WASHINGTON -- King Abdullah II of Jordan praised President Bush's campaign to counter terrorism today and said other countries ``better make up their minds pretty quickly'' to join. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Ask Jordan to Take Over the Territories [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Los Angeles Times

These days, everyone is writing Yasser Arafat's political obituary. But the conversation generally stops short when the topic turns to who--or what--could replace him. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Networks row over Bin Laden tape [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
BBC

A row has broken out between the American network CNN and the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera over the broadcasting of an interview with Osama bin Laden. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] The Rogue List, 'Evil' Label Rejected by Angry Iranian Leaders [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The New York Times

TEHRAN, Jan. 31 — The country's supreme religious leader reacted angrily today to President Bush's characterization of Iran as part of an "axis of evil," and called Mr. Bush's tone in his State of the Union speech that of a man "thirsty for human blood." [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Hizbullah fires shells near northern border [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Jerusalem Post

KIRYAT SHMONA (February 1) - Hizbullah fired anti-aircraft shells over Upper Galilee for the third time in as many weeks yesterday, further increasing tension along the northern border. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Hizbullah scoffs at Ben-Eliezer's peace overture [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Jerusalem Post

HAIFA (February 1) - Hizbullah, reportedly rapped over the knuckles by Syria for its attack on IDF outposts in the Mount Dov region last week, charged yesterday that Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer's call to Damascus for unconditional peace talks was an empty gesture. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Britain denies Iran has accepted Reddaway as next ambassador [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

London, 1 February: The British government Friday [1 February] denied Israeli reports that Iran had finally approved the appointment of David Reddaway as the new UK ambassador to Tehran after a two month delay. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran says Bush is 'ungrateful' [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
CNN

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Calling U.S. President George W. Bush "ungrateful" for Iran's help in establishing the new government in Afghanistan, a Iranian government official rejected Bush's State of the Union allegation linking Tehran to terrorism. "We are used to this type of cliché statements by the United States, and also the arrogance that is associated with the statement," said Javad Zarif, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister on Thursday. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Taleban leader seen in southern Afghan province - Iranian radio [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

An informed source has reported from Afghanistan that the Taleban leader, Mola Mohammad Omar, was seen together with five of his bodyguards in Baghran District of Helmand Province [southern Afghanistan] a few days ago. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Karzai is sent away empty-handed [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Independent

Hamid Karzai, the interim Afghan leader, left Downing Street empty-handed yesterday after Tony Blair rejected his appeals for a longer-term commitment of British troops to Afghanistan. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] India disagrees with US on Iran [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Times of India

NEW DELHI: India has expressed disagreement, albeit mild, with the US characterisation of Iran as an axis partner of terror. US President George Bush had in his state of the Union address said: ``Iran aggressively pursues these weapons (of mass destruction) and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.'' [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Explosion at Kuwait oil field kills four [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
Associated Press

KUWAIT (AP) An explosion at a Kuwaiti state oil field that killed four workers and injured 17 was caused by an oil leak, Kuwait's oil minister said Friday. Adel al-Subaih said the blast destroyed part of a facility that produces 280,000 barrels a day. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Kurdish issue comes back to haunt Turkey [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Daily Star

When Mustafa Kemal Ataturk laid the foundations of modern Turkey in 1923, he did so under the famous slogan: "Happy is he who calls himself a Turk." His objective was to found a nation-state that only recognized one nationality: Turkish. He thus unwittingly institutionalized the major defect in the body of the Turkish state that was destined to plague it until the present day: its denial of the existence of other, non-Turkish ethnic groups ­ Arabs, Kurds, Circassians, Armenians and others ­ within Turkey. No group has been affected by this policy of denial as much as the Kurds, of whom there are some 12 million in present-day Turkey ­ one-fifth of the population. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Rebellion grows among Israeli reserve officers [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 1, 2002
The Independent

Israel's armed forces are struggling to contain the most serious internal challenge of the 16-month Palestinian intifada after more than 100 combat reservist soldiers signed a petition saying they would not serve in the occupied territories. At least four of the signatories have been stripped of their command positions, and the army's chief of staff, Lt-Gen Shaul Mofaz, declared that "there is no place in Israel's military forces for such occurrences". The petition, which by last night had attracted 104 signatures, has prompted a national debate, and a backlash within the army. Another group of several hundred reservists has signed a counter-petition accusing the petitioners of "lies, distortions and unbridled defamation of the army". The issue erupted when a group of reservists, led by two young lieutenants, published an indictment of Israel's 35-year occupation in the newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, saying that it was "corrupting the entire Israeli society". Some of the signatories are officers and others are from frontline units – the paratroops, infantry and armoured and artillery corps. The petition said soldiers had been issued commands while serving in the occupied territories that "had nothing to do with the security of our country", and had "the sole purpose of perpetuating our control" over the Palestinians. "We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people," it stated. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]