TEL AVIV Ñ Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has provided
safe haven for an insurgency cell that has staged a series of attacks on
Israeli motorists in the West Bank.
Israeli officials said Arafat has financed and approved the attacks by a
cell composed of his bodyguards and members of PA security forces. They said
the cell was responsible for the shooting death of an Israeli on Sunday
northeast of Ramallah near the Israeli community of Ofra and during the
visit by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The cell was said to belong to the Arafat-sponsored Al Aqsa Martyrs
Brigade and has been based in Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah, officials
said. They said the cell killed the Israeli on Sunday in an ambush and
returned to Arafat's office to avoid Israeli capture.
Is Group-think Rational?
Those who believe that an unplanned, random "Big Bang" explosion of unknown matter caused the formation of the numberless bodies of the cosmos should be able to answer the following questions:
Read on . . .
Last year, Israel maintained a siege of Arafat's headquarters in
Ramallah for several months. Amid heavy international pressure, Israel
lifted the siege but has not permitted Arafat to leave the area.
Officials said 17 Palestinian insurgents wanted by Israel have been
given safe haven in Arafat's offices. They include members of his Force 17
praetorian guard and Military Intelligence, the latter headed by the PA
chairman's nephew, Mussa Arafat.
"The terrorist activity of all operatives from the Mukata'a [Arafat's
headquarters] is carried out with the knowledge and approval of chairman
Arafat," an Israeli official said.
Officials said Arafat has ordered new attacks on Israelis in an effort
to undermine the authority of new Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has
called for a dismantling of Palestinian insurgency groups but officials said
he does not intend to confront them.
On Tuesday, eight Israeli soldiers were injured in a Palestinian mortar
strike. Israeli military sources said Palestinian gunners fired mortars at
an Israeli base in the northern Gaza Strip.
