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Palestinian Cabinet Pledges To Rein In Militants After Blast
Independent (UK) ^ | 8-21-2003 | Rric Silver

Posted on 08/20/2003 4:04:13 PM PDT by blam

Palestinian cabinet pledges to rein in militants after blast

By Eric Silver in Jerusalem
21 August 2003

The Palestinian cabinet voted unanimously last night to crack down against Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which jointly claimed responsibility for Tuesday night's Jerusalem bus bombing that killed 20 religious Jews and wounded more than 100.

After an emergency meeting in Gaza, a senior official told The Independent that a "protracted campaign of political, security and operational measures" had been ordered against the two groups.

"The Palestinian Authority will not allow any faction or individual to harm our cause as they did on Tuesday. That was totally unacceptable. We aim to ensure that these movements no longer have the capacity to do so." The official declined to specify what those measures would be, but earlier yesterday Mohammed Dahlan, the Internal Security Minister, ordered his commanders to prepare to crack down on the militant groups. Mr Dahlan is understood to have proposed widescale arrests of militants, banning of Islamist newspapers and sealing bank accounts. If the cabinet is in earnest, it makes it less likely that Israel will retaliate on any significant scale for the time being.

Abu Mazen, the Palestinian Prime Minister, condemned the attack, which he said "cannot serve the interests of the Palestinian people". News of the atrocity reached him during a meeting with Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders in Gaza.

The Palestinian cabinet convenedwithout Yasser Arafat, the President, whom the Israelis accuse of sabotaging Abu Mazen's peace diplomacy. Abu Mazen was insisting on making the decisions, thus putting his own future on the line.

In a statement earlier, Mr Dahlansaid the measures had to be taken to "avert any catastrophic reaction by the Israeli government and to prevent the kind of dangers that are posed [by the militants] to the Palestinian cause and to the security of our homeland and our people".

But Mr Dahlan also blamed Israel for the latest rise in violence, accusing it of "repeated violations" of the truce that was unilaterally declared by the Palestinian militias on 29 June. His frustration showed. Mr Dahlan has been the chief negotiator with the Israelis, establishing a fruitful dialogue with Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defence Minister. The bus bombing was as much a blow to him as it was to Israel.

His statement added that Israel's violations "cannot justify what happened in Jerusalem on Tuesday, especially when we were on the verge of sealing a deal with Israel on the handover of four Palestinian cities in the West Bank and of solving the issue of the Palestinian fugitives and those considered wanted by Israel".

Israel, however, made clear yesterday that it would not be satisfied with words. Abu Mazen, who preferred to persuade the militants rather than risk a civil war by coercing them, had exhausted his credit. Israeli officials said they reserved the option of retaliating for the Jerusalem attack, though not apparently on a massive scale such as Operation Defensive Shield, the invasion of Jenin and other West Bank cities last year after a suicide bomber killed 30 Jews celebrating Passover at a hotel in the resort of Netanya.

The immediate response of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, was to freeze all contacts with the Palestinian Authority; to impose a total closure on Palestinian workers and businessmen entering Israel, and to tighten the siege on West Bank cities. The agreement to pull out of Jericho and Qalqilya this week and Tulkarem and Ramallah next week was cancelled and officials made clear that no more prisoners would go free.

Israeli officials stressed that the government was still committed to the international road-map for the longer term. "We will always look for avenues for reaching peace," said Daniel Seaman, a government spokesman. "But until the Palestinians act there cannot be any movement."

Ehud Olmert, the Deputy Prime Minister, said after the bombing: "There is no option but to immediately use an iron fist. If the Palestinian Authority is capable of doing that, it has to prove it."

Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, said that the Palestinians must act to dismantle terrorist organisations. He added: "Israel has a right to defend itself. This was a vicious attack on innocent civilians. But it's important for all the parties to continue talking about the way forward."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: believeitwheniseeit; blast; busbombing; cabinet; militants; palestinian; rein
Militants? How about TERRORISTS?
1 posted on 08/20/2003 4:04:13 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
When I saw this headline, I truly thought it was an Onion piece.
2 posted on 08/20/2003 4:07:30 PM PDT by So Cal Rocket (Free Miguel, Priscilla and Bill!)
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To: blam
Talk is worthless. Let them prove it, immediately, without delay.
3 posted on 08/20/2003 4:11:01 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Are we conservatives, or are we Republicans?)
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To: blam
Maybe they want to become moderates
4 posted on 08/20/2003 4:15:15 PM PDT by dts32041 ("moderate Arab" he's the one who detonates his bomb via remote control.)
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To: blam
In other news, the Palestinian cabinet pledged to sell their interest in the Golden Gate Bridge and give the money to families of the victims of the recent bombing.



/yeah, ain't gonna happen
5 posted on 08/20/2003 4:15:55 PM PDT by PointRight
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To: blam
Give them 48 hrs.
Definitive proof that their intentions are solid or the lot of them gets kicked out of the country. Peacefully, or whatever means they choose.
This stuff happens again, then no quarter.
6 posted on 08/20/2003 4:16:41 PM PDT by baltodog
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To: blam
Only a Palestinian civil war will bring peace -

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20030610.shtml

7 posted on 08/20/2003 4:19:23 PM PDT by Weimdog
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To: blam
Wow!!! The end of Hamas as we know it.

By the way,anyone want to buy a bridge in Brooklyn?
8 posted on 08/20/2003 4:20:14 PM PDT by Mears (J)
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To: baltodog
Exactly. The PA has one, and ONLY one, more chance. If they prove they can't handle Hamas/IJ, then they obviously can't handle having their own country.

If those Palestinians are too stupid to figure out that the only way they get what they want is the peaceful way...oh well, sucks to be them.

}:-)4
9 posted on 08/20/2003 4:28:35 PM PDT by Moose4 (I'm the moose, bring on the cheese baby!)
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To: blam
One notices in Mazan's and Dahlan's comments no condolence to the families of the injured or killed,no statement of sympathy for their injuries, no contrition for their willing inability to prevent this type of murder,
ONLY regret at the harm done to Palestinian causes.

It's time for the PA leadership to die.
10 posted on 08/20/2003 4:35:00 PM PDT by tet68
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To: Moose4
The PA has one, and ONLY one, more chance.

Why? They should have used up all their chances years ago. Enough is enough. Declare open season and be done with it.

11 posted on 08/20/2003 4:35:59 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn
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To: mtbopfuyn
Because it needs to be clearly stated this time. Sharon needs to grow a pair (and I never thought I'd be saying that about Arik), stand up before the world, and say, "If Abbas and the PA can't rein in Hamas and Islamic Jihad, then Oslo is done, the roadmap is over, there will be no more Palestinian Authority because they have proved themselves unable to control their own people, and Israel will take whatever actions are needed to guarantee its own security." That needs to be said so that the PA knows, with finality, that it's fish-or-cut-bait time. So that way, if (more likely when) the PA performs an inadequate job of controlling the terrorists and they murder another 20 innocent people, they can't say they weren't warned.

But the only way a threat like this should ever be issued is if the Israeli government has the cojones to stand behind it. You never threaten your kid with punishment and then back off when he calls your bluff, right? Same thing with the PA.

}:-)4
12 posted on 08/20/2003 4:42:18 PM PDT by Moose4 (I'm the moose, bring on the cheese baby!)
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To: blam
Action speaks louder than blowing hot air and that's what the palis have been blowing for years--GAS! They don't want peace. They just want to keep the Israelis off balanced so they can bomb the h**l out of Israel everytime. What does it take to wake up and get the palis out of Israel?
13 posted on 08/20/2003 6:03:00 PM PDT by lilylangtree
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