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| Middle East |
| Arafat orders forces to prevent attacks on Israelis |
| 2001-09-18 |
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Tuesday he ordered his forces to prevent any attacks on Israeli soldiers and to hold back even if fired upon. Israel responded by promising not to launch attacks on Palestinians. Israel also said it would withdraw troops from Palestinian areas it seized in recent days. Later Tuesday, dozens of tanks pulled back from the outskirts of the West Bank town of Jenin, witnesses said. Several hours after Arafat's announcement, two shooting incidents were reported in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was unclear what provoked them. Both sides have been under pressure from the United States to work out a truce. Washington is trying to bring Arab and Muslim countries into an international anti-terror coalition it is forming in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |