1.   Other Palestinian groups, including the Islamic Resistance Movement and even Syrian-based rejectionist groups, also supported him in this.

2.   The incident followed several days of intermittent sniper attacks on Israeli forces in the area, claimed by Fatah Uprising, a Syrian-based Palestinian group.

3.   Other Palestinian groups, including Syrian-based rejectionist groups and Hamas, were obliged to follow the Arafat line.

4.   The meeting was denounced by the Islamic fundamentalist Palestinian group Hamas.

5.   The Palestinian group refrained from approving the US plan, saying that it was for the PLO to do so.

6.   Al-Fatah was also seeking a rapprochement with Damascus-based radical Palestinian groups in the Palestine National Salvation Front, an anti-Arafat coalition.

7.   Also, Arafat could alienate the Palestinian extremist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

8.   Among the Arab dignitaries in the audience were Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, and heads of militant Palestinian groups based in Damascus.

9.   America claims he maintains a costly chemical-weapons program, as well as helping to pay for Palestinian terrorist groups.

10.   Amnesty also strongly condemned Palestinian armed groups for killing Israeli civilians, shooting at Jewish settlements, and carrying out summary executions.