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Arafat Mausoleum Unveiled in Ramallah

By KARIN LAUB | Associated Press Writer

1:45 PM EST, November 10, 2007

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat makes a victory sign at the end of a swearing-in ceremony of an emergency Cabinet at his compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah,on Oct. . 7,. A depiction of Jerusalem's Islamic Dome of the Rock holy shrine is seen in the background. (AP/Brennan Linsley)

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dedicated Yasser Arafat's sleek new mausoleum in a ceremony Saturday, drawing on his predecessor's continued popularity as he heads into peace negotiations with Israel.

Abbas aides, meanwhile, reported new difficulties in preparations for the U.S.-hosted Mideast conference later this month. Abbas called U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to complain that Israel had backed away from a promise to accept U.S. monitoring of its initial peace obligations, officials said. Israel declined to comment.

Saturday's dedication of the mausoleum, on the third anniversary of Arafat's death, was meant to boost Abbas' legitimacy as he faces a stiff challenge from the rival Hamas. The Islamic militant group, which violently seized control of Gaza from Abbas' security forces in June, maintains Abbas has no mandate to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians.

However, Hamas never dared to criticize Arafat's policies, including his involvement in peace talks, instead embracing him as a national symbol since his death on Nov. 11, 2004. In Gaza, an Arafat memorial rally on Monday is expected to draw the largest crowd of supporters of Abbas' Fatah movement since Hamas' takeover. On Saturday, Fatah supporters held several marches in Gaza, and Hamas police did not intervene.

Arafat died at 75 in a French military hospital, after spending his final years under Israeli siege at his West Bank headquarters. The exact cause of death remains unknown, fueling persistent rumors that he was poisoned or died of AIDS. Israel has denied involvement in his death.

The mausoleum, made of glass and beige Jerusalem stone, is surrounded on three sides by water, and a piece of railroad track is entombed underneath Arafat's grave. The water and track are meant to symbolize the temporary nature of the burial site, officials said, with Palestinians planning to rebury their former leader one day in Jerusalem, their hoped-for capital.

A mosque has been built next to the tomb, and an Arafat museum is to open at the site next year. The memorial complex will cost $1.75 million, paid for by public funds, said Mohammed Ishtayeh, head of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction, which oversees the project.

In unveiling the mausoleum, Abbas said he would press ahead with Arafat's quest for statehood. "We are continuing the path, continuing the pledge, to establish an independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, God willing," said Abbas.

The fate of the city, claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as a capital, is one of the most explosive issues in the upcoming peace talks.

On Sunday, tens of thousands are expected at the compound to mark Arafat's death, followed by the Gaza rally on Monday. Spreading out the commemorations over three days appeared part of Abbas' attempt to harness Arafat's legacy in the face of the upcoming challenges.

Palestinian officials said Saturday that negotiators are struggling with writing a joint document that is to serve as a basis for the peace conference, to be held in late November in Annapolis, Md. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the two sides have not progressed past the preamble of the document.

In addition, a dispute has arisen over how to implement the obligations laid out in the "road map" peace plan, which is now being revived. Under the plan, Israel must immediately freeze settlement construction and dismantle dozens of illegal settlement outposts, while Palestinians have to disarm militants and round up illegal weapons.

Palestinian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that during her latest Mideast trip earlier this week, Rice secured support for setting up a committee of top Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials to monitor implementation of these obligations.

The Palestinian officials said Abbas called Rice on Friday to complain that Israel has since backed off the idea of the oversight committee, in which the U.S. would be the final arbiter of disputes.

The Palestinians maintain they have started meeting their road map obligations, including a crackdown on militants, but that Israel has done nothing so far. Israel says the Palestinians haven't done enough to rein in militants.

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AP writers Mohammed Daraghmeh and Dalia Nammari contributed to this report.