Ain-Al-Yaqeen - December 17, 2004

		December 17, 2004

THE SAUDI LEADERSHIP REVIEWS WITH ABU MAZIN AND QUREI THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARAB PALESTINIAN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES.
MAHMOUD ABBAS LAUDS THE SUPPORT OF KING FAHD AND THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE.
POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THE VISITS OF THE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP TO KUWAIT AND LEBANON.
ABU MAZEN: A PALESTINIAN EMBASSY SOON IN KUWAIT.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz received the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Dr. Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazin), Premier Mr. Ahmad Qurei (Abu Alaa) and the accompanying delegation.

The meeting reviewed the latest developments in the occupied Arab Palestinian territories and Israeli occupation's murder and destruction of the Palestinian people.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques asserted Saudi support for the Palestinian cause and Palestinian people to enable them to regain their legitimate rights and the establish their independent state with Al Quds as its capital.

The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials.

Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Dr. Mahmood Abbas (Abu Mazin) and Prime Minister Mr. Ahmad Qurei (Abu Alala).

The meeting reviewed the latest Arab and international developments especially concerning the Palestinian cause and the murder and destruction suffered by the Palestinian people as well as the need for finding a just and lasting solution guaranteeing the Palestinian people the establishment of their independent state on their soil with Al Quds as its capital

The audience was attended by a number of officials.

The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Dr. Mahmoud Abbas praised the continuous support provided by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Palestinian cause.

On the other hand PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas apologized to Kuwait for the organization's stand during the 1990 Iraq invasion, as he arrived on a landmark visit to the emirate aimed at healing a 14-year rift.

"We apologize to Kuwait and the Kuwaiti people for what we did," Abbas told reporters when asked to comment on the PLO's position during the invasion.

Abbas spoke at Kuwait airport shortly after landing at the head of a large delegation on the first visit by a Palestinian leader since ties were frozen 14 years ago over the late Yasser Arafat's backing of the invasion by Saddam Hussein's troops. Speaking to journalists after arriving in Kuwait on a three-day visit, Abbas commented saying "Yes, we apologize for our stance on the Iraqi invasion.

" His statement came in response to demands by Kuwaiti Members of Parliament to have a clear stand from the Palestinian leadership on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

He hailed the Premier Sheikh Sabah's statement saying that it reflected his morals, kind feelings and tolerance and expressed love and appreciation to Sheikh Sabah.

The Palestinian official indicated that this is his second visit to Kuwait, noting that his first came upon answering an invitation from the Committee of Parliamentary Foreign Affairs.

Abbas is leading a high-ranking Palestinian delegation on a Gulf tour, with the aim of reinforcing Palestinian-Gulf relations.

Abbas, who is running in the Jan. 9 election to succeed Arafat, issued the apology despite the fact that Kuwait dropped its demand for such a gesture on the eve of the visit.

"We consider the issue of the position of the Palestinian Authority (leadership) toward the Iraqi invasion as over. We welcome the visit" of Abbas, Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah told reporters.

"Why talk about an apology?" Sheikh Sabah said in response to a question on whether Kuwait would still demand an apology. "We welcome him and his brothers in the delegation accompanying him."

In a statement to the official KUNA news agency, Sheikh Sabah said Kuwait would continue to provide financial aid to the Palestinians to help them "cope with Israeli occupation".

Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah welcomed the visit of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) delegation, led by PLO Executive Committee Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu-Mazen) to Kuwait.

In remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Sheikh Sabah said "Abu-Mazen was welcome visiting his brothers in Kuwait and we wish him the best." Asked about calls demanding an apology by the PNA for its stance on the 1990-Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah said: "We should not act like children and keep repeating (calls for) apology... (making) an apology is easy, Abu-Mazen does not refuse to apologize.. he would say more than just an apology." He stressed that welcoming the visit should not be linked to making such an apology.

