Egypt postpones Cairo talks at Hamas' request
Date: 08 / 11 / 2008 Time: 11:22
www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33101

Bethlehem - Ma'an - Early reports from Reuters say Hamas officials have
informed Cairo that they will not be attending the conciliation talks,
scheduled to begin Sunday.

Meanwhile delegations from the Palestinian People's Party (PPP), the
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Arab
Liberation Front (ALF) arrived at Rafah crossing Saturday morning and were
refused entry into Egypt.

Egyptian border officials are reported to have told the delegations that
they could not enter the country for "technical reasons." The delegations
were turned away and told to go home.

Representatives from Hamas said they would address the issue of their
non-attendance in Cairo in a Saturday afternoon press conference.

The Fatah delegation left for Cairo on Friday, the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was expected to leave for Cairo Saturday
afternoon.

Parties were expected to sit around a table in the first stages of dialogue,
followed by committee talks to address singular issues in turn.

Early Saturday DFLP said their delegation was "looking forward to achieving
good results in Cairo."

The party's politburo chief Muhammad As-Sudi said of the coming talks "Unity
should be restored and no obstacles and preconditions must be set. National
interests should be prioritized over narrow partial interests."

As-Sudi also applauded the Egyptian efforts to heal the rift in Palestinian
political society and achieve Palestinian unity. He described the suggested
Egyptian document as good grounds for reconciliation, saying it contains
many points of common interest for all Palestinian factions.

According senior leader of the PFLP Jamil Muzhir, the party felt the
Egyptian document was a "good starting point," but said they had some points
to add.

A delegation of independent figures from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
will also head to Cairo to take part in reconciliation dialogue. These
representatives include academic and businessman Yasser Al-Wadiyya, PLC
member Rawiya Ash-Shawwa, PLC member Mustafa Barghouthi, PLC member Ziad Abu
Omar, Professor of Political Science Dr Ali Al-Jarbawi, Catholic Patriarch
Michel Sabbah, PLC member Hanan Ashrawi and businessman Munib Al-Masri.

The ALF delegation to Cairo is headed by Dr Wasil Abu Yousif, the secretary
general of the party. Other members include Nathim Al-Yousif, Bilal Qasim,
Hisham Abu Rayya and Adnan Ghareib.

The PFLP, delegation is made up of Jamil Majdalawi, Rabah Muhanna and Kayid
Al-Ghoul. Deputy Secretary General of the PFLP Abdur-Rahim Mallouh will join
the delegation along with PLC member Khalida Jarrar, Mahir At-Tahir and Abu
Ahmad Fuad from the West Bank.

The PPP delegation includes Tal'at Safadi, Walid Al-Awad, Nafith Ghneim and
Tayseer Muheisin. The party's secretary general Bassam As-Salihi will also
leave the West Bank to Cairo along with Asim Abdul-Hadi.

***Updated 12:46 Bethlehem Time