN-2004), due early next year in Tunisia. Morocco-Regional, Sports, 7/8/2003 - Syrian- Lebanese Amal hospital inaugurated in Baalbeck
Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabeh Berri has stressed the necessity of boosting the Lebanese - Syrian coordination to confront this current critical situation. Lebanon-Syria, Culture, 7/7/2003 - British journalist, US soldier killed; four assassination attempt against Bremer
An Iraqi daily disclosed yesterday that the American civil administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, was exposed to four assassination attempts at the hands of unidentified persons since he assumed his post in Baghdad in May, at a time when the Iraqi operations claimed the lives of one British journalist and two wounded Americans during the two past days. Iraq-USA, Military, 7/7/2003 - Moroccan, Spanish FMs dedicate Spanish center, hospital maternity ward in Tetuan
Moroccan foreign minister, Mohammed Benaissa, and his Spanish peer, Ana Palacio, who started Friday a visit to Morocco at the head of an official delegation, dedicated in the northern city of Tetuan the maternity ward of the city's Spanish hospital and the newly refurbished Cervantes Spanish cultural center. Morocco-Spain, Culture, 7/7/2003 - Israel decided to release 5 percent of Palestinian prisoners
The Israeli government of prime minister Ariel Sharon has set tough conditions for releasing the Palestinian prisoners while deciding to release 350 of them, less than 5% of the total number, most of them are administrative detainees. A matter which is considered by the Palestinian authority as not enough, and the Palestinian groups sees as a maneuver. A matter which will also threaten the declared truce which among its set preconditions is the release all detainees in the Israeli jails. Palestine-Israel, Military, 7/7/2003 - Queen of Spain opens exhibition on bibliotheca Alexandrina Egypt-Spain, Local, 7/7/2003
- Arabic Language and globalization symposium
Symposium of the Arabic Language and Globalization was opened in Damascus on Saturday with the attendance of Minister of Higher Education Hassan Reshih, Education Minister, Lebanese Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and many other officials. Regional-Syria, Culture, 7/7/2003 - Nizar Hamdoun dies at 59 Iraq, People, 7/7/2003
- Jordan denies categorically any SARS cases Jordan, Health, 7/7/2003
- Police arrests German national with 960kg of hashish in Tangiers port Morocco, Local, 7/7/2003
- Paris meeting: Morocco's El Kmach comes in 2nd in 3,000 women race Morocco, Sports, 7/7/2003
- Gowhar As-Siqqili, Founder of Al-Mo'ez' Cairo
For a long time, to rule Egypt has been a dream of Fatimid Caliphs who founded their State in Arab Magrib. One of their goals was to establish a strong state to stand against the Abbasid Caliphate in Iraq. So, the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mo'ez Lidin Ellah sent an army of 100,000 soldiers under the leadership of Gowhar El-Siqqili (Abu Al-Hassan Gowhar Ibn Abdullah) who marched from Al-Mahdia City the capital of Fatimid State towards Egypt in February 969 AD. It took the Fatimid Caliph years to prepare that army and 24 million dinars were spent on preparations including pavement of roads and digging wells. Egypt, History, 7/7/2003 - Over 86% of Moroccan beaches meet water hygiene standards, report
More than 86% of swimming waters in Moroccan beaches meet hygiene standards, against 72% last year, says the national report of water quality control released this week. Morocco, Environment, 7/7/2003