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All 2007 Rival Palestinian leaders sign deal on power-sharigovernment sLmuxmmtvfxm Customer Service Friday. February 9, HERALD DAILY A2 contents Copyright 2007, Daily Herald. Any reproduction or other use is strictly prohibited without written permission. Correction I A headline in Saturday's Life & Style section incorrectly stated the Provo City Library would host its "Noche de Poesia en la Biblioteca" on Valentine's Day. The event is scheduled for today at 7 p.m. at the library in celebration of Valentine's Day. u The Daily Herald wants its news reports to be fair and accurate. We do our best to identify and correct all errors. If you find an error, please report it to us by calling the appropriate editor listed on this page. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RiMECCA, Saudi Arabia val Palestinian factions signed accord aimed a power-sharin- g at ending months of bloodshed Thursday, agreeing that the Islamic militant group Hamas would head a new coalition government that would "respect" past peace agreements with Israel. However, the United States and Israel have demanded the new government explicitly renounce violence, recognize Israel and agree to uphold past peace accords. The vague promise to respect past deals a compromise reached after Hamas rejected pressure for did more binding language not appear to go far enough. U.S. and Israeli acceptance is crucial to the deal's success. Unless they are convinced Hamas has sufficiently moderated, the West is unlikely to lift a crippling financial blockade of the Palestinian government, and it will be difficult to advance the peace process. "Israel expects a new Palestinian government to respect and accept all three of the international community principles recognition of Israel, acceptance of all former agreements and renunciation of all terror and violence," Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin told The Associated Press after the accord was announced. She would not say whether Israel believes the guidelines of the new government fulfill those demands. In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said "we'll see what any final agreement actually looks like and we'll have to make an evaluation from there" as to whether it meets international demands. Palestinians hope the agreement will avert an outright civil war. Hamas and Fatah gun-- . men have clashed repeatedly in recent months, killing dozens including 30 who died in four days of fighting that ended with a fragile truce Sunday. The deal could also fall apart as the two sides work out who will fill sensitive posts in the new government particularly the interior ministry, which controls security forces. which put Saudi Arabia its credibility on the line by -h- i! iy SUHAIB SALEMAssociated Press Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal left Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas second left and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh third left pray in Mecca on Thursday. Rival Palestinian factions reached an agreement over the outlines of a power-sharingovernment. g Abdullah sat with Abbas on his sumhosting the mit in the holy city of Mecca right and Hamas leader Khaled will likely now face the task Mashaal on his left. of selling the agreement to its Abbas aide Nabil Amr read a letter from Abbas proclaiming ally, the United States. To boost the new governthe accord and asking Haniyeh of Hamas to form the new coment, the kingdom promised alition government within five $ 1 billion in aid to the Palestinians, according to Ahmed weeks, divvying up Cabinet Youssef, a political adviser to posts between the factions acPrime Minister Ismail Haniyeh cording to a formula agreed on in the Mecca talks. of Hamas, speaking in Gaza. Palestinian President MahAbbas and Mashaal insisted moud Abbas, of Fatah, and the agreement would bring Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal peace between their factions and lavished praise on the Sauheaded two days of intense even negotiations in a Mecca palace di monarch for his help overlooking the Kaaba, Islam's comparing him to. the Prophet a venue Saudi Muhammad in his ability to holiest shrine Arabia chose to step up the bring reconciliation. The Palestinian president said pressure on the two sides to the deal would "satisfy our peocompromise. Much of the negotiations cen- ple ... and bring us to the shores of peace ... This initiative has tered on a single word. Abbas been crowned with success." pressed Hamas to accept the Mashaal vowed the accord stronger stance of "committing to" past peace accords with would put an end to violence Israel signed by the after a series of truces between Palestinian Liberation Fatah and Hamas gunmen that Organization. Rut in the end, , collapsed. teU those Who fear that the he was forced to settle for the fate of this agreement will be promise to "respect" them. the same fate of the old ones, ... The final agreement was announced at a ceremony aired we have pledged our allegiance live on Arab television Thursto God from this sacred place day night, in which Saudi King .... and we will go back