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It's a shame really. I hope these will suffice. JERUSALEM, July 31 -- Palestinian fighters set fire to two Palestinian Authority buildings in the northern West Bank city of Jenin early Saturday, accusing officials of collaborating with Israel, according to the group's commander.
The attacks were led by Zakaria Zbeida, the leader in Jenin of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed faction affiliated with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah political movement.
Zbeida and about a half-dozen of his men broke into the office of the newly appointed administrative governor at about 3 a.m., poured gasoline on desks and set offices ablaze while a cameraman from al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite network, filmed the attack. The group then torched the offices of the Palestinian intelligence services.
The attacks were visible evidence of the growing conflict between the armed fighters and political leaders within Fatah. A series of more violent attacks by al-Aqsa members took place two weeks ago against Palestinian Authority police stations in the Gaza Strip, prompting Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia to submit his resignation.
Zbeida accused the Palestinian intelligence services of assisting Israel in hunting down Palestinian fighters, becoming the first militant leader to openly confront the government with that allegation. Such rumors have circulated for months in Jenin and Nablus, where Israeli raids and assassinations of fighters have been relentless.
"This message is directed to the intelligence service, to stop them from pursuing the wanted people and collecting information about them," Zbeida said in a telephone interview Saturday morning. "This kind of information will be leaked to the Israelis through their security coordination."
"What is happening is a state of chaos," Qaddoura Moussa, who was appointed governor of the Jenin area last Sunday by Arafat, said in a telephone interview. "These barbaric messages are no way to solve problems." More at source: Washington Post--------------------------------------
The initiative to establish the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades took shape in phone conversations with Fatah members in all cities. It did not come about through an order from above.
It is commonly believed that this military wing of Fatah was founded in Nablus. But the four members proudly insist that it really started in Tul Karm, although they don't remember exactly when - days or perhaps weeks after the second intifada broke out.
(snip)
The initiative to establish the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades took shape in phone conversations with Fatah members in all cities. It did not come about through an order from above.
It is commonly believed that this military wing of Fatah was founded in Nablus. But the four members proudly insist that it really started in Tul Karm, although they don't remember exactly when - days or perhaps weeks after the second intifada broke out.
(snip)
Now they have gone back to the original policy of attacks only "within `67." "But if there are any more assassinations of our people by Israel, we will not honor the Green Line and will go back to attacking within the 1948 borders." They will not heed Arafat's appeals not to harm civilians.
(snip)
It is not unusual for criminals of various kinds and those with "dubious family histories" to join the nationalist movements. But how is it that they have succeeded in forcing themselves and their agenda on the entire Fatah movement, and through it, on the entire Palestinian public?
(snip)
M. was still a little jumpy before the meeting. He took the four youths' guns and warned them not to harm the Israeli guest. This is indicative not only of the real danger the meeting posed, but even more so of the reputation the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have as unpredictable hotheads.
(snip)
The presumed reason for the young man's actions was to send a threat to the Fatah official, who had joined the Preventive Security under its new commander, Zuhair Mansara. Among the jobs of the Preventive Security is to find ways to control these hotheads "who have weapons instead of brains."
The question of who sent him to make the threats remained unanswered. Source: Amira Hass Ha'aretz--------------------------------- Although other militant groups, as well as Fatah, agreed to a temporary suspension of attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in June 2003, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades has not. Source: BBC--------------------------------
"The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Fatah fighters who raise their guns in the face of occupation soldiers and settler herds reiterate their vows of struggle and reiterate they are not committed to any agreements that try to undermine our right to escalate resistance," it said in a statement.
The Brigades are represented by Fatah at the talks.
Al Aqsa's statement was likely to embarrass Arafat, who has approved the Egyptian-drafted truce document and called for ending all attacks on Israeli civilians, including some 200,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza.
(snip)
Only Fatah has endorsed the truce proposal so far. Source: MiddleEastInfo------------------------------
Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Of the PLO-related organizations discussed in thissection, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, is the only one named as an FTO. It has been sodesignated on the grounds that it has claimed responsibility for carrying out suicidebombings against Israeli civilians. The Brigades appears to have sprung upspontaneously, after the start of the latest Palestinian uprising, reportedly formed byTanzim or other Fatah activists who believe in a more aggressive approach to forcingIsrael to end its occupation. Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members say they do not share theideology of Hamas and PIJ, which purport to seek Israel’s destruction. Brigades memberssay they are interested in a peace process as long as a final settlement results in Israel’sfull withdrawal from the occupied territories and provides for the right of return ofPalestinian refugees.7 The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades does not have a well defined structure and, of thefactions discussed in this section, is the one over which Arafat would appear to have theleast political control. There is no firm evidence that Arafat selected any leaders orcommanders of the Brigades or specifically authorized its formation. According to somepress reports, commanders of the Brigades frequently take issue with Arafat, and Arafat’srepresentatives are constantly debating Palestinian strategy and tactics with the Brigades.8 On the other hand, some point to statements by Martyrs Brigades commanders and PAofficials as supporting the argument that the Brigades are under Arafat’s control. OneBrigades commander told a journalist in March 2002 that “Our group is an integral partof Fatah.”9 Other analysts quote a senior Fatah leader, Hussein al-Sheikh, as saying thatFatah controls the Brigades “to one extent or another.” 7 Biedermann, Ferry. Secular and Deadly: The Rise of the Martyrs Brigades. Salon.com, March19, 2002.
8 Williams, Daniel. A Magnet for Palestinian ‘Martyrs;’ Al Aqsa Brigades Lead New Wave ofAttacks on Israeli Civilians. Washington Post, March 7, 2002
9 Kalman, Matthew. Terrorist Says Orders Come From Arafat. USA Today, March 14, 2002.Source: CRS Report For Congress--------------------------------- I'll try to find my original source but I hope this will suffice for now. |
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