Imprisoned PA official responsible for murder of 5 cheers Israeli death toll of 66 as “a good count”

Interview with Marwan Barghouti, Secretary General of Fatah in the West Bank:

Question: “Are the means of expression for rejection [of Israel -ed] now developing beyond stones – for example, to weapons?”

Marwan Barghouti: “The armed struggle is now part of the Intifada. It is not limited just to stones. Since the beginning of the Intifada 66 [Israelis] have been killed, and 614 more have been injured, and that is a good count.”

Question: “People say that the Intifada will expand during the [upcoming Israeli PM Ariel] Sharon era, and that the count will improve.”

Barghouti: “We will try to break him on the very issue of security, because Sharon was elected on the strength of security.”

Question: “How [will you do this]?”

Barghouti: “We won’t go into details; that’s enough.”

Question: “Did the Lebanese Hezbollah activate a squad among you, as the Israelis claim?”

Barghouti: “We maintain general cooperation with them, but I don’t know if they had a squad among us. In any event, they always carry out their obligation, and therefore we salute them and always support their position.”

[Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper in London, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 1, 2001]