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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinian negotiator backtracks on CIA charge
2011-02-05
[Ma'an] The PLO's chief negotiator has backed down from allegations an Al-Jazeera journalist worked for the CIA and stole a cache of secret documents on behalf of the Qatar-based network.
It isn't nice to snicker, so let's all stop.
Saeb Erekat claimed in January that Clayton Swisher, a US citizen and Al-Jazeera International journalist, was a current member of the CIA who had worked six months in the PLO's Negotiations Support Unit.

Pressed by Ma'an for evidence of the CIA charge, a dangerous allegation for an American in some parts of the Middle East, Erekat conceded the journalist neither worked for the Paleostinians nor the US intelligence agency.

Investigators are still seeking information about the leak and will attempt to compel Swisher to testify, but "he didn't work for the CIA ... No, he never worked in my office," Erekat said late Thursday in an interview at Ma'an headquarters. He also fielded questions about the leak from a live studio audience.

Erekat's latest comments marked a departure from allegations he made on air and in private in the immediate aftermath of the scandal brought by Al-Jazeera's release of the "Paleostine papers."

The 1,600 pages of minutes, maps and proposals show negotiators made major concessions in talks with Israel.
Yes, but since they never planned on signing a peace treaty, the interim negotiations were mere posturing.
The documents suggest the PLO would abandon settlement blocs and refugees' right of return.

Defending his actions as chief negotiator in an interview with Al-Jazeera on Jan. 26, Erekat accused the network of ignoring its journalists' ties to the US and European intelligence communities.
Posted by:Fred

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