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Posted on 05/14/2002 1:25:11 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat convened the central committee of the Fatah party Tuesday night to discuss reforms within the Palestinian Authority, Israel Radio reported.
The Fatah movement, which is headed by Arafat, was to draw up the final wording of a document detailing the principles for the "fundamental reforms" that are to take place within the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Fatah.
Hatam Al Kader Eid, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said earlier Tuesday that the document would set out the new limits of Arafat's powers.
In an interview to the Arab international daily Al Hayat, Kader, an East Jerusalemite who sits on the Jerusalem and Refugees Affairs committees, said that the document will also set guidelines for the internal reforms to take place within PA and Fatah institutions.
According to Kader, a meeting with Arafat to discuss the document is expected to take place in the near future. Implementation of the document would mean that "[Arafat] will have to surrender some of his authority," he said.
Kader stressed, however, that it would be vital that Arafat remain a key part of the Palestinian Authority. "Arafat as a leader, commander and political symbol is important, fundamental and essential," he said.
It is crucial that a "professional" government with only 15 ministers, which will serve the Palestinian people, be established in Palestinian territory, Kader added.
According to Kader, either a "coordinator" or a prime minister will need to be appointed to oversee contacts with the Palestinian parliament and that emergency plans to restructure the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security services will have to be drafted.
Egypt's intelligence chief visits Arafat in Ramallah
The head of Egyptian military intelligence, Omar Suleiman, met Tuesday afternoon with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Suleiman briefed Arafat on the results of the mini-summit held at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh that was attended by the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Palestinian news agency Wafa said that Suleiman, who flew to Ramallah from Jordan by a Jordanian helicopter, handed Arafat a letter from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a top aide to Arafat, said that the letter included Egyptian ideas on reinforcing Arab-Palestinian relations and ways to help the Palestinians make the needed reforms to prepare for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The meeting was also attended by Mohammed Dahlan, head of the PA's preventative security apparatus in the Gaza Strip.
The meeting comes as part of increased Saudi and Egyptian pressure on Yasser Arafat to take substantive action against terrorism.
Mohammed Dahlan was invited Monday to Cairo to meet with Suleiman. Dahlan, together with Nabil Sha'ath, the Palestinian liaison with the Saudis, also took part in the recent Egyptian-Saudi-Syrian summit in Sharm al-Sheikh.
According to intelligence reports in Jerusalem, Dahlan recently sent his family out of the territories due to power struggles inside the PA. The intelligence assessments say Arafat is under external and domestic pressure for reforms that would cut back on his authority.
Fatah activists attempt to harm Arafat aide
The move by the Fatah comes on the same day that Palestinian sources said that activists from Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party attempted last week to harm the PA chairman's financial advisor, Mohammad Rashid, in his home in Ramallah, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.
The sources said that Rashid was not at home at the time of the attempted attack and that Arafat ordered Rashid to stay abroad until the situation calms.
Israel Radio reported that Palestinian activists are demanding that Arafat dismiss Rashid from his position and put him on trial for corruption.
Asfour: Israel may be involved in assault
Palestinian Authority Minister Hassan Asfour, who is responsible for relations with non-governmental organizations, said that the assault on him and his bodyguard was not connected to internal Palestinian politics and that Israel may have been involved, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.
Asfour and his bodyguard, were beaten by five masked assailants Monday, in an assault described by a Palestinian official as a "criminal act."
Asfour was attacked close to his Ramallah home at around 9:00 P.M. Monday evening. The five called on the minister to stop and when he did not, he and his bodyguard were assaulted.
The minister was taken to a hospital with light injuries, an aide to Yasser Arafat said.
"This is a cowardly and dirty assault against minister Asfour," said Ahmed Abdel-Rahman from the hospital where Asfour was being treated.
"The leadership considers this assault as a criminal act aimed against the Palestinian legitimacy and intended to create sedition among Palestinians," Abdel-Rahman said.
He said Arafat instructed Palestinian security forces to find the attackers and bring them to justice.
Moussa Abu Hmaid, head of government hospitals in the West Bank, said Asfour, a former peace negotiator with Israel, was in stable condition suffering from a fractured wrist and leg and a cut to the head. He said Asfour's bodyguard was also injured in the attack.
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Less goats, more uvula.
My great psychic powers predicted that they would "Blame the Jews".
And here we are, the Palestinians are going to meet and discuss setting up a new government.
I find this fascinating.
Thanks for that little tidbit.
With the loss of the Karine A. and the ship that went down after that, the tunnels are no doubt becoming more important.
BTW, I got an email reply from George Allen, one of my senators and a member of the Senate Foriegn Relations Committee, in which he said in part:
It is my hope that both parties will soon recognize the opportunities for peace created by the implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell Plans.
To which I replied in part:
As for your idiot support of the "piece plan", I have taken note of that. I cannot vote for anyone that outrageously stupid.
While he could care less what I think, I'm hoping he gets tons of replies like that...
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