Israeli troops block entrance to Arafat's HQ

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RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) - Israeli military jeeps sealed off the entrances to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, a Palestinian official told AFP.



"The soldiers, travelling in 15 jeeps, approached the president's HQ and blocked the three entrances to the building," said Arafat advisor Nabil Abu Rudeina.


He expressed the fear that the move was "in preparation for an attack on the president," without giving any details.


Israeli military sources said that the troops were conducting "routine arrests" in Ramallah.


"These operations have nothing to do with Yasser Arafat's headquarters, which we have no intention of entering," a military source said.


Last month Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) issued a threat against Arafat.


"I promised (US) President George W. Bush (news - web sites) three years ago not to attack Arafat, but I am no longer bound by that promise, and (Arafat) no longer has immunity," Sharon said then.


His threat provoked a wave of protest worldwide.


The United States swiftly warned Sharon to keep his promise not to harm the Palestinian leader.


Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and two other ministers then denied there were any plans to target Arafat.

How long is that weasel going to keep wasting my oxygen?

In the big scheme of things i dont think isreal would benefit from killing arafat. Ithink that isreal tries to marginalize him as a leader , but  knows that killing him would do more harm than good.Surrounding his compound and all the other bs they do is just political posturing.They have to do it to say they did something.

Quoted: How long is that weasel going to keep wasting my oxygen?

He's like castro. He hates the world so much he won't make the rest of us happy by dying.

I wonder how Yassir is going to sleep tonight?

The palis are sorta lucky I'm not Israel's leader.  The last straw would have been breached yesterday.  Walking up to a Pregnant woman and murdering she and her small children face to face would have been it.  Arafats compound would have been reduced to dust and the word spread that carpet bombing would follow the next homocide attack. You want to make war on the civillian population including women and children fine.  You called the game, but I'll play with my equipment and by my rules.  Here it is and we go until Game over.  This arafat needs to retire now.  One way, or another he needs to go.

If I were in charge in Israel, I'd divide a map of "Palestine" into small numbered squares. Every time a pali killed one or more Israeli civilians for political reasons, I'd draw a number at random on TV & radio, and, still on TV, pick up the phone and order the IAF to COMPLETELY level and burn that square. The occupants would have exactly as much warning as the IAF pilots in the ready room (or whatever they call it). One way or the other, that shit would stop.

why bullshit? kill arafat and come to terms with the painful and sad fact that there will never be peace between the two groups. then kill the next, and the next, and the next...you get the idea. ain't life grand?

He expressed the fear that the move was "in preparation for an attack on the president," without giving any details

I think one of the details he left out what what exactly he is PRESIDENT of...