Answering a question if the visit aimed at earning more Kuwaiti support, the premier said that Kuwait has never let the Palestinians down, even during the hardship of the Iraqi invasion on Kuwait, wondering "how can we give up this fair cause when were are in much better conditions?" "Kuwait is committed to supporting the Palestinian brothers, and we will continue to extend financial support for them," he concluded.

The Kuwaiti Cabinet, at its weekly meeting, also welcomed the Palestinian officials' visit.

Abbas was due to meet with leaders of the Palestinian community in Kuwait, estimated to be around 80,000-strong and hold talks with Sheikh Sabah and other Kuwaiti officials later on.

Kuwait had demanded the apology from Arafat, who died last month, as a precondition for normalizing ties.

"I heard a statement by his highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad (forgoing an apology)," Abbas told reporters.

"This statement was very civilized. It expressed and reflected his highness Sheikh Sabah's ethics, feelings and tolerance. I send Sheikh Sabah all (my) affection and appreciation," he added.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chief, earlier said he was looking to start a new era in ties with Kuwait.

"I hope that the chapter of pain in the Palestinian-Kuwaiti relations will be closed and that a new page and a new era will start to restore trust to the historical ties that bond the two leaderships and peoples," he said in comments published in Al-Rai Al-Aam daily.

Information Minister Mohammad Abul Hassan, in a statement to the daily Al-Watan, described Abbas a "friend of Kuwait," and said the emirate would formulate its future policy toward the new Palestinian leadership on the basis of what transpires during his visit.

"The visit will help restore bilateral relations to their normal level ... The interests of Kuwait require that we close the Iraqi invasion implications," the liberal daily Al-Qabas said in a front-page editorial.

Abbas visited Kuwait last May in his personal capacity to address a political symposium organized by the Kuwaiti parliament. He was received by a number of senior officials.

In May 2001, the PA's official for Jerusalem, Faisal Husseini, was invited to a congress in Kuwait City, becoming the highest-ranking Palestinian official to visit the emirate since the invasion. He died of a heart attack during the visit.

The Palestinian delegation included in addition to Abbas, the interim chairman of the Palestinian National Authority Rouhi Fattouh, the prime minister Ahmad Qurei, the foreign minister Nabil Shaath and the Kuwaiti minister of information Muhammad Abu al-Hassan.

Hours before he headed for Kuwait, Abbas expressed his hope that a page of pain will be closed in the "Palestinian- Kuwaiti relations" and the two sides will be able to open a new page that brings back confidence to "historical relations linking the two sisterly leaderships and peoples." He explained that he will discuss with the Kuwaiti officials the economic aids. He added "we will discuss it with them and we will leave it for them to judge these matters."

Before Kuwait the Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization Executive Committee, Mahmoud Abbas visited Syria and Lebanon and described his visits as historic and successful, expressing hope of opening new chapter of relations with both states.

Abbas stressed in an interview published by the Kuwaiti daily al Rai al-Aam that the Palestinian problem needs the combination of efforts to achieve the Palestinian national project represented by the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as it capital, and the return of the refugees.

In Lebanon President Emile Lahoud underscored importance of continuing coordination between the new Palestinian leadership and the Arab states, particularly with Syria and Lebanon.

Lahoud, in a meeting with a Palestinian visiting delegation headed by Head of the PLO Executive Committee Mahmoud Abbas, pointed out that there was need for continued consultations to reach an Arab unified stance to face up to the requirements of the current stage.

The president reiterated his country's support to the legitimate struggle led by the Palestinian people for the restoration of their national rights, including the right to return home and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as capital.

The Lebanese president added that establishing a just and comprehensive peace in the region is impossible unless the international resolutions related to the region have been implemented.

Abu Mazen and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said their meetings with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Beri and Prime Minister Omar Karami were successful, adding that more visits would follow. "We know the Lebanese are committed to the Palestinian cause, and they will do all they can to improve (conditions for refugees)," Abbas said after meeting Karami.

