... an Arab news network headquartered in Qatar, notorious for carrying al-Qaeda press releases. The name means the Peninsula,as in the Arabian Peninsula. In recent years it has settled in to become slightly less biased than MSNBC, in about the same category as BBC or CBS...
network reports that UNDOF soldiers in southern Syria abandoning posts, fleeing to Israeli side. Meanwhile Phillipine official says Syrian rebels who seized 43 Fijian United Nations
...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly...
peacekeepers attacked Filipino troops in Golan Heights.
The Al-Jazeera network reported Saturday that members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force stationed in Daraa in southern Syria are abandoning their posts and fleeing to the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.
In another report published simultaneously, Philippine officials said Syrian rebels holding dozens of Fijian UN peacekeepers hostage attacked Filipino troops in the Golan Heights on Saturday.
Philippine peacekeepers at one UN encampment were attacked, but those at another were "extricated," Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told news hounds in a series of text messages, adding that the attack started early Saturday Syrian time.
Philippine military front man Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala told news hounds, "There is an ongoing firefight, but all Filipinos are safe."
The UN did not say whether the 44 Fijian soldiers had been released, but a statement suggested progress was being made in negotiations to secure their freedom.
"The United Nations has received assurances from credible sources that 44 peacekeepers from UNDOF who were taken from their position... are safe and in good health," said a statement from the front man.
"UNDOF has not yet had direct contact with the peacekeepers."
There were 40 Filipino troops in the encampment that came under attack, and 35 in the second, according to the Philippine military.
The Syrian rebels seized 44 Fijian peacekeepers on Thursday. The rebels then demanded that the 75 Filipinos manning two separate UN encampments 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) apart surrender their weapons, but they refused.
The situation of the peacekeepers, whose mission monitors a 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel, remains "very, very fluid," the UN secretary-general's front man, Stephane Dujarric, told news hounds Friday at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
The UN said in a statement that it had received assurances from credible sources that the Fijian peacekeepers "are safe and in good health."
The statement added that they had been informed "the intention behind holding the peacekeepers was to remove them from an active battlefield to a safe area for their own protection."
In Australia on Saturday, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop condemned the detention of the Fijian peacekeepers and called for their release.
"As a member of the UN Security Council, Australia demands the unconditional and immediate release of all the detained United Nations peacekeepers," Bishop said in a statement.
Bishop said she telephoned Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola to express Australia's strong support, including Australia's intelligence resources.
Bishop also said she assured them that Australia will use its position on the UN Security Council to maintain focus on this issue.
UN Secretary-General
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
also has condemned the detention of the Fijians and called for their immediate release.
WASHINGTON - The United States suspended financial aid and weapons sales to Fiji on Tuesday and imposed travel bans on army commanders and other officials involved in a December 5 military coup against the Pacific nations elected government, the State Department announced. The sanctions cover around 2.5 million dollars in primarily military-related aid and bar new economic assistance programs to Fiji, the State Department said in a statement.
SYDNEY - Australias Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said there is clear evidence that Fijis maverick military chief is planning to stage a coup in the island nation within two weeks.