Multan, Sept 14: Nearly 200 members of a radical Islamic group demonstrated in central Pakistan today to protest Israel's decision to "remove" Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, witnesses said. The demonstrators, mostly youths, burned the flags of Israel and America before dispersing peacefully.

"America and Israel are the worst enemies of Muslims ... They are evil forces," Abdul Latif, a local leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party, told the demonstrators in Multan, a city in Punjab province. Last week, Israel's security cabinet decided it wanted to "remove" Arafat, declaring him "a complete obstacle" to peace.

Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, condemned last week's announcement.

Bureau Report