Abu al-Abbas will be buried in Syria

An official in the Palestine Liberation Front said yesterday that the body of the secretary general of front Muhammad Abbas ( Abu al-Abbas) who died in an American detention camp in Iraq will be buried in Syria after Israel had refused to permit him into the West Bank.

Wasel Abu Youssef, the official of the liberation front in the West Bank said "after Israel's refusal to permit us to bury Abu al-Abbas in Ramullah we contacted several Arab countries and Syria responded quickly. He is to be buried at the martyrs cemetery in al-Yarmouk camp." Ismael, brother of Abbas in Damascus said that it was decided to organize a funeral of al-Abbas's body today.

A source close to the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon said on Monday that Israel will prevent burying Abu al-Abbas in the West Bank.