News For everyday With Shanshoneh

[Shanshoneh]

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Hello friends...this is for the news i will provide and give u all the news i can collect ....arab and international news .
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shanshoneh

[Shanshoneh]

Gov’t taking several measures to tackle rising prices - PM
SALT - Prime Minister Nader Dahabi on Thursday said the government is taking several measures to deal with rising prices and other economic challenges through the Social Safety Net.

During a meeting with residents and official representatives of Salt, Fuheis and Mahes yesterday, the premier reiterated that the rise in prices of fuel and other goods is the result of international price hikes.

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“Confronting the increase in prices is a joint responsibility that needs to be shared by both citizens and the government to combat its adverse effects,” the premier said in an address delivered at Al Balqa Applied University.

Conveying His Majesty King Abdullah’s greetings to the audience, Dahabi reiterated that the government is working to become acquainted with citizens’ needs in order to improve living conditions.

The premier highlighted the steps the government is taking towards developing the safety net, such as increasing public sector salaries and urged the private sector to follow suit by increasing the wages of their employees as well.

Dahabi also stressed that the salary increase will be enough to match the expected increase in prices resulting from lifting fuel subsidies.

The government has allocated around JD300 million to raise salaries and introduce a social safety net to offset the consequences of lifting subsidies this year.

In addition to more cash assistance, the government will also work to help underprivileged families through the National Development Fund and the Development and Employment Fund, Dahabi said.

In order to further empower citizens to deal with economic challenges, the government will work to provide a sufficient supply of essential commodities at fixed prices in the different branches of the Civil Service Consumer Corporation, he added.

In addition to the government’s decision to exempt 13 basic commodities from customs duties and sales tax, Dahabi said it would consider exempting other important items such as medicine.

So far, the exemption decision includes milk, cheese, chick peas, vermicelli, lentils, coffee, tea, wheat, yellow corn, rice, corn flour, palm oil and sugar.

Dahabi indicated that the government will speed up the construction of a new hospital to meet growing demand for medical services in Salt.

He also underlined the importance of the municipalities’ master plan for land use, saying it was the map for future infrastructure projects.

Referring to unemployment, the premier said the government will launch several projects to provide more job opportunities.

Balqa Governor Sameh Majali asked the government to reconsider the sale of the industrial estate to the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

Citing other needs in the area, Majali underlined the importance of completing work on the Salt hospital and establishing a medical college at Al Balqa Applied University.

Participants briefed the prime minister on their area’s respective needs, highlighting several issues including unemployment, pollution and traffic problems.

[Shanshoneh]

Bush calls for end of occupation




OCCUPIED JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH (Agencies) - US President George W. Bush on Thursday called for an end to the 40-year Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and for the two sides to make the tough choices need for a peace deal.

"There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967," Bush told reporters in Jerusalem after holding talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on a landmark visit to the region.

"Now is the time to make difficult choices," he said.

"The agreement must establish a Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people." Bush, who will head to a string of allied Arab countries after leaving Israel on Friday, called on Arab countries to reach out to the Jewish state created nearly 60 years ago.

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"I call upon the Arab countries to reach out to Israel, a step that is long overdue," Bush said.

He reiterated that a deal establishing a Palestinian state can be sealed within a year.

"The establishment of a state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it, and it will enhance the stability of the region, and it will contribute to the security of the people of Israel. A peace agreement should happen and can happen by the end of this year."

"Security is fundamental. No agreement and no Palestinian state will be born of terror. I reaffirm America's steadfast commitment to Israel's security,” Bush said.

He said that any final deal will have to modify the so-called Green Line, Israel's borders before the 1967 Six- Day War in which the Jewish state occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and Sinai from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria.

"While territory is an issue for both parties to decide I believe that any peace agreement between them will require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949 to reflect current realities and to ensure that the Palestinian state is viable and contiguous."

As part of efforts to establish the Palestinian state, he called for new mechanisms to resolve the issue of the Palestinian refugees.

"I believe we need to look to the establishment of a Palestinian state and new international mechanisms including compensation to resolve the refugee issue." He also called on both parties to adhere to their obligations under the 2003 international roadmap blueprint.

"On the Israeli side that includes ending settlement expansion and removing unauthorised outposts," he said. "On the Palestinian side that includes confronting terrorists and dismantling terror infrastructure." Bush, on his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories since assuming office in 2001, will return at least once more before his term ends in January 2009, national security adviser Stephen Hadley said.

Earlier in Ramallah, Bush predicted that a Mideast peace treaty would be completed by the time he leaves office, but acknowledged the deadline would be difficult to meet because of Hamas’ control of part of the land that would form an eventual independent Palestine.

Bush said he's convinced that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders understand "the importance of democratic states living side by side" in peace, and noted that he has a one-year deadline for progress on his watch.

He named Lt. Gen. William Fraser III, assistant to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, to monitor steps that both sides are making on the peace process, a US official told the Associated Press.

"I'm on a timetable," he told reporters. "I've got 12 months." Bush said he is not sure that the problem of Hamas, which took over the Gaza Strip in June, can be solved within that time frame. Hamas, he said, was elected to help improve the lot of Palestinians, but "has delivered nothing but misery".

Standing alongside Abbas at the news conference, Bush said he is confident that "with proper help, the state of Palestine will emerge". "I am confident that the status quo is unacceptable, Mr President, and we want to help you," Bush said.

Bush is on a three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank to show support for renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following seven years of violence.

"The question is whether or not hard issues can be resolved and the vision emerges, so that the choice is clear amongst the Palestinians," Bush said. "The choice being, 'Do you want this state? Or do you want the status quo? Do you want a future based upon a democratic state? Or do you want the same old stuff?''' "We want a state, of course," Abbas said in English.

The Palestinian leader called on Israel to fulfil its commitments the roadmap.

Bush's first trip to the Palestinian West Bank has generated little excitement among Palestinians, who are largely sceptical of his promises to try to move along Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The US is perceived in the Palestinian areas as a staunch ally of Israel, at the expense of the Palestinians, but Abbas said Bush's visit "gives our people great hope".

The naming of a US military leader to watch over the Israeli-Palestinian talks is another sign of Bush's late-term effort to forge a peace deal. He has repeatedly said that the US will not dictate the terms of an agreement, but has sought to show that his country is fully engaged in the process.

In the Mideast peace conference Bush led in Annapolis, Maryland, last November, he promised that the United States would "monitor" the negotiations.

Palestinian officials were pleased with Fraser's appointment. "It's one of the positive signs of the visit," said Mohammad Mustafa, economic adviser to Abbas.

Israeli officials did not immediately comment. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Bush's comments a "declaration of war". "Bush's visit and remarks today have indicated that his visit came to support the occupation and has brought nothing to the Palestinian people but evil," the Hamas spokesman said.

On Thursday morning, Bush was driven from Jerusalem to this West Bank city, instead of taking a helicopter. That meant he got an unexpected glimpse of the daily frustrations faced by Palestinians trying to move around the West Bank, nominally a Palestinian territory but one heavily controlled by the Israeli military. On his drive, Bush passed through a security checkpoint, and drove within sight of the concrete walls of Israel's West Bank separation barrier. The Palestinians call the massive structure, which juts into the West Bank, an illegal landgrab.

In a visit to Bethlehem, the president toured the Church of the Nativity, which is jointly administered by three Christian denominations - Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian. Bush walked around the church with clerics in black robes and toured the grotto or cave beneath, which many believe is the birthplace of Christ. The president also is visiting the Roman Catholic Church of St. Catherine where Christmas decorations adorned 19th century stone walls.

Outside the Church of the Nativity, Bush thanked some monks individually. He said he was happy to be in Bethlehem, and lamented the walls and checkpoints that restrict Palestinian life there.

The agreement also says Washington "will monitor and judge the fulfilment of the commitment of both sides to the roadmap", which initially calls for the Palestinians to halt violence and Israel to freeze settlement activity.

King, Abbas discuss Bush visit

AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday discussed the outcome of the meeting between Abbas and US President George W. Bush as part of efforts to push the Palestinian-Israeli peace process forward.

In a telephone call yesterday, Abbas briefed King Abdullah on the US stand towards the peace process and expressed hope that Bush’s visit to the region would support the launching of comprehensive negotiations.

The Monarch highlighted the importance of seizing the current international momentum, represented by Bush’s visit to the region.

