Asylum ...Denied!

Asylum is Denied To Fatah Forces
August 4, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/world/middleeast/04gaza.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

If you're seeking asylum in the Palestinian territories, you're likely coming from a bad place. Maybe North Korea. Maybe Baghdad. This week, it's from Gaza where 200 Fatah "fighters" had first scampered to Israel, fleeing gun battles with Hamas. The article is short and offers no details about how long and where they were detained. Meanwhile, moderate Mahmoud took his time denying their request to enter the West Bank, insisting they return to Gaza, and "maintain a presence" there.

Fatah, the AP news clip tells us, "is not ready to write off Gaza". It should have been pointed out that Fatah is not ready to write off Israel.

An interesting word choice is found in the fourth and last paragraph of an otherwise boring article. The spineless Fatah fighters...err, let's just call them hired hands... are referred to as "refugees". In fact, the sentence uses a special word alongside Palestinian refugees. "The wrangling over the fate of the 188 Fatah refugees..." The "fate of the refugees"? A bunch of pinhead gunmen are outfoxed, then give themselves up at a border crossing into the nation they are truly dedicated to fighting...and become refugees.

Their fate is now in the news -- but the story won't get too big. After all, it's the Palestinians -- not Israel -- that are now asked to take in Palestinian refugees. Haven't we been here before?