Head of the political department in the PLO, Farouq Al-Qaddoumi called for attacks on American and European interests in the Middle East. Following are excerpts of his statement:
"The political discourse is now changing. We don't want speeches but rather acts. The masses have to translate this political discourse into action. [Let me be] loud and clear [the Arab] masses have already attacked the American ship in South Yemen and they have to act quickly to translate the political resolution into action. When we condemn - the masses should translate the condemnation into [acts] on the ground."
"Western states have to feel that their interests were damaged whether or not they are related to oil. The US and European states are directly responsible to apply pressure on Israel [in order to achieve] peace in the region after long years of occupation and empty talk... The pressure on Israel should be applied first through interests. Everything is doable. Had we decreased the oil production the European states and the US would have raged." [1]
Calls to damage American interests were sounded by Fatah activists and hinted to by "Abu 'Alaa":
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The Fatah bi-weekly release "Our Position" of early May, stated that the Arab support of the Intifada and of the Palestinian people's rights must focus on two fronts: The Arab-American front and the Arab-Israeli front. On the Arab-American front, American economic interests should be pressured by officially forbidding imports from the US or by boycotting American products that have an Arab or friendly state substitutes. The use of oil as a weapon to lower the US' inclination toward Israel... and the release of the energy of the masses and popular energies to express their condemnation of the US policy and to threaten her interests if it continues to favor Israel against the rights of the Palestinian people."[2]
The Head of the Fatah youth movement [Al-Shabiba], Abd al-Hakim 'Awadh said that "The US gives Sharon a green light to kill and repress our people in their struggle for freedom and independence... By doing that the US is shooting itself, because this policy provokes not only our people but also the Arab and Islamic nations and the liberation forces of this nation -- a [provocation] which will damage American interests in the region."[3]
Head of the Palestinian Legislative Council Ahmad Qurei', "Abu 'Alaa" said that the American position endangers its interests in the region: "The US's silence in face of the Israeli aggressions is totally inconceivable; the US bears full responsibility to what is happening... by preventing international protection to the Palestinian people, by refusing to convene the UN Security Council to discuss this issue and by keeping silent in face of the Israeli aggression... The US position will, no doubt, endanger her interests in the region.[4]
