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Defiant Arafat rejects Israel's demands
SMH.com.au ^ | 9/23/2002 | Ross Dunn Herald Correspondent in Jerusalem

Posted on 09/23/2002 6:52:42 AM PDT by ex-Texan

Defiant Arafat rejects Israel's demands

By Ross Dunn Herald Correspondent in Jerusalem and agencies

September 23 2002

Isolated by Israeli troops in the only building left standing in his battered West Bank headquarters, a defiant Yasser Arafat has called for international intervention.

The Palestinian leader, a virtual prisoner under the military siege, says his life is at risk. Israel continues to insist that it wants to isolate Mr Arafat, not to kill or exile him.

At least four Palestinians were reported killed yesterday and 30 more wounded in clashes with Israeli troops, following protests against the siege.

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip late on Saturday night in protest at the destruction of Mr Arafat's Ramallah compound, where he has been trapped since Thursday night, when Israeli troops launched an offensive following a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv that killed six people.

Mr Arafat has called on all Palestinians to halt their attacks, but says he will never give in to the Israeli demands for surrender of 50 wanted Palestinians, allegedly holed up inside the building.

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Apart from Mr Arafat's offices the entire headquarters is in ruins. Israeli troops have hoisted an Israeli flag next to the building.

Photos released by the Palestinian Authority showed a grim-looking Mr Arafat studying documents, with bottles of mineral water on his desk and his holstered gun placed behind him.

The European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, conveyed to Israel his "greatest concerns about the situation and particularly the siege of the Palestinian leadership". The White House called on Israel to consider the consequences of its actions but also said it had a right to defend itself against suicide bombings.

Mr Arafat spent hours calling world leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, urging their support.

Mr Arafat told aides that the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, wanted to settle scores dating back to the war in Lebanon in 1982, when Mr Sharon, then defence minister, was refused permission to allow an Israeli sniper to fire while he had Mr Arafat in his sights in Beirut.

"Sharon wants to kill me because he wants to take revenge for what happened in Beirut in 1982," one Palestinian official quoted Mr Arafat as saying.

In an official statement, Mr Arafat said that he was willing to negotiate for peace but not to give up Palestinian aspirations to claim Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

"We are ready for peace but not for capitulation and we will not give up Jerusalem or a grain of our soil, which are guaranteed to us by international law," he said.

Despite growing international pressure for Israel to withdraw its forces from Ramallah, Mr Sharon vowed to maintain the siege against the compound.

He said Mr Arafat must end what he called all aid to Palestinian terror groups. He also said Mr Arafat could not be a partner for negotiations.

Palestinian officials said Mr Sharon had rejected a US proposal to let Palestinian negotiators into the compound to start talks on ending the stalemate.

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TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: arafatdefiant
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1 posted on 09/23/2002 6:52:42 AM PDT by ex-Texan
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To: ex-Texan
Arafat is starting to get the hint. The Israeli will not allow international peace keepers in now. It is too late.
2 posted on 09/23/2002 6:56:11 AM PDT by ex-Texan
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To: ex-Texan
Sounds like Mr Arafat is becoming more and more irellevant all the time.I suppose the IDF could make those fifty come out but not without a firefight.How bout somebody goes in an negotiates thier surrender.Arafats exile or whatever and get on with it? I am so sick and tired of hearing his whining.Seems to me the day they planted the Israelie flag on his compound was the day he was defeated, he just does not realize it yet.
3 posted on 09/23/2002 6:58:30 AM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: ex-Texan
If Arafat comes out of his compound and sees his shadow, that means the Arab world will have six more weeks of sex with camels.
4 posted on 09/23/2002 7:03:25 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
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To: lexington minuteman 1775
What the world and Arafart don't realize is his presence in Ramallah is for all practical intents and purposes over. He will be kicked out of the country; the only question is whether it will happen before or after the next terrorist atrocity. No question it will happen. Like his bosom buddy Saddam, Arafart's playing for time and hoping that enough international pressure will force Israel to back off and give him enough manuevering room to retain his grip on power. It won't work. And his defiance is only guaranteeing that day comes even earlier than expected. When it does, there is nothing he or the rest of the world can do to stop his being stripped of his title as well as his seat of power.
5 posted on 09/23/2002 7:09:37 AM PDT by goldstategop
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To: ex-Texan
The Israeli will not allow international peace keepers in now

They shouldn't! They need to end this once and for all.

