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Egypt tells Arafat: Reform or be removed
caught via DrudgeEgyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman has reportedly warned Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to relax his grip on the reins of Palestinian power or face the possibility that Egypt and the US will cease to block Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from carrying out his threat to "remove" the chairman. According to a report Monday in the pan-Arab Al-Quds-al-Arabi, Suleiman handed Arafat three demands: First, to unite all the Palestinian security forces under one command authority, and into three components. These include the police, the Preventative Security Service (equivalent of Israelâs General Security Service), and the Palestinian foreign security service (equivalent of Israelâs Mossad).If these demands are not met, the Egyptian-American shield saving Arafatâs life may be removed, Al-Quds-al-Arabi reported. Hokay, cuz heâs not gonna reform until death comes for him... The Egyptian emissary, who last Monday shuttled between Jerusalem and Ramallah to discuss Egyptâs role following a possible Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, warned Arafat that the suggested political and security reforms are necessary and will facilitate Prime Minister Ariel Sharonâs initiative. Arafat was given a deadline of June 15 to give a decisive reply with regards to the suggestion or else his future will be "left in the hands of Ariel Sharon." I like the use of "deadline" there The newspaper reported that although the list of reforms was communicated by Egypt, it was drawn up in conjunction with the US and Israel. A senior Palestinian official informed al-Quds al-Arabi that the US is eager to push forward a peace plan between Israel and the Palestinian to cover for the letdown of its policy in Iraq and improve its image in the Arab world. The same official met with Arafat in Ramallah, where the PA chairman told him he intends to refuse the Egyptian demands, because their implementation means the end of his de facto leadership and his reduction to a purely symbolic figure, wrote al-Quds al-Arabi. Egyptian newspaper: PA, faction to meet in Cairo to discuss ceasefire with Israel Also Monday, the Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram reported that PM Qurei will soon meet representatives of all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Jihad, in order to discuss a consensual agreement over a ceasefire with Israel. At the meeting, which will be held in Cairo, Qurei will notify Palestinian factions that an agreement over a ceasefire will require them to respect it and each violation of the agreement will be considered "illegal." Under such agreement, the PA holds the right to take "appropriate actions" against the factions who breach the agreement by perpetrating violent attacks against Israel, al-Ahram reported. The newspaper said that if Qurei finalizes a ceasefire agreement with all Palestinian factions, and pledges to take concrete actions against those who breach it, then Prime Minister Sharon will be willing to meet Qurei. Sharon expressed his willingness to meet Qurei during his meeting last week in Jerusalem with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Suleiman. Sharon said, however, that he would only meet Qurei on condition that the latter proves that the PA is willing to and capable of controlling terror groups. Shalom, Mubarak to meet in Cairo Thursday Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom will travel to Egypt on Thursday to meet with President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the establishment of a special committee aimed at promoting relations between the two countries. Sharon decided to send Shalom to Egypt following a phone conversation he held with the Egyptian president on Monday. In the conversation, Mubarak stressed again his support for Sharonâs disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip and said he is willing to help Sharon promote the plan. In a sign of the urgency of improving ties between Egypt and Israel, anti-tank missiles manufactured by the Egyptian military industries have been found in the Gaza Strip, a senior military intelligence officer told the Knessetâs Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee Monday. According to a report on ynet, the missiles are of the âCobraâ type â an advanced RPG â used against IDF forces in the Gaza Strip. Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-31 |
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