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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rrufff who wrote (8099)	11/23/2004 9:26:10 AM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu	Respond to of 32591

(So what is different ?) - Abbas: I won't give up demand for right of return of refugees By The Associated Press PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas told the Palestinian parliament Tuesday that he would follow in Yasser Arafat's footsteps and demand that Israel recognize the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. Abbas spoke a day after the ruling Fatah movement chose him as its candidate in January 9 elections for Palestinian Authority chairman. But the Fatah "young guard" said Tuesday that they would challenge the decision to name Abbas as Fatah candidate in the elections. The speech marked the first time since Arafat's death November 11 that Abbas outlined his views on the conflict with Israel. Abbas' ideas about a peace deal with Israel have always been close to those of Arafat: a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as a capital, and Israeli recognition of the right of return of some four million refugees and their descendants. Israel has said it is willing to repatriate a few thousand refugees as a good-will gesture, but that the majority of refugees must be taken in by a future Palestinian state. At a memorial ceremony for Arafat at the Palestinian parliament, Abbas said he would walk in the footsteps of the late Palestinian leader. "We promise you [Arafat] that our heart will not rest until we achieve the right of return for our people and end the tragic refugee issue," he said. Young guard wants Barghouti Some of the Fatah rebels are pushing for Marwan Barghouti, the Tanzim leader currently serving five life sentences in Israel, as the movement's candidate to replace the late Yasser Arafat, arguing that the popular Barghouti has a better chance of winning. Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, said her husband would decide early next week whether to run as an independent. Abbas, 69, represents the older group of politicians who returned with Yasser Arafat from exile in 1994, while Barghouti, 45, leads the Fatah activists who grew up in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The outcome of the power struggle between the younger and older generation could well determine the next Palestinian leader. Arafat, who died November 11, held three top jobs - PLO chief, leader of Fatah and PA chairman. Immediately after his death, Abbas was chosen as PLO chief. If he is also elected as Palestinian Authority leader, he would be transformed from interim leader to Arafat's successor. The decision to nominate Abbas was made Monday evening by 13 members of Fatah's Central Committee, which is dominated by the old guard. Palestinian Cabinet minister Kadoura Fares, a Barghouti loyalist, said the Fatah candidate should be chosen in a much larger forum. But other members of the young guard said they are ready to recognize Abbas. Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha?ath urged Barghouti not to run. "I think Marwan Barghouti is a disciplined man. He is committed to the decisions of Fatah," Sha?ath said. "Marwan will have an important role in the future." Abbas served as Arafat's first prime minister in 2003. However, he resigned after just four months in power, frustrated with Israeli policy and Arafat's refusal to grant him real power.

To: rrufff who wrote (8099)	11/23/2004 11:20:46 AM
From: lorne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM Online petition supports Fallujah Marine Letter to Congress says man should not be punished for shooting insurgent November 23, 2004 An online petition addressed to Congress supporting the Marine who shot a wounded enemy fighter in a mosque – a controversial act caught on videotape and broadcast worldwide – has received over 150,000 signatures, according to records on the hosting site. The petition, petitiononline.com created by Alan Swinney, calls on Congress to urge the Pentagon, which is investigating the incident, to spare the Marine shooter from any punishment. "It is my opinion that NOTHING should happen to this American Marine," states the petition. "He should be returned to his unit or be given an honorable discharge. We don't need our young men and women taking an extra second to decide if its right to shoot an enemy terrorist when that could mean that one of our soldiers could lose their life. The lives of our soldiers should be the single most important factor in this war against terrorism. The rights of terrorists can come second." The petition points out that terrorists do not follow the rules of war: "These terrorists kill innocent women by disemboweling them, cut of the heads of innocent truck drivers, detonate car bombs in crowds full of innocent people, and fly planes into buildings filled with innocent Americans." As WorldNetDaily reported, on Nov. 13, freelance camerman Kevin Sites, who was working for NBC, shot footage of the incident, which involved a Marine from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. From the dialogue on the footage, it appeared the Marines were unsure if the insurgent was dead or faking death. A Marine in the same unit had been killed just a day earlier when he tended to the booby-trapped dead body of an insurgent. The Marine seen shooting the Iraqi insurgent had himself been shot in the face the day before, but quickly returned to duty. Sites posted on his blog over the weekend: "The Marine who fired the shot became aware that I was in the room. He came up to me and said, 'I didn't know, sir – I didn't know.' The anger that seemed present just moments before turned to fear and dread." Retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Bob Maginnis believes the incident needs to be put into context. He told AgapePress that many of the enemy in Iraq, after they were wounded, were "still continuing to fire and to throw grenades at us and to do everything they could to kill us. That has to be put into perspective, given the nature of what we're dealing with here." The Army veteran also noted, "The Marine, just the prior day, had been wounded himself going into a firefight in a house. Perhaps he was a bit trigger-ready." Fallujah insurgents have often broken the rules of warfare, as evidenced by another incident over the weekend. On Saturday, insurgents waved a white flag of surrender in the war-torn city before opening fire on U.S. troops and causing casualties, a Marine spokesman said. worldnetdaily.com