6 posted on 09/23/2002 7:09:41 AM PDT by Mixer
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To: lexington minuteman 1775
Seems to me the day they planted the Israelie flag on his compound was the day he was defeated, he just does not realize it yet.

I agree. (His best move now in my opinion - personally go up and take down that flag. If he died trying it would be the best exit he could ever hope for).

7 posted on 09/23/2002 7:11:06 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
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To: ex-Texan
The electric is cut off and some say the air conditioning units have been trashed by the Israel. The compound
is ringed by trenches and barbed wire. Get out your popcorn and beer for some entertainment.
8 posted on 09/23/2002 7:18:03 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult
If Arafat comes out of his compound and sees his shadow, that means the Arab world will have six more weeks of sex with camels.

If he gets captured and sent to prison he'll have to run the qauntlet of Ali Bubba and the Forty Thieves.

9 posted on 09/23/2002 7:19:15 AM PDT by Kerensky
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult
ROFLMAO
10 posted on 09/23/2002 7:22:28 AM PDT by Robe
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To: goldstategop
Arafart's playing for time and hoping that enough international pressure will force Israel to back off and give him enough manuevering room to retain his grip on power

Actually, I don't think he has any power left--he's a victim of the terrorist mess he created.

The Israelis are fed up with him and demanding the surrender of the terrorists. It's not that he wouldn't give them up. He can't. They'd kill him if he tried it. And, despite his assurances to the contrary, he doesn't want to die.

Personally, I think the most satisfying form of justice would be to see him torn apart by the very mob of psychopaths he created.

11 posted on 09/23/2002 7:27:01 AM PDT by Lion's Cub
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To: TheOtherOne
You don't suppose he reads Free Republic do you? Gosh that would be a great plan for him. All the press covering Arafat making a dash for that flag. Bullets flying.Kind of Butch and the Sundance kid, eh? BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
12 posted on 09/23/2002 7:45:59 AM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: ex-Texan

13 posted on 09/23/2002 7:47:53 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: lexington minuteman 1775
He is not that brave, so we need not worry about his reading FR, which I don't put past anyone.

Honestly, it is the best exit for Arafat that I have seen in years. He would go out in a blaze of 'glory' in his and his peoples minds.

He will miss this opportunity as he has all others, that is the Arafat way.

14 posted on 09/23/2002 8:02:16 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
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To: ex-Texan
I heard the Israelis sent in food to the compound. Why did they do that? If they get hungry enough, they'll come out.
15 posted on 09/23/2002 8:47:49 AM PDT by Dialup Llama
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To: ex-Texan
Arafat is thumbing his nose at all of us, the man has broken every promise or deal he ever made. He is not to be trusted, he is irrelevant any further talks about peace; he is a terrorist with the terrorist mentality of take and take, kill and kill. He has most of the money given in Palestinian aid in his own Swiss Bank account or some other offshore bank. The puppet steals from his people.

It is unfortunate that diplomacy must extend to such people as they neither care about nor want peace, it is too lucrative to keep war alive. Bomb the little sob, gas him and be done with it! It is too late for more talk.

16 posted on 09/23/2002 8:53:53 AM PDT by yoe
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To: ex-Texan
Mr Arafat spent hours calling world leaders...

why is he allowed to make phone calls? The only commo should be a landline to the IDF.

17 posted on 09/23/2002 9:08:00 AM PDT by redhawk
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult
ROFLMAO!
18 posted on 09/23/2002 9:38:52 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: Dialup Llama
While they sent food, it was a shipment of prunes. However, no toilet paper was allowed into Arafart's compound...
19 posted on 09/23/2002 9:40:59 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: ex-Texan
Believe me, if Sharon wanted to kill Arafat, he'd be dog meat today under all that rubble. Why he DOESN'T kill this animal is way beyond me.
20 posted on 09/23/2002 9:45:43 AM PDT by Marysecretary
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