IMRA - 28 September 2004: Israel Radio reports that Riad Ali, the Israeli
Arab CNN producer who was kidnapped yesterday in the Gaza Strip and released
this afternoon told reporters that his kidnappers were from Yasser Arafats'
Fatah al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. On the very same that Arafat's men
kidnapped Ali, an official website of the Palestinian Authority featured the
item (below in full) "President Arafat Asserts Freedom of Journalism".

Ali's father called Arafat this afternoon to thank him for helping release
his son.

It was not originally thought that Arafat's men were involved and that the
kidnappers were from Hamas.
=====

On Their Day of Solidarity: President Arafat Asserts Freedom of Journalism
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_e/ipc_e-1/e_News/news2004/2004_09/169.html

RAMALLAH, Palestine, September 27, 2004 (IPC + WAFA) -[Official PA
website] - President Yasser Arafat asserted, during a meeting yesterday with
Palestinian journalists, his support to the freedom of press and its
national identity.

President Arafat, who was marking the day of solidarity with the Palestinian
journalistsd, told journalists, "you represent the free world with this
intellectual and journalistic power. You tell to the whole world that this
is a just and noble cause, sacred to all the dignified nations."

Palestinian journalists have also marked this day with a rally followed by a
peaceful congregation that marched through the streets of Ramallah City,
ending at the presidential premises, where they met with President Arafat.

Mr. Sa'eed Ayyad, member of the Journalists' Syndicate's board, opened the
rally that was organized at Ramallah's Chamber of Commerce, by a speech in
which he commended the sacrifices of Palestinian journalists and their
defiance of the Israeli occupation.

"The day of solidarity with the Palestinian journalists represents a moment

to remember those who fell dead and wounded to defend the freedom of press,"
Ayyad said, calling on the journalists to maintain the unity of their
syndicate and its professional body.

On his part, the chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Naeem
Tubasi, presented the slain journalist Mazen Tumaizi, who was recently
killed by American troops in Baghdad, with a medal of bravery while
performing his duty.

Tubasi also added that "on this day in 1996, and during the Tunnel uprising,
36 Palestinian journalists were wounded by Israeli forces, and since that
day, Palestinian journalists mark the 26th of September as a day of
solidarity and remembrance to all the sacrifices they gave to perform their
noble duty."

He also spoke about the achievements of the syndicate, mainly making
Palestine an executive member in the International Federation of Journalists
and similar achievements at the international level.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the National Institutions Bureau, Dr.
Sameer Shehadeh, valued highly in his speech the role of the syndicate and
the rest of the media outlets in the Palestinian territories in defending
the Palestinian cause and bringing it to the world.

The father of journalists Mazen Tumaizi congratulated President Arafat for
the young journalists, who proved themselves as worthy of their title at the
professional and patriotic levels, pointing out that he look upon all the
Palestinian journalists as his sons now, after his son Mazen was killed in
Baghdad.

According to the figures of the International Press Center (IPC), Israeli
occupation forces killed nine journalists during the Al Aqsa Intifada,
including two foreigners (Italian and British), in addition to wounding 400
others, detaining or restricting the work of 300 and attacking media outlets
and press equipment more than 170 times.