Habash in Cairo for the first time since 31 years

The London-based al-Hayat daily said today quoting Palestinian sources in Damascus that George Habash has been visiting Cairo since several days, in line with a "special license, he received after he had submitted his resignation from his post as a secretary general of the people's front for the liberation of Palestine."

Confirming this news of the visit was not possible because the front's assistant secretary general Abu Ali Mustafa and its spokesman Maher al-Taher are in Doha.

The sources explained that Habash was met with "great welcome" by the officials and intellectuals he met "privately" and noted his meetings with the political advisor for the Egyptian President Osama al-Baz and the renowned journalist Muhammad Hasanin Haikal.

Habash has not visited Cairo since the year 1969 because of Egypt's approval then of " Rogers project " for peace in 1970.

Other sources said that Habash will after Egypt visit Tunisia, at the invitation of the PLO political department Farouk al-Qaddoumi. The sources added that these moves by Habash have come after he had resigned from his post as secretary general.