PALESTINIAN MEDIA AND OFFICIALS SAY ABBAS'S OWN FATAH KILLED 'SETTLERS'
BY MICHAEL WIDLANSKI 16 October 2005

Voice of Palestine Radio, the official voice of Mahmoud Abbas's
Palestinian Authority, declared Sunday night that both of today's attacks on
Israelis were carried out by members of the Fatah organization headed by PLO
leader Abbas.

At least three people were murdered and another five wounded-including
women and children-- in the two drive-by shooting attacks that took place
within minutes of one another: one on a group of civilians at a bus-stop
south of Bethlehem, the other on the road between Jerusalem and Nablus.

"Both armed attacks were carried out by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
which are part of the Fatah Movement," asserted Voice of Palestine, which,
along with the other Palestinian media stressed that the attacks were on
"mustawtaneen"-the Arabic word for settlers.

The murders were not condemned by the official Palestinian media or any
Palestinian officials who have generally called such previous attacks on
"settlers" a legitimate form "resistance" to occupation.

Dr. Abbas and his aides also did not condemn the kidnap murder three
weeks ago of a Jerusalem man, Sasson Nuriel, who was tortured by
Palestinian terrorists from the Hamas organization and then made to read a
"confession" that was filmed and distributed on Hamas websites.

The attacks have occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which
is often a time set aside not only for penitence but also for jihad, holy
war.

Indeed, official Mosque addresses as well television and radio shows
during recent weeks have been depicting Israelis and Americans as murderers
and as victimizers of Muslims, highlighting the need for more "resistance"
[muqawwama], "fighting" [kifaah] and "active struggle" [nidaal].

Palestinian leaders have repeatedly promised to curb violence and
curtail incitement to violence, but since Dr. Abbas came to power as PLO
chairman last December, there has been a general continuation of
anti-Israeli and anti-Western propaganda as under the late Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat.

Although Abbas has removed some "martyr videos," government-controlled
newspaper cartoons and television montage films habitually depict Israelis
and Americans as sadists.

A cartoon in the Al-Quds newspaper this month shows America turning the
Arab world into a human slab of beef with a US government stamp, while
staged "documentary films" show Israeli jailers torturing Palestinian
prisoners or Israeli soldiers gloating while killing Palestinian women and
children.
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Dr. Michael Widlanski is a specialist in Arab politics and communication
whose doctorate dealt with the Palestinian broadcast media. He is a former
reporter, correspondent and editor, respectively, at The New York Times
,The Cox Newspapers-Atlanta Constitution, and The Jerusalem Post. He has
also served as a special advisor to Israeli delegations to peace talks in
1991-1992 and as Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Public
Security, editing secret PLO Archives captured in Jerusalem.