"The time has come for the United States to allow the United Nations to take a central role in war-torn Iraq and spearhead a peace process in Palestine in view of the escalating violence in the Middle East. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the situation in the region had taken a turn for the worse and was messy," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned that the latest developments were threatening the integrity of the US and the UN as well as destabilising the peace and security of neighbouring countries in the region. Abdullah said the US, as the leading member of the coalition power in Iraq, should initiate the tabling of a resolution at the UN Security Council to effect this change," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has called for an immediate end to the violence in the Middle East and will send a delegation to discuss with the international quartet ways to resolve the Palestine-Israel conflict. The quartet, comprising the United Nations, the United States, European Union and Russia, is involved in working on a road map to peace in the region. The decision to meet the quartet was agreed to by all the countries attending the OIC Special Meeting on the Middle East here yesterday, and was included in the Declaration on Palestine," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Palestine will submit a proposal to the United Nations calling for sanctions against Israel. Its Foreign Minister Farouk Kaddoumi said it was important for Palestine to present its case to the UN General Assembly, even if the UN Security Council did not take any action because of the US' veto power," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Iraq is against foreign troops, including those from Islamic nations, being brought in to maintain security in the country. Iraqi Foreign Affairs Ministry political under-secretary Hamid Al-Bayati said new army, police and security organisations comprising Iraqis were now being set up in the country," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Saudi militant followers of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for Wednesday's suicide bombing that targeted the security forces' headquarters in Riyadh and vowed more bombings against government symbols. A statement by a group calling itself Al Haramain Brigades, published by at least two Islamist websites, said the attack targeted special security and anti-terrorism units in the kingdom, a key US ally and the world's largest oil exporter," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Sorrow and anger gripped the city yesterday as the families of 68 people slain by suicide bombers mourned their dead. Streets were quiet and many parents kept their children at home after 17 youngsters were incinerated on their way to school in Wednesday's co-ordinated bombings of police stations," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Attacked by Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims opposed to the occupation, criticised by the US and Iraqi authorities in the capital, police here complain they are being made scapegoats for others' failures in Iraq. For several months police have been targeted with spectacular bomb attacks across the country which killed civilians as well as officers: in the southern city of Basra on Wednesday when at least 68 people were killed; in Fallujah to the west in February when at least 23 were killed; and here in October, when more than 30 people lost their lives," reported the AFP news service.
"An Australian man was arrested and charged yesterday with preparing for a terrorist act,/i> against a major infrastructure facility and with recruiting for a terrorist organisation," reported the Reuters news agency," reported the AFP news service.
"US director Steven Spielberg is to start shooting a movie in June about the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, in which members of the Israeli team were taken hostage and later killed by Palestinian extremists, the Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety reported on Wednesday. The paper said the script was being written by Forrest Gump scribe Eric Roth and Spielberg had cast actor Ben Kingsley in a leading role," reported the dpa news agency.
