Dozens of supporters rallied in support of the Egyptian president; Fatah-controlled media call ElBaradei a "CIA agent."
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHpro-mubarak protestors(photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Dozens of Fatah supporters demonstrated in Ramallah on Wednesday in support of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.The demonstration – the first of its kind in the West Bank since the beginning of the uprising in Egypt – coincided with the attack launched by Mubarak’s supporters against anti-government protesters in Cairo.RELATED:For Palestinians, Egyptian unrest is bittersweetSources in Ramallah said the demonstration had been initiated by the PA leadership, which has banned anti-Mubarak protests in the West Bank.The demonstrators shouted slogans condemning Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei as a “CIA agent” and warned against foreign intervention in Egypt’s internal affairs.Fatah-controlled media outlets on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on ElBaradei, dubbing him a “war criminal” and holding him responsible for the Iraq war.Click here for full Jpost coverage of unrest in EgyptUntil Wednesday, the PA leadership had refrained from making public comments on the events in Egypt. However, the pro- Mubarak demonstration and the criticism of ElBaradei in Fatah’s media show that PA President Mahmoud Abbas has opted to side with the embattled Egyptian leader.Abbas was one of few Arab leaders who phoned Mubarak earlier this week to express his solidarity with him against the uprising.
