Tension grips Arafat regime as internal firefights reported

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Thursday, December 6, 2001

GAZA CITY — The Palestinian Authority is coping with rising tension as renewed clashes have erupted between security forces loyal to Yasser Arafat and Islamic militants.

The situation has alarmed Egypt, which sent its foreign minister to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Middle East Newsline reported.

On Thursday, the PA was scheduled to stage a rally in support of Arafat amid reports of dissent within the Palestinian leadership. The rally was organized by Fatah, which announced that Palestinian attendance is compulsory.

"Participation in the rally is a national duty in the face of attempts to target the PA and Arafat," a Fatah statement said.

On Thursday, PA security officers again clashed with armed Islamic militants outside the home of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City.

Palestinian sources said 1,500 Yassin followers threw rocks at security forces, which was followed by an exchange of fire between the two sides.

Earlier, an Islamic demonstrator was killed and three others were injured in a shootout outside Yassin's home. On Wednesday evening, thousands of militants tried to prevent PA police from taking control of Yassin's home and a shootout erupted. Demonstrators then torched a police car.

PA officials said Yassin had been placed under house arrest and officers were trying to limit visitors to his home. This included a ban on Yassin from speaking to journalists. Earlier, Yassin had severely criticized the PA in a television interview.

For his part, Arafat has been in constant touch with Western leaders to prevent an Israeli military blow that could topple his regime. But Western diplomats and relief personnel have not ruled out such a prospect and the United Nations has begun relocating foreign staffers from the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher met Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat on Thursday.

The tension comes as Arafat has launched an effort to bolster his regime. PA officials said Arafat has ordered that all interviews be approved by him.

On Thursday, the PA was scheduled to stage a rally in support of Arafat amid reports of dissent within the Palestinian leadership. The rally was organized by Fatah, which announced that Palestinian attendance is compulsory.

"Participation in the rally is a national duty in the face of attempts to target the PA and Arafat", a Fatah statement said.

For his part, Arafat has been in constant touch with Western leaders to prevent an Israeli military blow that could topple his regime. But Western diplomats and relief personnel have not ruled out such a prospect and the United Nations has begun relocating foreign staffers from the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001