Posted on 09/22/2004 12:45:42 PM PDT by yonif
GAZA - Palestinian security forces know who was behind the killing of three Americans in Gaza nearly a year ago, but cannot act against the factions while fighting with Israel continues, said Musa Arafat, head of Military Intelligence and a cousin of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Describing the killers as "some Palestinian factions," Musa Arafat told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States also knew who was to blame.
Washington's anger at the failure to catch the killers has worsened relations that were already soured over U.S. accusations that the Palestinians had not done in enough to rein in militants.
"They know that we are in a very critical position and that clashing with any Palestinian party under the presence of the occupation is an issue that will present many problems for us," said the spy chief.
"The Americans have started recently to understand our position, and I expect that this crisis will also be resolved," he said.
The three American security guards were killed in an ambush in October when a bomb planted on a main road leading to Gaza City exploded under their vehicle in a diplomatic convoy.
As a result, U.S. officials have been banned from visiting Gaza and U.S. aid programs have been hampered.
Palestinian factions denied connection to the bombing but four gunmen of the militant coalition group, the Popular Resistance Committees, were held in jail for several months before being put on trial.
The four PRC men were acquitted by a Palestinian court but Arafat overruled the judge's decision. Militants from the group stormed the prison in April and freed three of their captives.
The security situation in Gaza has been further complicated by a power struggle among armed groups ahead of Israel's pullout from the territory it has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war.
Musa Arafat?s July appointment by his cousin sparked riots and protests throughout the Gaza Strip.
Critics consider him to be one of the most corrupt members of the Palestinian Authority.
Musa Arafat, who has a reputation as a strongman, said that he was busy reorganizing the security forces to be able to end an unprecedented upsurge of internal turmoil.
"I am sure we will be able to control ... It is a question of time," he said.
Ping.
And the "occupation" will only end when the State of Israel is wiped off the map, as far as they're concerned.
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.
I am afraid we are done doing what we can... or have the p.c. will to do. Even after the election, I think this administration, will give increased backing to the PA and less support to israel for her self defense.
NOBODY will deal with IRan having and deploying nukes.
We might as well admit they have passed the point of the event horizon. The muzzies will use nukes.
I don't think this president will retaliate in kind.
I think Israel might, and when they do... we will abandon them.
I have no confidence in a State Department full of arabists either tolerated by or supported by this administration.
Firing POWELL wouldn't do a damned thing. We are overrun with muzzie symps.
I gotta vomit now.
robert
We should request the IAF waste them via hellfire missiles.
IDF Duvdevan unit can track them down and blot them from the face of the earth. They work in Gaza and West Bank --->>>
Al-Jamiat - The Life of a Palestinian
... them. In any other country, ‘Cherry’ would be called a death squad.
In the Israeli defense forces it is ‘an elite unit’. In ...
www.jamiat.org.za/al-jamiat/v34palestinian.html - 10k -
THE IDF DUVDEVAN UNIT
... The undercover unit is called Duvdevan -- the Hebrew word for "cherry." A typical
team consists of eight soldiers. An Israeli military correspondent recently ...
www.emergency.com/idfduvan.htm - 6k -
The PA needs to be crushed, decimated, destroyed. They are the originating founders of global terrorism. No more excuses, no more chances. The entire leadership must be waged war on and terminated in a BIG Israeli assault. So what if the European Union condemns us and Israel?
I disagree. Firing Powell will do wonders to give credibility to George Bush's portayal of American strength that we mean what we say, or else.
If W wins, I fully expect that we will migrate those troops in Iraqi into Iran. I note the timetable we have laid out for the newly independent Iraqi army to stand on it's own. It's at the end of the year and Nato is replacing the more advanced troop training Iraqi needs to defend itself crush their terrorist problem.
Unlike North Korea, who our intelligence has told us already HAS nukes. Iran is very close but does not have them. So it's now or never. Iran has been a worse enemy of ours then North Korea has ever dreamed of being. Plus, they are the BIGGEST global terrorist proliferator.
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