21.  Arafat himself has vowed the clashes will continue until the establishment of a Palestinian state.

22.  Arafat may have no choice but to act against the groups if he wants to retain U.S. support for a Palestinian state.

23.  Arabs and Palestinians saw the affair as another indication that his government would never negotiate an agreement for an independent Palestinian state.

24.  Arafat also claims Jerusalem as the capitol of an independent Palestinian state, and he reaffirmed his position in Norway.

25.  Arafat and Hamas had recently begun a dialogue aimed at finding common ground in the building of a Palestinian state.

26.  Arafat has threatened to declare a Palestinian state then if the promises in the Oslo agreement have not been met.

27.  Arafat needed swift progress toward a Palestinian state, which he never got.

28.  Arafat has said he would declare a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in September, whether or not a peace deal is reached with Israel.

29.  Arafat has vowed to pray in Jerusalem and make it the capital of a Palestinian state.

30.  Arafat has vowed to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state at that point.