U.S. special envoy to the region, Anthony Zinni, during the weekend, called Palestinian President Yasser Arafat an unreformed liar and compared him to a "Mafia head" alike New York Mafia boss Carlo Gambino.
Zinni also compared the Palestinian security service leaders to Mafia bosses who brag about their weapons and the number of people they have killed. He made these comments in close meetings, reported Israeli Maariv daily.
In contrast, Zinni described Israeli Prime Minister Sharon in warm terms, called him a “Papa-Bear” who assisted him during his mission to the Middle East.
Sharon’s Office expressed satisfaction Saturday with the United States' decision to delay Zinni's return to the region, a decision that reflects increased pressure on Yasser Arafat.
However, Israel’s PM office stated that Israel supports Zinni's mission.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Shimon Peres was less enthusiastic with the announcement. A senior Israeli political source said that the decision to freeze Zinni's mission was “surprising” because the mission was supposed to bring about a cease-fire between the two sides and a renewal of talks. The source said that freezing the mission implies that the U.S. decided that “both sides can continue to bleed”.
Meanwhile, Arafat made an appeal Saturday to the American people, asking them to compare the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation to their own against British forces in the War of Independence.
"Did you ever accept the British occupation of the United States?," Arafat asked in an interview to the Qatari Al-Jazeera TV. "Didn't George Washington fight, along with his people, until they freed the United States?"
Arafat also called on the US Administration to return the peace envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni to the region in order to support the efforts made to end the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
