Posted on 03/26/2003 10:58:02 AM PST by Nachum
About 200 Palestinian journalists and writers rallied in Gaza City against the war in Iraq on Wednesday, holding Palestinian and Iraqi flags and chanting, "People of Iraq, we are with you!"
Also, about 100 women gathered outside the UN office in Gaza, asking the organization to intervene in Iraq. They held pictures of women and children who they said were injured during the recent US-led strikes.
"The world should protest the ongoing war and they should say no to America," said Fadwa Mattar, 39, one of the demonstrators.
Two American cruise missiles struck a residential area in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing 14 people, Iraqi defense officials said, the worst single reported instance of civilian deaths since the US bombing campaign began a week ago.
Hoping to cripple the Iraqi government's communications, coalition forces attacked the state-run television headquarters in Baghdad before dawn Wednesday. The station's signal was knocked off the air for a few hours before it was restored. Regular broadcasts started on schedule after daybreak.
"We, the Palestinian journalists, send a message of support to our colleagues in Iraq, saying that we are with you and we will work from here to protest against the war," said Tawfeq Abu-Khussa, chairman of the Gaza chapter of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, which organized the demonstration.
Saddam Hussein has considerable support among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, partly because of the more than US$35 million he has doled out to Palestinian families whose relatives have been killed in the uprising against Israel, including suicide bombers.
In the 1991 Gulf War, the Iraqi leader portrayed himself as the liberator of Palestinians from Israeli occupation, and many Palestinians cheered when Iraq's 39 Scud missiles fell on Israel, causing heavy damage but few casualties. In recent speeches, Saddam has again championed the Palestinian cause, calling for a Palestinian state in place of Israel.
The Gaza Strip is also a stronghold of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, two groups that have claimed responsibility for attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis. The groups want a Palestinian state but are opposed to bargaining with Israel. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been accused of failing to halt militant violence. Israel has said as long as attacks continue, it will not conduct peace negotiations.
Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Gaza this week to meet with Palestinian leaders as part of his effort to form a new Cabinet. Palestinian officials say he might also see Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives. They have not been represented in previous Cabinets.
Abbas was set to travel to Gaza on Wednesday but postponed the trip. Aides said he had other commitments.
On March 20, Arafat gave in to intense international and local pressure for reforms in his regime and agreed to appoint Abbas, his longtime deputy in the PLO, as premier. Abbas has four more weeks to put together a new Cabinet.
"Hello. India? Go for it. They're all yours."
Wow - it sure was nice of Howell Raines to let the New York Times op-ed staff and Washington bureau go over to Gaza to participate in this rally.
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