Sunday, July 18, 2004
You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. I have a feeling that a lot of people in "Palestine" have been playing along with the Arafat as Great-Leader thing only in so far as they figure it won't be that much longer until he ain't down for breakfast anymore. Then they can start real reforms - or their own grab for a piece of the pie. Trouble is, the world's oldest terrorist just...won't...die...and now he's appointing his nephew, "considered one of most corrupt officials in the Authority," to head the all-important security forces. It must be very tough to take.
Haaretz - PA officials protest after Arafat makes nephew security chief
Palestinian deputy cabinet minister Sufyan Abu Zaida said Musa Arafat was considered one of most corrupt officials in the Authority, and the commander of the Palestinian naval forces submitted his resignation Sunday in protest.
But Musa Arafat said Sunday he would not resign, despite the protests.
Palestinians will not accept the nomination, and unrest in Gaza will only grow, Abu Zaida told Army Radio.
"This is infuriating," Abu Zaida said. "This shows disregard for people and their opinions. This is intolerable disregard, and in Gaza, thousands will rise up against this decision."
Juma Ghali, commander of the Palestinian navy, submitted his resignation to protest the appointment as well as the recent instability in Gaza, described Saturday by Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia as "unprecendented chaos."
Capping a weekend of crisis in the PA, dozens of Palestinian gunmen stormed an office of the Palestinian intelligence service early Sunday, opening fire on security guards inside, smashing furniture and burning down the one-story building, witnesses said.
The attack by the gunmen - who belong to an extreme offshoot of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement - was the latest round of violence in the Gaza Strip after a weekend of kidnappings, demonstrations and protests against reforms in the Palestinian Authority security forces...
Update: The masked men are shooting it out in the streets with the forces of Arafat's cousin. Palestinian Militants, Police in Gaza Shootout
