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Under siege
By Associated Press RAMALLAH, West Bank -- From his office window, Yasser Arafat can spot the Israeli soldiers down the street, and if the wind is right, he'll catch a whiff of the tear gas they fire at the Palestinian kids throwing stones. An incessant globe-trotter in normal times, the Palestinian leader is now under a house arrest of sorts, working and sleeping at his government compound in Ramallah for nearly two months straight as Israel tries to pressure him into rounding up more militants. Arafat's confinement has further complicated his efforts to run the chaotic, impoverished Palestinian territories in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the confrontation with his longtime rival, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, shows no signs of easing. Six Israeli tanks and armored vehicles were parked within a few hundred yards of the large compound Wednesday, part of a force that rumbled into Ramallah last Friday, contributing to an atmosphere that feels menacing one moment, circuslike the next. During the day, the tanks hang back from the gates, allowing cars to come in and out without search -- suggesting Arafat could leave the compound if he chose. But the Palestinian leader has not tried to do so since the tanks arrived Friday. Israel has not said directly it is confining Arafat to the headquarters. But Sharon and his aides have repeatedly said they won't let Arafat leave Ramallah until meets their demands in a crackdown against militants. Inside the compound's gates on Wednesday, Arafat welcomed a who's who of prominent Palestinians at his third-floor office, many arriving in luxury cars. Just outside, Israeli troops shot off round after round of tear gas canisters, driving away some 25 kids who turned up after school to hurl stones. Farther up the street, Arafat supporters gathered at tents set up outside the front gate, blasting patriotic Palestinian music. On the far side of the compound, noisy marchers waved Palestinian flags and chanted in Arabic, "Sharon, you are a jerk." When things slow a little at night, the tanks pull up close to the front gate and rev their engines, offering a military lullaby for Arafat, who has sleeping quarters at the compound. "We're under complete siege," said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, the Palestinian Cabinet secretary and a longtime Arafat confidant. "Are the Israelis waiting for us to take out a white flag and surrender? Well, it won't happen. If they kill the president today, or if they kick him out, there still won't be peace until the Israeli occupation ends." Before the tanks' arrival Friday, Arafat was slipping out of the compound occasionally to visit government ministries in Ramallah, but those steps out have since stopped. Israel also destroyed his helicopters, which were capable of landing inside the compound. Israel, which controls the roads in and out of Ramallah, hasn't allowed Arafat to leave the city just north of Jerusalem since he arrived Nov. 29. Israeli officials say he won't be allowed to move until he stops attacks, cracks down on militants and arrests suspects in the October killing of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi. "Arafat will not leave Ramallah until these people have been arrested," said Gideon Saar, the Israeli Cabinet secretary. Arafat has taken some steps demanded by Israel. He delivered a Dec. 16 speech calling for an end to violence against Israel, and his security forces have arrested dozens of suspects. One of those wanted for Zeevi's killing, Ahmed Saadat, is being held in the jail at Arafat's compound, Palestinian officials said. But Israel has dismissed the arrests as a sham and complained that the detainees are not interrogated and that the militants' bomb factories remain untouched. Since returning from exile in 1994, Arafat has traditionally divided his time between a seaside office complex in Gaza City and his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah. The Mideast violence occasionally made it difficult, though not impossible, for Arafat and his top aides to move about. And he often went abroad. The recent Israeli moves have drawn only scant international criticism, disappointing the Palestinians who readily acknowledge their dependence on outside help in the struggle with Israel.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
