Meanwhile, in less important news, “Israel transferred security control of the West Bank city of Jericho to the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday”—“the first of five cities where the Palestinian Authority will be allowed to resume control.”
Israeli forces began pulling back from Jericho earlier Wednesday, but the signing of a formal agreement to hand over control of the city was stalled at the last minute.
Without offering specifics, the Israel Defense Forces said there were “technical problems” but the problems were resolved during a meeting with Palestinian officials and the transfer document was formally signed.
Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erakat said the formal signing was held up when an Israeli commander asserted that Israel’s attorney general had to review the agreement.
He said Israeli negotiators hadn’t mentioned such a document review during three weeks of talks.
Live television pictures showed an Israeli checkpoint being dismantled and Palestinian police setting up a new one. Two other checkpoints are scheduled to be taken apart in about a month.
The West Bank town of Tulkarem is set to be handed over next, according to understandings between the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority. Qalqilya, south of Tulkarem, will follow.
More Bush bungling overcome by the steadfast determination of the international community.
Thank goodness for the UN.
No news here … keep moving along …. isn’t there a bombing somewhere we could report on?
What?
No all caps rant about CHIMPY MCSHRUB HALLIBURTON’S RIDE THROUGH HISTORY!!!
Damn…tease.
“Live television pictures showed an Israeli checkpoint being dismantled and Palestinian police setting up a new one.”
So PA police will harass people at these checkpoints? I thought the whole complaint was about an occupying force limiting the movement of the people, so now the PA police will be the occupying force limiting the movement of the people. Very strange.
“Oh, it’s okay—they’re our jackbooted thugs.”
Hmm. I thought Jericho belonged to Israel after some guy name Joshua and his army kicked Arab ass four or five thousand years ago.
My Sunday school teacher must‘ve been mistaken.
In other news…
If you could move the Dusty logo up an inch or two to cover her face, I believe we would see the truly interesting part of the clothing ad.
But that’s just me.