| "Nope. Nope. Can't do it." |
Palestinian security forces know who was behind the killing of three Americans in Gaza nearly a year ago but cannot act against the factions while fighting with Israel continues, a top Palestinian security official said.
| "We gotta wait until the Zionists give up." |
Describing the killers as "some Palestinian factions," the head of Military Intelligence, Moussa Arafat, told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States also knew who was to blame. Washington's anger at the failure to catch the killers has worsened relations that were already soured over U.S. accusations that the Palestinians had not done in enough to rein in anti-Israel militants. "They know that we are in a very critical position and that clashing with any Palestinian party under the presence of the (Israeli) occupation is an issue that will present many problems for us," said the spy chief, a cousin of veteran leader Yasser Arafat. "The Americans have started recently to understand our position and I expect that this crisis will also be resolved," he said.
| "I think the actual words were 'Yeah, yeah. We know all about it. Tell us another one.' So I did." |
The three American security guards were killed in an ambush in October when a bomb planted on a main road leading to Gaza City exploded under their vehicle in a diplomatic convoy. As a result, U.S. officials have been banned from visiting Gaza and U.S. aid programs have been hampered. Palestinian factions denied connection to the bombing but four gunmen of the militant coalition group, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), were held in jail for several months before being put on trial. The four PRC men were acquitted by a Palestinian court but Arafat overruled the judge's decision. Militants from the group stormed the prison in April and freed three of their captives.
| That worked well, didn't it? |
The security situation in Gaza has been further complicated by a power struggle among armed groups of snuffies ahead of Israel's pullout from the territory it has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war. Moussa Arafat's appointment in July enraged groups that have challenged the Palestinian old guard in the name of anti-corruption reforms, accusing the current leadership of incompetence and failing to win an independent state. Moussa Arafat, who has a reputation as a strongman, said that he was [too] busy reorganizing the security forces to be able to end an unprecedented upsurge of internal turmoil.
| He's too busy rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic... |
"I am sure we will be able to control... It is a question of time," he said.
"How much time?"
"60 years oughta do it." |
|