Palestinian President Suspends Peace Talks

Mahmoud Abbas Appeals For Help From U.N. and the EU; Olmert Vows To Continue Attacks

(AP)  The Palestinian president suspended peace talks Sunday as Israel brushed off international criticism and vowed to press ahead with an offensive that has killed more than 100 Palestinians, until militants halt rocket attacks.

As fighting continued to rage in Gaza, unrest spread to the West Bank, where Israeli troops killed a teenager during a demonstration. Moderate Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas put peace talks with Israel on hold, clouding an upcoming peace mission by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The Palestinian death toll rose by 26, bringing the number killed to 114 since the latest bout of fighting erupted on Wednesday, according to Palestinian medical officials and militant groups. Roughly half the dead were civilians, the officials said. Two Israeli soldiers and one civilian have also died.

Eleven Palestinians, including a 21-month-old girl, were killed in Gaza Sunday, and 10 others died of earlier wounds or were found dead.

Still, Sunday's toll was far lower than on Saturday, when 54 Palestinians were killed on the deadliest day of fighting since violence erupted seven years ago.

The reduced casualty count may have been the result of new measures imposed by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has controlled Gaza since last June.

It told its fighters to use alleys for cover and avoid moving in large groups, ordered schools closed and set up roadblocks to keep civilians out of battle zones. In recent days, schoolchildren had left their studies to watch the fighting. The order forced children to stay at home.

In Sunday's fighting, Israeli aircraft blasted the empty offices of the Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, in a pre-dawn raid. No one was hurt, but the attack was seen as a tough message to the Hamas leadership, which has refused to halt rocket barrages at a growing swath of southern Israel.

After nightfall, Israeli aircraft struck targets around Gaza City's Shati refugee camp and at Jebaliya, further north, where two militants were killed and three wounded, Palestinian security officials said.

In the early hours of Monday, Palestinians counted nine separate Israeli airstrikes all over Gaza, and five Hamas militants were killed.

(Left: A Lebanese student in Beirut protests the Israeli military offensive.)

The normally bustling streets of Gaza City were eerily empty. The sound of verses from the Muslim holy book, the Quran, sounding from mosque loudspeakers mingled with the roar of Israeli warplanes and unmanned drones in the sky.

Hundreds gathered outside Gaza hospitals waiting for bodies to be brought out of morgues for burial. Many, like schoolteacher Tawfek Shaban, a 44-year-old father of five, were holding small radios, listening to the news.

"Shame on the Arabs, shame on the Muslims, shame on humanity ... When will they act to stop Israel?" Shaban asked. Despite a bitter rivalry with Hamas, Abbas suspended peace talks with Israel, which were relaunched with great fanfare at a U.S.-hosted conference last November. It was unclear when they would resume.

In a symbolic move, Abbas donated blood for Gaza residents at his West Bank office. "We are following the aggression against our people in Gaza," he told reporters, saying he had appealed to the international community for help. Abbas has wielded little influence in Gaza since Hamas vanquished his forces during last June's takeover.

The Israeli offensive also drew a chorus of international condemnation. The EU, Turkey and U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon accused Israel of using excessive force in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council urged Israelis and Palestinians "to immediately cease all acts of violence."

At the weekly meeting of his Cabinet, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rejected the criticism.

"Nothing will prevent us from continuing operations to protect our citizens," he said. "No one has the moral right to preach to Israel for taking the elementary step of self-defense."

[juwboy]

nazi63:

Jesus never married, had long hair like a girl and an unnaturally close relationship with his mother. He surrounded himself with male companions who were kissed on the lips. He had an obsession with the feet of both s@xes, never missing an opportunity to wash them. When he was arrested, he was followed by a scantily-clad youth.

What would you call Jesus if was alive today?

Messiah?

I don''t think so.

[skyk-2009]

The days of Bill Clinton seem SO LONG ago!! Do any of you remember the days when WE were mediators between these two groups as they TALKED? So long ago and so many mistakes. I can''t ever remember our Government being in more trouble in more places on this earth. Can anyone tell me of a time when the United States suffered so much world wide hatred?

[juwboy]

Yes, vanderho3, and the Sun rose in the West this morning.

[vanderho3]

For decades the technology exists and used to intercept incoming rockets,mortar fire,rifle fire,and satellites. The Israelis are not interested and prefer to amuse themselves with air attacks as in a lunapark shooting gallery

[vanderho3]

For decades the technology is used and available to shoot down incoming rockets,mortars,rifle fire and satellites. The Israelis aren''t interested in th

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by Moses2008 at 02:23 AM

I have also reported it as abuse, because he doesn''t just limit himself to argument, but actually makes very, very violent statements of things he is going to do to people. Very sad case, but he is not well.

[moses2008-2009]

Abuse Report:

A person named zootallures2 is violating CBS Rules of Engagement:

Quat:"A blah blah glabig87tuv iuhoikjbnuytrx

9/11 was an inside job. The West and Isreal.... sukk major sh*t stick"
Posted by zootallures2 at 01:32 AM : Mar 03, 2008

This kind of language should have no place on CBS site.

[krotec54]

Yes, Palestine... Land of the oppressed, Home of the coward. May Allah curse you all in heaven and on earth? The best of human kind has made up for its self-destruction.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by zootallures2 at 01:36 AM

Shumani tutonka ob wachi

[zootallures2]

Palestine... Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. May Allah bless you all in heaven and on earth. The best of human kind!

