Israel Official Derides Abbas' Influence

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-10-28-10-31-46

Oct 28, 10:31 AM EDT


Israel Official Derides Abbas' Influence

By STEVE WEIZMAN Associated Press Writer


JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's defense minister expressed growing frustration with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in an interview published Friday, saying he sees little chance of a peace deal in this generation.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz dismissed Abbas as "a one-man show" bereft of support from his own people. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Thursday he would not meet Abbas until he cracks down on militants, and shortly afterward, an Israeli missile strike against Islamic Jihad gunmen in Gaza killed seven Palestinians.<snip>

In response, Sharon threatened a "broad and relentless" offensive against militants, including mass arrests and airstrikes. But security officials said Israel would stop short of carrying out a large-scale military operation.<snip>


Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, has condemned the latest suicide bombing, but Israel said he must do much more. Sharon said Thursday he would not meet with Abbas unless he takes "serious and tangible action" against militants.

In his interview with the Yediot Ahronot daily, Mofaz launched a scathing attack on Abbas, saying he had become so ineffective and isolated from his people that he is not a partner for negotiating a peace deal with Israel.<snip>

So, he's not really one to talk about 'peace'. Peace. Off.

'Israelis fear war crimes arrests

Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
Tuesday November 12, 2002
The Guardian

>snip

Last month, Scotland Yard launched an investigation of Israel's new defence minister, Lieutenant General Shaul Mofaz, during his short visit to Britain.

Amnesty International has called on signatories to the Geneva conventions to put on trial Israeli soldiers "responsible for war crimes" as defined in the Geneva conventions, such as unlawful killings, torture and the use of Palestinians as human shields in Jenin and Nablus earlier this year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,838186,00.html

Show no mercy. Be like the Hun!” _ both The Sun and The Times attributed words to the Lt. Colonel which seem to command his men to ignore the rules of war and deny Prisoner of War (PoW) rights to surrendering Iraqi soldiers who had earlier put up resistance. If true these orders would be the first public breach of the rules of war in the current conflict.


http://www.bhhrg.org/LatestNews.asp?ArticleID=19

neither are the British......

I'm at a loss as to why you feel it's relevant, or adds anything to
the discussion, to make mention of utterly irrelevant 'war criminals'
especially when the nationality of the said is the same as the
nationality of the poster you're replying to - what's with that?
Not very subtle, was it? As I said before, & have probably said a few
times, I think - *forget*that*I'm*British*.

This is the i/p forum - not the anything-but-i/p forum.