Arafat Accuses Bin Laden of Exploiting Palestinians

Reuters ^ | December 14, 2002 | Rueters

[Kay Soze]

Arafat Accuses Bin Laden of Exploiting Palestinians BACK UP OF WHAT I PUT IN AL QEDA FILE

Reuters
Saturday, December 14, 2002; 7:56 PM

LONDON (Reuters) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has ordered al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to stop exploiting the Palestinian cause to further his own interests.

In an interview with Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, Arafat said he believed bin Laden and his al Qaeda network were using the Palestinian campaign for independence to gain support in the Islamic world.

"Why is bin Laden talking about Palestine now? ...He never helped us. He was working in another, completely different area and against our interests," Arafat told the paper.

"I'm telling him directly not to hide behind the Palestinian cause," Arafat said.

Arafat gave the interview after a purported al Qaeda statement was posted on the Islamist Web site www.azfalrasa.com, claiming responsibility for last month's bomb attacks on an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, that killed 16 people.

"The operations send the message to the Jews that their corruption on earth, the occupation of our sanctities, the crimes against our Palestinian people...will not go unanswered and will be met many fold," said the statement, signed by the "Political Office of Qaeda al-Jihad."

That statement was followed by a notice posted on a pro-al Qaeda Web site, www.mojahedoon.net, announcing the launch of an "Islamic al Qaeda Organization in Palestine," which would "serve as a powerful basis for restoring the rights of our Arab and Islamic people in Palestine."

"We declare that the squadrons of our martyrs will strike with all their might the Zionist and American arrogance in the region and that the blood of our men in Palestine, Afghanistan and Kashmir will not go unavenged," it added.

U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters they monitored that Web site but could not say how credible the reports were.

Arafat said that al Qaeda had tried to justify attacks by claiming they were part of a campaign to seize control of Palestinian territories from Israel.

He also dismissed as "big, big lies" claims by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that al Qaeda had established a presence in the Palestinian-ruled areas of the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon.

"Sharon wants to cover his military attacks against the Palestinian people with a new face. He knows that there are no relations between al Qaeda and Palestine."

Bin Laden's al Qaeda network is Washington's prime suspect in last year's September 11 attacks on U.S. cities and has been blamed for a string of attacks on Western targets around the world.

As well as the Kenya bombing, the group has been blamed for an attack in April on a synagogue in Tunis that killed 15 westerners and five Tunisians.

But no attacks have so far been blamed on al Qaeda in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have been waging an uprising against Israeli occupation for more than two years.

© 2002 Reuters

[Kay Soze]

And so may really think its because of Sirael that Osama hates us.

[cardinal4]

Takes a lot of cojones to dis a terrorist. These animals are turning on eachother, just like rats.

[thoughtomator]

Yasser's instinct for self-preservation is kicking into overdrive.

[Semper911]

Arafat knows something. He is trying to get as much distance as he can from al Qaida. Something is about to go down, and Arafat knows it. This is a preemptive strike to try to save his own ass. He knows the sh!t will hit the fan when bin Ladens boys strike big again.

[cardinal4]

Arafat knows something. He is trying to get as much distance as he can from al Qaida. Something is about to go down, and Arafat knows it.

Hmmmmm. I hadnt thought of that...

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

...Saddam "Kettle" Hussein did not comment on the remarks of Yasser "Pot" Arafat.

[exit82]

How odd to see the soon to be dead (Arafat) talking to the already dead (Bin Laden).

[what's up]

Arafat probably in cahoots with Bin Laden. When Bin Laden next strikes big in Israel, Arafat already saying he isn't to blame, even tho he is.

[eggman]

Almost read that headline as Exploding Palestinians! So Bin Laden's the one putting bombs in the belts of innocent Palestinians.

[Mr. Mojo]

Arafat and Bin Laden are definitely in bed together, and they're joined by Assad Jr., Saddam Hussein, and God knows how many other Islamoscum. Yasser's pronouncement is very disconcerting, and no doubt a ploy to have his pockmarked hide. It won't work.

The sh/t's about to hit the fan.

[Mr. Mojo]

have = save

[pepsionice]

I agree...Arafat has caught wind of something...probably on the extreme scale of things. And he has to make some announcements to protect his little empire. The curious thing...is that the Israelis usually know the comings and goings of the great Arafat....so they probably have the same knowledge that Arafat has....have they shared it with the US?

[Stavka2]

As things go...more then likely, the only way AraRat will die is from old age...later then sooner.

[debg]

The first time OBL referred to the Pali cause last year, Arafat squealed like a banshee to keep them out of it.

[knighthawk]

Arafat has been exploiting the Palestinians for years, stealing their money and explioting the children to become suicide bombers/martyrs.

And now the kids no longer look up to the old fool Yasser, but they want to be a real Jihad Joe in Osama's army.

That is bothering Arafat.

[John Lenin]

The Arab claims that Jews are "Nazis" are not without motive. They are trying to cover up their close connection with the Nazi's. During World War II leading Muslims including Haji Amin al-Husseini (Arafat's Uncle1) worked for the Nazis in Germany, calling for a intifada against Britain. Amin was the grand mufti of Jerusalem and Arafat's uncle.

The Arabs, especially Iraq, sided with Germany during WWII. In fact, Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini issued afatwa-"summons to a holy war against Britain" in May 1941. The Mufti's widely heralded proclamation against Britain was declared in Iraq, where he was instrumental in "the pro-Nazi" Iraqi revolt of 1941.

Yasser Arafat's actual name is Abd al-Rahman abd al-Bauf Arafat al-Qud al-Husseini. He shortened it to obscure his kinship with the notorious Nazi and ex-Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Muhammed Amin al-Husseini. Arafat claims to have been born in Jerusalem but he was actually born in Egypt