"Yassar. You know those 17 virgins? Well, you're number 52".
Posted on 11/11/2004 6:54:59 AM PST by COUNTrecount
JPost.com
Nov. 10, 2004 19:53 Updated Nov. 11, 2004 13:04 World leaders expected at Arafat funeral By NINA GILBERT
Israel has agreed that the Palestinians will handle security for Yasser Arafat's funeral Ramallah, with the IDF coordinating security outside the Palestinian area together with the police.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has officially announced a Friday burial in Ramallah, despite conflicting reports from the PA. They are also reported to have said that they have received no requests for foreign VIP's to attend the actual burial in Ramallah.
The following dignitaries are expected at Yasser Arafat's funeral in Cairo on Friday, according to Palestinian planners and other officials.
Algeria: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Egypt: President Hosni Mubarak
European Union: Foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
France: Foreign Minister Michel Barnier
Germany: Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer
Hungary: Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogyi.
Iran: Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi
Jordan: King Abdullah
Malaysia: Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Pakistan: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz
Portugal: Foreign Minister Antonio Monteiro
South Africa: President Thabo Mbeki
Spain: Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Israel is not sending anyone to either event and those Israelis who do intend to go to Ramallah for the funeral have to sign responsibility waivers beforehand. Jewish MKs are also not expected to attend.
MKs from the Arab parties are planning to attend Palestinian Authority Chairman Arafat's funeral, and the Knesset was making arrangements with the security services on Wednesday to ensure their safe passage to Ramallah.
No other MKs are planning to attend. Yahad's Zehava Gal-On said it would be "too tense of a situation" for Israelis to attend.
MK Ahmed Tibi (Arab Movement for Change), who served for several years as a key adviser to Yasser Arafat, believes Arafat will eventually be buried on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Speaking on Israel Radio on Wednesday, Tibi said that sooner or later east Jerusalem will come under Palestinian rule, at which time Arafat's remains will be interred at Al Aksa.
Tension was already high in the Knesset on Wednesday as politicians waited for news on Arafat.
Justice Minister Yosef Lapid attacked Hadash's Issam Mahoul for comments in which he suggested that Israel may have poisoned Arafat. Mahoul said Israel has assassinated Palestinian figures.
Lapid said it was a "disgrace" that someone like Mahoul was a member of the Knesset. He noted that PA officials had themselves ruled out the possibility of poisoning, and concluded that Mahoul was trying to "spread a blood libel" against the Jewish people. Mahoul is Christian.
Mahoul responded by calling Lapid a "white racist," and after repeated attacks from right-wing MKs he declared: "I never claimed that Israel poisoned Arafat."
Uri Ariel (National Union) asked the government to act to halt the plan to have Arafat buried on Saturday, saying it would result in the security services desecrating Shabbat.
Ran Cohen (Yahad) said Arafat's burial place would turn into a "Mount Arafat" that would serve during days of peace as a place of pilgrimage like Mount Herzl.
He said Israel's consent to the burial at the PA's Ramallah headquarters would help encourage the new PA leadership to take a new pragmatic path toward reaching peace.
Greer Fay Cashman and AP contributed to this report.
ROGUES GALLERY!....
I wonder if Osama will get this same kind of statesman's funeral from foreign countries when he dies. I'm guessing YES.
Hope they clearly mark the grave. You never know when one might need to take a leak.
Are we going to send Jimmy Carter?
Arafats Legacy:
http://www.honestreporting.com/m/legacy.asp
France's fearless leader, jock strap, will surely be there as he can't seem to pry his lips off of ara-o-fatty's butt.
a day of mixed emotions for the American Insurgents...
Joy over Ashcroft resigning...
Sadness over their revered leader Arafat passing...
The color of the day is black over at DU
We should send Jimmy Carter and Jesse Jackson.
Yes...send Jimmy Carter and Clinton too.
I see all the Anti-Christ Officials are attending
"Yassar. You know those 17 virgins? Well, you're number 52".
Perhaps we could send a dog catcher, excuse me, I meant "animal control officer" or "sanitation engineer" to Arafart's funeral, except it would be an insult to "animal control" officers or "associates" and "sanitation engineers" everywhere.
Maybe we could send a doggy bag or a ham sandwich or Miss Piggy.
Over at DU they are mostly preoccupied with overturning the election results. They are like busy little bees over there.
MK = Member of Knesset, Israel's Parliament... he should be tried for treason.
With all due respect to our friends the Brits, but what the hell is Jack Straw doing attending the funeral of a terrorist??
Doesnt that put the UK on the same footing as France and Chirac in terms of anti-Israeli animus??
You bet it does !!!
What a load of sh@tbags! This would be a goodplace to test the chemical weapons that we don't have.
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