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Britain and US complicit in Jericho raid, says Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, condemned the armed Israeli raid on Jericho's prison as an "ugly crime that cannot be forgiven" yesterday and strongly implied Britain and the US had been complicit in it.
Touring the ruins of the devastated jail less than 24 hours after the surrender of six wanted Palestinians after a day-long siege, Mr Abbas said their arrest had been "illegal" and that the raid by troops, bulldozers and tanks had been a "humiliation for the Palestinian people and a violation of all the agreements".
The Israeli acting Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, said yesterday that the six men would be indicted according to Israeli law and they will be " punished as they deserve". They comprise the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader, Ahmed Saadat, and five others accused of the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001. They also include Fuad Shobaki, accused of involvement in the Karin A shipment of arms to the Palestinian Authority in 2002.
In his second uncharacteristically strong denunciation of Britain and the US, Mr Abbas said that the Israeli force had arrived on Tuesday within 10 minutes of the three British monitors abandoning the jail. "I'm giving the facts," he added. "They [the monitors] left at 9.20am and the Israelis came in at 9.30am. How can we explain that?"
Mr Abbas's remarks came as British officials moved to defend London against widespread and continuing condemnation for facilitating the Israeli raid by ending their 14-strong monitoring mission at the prison on Tuesday morning.
While acknowledging the two countries' consuls general had written to him on 8 March demanding improved security for their monitors and significant tightening of the regime under which the prisoners were held, Mr Abbas declared: "Britain had informed us a week ago about their intention of pulling out, but they did not say when."
British sources pointed out the consuls' letter had explicitly warned that, unless their demands were met, the two countries "would withdraw our monitors with immediate effect," and that an unspecified but " serious and credible threat" to the security of the monitoring mission had been issued in January 2006.
More
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article351534.ece
The Israeli acting Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, said yesterday that the six men would be indicted according to Israeli law and they will be " punished as they deserve". They comprise the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader, Ahmed Saadat, and five others accused of the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001. They also include Fuad Shobaki, accused of involvement in the Karin A shipment of arms to the Palestinian Authority in 2002.
In his second uncharacteristically strong denunciation of Britain and the US, Mr Abbas said that the Israeli force had arrived on Tuesday within 10 minutes of the three British monitors abandoning the jail. "I'm giving the facts," he added. "They [the monitors] left at 9.20am and the Israelis came in at 9.30am. How can we explain that?"
Mr Abbas's remarks came as British officials moved to defend London against widespread and continuing condemnation for facilitating the Israeli raid by ending their 14-strong monitoring mission at the prison on Tuesday morning.
While acknowledging the two countries' consuls general had written to him on 8 March demanding improved security for their monitors and significant tightening of the regime under which the prisoners were held, Mr Abbas declared: "Britain had informed us a week ago about their intention of pulling out, but they did not say when."
British sources pointed out the consuls' letter had explicitly warned that, unless their demands were met, the two countries "would withdraw our monitors with immediate effect," and that an unspecified but " serious and credible threat" to the security of the monitoring mission had been issued in January 2006.
More
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article351534.ece
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The controversial siege and capture of six fighters has underlined the weakness of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, who has been increasingly isolated following Hamas's landslide election win in January.
"What happened in Jericho and the crimes against the Palestinian people ... is a pre-planned scheme to destroy the Palestinian Authority. This is the basis of Israeli policy," Saeb Erikat, chief Palestinian negotiator, told reporters on Thursday amid continuing fury over the raid.
Olmert, the Israeli acting prime minister, and his centrist Kadima party have savoured boosted approval ratings in the wake of the raid, 12 days before a general election they are tipped to win.
Kidnappings
Olmert has avoided significant international criticism over the capture of the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmed Saadat, the alleged mastermind of the 2001 killing of Israeli tourism minister, Rehavam Zeevi, in east Jerusalem.
"The international community continues to deal with Israel even though it is a state above the law," Erikat told reporters.
Erakat spoke after the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation discussed Saadat's capture, held Britain and the United States responsible and called on them to work with Israel to return the fighters.
"We decided to call the United States and United Kingdom to put pressure on Israel to return the people who were kidnapped to the Palestinian Authority," PLO committee member Saleh Rafat said.
But Israeli state prosecutor Eran Shandar later cleared the way for a trial in Israel of Saadat and four PFLP colleagues for the minister's killing, ruling there was no legal impediment even though one has already been convicted by an Israeli court and all but Saadat were convicted by the Palestinians.
"Taking into account past agreements with the Palestinian Authority and the circumstances, they can be tried in Israel," a justice ministry spokesman said.
Planned trial
"They should preferably be judged in a civil rather than military court. A final decision on whether to proceed to trial will be taken after the completion of the inquiry."
Saadat himself refused to talk to his interrogators at a prison near Jerusalem.
"They began interrogating Saadat and his comrades yesterday but he told the Israeli officials in the prison: 'I refuse to have any dealings with you as I consider that you have kidnapped me'," his lawyer Hassan Mahmud said after visiting him.
The imminent unveiling of a Palestinian government led by Hamas could also affect the results of the Israeli election.
Hamas officially has until 28 March - the same day as the Israeli election - to win approval for its government line-up from parliament and Abbas.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/999DEED8-09BF-464C-8148-F0CEE4847FAF.htm