[Goodbye]

Thank U Shanshoneh
And U Know Me
Always I Have No News
(Ba7 Ma fesh)

[Shanshoneh]

hehhehe
yes i know u more than i know myself>>>always have no news...anyways thanx for passing by

[Shanshoneh]

US bombers, jets unleash 40,000 pounds of bombs in 10 minutes

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Women watch as US soldiers search their home during Operation Phantom Phoenix in Diyala province, Iraq, on Thursday (AP photo by Marko Drobnjakovic)


ZAMBARANIYAH, Iraq (AP) - US bombers and jet fighters unleashed 40,000 pounds of explosives within 10 minutes Thursday in one of the biggest air strikes of the war, flattening what the military called Al Qaeda in Iraq safe havens on the southern outskirts of the capital.

The massive attack, carried out above approaching US and Iraqi troops, was part of Operation Phantom Phoenix, a nationwide campaign launched Tuesday against Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Maj. Alayne Conway, a spokeswoman for troops in the Multi-National Division-Centre, which controls the broad swath of territory south of Baghdad, said the amount of ordnance dropped in 10 minutes nearly exceeded what had been dropped in that region in any month since the US military surge began in earnest in June 2007.

Conway said the air attack "was one of the largest air strikes since the onset of the war" in March 2003.

The air raid was followed by a ground attack that led to 12 arrests and the discovery of two houses used to torture kidnap victims, according to an Iraqi army officer. He said the troops faced no resistance.

By nightfall, US troops had advanced to Zambaraniyah, a farming village 15 kilometres southeast of the capital and at the edge of the region that was heavily bombed.

A military statement said two B-1 bombers and four F-16 fighters dropped the bombs on 40 targets in Arab Jabour in 10 strikes. Al Qaeda fighters are believed to control Arab Jabour, a Sunni district lined with citrus groves and scarred by daily violence.

"Thirty-eight bombs were dropped within the first 10 minutes, with a total tonnage of 40,000 pounds," the statement said.

The Iraqi army officer, whose unit is in the Arab Jabour area, said the air strikes began at 8:00am and led to the burning of several citrus groves and the destruction of two houses used by gunmen. He said soldiers confiscated documents and weapons including AK-47s.

The army officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. But Sheikh Mahmoud Kamil Shebib, a local Sunni leader who has turned against Al Qaeda in Iraq, independently gave a similar account.

Mahmoud Chiad, who lives on the edge of Arab Jabour, said that when he left his house in the morning, he was surprised to see many US-Iraqi checkpoints in the area with Iraqi security forces ordering people, through loudspeakers, to stay home.

"After this, we saw US helicopters hovering over the area while the sounds of jet fighters were also heard," he said.

"Minutes later, there was the sounds of big explosions. We saw fire and smoke coming out from some groves. Then, the gunfire crackled in the groves, but it ended by noon."

The attack came a day after the US military reported that nine American soldiers were killed north of the capital in the first two days of a new offensive.

Many militants have fled US and Iraqi forces massing north of Baghdad in Diyala province. Like Arab Jabour, Diyala is an agricultural area of palm and citrus groves that has defied the trend towards lower violence.

The campaign's scope is nationwide but is mainly focused on gaining control of Diyala and its most important city, Baqouba, which Al Qaeda has declared the capital of its self-styled Islamic caliphate.

Six soldiers were killed and four were wounded Wednesday in a booby-trapped house in Diyala, the US command said.

It also announced that three US soldiers were killed and two wounded in an attack Tuesday in Salahuddin province, north of Diyala.

The toll marked some of the deadliest days for US forces in Iraq since last fall. For all December, 23 US soldiers died in Iraq.

The blows against US troops came as extremists tried to stay ahead of the military advance. Al Qaeda fighters retreated north from Diyala, presumably to Salahuddin, the top US commander in northern Iraq, Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, told reporters in Baghdad on Wednesday.

"Operational security in Iraq is a problem," he said, noting that the Iraqi army uses unsecured cellphones and radios. "I'm sure there is active leaking of communication." Hertling said his troops had killed 20 to 30 insurgents in the first two days of the operation. It was unknown how many were killed in Thursday's strike.

Only Baghdad province has been deadlier than Diyala the past two years, according to an Associated Press count.

And while violence has declined over the past six months in Baghdad and many other places in Iraq, much of Diyala has remained a killing field. At least 273 civilians were slain in Diyala last month, compared to 213 in June. Over the same span, monthly civilian deaths in Baghdad dropped from 838 to 182.

In central Baghdad early Thursday, two bombs exploded nearly simultaneously close to a military checkpoint, killing two policemen and one soldier, police said. Eleven others were wounded in the attack, including four civilians.

[Shanshoneh]

the weather today is

It will be cold and partly cloudy during the weekend with winds easterly moderate. In Aqaba, it will be cold with winds northerly moderate and seas calm.
























































































Min./Max. temp.

















































Amman 00/05
Aqaba 10/12
Deserts -1/07
Jordan Valley 07/14
Hilly Areas 00/03

[Shanshoneh]

King, Mohammad VI discuss ties, Mideast

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MARRAKESH (Petra) - His Majesty King Abdullah held talks on Sunday with Moroccan King Mohammad VI on means to bolster bilateral ties and current developments in the region.

King Abdullah arrived along with Her Majesty Queen Rania earlier yesterday on a three-day visit.

The two leaders stressed their keenness to enhance cooperation, especially in the economic, investment and political fields.

They also stressed the importance of activating and developing economic and commercial cooperation, and continuing coordination on various issues of concern to the Arab and Islamic nation.

Jordan and Morocco on Sunday signed three agreements to boost cooperation between the two countries in the areas of competitiveness, exports’ enhancement and the building of joint megaprojects.

The agreements are meant to increase the trade exchange volume between the two countries, in addition to increasing the exchange of expertise in the field of investment and implementation of major development projects.

Although Jordan and Morocco are bound by 44 cooperation agreements, protocols and executive programmes, trade exchange between the two countries for 2006 did not exceed $24 million.

During the meeting, King Abdullah emphasised Jordan's support to efforts seeking to reach a political solution to the issue of the Western Sahara to realise security and stability in the northern African countries.

Talks also covered the situation in the Middle East and efforts exerted to push the peace process forward. The two leaders stressed their support for the Palestinian Authority in negotiating with the Israelis to restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, chief among which is the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

King Abdullah briefed the Moroccan leader on his meetings and communications with several countries and international parties to rally support to efforts seeking to push the negotiation process between the Palestinians and Israelis forward, leading to a comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian issue based on the international resolutions.

Talks also covered the situation in Lebanon and Iraq.

The two leaders stressed their support of the Arab League's initiative to solve the political crisis in Lebanon and overcome the consequences of the political vacuum in the country.

The initiative, they said, is a step in the right direction and paves the way for ending the political crisis in Lebanon and enable the people to stand up to the challenges their country faces.

On Iraq, the two leaders stressed the need to continue efforts to realise national reconciliation among the Iraqis and work to restore security and stability in the country

[leena]

thanx shanshoneh this is a very important topic

[leena]

His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday discussed with Morocco’s First Minister Abbas Fasi ways to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in terms of increasing commercial exchange volume and investments, in addition to activating previous agreements signed between the two sides.

[braveheart]

thank u
//..//.

[Shanshoneh]

PSD’s Gendarmerie unit to handle emergencies
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AMMAN - The Public Security Department (PSD) on Wednesday announced the establishment of the General Directorate of Gendarmerie during a visit by His Majesty King Abdullah.

The Monarch was briefed on the duties of the new department, which is tasked with assisting the police in emergency and exceptional situations.

The new directorate, which will be affiliated with the Ministry of Interior, will be headed by Brigadier General Tawfiq Halalmeh, PSD Spokesperson Major Mohammad Khatib told The Jordan Times yesterday.

“The Gendarmerie will assist the police in emergencies and exceptional situations and will also be charged with handling riot situations,” Khatib added.

He said the Special Security Forces unit at the PSD was in charge of intervening in exceptional cases and emergencies, but it was decided to create a separate directorate grouping the Special Security Forces, the Diplomatic Security Unit and the PSD’s air unit, among others.

“There are also plans to create a separate headquarters for the new unit. In addition, the directorate will have battalions stationed in the Kingdom’s regions,” Khatib said.

During yesterday’s visit, King Abdullah asserted the need to provide citizens with the highest levels of security within a humanitarian framework that takes justice and equality into consideration, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He called for going ahead with programmes seeking to develop and upgrade the security apparatus, especially with regard to the Kingdom’s correctional and rehabilitation centres.

