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| Tue Oct 21,12:59 PM ET |
Posted on 10/23/2003 4:38:52 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli army is ready to "remove" Palestinian President Yasser Arafat if the government gives the order, the Jerusalem Post newspaper has reported, citing a senior military source.
The report in the right-wing daily, which recently editorialised in favour of killing Arafat, followed a decision in principle by Israel's security cabinet last month to oust the Palestinian leader. The ministers did not say how or when.
The Israeli threat against Arafat, a 74-year-old symbol of Palestinian nationalism, sparked an international outcry and drew U.S. opposition.
"We have presented plans showing the risks and the chances of the operation itself, including the options to remove him alive or not," the Post quoted the source as saying.
"The government has to make a decision to allow the army to act. The army is ready," the military source was quoted as saying. The newspaper did not provide further details. The army declined comment.
Arafat has been confined to his West Bank compound in Ramallah for much of the past two years. Security sources have said commandos in the past year have rehearsed snatching Arafat expelling him to a third country, possibly in North Africa.
Arafat has said he would fight to the death if Israel tried to expel him.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had appeared to rule out expelling Arafat in a newspaper interview last week, but then told parliament on Monday that Israel was still determined to "remove" the Palestinian leader.
In an interview published last Friday, Sharon told the Jerusalem Post: "Our calculations for years have been that expelling him (Arafat) would not be good for Israel."
The right-wing prime minister said security around Arafat increased the chance of him being hurt in any operation to capture him. Palestinians, who launched an uprising for independence in 2000, have vowed to defend Arafat to the death.
Some members of Sharon's hawkish cabinet last month raised the idea of killing Arafat, but the prime minister opposed it and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom later ruled it out.
Israel accuses Arafat of fomenting violence, a charge he denies.
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| Tue Oct 21,12:59 PM ET |
And Americans!!! Don't ever forget that our citizens too have been murdered by these terrorists.
Palestinian nationalism terrorism
The report in the right-wing daily, which recently editorialised in favour of killing Arafat
That would seem to be the prefered method of "removing" him. Although time will probably do the job soon anyway.
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