January 21, 2006	Saturday	Zilhaj 20, 1426

DAMASCUS, Jan 20: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met the leaders of 10 radical Palestinian movements, including Islamic Jihad and Hamas, here on Friday.

Mr Ahmadinejad said he ‘strongly supports the Palestinian people’s struggle’ during the meeting, according to Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) official Maher Taher.

Mr Taher said the militant chiefs pledged to Mr Ahmadinejad that the ‘Palestinian resistance and struggle would continue’ against Israel.

“We expressed our solidarity with Syria, which is under pressure due to its national positions, as well as with Iran which has the right to possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” he added.

Islamic Jihad chief Abdullah Ramadan Shala, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and PFLP-GC leader Ahmed Jibril were among those at the meeting, Mr Taher said.

The meeting came one day after Islamic Jihad claimed a suicide attack in Tel Aviv that wounded 19 people. Israel blamed Tehran and Damascus for supporting the attack.

“The attack was financed by Tehran, planned in Syria and carried out by Palestinians,” Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz was quoted as saying by a ministry official.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad did not attend Mr Ahmadinejad’s meeting with the Palestinian chiefs, though he and Mr Ahmadinejad met in Damascus on Thursday.—AFP