Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage: U.S. opposes assassination or exile of Yasser Arafat

Haaretz News Ticker ^ | April 02, 2004 | Reuters

[yonif]

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage: U.S. opposes assassination or exile of Yasser Arafat (Reuters)

[Squantos]

Responding to "Dicks" statement............The majority of people in the US (yeah I took a poll at breakfast this AM) support Yessir U'rFat's assassination before or after his exile.

Stay safe !

[johnfrink]

I think Arafat's clock is ticking--one mega terror attack and he's a dead man. Armitage had to say this--we need cover before the inevitable finally happens.

[george wythe]

Let Israel made it look like an inside job.

"Hamas terrorist kills Arafat" or something like that.

I think it's for Arafat to pay for his bloody crimes.

[george wythe]

I think it's time for Arafat to pay for his bloody crimes.

[Cheetah1]

18 April 2002
Tanzim Fatah terrorist apparatus and its leaders were appointed by Yasser Arafat

(Communicated by Israel security sources)

Nasser Aweis, the most senior Tanzim figure in Samaria and the individual responsible for recruiting terrorist cells, arming them and handling them and the person behind many bomb attacks in Israel, revealed during questioning that he and his men were supported financially by Arafat.

Aweis stated that he himself and the operatives registered with Fatah/Tanzim who carried out many attacks against Israel, received financial assistance authorized by Yasser Arafat. According to Aweis, the names of the Tanzim terrorists were given to Marwan Barghouti and the latter would have Arafat sign the requests for assistance. After this, the checks would be sent to Issam Abu Bakhar, secretary general of Fatah in Nablus, who was responsible for distributing the money

[Cheetah1]

WAKE UP BUSH

IS THIS A JOKE OR WHAT????

GET WITH THE PLAN!

[Redbob]

"You, Dickie, may oppose the assassination of Yessir Arabfat, but many of us do not; in fact, we wouldn't call it 'assassination,' even: we'd call it "Taking out the garbage!"

[Cheetah1]

Yasser Arafat's "Mukata'a" Compound in Ramallah - A Center for Controlling and Supporting Terrorism
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

Arafat's compound in Ramallah houses the office of Fuad Shoubaki, the accounting administration of the Palestinian General Security Service. Shoubaki is the chief procurement and finance officer of the Palestinian Authority and was one of the key players involved in the "Karine A" arms smuggling affair.

Shoubaki's previous office was located 100 meters south of Arafat's office. Following the "Karine A" affair, Shoubaki was arrested and interrogated in the office of the Head of the General Intelligence Service Tiraawi, which is adjacent to Chairman Arafat's office. This is one of the offices IDF forces entered as a part of the "Shield of Defense" operation.

Inside Tiraawi and Shoubaki's office building, IDF forces found a large amount of weapons, including RPG launchers, which the PA is forbidden to possess according to its agreements with Israel. IDF forces also found counterfeit money as well as documents belonging to Fuad Shoubaki. These prove that Shoubaki continued to operate "business as usual" in the Mukata'a compound, even after his involvement in the "Karine A" affair was discovered.

Shoubaki is close to Chairman Arafat and often accompanies him as a part of official Palestinian delegations to Arab countries. He also holds private meetings in countries willing to support the Palestinian terrorist efforts, such as Iraq, which he visited in November 2001.

Fuad Shoubaki is also in charge of financing the Fatah branches, which carry out terrorist activities under a cover name - "the Al-Aksa Brigades". Evidence found by IDF forces in the course of the present operation in Ramallah established a clear linkage between Shoubaki and the Al-Aksa Brigades.

Original documents seized by the IDF in the Mukata'a compound reveal that the Al-Aksa Brigades is an established organization, which holds official correspondence with Fuad Shoubaki's office in order for it to finance its planned operations. This money does not go merely to finance propaganda concerning terrorists involved in attacks, but also to control the planning of future attacks. One document captured in Ramallah, for example, is a request from Al-Aksa officials, dated September 16th, asking Shoubaki for money to prepare bombs - "the costs of making one explosive charge is at least 700 NIS. Each week, we require 5 to 9 charges for cells operating in the various regions". [700 NIS = $150]

A handwritten document found in the same office, translates this request to monetary terms using a simple method of calculation: an average of 7 bombs a week = 5000 NIS a week or 20,000 NIS per month.

Shoubaki also provided ongoing funding for the activity of the Al-Aksa Brigades in the Bethlehem region, when he transferred monthly salaries to the organization's activists in the area. Also, he was involved in purchasing weapons, which were stolen towards the end of the year 2000 from an IDF base in the area. These weapons were later used to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians in the area of Jerusalem.

Shoubaki was active in other regions as well and had been involved in smuggling arms from Jordan and Egypt (via underground tunnels).

