Posted on 01/19/2008 11:08:43 AM PST by ScaniaBoy
A short-lived "honeymoon" between Fatah and Hamas ended abruptly Saturday when the Islamist movement accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's office of being behind an attempt to assassinate Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (right) and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Photo: AP [file]
The charges came just as Fatah and Hamas appeared to be close to launching negotiations over solving their dispute. Relations between the two parties warmed up after Abbas phoned Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar last week to offer his condolences over the death of his son, Husam, in an IDF operation in Gaza City.
It was the first time high-level contact between representatives of the two parties since Hamas took full control over the Gaza Strip last June. The phone conversation raised hopes among many Palestinians that it would pave the way for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.
The hopes grew when a senior Fatah delegation headed by Ibrahim Abu al-Naja, a top Fatah operative, visited Zahar to offer their condolences over the death of his son.
The ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip prompted Hamas and Fatah leaders to call for ending the power struggle between the two sides. And for the first time in seven months, Hamas and Fatah officials appeared together on several TV stations to call for "national unity."
But Hamas dropped a bombshell Saturday when it openly accused Abbas's office of planning to kill Haniyeh. Said Siam, a senior Hamas official, claimed that Abbas's men also planned to bomb Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV station.
According to Siam, one of Abbas's top aides, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, had personally dispatched a suicide bomber who was supposed to blow himself up during Friday prayers attended by Haniyeh in Gaza City.
Abdel Rahim reportedly promised the would-be-suicide bomber, who was arrested by Hamas security forces at the scene, that the PA would move his family to Ramallah if the operation succeeded. He also promised that the PA would rebuild his family's house if Hamas destroyed it.
The Hamas official said the would-be-suicide bomber had even prepared a videotape talking about his mission that was supposed to be broadcast on the PA's Palestine TV after the attacks on Haniyeh. He added that other suicide bombers belonging to Abbas's Fatah party were supposed to carry out an attack on Al-Aqsa TV in Gaza City.
Siam also named three Fatah operatives, Ahmed Dughmush, Hassan Zant and Dafer Abu Mazkour, who had fled to Egypt after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, as being directly responsible for the botched assassination attempt. He said Hamas had briefed the Egyptian government about their involvement in the alleged plot and had demanded that they be brought to trial.
Siam, who served as Interior Minister in the Hamas government, also said that Hamas had briefed a number of Arab and Islamic countries about the details of the assassination scheme. He said several Fatah operatives living in the Gaza Strip have disappeared from their homes for fear of being arrested because of their involvement in the attempt to kill Haniyeh.
He said that the Fatah suspects were planning to issue a statement on behalf of Al-Qaeda and Fatah al-Islam claiming responsibility for the assassination.
In response to the allegations, a senior official in Abbas's office told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas was lying "to cover up for its crimes" against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "This is a new fabrication by Hamas," he said. "They want to divert attention from the state of anarchy and lawlessness and the crimes of their murderous gangs."
Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a top aide to Abbas, denied the Hamas charges, saying they were reflected the "sick mentality" of the Hamas leaders. "This is the time for national unity," he said. "Hamas does not want unity because they want to retain control over the Gaza Strip."
Fatah's armed wing, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, accused Hamas of seeking to deepen divisions among the Palestinians by accusing the PA leadership of trying to kill Haniyeh. "Fatah had nothing to do with this case," the group said. It called for putting Siam on trial for his responsibility for the killing of some 400 Palestinians in the past seven months.
Anyway good to see the vermin fighting each other, now when our governments seem to be somewhat remiss in the WOT.
Ping!
Take the Mad Mo’ and HAM out of Mohammad and what’s left?
Quote:
A Fatah spokesman dismissed Siam's allegations. "We deny any involvement or considering any bomb plot in mosques against any Palestinian figure, whether it be Haniyeh or anybody else," Fahmi al-Zareer said.
"Fatah will never use this method of killing and assassination," he added. He accused Hamas of previously killing opponents in mosques in Gaza.
----------
Stop giggling there in the back.
So, what’s this sort of thing called? It’s not a Blue on Blue.
Red on Red?
Who do you cheer for when both sides are equally nasty?
May they both be successful. And, may they both be unsuccessful. Let the killing begin. May it be comprehensive and complete.
Them on Them warfare.
I saw your thread was pulled. I should have pinged you to this one.
Anyway, a very interesting story. See also:
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2008/01/hamas-accuses-fatah-of-trying-to.html#links
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
NO PROBLEM.
Condi and Jorge are giving them all free life insurance along with a medical plan and a charge card at AK47's-R-Us.
Abbas is no partner for peace! Abbas has already made arrangement to divide funds, with Fatah, that are coming in world wide.
USA has shown to be a fool for trusting Palestinians.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
----------------------------
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.