1. EU SENDS LARGE OBSERVER MISSION TO MONITOR ELECTIONS…Some 260 European Union observers will be in the Palestinian areas for the January 9 election of a replacement for Yassir Arafat as head of the Palestinian Authority. The EUEOM mission is one of the largest delegations of its kind from the EU. The group is headed by former French premier and current Member of the European Parliament Michel Rocard. EUEOM’s mandate is “to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the electoral process and offer an impartial, balanced and informed assessment of the elections. The EU described EUEOM’s work as being “an important component of the EU’s policy of promoting human rights and democratization throughout the world.”
2. IDF ENTERS, LEAVES KHAN YOUNIS…Israeli soldiers entered Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip overnight. Army officials described the operation as a bid to destroy buildings being used by Palestinian terrorists. Israel maintains Palestinians were firing mortars from inside the buildings at Israeli targets nearby. Palestinians in the area claim the soldiers told local residents to leave their homes and then proceeded to demolish them. Neither side reported injuries. Israeli soldiers left the area early on Tuesday.
3. IDF CHIEF SLAMS GOVERNMENT…In a barely hidden message the head of the Israel Defense Forces has launched a strong attack on the country’s government. While not mentioning the Sharon-led government by name, Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon complained of a lack of backing for the armed services. He said that a couple of years ago there was wholehearted support for IDF military operations. Ya’alon made the comment during an address to the annual Herzliya Conference on Monday.
4. PLUG MAY BE PULLED ON HIZBULLAH TV…If the French-based Eutelsat continues to broadcast Al-Manar TV it will face a daily fine of more than $6,000, according to the country’s Council of State. French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he was shocked after viewing openly anti-Semitic and inciteful broadcasts on the Hizbullah-run TV channel. In addition to depicting Jews as killing Christian babies and making unleavened bread from their blood, the channel also accused Israel of spreading AIDS around the Arab world.
5. CLERICS GATHER IN CAIRO FOR AIDS CONFERENCE…Some 100 Muslim and Christian leaders are in Cairo today for a conference on AIDS. The workshop has been organized by the United Nations Development Program. Many of the most prominent clerics from the Middle East have agreed to participate in the conference, which tackles a very controversial subject for Arabs. They will discuss the shame factor associated with HIV and AIDS and the ways in which patients should be treated.