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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Middle East: Israel frees 198 Palestinian prisoners |
| 2008-08-26 |
| (AKI) - Israel released 198 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails on Monday as a sign of goodwill to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The move came ahead of a visit by United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The prisoners, all close to completing their sentences, were Abbas was due to welcome the prisoners at a formal ceremony in the Muqata headquarters in Ramallah. The Israeli authorities reversed an earlier decision to free another Palestinian, who is considered a 'criminal' rather than a 'security' prisoner, according to Palestinian news agency Maan. Maan did not name the prisoner. The prisoners to be released include the longest-serving Palestinian inmate, Said al-Atabah, who has been jailed for more than 30 years. Al-Atabah, jailed and sentenced to life in prison in 1977, is a member of the secular political and militant organisation, The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Rice is due to arrive in Israel on Monday in a fresh bid to revitalise the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Revitalize the appeasement process, ya say? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul in Tok, AK 2008-08-26 22:17 |