Arafat blocks peace once again
From
Haaretz Daily:
bq.
Arafat rejects his cabinet's demand to act against terror
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat yesterday refused his cabinet's call to use the Palestinian security forces against terror organizations.
bq. At a heated emergency meeting in Arafat's Muqata compound in Ramallah - called in response to the suicide bombing in Ashdod Port two days ago, for which both Fatah and Hamas claimed responsibility - Interior Minister Hakem Balawi and the commander of the National Security forces, Haj Ismail Jabbar, both called upon Arafat to act against Hamas and Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Other ministers joined the call, warning Arafat of Israel's expected harsh response to the attack and the international community's reaction to the continuing chaos in the territories.
bq. The ministers sought the authority to arrest Fatah activists acting independently and to apply all stages of a plan to restore control of the Palestinian street to the security forces. One Palestinian source in the cabinet said that some ministers even warned Arafat that Fatah members might be drafted into Hamas in Gaza. They also made it clear that the PA had lost control of Fatah's military wing in some areas of both the West Bank and Gaza.
bq. But according to the source, Arafat refused to allow arrests of Fatah activists and also turned down other aspects of the plan, such as the collection of illegal arms.
Arafat must go now -- he is the reason that violence occurs, his usefulness is over. He doesn't care fot his people, he cares about power and money.
Posted by DaveH at March 16, 2004 12:41 PM