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

To: Alastair McIntosh who wrote (59166)	11/27/2002 2:40:25 PM
From: Alastair McIntosh	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

More signs of a return to sanity? Uprising a mistake, top Arafat deputy says Associated Press Wednesday, November 27 – Online Edition, Posted at 9:28 AM EST Jerusalem — The Palestinians' armed uprising against Israel was a mistake and must stop, Yasser Arafat's deputy said in his harshest criticism of militias — and indirectly of his boss — since the outbreak of fighting 26 months ago. The deputy, Mahmoud Abbas, made the comments in a closed-door meeting with dozens of activists of Mr. Arafat's Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip last month. A 20-page transcript of the session was obtained from Mr. Abbas's office Wednesday by The Associated Press. Mr. Abbas, Mr. Arafat's deputy in the PLO, was en route to Qatar on Wednesday and was not available for comment. Several Fatah officials participating in the meeting confirmed the general content of the transcript. There has been little public debate in Palestinian society regarding the armed conflict (known as the intifada) with Israel, even though the fighting has postponed independence, left the economy in ruins and led to the reoccupation of most West Bank towns by Israeli troops chasing wanted militants. Members of Mr. Arafat's inner circle, including Mr. Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, have privately criticized the armed militias, including the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade that is a splinter group of Mr. Arafat's Fatah movement, but they have not come out publicly against bombing and shooting attacks on Israelis. In his meeting with Fatah officials last month, Mr. Abbas said the outbreak of the uprising was understandable. He said Palestinians were upset over the continued expansion of Jewish settlements, perceived Israeli foot-dragging in negotiations and Ariel Sharon's controversial September, 2000, visit to a disputed Jerusalem shrine. What should have been just a popular protest, however, was turned into an armed conflict, Mr. Abbas said. "What happened in these two years, as we see it now, is a complete destruction of everything we built," he said. "The reason for this is that many people diverted the uprising from its natural path and embarked on a path we can't handle, with the use of weapons ... such as mortars, grenades and shooting from houses and populated areas." Mr. Abbas said shooting from populated areas endangers Palestinian lives and property, because it invited Israeli retaliation. "We have to control the situation, and I don't think there is anything that keeps us from succeeding," he said. "What is needed now is to say, clearly and firmly — until here and enough." He said that "without any doubt, what we lost was big and what we gained was small." Several months after the violence erupted, moderate prime minister Ehud Barak was trounced at the polls by the more hawkish Mr. Sharon, who removed Mr. Barak's peace offers from the table and oversaw a gradual escalation of Israel's military measures aimed at crushing the uprising. Mr. Abbas said that the Palestinians missed several opportunities to reach a truce and that it would be increasingly difficult to do so now. In calling off the armed uprising and resuming peace talks, the Palestinians would regain international sympathy, he said. "Many people will be with us and support our cause," he said. He said he does not believe Mr. Sharon is serious about reaching a peace deal, but he suggested that that Mr. Sharon's intransigence would be quickly unmasked if negotiations resumed. Mr. Abbas did not mention Mr. Arafat by name, but since the Palestinian leader controls all aspects of government, the criticism was clearly aimed at him. For a time last month, Mr. Abbas had been considered a top contender for prime minister — a position reform-minded Fatah leaders wanted to create to force Mr. Arafat to share power. The initiative withered after Israel laid siege to Mr. Arafat's compound in response to a suicide attack, giving a boost to his sagging popularity. Copyright © 2002 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. globeandmail.com