The Monarch also underscored the importance of cooperation in confronting the problem of rising road accidents that constitute a serious threat to citizens and claim the lives of many people every day, according to Petra.

During a meeting with PSD Director Major General Mazen Qadi, King Abdullah expressed pride in efforts exerted by the PSD and the humanitarian and security services they offer to citizens.

Qadi said the PSD will continue to work to realise the King’s aspirations and vision and to provide the best security services for citizens.

Also yesterday, King Abdullah met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff General Khaled Sarayreh during a visit to Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) Headquarters.

The Monarch was briefed on the JAF strategy on the military housing sector, which comes in implementation of the King’s directives to provide suitable housing for military personnel and their families.

A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. The members of such a body are called gendarmes. Although it cannot be considered a French concept, the French gendarmerie has been the most influential model of such an organisation.

[Shanshoneh]

Gazans brace for more hardship as lockdown sets in


Agencies



Israel’s complete closure of the Gaza Strip began to take its toll on residents on Saturday as the army kept up its strikes on the Hamas-ruled territory, killing two members in a predawn raid.

Israel announced on Thursday it would close all crossings into and out of Gaza for several days to all but essential humanitarian aid, intensifying its almost two-year siege of the territory aimed at stemming sporadic rocket fire.

In the Shaata refugee camp in Gaza City the already weary residents, most of whom survive on UN food aid, braced for even more hardship.

“I have eight children, and me and my wife make 10. We will die of hunger. There is no work, nothing,” said Hamidu, 40, a mechanic in the camp who declined to give his last name.

“Every week since Hamas took over the situation has gotten worse,” he said. “But the blockade is not against Fateh or Hamas, it is against the entire Palestinian people.” Israel kept up its assault on Saturday, killing at least two Hamas fighters in an air strike north of Gaza City and launching a second strike that left no casualties.

Israel has escalated operations in Gaza since Tuesday, killing at least 36 Palestinians in the biggest flare-up of violence since the Islamist movement took power, while Hamas launched some 200 rockets into southern Israel.

Despite the ongoing military strikes and the dreaded lockdown, Gazans remain defiant. “On the last day of our lives, with our last breath, we will fire rockets,” Hamidu said.

A senior official from the UN agency for refugees, which on Friday was prevented from bringing in a shipment of humanitarian aid, has, meanwhile, warned about the impact of the closures on the impoverished strip.

“We have stocks of food for two months in our warehouses but we must plan for interruptions to crossings, and the demand will continue to escalate if the crossings remain closed,” John Ging, the UNRWA’s Gaza director, told AFP.

More than a million people in Gaza - two-thirds of the territory’s total population - rely on the UNRWA food system, which Ging said only provides basic staples such as oil, lentils and rice.

As news of the new measures spread, residents across the Gaza Strip stocked up on diesel fuel, leaving several service stations empty.

“We have already run out of diesel and we can only supply gasoline for two hours a day,” gas station owner Ibrahim Berberi told AFP.

“The supply that comes to us is not enough, because it runs out the same day we receive it.” A European Union official involved in fuel shipments to Gaza, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said supplies were halted on Friday and that Israel would reassess the closures on Monday.

Meanwhile, the head of Gaza’s power authority warned that there was only enough fuel to run its sole power station - already operating at less than half its capacity - for another day.

“The fuel supply today is only sufficient for one day and tomorrow at 10:00am (0800 GMT), if more fuel is not allowed in, we will see the supply to the power station cut off,” Kanaan Obeid told AFP.

Turning to Egypt

Hamas called on Egypt Saturday to open the Rafah crossing along its border with Gaza - the only crossing that bypasses Israel - to allow the transport of “basic goods necessary for the continuation of life in Gaza”.

Spokesman Taher Nunu condemned the “Israeli occupation’s hardening of its unjust siege against our people and its preventing the entry of medicine, food and fuel in a way that threatens the lives of 1.5 million people.” The new lockdown has prompted an international outcry, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday expressing concern about the closures and calling for an immediate end to the escalating violence in the region.

Hamas claims to have foiled Fateh plot to kill Haniyeh

A senior Hamas leader on Saturday said the Islamist group had foiled a plot by Fateh Party to assassinate dismissed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Hamas-run police had arrested a would-be suicide bomber, who was a member of Fateh, former interior minister Said Siam told a press conference in Gaza City.

Siam said the Fateh plotters had planned to kill Haniyeh at Friday prayers.

Fateh spokesman Fahmi Zaarir rejected the accusation as “ridiculous” in a statement from the party’s headquarters in Ramallah.

During a raid on the house of an explosives expert involved in the plot, Hamas-run police had found “plans to assassinate prime minister Ismail Haniyeh during Friday prayers with a suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt,” Siam said.

“The suicide bomber has been arrested by internal security,” he said, adding that police had captured an incriminating video showing him with the belt.

In Ramallah, Fateh spokesman Zaarir said: “Fateh has not and will not use weapons for killings and assassinations in the context of the internal situation.

“This culture of blood was not in the Palestinian political system before the arrival of Hamas.”

Arab League ‘strongly condemns’ Israeli action

Arab League chief Amr Musa on Saturday strongly condemned Israel’s military attacks on Gaza and its lockdown of the territory, saying they could affect current Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Musa “strongly condemns the actions of the occupying Israeli authorities, including killings, destruction and the threat of death to more than 1.5 million people in Gaza”, according to a league statement.

He urged the so-called international Quartet - made up of the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States - to exert pressure on Israel.

Meanwhile, Ekmeleddin Ihsanogulu, secretary general of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, accused the Israeli military of “committing successive massacres in the Gaza Strip, in which civilians were killed”, the OIC said.

Ihsanogulu called upon the United Nations and its Security Council to “assume their responsibilities and work to end the ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people and to end the arbitrary blockade of the Gaza Strip”.

Rocket fire has been catastrophic - Fayyad

Palestinian leaders have denounced Israel’s strikes and sanctions, but in remarks Saturday Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was also bitterly critical of the Gaza rocket campaign.

“Launching rockets has brought us nothing but catastrophes and hardships,” he said during a visit to the northern West Bank town of Salfit.

President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday called the Israeli air strikes “brutal”, but also accused Hamas, his bitter rivals, of trying to destroy the Palestinians’ national aspirations.

An escalation of the Gaza fighting could complicate US President George W. Bush’s efforts to prod the sides towards a final peace deal by year’s end and sour talks between Israel and the moderate Abbas government.

[Shanshoneh]

Jordanian nationality does not compromise refugees’ rights’

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His Majesty King Abdullah speaks during an interview with Ad Dustour daily (Photo by Yousef Allan)






AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah has said that Jordanian citizenship held by Palestinian refugees in the Kingdom does not in any way compromise their right to return and compensation.

He said in a wide-ranging interview with Ad Dustour Arabic daily to be published today: “As for the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, we stress once again that their Jordanian citizenship does not deprive them of the right of return and compensation as Palestinians (see full text of interview).

“This has been our unwavering position and we are not backing away from it. It is enshrined in international resolutions, particularly UN Resolution 194, which is not negotiable, nor can it be abandoned.”

He said Jordan continues to emphasise its commitment to international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative as the way for a settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the plight of refugees.

The Monarch was responding to a question by Ad Dustour’s Chief Editor Nabil Sharif on US President George W. Bush’s tour to the region and the fears it raised that the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, especially the right of return, might be undermined.

He reiterated Amman’s support for the Palestinian National Authority, especially on final status issues which, he said, have a direct effect on the future Palestinian state - refugees, Jerusalem, water and borders.

“We’ve exerted tremendous efforts recently to return the Palestinian issue to the top of the international community’s agenda, particularly in the United States,” the King said.

The King renewed “strong condemnation” of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the siege of its people.

“We are in touch with our Palestinian brothers, the Arabs and international community to end this aggression and siege that violate all norms and international conventions… We have demanded that Israel immediately cease its aggression.

“The difficult conditions of Gaza residents and the siege imposed on them have a detrimental effect on citizens and cause a further deterioration in their living conditions. Israel must realise that there can be no serious negotiations towards the aspired peace in light of its continued aggression and violations committed against the Gaza Strip.”

On the Israeli settlement activities, King Abdullah said Jordan’s position on the issue is that settlements are illegal and continued settlement threatens the entire peace process because it threatens the future Palestinian state.

“The parties must commit to the roadmap which addressed settlements in the very first phase. Commitment must be the gateway to the peace process that was started at the Annapolis meeting,” His Majesty told the paper.

