Qalandiya, Dec 16 afternoonObservers:LN, YS, and photographer - EOUpon arrival at the checkpoint, we found the placeclosed, because of a suspect vehicle. The soldierswarned us that there might be an explosion. One ofthem told his friends, it would be a shame to damagethis vehicle, a brand-new 4x4. In the end no explosionwas needed, and the checkpoint routine was resumed.The soldiers were quite tough, polite of course, butnot very receptive to any special requests by thePalestinians or ourselves. They did let a Jordan Bankworker from Bethlehem return home from Ramallah, eventhough he had no permit, and they let a young womanwith no ID pass after the Humanitarian Hotlineintervened. But they separated a family of four - aman, woman, one month old baby and two year oldtoddler. The woman had a blue ID, the man a Jordanianpassport, but he was registered as a Hebron resident,and they would not let him through. We tried Hussam,who promised to help. But by the time the clearancegot to the checkpoint, the man had given up waiting,and took the toddler on the Surda detour, the womangoing ahead with the baby. Of course the soldiers toldus, "It's a shame you told him to leave, he can passnow..."We did manage to establish some contact with them, butas the commander himself said - "After five monthshere, none of this moves me at all." It seems theinstructions and orders are stronger than any human appeal.