In Gaza on Saturday, militants torched an empty Palestinian police station south of Gaza City before dawn in the town of Zwaida, 4 miles south of Gaza City, pouring gasoline on mattresses and blankets and setting the building on fire. The fire damaged an upper story of the town council, which had recently been renovated with donations from the Danish government.
| That's okay. Most people in Denmark have jobs. Lotsa tax euros where those came from... |
No one was injured, officials said, but police files, computers and communications equipment were destroyed. No group immediately claimed responsibility. Ahmed Abu Zaid, the mayor of the town, said the purpose of the raid appeared to be to "spread lawlessness and terror among the people."
| ... which is a pretty easy task in Paleostine... |
As town residents gathered to view the damage, Abu Zaid said the incident showed the need for measures to "make the people feel that there is law and order."
| "... whatever the hell that is. We ain't never seen it in these parts, y'know..." |
"The police cannot even protect their own station. Who's going to protect us," said one angry resident, accosting the mayor.
| "Protect you? Somebody was supposed to protect you? That's news to us cops!" |
Hassam Abu Zaid, the local leader of Arafat's Fatah political movement, called the raid a "shameful act," and said, "we call on the president (Arafat) to make sure that law and order are being implemented, and that good leaders and good commanders are fulfilling their duties."
| "Yes, by Allan! We shall complain to the management!" |
In Khan Younis, in the southern sector of Gaza, militants of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades took over the building of the local administration, demanding the reinstatement of 50 comrades fired from their sinecures security jobs, a member of the group said. "We want to confirm our loyalty to Arafat, as the leader and commander of the Palestinian people," said the militant who identified himself only as Abu al-Haj. "We still call on the president to fire all the people involved in corruption," he said, before evacuating the building and ending the siege.
| "Fire 'em all! But not us. With us, it's different." |
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