Under US squeeze, Israel eases Arafat siege, Palestinians say move a "farce

29/09/2002| IslamWeb

Israel relaxed its siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Ramallah headquarters under heavy pressure from Washington but said it would keep occupation troopsin the area to ensure wanted men inside do not escape. But the decision stopped short of a complete withdrawal demanded in a UN Security Council resolution passed last week, and was denounced by the Palestinians, who said that it changed almost nothing on the ground.

After the Israeli tanks, occupation troops and bulldozers withdrew, men swarmed out of the fetid headquarters building where they had been trapped for 10 days by tanks, embracing each other with joy although Israeli occupation troops remained close by.

Many of the armed security guards went to search the severely damaged interior ministry building next to Arafat's offices, looking for their belongings in the rubble.

A security officer trapped with Arafat said the 250 men inside his headquarters building had received orders not to leave the surrounding compound even if the Israelis pulled back.

But national security forces member, Yusef al-Masri, 24, said, "We've been told we can go home."

"I'm really happy to be out, but I'd do it all again if there was another siege."

Ambulances arrived to ferry away the sick, while locals turned out to inspect the damage caused by the Israeli troops, who destroyed virtually every building in the complex, or Muqataa, except Arafat's own.

UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen was quick to arrive at the scene and went into immediate talks with Arafat inside the Palestinian leader's battered offices.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government had previously said it would not lift its siege -- which was imposed after two Resistance bombings in Israel -- until a number of wanted men inside the building gave themselves up.

However, the Jewish state's open flouting of the UN resolution 1435 angered its major ally Washington, which is piling on pressure on Iraq and using Baghdad's past violation of UN resolutions as a stick to beat President Saddam Hussein.

Israeli public radio said Sharon had told his ministers at a weekly cabinet meeting that the move was aimed at easing the situation for the United States as it builds an anti-Iraqi consensus.

The decision appeared to be a bid by Israel to step back without losing face and backing down from its earlier hardline stance.

Despite the tanks lifting the immediate siege of the Muqataa, Israeli forces remained close to the wrecked complex to prevent the 41 wanted suspects, including eight "top terrorists," holed up inside to escape.

Senior Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina said the Israeli decision was no more than a trick to sidestep the UN resolution, whose violation has brought widespread criticism.

"This announcement is a farce and a fraud, by which Israel hopes to get round the application of Security Council resolution 1435," Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.

Abu Rudeina said the UN should work to ensure that Israel implements the resolution in its entirety, namely "halt immediately the measures it has taken around Ramallah, in particular the destruction of the Palestinian civilian and security infrastructure."

Yasser Abed Rabbo, another close associate of Arafat, also said the withdrawal was a sham.

"We believe that this is not a real withdrawal," he said, arguing it was an Israeli ploy to get out of implementing the UN resolution.

"They have turned the office of president Arafat into a cell, and now they withdraw from around the cell and keep the siege around the prison. This is not withdrawal," he added.

Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, quoted on public radio earlier, said he favoured a similar solution to that which ended a siege by Israeli occupation troopsof the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in May.

That standoff ended with a deal under which 13 Palestinian activists were exiled to foreign countries, a move that cause significant political damage to Arafat.

Yossi Sarid, head of Israel's left-wing opposition, said Sharon's decision was "no more than repair of an initial error."

"Arafat has strengthened his position, this right-wing government with two left hands has put Arafat back centre-stage" with the high-profile siege, he said.

The latest twist in the siege story came on the second anniversary of the Palestinian uprising, which has seen more than 2,500 people killed and almost the entire West Bank reoccupied.

