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Al-Ahram Weekly 19 - 25 August 1999 Issue No. 443 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 19 - 25 August 1999 Issue No. 443
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters More killing
US AND BRITISH air raids hit civilian and military targets outside the no-fly zones in the north and south of Iraq on Tuesday, killing 19 civilians and wounding 11 others, Reuters reported. The death toll was the highest reported by Iraq in a single day since the four-day Desert Fox campaign by the US and Britain in December.This was also the first time Western raids were reported in areas outside the 33rd and 36th parallels -- the boundaries of the Western-imposed no-fly zones -- since Iraq stepped up its defiance of Western restrictions last December.
The deaths raised the toll from almost daily bombings this year to 134 deaths, according to Iraqi statements.
Britain denied its planes took part in the raids, while the US European Command, based in Germany, said in a statement that US aircraft acted in self-defence after Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery and tracked Western aircraft patrolling the northern fly-zone with surface-to-air missile-targeting radar.
Vow to resist
THE LEADER of the Hizbullah guerrilla group, Hassan Nasrallah, has vowed to keep fighting Israeli occupying forces in southern Lebanon. Nasrallah was speaking at the funeral of Hizbullah military chief Ali Dib whose assassination was blamed on Israel. Dib was blown up in his car Monday in Sidon, southern Lebanon, AFP reported.In an apparent retaliation, three Israeli soldiers were killed and five wounded in fighting on Tuesday with the "Martyr Ali Dib" guerrilla squad on the edge of the Israeli-held zone in south Lebanon. The Israeli army said three Hizbullah gunmen were killed in the exchange of fire.
Lebanese security officials said Israeli warplanes later struck back, raiding Hizbullah positions repeatedly, slightly wounding two farmers and damaging a few cars. Israeli warships also opened fire on a dingy off the coast of the southern city of Tyre, wounding a fisherman.
Thousands of Hizbullah supporters gathered in Beirut's predominantly Shi'ite Muslim southern suburb for the Dib funeral.
Dates clash
A MEETING of Arab foreign ministers has been rescheduled for 12 September. The Arab League postponed the annual meeting, originally scheduled for 4 September, following objections by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among other Arab countries, that the date would clash with an extraordinary African summit in Libya to be attended by eight Arab countries.The ministerial meeting would have also conflicted with the date of a key visit by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to the region to help move stalled Middle East peace talks.
Military win
EGYPT beat Greece 5-4 on penalty kicks to win the football gold medal at the World Military Games in Croatia on Tuesday. The score was 3-3 at the end of regulation time.The win, a repeat of the 1993 victory in Morocco in the same championship, was a timely morale booster for Egyptian soccer fans following last month's 5-1 thrashing Egypt suffered at the hands of Saudi Arabia in the Confederations Cup in Mexico.
Egypt's Essam Abdel-Azim was selected the best goalkeeper at the tournament in Croatia, which also saw Egypt beat Turkey 23-22 to win the bronze medal in handball.
Egypt will host the World Military Games in 2001.
