Bush Speaks His Mind ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times (Editorial) January 18, 2008 - 6:28pm U.S. President George W. Bush may have trouble getting things done. He has no such trouble speaking his mind, however tortured the English in which he does so. He was the first American president to speak of a Palestinian state, back in 2001. It is true that he never used the term again until recently, but on his just completed Middle East tour he has been on a roll. » Read more

Hamas Police Force Recruits Women In Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Taghreed El-Khodary - January 18, 2008 - 6:28pm The policemen of Hamas now have company: since the Islamic group took over here last June it has been recruiting policewomen as well. Since mid-August, 60 women have been accepted into the force. Unlike policemen, the women have not played any role in resisting the latest Israeli incursions, instead working mostly on cases that involve dealing with women, like drugs and prostitution, and helping out at police headquarters and the central jail. » Read more

Israel Closes Vital Gaza Crossings ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - January 18, 2008 - 6:26pm Israel sealed all border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Friday, cutting the flow of vital supplies in an attempt to stop Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli border towns. But the rockets kept flying and Israel hit back with airstrikes against a rocket squad, a Hamas government building and a Hamas militia base, killing one militant and two civilians, Hamas said. U.N. officials warned that the Israeli closure of the Gaza crossings would increase hardship in the impoverished territory of 1.4 million Palestinians. » Read more