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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (40542)	8/28/2002 1:03:17 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Seem's the Press Department at State needs to read their own material, CB. From "Little Green Footballs" 8/27/2002: State Defends Arafat In June of this year, Scott Johnson wrote an op-ed for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune linking Yasser Arafat and his PLO directly to the murder of US Ambassador Cleo Noel, and to the Achille Lauro cruise ship hijacking, during which American citizen Leon Klinghoffer was murdered and thrown overboard. Before the article was published, Johnson contacted the State Department for comment: Johnson wrote June 7: "Dear Mr. Sullivan: I have been leaving messages with you and other department officers over the past day or two seeking any information about department efforts to bring to justice Yasser Arafat and others involved in the 1973 assassination of former American Ambassador to Sudan ... Cleo Noel and his charge d'affaires, George Cullis (sic) Moore. Attached is the op-ed style piece I have written on the subject, including criticism of the department for its apparent inaction over the past 10 years regarding its own former officers. If my assertions regarding the department's inaction are wrong, I would like to rewrite the piece to make it accurate. I wonder if you would be willing to take a moment to review the piece and provide me with any information on behalf of the department if I am mistaken. I intend to circulate the piece for publication at the end of the day today. Many thanks for your consideration. Scott W. Johnson." Later that day Gregory W. Sullivan, deputy director of press affairs for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, responded with an angry defense of Yasser Arafat, denying all evidence of Arafat's involvement in the murders: "I can't say I'm impressed with your research or argumentation. You're obviously writing a piece designed to elicit a certain reaction rather than one based on factual accounts or actual comments made by the U.S. government. I really don't have the time to do the research for you, but I do find myself compelled to point out two factual errors on which you base much of your argument: "1) The Palestine Liberation Front, a group that broke away from the PFLP-GC, was the terrorist group that conducted the Achille Lauro hijacking and the murder of Leon Klinghoffer, not the P.L.O. "2) Evidence clearly points to the terrorist group Black September as having committed the assassinations of Amb. Noel and George Moore, and though Black September was a part of the Fatah movement, the linkage between Arafat and this group has never been established. "If you're interested in constructive discussion of Mr. Arafat's role in the violence and terror that has plagued the region, I'd be happy to discuss with you further, but from what I've seen of your work, and the low regard you have for the U.S. government, I suspect you're not." Unfortunately, Mr. Sullivan seems to be misinformed; the PLO's own web site lists the Palestine Liberation Front as one of its "Members of the Executive Committee and Palestine Central Council (PCC)" And see the article linked above for evidence of Arafat's involvement in the Cleo Noel murder. Your State Department at work, folks, looking out for American interests around the world. littlegreenfootballs.com