RAMALLAH, March 24, 2007, (WAFA)-Minister of Information, Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouthi said Saturday that the torture perpetrated by Israeli occupation troops against a young from the town of Hawara, near Nablus in the West Bank and the police dog unleashed by the soldiers against the woman in Bethlehem are only a small part of reprisal racist acts exercised by the occupation forces against our people.

In a press conference held at the Ministry of Information in El-Bireh city, Al-Barghouti stated that the violence of the Israeli occupation soldiers perpetrated against the sons of our people is a sadist and unjustified violence. It launches against unarmed citizens do not carry weapons in areas completely controlled by the occupation soldiers.

Al-Barghouthi affirmed that the responsiblity is not only the aggressor soldier who unleashed the dog towards the citizen Yosra Rabia'a and biting her, but also the responsiblity of the officer who passed the order, the Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Minister of Information concluded that the government would not accept the situation continues as it is but it will appeal to international bodies to compel the occupation halting these racist practices against the unarmed Palestinian people.

M.H.(14:23 P)(12:23GMT)