Monday, February 19, 2007

02/19/07

* Trilateral summit ends with few signs of progress Talks between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Israeli and Palestinian leaders ended Monday with little progress other than a commitment to meet again.

* Intelligence Chief: Hizbullah is Stronger than Before War Gen. Yossi Beiditz, head of the IDF's Intelligence Wing Research Division, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Hizbullah has "returned to its pre-war capabilities.

* Al Qaeda Chiefs Are Seen to Regain Power Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from Pakistan have re-established significant control over their once-battered worldwide terror network.

* Iran: US will lose in the Middle East Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Sunday the United States will not achieve its goals in the region.

* Sheikh Salah: Western Wall belongs to Muslims Leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel says Jews invented history with their holiest site.

* UN anti-racism panel questions Israel over non-Jewish holy sites A United Nations anti-racism panel is scheduled to hold a hearing later this week over Israel's attitude toward sites considered holy by its Arab population.

* Czech Republic May Host Missile System Poland and Czech Republic are in favor of hosting a proposed U.S. missile defense system, the Czech premier said.

* Iran launches war games with missile tests Iran's ideological army, the elite Revolutionary Guards, launched three days of war games Monday.

* PM vows to continue talks with Abbas Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed on Monday to continue to speak regularly to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Russia Confirms Intention to Help Gulf Countries Develop Peaceful Nuclear Program Director of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Mikhail Dmitriev said on Monday, Feb. 19, that Russia is ready to help the Gulf countries in developing a "peaceful" nuclear energy program.