"Coordination and consultation are the main reason for this visit. What matters to us is that we put brothers in the picture of what is going on with us, and there is a lot going on. We also wanted to hear what is going on their side," the Palestinian officials said.

Palestinian leaders called for opening an embassy in Beirut where they announced an "excellent start" for future ties with Lebanon, following a similar trip to Syria.

"We are interested ... to have an embassy here," Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei told reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

"Undoubtedly, this issue interests us ... so that it (embassy) can carry out its duty in developing our relations and relay the viewpoints of the Palestinian leadership to the Lebanese leadership, and vice versa," he said.

PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas said "I think that we have laid an excellent start for our relations in terms of consultations and exchanges of views.

"Given that we, Lebanon and Syria have territories occupied (by Israel), it is in our interest that we engage in consultations," he said.

Abbas announced that the Palestinian leadership planned a tour in the Gulf without giving details. Lebanon was the last leg of a regional tour that took in Syria, Egypt and Jordan.

Asked about a UN resolution that called for disarming foreign militias in Lebanon, Abbas said "this is just the first visit and there will be many other visits to discuss bilateral issues. Everything comes at its time."

"But not at the expense of Lebanon's sovereignty because we respect Lebanon's sovereignty over every inch of its soil," added Qorei.

Abbas also said the Palestinian leadership heard "good news" from Lebanese officials concerning measures to improve the living conditions in the camps.

"You will see it on the ground, and some measures have already started," he said, referring to last week's decision to allow the refugees to bring building materials into their camps for the first time since 1985.

During a meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, the Palestinians asked for Beirut's backing in helping them maintain internal unity after the November 11 death of Arafat.

After they arrived from Syria, Abbas and Qorei immediately went to lay wreaths at a Palestinian refugee camp cemetery south of Beirut.

Dozens of flag-waving refugees greeted them at Shatila, one of two camps where massacres took place during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

On the other hand Jailed intifada leader Marwan Barghouti called off his campaign to become Palestinian president, throwing his support behind PLO chairman and the now overwhelming favorite Mahmoud Abbas.

In a statement read out by his campaign manager Ahmed Ghneim, West Bank Fatah leader Barghouti said he wanted to act in the "national interest" and back Abbas who is the official candidate for the dominant Palestinian faction.

"I again stress my support to brother Abu Mazen (Abbas), the nominee of the movement who is a dear friend and somebody who deserves the position of president," his statement said.

"I wish him every success in his mission on the road to achieving freedom, the return (of refugees), independence, peace and national democracy."

Barghouti had been under massive internal and international pressure to withdraw from the campaign, after his candidacy threatened to split Fatah down the middle and derail hopes of progress in the Middle East peace process in the aftermath of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death on Nov. 11.

The 45-year-old firebrand, handed five life sentences in June for his part in deadly anti-Israeli attacks, angered and astonished Fatah's leadership on Dec. 11 when he announced his candidacy just hours before the close of nominations.

He has since been threatened with expulsion from Fatah and the Israeli government had made clear that they would not contemplate his early release from prison.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell had also called his nomination "problematic", while European donors had made behind-the-scenes threats to slash aid if he were to become head of the Palestinian Authority.

While Barghouti is seen as the father of the intifada, Abbas has carved out a reputation as a leading moderate and has been an outspoken critic of the militarization of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation.

In his statement, Barghouti insisted that Abbas remain committed to "the national principles", demanding among other things that he campaign for the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and for the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

He also urged the Palestinians "to hold onto the option of intifada and resistance and to combine it with negotiations".

Barghouti's withdrawal leaves the path clear for 69-year-old Abbas to sweep to victory next month. Polls had been showing him running neck and neck with Barghouti who remains hugely popular on the Palestinian street.

The radical movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad have announced that they are boycotting the presidential election. Both organizations oppose the 1993 Oslo autonomy accords, which paved the way for the Palestinian Authority.

