1. SRI LANKA ACCEPTS ISRAELI AID, NOT ISRAELIS… An Israeli aid team was set to leave for Sri Lanka Tuesday morning, but clearance for the Israeli flight to land was held up. 150 members of the Israel Defense Forces and Defense Ministry were set to pitch-in with humanitarian aid and search-and-rescue missions. It appears, however, that while the Sri Lankan government welcomes the supplies, it does not want the Israelis themselves. Israel and Sri Lanka have no diplomatic ties. The mission was to be headed by Brigadier General Avraham Ben-David, whose Home Front Command has achieved world recognition for its expertise in conducting search-and-rescue operations at the sites of massive disasters. The HFC unit was bringing three aircraft filled with medical equipment, water, food, tents, blankets, mattresses and generators. It was prepared to assemble a field hospital staffed with doctors who specialize in emergency medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, and containing laboratory and X-ray facilities.
2. PALESTINIAN CANDIDATE ARRESTED IN JERUSALEM; QUESTIONS ISRAEL’S PROMISE OF FREE MOVEMENT BY CANDIDATES… A candidate in the Palestinian presidential election was detained in Jerusalem on Monday as he was campaigning in the Old City. Mu’stafa Barghouthi was accused of violating an entry permit that allowed him only to travel through the city. He was released after being held by police for two hours. Israel had promised freedom of movement for the Palestinian candidates as one of its gestures in support of the January 9th election. According to polls, Barghouthi, is running second to Mahmoud ‘Abbas, who is the odds-on favorite to win and the favored choice of both the Israeli and American governments. In a recent exclusive interview with The Media Line, Barghouthi charged that it was inconsistent for the international community to demand free and fair elections while calling for the election of ‘Abbas.
3. ARMY INQUIRY FINDS ISRAELI KILLING OF EGYPTIAN BORDER POLICE “PROFESSIONAL FAILURE”… An army investigation concluded that last month’s accidental killing of three Egyptian border policemen by an Israeli tank shell fired across the border was due to “professional failure.” The tank crew reported that they believed the three were Palestinian terrorists attempting to infiltrate into the Gaza Strip. The incident took place at Rafah, where Egypt and Gaza meet and where the smuggling of arms and terrorists is an on-going security problem for Israel. Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya’alon telephoned his Egyptian counterpart to report the probe’s findings and to say that the soldiers involved have been reprimanded. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had previously apologized to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
4. JORDANIAN COURT ACQUITS 13 IN PLOT TO ATTACK AMERICAN TARGETS… Thirteen men have been acquitted by a Jordanian court of plotting to attack American troops near the Iraqi border. Eleven of the defendants were, however, convicted of possessing explosives, and sentenced to terms ranging from six months to fifteen years. Three of the suspects are fugitives from Saudi Arabia. Jordanian prosecutors had accused the men of planning to attack the American Embassy in Amman and military bases near the Jordanian border with Iraq that are believed to house U.S. troops. The accused claimed in court that they were forced to sign confessions.