He stressed that Jerusalem is the most important issue in the conflict due to its stature and sanctity. “This is our position as Hashemites and it is one that we share with every Arab and Muslim. Jordan’s responsibility to preserve Islamic sanctuaries is a historic trust and one that we will not surrender until Jerusalem is liberated from occupation,” he said.

“Any attempt to undermine its Arab and Islamic identity is totally opposed. We stress again that sovereignty over sanctuaries is a Jordanian responsibility and we shall keep it in order to protect Al Aqsa and all other holy sites in Jerusalem until the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Syria, Lebanon and Iraq

Asked on ties with Syria after his historic visit to Damascus and the subsequent official meetings between the two neighbours, the King said Syria is a brotherly Arab neighbour that shares common interests with the Kingdom. “We are still optimistic about the future of our relations with Syria because we strongly believe that it is an integral part of the Arab world. We also cooperate in order to realise Syrian policies that are in the interest of the Arab nation and for inter-Arab ties to be based on mutual respect for the sovereignty of each state.”

He added that a Syrian track is a major component of a comprehensive Mideast peace process.

“We are very hopeful for the implementation of all agreements reached during the meeting of the Jordanian-Syrian higher committee, which will benefit both peoples.” He reiterated Jordan’s eagerness for Lebanon’s stability and security, which he described as “redlines”.

On Iraq, he said Amman has been keen to build ties with the Iraqi government that serve common interests.

“We have exerted and continue to exert every effort to assist [Iraqis] in the achievement of national reconciliation… and encourage all components of Iraqi society to enter the political process in order to build a strong and united Iraq,” King Abdullah said.

Domestic affairs

On domestic affairs, the King said although Jordan has witnessed qualitative development and progress in several fields, gains have not been reflected in several sectors of Jordanian society, “and this is not pleasing”.

“We would like to see a more equitable distribution of economic growth that is reflected in income levels and general well-being. This, of course, is the big challenge for government which should adopt the necessary policies to ensure justice in the distribution of development returns and in improving services throughout the country,” the King said, urging the government to go out into the field and be among and with the people so that they are acquainted with their conditions, problems and suggestions and likewise to acquaint citizens with its programmes and policies.

Regarding political development, the Monarch said that successive governments have not been able “to translate our vision into reality for several reasons, foremost among which the conditions in the region which have obstructed the achievement of our objectives”.

“We seek to entrench political life in Jordan and this requires the efforts of the state, whose role is to introduce amendments that improve the legislative environment governing political life. It requires parallel efforts of political parties to raise the quality of their performance.

In this regard, political parties have to contribute to and participate in political and economic life and draft national programmes that are truly national and stem from putting Jordan’s interests first.

Arab support

The King said Jordan’s ties with Arab neighbours, especially with the Arab Gulf states are distinguished. The Gulf countries, he noted, “have provided us with financial and oil assistance in the past years. This has contributed to our efforts to address economic challenges, and has enabled us to move forward in our development. Parallel to this Arab support, we’ve been keen to realise self-sufficiency and cope with our economic realities from that perspective in order to achieve prosperity and a decent standard of living for citizens”.

“Jordan does not tie its regional and national role to the volume of assistance it receives from any country: this is our duty, regardless of our limited abilities.”

[Shanshoneh]

Blast in Iraq’s Mosul kills 15, wounds 132


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Iraqis mourn the death of their relatives outside the morgue of a hospital in the restive city of Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, on Wednesday. Iraqi security forces found yesterday the bodies of six members of a family shot execution style in Iraq’s restive Diyala province, a day after they were kidnapped by unknown gunmen, police said (AFP photo)






BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed and 132 wounded when a building used by fighters to store weapons and tonnes of explosives blew up in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday, senior security officials said.

Iraqi officials said women and children were among the victims from the blast, which also tore through nearby homes.

Heavy equipment had been brought in to dig for survivors.

“There are still people trapped inside the blast site and under rubble,” Major-General Mark Hertling, commander of US forces in northern Iraq, told Reuters by telephone.

He said Iraqi soldiers had detonated a roadside bomb they had found, which triggered a “massive secondary” explosion in the building. Explosive experts at the scene estimated 15 tonnes of ordnance had been hidden in the building, Hertling said.

Iraqi security officials had earlier suggested the blast was detonated as police arrived to search the building following what they said was a tip from a detained fighter.

Witnesses said it was one of the biggest explosions ever heard in ethnically and religiously mixed Mosul, 390km north of Baghdad. They said a huge plume of smoke rose above the largest city in northern Iraq.

The explosion destroyed the unoccupied three-storey building. Hertling said 12 civilians and three Iraqi soldiers had been killed and that US military medics had been sent to Mosul to help treat the wounded.

Mosul is the capital of Nineveh province, one of Iraq’s northern regions where US and Iraqi forces this year have launched offensives against Sunni Islamist Al Qaeda fighters who are most often blamed for large-scale bombings in Iraq.

The offensives were carried out after Al Qaeda fighters were squeezed from former strongholds in western Anbar province and areas around Baghdad by security crackdowns last year.

In another attack in northern Iraq, a suicide car bomb killed seven people and wounded 16 others about 40km from the city of Kirkuk, police said.

Despite persistent bombings in northern Iraq, violence has fallen sharply across the country, with overall attacks down by 60 per cent since last June.

US and Iraqi officials credit the deployment of an extra 30,000 US troops and the growing use of mainly Sunni Arab neighbourhood police units in areas where local citizens turned against Al Qaeda for the drop in violence.

US soldiers backed by attack aircraft killed 20 suspected Al Qaeda fighters in raids in northern Iraq over the past two days, the US military said.

In the biggest operation, US ground troops seeking an Al Qaeda network leader near the Diyala provincial capital Baqouba called in air support after encountering a number of fighters who took up “fighting positions”. Ten were killed in the raid.

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN - The government decision to completely lift fuel subsidies was due to go into effect Thursday midnight, raising prices of fuel derivatives by 3 to 110.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, the government announced that on Sunday it will start dispensing cash assistance to more than 440,000 citizens, who benefited from a similar programme in 2006.

Salary raises previously announced by the Cabinet to offset the consequences of the inevitable rise in the prices of commodities and services can also be cashed at banks Sunday, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Word of the decision spread across the country late Thursday, and long queues of cars seeking to fill their tanks were seen at petrol stations before the hikes went into effect.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport announced new tariffs for taxis and other transportation services.

According to the updated price list, leaded regular gasoline (87) will be replaced by the unleaded (90) type and sold for 575 fils a litre, up from 430 fils. New per litre prices of super and unleaded gasoline, diesel and kerosene are 660 fils, 660 fils, 555 fils and 555 fils, rising from 605 fils, 640 fils, 315 fils and 315 fils respectively.

Gas cylinders will remain partially subsidised, sold at JD6.5 each till March 31, when the cold season is over.

However, gas stations will be given a two-week transitional period to sell leaded regular gasoline (87) for the price of unleaded (90). Also leaded super gasoline (95) and unleaded gasoline (92) will be sold for the price of unleaded (95).

This means the Kingdom will this month stop using leaded gas.

The prices of fuel derivatives will be defined on a monthly basis by a special committee comprising representatives from the ministries of energy and mineral resources and industry and trade and the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC).

The panel will meet regularly on the 25th of each month to work out fuel prices for the coming month, based on the average oil price in the preceding 30 days, in addition to transportation and handling costs.

The committee’s mandate ends in two years, after which prices will be left to free market forces to decide, officials said previously.

The authorities yesterday said petrol and the other derivatives were in abundant supply in the market, and warned gas station owners against refraining from selling the essential commodity.

An official told The Jordan Times that more than 30 gas station owners were fined for refusing to sell fuel on Thursday, on a “false claim that they ran out of stock”.

He said inspection teams were checking the country’s 395 stations to make sure they abide by instructions.

In the meantime, around 26 technical teams from the refinery and the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology were adjusting fuel pump gauges on Thursday night in accordance with the amended prices, according to JPRC Spokesperson Adnan Bakhit.

As part the JD301 million Social Safety Net, salaries of civil service, army, security services and Civil Defence Department personnel were raised by JD50 a month for those paid less than JD300, and JD45 for higher salaries.

Public sector employees can collect the raise for January on Sunday, because the decision is retroactive.

Those entitled to cash assistance are households whose supporters do not work for the government and where the individual share in the family’s income is less than JD1,000 a year.

Transportation tariffs modified

AMMAN (JT) - New tariffs for the Kingdom’s public transportation go into effect Friday following a government decision to scrap fuel subsidies, an official statement said on Thursday.

