The Palestinian Authority cabinet announced last night that \"under these circumstances\" it could not implement its High Court\'s decision to release PFLP terrorist leader Ahmed Saadat from his jail cell in Jericho. The PA announcement blamed Israeli threats against Saadat for foiling the court decision.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said yesterday that if the PA were to violate its agreement regarding Saadat and set him free, \"Israel would regard itself to be free from all related obligations.\" Israel holds Saadat responsible for planning the murder of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi last October. The PA court had ordered Saadat\'s outright release because, it claimed, \"no evidence\" was found linking him with Ze\'evi\'s murder. MK Benny Elon told Arutz-7 yesterday that if Saadat is released, he will \"hopefully be the next victim of Israel\'s targeted killings.\"
Ma\'ariv newspaper editorialized today that the \"PA’s handling of the Ahmed Saadat affair is a farce characteristic of Yasser Arafat and the Authority he leads [and] a fraud of the most perverse kind.” The editors declare, “There is no separation of powers in Arafat’s kingdom, and there is no true judicial authority... Reform of the PA will be possible only under… continuous international supervision.”
CIA head George Tenet met with Yasser Arafat this afternoon, and will meet later this evening with PA security officials. On the agenda is the matter of reforming and streamlining PA security organs. Arafat has already rejected the U.S. proposal to fire two officials: Intelligence Chief Tawfiq Tirawi, and Muhammad Dahlan\'s deputy in the Gaza forces, Rashid Abu Shabak. On the contrary: The latter will now head the forces, replacing Dahlan who will become a close Arafat aide. The U.S. says that Shabak and Tirawi must not be part of the new reforms in the PA, as they encouraged and did not prevent terrorism against Israelis.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said yesterday that if the PA were to violate its agreement regarding Saadat and set him free, \"Israel would regard itself to be free from all related obligations.\" Israel holds Saadat responsible for planning the murder of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi last October. The PA court had ordered Saadat\'s outright release because, it claimed, \"no evidence\" was found linking him with Ze\'evi\'s murder. MK Benny Elon told Arutz-7 yesterday that if Saadat is released, he will \"hopefully be the next victim of Israel\'s targeted killings.\"
Ma\'ariv newspaper editorialized today that the \"PA’s handling of the Ahmed Saadat affair is a farce characteristic of Yasser Arafat and the Authority he leads [and] a fraud of the most perverse kind.” The editors declare, “There is no separation of powers in Arafat’s kingdom, and there is no true judicial authority... Reform of the PA will be possible only under… continuous international supervision.”
CIA head George Tenet met with Yasser Arafat this afternoon, and will meet later this evening with PA security officials. On the agenda is the matter of reforming and streamlining PA security organs. Arafat has already rejected the U.S. proposal to fire two officials: Intelligence Chief Tawfiq Tirawi, and Muhammad Dahlan\'s deputy in the Gaza forces, Rashid Abu Shabak. On the contrary: The latter will now head the forces, replacing Dahlan who will become a close Arafat aide. The U.S. says that Shabak and Tirawi must not be part of the new reforms in the PA, as they encouraged and did not prevent terrorism against Israelis.