The Al-Aksa Brigades organization carried out suicide and "Self Sacrifice" (terrorist shooting) attacks in growing numbers in the last six months: After carrying out only two attacks towards the end of 2001, the organization adopted a more aggressive and intensive modus operandi involving suicide and shooting attacks. Al-Aksa carried out 4 attacks in January 2002 (in Hadera, Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv); 6 in February (in Mehola, Army Base "80", Jerusalem, and the Maccabim checkpoint) and 9 in March (in Netanya, Ashdod, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Kfar Saba and Efrat).

The growing rate of the attacks corresponds to the plan outlined in the document of September 16, 2001 (5 days after the September 11 attack in the U.S), for the preparation of a large number of explosive charges each month, for which Shoubaki was asked to provide the money.

The "Al-Aksa Brigades" is a cover name assumed by the Fatah to avoid responsibility for its terrorist activities. The organization's activities are directed by Marwan Barghouti (head of the Tanzim in the West Bank), who passes concrete instructions to Al-Aksa operatives. The Al-Aksa Brigades has recently been declared a terrorist organization by the U.S.

The Al-Aksa Brigades planned infrastructure involves more than just bullets and bombs. An additional letter captured in Shoubaki's office details an ambitious plan of this terrorist organization to create a factory for the manufacturing of heavy weapons. Among other things, purchasing a lathe (costing $25,000) and other machines needed to process the metal in order manufacture weapons such as rockets and mortars. It is known that the Al-Aksa Brigades are producing rockets similar to the "Kassam" rockets made by the Hamas.

The required investment in the weapon factory is $100,000, and the ongoing expenses are measured at $15,000 per month. It is no wonder that these requests are being received by Shoubaki, the procurement and finance officer who seems to have a hand in everything.

The network established by Shoubaki includes Iran and Iraq on the one hand (countries which are a part of the "Axis of Evil") and branches of the Fatah hiding behind the name "Al Aksa Brigades" on the other. Shoubaki, which is believed is still hiding in the Mukata'a compound, has a lot of time on his hands today to report to Arafat everything that he did not get a chance to - if he didn't get a chance to - report in the past.

Regarding the structure of the Palestinian Authority, the head of the Palestinian Authority is Yasser Arafat. General, Abdul Razik al-Majaida is the head of the General Security and Fuad Shoubaki who is head of the finance apparatus is subordinate to al-Majaida, but it practice operates adjacent to Arafat.

The Aksa Brigades are Fatah's "military" wing in the West Bank. In this capacity, the brigades carried out thousands of terrorist attack using different scenarios (shootings, bombs, suicide) in the Gaza Strip the West Bank and Israel. The central guidance for the brigades is provided by Marwan Barghouti, head of the Fatah's supreme council in the West Bank, who is operating under the authority of Arafat. Barghouti directs the brigades by using the media to instill a fighting spirit in the Palestinian people, and also passing concrete directives to operatives. Simultaneously, the Palestinian security apparatus influences the brigades and their involvement in terrorist activities.

Fuad Shoubaki - Background

1. Amid (Brig. Gen.) Fuad Hindi Hijazi Shoubaki ("Abu Hazm") is head of the accounting administration of the General Security Service and confidant of Arafat. In the course of the present conflict, Shoubaki functioned as Arafat's main instrument for purchasing weapons and carrying out terrorism against Israel -

A. Funded and organized the operation to smuggle arms on board the "Karine A" ship (captured by Israeli force in January 2002), which contained dozens of tons of quality weapons, including anti-tank, anti-aircraft and artillery weapons, transferred from Iran to the PA. In addition, Shoubaki has also been involved in smaller scale smuggling of arms from Jordan and Egypt (via tunnels).

B. Financed the operation of the Al-Aksa Brigades, the Fatah's terrorist branch, at least in the region of Bethlehem. In this capacity, he provided terrorists with monthly salaries and was involved in purchasing weapons stolen from the IDF in October 2000.

C. Communicated with Iraq regarding the purchase of Iraqi oil for the PA and receiving weapons from Iraq.

2. His relations with Arafat - Shoubaki is in charge of budgets provided by Arafat to the Palestinian security apparatus, and his office is in the Mukata'a complex in Ramallah, close by to Arafat's own office. In the course of the present conflict Shoubaki went abroad as a member of Arafat's delegation in order to avoid being questioned or arrested by Israel. Even after Shoubaki's arrest and the promises made by the PA to try him, Arafat refrained from putting Shoubaki on trial. Today Shoubaki is staying at Arafat's besieged office in Ramallah.

[lilylangtree]

Now why am I not surprised at this response coming from State Dept? What I'm surprised is that araRAT is still alive after all these years.

[nina0113]

Well, they're not speaking for me.

Do we really give the Israelis so much aid that they won't do the ONE THING that would go furthest to solving their terrorist problem for fear of losing it?

[Cheetah1]

Next I will start posting pictures of men...women...and little children blown to bits by the suicide bombers that Y.A. sends out.

It is stuff like this that makes the world ANGRY at us.

Make up your mind...are we in a war against terrorism or are we not.