The average rise in the tariffs is 23 per cent, according to the statement issued by the Public Transport Regulatory Commission that included a detailed price list of all kinds of public transportation services and routes.

The list stated that rates for taxis inside cities are now JD0.10 for each 54 metres instead of 60 metres. Also, tariffs for taxis carrying passengers to and from Queen Alia International Airport have been raised by 10 per cent, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, charges of buses and medium-size transportation means working inside the country or operating on external routes have been increased by 23 per cent on average.

Transport Minister Alaa Batayneh said in the statement that the new tariffs would “guarantee the interests of both passengers and investors in the public transportation sector”.

Item Old price/ litre New price/ litre Increase percentage



Super 605 fils Unleaded (95) 660 fils** 9%



Unleaded 640 fils Unleaded (95) 660 fils 3%



Regular 430 fils Unleaded (90) 575 fils** 33%



Kerosene 315 fils 555 fils 76.1%



Diesel 315 fils 555 fils 76.1%



Heavy oil used

in electricity JD165 JD348 110.9%

power stations



*Gas JD 4.25/cylinder JD6.5 52.9%



* As of April 1, prices will be governed according to international prices set by the committee.

** Regular and super types of petrol will be replaced by unleaded types of 90 and 95 octane number, respectively



8 February 2008

[Shanshoneh]

King to start Russia visit Sunday








His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday will start a two-day official visit to Russia, where he will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin means to enhance bilateral ties in various fields. The two leaders are also expected to discuss current Mideast developments, mainly efforts to push the peace process forward to achieve a just and sustainable settlement to the conflict. The talks are expected to also cover several regional and international issues of common concern -Petra



8 February 2008

[Shanshoneh]

His Majesty King Abdullah recites verses of the Holy Koran at the tomb of the late King Hussein on Thursday, the 9th anniversary of his passing. Royal family members, the prime minister, Cabinet members, senior Royal Court and government officials, members of Parliament, and high-ranking army and security officers also visited the tomb to pay their respects



8 February 2008

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN - Madaba deputies will be scrutinised under a pilot project that encourages local citizens and civil society organisations to be involved in governance and hold MPs accountable.

The Al Badeel Centre for Studies and Trainingsigned a JD10,800 grant agreement with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) on Wednesday to implement the project, which aims to promote accountability in public institutions.

“Accountability is a crucial issue and Jordanians need to be more proactive in the evaluation of parliamentary performance. When people take advantage of their rights and understand an MP’s obligations they can have a more informed decision whether to reelect the deputy,” Al Badeel Director Musa Maaytah told The Jordan Times.

The six-month pilot project will be implemented in Madaba, where one of the elected MPs is a woman.

According to the Al Badeel director, the city was chosen for the first phase of the plan because of its small size and the religious and gender diversity of MPs.

The project will develop a set of standards to evaluate five core parliamentary services: Participation, legislation, vote of confidence, policy and programmes, and the level of communication and coordination between MPs and civil society.

The centre will also organise two seminars with the participation of MPs, civil society representatives, voters and social groups to enhance direct discourse.

“The challenge will be to engage the three parties in a productive dialogue,” CFLI Lead Coordinator Mona Darwazah told The Jordan Times.

She explained that the vast majority of projects which received grants from the fund were successful in meeting their objectives.

The CFLI programme offers grants to civil society and NGO projects that promote good governance, human rights and democratic principles, according to the Canadian embassy.

This is the sixth project funded by the CFLI during their fiscal year, which starts in March.

Other projects included an awareness campaign for parliamentary elections implemented on AmmanNet Radio, a tolerance and acceptance project through the Arab Bridge Centre and a project for students about human rights awareness and school parliaments through an NGO called Land and Human to Advocate Progress, according to Darwazah.

“This fund is generally small but we found that these pilot projects act as a catalyst for other larger scale programmes,” she added.

The CFLI has been active in the Kingdom for 20 years and annually receives around Canadian $160,000.

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN (JT) - The official SOFEX 2008 conference on current global issues and trends related to Special Operations and Homeland Security will be held on March 31.

Organised by the international defence trade newsweekly, Defence News, in association with the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), the one-day “Middle East Special Operations Commanders Conference” is expected to attract 500 high-ranking decision-makers from the regional and international defence community.

The three-day SOFEX 2008 exhibition will commence the following day at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Marka, according to a statement released by the organisers.

Senior government decision-makers and security analysts will speak about a wide range of issues pertinent to current global defence and homeland security issues, including analysing current Special Operations requirements and rapidly changing global security threats of the world today, the statement said.

Defence News and INEGMA will work alongside the Jordanian Special Operations Command and SOFEX to identify and invite top-level military speakers for the conference.

Defence News and its website, DefenseNews.com, are part of the Army Times Publishing Company. The military and government news periodical publisher is an independent news source for the world’s defence decision-makers. Each week, the print edition provides the global defence community with the latest insight and news analysis on defence programmes, policy, business and technology.

INEGMA, a Free Zone Limited Liability Company based in Dubai Media City, was established in 2001, to provide regional media organisations, think-tanks, NGOs, militaries and governments, as well as international private companies, with various services related to military and strategic affairs.

Highlighting the partnership, SOFEX Managing Director Amer Tabbah said it would provide participants with a “pertinent, insightful and informative conference that will help them in their colossal responsibilities in protecting their countries, and most importantly, their citizens”.

“The SOFEX 2008 conference will provide an ideal opportunity to showcase Jordan Armed Forces capabilities and for international and Jordanian defence industry participants to network with key decision makers as well as showcase their latest defence solutions,” he added.

The 7th biennial edition of the Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference will be held at the King Abdullah I Airbase located near Amman under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah.



8 February 2008


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN - Nine Iraqi athletes, officials and members of their families are receiving medical treatment at a private hospital in the Kingdom following a poisoning incident back home recently, an Iraqi diplomat said on Thursday.

One of the poisoned children did not make it. He died in hospital Monday, Iraqi Ambassador in Amman Saad Hayyani told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“The incident took place 10 days ago in Baghdad when the athletes [from a local team] and their managers were celebrating an athletic achievement with their families."

He said all indications point to an attempt on the victims' lives by adding poison to a cake they had.

Hayyani rejected as untrue earlier reports claiming two athletes among the poisoned group died.

The deteriorating situation in Iraq's hospitals and the diminishing quality of healthcare prompted officials to send the victims to be treated in Jordan on board a special flight. Hayyani did not divulge the name of the hospital for security reasons.

According to the envoy, the victims are recovering and are in good condition.

“We don’t know when they will be discharged. It's up to the medical staff to decide."

Athletes and sports officials have increasingly become targets of threats, kidnappings and assassination in Iraq.

In May 2006, a total of 15 athletes of an Iraqi taekwondo team were abducted while they were on their way to a training camp in Jordan. The remains of 13 of them were found in an area in west Iraq in June 2007.

Victims of internal violence in Iraq have included the head of a leading football club, an international football referee, a top player of the Iraqi Olympic football team and a volleyball player.

A blind Iraqi athlete and a Paralympics coach were kidnapped last year but later released unharmed.

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN (JT) - A group of senior media professionals will sharpen their skills as trainers and consultants at a special “training of trainers” course starting next week as part of USAID’s Jordan Media Strengthening Programme.

The course, specifically tailored to the needs of local media organisations, aims to support a new generation of media experts, who can help build the technical and editorial skills of new and established media outlets in the country.

Three US and three Jordanian experts will deliver the course, according to a statement released by the organisers.

Media ethics, news standards, newsroom management, soft skills, in-house and on-the-job training for journalists feature high on the agenda of the workshop, which will be held in Aqaba.

The programme includes practical sessions during which participants will design and develop thematic workshops targeting TV, radio and print journalists.

“The aim is to enable good and talented Jordanian journalists to transfer their knowledge and skills to their colleagues and spread best practices while encouraging higher professional standards across the newsrooms,” said Samuel Compton, director of IREX-Jordan.

IREX - a nonprofit organisation specialised in civil society, education and media development - is implementing the Jordan Media Strengthening Programme on behalf of USAID.

“The ultimate beneficiaries of our work are the Jordanian readers, listeners and viewers, who will eventually consume better quality news,” Compton added.

The Jordan Media Strengthening Programme seeks to boost media sustainability and independence through training emerging and professional journalists, supporting media regulatory bodies, working on the legal environment governing the media sector, providing small grants to media NGOs, and supporting business development training for media outlets.

