Sharon is the Israelis' last bullet'

[dArKeR]

Marwan Barghuti, found guilty by an Israeli court on several counts of murder on Thursday, is one of the main inspirations behind the intifada and remains Yasser Arafat's natural successor in the eyes of many Palestinians.

The Tel Aviv district court found Barghuti guilty of four of the 37 charges against him, in the highest-level "terror trial" held since the uprising broke out in September 2000.

He was found directly responsible for the deaths of four Israelis and a Greek Orthodox monk in three separate attacks, prompting the prosecution to recommend five life sentences and another 40 years in jail for an attempted attack.

Barghuti, who denied all charges, is due to be sentenced on June 6, which will also be his 45th birthday.

Raising his cuffed hands as he walked into the courtroom, Barghuti said: "My future is not important, even if I die in prison. The day of my freedom will come when the Palestinian people are freed from the occupation."

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=66630