Barghouti's change of heart came after several visits to his prison cell in recent days by some of his closest supporters, including Ghneim and the inmate's wife Fadwa.

Ghneim said that Barghouti's initial candidacy had managed to advertise the plight of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons. "By nominating himself, Marwan delivered a message reminding everybody that Palestinians are still under occupation and running elections in such circumstances is not a natural situation," he said.

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian in the West Bank, fired rockets at targets in Gaza City at dawn last Monday, and tightened the siege they imposed on the Gaza Strip and closed the Rafah border crossing point with Egypt, after two Palestinians and six Israeli soldiers were killed, while six others were seriously wounded, when a tunnel filled with explosives detonated under the fortified Israeli border checkpoint.

The latest Palestinian deaths raised the Palestinian death toll to 3,741 since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada (uprising) against the 37-year old Israeli occupation on September 28, 2000.

Palestinian cabinet Minister for Negotiations Saeb Erakat said: "The only way to stop this cycle of violence is through a meaningful peace process."

Also IOF helicopter gunships fired around six missiles at targets in Gaza City. One of the missiles hit a metal workshop that is used by Palestinians to produce munitions, the IOF claimed.

Two Palestinians and six Israeli soldiers were killed, and at least ten others were wounded, six of them seriously, when a tunnel filled with explosives detonated under the fortified Israeli checkpoint on the Gaza Strip -Egypt border.

Six were injured and hospitalised in the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, one was seriously wounded, and doctors said his life was still in danger.

Another four were moderately wounded and one lightly wounded.

Hamas and Fatah Hawks claimed responsibility for the attack and a Hamas spokesman said at a news conference that the attack was a reaction to the daily crimes carried out by the Israelis against the Palestinian people.

IOF killed 40 Palestinians during the month that followed President Yasser Arafat's death on November 11.

Hamas spokesman said two Palestinians planted 1,500 kg explosives into a 800-meter tunnel that they dug under the Israeli army post and blew it up, causing the casualties.

Immediately after the blast two Palestinians opened fire at the IOF troops. The Israeli army was quick to send reinforcement to the site. One of the two Palestinians was killed and the other managed to escape in Rafah streets.

The Fatah Hawks organisation confirmed one of its fighters, Mohayed al-Agha, was killed in the operation.

The blast collapsed several structures at the crossing and damaged others.

IOF spokesman Capt. Jacob Dallal said two explosions rocked the border terminal at Rafah.

"This was a very large, well coordinated, planned attack against an international crossing, used by Palestinian civilians to cross into Egypt," Dallal said, adding that the crossing would be closed until further notice.

In retaliation, Israeli Apache helicopters opened random fire at residential houses in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, killing a 36-year-old Palestinian civilian.

The attack occurred during a ceremony at the IOF Southern Command headquarters in which a medal was posthumously awarded to the first commander of the IOF's tunnel crew, Captain Aviv Hakani, whom Palestinian activists killed in May.

On the other hand Nasser al-Qedwa, Palestinian representative at the United Nations and nephew of late leader Yasser Arafat, handed Arafat's death report to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on December 11.

Health Minister Jawad al Tibi, who chairs a committee following up Arafat's death, received the medical report in the headquarters of the PNA cabinet in the west Bank city of Ramallah.

Al Qedwa received the 558-page medical report in France two weeks ago from the French army hospital of Percy, where the file concerning the ailment conditions that leaded to the death of Arafat.

The content of the report has not been released yet.

Al Qedwa told reporters that "I think that President Arafat died poisoned, but there's no medical or political proof, so we didn't reach the reality."

He urged that the PNA must inform the Palestinian people by the reality, adding "who says that Arafat died of poison is mistaken, and who says that he wasn't poisoned is mistaken too."

"The case did not end and we will reach to the reality in the future," he said, revealing that there is a medical committee still examining the report exactly to reach to the details.

Arafat, 75, died of an unrevealed cause in a French military hospital outside Paris on Nov. 11. The PNA has asked the hospital to present a detailed report on his death.