The programme, which relies on a $5 million budget over a three-year period, has so far trained around 160 Jordanian journalists in more than 10 courses, provided in-house consultancies to a variety of media outlets, established a state-of-the art newspaper lab at Yarmouk University, awarded six grants for media development projects being implemented by local organisations, trained lawyers and judges on media law issues, offered scholarships and internships to institutions in Europe and America and assisted the work of key official organisations governing the media sector in Jordan.

[Shanshoneh]

Monarch receives summit invitation








AMMAN (Petra) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday received an invitation from Syrian President Bashar Asaad to attend the Arab summit in Damascus at the end of next month.

During a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem, who delivered the invitation, the King stressed Jordan’s keenness to participate in all Arab summits and work for their success, to ensure that they result in decisions that boost Arab unity and activate joint Arab action.

The King also reiterated the importance of careful planning for the summit in order to reach a consensus and come up with a unified Arab stance, “especially at this critical stage with major challenges facing the Arab nation”.

During the meeting, talks also focused on Jordanian-Syrian relations and King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s desire to strengthen bilateral ties with Damascus.

Addressing the situation in Lebanon, the Monarch underlined the need to eliminate all obstacles hampering the implementation of an Arab League initiative seeking to achieve conciliation among the Lebanese, end the current political crisis and curb its repercussions on the country’s unity and sovereignty.



11 February 2008

[Shanshoneh]

Increase in electricity, water prices imminent’








By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - Prices of water and electricity along with various other commodities and services are expected to rise soon as a result of the government’s decision to lift fuel subsidies, economists and officials said yesterday.

The Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC), which is authorised to determine electricity prices, has completed a study suggesting three pricing scenarios, according to Ghaleb Maabreh, ERC commissioner and spokesperson.

“The three proposed prices are expected to be presented to the Cabinet soon in order to decide on new electricity tariffs,” Maabreh told The Jordan Times on Sunday, adding that a final date for the decision has not been set as yet.

Based on the government’s recommendations, the three scenarios excluded consumers who use less than 160 kilowatts a month and will mainly target customers who consume more electricity, he said.

A rise in electricity prices was inevitable after the cost of heavy oil used for power generators increased by 110.9 per cent, from JD165 to JD348 per tonne.

“Heavy oil constitutes 15 per cent of the overall amount of fuel used in power generation, while Egyptian gas accounts for 85 per cent,” Maabreh said.

Accordingly, water prices will also increase, based on the new electricity pricing structure.

Water Ministry Assistant Secretary General and Spokesperson Adnan Zu’bi yesterday said the ministry will decide on new water prices, noting that around 70 per cent of water revenue is allocated for energy costs.

“Around one-third of energy in the Kingdom is consumed by the water sector, and the Water Ministry’s budget cannot afford the difference in heavy oil prices,” Zu’bi told The Jordan Times yesterday.

Just as with electricity, those who consume more water are expected to shoulder the higher cost of price rises, according to Zu’bi.

Around 74 per cent of water subscribers consume less than 50 cubic metres every three-month cycle and the increase for them will be minor, he said, adding that those with higher water consumption rates will shoulder more of the rising costs.

Meanwhile, an economist predicted an unprecedented increase of 25 to 35 per cent in prices of other commodities and services.

Hossam Ayesh told The Jordan Times that the lifting of fuel subsidies will also have direct implications on the country’s economy.

“The decision to link prices of fuel derivatives to international markets was designed to tackle the around JD1 billion deficit in the state budget,” he said.

But the increases in salaries under the government’s Social Safety Net will only halve the deficit to JD500 million, Ayesh said, adding that the lifting of subsidies combined with the existing deficit will lead to inflation, which might exceed 12-13 per cent rather than the 9 per cent estimated by government officials earlier.

Meanwhile, citizens are already starting to feel the effect of new fuel prices in various aspects of life.

For example, water tankers used to charge car wash owners JD17 per load, but now each tank costs JD25. Consequently, car wash owners raised prices by 30 per cent, from JD3 to JD4, according to Zarqa resident Nasser Hanandeh.



11 February 2008

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN - The country’s 10 major dams received 8.8 million cubic metres (mcm) of water during the recent blizzard, which brought heavy precipitation and up to 90 centimetres of accumulated snowfall in some areas.

As of Sunday morning, the country’s major dams, excluding Wihdeh, held 41 per cent of their total capacity of around 217mcm, according to Ministry of Water and Irrigation Assistant Secretary General and Spokesperson Adnan Zu’bi.

“The dams now hold 89.36mcm, while Wihdeh Dam currently has 10.2mcm of its total storage capacity of 110mcm,” Zu’bi told The Jordan Times yesterday.

He added that water storage at the Wihdeh Dam is experimental, therefore it is not included in the overall figure.

As of last week, the country’s 10 major dams held 101.88mcm of water. With the continuous pumping of water to Jordan Valley farms and consumers in Amman, however, the amount of stored water decreased.

Expressing concern about the water situation, Zu’bi noted that by late January last year, the country’s 10 major dams held a total of 110mcm.

“In order to describe the water levels as ‘good’, the dams should store at least 130-140mcm of water by the end of this winter. Otherwise, we will face an uneasy situation in terms of water availability during the summer,” the water official said.

Reviewing this year’s wet season, Zu’bi said the amount of rainfall so far was insufficient.

“Last year, the rainfall registered during the winter constituted over 50 per cent of the long-term annual average of 8.322mcm, but this year, it is still around 43 per cent,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said the country will be affected tomorrow afternoon by a depression accompanied by a cold air mass which will bring rainfall to different parts of the country and snow to hilly areas.

“The depression, centred over Cyprus, originates from northeast Europe and will start affecting the country on Tuesday, bringing temperatures down 5 degrees lower than their annual average of 13ºC,” JMD Director General Abdul Halim Abu Hazim told The Jordan Times yesterday.

Abu Hazim said it will be relatively cold and partly cloudy tomorrow, adding that the northern governorates will witness rainfall which will gradually affect the central and southern parts of the country.

Temperatures will range between a high of 12ºC and a low of 3ºC in Amman, while winds will be southwesterly and brisk.

Another drop in temperatures is expected on Friday, as it will be cold, cloudy and rainy, said Abu Hazim , who expected slight snowfall in hilly areas such as Ajloun and the Sharah mountains in the south.

Daytime temperatures on Friday will be 8ºC and drop to 2ºC overnight in the capital, Abu Hazim said, adding that winds will be strong.



Dam
Current Storage (mcm)
Storage Percentage
Total Capacity (mcm)

Arab
7.2
42
16.789

Sharhabil
1.5
38
3.9

King Talal
36.1
48
75.004

Karameh
15
27
55

Wadi Shueib
0.56
39
1.430

Kafrain
1.59
18
8.452

Tannour
8.6
48
16.800

Waleh
2.2
23
9.300

Mujib
16.3
52
31.200

Wihdeh
10.2
9.27
110

Total
99.25
39
327.939


Source: Ministry of Water and Irrigation



11 February 2008

[Shanshoneh]

School students to be educated on safe traffic








AMMAN (Petra) - The Ministry of Education unveiled on Sunday a detailed action plan to educate students of all ages on sound traffic behaviour.

The action plan is one among several national efforts seeking to put an end to the increasing number of road accidents, which claimed the lives of 7,084 people over the past decade and left over 175,000 people injured, incurring the country around JD1.975 billion in material losses.

The efforts come in response to His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to the government, civil society and other stakeholders to find a solution to reduce road accidents and work “seriously” to make Jordan’s roads safer for passengers and pedestrians.

Chairing a meeting last week dedicated to tackling the phenomenon, the King called for enforcing traffic regulations firmly “without discrimination or favouritism and with complete transparency”.

Minister of Education Tayseer Nueimi said yesterday that the plan will help reduce traffic accidents by focusing on several main pillars, including training and educating both teachers and students, adding traffic-related concepts to school curricula and cooperating with concerned authorities to organise workshops and distribute leaflets to educate schoolchildren on safe traffic behaviour.

“As part of the plan, the ministry will organise annual training courses for traffic scouts at each school to help them guide students when crossing streets while heading to or leaving school,” Nueimi said.

The plan will also include the installation of speed bumps and traffic signs around each school in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality and the Traffic Department.

“The ministry also has plans to organise 37 training courses this year for 1,500 teachers, in addition to courses that will educate over 60,000 students annually,” the minister said.

