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Middle East
IDF troops seize PA ministry near Arafat’s Muqata
2003-09-11
JPost Reg Req’d
IDF troops took control of the Palestinian Authority Cultural Ministry in the West Bank city of Ramallah Thursday morning, Palestinian sources said. The building, located just south of Yasser Arafat’s Muqata compound, gives the soldiers a vantage point of the Muqata and sends a direct and clear message to Arafat that the IDF is present in the West Bank city.
Red laser dots tend to focus the mind
Palestinian officials expressed concern over the takeover, saying that they expected the IDF to impose a total siege on Arafat.
Good, but don’t let the ISM a-holes get near enough to play human shields
Eh? Go ahead, what the heck...
The action came just hours before the security cabinet was set to meet to discuss the possibility of expelling Arafat. Military sources confirmed that troops had taken positions in the city. Sharon, arriving back in Israel earlier than planned from India following Tuesday’s twin suicide bombings, plans to convene the security cabinet for urgent talks later in the day. Hard-liners in Sharon’s Cabinet have long clamored for expulsion of Arafat. Up to now Sharon has rebuffed the deportation calls, fearing international condemnation. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who supports the deportation of Arafat, told Army Radio Thursday that he believes that there is a majority within the cabinet supporting the move. "The moment Arafat is out, someone else will sprout up after him and will control the security forces, the PA’s funds," Shalom said. "The moment he isn’t here, more moderate officials will be able to move in after him."
Either that, or the nutbags will be busy blowing each other up as they wrestle for the Seat of All Power™...
Arafat aide, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, said Thursday that the deportation of the Palestinian leader would set the region on the brink of an abyss.
Ummm... Where is it now?
Likud Minister Yisrael Katz said Thursday that Israel does not have to wait to receive America’s authorization to expel the Palestinian leader. "As far as I know, there is no Israeli commitment to the Americans not to take action," Katz said. "Israel is allowed, able and obligated to make its own decisions."
"If the Merkins don't like it, maybe they'd like to park him in Omaha? Or Berkeley?
Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, head of the moderate opposition Labor Party, warned that expelling Arafat would be a "historic mistake" that would "deepen the hostilities between the Palestinians and ourselves." He told CNN, "Arafat outside (his Ramallah office) will be more effective and more negative than he is today."
Yesterday Fred and others argued that killing him was premature - I can see the logic, but I’d rather see him killed than expelled, free to do TV interviews and PR cmpaigns
Posted by:Frank G

#8  Ah, yes, antiaircraft fire from the so-called "Party of God"! Homies need glasses - nary an Israeli plane nicked so far...
______________________________________borgboy
Posted by: borgboy   2003-9-11 8:16:13 PM  

#7  Just have his plain fly over to Lebanon. I'm sure "Hezbollah" will "accidently" shoot the plane down.
Posted by: Charles   2003-9-11 2:42:27 PM  

#6  expulsion or the convenient "accident" while prying the Arafish from his Ramallah grotto
Posted by: Frank G   2003-9-11 2:06:45 PM  

#5  From Haaretz:
'The security cabinet decided Thursday that Arafat is "a absolute obstacle to the process of
reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians, and Israel will act to remove this
obstacle."

The decision came during a meeting of the 11-minister strong security cabinet, convened by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss
Israel's response to two suicide bombings in a Jerusalem cafe and outside an IDF base near Rishon Letzion on Tuesday, in which 15 people were killed.

Israeli sources said that the security cabinet
had also decided to ask the Israel Defense Forces to draw up a plan for the expulsion
Arafat.

The decision on removing Arafat was made without
a vote, and Interior Minister Avraham Poraz(Shinui) opposed the move. The cabinet decided
not to elaborate on exactly what Arafat's
"removal" would entail, whether it meant the
expulsion or the execution of the PA chairman.'



Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-9-11 2:04:00 PM  

#4  "Arafat, Fatah`s Nasser Yussef row over control of security forces; Arafat spits at Yussef, who then walks out (Israel Radio) "

Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-9-11 2:00:18 PM  

#3  So let me guess - the Paleo Ministry of Culture's gotta be a cemetary, right?
Posted by: Frank G   2003-9-11 12:39:44 PM  

#2  alternatively they can just try to prevent anyone from meeting him, and cut all communications (anyway to block cell and sat phones?) If he cant communicate, he cant very well manipulate Pal politics, can he?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-9-11 11:33:24 AM  

#1  Dammit Frank, I'm supposed to be first.
Posted by: Steve   2003-9-11 11:20:08 AM  

00:00