US Prosecutors said that Abu Ali was Not Tortured

On Wednesday the Federal prosecutors denied that Abu Ali the Falls Church man accused of plotting with Al-Qaeda to assassinate President Bush, was tortured in Saudi Arabia, but called him a “grave danger�? to the United States and said he should be held without bail. In papers filed in the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, US Attorney Paul McNulty said that Abu Ali saw a doctor Monday and that the physician found no evidence of torture or harm.

Abu Ali never made any claims of abuse to Americans officials when he was being returned to the United States from more than a year’s detention in Saudi Arabia on Monday, he said. The prosecutor added Abu Ali was allowed to play soccer and work out while in Saudi custody and called his allegations of mistreatment “an utter fabrication.�?

Abu Ali was charged with the alleged plot, which was hatched while he studied in Saudi Arabia in 2002 and 2003. His detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. A U.S. prosecutor says that a man charged with supporting al-Qaida and plotting to kill President Bush should be kept in jail until his trial. According to the most recent government filings in the case against Ahmed Omar Abu Ali that advocate his pretrial detention, the Virginia resident discussed a plot to kill the president with a member of Al Qaeda who was later killed in a shootout with Saudi law enforcement around September 2003. (more…)

Bush and Putin had agreed to fight with terror and nuclear weapons

Bush got a warmer and popular reception in snowy Bratislava, than he had in Belgium and Germany earlier on his five-day tour of Europe. Though Donald Rumsfeld-style distinctions between the “old” and “new” parts of the continent are now firmly banned in official US discourse as part of the president’s post-Iraq, second-term charm offensive. Slovaks turned out in force to welcome him, and, on the surface at least, bonhomie reigned too when he met the man he calls his “friend”, Vladimir Putin.

But In some ways, it is still possible to sustain the illusion that these “two leaders of great nations” are equal. Their agreements on nuclear security and Russia’s attempt to join the World Trade Organization are both important. But in the first case the need is dictated by post-Soviet problems of control over ageing nuclear weapons and materials and the fear that they might fall into the hands of terrorists, not by the danger of cold war-style mutually assured destruction.

Bush stood side-by-side with Putin at an often-tense joint news conference following their summit in this Balkan capital and said he had expressed his “concerns” to the Russian leader “in a constructive and friendly way.” But he continued to press Putin publicly, saying, “Democracies have certain things in common: They have a rule of law and protection of minorities, a free press and a viable political opposition,” Bush said. (more…)

Palestinian Cabinet was dominated by the new faces

On Thursday, after days of wrangling and muscle flexing, Legislative Council of Palestinian, finally gave the thumbs-up to the radically-overhauled line-up of embattled Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei. “The new government has been given the parliamentary seal of approval in a democratic manner,�? MP Abdel Fatah Hameil told IslamOnline.net.

“Qorei’s government has no more than three months and the prime minister pledged to outline a 100-day action plan,�? he added. After he was repeatedly forced to redraw it, 54 members of the 85-member legislature voted in favor of the new 24-member line-up, which includes 17 newcomers, while 12 deputies voted against’ Four MPs abstained while the others did not show up for the vote.

Among the most notable appointments was the naming of Nasser Al-Qidwa, a nephew of late President Yasser Arafat and current representative to the United Nations, as foreign minister. He replaces Nabil Shaath who was promoted to deputy prime minister and will also serve as information minister. The proposed Cabinet will be presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council on Thursday for confirmation. (more…)

Tracheotomy was performed by Doctors on Pope

The Vatican said that Pope John Paul II was hospitalized again on Thursday after being treated for the flu and breathing difficulties from two weeks. The 84-year-old pontiff was taken to Gemelli Polyclinic hospital. He had been convalescing after his discharge and seemed to be making a strong rebound, appearing twice at the window of his Vatican studio to greet pilgrims.

Pope wheezed and looked gaunt but managed to make his longest public appearance since leaving the hospital. Vatican originally planned for the frail pontiff to address pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square from his apartment window Wednesday but decided instead on a video hookup because of the rain and wind. Pope appearing somewhat gaunt and wheezing as he spoke made his longest public appearance Wednesday since his hospitalization.

It was broadcast by video hookup after the Vatican canceled an appearance at his apartment window after rain and winds lashed Rome. The audience lasted 30 minutes, the longest time he has appeared in public since returning to the Vatican on Feb. 10. The operation, an incision into the windpipe, took about 30 minutes and ended, without complications, at 8:50 p.m., a Vatican official said. The pope reportedly gave his consent for the procedure. (more…)