Several agencies have recently announced plans and strategies to tackle the phenomenon of road accidents, particularly in light of a recent major road accident that claimed the lives of 23 people and seriously injured 33, the majority of whom are still under medical supervision.

The accident took place late last month when a public transportation bus heading to Irbid collided with a water tanker on the Amman-Jerash highway. A total of 53 passengers were on board when the bus slid off the main road near the Salhoub Bridge, 20km north of Amman, then ricocheted off a moving water tanker, causing both to roll down into the valley.

Since the accident, several calls have made to seriously address the Kingdom’s endemic road deaths.

Also yesterday, the Public Transport Regulatory Commission (PTRC) announced a strategy to reduce road accidents. As part of the strategy, the PTRC underlined the need to raise the public’s awareness of traffic issues.

The strategy also includes directing messages to motorists through media and training, guiding them on safe and correct driving behaviour.

On the technical aspect of the strategy, the PTRC said public transportation buses will be equipped with speed controllers, electronic meters monitoring drivers’ adherence to speed limits and a first aid box.



11 February 2008


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday discussed with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon the UN’s role in achieving peace and stability in the region and the world.

During a meeting in New York with the UN chief, the King voiced appreciation for the international organisation’s contribution to peace efforts in the Middle East and the assistance it extends to the Palestinian people to alleviate their hardships under an economic siege imposed by Israel on the Palestinian lands, especially the Gaza Strip.

During the talks, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, the King reviewed Jordan’s efforts to push forward the peace process and to ensure that the negotiations under way between the Palestinians and Israelis achieve tangible results that lead to the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state.

The King, who arrived in New York earlier in the day at the start of a working visit to the US, also commended the role the UN is playing to enhance Iraq’s stability and security and create better living conditions for the Iraqi people.

On Lebanon, His Majesty said Jordan strongly supports the Arab initiative to end the political impasse in the country.

Ban hailed Jordan’s participation in UN-led peacekeeping forces and its Mideast peace efforts.

In statements to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, earlier Thursday, Foreign Minister Salah Bashir said the King’s visit to the US is part of his efforts to take advantage of the available opportunities and to encourage the US to fulfil its obligations in supporting and pushing forward the peace process.

In addition, Bashir said that the visit comes to ensure that the US encourage the Palestinians and Israelis to reach a peace agreement this year.

The top diplomat said King Abdullah is aware of the perils the region will have to deal with if the issues of Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon remain without solutions.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador in Amman David Hale told Petra that the Monarch’s visit is important in its timing as far as the issues and challenges facing the Middle East are concerned. The visit also acquires importance from the extraordinary partnership the two countries have developed.

The US increased its assistance to Jordan by 48 per cent this year, with $663 million in total, including $300 million in military aid, Hale added. The assistance comes in recognition of Jordan’s efforts in regional peace and stability on the one hand, and the burden the Kingdom shoulders on the other, he said.

The diplomat said that his country has also helped Jordan purchase its debts from Paris Club.

During his US visit, King Abdullah will hold talks at the White House with President George W. Bush on ways to advance the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations in addition to developments in the Middle East.

In New Jersey, the King will deliver a policy address at Princeton University, sponsored by Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

His Majesty’s talks with members of both Houses of the US Congress will focus on developing bilateral ties.

King Abdullah is also scheduled to meet with representatives of Muslim and Jewish organisations to explore the role they can play in fostering peace opportunities in the region and strengthening bridges of dialogue, understanding, tolerance and coexistence between the Arab and Muslim worlds and the West.

[Shanshoneh]

GAZA CITY (AP) - A bloody spike in Israel-Hamas fighting moved the Israeli city of Ashkelon and its 110,000 residents to the centre of intensifying rocket fire Thursday - and Israel's defence minister warned that he would not shy away from reoccupying Gaza, if necessary, to halt such attacks.

Israel sent a not-so-veiled warning to Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, killing 18 Palestinians in almost a dozen air strikes, including a missile attack on a guard post outside Haniyeh's home. Hamas leaders have been in hiding in recent weeks, though Israel has so far only targeted armed fighters, not Hamas politicians.

Thursday's dead included members of rocket squads, but also five children, ranging in age from eight to 12, who their relatives said were playing football when they were killed in a missile strike.

Israel has been reluctant to invade Gaza, amid concerns of getting bogged down there, but Defence Minister Ehud Barak told his security chiefs Thursday that an offensive is a definite option. "The major ground operation is real and tangible. We are not afraid of it," Barak said, according to a participant in the closed meeting.

Barak also told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the British foreign minister in phone conversations that Israel would step up its response to the rocket fire, but a ground offensive was not imminent. Security officials said an invasion would have to wait until clouds clear in the spring.

The latest spike began Wednesday, when reportedly five Iranian-trained Hamas members, including two rocket masterminds, were killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza. In retaliation, Hamas fired dozens of Gaza-produced Qassam rockets as well as, Israeli claimed, longer-range Iranian-made Grad rockets smuggled in via Egypt.

Several Grad rockets slammed into Ashkelon, located 17 kilometres north of Gaza on Thursday, including one that hit an apartment building, slicing through the roof and three floors below, and another that landed near a school, injuring a 17-year-old girl.

While more than two dozen rockets have hit the Ashkelon area in the past, most fell in open areas in the southern outskirts and did not cause damage. The latest round of rocket fire was the most intense so far, and area police chief Uri Bar-Lev said Thursday marked the first time a building in Ashkelon was hit. On Wednesday, a rocket exploded in the parking lot of Ashkelon's Barzilai Hospital.

In the past, the Israeli border town of Sderot, with about 20,000 residents, had been Hamas' main target. In recent years, hundreds of Qassams have hit Sderot, just two kilometres from Gaza.

On Wednesday an Israeli man was killed by a rocket that hit a Sderot community college.

Ashkelon residents demanded better protection.

"We want a warning system, like they have in Sderot," one resident, Moshe Nissim, told Israel TV's Channel Two.

"We have no protection from Palestinian attacks." The deputy director of Barzilai Hospital asked for fortifications for his emergency room, maternity ward and surgery departments.

Barak pledged Thursday to install the warning system in Ashkelon within hours, defence officials said.

A senior Israeli security official told t**he Associated Press that the rockets fired into Ashkelon so far were Iranian-made imports, with a range of about 22 kilometres, although the military said some locally made rockets have fallen into the southern outskirts of the city.

Israeli military analyst Shlomo Brom said Ashkelon could increasingly become a target once it can be hit by Qassams, not just the Iranian imports. This, in turn, would accelerate an Israeli invasion of Gaza, because "Israel cannot afford Ashkelon turning into a second Sderot," Brom said.

Maj. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said residents of Ashkelon "are already in the circle of warfare", and there is concern that more Israeli cities could move into rocket range.

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza by force in June, appears to have little to lose. Israel and Egypt keep Gaza's borders closed, making it hard for the Islamic group to rule. Hamas hopes to push Israel to negotiate a cease-fire, along with a new border crossing deal, but apparently feels it can also survive an offensive.

Hamas officials struck a defiant tone Thursday. "We will never have equipment comparable to our enemy, but we are working all the time to have enough to make any aggression a regrettable adventure for the enemy," said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, Izzedine Al Qassam.

Since Wednesday, 29 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli missile strikes, including 12 civilians, among them eight children, according to Palestinian officials. The children ranged in age from six months to 14 years.

On Thursday, Israel carried out more than 10 air strikes in northern and central Gaza, beginning just after midnight and stretching well into the afternoon, Palestinians said.

The army said it was targeting rocket squads, and blamed armed men for operating in populated areas. Civilian casualties were unintended, the army said.

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN - Medics at a private hospital in Amman said Thursday that eight members of the two Iraqi families, who were victims of a poisoning plot back home, have left the ICU.

A three-year-old female child is still receiving intensive treatment at the private Specialty Hospital, said Dr Riyadh Sharqawi, who headed the team in charge of the cases.

Sharqawi told The Jordan Times the eight Iraqis are in excellent condition after they responded to an antidote (Prussian Blue) which had been brought from the UK. He expected the patients to be discharged in a week to 10 days.

Twelve Iraqis were victims of an apparently deliberate poisoning attempt back home last month. Of these, 10 were flown to Amman.

In a previous statement, the hospital director, Fawzi Hamouri, said the medical institution received 10 cases, five adults and five children, on January 28, after they had a cake mixed with thallium, a highly toxic material. Two patients have died since the incident took place, one of them here.

The incident happened when athletes and managers from a club were celebrating an athletic achievement with family members.

