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| Middle East |
| Egyptian editor assails Arafat over Maher attack |
| 2003-12-27 |
| JPost Reg req’d - Cause/Effect strikes again In a rare attack for an Egyptian newspaper, the editor of an influential weekly assailed Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for the assault on Egypt’s foreign minister in Jerusalem last week. Wow, that’ll raise Yasser’s drool level "It is now time to adopt a new attitude toward the Palestinian Authority, to tell them ’No’ a thousand times, as we are not so naive as they think," Ibrahim Saada wrote in an editorial of Akhbar Elyom on Saturday. "Did you mistake us for the EU!" Maher was attacked by Palestinian radicals when he visited Al Aqsa Mosque on Monday. Policemen grappled with the assailants and escorted Maher from the scene. Maher was visiting Israel for the first time in more than two years to try to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. PLO "Foreign Minister" Farouk Kaddoumi, arrived in Cairo the next day to apologize for the attack, saying the assailants were "a rogue group that has no connection to the Palestinian people." Saada wrote that he rejected Maher’s attempt "to deflate this ugly incident, trying to convince the public opinion that those who carried out this aggression were a small, trivial, and banned group." In words addressed to Arafat, Saada said: "Your excellency, the sole spokesman of the Palestinian people, we are fed up with your repetition that any Palestinian act against Egypt, or any Palestinian act – verbal or physical – against an Egyptian official, should be blamed on a trivial, small, and banned group." The editorial went on to recall several occasions when Arafat’s policies have been directly opposed to those of Egypt, such as after the country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Saada said that after Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981, "his excellency the Palestinian president was the first among those who rejoiced, clapped, and danced." Later Saturday, Maher met with a Palestinian delegation that included Kaddoumi and Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, who again apologized for the incident. Asked if the Palestinian Authority would prosecute the assailants, Shaath said Palestinian police detained four of the attackers but the Israeli police took them into custody. to prevent the revolving door of Paleo justice™ from operating The speaker of Egypt’s parliament, Fathi Sorour, denounced Israel for the attack, Egypt’s Middle East News Agency reported. Asshole.... "We also condemn Israel’s position because it did not protect the minister," Sorour told parliament Saturday. enough? Should they have opened up on the Paleo worshippers with Uzis? Pro forma "balance" |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #2 The Egyptians may be thinking as much about Wheelus as us Ranburgers is. 2 billion American goes a lot further in a Libiyan sized population. How important is Cairo N. these days? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-27 8:21:18 PM |
| #1 We also condemn Israel’s position because it did not protect the minister Ahh yes. The 'through-the-looking-glass' logic from the left that we have all come to know and loathe. I'm just surprised he didn't get America in there, too. Or is it a blanket indictment of all Zionists that the paleos can't quit acting like a-holes? |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2003-12-27 6:38:22 PM |