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- [Beirut] Daily Star staff Thursday, December 09, 2004 [IMRA:
Nada Bakri told IMRA this afternoon that Abbas actually said
in Arabic that all Palestinian refugees must have the right to
return to "Palestine". They made the editorial interpretation
into English that "Palestine" meant the "Occupied
Palestinian Territories".] BEIRUT: Palestine Liberation
Organization chief Mahmoud Abbas said the armed struggle for
the Palestinian people is over and it is now time for the "democratic
route to liberation."
- His comments came as he warned that the Palestinian Authority
"would not able to take control of Gaza if Israel withdraws"
adding "it would lead to a civil war ... we are not ready
- security wise - to take over."
- Speaking during his historic visit to Lebanon Wednesday Abbas
also reiterated that all Palestinian refugees must have the right
to return to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in line with
UN Resolution 194.
- Abbas' comments came during his first visit to Lebanon since
the PLO's forced departure from the country in 1982.
- Referring to the two-year-long intifada in the Occupied Territories,
Abbas said "Ninety-nine percent of Palestinian people are
in favor of calming the situation down. What we have now is not
an intifada or armed struggle; we merely have the use of weapons."
- He added: "The Palestinian citizen has lost all sense
of security and well-being, so if we provide him with security,
his life is brought back. It is an equation of providing safety
in anticipation of independence. Establishing security on the
Occupied Palestinian Territories and providing security and stability
for the Palestinian people is the paramount issue in our cause."
Commenting on the death of Yasser Arafat, Abbas said: "The
departure of Abu Ammar created an expected chaos and we will
never be able to replace him."
- But he added that "the chaos which arose" created
the "need to unite and present a democratic establishment
to the international community."
- Abbas recalled the secret negotiations that were taking place
between U.S. President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice prior
to the Israeli announcement of its intended withdrawal from the
Gaza Strip.
- "Sharon told Bush that he would withdraw from Gaza in
return for keeping the settlements in the West Bank," said
Abbas.
- But, Abbas added that there were two "minor" issues
that Sharon insisted upon - keeping the West Bank settlements
and rejecting the Palestinians' right to return.
- UN 194 for the Palestinians - whether the authority, the
factions or the people - is not an issue for debate and is a
common goal, which since the Oslo Accord in 1993 was not even
ever allowed to be put forth, according to Prime Minister Ahmed
Qorei ("Abu Alaa").
- The negotiations between the authority and the numerous factions
proved the unity of their vision, which consists of establishing
an independent state and the right to return.
- "We have a common political agenda," said Abbas,
but the factions disagreed on the methods taken to implement
it.
- "The factions' major dissent, after Arafat's death,
was the swift appointment of the presidential election date,"
which has been set for Jan. 9, 2005 by Interim-President Rawhi
Fattouh.
- The Palestinian Constitution states that when the leader
passes away, an interim president must be appointed immediately
and the date for electing a new leader must be set within 60
days.
- As to the factions' statement to boycott the elections, Qorei
said they are asking for participation in the political role
and for setting a clear, common political agenda.
- "We consider this as their legitimate right," he
said, adding that "90 percent are going to participate in
the elections."
- As to Palestinian grass-roots leader Marwan Barghouti, Abbas
said he would be happy if he remains in the race.
- "In fact, I wish there were more candidates running,
because then we can show the world that we have democratic elections
and I would personally wish the winner the best of luck,"
said Abbas, who re-iterated several times that he had been nominated
by his party members.
- In response to whether he would consider extending his term
mandate if elected president, Abbas said "do not confuse
Palestine with Lebanon. I did not present myself for election,
I was nominated."
- The Palestinian Authority leaders arrived in Beirut morning
is the first step to mending the tense relations between Lebanon
and the authority.
- The visit follows a similar fence-mending trip to Syria on
Monday and Tuesday, where Abbas and Qorei held talks with Assad
and opposition groups.
- But from the reception awaiting Abu Mazen and Abu Alaa, no
such evidence of a past marked by war marred the visit.
- Qorei even stated that there had been talks with Lebanese
officials for establishing an embassy and diplomatic representation
in Lebanon.
- He added that the talks also focused on the situation of
the camps in Lebanon, stressing that the steps have been taken
to begin improving the status-quo until the refugees could return
home.
- The delegation headed straight to the Sabra and Shatilla
camps on arrival where they laid wreaths on the graves of the
victims of the Sabra and Shatilla massacre.
- President Emile Lahoud, in turn, said that Lebanon fully
supported the Palestinian people in their struggle to recover
their rights, liberate their land, secure the return of all Palestinian
refugees and establish an independent Palestinian state.
- Addressing the delegation, he added that a just, lasting
and comprehensive peace in the region could not be achieved.
- He stressed that it was important to maintain coordination
between the new Palestinian leadership and Arab countries, especially
Lebanon and Syria, to meet all challenges in the region.
- IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: www.imra.org.il
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