Radical Palestinians slam talks in U.S.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (Reuters) -- Radical Palestinian groups in Lebanon Wednesday denounced current peace talks in Washington as a new attempt to end the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation before it had achieved its goals.

An alliance of seven Palestinian factions issued a statement saying the talks were "part of the ongoing attempts to abort the Intifada and serve the terrorist Barak," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

The alliance groups the Islamic Jihad, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), the Fatah Uprising and other factions. They all oppose any peace settlement with Israel.

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators began talks in Washington Tuesday on how to end clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians that have killed at least 332 people, mostly Palestinians, since late September.

The statement urged Palestinians to continue fighting Israel and rejected any move to naturalize Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. "Our people reject all plans to naturalize them and will continue fighting until all Palestine is liberated," it said.

Israeli officials have said Barak is willing to offer the Palestinians more West Bank territory in return for flexibility over the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral lands.

Lebanon said last week that it would not naturalize the 360,000 registered Palestinian refugees who fled to Lebanon during the 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israeli wars, and insisted that they go home.

Lebanon denies Palestinian refugees most civil rights and regards them as a potential threat to the fragile sectarian balance struck after the country's 1975-90 civil war.

Barak, who resigned on Dec. 10 amid the worst Palestinian-Israeli clashes in years, is facing a prime ministerial election within two months and needs a peace deal with the Palestinians to boost his chance of victory.

A Palestinian-Israeli summit at Camp David in July broke down over differences on issues such as the fate of Jerusalem and refugees.

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