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| Middle East |
| Cracks emerge as Fatah mulls end to attacks in Israel |
| 2002-09-10 |
| Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement is holding intense talks on whether to declare an end to attacks in Israel for the second anniversary of the uprising. But a document to limit Fatah operations to targeting Israeli soldiers and settlers in the occupied territories was not yet complete and its premature release had damaged its chances of taking hold on the ground. The announcement came as the Palestinian parliament put off for a second day a decision on whether to back Arafat's new cabinet, as Fatah members voiced dissatisfaction with the reshuffled line-up. It's not bloodthirsty enough... The conflicting reports emanating from Fatah, and its failure to rally to the immediate support of Arafat's new cabinet, may point to cracks in the Palestinian position as the intifada heads into its third year. Ahah! Cracks appearing in the Paleostinian pot! (I don't really believe it. Or if I do, I wouldn't really count on it...) A Western diplomat said Fatah and the European Union had, after long consultations, drafted a declaration on a halt to attacks on civilians inside the Jewish state. But Fatah officials insisted no final decision had been taken. The discussions appeared to be stuck on the resistance of some cells of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed Fatah offshoot, to the proposed truce deal. Perhaps the IDF should concentrate on taking out the al-Aqsa controllers, the way they have the Hamas controllers. If you subtract all the professional nutcases, the remainder's just confused... And here's a followup: Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement pledged for the first time Tuesday to try to stop attacks on Israeli civilians by its militiamen, creating a small opening for a truce. Other militant groups said attacks would continue. A Fatah leader, however, cast doubt on the statement, and Israeli officials dismissed it as giving tacit approval for attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |