PM

A-Ram, Qalandiya Tuesday afternoon, 6 March 2004 Watchers: Roni H., Nora, Yael, Iris B. (reporting), a guest 15:15, A-Ram: Three detainees are being held; they were caught at the road west of the checkpoint. Suliman, the checkpoint commander (Border Police), is cooperative and politely answers our questions. He says that it's very quiet today, no security alerts. Regarding the issue of the U-turn [i.e. not requiring passing the checkpoint and having to wait again to pass through in the return direction], he explains that currently, transit-vans and taxis are allowed to make a U-turn. It's basically up to the checkpoint commander's discretion to decide whether and when they can make a U-turn or not, he says. An ophthalmologist who resides in Gaza and works in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, gets permission to pass. Three more detainees "arrive." Suliman tells us that they'll be investigated and each and every detail will be added to their personal file. They are asked questions such as: where they work? Who is their employer? etc. ("Big Brother" questions," to quote Yael.) 15:45, Qalandiya: We greet one of the local men, who tell us that it's very quiet and that almost nobody is coming through here. No detainees. An improvement: the net that used to cover the hole in the ground where detainees had been held (mentioned in previous reports), no longer exists -- this is per order of Tzahi the company commander. We all agree that Neta [of MachsomWatch] has done a quick and excellent job – reporting and insisting that it be removed! Yohai, the checkpoint's commander, says that there's no closure in effect, and that they are operating according to recent regulations whereby all people who live in Ramallah area may pass. Also, cars have been checked efficiently and even demonstratively politely by a female volunteer [IDF reservist added to staff the checkpoint]. Three soldiers, well-equipped, went out in the direction of "Tora" [the no-man's land open area where many Palestinians try to circumvent the checkpoint]. By the time we left, they had not yet returned. We heard shootings from the distance, possibly from the area of Rafat, but it was unclear where they came from. We left around 17:00.