Palestinians seek to block coverage of pro-Bin Laden riots
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, October 15, 2001
GAZA Ñ The Palestinian Authority attempted to block media coverage of the demonstrations in support of Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden which continued over the weekend.
Palestinian officials are still carrying out a crackdown against dissidents in a drive to end the demonstrations. Over the weekend, however, thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank attended pro-Bin Laden marches held in Nablus and Ramallah. PA police did not intervene.
Palestinian authorities have banned foreign reporters from PA-held areas
and arrested local newspaper editors. Authorities also declared areas in Gaza as
off-limits out of concern that Bin Laden supporters would stage
demonstrations there over the weekend. Security was also beefed up around PA
installations in Gaza City to ward off attacks by opposition forces.
On Saturday, the PA reopened two Gaza universities closed in the wake of
Monday's bloody riots in Gaza City. Last week, three people were killed by
PA police gunfire during a pro-Bin Laden demonstration staged by university
students.
Palestinian human rights activists said dozens of Palestinians have also
been wounded during PA efforts to stop pro-Bin Laden demonstrations. LAW,
the Palestinian Society for the Protections of Human Rights and the
Environment, has called for an investigation into the Oct. 8 killing of
demonstrators.
LAW said PA officers were not under serious threat when they opened fire
in Gaza City. The group said the officers responded with live fire when
several demonstrators threw stones toward the police.
But Britain and the United States have welcomed PA Chairman Yasser
Arafat's efforts against Bin Laden supporters. Washington has praised
Arafat's crackdown while London has invited the PA chairman for high-level
meetings on Monday.
On Sunday, a Hamas military commander in the West Bank city of Kalkilya
was killed by Israeli commandos. Abdul Rahman Hamid, 33, was wanted by
Israel for a series of attacks.
The killing took place as a debate erupted within the Israeli military
leadership over the prospect of easing restrictions on the PA. Defense
Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer supports the lifting of restrictions while
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz is said to oppose such a move.
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