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"...even the wicked get worse than they deserve." - Willa Cather, One of Ours

Thursday, April 22, 2004

Arafat Expels 20 Militants From Compound

Associated Press

Yasser Arafat expelled 20 wanted militants from his compound Thursday out of fear Israel planned to break in and snatch them, a further sign that the Palestinian leader worries he might be Israel's next target...

...about 40 fugitives from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militia affiliated with Arafat's Fatah movement, sought refuge in the compound, hoping Arafat's presence would deter Israel from coming after them.

Last summer, amid persistent Israeli demands, Arafat threw the men out, but 26 of them returned to the compound in recent months...

They sought refuge in a filthy, half-demolished back room with a collapsed wall covered by a blanket. About a week ago, five of the most wanted militants were thrown out after Israel threatened to raid the compound and get them, "even if they are hiding in Arafat's drawer," a Palestinian security official said on condition of anonymity.

About 3 a.m. Thursday, Arafat, apparently spurred by the movement of Israeli troops in Ramallah on Wednesday night, personally visited the 20 remaining militants and demanded they leave immediately, according to one of them, Ali Barghouti.

"We became fugitives to defend (Arafat) and now that we have become a burden, he is throwing us away...
Here is another data point proving the validity of the Rational Actor Theory. That even a self-absorbed nut like Arafat can make a difficult political decision when his survival is at stake. No matter how irrational a political leader appears to be, if you directly threaten his survival, he will accommodate a not unreasonable demand.

ORIGINAL ITEM: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/
Posted by: Zayphar / 4/22/2004 11:13:00 AM
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