to our high-profi- d country fully committed to it." "I say to our young people that this is an agreement of the leadership of the biggest groups and none of you should accept any order from others to fire," he said. In Gaza City, celebratory gunfire was heard for more than an hour after the accord was announced. Residents expressed hope it would mean an end to the violence and the financial boycott, imposed by the West after Hamas came to power following January 2006 elections. "We've been holding our breath. God willing, this is a permanent agreement, not a temporary truce. We hope this will lead to lifting the siege," said Mahmoud Qassam, a fish seller watching the ceremony at his home in Gaza City's Shaati refugee camp, yards from Haniyeh's home. A first test of international acceptance of the deal could come on Feb. 19, when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Abbas and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are due to meet in Jerusalem for talks intended to revive peace Iraqi forces arrest Health Ministry official linked to death squads IT" r. ?i ... PRESS BAGHDAD, Iraq Iraqi forces stormed the Health Ministry and arrested the No. 2 official Thursday, accusing him of diverting millions of dollars to the biggest Shiite militia and allowing death squads use of ambulances and government hospitals to carry out kidnappings and killings. Shiite politicians allied with cleric Muqtada denounced the arrest of v. H :. Deputy Health Minister Hakim as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and demanded that the prime minister intervene to win his release. But Prime Minister Nouri and his senior advisSAMIR MIZBANAssociated Press ers remained silent. and papers inside the Iraqi Health Ministry offices in Baghdad, a Shiite, is under strong U.S. stormed the offices and detained a senior ministry official pressure to crack down on Shiite militias and has pledged M I! i r . Vf M ill Iraqis look at scattered fumiturt Iraq, on Thursday. Iraqi forces in ASSOCIATED U.S.-back- t accused Kim Gamel THE alleged corruption. It.. X - ca3 -- ,:ii r,nr.,i. ,.,. tri A1XJu jlJJJLUcIj ,,.,,..:, Ty, www, .,. heraldextra .com Place an ad for 60 days and if your home doesn't sell, Get 30 additional days absolutely FREE!! Includes: to advertise Photo Daily Herald 10 Community Weekly Newspapers Heraldextra.com 373-645- 0 not to interfere in the security operation to rid Baghdad's streets of gunmen from both after coming to Baghdad for a meeting at the ministry. According to the stateIslamic sects. ment, the official was believed The arrest took place at 9 to have siphoned millions of a.m an hour after Iraqi govdollars from the ministry to ernment offices generally open. the Mahdi Army "to support sectarian attacks and violence Iraqi troops pushed through the iron gates of the Health targeting Iraqi citizens." U.S. military spokesman Lt. Ministry building in northern Col. Christopher Garver said Baghdad, ordered people to militiamen were also allowed to drop to the ground and rushed ofto use government hospitals and ground-floo- r clinics to gather information on fice, witnesses said. One of bodyIraqis seeking treatment and "those Iraqis that were discovguards said American soldiers accompanying the force asked ered to be Sunnis would later be everyone to step aside and aptargeted for attacks." American officials had long proached the deputy minister, folwho introduced himself. A U.S. complained that soldier handcuffed lowers were transforming hosand led him away, the guard pitals into bases for the Mahdi said on condition of anonymity militia and were diverting because he feared reprisal. medicine from state clinics to AP Television News footage health care facilities run by the of office showed overturned chairs and smashed computers along with scattered files and telephones on the floor. Dusty, white boot prints marked the door, apparently because the troops had kicked it in. A US, military statement did not mention by name but said Iraqi special troops captured a "senior official" suspected of alleged corruption and links to Mahdi Army militia. The Health Ministry is among six Cabinet an posts controlled by ally of the prime minister. The statement also alleged the senior official played a role in the deaths of several ministry officials, including the Sunni director of health in province. The director, Ali vanished last June cleric's movement. The clinics helped build a powerful nationwide political movement modeled in part on the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. The arrest is likely to add new strains to fragile coalition as it embarks on a high-ris- campaign to curb k violence in Baghdad. Shiite to politicians persuaded pull his mi'itiamen back from the streets in the run-uto the security campaign. But a series of bombings and suicide attacks on Shiite civilians in Baghdad and the southern city of Hillah has led many Shiites to complain that U.S. and Iraqi forces have not launched the security campaign fast enough to protect them against Sunni extremists. p DO IT YOURSELF call Expri4neANewWayToShop. CFrMWashlDryBeforiYouBuy. tho PARTS MAYTAG store. - SALES SERVICE ii |