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| Israel-Palestine |
| Palestinian prime minister: Gaza in chaos |
| 2004-07-21 |
| U.N. chief calls for Monday, July 19, 2004 Posted: 7:25 PM EDT (2325 GMT) RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed "I tell you that badge is mine, al-Majeida!" "Get your own, you little pipsqueak!" Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, facing an unprecedented challenge to his power, said In case you haven't noticed, Kofi. It hasn't happened yet and it won't happen anytime soon. The unrest in Gaza began Saturday, when Arafat replaced Abdel Razik al-Majeida as head of national security with Mussa Arafat -- the Palestinian leader's nephew. After the announcement, about 2,000 demonstrators filled the streets of southern Gaza, complaining that Yasser Arafat was replacing "corruption with more corruption." And how, exactly, is this news? Several leaders of Arafat's Fatah movement resigned in protest. Sunday violence in Gaza included the burning of Palestinian intelligence offices in Khan Yunis by Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades -- a military offshoot of Fatah that Israel and the U.S. State Department consider a terrorist organization. The boys are just trying to eliminate any competition in advance. Qorei, who has twice tried to resign after demanding greater power to revive peace efforts with Israel and to fight the turmoil and poverty gripping Gaza, met with his Cabinet on Monday to discuss the upheaval. At a news conference in Ramallah, West Bank, Qorei said his written resignation still stands but that he had not received a written response from Arafat since filing his resignation letter. Qorei said Monday that his Cabinet members had formed a committee to meet with Arafat to convey their growing concerns over the Gaza violence. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Arafat to "take the time to listen" to Qorei and other leaders. Last week, U.N. Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen warned the Security Council that the Palestinian Authority "is in deep distress and is in real danger of collapse," and blamed Arafat for not carrying out promised reforms. Such realistic analysis was immediately condemned by the Palestinian Authority as offending Arab sensibilities and hastily retracted by Annan with profuse apologies. "The events have borne [Roed-Larsen's assessment] out," Annan told reporters at the United Nations in New York. "But that is not anything to take satisfaction from "We's gots to funnel all the dough through a central Yet despite apparently being sacked, al-Majeida maintains that he still holds his position. Speaking in Gaza, al-Majeida told reporters he had been reinstated as head of national security after his dismissal Saturday. Meanwhile, Mussa Arafat maintained he was still in control, Palestinians sources said. After his Cabinet meeting, Qorei said, "Who is corrupt and who isn't corrupt? These are the questions that are being raised, but this is not how corruption is solved." More simple to ask "who isn't corrupt" and leave it at that. He called on all Palestinians to "put an end to chaos and violence" as a way to "achieve our national goals." "How Militant's house Also Monday, the house of a Palestinian militant leader exploded in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza, wounding three people. Sources in the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella organization representing a number of Palestinian militant groups, said the house belonged to Abdel Karim El Kuka, a leader in the group. Witnesses reported seeing an Israeli drone aircraft in the sky just before the blast. The Israel Defense Forces had no immediate comment. Palestinian security sources said the people who were wounded had been handling an explosive device. In this case, one that had just been delivered by air-mail. Kuka had left the house shortly before the explosion and was not injured, the Popular Resistance sources said. One of the wounded was seriously hurt and two others suffered lighter injuries, the sources said. Israel responded by expressing official regret for the minimal loss of Palestinian life. |
| Posted by:Zenster |