Israel Won't End Siege Until Fugitives Leave

Israel will not end the siege on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Ramallah headquarters until the fugitives inside surrender, an advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Monday.

Besieged and beleaguered, Arafat was left with just one building standing in his city-block-sized headquarters compound on Monday, after Israeli bulldozers knocked down numerous buildings during the last three days.

Code-named "A Matter of Time, the Israeli operation against Arafat's Mukata compound follows last week's suicide bombing on a bus in Tel Aviv in which six Israelis were killed. A day earlier another suicide bomber killed an Israeli policeman in northern Israel.

Arafat was quoted in a telephone conversation from his embattled post, saying, "Nothing will break the spirit of the Palestinians."

According to reports, there are about 200 Palestinians sharing four rooms in the building. Food, water and other supplies were transferred into the building overnight, an army spokesperson said.

Initially Israel was demanding that some 20 wanted militants, including the head of West Bank General Intelligence, Tawfiq Tirawi be turned over, but now Israel reportedly wants everyone out.

Palestinian and Israeli officials were meeting on Monday to discuss how to end the siege on what was left of Arafat's headquarters.

According to Israel radio, Israel has demanded that the Palestinians hand over wanted suspects still inside the building. But Palestinian officials said they would never do so.

Sharon advisor Dr. Ra'anan Gissin said Israel intended to bring the fugitives inside the building to trial or to justice one way or another.

"Before that happens, we won't end the siege," Gissin said on Monday. "There is no immunity for terrorists."

Palestinians called for a general strike on Monday as the U.N. prepared to discuss the situation in a special session.

Four Palestinians were killed and at least 30 others injured in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as Palestinians took to the streets in support of Arafat over the weekend.

Arafat's Fatah faction issued a statement warning that Israel would "pay dearly" if Arafat were harmed and threatening to turn all Israeli towns into a battlefield.

In the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, protestors carrying portraits of Arafat and Palestinian flags called on world leaders to protect Arafat and threatened to "bomb embassies" if "Arafat is martyred."

Gissin said that Israel has pledged not to hurt Arafat himself and at this point will not kick him out of the territories.

"We committed ourselves not to harm him personally," Gissin said. "At this stage we're not expelling him."

Some critics of the Israeli action have suggested that Israel only strengthened Arafat's popularity at a time when it was already on the wane.

Palestinian Labour Minister Ghassan al-Khatib was quoted as saying that the Israeli action had only strengthened Arafat and given him "public sympathy and public credibility."

But Gissin said it would only be a "temporary stage" before Arafat "goes out into oblivion."

Facing its own U.N. debate on Iraq on Tuesday, Washington described the Israeli action "not helpful in reducing terrorist violence or promoting the Palestinian reforms" and urged Israel to consider "the consequences of its actions."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer delivered a message to Sharon over the weekend, but neither the U.S. Embassy nor Israeli officials would reveal the continue of that message.

But an informed source here said that the U.S. wasn't "upset," by Israel's actions by that there were "tactical differences" in the Israeli and U.S. approaches.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that the U.S. and Israel were continuing to talk.

European countries were sharper in their criticism of Israel over its assault on the Mukata. In keeping with its policy of isolation of Arafat, Israel reportedly refused to allow EU envoy Miguel Moratinos to visit the Palestinian leader at his office.

You think the Israelis will allow this batch of thugs to take a vacation in EUrope like the ones from the Church of the Nativity?

== In Cyprus, Direct from the Church of the Nativity ==

In Cyprus, terrorist Abdullah Daoud,
head of the Palestinian intelligence service, in exile,
protected by the terroristophilic Spanish and EU, awaits further
royal treatment.

I could be wrong, but I don't think so. The terrorists have no hostages, and nobody cares about the building.

The palis can stay under curfew until the cows come home, so their threats to riot aren't worth much. Israel can handle them.

Therefore, I think the Israelis can lay seige to Arafat and his cohorts for as long as it takes.

One other thought on this.

Because they can handle this situation for as long as it takes, this may be the opening of the war with Iraq. If Israel keeps Arafat and his cohorts under seige, then eventually has to lock down the West Bank and Ramallah, Hussein will have to look elsewhere for groups to perform his distractions. Once he sends some group in from outside, Israel will be free to attack that sponsoring state and we can attack Iraq.

I don't know that is how things will play out, but I think it's a possibility.

Therefore, I think the Israelis can lay seige to Arafat and his cohorts for as long as it takes.

Just pour a big concrete slab over Arafat's bunker and leave them there.

I'm not optimistic about this. If Israel took in food and water, or allowed it to be taken in, then they're just taking their turn in this never-ending dance of death.

This would be where someone needs to start ucapping a few bottles of ammonia and chlorine upwind of this building.

They'll leave .... or choke.

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