Putrajaya (Malaysia), Oct 11: Grappling with political crisis and fresh clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his beleaguered prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, will not attend a major summit of Islamic countries, organizers said today. Farouk Kaddoumi, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's political department and the Palestinians' de facto foreign minister, will instead make the case at next week's meetings of the Organization of the Islamic Conference that other members should sever any diplomatic and economic ties they have with Israel.
Arafat is suffering what aides said was stomach flu and in any case is barred by Israel from leaving his bombed-out Ramallah headquarters and would probably not be allowed to return to the occupied territories if he managed to leave, officials in summit host Malaysia said.
Qureia's proposed cabinet is in question after the Palestinian legislature put off a vote of approval Thursday amid intense wrangling. An exasperated Qureia told Arafat that he no longer wants the job, but stopped short of resigning.
Bureau Report