Powell's gamble - meeting as Arafat condemns terror
Then yesterday afternoon, Arafat released a statement in which he condemned the latest atrocity...and "all terrorist acts which target civilians".
Significantly, it was issued in Arabic—and read out on Palestinian TV.
It said: "Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian leadership express their condemnation of all acts of terrorism that target civilians, whether Israelis or Palestinians and whether this terrorism was state terrorism or by individuals or groups."
It went on: "We especially condemn the attack that took place against Israeli citizens in Jerusalem."