Al-Jihad denies launching its operations as from Syria

The representative of the Islamic Jihad movement in Beirut Anwar Abu Taha denied in a statement to al-Jazeera satellite TV on Monday that the headquarters of the movement in Damascus are the place for launching military operations.

He said that the matter pertains to media offices that will not be harmful for the Jihad organization if they are closed because its actual existence is among the Palestinian people. He considered that its existence is linked to guaranteeing the "rights of return" of Palestinians back to their lands and homes.

An American spokesman said earlier that Rice urged the Palestinian authority peresident Mahmoud Abbas to take action against the resistance groups. He said that senior American officials are making contacts with the Israelis in order to recognize their right to defend themselves, but they have also to consider the consequences of any acts the Israeli may carry out.

However, the Israeli defense minister Shaoul Mofaz denied reaching a peace agreement with the current Palestinian leadership or for the foundation of a Palestinian state. He accused Mahmoud Abbas that "he has no authority among his people," saying that "we have to wait for the next generation (of Palestinians) in order to achieve peace and that the most he inspired for is reaching provisional agreements."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Oreikat criticized Mofaz's statement. He said that Israel carries out unilateral measures and does not want to have a partner, and that Israel's problem is not due to one persons or one Palestinian group without others or one generation without others, rather Israel's problem is with all the Palestinian people.