Free Republic

A former Italian president says his country had allowed Palestinian terror groups to roam free in exchange for not attacking Italian targets. Francesco Cossiga's admission confirmed claims of such a deal revealed last week in an interview in the Corriere della Sera newspaper with Bassam Abu Sharif, the former chief of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. In a letter published Aug. 15 in Corriere della Sera, Cossiga described a "secret 'non-belligerence pact' between the Italian state and Palestinian resistance organizations, including terrorist groups" such as the PFLP. The deal, he said, had been devised by Prime Minister...

Feb. 2, 2003 Arafat aide praises Ramon as 'courageous' By LAMIA LAHOUDThe Palestinian Authority praised Israeli astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon on Saturday as "a courageous man" and offered condolences to his family. The condolences were conveyed in a statement issued by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. In a separate interview with The Jerusalem Post, Bassam Abu-Sharif, an adviser to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, called the disaster "very sad." He went on to describe Ramon as "a courageous man who dedicated his life for the prosperity of mankind." "Anyone who dedicates his life for better life for human beings is dedicated...