THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE HAMAS-LED PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY HAS WITHDRAWN FROM A NONALIGNED MOVEMENT MEETING, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED. MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SYED HAMID ALBAR CONFIRMED THAT MAHMOUD ZAHAR WASN'T ATTENDING THE TWO-DAY NONALIGNED MOVEMENT FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING, WHICH BEGAN MONDAY, BUT STRESSED IT WAS NOT A BOYCOTT. "HE IS NOT BOYCOTTING THE MEETING. I MET HIM IN THE MORNING. I HAD A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION WITH HIM," SYED HAMID SAID. THE PALESTINIANS WERE INSTEAD REPRESENTED BY FAROUK KADDOUMI, FROM THE FATAH FACTION OF THE PLO, BASED IN TUNIS, TUNISIA.
