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Posted on 05/10/2002 1:57:36 AM PDT by TomGuy
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By Michael Georgy
BETHLEHEM (Reuters) - Dozens of Palestinian militants and civilians filed out of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity on Friday under a European-brokered deal to end a five- week armed standoff at one of Christianity's holiest shrines.
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With heavily armed Israeli soldiers ringing historic Manger Square and camera crews from around the world looking on, the first to leave the besieged church were 13 men on Israel's most-wanted list. Some looked haggard and tired.
One by one they boarded a bus taking them to Israel's Ben-Gurion airport from where a British military aircraft was waiting to fly them to Cyprus, the first stop in their exile.
The breakthrough opened the way for a troop withdrawal from Bethlehem, the last Palestinian-ruled city still occupied by the Israeli army under a military offensive in the West Bank.
The agreement reached after numerous false starts called for the 13 militants -- described by Israeli authorities as "senior terrorists" -- to be held briefly on the Mediterranean island and later transferred to third countries.
Another 26 militants were loaded onto a bus headed for the Palestinian-ruled areas of the Gaza Strip, and more than 100 people including clerics, civilians and Palestinian security men who had remained inside also started leaving the church.
"The sanctity of the church has been preserved," said Hanna Nasser, mayor of the Palestinian-ruled city. "Enough is enough. I think it is time now to start rebuilding this lovely city."
SUNRISE BRINGS RESOLUTION
As the sun rose over Bethlehem, the militants -- some looking worn and haggard -- began filing out of the church's main door and passing through metal detectors under the guns of Israeli soldiers before boarding waiting buses.
Some strode defiantly past the troops. One was carried out on a stretcher. Another knelt down and kissed the ancient stones outside the church, built on the spot revered by Christians as birthplace of Jesus.
"All these 13 had blood on their hands," Israeli government spokesman Raanan Gissin told CNN. "I think it is only a just solution to a very complicated situation."
Palestinian women relatives of the militants stood on nearby rooftops calling out the men's names. Some were wailing and others shouted abuse at Israeli troops. "Goodbye, our beloved ones!" yelled a middle-aged woman in an Islamic head-dress.
The people inside the church had endured weeks of hardship, with food supplies and water in short supply and gun battles between Palestinian fighters and Israeli soldiers erupting frequently around the compound.
Israel had said some of those inside were hostages. The Palestinians said all were there of their own accord.
The army said foreign activists who slipped into the church last week were to be deported after questioning at a military base. Other civilians and Palestinian policemen who had been inside were also to face questioning before they could go home.
FIRST STOP CYPRUS
Diplomats said the Palestinians would be put up under guard at a Cyprus hotel, possibly in the coastal resort of Larnaca.
European diplomatic sources said Italy, Spain and other countries were willing to take some of the militants, wanted by Israel for alleged complicity in attacks that have killed scores of Israelis during a 19-month-old Palestinian uprising.
European Union (news - web sites) diplomats said the final destinations of the 13 men, who sought refuge in the church when Israeli forces swept into Bethlehem on April 2, may be finalized only when EU foreign ministers hold a regular meeting in Brussels on Monday.
U.S. officials played a role in forging the deal to end the siege, and armed U.S. agents took part in escorting the buses carrying the militants away from the church.
Israel had originally wanted all the militants, including members of the Islamic Hamas movement and Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s Fatah (news - web sites) faction, to surrender or be deported. Palestinian officials at first refused to consider sending any of the men into exile.
But as the siege dragged on and the Christian world became increasingly alarmed, both sides gave ground.
THREAT OF NEW MILITARY ACTION
Even as the Bethlehem standoff moved toward a conclusion, there was new violence. The cause of the explosion in Beersheba was not immediately known but Israel radio cited witnesses as saying it was probably caused by a hand grenade.
Israel has called up reservists and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip steeled themselves for possible attack after the Israeli government gave the army the go-ahead to hit back for the suicide bombing that killed 15 people on Tuesday.
The bombing undermined renewed political and diplomatic moves to ease the Israeli-Palestinian violence raging since September 2000 and to put peace talks back on track.
At least 1,345 Palestinians and 473 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinian revolt began.
Maybe they will jump out of the transport when they get about 20,000 feet over the Mediterranean.
Every other network has liberals all over it spewing their propaganda, can't we have JUST ONE without it? I wish FOX would get rid of this dumb ass.
I hope Israel keeps track of the terrorists' whereabouts for the rest of their (possibly very short) lives.
I wanna free vacation at a coastal resort....methinks I've spent my life in the wrong line of work. Shoulda become a piece of cowardly, murdering, terrorist scum, I guess.
We tried to stop them but they overpowered us and just jumped
(Yelling "JIHAAAAD" all the way down!)
What's wrong with this paragraph?
Uh huh. Sure, I believe the poor, oppressed, homocide-bombing teachers of Gaza.
If Israel "pulls out" of all "occupied" PALESTINIAN territores tomorrow, the students who haven't yet blown up into successful human bombs will use their "bombifications" to become doctors and lawyers and business owners, right?
Oh, yes, I can see how educating a five year old to blow up before he reaches puberty will ensure that when the evil oppressors leave, the newly minted Palestinian state will be be FULL of prosperous, well adjusted citizenry. Of course, the homocide teachers will be out of jobs, and will willingly search for more acceptable forms of employment....right?
Thanks. Now it all makes PERFECT sense to me...
Whorealdo = token "fair and balanced" network SPEWER of propaganda.
Gee, Mommy! We learned about the the three D's: Dynamite, Detonation and Death!
Oh, also I found out about the 70 virgiins! I can't wait, Mommy!
Yep. Disgusting.
I find it INSULTING that the Palestinians expect me to believe that if Israel pulls out of Yasserland tomorrow, these kids will forget about murdering civilians and magically become productive members of society.
I like "homocide bomber". It's truthful, unequivocal and straight to the point. I can relate to that. I hate it when the media refers to these psychos as "activists" and "militants" as much as I hate it when it refers to them as "suicide bombers".
What's "suicide bomber" sopposed to MEAN anyway? That a generous Palestinian blew up X-number of "suicidal" civilians today? The it wasn't the Palestinian, but the BOMB which was "suicidal"?? See why that term gets on my nerves so badly?
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