By Khaled Abu Toameh, April 23, 2004.
Note of Likud of Holland: revealing article that shows how the PLO sees
the Oslo accords take, that required to abandon terror and change the PLO
charter (in return Israel handed over autonomy over 97% of the population of
the West Bank and Gaza). It is also revealing in showing how different the Palestinian
leaders talk in Arabic and English.
Farouk Kaddoumi, the PLO’s hard-line “foreign minister,” said Thursday that
when Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat talks about the need to
pursue the struggle against Israel, he is referring to the armed struggle.
Kaddoumi said the armed struggle was the only way to force Israel to
accept the demands of the Palestinians.
Kaddoumi’s remarks were made in an interview with the Jordanian newspaper
Al-Arab. He admitted that the PLO charter, which denies Israel’s right to exist,
was never changed.
In response to a question what does Arafat mean when he talks about the
continuation of the struggle, Kaddoumi, who is one of the few PLO leaders still
living in Tunisia, said:
“Yes, the national struggle must continue. I mean the armed struggle. In
the past we abandoned our political parties in favor of the armed struggle.
“Fatah was established on the basis of the armed struggle and that this was the
only way to leading to political negotiations that would force the enemy to
accept our national aspirations. Therefore there is no struggle other than the
armed military struggle.”
Commenting on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza
Strip, Kaddoumi said:
“If Israel wants to leave the Gaza Strip, then it should do so. This means
that the Palestinian resistance has forced it to leave. But the resistance will
continue. Let the Gaza Strip be South Vietnam. We will use all available
methods to liberate North Vietnam.”
Kaddoumi revealed that the PLO leadership has entrusted him with being
responsible for the “portfolio” of supporting the Iraqi resistance against the
US-led coalition forces in Iraq.
“There is no doubt that the Palestinian revolution supports the Iraqi
resistance and we have seen demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian
territories in backing the intifada and resistance in Iraq,” he said. “I’m in charge
of this issue and I condemn the American position.”
Kaddoumi welcomed the establishment of an armed group in Iraq named after
slain Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin, saying this would increase pressure on the
US. He described the new anti-American group as an “excellent phenomenon.”
Kaddoumi said that, contrary to what many people believe, the PLO charter was
never changed so as to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
“The Palestinian national charter has not been amended until now,” he
explained. “It was said that some articles are no longer effective, but they were
not changed. I’m one of those who didn’t agree to any changes.”
Asked about US and Israeli demands to halt terror attacks as a condition for
resuming the peace process, Kaddoumi replied: “They can go to hell!”
