U.S. goal: Keep arms from Palestinians

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The next stage of the U.S.-Israeli strategy for containing Palestinian terrorism will cut off Yasser Arafat from the wherewithal for building up, replenishing and arming his militias and terror groups, reports DEBKA-Net-Weekly.

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As Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon prepares to meet with President Bush on Thursday, the United States is focusing on stemming the tide of weapons to the Middle East supplied by the "axis of evil" – Iran, Iraq and North Korea.

The axis nations are the chief suppliers of weapons to Syria, Hezbollah, al-Qaida fighters sheltering in Lebanon and Syria, the Hamas, the Jihad Islami and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Arafat's Fatah, Tanzim, al Aqsa Brigades and presidential guard, Force 17, have not been formally listed, but they are already being treated in Washington as though they have been, according to DEBKAfile.

The Israeli navy and air force have been integrated with Turkey and Germany in the U.S.-led operation to seal off the terrorists' smuggling routes that were exposed when Karine-A was seized a month ago.

DEBKAfile's military sources report that the United States is finishing building new bases and the deployment of the units required for throwing a naval and air blockade around the eastern Mediterranean shoreline, the east coast of Africa, the Persian Gulf and its approaches and the Red Sea.

It is designed inter alia to seal off the routes for transferring Palestinian, Hezbollah and al-Qaida fighting strength from Lebanon and the Persian Gulf to the Gaza Strip and West Bank, as well as choking off the Palestinians' supplies of such war materials as guns, explosives, rockets and mortars from Lebanon, the Balkans, Iran and the Persian Gulf.

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Israel is taking part in the air and naval siege under preparation by the United States, Turkey, Oman and Jordan, as well as joining Jordan in sealing the overland routes across their countries and Palestinian areas against the passage of terrorists and illegal arms.

All of this leaves Arafat high and dry in Ramallah for the foreseeable future.

DEBKAfile's political sources maintain that both these speculations are totally false.