I just don't get it.

Play games...walk a fine line...do what you want but TRUTH IS TRUTH. Y.A. is a terrorist. FACT.

Kill him...arrest him...put him on trial. But don't play games with the lives of the people of Israel.

We live in a bizarre world.

[nina0113]

Next I will start posting pictures of men...women...and little children blown to bits by the suicide bombers that Y.A. sends out.

The ones blown to bits are the LUCKY ones - go to rotten.com and look at the x-rays of the survivors.

[Redbob]

"He'll be dead in a couple of years anyway, why make a martyr out of him?"

Simple: To make an example of him, to show that you have some resolve in defense of your nation and your people, to show in short that you're not a Frenchman!

[BiteMedems]

YO DUBYA, LET ISRAEL DO WANT IT NEEDS TO DO! WHACK THE OLD F*RT!

[Diogenesis]

Arafat is serial murderer of Americans and decade-long terrorist
protected by the US State Dept which will not be happy as long as one American lives peacefully.

ONLY A PARTIAL LIST OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES

1968 Robert Kennedy assassinated
1972 Munich Olympics Sep-5,1972 (Black September)
1976 Entebbe Hostage Crisis, June 27, 1976
1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Nov. 4, 1979 444 days
1979 Grand Mosque Seizure, Nov 20,1979
1981 Assassination of Egyptian President, Oct 6,1981
1982 Assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister, Sept 14, 1982
1983 Bombing of US Embassy in Beirut6, April 18,1983
1983 Bombing of Maring Barricks, Beruit, Oct 23,1983
1984 Hizballah Restaurant Bombing, April 12,1984
1985 Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, Nov 23,1985
1985 Rome Airport murders
1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacked, U.S. Navy diver murdered
1985 Achille Lauro hijacking, Homacidal maniac lived in saddams Iraq
1986 Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986
1988 Pan Am 747 Flight 103 Bombing, Lockerbie, 100's murdered
1988 Berlin Discoteque Bombing, Dec 21,1988
1992 Bombing in Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17,1992
1993 Attempted Assassination of Pres. Bush Sr., April 14,1993
1993 First World Trade Center bombing, February 26th, 7 Killed, Hundreds injured, Billions
1994 Air France Hijacking, Dec 24,1994
1995 Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan, Mar 8,1995
1995 Saudi Military Installation Attack, Nov 13, 1995
1995 Kashmiri Hostage taking, July 4,1995
1996 Khobar Towers attack
1996 Sudanese Missionarys Kidnapping, Aug 17,1996
1996 Paris Subway Explosion, Dec 3,1996
1997 Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, Sept 4, 1997
1997 Yemeni Kidnappings, Oct 30,1997
1998 Somali Hostage taking crisis, April 15,1998
1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing in Peru, Jan 15, 1998
1998 U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1998 U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1999 Plot to blow up Space Needle (thwarted)
2000 USS Cole attacked, many U.S. Navy sailors murdered
2000-2003 Intifada against Israel - 100's dead and injured
2000 Manila Bombing, Dec 30,2000
2001 4 Commercial airliners hijacked, 250+ murdered
2001 World Trade Center attacked, 2800+ murdered
2001 Flight 93 murders
2001 Pentagon attacked, 180+ murdered
2002 Reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped and murdered
2002 Philippines American missionary, Filipino nurse killed
2002 July 4, El Al attack Los Angeles LAX, several murdered
2002 Bali bombing - 200 dead, 300 injured
2002 Yemen, French Oil Tanker attacked
2002 Marines attacked / murdered in Kuwait
2002 Washington D.C. sniper
2002 Russian Theater attacked, 100+ dead
2002 Nigerian riots against Miss World Pageant, 200 dead, dozens injured
2002 Mombasa Hotel Attacked, 12 dead, dozens injured
2002 Israeli Boeing 757 attacked by missiles, fortunately no one injured
2002 August Hotel bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. 12 dead, dozens injured.
2003 Rusian concert bombing
2003 Phillipines airport and market bombing
2003 Foiled SAM plot in the USA
2003 UN Baghdad HQ Bombing
on and on and on and on it goes .........

[Belisaurius]

Richard Armitage had his fingers crossed behind his back.

[Richard Axtell]

Yeah, but do we oppose wrapping him in cellophane and beating him with a snowshoe? Got any problems with wood chippers?

[DoughtyOne]

We need a new deputy secretary of state.

[Finalapproach29er]

Arafat incited Bobby Kennedy's killer (sirhan).

Payback would merely be justice.

[speedy]

There have been many opportunities for the Israelis to kill Arafat. It would not even be difficult. Despite what Sharon said, they have never intended to kill him because of the uprising it would provoke. Otherwise, they would have done it years ago, no matter what the US had to say about it. Frustrating as it may be, this is the usual public diplomatic tango over Arafat. Especially at Arafat's age, it is highly unlikely that the Israelis would bother to eliminate him at this point.