ARAFAT SAYS KHAMENEH'I IS BEHIND SUICIDE ATTACKS ON ISRAELI CIVILIANS
ROME 6 Jul. (IPS) Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran was openly accused by Mr. Yaser Arafat to be behind Palestinian suicide operations against Israeli civilians.
The embattled Chairman of Palestinian Authority (PA) made the charges during a meeting on Thursday with Mr. Piero Fassino, the leader of Italian Democratic Left Party, according to the Party’s newspaper "L’Unita", quoted by Mr. Ahmad Rafat, the Rome correspondent of the Persian service of the Prague-based Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty.
Iranian analysts said the extremely important and somehow unprecedented charges against the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran might have deep repercussions on the usually good relations between Tehran-Rome.
Iranian ruling conservative clerics, including both Mr. Khameneh'i and President
Mohammad Khatami, often accuses the PA and its President as
"pawns" of Washington and Tel-Aviv and firmly support and encourage
Palestinian suicide operations inside Israel and against Israeli civilian
targets.
"In the meeting, Mr. Arafat has named Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i as one
the leaders, alongside Yemen and Sudan’s, who directly assist and help
Palestinian extremist organisations", RFE-RL quoted L’Unita as having
reported from the meeting.
Though Mr. Arafat has, in the past, brought similar charges against the unpopular Iranian leader, but observers said this is the first time he had been "explicit" in accusing Mr. Khameneh’i for helping Palestinian and other Arab extremists in persisting in suicide operations against Israeli civilians.
In a recent interview with American newspapers, Mr. Arafat accused "some foreign countries" of providing Palestinian terrorist groups with finance and weapons. Though he did not named these countries, but analysts said he was referring to Iran, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Fassino met Mr. Arafat during a trip to Israel to attend the lamed Israeli Labour Party’s congress held recently.
The full text of the conversation between Mr. Arafat and Fassino was published Friday by l’Unita, saying that Arafat has named Ayatollah Khameneh'i as one of the main supporters of Palestinian extremists suicide attacks on Israeli civilians, Mr. Rafat reported.
When asked by Fassino how, in his view, one can stop terrorist and suicide operations? Arafat immediately reacted; saying, the United States, Europe, the Arab and Islamic worlds should also help.
"As a result of the United States’ pressures on both Lebanon and Syria, (Iranian supported, Lebanese) Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel stopped. I can assure you that I’m doing whatever I can and is in my power. I’ve placed under house arrest leaders of HAMAS and the Islamic Jihad of Palestine and all their banking accounts are closely checked out. But I know that what I do is not sufficient, for, people like Ayatollah Khameneh'i of Iran are behind these groups. Ayatollah Khameneh'i provides financial assistance to Palestinian extremist organisations not only directly, but also using connections in third countries such as South Africa", Mr. Arafat told his Italian visitor, adding: "One has not to look in Ram Allah or Gaza for opponents of peace and stability in the region, but also in some other capitals of the region like Tehran. The Palestinian extremists are in fact pawns playing at the hands of their Iranian paymasters. They are not defending Palestinian’s interests. I’ve told this time and again to the Americans. Now, I’m again urging you, Europeans and Americans, to not leave me alone in my fight against extremist groups".
The PA Chairman made the charges in response to Fassino’s remarks that despite Arafat’s condemnations and denunciations, terrorist attacks by Palestinians on Israeli civilians and non military targets continue unabated, saying: "I always vigorously condemn terrorist attacks on civilians, being Israelis or Palestinians. We Palestinians are too human beings and cannot accept such crimes.
When told mere condemning of terrorist operations are not enough and he (Arafat) has to explain to young Palestinians that terrorism and suicide attacks are not a solution to the crisis, Arafat replied: "I’ve often talked to HAMAS and Islamic Jihad supporters. I’ve asked Saudis to help me and urged Sudan and Yemen governments to stop their support to these organisations. Though they have assured me they would comply, but so far they have done nothing in that respect. Palestinian extremists continue to receive money and weapons from foreign powers and operate on their instructions".
In their one hour-long meeting, Mr. Fassino and Arafat also discussed other burning issues such as the future of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.
The official Iranian news agency IRNA reproduced Friday parts of the Arafat-Fassino’s talks as reported by L’Unita, but ignored his accusations against Mr. Khameneh'i.
"Quoted by Italian daily L’Unita, Arafat said the United State has ignored the solutions set forth by Arab states to settle the Middle East crisis", IRNA reported from Rome, adding that during the meeting with leader of Italian left-wing Democratic Party Piero Fassino, Arafat also said "peace does not make sense so long as the massacres of Palestinians and Muslims are going on.
So far, there had been no comment from Iranian officials to Mr. Arafat’s accusations against Mr. Khameneh'i. ENDS ARAFAT ACCUSES Khameneh'i 6702