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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Some headlines and summaries from JTA
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U.S. Consulate to review P.A. encounters
American consular officials in Jerusalem must review any request for a meeting between U.S. and Palestinian Authority officials.
The new directive, which applies to U.S. officials worldwide, comes as Hamas assumes control of the Palestinian Authority this week. Hamas is listed in the United States as a terrorist group, and any meeting with its officials is banned by U.S. law.
Additionally, it’s Bush administration policy not to deal with the group until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the department had not decided yet whether to ban contact with non-Hamas Palestinians who are Cabinet members or employed by Hamas-run ministries.
Canada also announced Wednesday that it would cut funding to the Palestinian Authority and end contacts with its Cabinet.
AIPAC trial delayed
The judge in the classified-information case against two former AIPAC staffers delayed the trial for a month.
Judge T.S. Ellis III did not explain his order Monday postponing the trial from April 25 to May 23.
However, he also postponed his ruling on whether to dismiss the charges, which had been due Friday, until April 25.
In hearing arguments for dismissal last Friday, Ellis said the constitutional implications of the government’s charges against Steve Rosen, the former foreign policy director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Keith Weissman, AIPAC’s former Iran analyst, were weighty enough to merit serious consideration of the dismissal motion.
The charges are based on a never-used statute dating to World War I that makes it a crime for civilians to retain or disseminate classified information.
Lawyers for the defendants say it unconstitutionally inhibits free speech.
FBI stopped Hezbollah smugglers
The FBI broke up a ring that tried to smuggle Hezbollah operatives into the United States.
In testimony Tuesday to Congress on the FBI’s budget request, director Robert Mueller said most recent reports on terrorist smuggling do not pan out.
However, he identified one that did: “This was an occasion in which Hezbollah operatives were assisting others with some association with Hezbollah in coming to the United States,” Mueller said. “That was an organization that we dismantled and identified those persons who had been smuggled in. And they have been addressed as well.”
Mueller did not elaborate further, except to say that the ring had attempted to smuggle the operatives into the United States from Mexico.
Israeli army sorry for fake voting
The Israeli army apologized after a photo-op of soldiers voting turned out to be a sham.
In a statement, the army said it is sorry it had not made clear that the voting Sunday at a naval base in northern Israel was not real, the BBC reported.
Those responsible for staging the vote were reprimanded for acting in violation of the army’s rules and code of ethics, the statement said
Kentucky lawmakers pressed on religion
Jewish officials in Kentucky said state lawmakers spent too much time on religion in the current session.
A letter signed by leaders of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Community Federation of Louisville mentioned bills authorizing the posting of the Ten Commandments and the motto “In God We Trust” at the state capitol; a governor’s prayer breakfast at which only Christians spoke; and a church group’s survey asking legislators whether they had professed faith in Jesus. The letter was sent to Kentucky legislators.
http://www.jta.org/
posted by Somebody @ 10:55 PM Permanent Link
 
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