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Palestinians Storm Intelligence HQ, Demand Real Reforms
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Palestinian gunmen in a demo protesting the appointment of Moussa Arafat
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By
Mostafa Al-Sawwaf, IOL Correspondent
GAZA
CITY, July 18 (IslamOnline.net) Palestinian gunmen shot their way
late Saturday, July 17, into the headquarters of the Palestinian
intelligence in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis
protesting the "cosmetic changes" introduced by President
Yasser Arafat to the security apparatuses.
The
angry crowd controlled the one-storey building and held its personnel
and later set ablaze some parts of it and destroy four vehicles,
witnesses told IslamOnline.net.
The
gunmen said they were protesting the security shakeup made by Arafat,
who appointed his cousin Moussa Arafat, the intelligence chief, to
head the Palestinian security forces.
Hundreds
of Palestinians further took to the streets of the Strip Saturday night
to protest the appointment of Moussa.
After
a worrying security chaos that swept the Gaza Strip Friday, July 17,
Arafat overhauled
the Palestinian security system, cutting its eight services to three:
police, public security and intelligence.
Arafat
also ousted
Gaza
's police chief Ghazi Al-Jabali who was kidnapped by militants Friday
and only released after Arafat's meditation and a reported pledge to
investigate corruption charges against him.
The
Palestinian Authority (PA) declared Saturday a
state of emergency in the Strip following the kidnapping of top
Palestinian security officials and four French aid workers.
The
tragedy culminated in Prime Minister Ahmad Qoreis resignation, which
was rejected by Arafat.
Real
Reforms
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A library photo for Moussa Arafat
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The
Supreme Follow-Up Committee of the National and Islamic Movements in the
occupied Palestinian territories warned that the current chaos served
best the interest of the Israeli occupation.
The
committee heaped the blame on the PA for failing to take concrete steps
and introducing real reforms.
"The
only way out of the current limbo is to introduce sweeping democratic
reforms, combat corruption and held accountable all corrupt
officials," the committee said in a statement following an
emergency meeting.
It
noted that it is high time the Palestinians unified their ranks under
one leadership representing all factions.
Some
Palestinian experts have blamed the anarchy in
Gaza
on prevailing corruption in PA.
They
accused the PA of having no genuine desire to introduce real changes to
end the current state of lawlessness.
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