An Israeli was shot and injured while driving in the West Bank early Sunday the occupation armysaid, a day after a Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli fire during demonstrations in the Gaza Strip marking the anniversary and showing solidarity with Arafat.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat flashes the V sign to supporters outside his office in the West Bank town of Ramallah Sunday Sept. 29 , 2002.. (AP Photo/ Muhammed Muheisen)
- Sep 29 1:53 PM ET



Israel relaxed its siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Ramallah headquarters under heavy pressure from Washington but said it would keep occupation troopsin the area to ensure wanted men inside do not escape.
But the decision stopped short of a complete withdrawal demanded in a UN Security Council resolution passed last week, and was denounced by the Palestinians, who said that it changed almost nothing on the ground.
After the Israeli tanks, occupation troops and bulldozers withdrew, men swarmed out of the fetid headquarters building where they had been trapped for 10 days by tanks, embracing each other with joy although Israeli occupation troops remained close by.
Many of the armed security guards went to search the severely damaged interior ministry building next to Arafat's offices, looking for their belongings in the rubble.
A security officer trapped with Arafat said the 250 men inside his headquarters building had received orders not to leave the surrounding compound even if the Israelis pulled back.
But national security forces member, Yusef al-Masri, 24, said, "We've been told we can go home."
"I'm really happy to be out, but I'd do it all again if there was another siege."
Ambulances arrived to ferry away the sick, while locals turned out to inspect the damage caused by the Israeli troops, who destroyed virtually every building in the complex, or Muqataa, except Arafat's own.
UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen was quick to arrive at the scene and went into immediate talks with Arafat inside the Palestinian leader's battered offices.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government had previously said it would not lift its siege -- which was imposed after two Resistance bombings in Israel -- until a number of wanted men inside the building gave themselves up.
However, the Jewish state's open flouting of the UN resolution 1435 angered its major ally Washington, which is piling on pressure on Iraq and using Baghdad's past violation of UN resolutions as a stick to beat President Saddam Hussein.
Israeli public radio said Sharon had told his ministers at a weekly cabinet meeting that the move was aimed at easing the situation for the United States as it builds an anti-Iraqi consensus.
The decision appeared to be a bid by Israel to step back without losing face and backing down from its earlier hardline stance.
Despite the tanks lifting the immediate siege of the Muqataa, Israeli forces remained close to the wrecked complex to prevent the 41 wanted suspects, including eight "top terrorists," holed up inside to escape.
Senior Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina said the Israeli decision was no more than a trick to sidestep the UN resolution, whose violation has brought widespread criticism.
"This announcement is a farce and a fraud, by which Israel hopes to get round the application of Security Council resolution 1435," Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.
Abu Rudeina said the UN should work to ensure that Israel implements the resolution in its entirety, namely "halt immediately the measures it has taken around Ramallah, in particular the destruction of the Palestinian civilian and security infrastructure."
Yasser Abed Rabbo, another close associate of Arafat, also said the withdrawal was a sham.
"We believe that this is not a real withdrawal," he said, arguing it was an Israeli ploy to get out of implementing the UN resolution.
"They have turned the office of president Arafat into a cell, and now they withdraw from around the cell and keep the siege around the prison. This is not withdrawal," he added.
Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, quoted on public radio earlier, said he favoured a similar solution to that which ended a siege by Israeli occupation troopsof the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in May.
That standoff ended with a deal under which 13 Palestinian activists were exiled to foreign countries, a move that cause significant political damage to Arafat.
Yossi Sarid, head of Israel's left-wing opposition, said Sharon's decision was "no more than repair of an initial error."
"Arafat has strengthened his position, this right-wing government with two left hands has put Arafat back centre-stage" with the high-profile siege, he said.
The latest twist in the siege story came on the second anniversary of the Palestinian uprising, which has seen more than 2,500 people killed and almost the entire West Bank reoccupied.
An Israeli was shot and injured while driving in the West Bank early Sunday the occupation armysaid, a day after a Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli fire during demonstrations in the Gaza Strip marking the anniversary and showing solidarity with Arafat.
PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat flashes the V sign to supporters outside his office in the West Bank town of Ramallah Sunday Sept. 29 , 2002.. (AP Photo/ Muhammed Muheisen)
- Sep 29 1:53 PM ET