Posted on 07/18/2004 7:58:00 AM PDT by Alouette
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gunmen angry over Yasser Arafat's overhaul of his security forces burned down Palestinian Authority offices in Gaza on Sunday.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Arafat met with his prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, to discuss the political crisis that erupted over continuing violence in Gaza and Qureia's attempt to resign as head of the Palestinian government.
"I totally reject your resignation and consider it nonexistent," Arafat told Qureia at a meeting Sunday, according to Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat. Qureia told his Cabinet on Saturday he was firm in his decision to quit.
Dozens of militants belonging to an extreme offshoot of Arafat's Fatah movement stormed an office building in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis shortly after midnight to protest Arafat's appointment of his cousin, Moussa Arafat, as chief of security.
One security guard was wounded in a gun battle with the militants, who seized control of the building, stole weapons, and burned two offices and several cars parked nearby, witnesses and officials said.
Moussa Arafat's appointment was part of the Palestinian leader's reforms to his security forces, as demanded in the "road map" peace plan sponsored by the United States and supported by Egypt.
However, members of Arafat's own Fatah movement were infuriated, accusing Moussa Arafat of symbolizing the corruption and cronyism of the Palestinian Authority.
Dissent also spread to the security forces when navy chief Gomma Ghali, a strong Arafat supporter, handed in his resignation in protest over the appointment. His resignation, and those of two other senior security officers on Friday, have not been accepted, however.
Despite the protests, Moussa Arafat took control of the security forces at a handover ceremony in Gaza City on Sunday, saying he was prepared to fight all "potential enemies."
"I take my orders from His Excellency President Arafat. The one who appointed me is the only one who can ask me to quit my job," the new security chief said.
Moussa Arafat — previously the head of the Palestinian intelligence services — is known as a fierce commander, and completely loyal to Yasser Arafat. He was among the founders of Fatah in 1965.
In 1996, during a mass round up of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, Moussa Arafat shaved the heads and beards of the men he imprisoned to humiliate them. Human rights groups accused him of torture.
Dissatisfaction with Arafat's reforms spread throughout the Palestinian territories, though violence was confined to the Gaza Strip.
"Arafat now is at a crossroads. Either he makes a revolution inside his authority or the Palestinian people will make a revolution against him," said Ahmed Jamous, a student at Ramallah's Bir Zeit University.
"The people want elections and good government, not to be ruled by a group of corrupt thieves."
In Gaza late Saturday, about 2,000 protesters — many of them armed — marched to the Palestinian Legislative Council building.
"There is a consensus in the Palestinian nation and not just in Gaza that what is happening now can't continue," Soufian Abu Zaida, a Fatah leader in Gaza told Israel Radio.
Qureia updated Arafat on Saturday's stormy Cabinet session, in which ministers raged over the reforms and demanded the prime minister and his Cabinet be given more authority, said Cabinet ministers, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Cabinet will meet again Monday.
Qureia, who has been in the post for 10 months, has been unable to carry out deep reforms in the Palestinian Authority to get rid of corruption because Arafat has balked at all attempts to relinquish authority.
The Gaza turmoil came against the background of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s plan to withdraw from Gaza next year, intensifying a struggle for power and influence among the various Palestinian factions.
Sharon began talks on Sunday with opposition Labor Party leader Shimon Peres to rebuild his coalition government with parties that will support the Gaza pullout.
Also Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet extended for six months a rule forbidding Palestinians who marry Israelis from living in Israel. Human rights groups have criticized the law.
Arabs make up about 20 percent of the country's population, and many Israelis are concerned about their growing numbers.
The more I read about this subject....the more the scripture comes to mind about Ishmael.....where it says in Genesis 16:12....
"He will be a wild donkey of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, living his life at odds with all his kinsmen."
If these people don't have somebody to be fighting with, they just don't seem to be content. I've known a certain few people like this in my short lifetime, and they are miserable people. ...such a shame, and a loss.
;-D
hehe ! He's a MESS alright!
ROPMA
I ask all FReepers to pray for the safety of my son in the IDF, who is on duty in the Jordan Valley.
Can do.
Thank you terrorists!!
[And now, back to our regularly scheduled program: "Hey terrorists! EAT ME RAW YOU AHOLES!!!"]
Prayers going up for your son and all IDF soldiers!
Storming Heaven.
Wow, Yasser would've been in deep doo-doo if his air force and space command chiefs had resigned, too.
But without any of the class and charm.
Good grief, what can these islamma-whamma-dingdongs possibly have?
A rusting squadron of ancient thugboats?
our prayers are with your son, and all of israel...
completion of the wall around israel will lead the palestinians to behave like the trapped rats they are...
teeman
The changed landscape over there is not only a result of the security fence
The lack of Iraqi money, and even more importanly, the new Israeli policy of killing the militant leadership when they can get them in their sights and forcing them underground has greatly influenced this crisis.
.
How right you are!
LOL!! 
Great!
The heart and soul of America, and do you have any Grey Poupon?
LOL!
Good response. I really am truly surprised, however, that some of the higher muckity mucks haven't knocked each other off every now and then. Even the mafia does that.
But then again, lower food chain!
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