Palestinians protest Bush terror tour

Source: Daily Star, 12-01-2008
SIDON: Islamic parties at the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon held a rally on Friday in protest against US President George W. Bush's visit to the region.
The protest was called by the Hamas but also attracted participants from other parties, both Palestinian and Lebanese.
"You are not welcome in Palestine," some of the banners read. "Bush equals terrorism," said others.
Bassam Hammoud, an official with Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya, said Bush's visit was not aimed at either ensuring Palestinian statehood or protecting the refugees' right of return.
"Bush's visit has come to wipe out those rights and impose the Zionist vision," he said.
Hammoud urged Palestinian factions in Lebanon to unify their efforts in a bid to foil any attempts to instigate strife inside refugee camps, and to be "totally" neutral when it comes to Lebanon's internal issues. He also urged Palestinians to hold an "unconditional internal" dialogue that puts an end to the current discord between Hamas and Fatah and places people's interests above all foreign interference and US "diktats."
Hamas' representative in Sidon, Abu Ahmad Fadel, also slammed Bush's visit, describing it as "ill-omened."
"Bush's visit is nothing but an attempt to give the Zionists freedom to exert pressure on the Palestinians," he said.
Fadel said the Palestinians in Lebanon do not interfere in the country's internal affairs.
"Palestinian refugee camps are part of Lebanese security," he said. "We hope that the crisis plaguing Lebanon will be resolved soon so this country can recover its normal life."