 Palestinian militant Marwan Barghuti would probably be unable to take office if he were to win the January polls, since he remains in an Israeli jail for the rest of his unnatural life, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday. "You have an individual who is not available to assume the office, and it seems unlikely that he would be available to assume the office," Powell told Radio Sawa, a US-funded Arabic-language station. "So it would be problematic, if he is on the ballot," Powell said. "He's been certified as an independent, I understand, and if he wins the election then you have elected someone who is not in the position to fill the office." | I seem to recall, I mean I might have this wrong, but I seem to recall that in civilized countries, mass murderers can't be president. |
The West Bank Fatah leader, who is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail for anti-Israeli attacks, filed late Wednesday his candidacy for the January 9 election to replace the late leader Yasser Arafat. "I would assume that the Palestinian people, as they make their decision in the weeks ahead, getting ready for the election on January 9, will consider the consequences of voting for Mr. Barghuti, as opposed to voting for some other candidate," Powell said. | Which means he's a shoo-in. |
"It is not for the United States to make a judgment for" the Palestinians, he added. | "Since they have this problem listening to anyone who makes sense." |
Barghuti's candidacy, made just five days after he announced he would not run, astonished and angered the dominant Fatah faction, which had already chosen the moderate former Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas as its candidate. |