Syria Saturday called guerrilla leader Yasser Arafat a ‘dwarf’ and ‘midget rival,’ but Palestine Liberation Organization mediators reported progress after talks with Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam.
The state-run newspaper Tishrin accused Arafat of mismanaging his Al Fatah guerrilla group and other Palestinian institutions, and said Syria ‘would not be drawn into a conflict with a dwarf and midget rivals like him.’
The newspaper, which reflects government thinking, also dismissed Arafat’s often-stated claim Syria was actively supporting his opponents.
‘The issue remains that of Fatah and Arafat’s practices which violate the course and strategy of Palestinian institutions,’ the newspaper said in an editorial.
The remarks coincided with the opening of talks between a six-man PLO mediation committee and Syrian officials aimed at resolving the Arafat-Syrian crisis and the split within Arafat’s own Al Fatah guerrilla group.
The committee, headed by Palestine National Council speaker Khaled al Fahoum, met for six hours with Khaddam Saturday and planned more talks with other Syrian officials and Fatah rebel leaders.
‘We achieved some progress based on our common concern for the unity of Fatah, the PLO and strong, strategic relations with Syria,’ Fahoum told reporters.
He did not elaborate but stressed the committee was ‘determined to succeed’ because it had ‘no altervatives.’
The PLO mediators returned to Damascus Thursday and have since met rebel leader Nimr Saleh. But the first encounter was not productive, statements indicated.
Saleh Friday said he had rejected Arafat’s plans to pull his forces from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in a bid to avoid more friction and bloodshed.
Another rebel leader, Fatah military chief Said Moussa, predicted Friday the talks would fail. ‘Arafat does not want a solution … He is trying to transfer the conflict to Arab and international levels,’ Moussa, also known as Abu Moussa, said.
Palestinian sources said Arafat had rejected rebel demands, including calls for the establishment of an emergency committee to take command of Al Fatah until basic policy changes are introduced by the group’s General Congress.
With the mediation efforts moving at a snail’s pace, Fahoum said he would visit Moscow Monday for talks that would ‘definitely deal’ with his mediation role.
He did not elaborate, but Palestinian sources said Fahoum would seek Soviet help in resolving the conflict between Arafat and the Syrians.
