Anata,Ar-Ram,Qalandiya, Thursday 7.12.2006 AMObservers: Mili M’, Dalya K'(reporting) A cold and dry morning. 6:40 – 7:10 Anata:Everything was moving: cars, people and especially school children.7:25 – Shuafat en route to Ar Ram: A military vehicle was parked on the side of the road. Groups of armed soldiers emerged from it. A small group remained and the rest went up on the side road. What happened? we asked. It was an exercise. We calmed down, but the sight was frightening.7:30 – Ar Ram: A long line of cars in the direction of Qalandiya. The reason for the delay was a traffic accident. Few cars crossed in the direction of Jerusalem, mostly school children. Every child was stopped and his schoolbag checked. Adults crossed according to a list. The checkpoint was manned by border police and regular army women soldiers. One of these soldiers assisted an old Palestinian woman sit on a chair until her name was checked on the list of those allowed to cross. The sight was pleasing to our eyes. Two detainees who were caught trying to get in without passes were brought to the checkpoint.8:00 Suddenly, a high ranking officer arrived and tried to make order around the checkpoint. The rather calm atmospher ended. The detainees who had been calmly waiting at the side were reprimanded and put at a distance. Three women from the territories were taken for inspection at the hut near the checkpoint. According to some information that had been received, that there was some suspicion about them. They were body searched and sent home. 8:30 Qalandiya crossing:A lot of people were waiting. The reason was that only two lanes were open. One lane was for the wives of prisoners and their children. Only after they had gone through was the lane open for “regular people”. Later on, an additional lane was open leading to the DCL. We wanted to go in but when we got to the turnstile, we were denied entry. We said that we wanted to see what was going on inside, but were told to stand aside so as not to delay people who were waiting behind us. Finally, we were not allowed in because “we had not arranged it with anyone in advance”.