Monday, Dec 16, 2002
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By Hasan Suroor
Claiming to be the "first Arab leader to stand up to bin Laden'', Mr. Arafat told a British newspaper that the fugitive extremist had never been interested in the Palestinian cause until it became convenient for him to use it to legitimise his own aims. ``I'm telling him directly not to hide behind the Palestinian cause,'' he said in an interview to The Sunday Times which said the remarks reflected his concern over Israeli attempts to link the Palestinian militancy to global terrorism. Mr. Arafat's denunciation followed a statement from an Al-Qaeda spokesman calling the liberation of Palestine a `central issue', and claiming responsibility for an attack on a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. He was also stated to have been enraged by a new the Al-Qaeda website, claiming to be dedicated to the "full liberation of the Palestine land''. ``Why is bin Laden talking about Palestine now? He never helped us. He was working in another, completely different area and against our interests,'' an angry Mr. Arafat said vehemently denying his movement's links with any international terrorist network. Israel, he insisted, knew that there were "no relations between the Al-Qaeda and Palestine'' but was using the issue to justify its military attacks on Palestinian territory. Mr. Arafat acknowledged that there was sympathy for Osama among youths but attributed this to their despair and sense of hopelessness in the face of Israeli `repression'. "These kids don't really know who bin Laden is,'' he said. Dismissing Israeli allegations of terrorism as "big, big lies'', Mr. Arafat said: "We are against terrorism. We are against any attempt against Israeli civilians-any civilians.'' Observers described Mr. Arafat's denunciation of Osama as significant saying that his remarks represented by far the most `forthright' attack on the world's most wanted man by a Muslim leader of his stature. They were seen both as a warning to the extremist elements within his own movement, and an attempt to reassure Washington which is under pressure from Israel to target Arafat in its "war on terror''. Bar on Arafat stays Jerusalem, Dec. 15. Israel will not allow Mr. Arafat, to travel to Bethlehem to attend the Midnight Mass, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, said today. Mr. Sharon told a Government meeting, after consulting his security agencies, that Mr. Arafat would not be allowed into Bethlehem on December 25 and Israeli army would continue its presence there to ensure security. Christmas celebrations would, however, be allowed to be held, the Chief of Staff, Moshe Ya'alon, was quoted by `Ha'aretz' newspaper as saying. Last Christmas too, Israel had prevented Mr. Arafat from travelling to Bethlehem, a Palestinian town that is roughly half-Christian and half-Muslim and the move had invited international criticism. Mr. Arafat has largely remained confined to his compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah since last December after Israel put tight restrictions on his movements. The decision to continue army presence in Bethlehem has apparently come in the wake of Israel's security agencies continuing to receive warnings about possible Palestinian attacks. During a discussion in the Vatican last week, the President, Moshe Katsav, had told Pope John Paul II that Israel would make every effort to withdraw from Bethlehem before the Christmas holiday. Israel has maintained army presence in Bethlehem and other West Bank cities for most of the past six months to prevent Palestinian attacks against the Jewish state. — PTI
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