(Ha'aretz) Israeli intelligence officials are dubious of Yasser Arafat's decision to accept a prime minister. Senior defense sources believe a large gap exists between Arafat's statement and his willingness to carry it out. Arafat will postpone it as long as possible, they say. Only someone with a strong standing among the Palestinian public could be a counterbalance to Arafat, the sources say, and it is safe to assume Arafat will do everything possible to place a weak person dependent on himself in the post. Western diplomats said the Quartet of peace brokers had urged Arafat to give them a timetable by Monday for naming a prime minister and want the appointment made before any U.S. war on Iraq.
2003-02-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive