Zinni denies to have described Arafat as 'mafia god father'

The Jerusalem Post said on Monday that the American mediator to the Middle East Anthony Zinni has denied statements made by the Israeli dailies which said he had described the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat as a "mafia god father."

Zinni told the English language daily these are mere "lies made by sides that want to undermine our efforts to establish peace."

The Jerusalem Post stressed that Zinni had denied he was in Washington last week and he does not know the source of what published by Maareve.