Abu-Dis Tuesday 6.7.2004 afternoonWatchers: Yael N., Neta T., Drora P. (reporting).16:20 Next to the hotel and the new settlement – there is no change in the wall, everything as before. Next to the hotel stands a jeep of the border police, testimony to the continuation of the occupation of the hotel by the border police.At the gate – also here everything as usual – climbing over the horrible steps. And everything in total silence, as if the verdict is accepted.16:40 At Wadi Nar – traffic flows from two directions with random examinations, both of vehicles and pedestrians. In the shade some 8 detainees are sitting. As we are talking to the detainees two border policemen from the checkpoint approach us and very aggressively tell us that an absolute prohibition is in force about conversation with detainees. And if we continue to talk to them, the detainees will be moved to the other side, in the sun. They thought that we talked to them, and they enforced their warning, the detainees were moved. The two policemen were without name tags, but they identified themselves by name on our request. On our question if there is a representative of the DCO present they answered in the negative (which turned out afterwards to be an un-truth).The decor of the checkpoint – sheds for shade were built, there is a water-container and the road is widened considerably at the bend close to the checkpoint.G. lives in Hebron and returned to his house from the north at 17:05, whereas his permit for passing with a vehicle was valid until 17:00. The soldiers did not accept his explanation that the delay was due to his waiting in the line of cars. He was told to return to the north. After we talked to him, the policeman took his ID and told him that he was being detained. Yael talked to Rafi Amsalem and got the answer that there are warnings (of terrorist attacks). When he was informed that traffic flows smoothly he said that he will deal with the cars and the detainees.17:05 The four detainees are released. Yael reports to Eitan from the humanitarian desk. Suddenly a representative of the DCO comes towards us, tells us that he is at the checkpoint all the time. He is pleasant, smiling, informative but requests not to mention names; officially he is forbidden to answer questions and he is under the command of the commanding officer of the checkpoint. Even so – the tense meeting turned into a pleasant one, when the commander of the checkpoint joins us. The car of G., who entered again the line, passes without problems.Even so we were asked by another policeman to leave the area because all this is a closed military area and he determined the closed military area to be so large that we could not but observe things from a distance.At the checkpoint we met two representatives of the oecumenical church. They have recently come to the country and live in Swahara.Neta suggested that one of the reasons for the behaviour of the soldiers towards us may be that they feel threatened by our presence, as if they are under scrutiny which will get to their command higher up, and that therefore they are more punctual, on the defensive and stricter in the application of the rules. We took note of this.In conclusion: a) a representative of the DCO is supposed to be present until 18:00 and it is advisable to turn to him first.b) it is not necessary to always accept the excuse of warnings which is waved in our faces too often, while the checkpoint is functioning quietly.