Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (49059)	6/7/2004 3:18:33 AM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793964

This sounds like Arafat is under real pressure from the Egyptians. Now if any of the demanded changes actually happen, then we will know the pressure is extreme. Arafat is trying very hard to stall until the Sharon government falls, Bush loses, anything to rescue him. As we all know, Arafat has a BIG bag of tricks when it comes to stalling. He will be sorely tempted to raise the ante by blowing up something big (literally. "escaping by running ahead" is a favorite tactic of his), so I expect Sharon to stay right in his face with threats, making it clear that in the event of a mega-attack in Tel Aviv, Arafat is going to meet the business end of an Israeli missile. ___________________________ Arafat concedes to Egyptian demands By LAMIA LAHOUD Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat answered Egyptian President Husni Mubarak on Sunday welcoming Egypt's help in Gaza. "Arafat responded to all the points of ( Mubarak's ) letter concerning the training and reorganization of the security forces," PA minister Saeb Erekat told The Jerusalem Post. Egypt will also send a delegation of experts to discuss the changes following the cabinet decision to approve the Gaza plan, Erekat added. "Arafat answered Egypt that he is willing to cooperate with Egypt on everything, as long as they can assure that Israel is serious - in return he wants of course Egypt's help to be released from the Mukatah", a PA official from Gaza said. Egypt has made several demands from the PA, which are conditions for Egypt's help in security arrangements in Gaza. Egypt's main demand is that Arafat reduce the security forces to three and place them under one command, possibly the prime minster or a senior official, an aid to Palestinian PM Ahmed Qurei said. One PA official said the Palestinians want to reorganize the police into the national security police, public order police and the intelligence, merging the preventive security with the police force. The police, including the civil defense and preventive security, will be under the command of the interior minister, while the intelligence and national security forces will have their own commander, possibly the prime minister. However, Egypt demands one unified command. Egypt also demands that Arafat replace all the leaders of the security forces with new faces. They also want a say in the choice of the people in charge, a PA official said. There is talk in Palestinian circles that Arafat will appoint intelligence chief Amin al Hindi as interior minister , should Egypt agree. Nasser Yousef and former Gaza security chief Mohammad Dahlan are also names that are being discussed, but PA sources said it was unlikely Arafat would appoint Dahlan as interior minister. Egypt, Israel and the US want Dahlan to play a major role in Gaza. Arafat, who cannot oppose the Egyptians, has asked Dahlan to help him in Gaza. He asked the former security chief, who has fiercely attacked Arafat and his leadership capability, to meet him in Ramallah, several Palestinian officials said. Over the past few days, Dahlan met with Arafat and Qurei . Arafat fought against former PM Mahmoud Abbas' decision to appoint Dahlan as interior minister, fearing Dahlan as a rival. He will, however, have no choice but to cooperate with him on Gaza, Palestinian sources conceded. The Palestinian sources said that Arafat might appoint Dahlan as deputy PM for Gaza and his security advisor Jibril Rajoub as deputy PM for the West Bank, but nothing is clear yet, and all will depend on the consultations with the Egyptians, they added. There are also rumors that Arafat will appoint Dahlan. Arafat is playing for time since he opposes the Egyptian demands, a Gaza official said. He therefore hoped the Israeli cabinet would vote against the disengagement plan. Palestinian officials in the West Bank are still saying that Sharon is trying to use the Gaza pullback to tighten his grip on the West bank, while Gazans argue that the Gaza plan will be a model for a withdrawal from the West bank. If Gaza succeeds, then Sharon will have no excuse to refuse to withdraw form Gaza, they said. Over the next months, Egypt will send several hundred security advisors and trainers to the Gaza Strip to help prepare for the IDF withdrawal and PA take over. Egyptian forces are likely to be placed along the border and the Philadelphi road in coordination with Israel. Egypt might also send observers to the airport, which is in the southern Gaza Strip . The PA is now discussing with experts if it is possible to build the sea port in the southern strip instead of central Gaza, so that Egypt can act as an observer. Such arrangements or an international presence will enable Israel to leave all of Gaza, PA officials said. jpost.com