Khatami confers with al-Qaddoumi

The Iranian radio said on Sunday that the Iranian President Muhammad Khatami on Saturday evening received the chairman of the PLO political department Farouk al-Qaddoumi, currently visiting Tehran.

The radio quoted al-Qaddoumi as saying following the meeting that the " recent Israeli massacres against the Palestinians are unprecedented," in remarks in particular to the Israeli massacres in Jenin. Al-Qaddoumi said that these operations had proved that Israel has been working since the beginning of the Intifada in April 2000 to oppress the Palestinians, humiliate them and to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure. He stressed that Israel only understands the language of force.

The radio also quoted the Iranian President as praising the heroic struggle mounted by the Palestinian people to liberate their lands and restore back their usurped rights and also his condemnation of certain super power's backing to a regime which pursues an expansionist policy, in remarks to the US. The Iranian president considered supporting the Palestinians as a national duty.