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'Bush, war criminal!'
10/01/2008 14:55 - (SA)
Ramallah - Angry demonstrators in the West Bank town of Ramallah branded US President George W Bush a "war criminal" on Thursday as locals said he would do nothing for the plight of the Palestinians.
Security forces, out in force to ensure the security of the American leader on his first trip to the occupied Palestinian territory, used batons and tear gas as they charged around 200 demonstrators who were chanting "Bush, war criminal!" and "Bush out!".
While their leader Mahmud Abbas gave Bush a red carpet welcome on the second day of his Middle East tour, ordinary Palestinians were dismissive.
"I don't believe he will do anything for the Palestinians," said Mohammed Khaldi, 64. "If he wanted to really do something, he had six years for that and he didn't do a single thing."
Around 4 000 security officers sealed off the area around the Palestinian Authority compound known as the Muqata to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, with numerous checkpoints set up to verify the identification of any passers-by.
Peace process
Bush was in the West Bank on the latest leg of a trip aimed at pushing forward the peace process, which has stumbled since its revival six weeks ago over Jewish settlements and Israeli-Palestinian violence.
He had been due to fly into Ramallah aboard his Marine One helicopter but was grounded by thick fog which covered the city and nearby Jerusalem, so was forced to travel in a road convoy instead.
Armed Israeli soldiers lined the route from the King David Hotel to the Beit El checkpoint where military responsibility switched to Palestinian control as the presidential limousine hurtled along the normally congested streets.
Snipers and spotters scoured the area as security chiefs took no chances with the safety of the US leader.
But these measures, combined with Bush's failure to stop at the mausoleum of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat - usually an obligation for visiting dignitaries - angered residents.
Snub
"It is to be expected that he would not visit Arafat's tomb, because the United States are partly responsible for his death," said greengrocer Yasser Iqab, 36.
Rasha Qawas, 36, who lives near the Muqata, chose to leave her home and stay with her brother during Bush's visit and said she felt the US president had showed contempt for Palestinian tradition.
"The Americans are proud of their history and their symbols. By ignoring the mausoleum set up as our monument to historic leader Yasser Arafat, Bush is showing contempt for all our sacrifices," she said.
After meeting Abbas, Bush travelled on to pray in Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, the first stop on his pilgrimage to some of Christianity's holiest sites.
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