Posted on 05/15/2002 11:43:03 PM PDT by Tarakotchi
U.S. report refutes Israeli terror claims
By Eli J. Lake
UPI State Department Correspondent
From the International Desk
Published 5/15/2002 8:43 PM
WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- After weeks of equivocation, the U.S. government has quietly released to Congress a report refuting the Israeli claim that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was directly implicated in the funding and planning of attacks against Israeli civilians.
But State Department officials Wednesday told United Press International that U.S. agencies were analyzing documents Israel says proves Arafat's complicity. "If the documents provide us with something we would revise the report," a State Department official said.
The report, published Tuesday, on the compliance with commitments made by the Palestin Liberation Organization as part of the now moribund Oslo Peace Process, says "there is no conclusive evidence that senior leaderships of the (Palestinian Authority) or PLO were involved in planning or approving specific acts of violence."
Required under the 1989 PLO Commitments and Compliance Act, the report is released twice a year to Congress. The latest findings cover the period from June 16, 2001 to Dec. 15, 2001. No similar legislation exists with regard to Israel.
The report goes on to say that there is some evidence that lower level Palestinian Authority officials "fomented violence at some points, while working to bring it under control at others."
The State Department's finding directly contradicts Israel's claims about documents it says it seized last month in its military incursions into the West Bank.
Those documents, posted on the Israel Defense Force's website and released to the media, bear what the IDF says is Yasser Arafat's handwriting on two separate funding requests for individuals associated with the Tanzim, the militia wing of Arafat's Fatah party. The Tanzim have claimed responsibility for shooting attacks on the Israeli town of Giloh as well as ambushes of Israeli civilian and military busses.
Indeed, last month the IDF personally captured Fatah General Secretary Marwan Barghouti on charges that he commanded the Tanzim to carry out attacks and assist other terror groups.
Palestinian officials have disputed the authenticity of the documents.
The State Department report says, "While there is no conclusive evidence that the senior PA or PLO leadership approved or had advanced knowledge of planned attacks, the weight of evidence would indicate that they knew of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Tanzim and elements of Force 17 involvement in the violence and did little to rein them in." The report goes on to say that there is no evidence that these elements were disciplined either.
Testifying in closed session before the House International Relations Committee Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State William Burns was peppered with questions from lawmakers for his opinion of the Israeli documents, according to two House staffers.
Arafat's alleged complicity in attacks on Israeli civilians is one of the reasons why Israel has said it will no longer negotiate with him. Both Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush have said that the Palestinian Authority needs to be reformed as part of any progress towards a peace deal. Arafat promised such reform Wednesday.
Copyright © 2002 United Press International
"Posted by SubMareener to Tarakotchi
On News/Activism May 16 0:59 AM #2 of 2
No wonder Yassar seems to be walking around with a big sword poised over his head!"
I like how the editor writes it up as if the US report had taken Israeli information into account... which isn't possible given that the report is based on last year's data and does not contain anything from the Israeli documents delivered by Sharon, whose information was submitted long after the report had already been drawn up.
Maybe the next report will refute it but I doubt it.
Not under this title.
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