Damascus witnessed on Tuesday meetings that focused on ways of supporting the Palestinian people in their six-month old Intifada, according to reports.
The Abu Dhabi satellite channel reported late Tuesday that the head of the PLO political department, Farouq Kaddoumi met in the Syrian capital with the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, Ramadan Shalah.
Kaddoumi’s recent visits to Syria are aimed at preparing for a visit later this month by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, where he is scheduled to meet with Damascus-based opposition groups.
In a statement to the station, Shalah said that his party has no reservation on meeting Kaddoumi, “who is not a member of the Palestinian authority, and that the meeting focused on ways to support the Intifada.
The Islamic Jihad has undertaken a number of operations against Israeli targets. Israel retaliated on Monday by assassinating Mohammad Abdul Al, a military leader of the group in Rafah. The movement vowed revenge by more attacks on Israelis.
Meanwhile, Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam and Minister of Information Adnan Imran met separately on the same day with a Palestinian delegation headed by Faisal Al Husseini, who is in charge of the Jerusalem File at the PNA. The delegation comprised Muslim and Christian leaders in the Holy City and the West Bank, according to Syrian news agency (SANA) – Albawaba.com
