Arafat facing internal unrest

A bid by President Yasser Arafat to revamp his security forces has led to internal unrest, with at least 12 Palestinians wounded at Rafah in southern Gaza. Gunmen clashed with forces loyal to Arafat's cousin Moussa. His appointment as security chief is unpopular among younger militants who claim that Moussa is from a corrupt old guard. Moussa insisted that he would remain. Yasser Arafat has also met Ahmed Qurei for four hours at Ramallah in the West Bank in a bid to persuade the Palestinian premier to reverse his decision to quit. Qurei, who took office 10 months ago, had wanted greater control of the security services. The turmoil is some of the worst since the Palestinian Authority took control in 1994. It precedes a vote due at the UN General Assembly on Monday over the recent world court ruling against Israel's security barrier in the West Bank.