No party has taken responsibility for the poisoning, and investigators were still looking into motives behind the incident. The prime suspect is a club official who had been sacked and then reinstated in his position.

[Shanshoneh]

AMMAN - Despite its lack of oil deposits and other conventional natural resources, the Kingdom is rich in one untapped energy resource which has yet to be explored: oil shale.

According to National Energy Resource Centre Director Malek Kabariti, the resource could be used to provide the Kingdom with 50 per cent of its energy needs for over a century.

Although relatively new in the energy sector, Estonia already uses the resource for 80 per cent of its energy needs.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaldoun Qteishat, president of the Natural Resources Authority (NRA), announced on Wednesday the completion of the first stage of the authority’s oil shale strategy and plans for the second phase of exploring the resource, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Under the first phase of the strategy, several agreements were signed with companies investigating the potential of oil shale extraction across the country. The second phase is heralded by memoranda of understanding the ministry has signed with three companies, which will carry out feasibility studies and assessments of the Lajoun area, each receiving one-third of the shallow oil shale area. The minister stressed that the second phase needs an estimated 7-9 years plus a large amount of investments to achieve the envisaged goals.

According to NRA Director Maher Hijazin, the government is now looking into different commercial uses of the resource, after carrying out pilot projects over the past 20 years.

“Oil shale covers two-thirds of the country at various depths, so there is quite a long-term potential,” Hijazin said.

In an NRA study, it was revealed that 40 billion tonnes of oil shale exist in 21 sites concentrated by the Yarmouk River, Buweida, Beit Ras, Rweished and Karak, Madaba and Maan districts.

But the resource is expensive to extract and utilise, according to Hijazin, who added that the different processes may cost billions of dollars.

In order to be used as energy, oil shale must undergo retorting, a heating process that separates oil from oil shale and other mineral parts, and direct burning, where the resource is translated to create electricity and cannot be used as gasoline or conventional fuel.

In the western and southern areas, oil shale is close to the surface, the NRA director said. South of Amman down to Maan, oil shale is present 40-60 metres below soil, which makes it suitable for mining and then retorting.

Prior to the retorting process, oil shale is mined from the ground and then most often crushed. Then, the resource is taken to be retorted. Even after retorting, however, the oil must be upgraded by further processing before it can be sent to a refinery.

“Currently, there is no commercial plant for retorting in the world, what we’re doing here is still exploratory,” Hijazin noted, adding that even upgrading refineries and establishing plants for post-retorting processing would take years and cost millions.

In the east and north of the Kingdom, oil shale is at very deep levels and cannot be mined. Around Azraq, for example, oil shale begins at 900 metres, Hijazin pointed out.

For these parts of the Kingdom, the ministry and the NRA are considering the In-situ Conversion Process, where the ground is heated over several years and the oil shale is then extracted in an oil form. Shell Oil Company, which developed the process, is interested in carrying out the project in the Kingdom, but the process is long and would cost billions, according to Hijazin.

Towards the end of June, a draft agreement between NRA and Shell is expected to further explore deep oil shale deposits.

The NRA recently signed an agreement for a feasibility study with Eesti Energia, the Estonian state power company, for a power plant using the direct burning of oil shale. Developing such a power plant, which would produce between 600-900 megawatts, will take 7-10 years, the NRA director said.

The NRA is also currently exploring using oil shale in the cement industry and using part oil shale as an input to cement to save energy and lower production cost.

After the submission of feasibility studies, the government will negotiate a concession agreement with the Estonian company, and then send the agreement to Cabinet for endorsement before it is forwarded to Parliament for a special vote. Concerned companies will submit several preliminary feasibility studies within the next few months. Concession agreements are expected by the end of the year, the NRA official said.

Despite the excitement over oil shale, Hijazin warned that it would not be an instant solution to the Kingdom’s energy crunch.

“It is not going to happen tomorrow. There are lots of unknowns that have to be answered: environmental, commercial and financial. It cannot just be squeezed out of the ground like oil,” he said, stressing that it will take several years to develop the sector and cost millions to carry out the studies alone.

[ahmed]

well, i do not know what kind of information i may share with you and all who read what we write..but maybe i can talk about something i feel these days and makes problems for me ,infact it is a say that says: do not say yes when you want to say no ..i suffered too much and still suffering and may the 26th be the long- life suffer because i cannot practise this wisdom..hope everyone who reads this wisdom will have the neccessary bravity to make it real..and for me ..may allah be with me....
ahmed

[Shanshoneh]

well, i do not know what kind of information i may share with you and all who read what we write..but maybe i can talk about something i feel these days and makes problems for me ,infact it is a say that says: do not say yes when you want to say no ..i suffered too much and still suffering and may the 26th be the long- life suffer because i cannot practise this wisdom..hope everyone who reads this wisdom will have the neccessary bravity to make it real..and for me ..may allah be with me....
ahmed


Dear ahmed,
thank you for ur passing by and sharing me and open ur heart to us ..this is mean u r comfortable and like our montada,,ANYWAYS i will try to help u as i can by giving u my opnion and some examples,otherwise this is not the place for it cuz its for news>>>local and international news,,but i will create a place here in this forum for problems and how to resolve it,,,
and now Tell me if this sounds familiar -- someone asks you to do something that
you really don't want to do or you honestly don't have time for. It might
be a request or an unreasonable request from a friend, a neighbour, a
close relative, a familty member, your office colleague or your boss
for just working late. But you feel like you will let the other person
down if you say no. You feel GUILTY already, and you haven't even
responded yet! So you say, "Sure," even though doing so is going to put
you under tremendous stress and PRESSURE. You know that you will probably
end up resenting this activity, and maybe even ducking some of your
responsibilities because your heart's just not in it, but you go ahead and
agree anyway.

Why are we so afraid to tell people "NO"? For some reason, we have been
taught that "no" is DISRESPECTFUL -- and even insulting. We seem to value
other people's time more than our own -- feeling that we need to bend over
backward to accommodate others, even if it inconveniences us. I know we're
atoning for the "me" 1980's, but let's be reasonable! "No" is actually one
of the healthiest words that can come out of your mouth. When you tell
someone "no," you are really saying that you understand and accept your
own LIMITS, and don't want to do a shoddy job by overwhelming yourself.
That you value your time and priorities and aren't willing to take away
from the truly important things in your life. A little selfishness is
necessary, if you want to maintain a balanced and sane life!

So how do you say "NO" without insulting the other person, feeling
consumed with guilt, or hurting your own credibility? We need to find a
way to say "no" without dragging up all of those HIDDEN FEARS -- they'll
think I'm lazy or selfish, that I have no career drive, that I'm not
ambitious, that I have no concern for other people. And it's time to give
up all of those roles you're so proud of -- supermom, martyr, hero -- but
are keeping you from finding true peace. Once you've accepted that you
have the right (and often responsibility) to turn someone down, you can do
it in a way that doesn't seem like a REJECTION. Let me show you how:

Here are 20 ways to say "NO" without hurting others

"I CAN'T RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN DO IT LATER"

"I'M REALLY NOT THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE JOB"

"I JUST DON'T HAVE ANY ROOM IN MY CALENDAR RIGHT NOW"

"I CAN'T, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU THE NAME OF SOMEONE WHO CAN"

"I HAVE ANOTHER COMMITMENT"

"I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SEVERAL PROJECTS AND CAN'T SPARE THE TIME"

"I'VE HAD A FEW THINGS COME UP AND I NEED TO DEAL WITH THOSE FIRST"

"I WOULD RATHER DECLINE THAN END UP DOING A MEDIOCRE JOB"

"I'M REALLY FOCUSING MORE ON MY PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE RIGHT NOW"

"I'M REALLY FOCUSING MORE ON MY CAREER RIGHT NOW"

"I REALLY DON'T ENJOY THAT KIND OF WORK"

"I CAN'T, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HELP OUT WITH ANOTHER TASK"

"I'VE LEARNED IN THE PAST THAT THIS REALLY ISN'T MY STRONG SUIT"

"I'M SURE YOU WILL DO A WONDERFUL JOB ON YOUR OWN"

"I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, SO I CAN'T HELP YOU"

"I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT"

"I HATE TO SPLIT MY ATTENTION AMONG TOO MANY PROJECTS"

"I'M COMMITTED TO LEAVING SOME TIME FOR MYSELF IN MY SCHEDULE"

"I'M NOT TAKING ON ANY NEW PROJECTS RIGHT NOW"

or a simple, straight, direct "NO"