In Cairo the presidential spokesman Ambassador Maged Abdel Fattah said that Israeli Trade and Industry Minister Ehud Olmert handed President Mubarak a message from Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon expressing Israel's wish for more cooperation with Egypt.

"Egypt is ready and open for cooperation.

We have no problem in our relation with Israel," he said. He asserted that everything would go well so long as the Middle East peace process goes well.

Abdel Fattah spoke about the current optimistic atmosphere prevailing in the Middle East, attributing it to Israel's renewal of its commitment to the peace march.

Presidential Spokesman Maged Abdel Fattah said that Egypt was taking the Israeli peace commitment seriously.

A recent visit by Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit &Minister Omar Suleiman to Israel was aimed at looking into means of helping Israel secure the holding of Palestinian elections, he pointed out.

Answering a question on a perceived positive change in Israel's stances, Abdel Fattah attributed the change to Israel's readiness to adhere to peace after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

He noted that the issue of reinstating an Egyptian ambassador to Israel was not discussed at the talks between President Mubarak and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Ehud Olmert.

It is normal to have an Egyptian ambassador to Israel but Egypt holds that the return of the ambassador should be linked to attaining progress in the Middle East peace process.

When Egypt sees that the return of the ambassador will serve the Middle East peace process, an ambassador will be back to Israel, he said.

In Washington the Bush administration has approved $20 million in direct aid to help the Palestinian Authority as it prepares for Jan. 9 presidential elections to replace Yasser Arafat.

The U.S. aid, allowed only by waiving existing law, is meant to help the cash-strapped and beleaguered Palestinian Authority pay its utility bills so its power will not be cut off, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"They are in a serious financial situation right now," McClellan said of the Palestinians. "This will help them address some of those financial issues as they move forward on holding elections and putting the institutions in place."

Secretary of State Colin Powell recommended that President Bush use his waiver authority to allow direct aid to the Palestinians, which is now on hold because of longstanding U.S. concerns about corruption in the leadership ranks of the Palestinian Authority, and Bush agreed, McClellan said.

Earlier this year, the administration contributed $127 million to Palestinians. Last year, $20 million was given directly to the Authority.

Of the new round of funding, McClellan said the administration has "great confidence in the ability of those funds being directed toward the purpose for which they are designated."

"This contribution of financial assistance hopefully will send a signal to other nations as well that they should help the Palestinian people as they move forward on conducting these elections," he said.

The White House also welcomed an agreement between the Palestinians and Israel on the logistics of the elections.

"That's a positive and constructive step forward," McClellan said.

Meanwhile the UN electoral personnel are arranging to open two offices in the West Bank city of Ramallah and Gaza city to help organize January 9 presidential elections, spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

The UN offices will coordinate the hundreds of international observers who are expected to participate in the process, and will certify and accredit organizations that want to observe the elections, Eckhard added.

The UN will draft a code of conduct for these organizations, which will issue their own separate statements based on their observation. Since the UN is heavily involved in the organization of the presidential ballot, it will not be acting as an observer.

The senior international advisor to the Palestinian Central Electoral Commission is UN electoral expert Pascal Soto, who has worked in various capacities in the electoral field for over a decade.

On the other hand French Foreign Minister Michael Barnier said that the year 2005 must be the year of peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.

He said that the withdrawal from Gaza must be an initial stage of a march that could lead to the establishment of two Palestinian and Israeli states.

He said there is a new sitiuation in the Middle East through which peace could be established.

He said that Europeans adopt a unified stance towards the need for solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

He said that Europeans were prepared to go ahead with the peace march not only by offering money but rather by going ahead with all steps of the march.

He said that France suggests accelerating the implementation of the time table provided in the Roadmap for launching the final stage negotiations.

He expressed hope that the international conference on peace in the Middle East suggested by France long time ago would be held soon in order to seize the current peace opportunity because of the acceleration of events.