[krotec54]

The Palestinians has put itself into oppression & it is blaming the world for its shortfall. Again, Islam has suffocated the minds of the Arabs.

[j-whitman]

Good night folks

[zootallures2]

Here''s one from New York.

Rank: Cheif Propagandist
Unit: CNN Brigade
Place of incident: Live TV
Description: 9/11/2001

Well, you give them 17 second click and then jam the sattelites. Yea with a fake plane crash. Sometimes went wrong. Then the CIA and FBI would take the videos and fix them...

Fix them?

Yea, they had some homos and other people who really hate America and like all people very bad and do over dubs. Some really desparate bad actors. would be funny if not for the jumping people. It would shake my bones to hear them land. But It''s my job. Yea I know Paula Zahn and Wolf. Fox yea the whole media. we have rules on aswers and psycology. Like say you were there and saw this and that. Insult someone telling a different story, say you mother was killed. Hey, that''s how you do it.

But don''t US taxes and WWII vets save the Jews?


Oh well, not like that no more. Everyone is for bad, no respect. Who cares?

[j-whitman]

krotec54,,, That goes back to the ''Chicken & the Egg'' Arguement all the way back to 1948, Palestinians see it as oppression & it is. Zionism forcing them out to repleace them with Jews from other countries ---- Genocide

[krotec54]

It is the Muslims that do not understand the more you kill the more they hate you and the less are your chances to survive the next retaliatory attack.

[j-whitman]

Jowand,,,, My point is even Jewish IDF forces know they are violating Jewish principles ----- This is oppression of an entire population,,,, It''s been going on since 1948 & much worst, it''s genocide

[zootallures2]

Here''''s one from New York City.

Rank: Cheif Sadistic Swindler
Unit: 51st battalion, CNN Brigade
Place of incident: WTC
Description: 9/11/2001

Yea, we had a van full of explosives, and to create a diversion when they were supposed to see planes and make it look like some parts fell down. US Air Force knew. Ran the show. Changed their web sites about fighter jets close to save people. For money and promotion. Typical corruption. Yea, I''m dual citizen others on visa...

[j-whitman]

Here''s one from the IDF Artillery Corps

Rank: Second Lieutenant
Unit: Artillery Corps
Description: One day one of the officers, either the Company Commander or the Deputy Company Commander, drove inside a village %u2013 a godforsaken village deep in the occupied territories, in the middle of nowhere. I was in the other vehicle, suddenly he stops at the center of the village and comes out without a helmet or anything. I don%u2019t get it, why did he come out? Maybe something happened. I watch him approach two kids who were sitting in the doorway of one of the houses. I come out. I thought something happened and I see him screaming and hitting them, he Kicked one of them with his knee, punched him in the stomach. I%u2019m in shock. I don%u2019t understand what%u2019s going on. And then he walks away. I try to understand and ask: %u201CWhat happened?%u201D He says: %u201CThey cursed me.%u201D This officer is my commanding officer. I told it to the other division commander who was with me [in the car]. I don%u2019t know how he could hear inside the car that they were cursing him. He just flew into rage. I don%u2019t know whether they cursed him or not, what matters is the sense of power people get here %u2013 that you can do whatever you wish, and wherever you wish, as long as they%u2019re Arabs.

Did you report this incident?

It was an exceptional case. The man%u2019s an idiot, what can I do about it? Like, go tilt at windmills.

[j-whitman]

Here''s one from Salem Village.

Rank: lieutenant
Unit: 51st battalion, Golani Brigade
Place of incident: Salem Village
Description: Beginning of 2002

The company commander would drive with his Jeep into the village, trying to raise a mess in order to...

What do you mean a mess?
The idea was to attract fire, to find people who disturb the peace and shoot at them, you know, to go into the village in the middle of the night with stun grenades and light bombs and to make a mess..

Was this by foot or with a jeep or APC?
With the company commander''s jeep. This is an assignment without any preparation or something like that. Just go into the village, shoot in the air, or throw stun grenades. and then the Palestinians go out and throw rocks.
I rememer that tis was part of a larger strategy. His theory was, our job was to protect the road, and if we created a mess in the village, there wouldn''t be a mess in the roads.

[j-whitman]

What ?

Put them in a line, I%u2019m telling you, there was no physical violence towards them. I remember all those times. I really remember that they wouldn%u2019t beat them with gun handles and all that. I hear stories [about such cases]. Let%u2019s say this was the rule [as far as what I%u2019ve witnessed]. It didn%u2019t happen a lot, but they would put them in a line and yell at them. Once someone gave them a kind of military inspection, as if they were soldiers %u201CYou%u2019re not keeping up with the schedule%u201D and all that, doing this to Arabs, to Palestinians, %u201CThis is the last time you%u2026%u201D, you know.

What do you mean? Arranging them in lines?

Yes, and yelling at them like drill sergeants do: %u201CYou%u2019re *** with me?!%u201D.
%u201CYou%u2019re this, You%u2019re that%u201D. And they haven%u2019t got a clue as to what he%u2019s yelling about. They don%u2019t get it. And that%u2019s what they did to them. And they would confiscate their cars.