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Moussa Arafat	Moussa Arafat	Palestinian Authority	Israel-Palestine				20050907
	Moussa Arafat	Paletinian Authority	Middle East				20030725

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Palestinian gunmen shoot assassinated security chief’s #2

2005-10-06

GAZA - Masked Palestinian gunmen shot and critically injured a deputy of assassinated former Palestinian security chief Moussa Arafat in Gaza City on Thursday, Palestinian sources reported. Bassam Azam, a senior officer in Palestinian military intelligence, was shot in front of his house in Gaza City, they said. The shooting was another example of increasing lawlessness in Gaza after Israel’s September 12 withdrawal from the Strip, which ended 38 years of occupation. Moussa Arafat was shot outside his home in Gaza City on September 7, several days before the withdrawal.

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Israel-Palestine

Abbas Cancels UN Trip After Gaza Slaying of Moussa Arafat

2005-09-09

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled a trip to United States for the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly next week, following the brutal murder of a former high-ranking security official. Israeli officials are concerned by a growing power struggle between the PA and militants groups in the Strip, which peaked with the assassination of former security chief Moussa Arafat early Wednesday morning. Arafat, a cousin of the late Palestinian president, was shot in the back of the head at point blank range after about 80 men stormed his Gaza city house and dragged him outside. Abbas vowed to find the perpetrators and the Palestinian Authority has launched an investigation into the killing. The group which initially said it had carried out the killing withdrew its claim of responsibility yesterday. “After a thorough investigation into the issue of assassinating General Arafat we announce that we are not responsible for the assassination or kidnapping his son,” said a leaflet signed by the group and sent to reporters yesterday. "We've changed our minds. It wasn't us. That was somebody else we bumped off, and that young fellow in the basement is somebody else's kid... Officials at Abbas’ headquarters in Gaza City said yesterday that a second reason for canceling the journey was that the Palestinian leader wanted to be present in the Gaza Strip next week to oversee the transfer of control of Israel’s evacuated settlements to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve the start of the military pullout from the Gaza Strip on Monday. The army hopes to complete the withdrawal within 24 hours. The Israeli Army launched a clean-up operation yesterday, with 1,500 soldiers sent to the evacuated settlements to collect waste. The soldiers combed public buildings and synagogues — the only buildings that have not been demolished — for any equipment or items of value left behind, an army spokeswoman said. The army also closed the Rafah border passage between Gaza and Egypt, ahead of transferring control of the terminal to the Egyptians and the deployment of Egyptian troops along the so-called Philadelphi route along the Gaza-Egypt border. Under an Egyptian compromise proposal, the Rafah terminal will remain closed for six months of repairs, and people and goods will leave and enter the Gaza Strip to and from Egypt via the Israeli terminals at Kerem Shalom and Nitzana.

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Israel-Palestine

Abbas to Hunt Security Chief's Killers

2005-09-08

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas vowed to hunt down the killers of a powerful former security chief whose gangland-style slaying Wednesday laid bare Gaza's raging power struggles just days before Israel hands over control of the coastal territory. I'd also say it laid bare Abbas' own impotence, as well as that of the Paleostinian Authority. I'd also guess that he's just passing verbal gas and doesn't have the capability of actually doing anything about it. Maybe in a couple years, if he lives... In a brazen challenge to Abbas, a shadowy militant group claimed responsibility for killing Moussa Arafat, cousin of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, in a burst of gunfire. About 100 masked militants stormed Moussa Arafat's heavily guarded home in an upscale Gaza City neighborhood early Wednesday, sparking a 30-minute gunbattle with dozens of his bodyguards. The assailants burst into the home, dragged out Arafat in his pajamas and gunned him down in the dusty street. Arafat's oldest son, Manhal, a senior security commander, was kidnapped by the gunmen. Officials said negotiations, brokered by Egyptian security officials, were under way to secure his release. The whole family seems to be in the ruling business. There could only be one Yasser, of course, so the rest of the family got to be "senior security commanders." The killing raised new questions about the Palestinian Authority's ability to take control of Gaza after Israel completes its pullout next week. Actually, I'd say it answers the questions. They've been raised since long before Yasser became stable... It occurred a block from the headquarters of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service, ... which has so far failed to prevent anything at all... which failed to respond, "Captain Mahmoud! They're gunning Moussa down in the street a block away!" "Ignore it, Ahmed! Look at the sign. It sez Preventive Security. How ya gonna prevent it if it's already happened?" "Right. Maybe I'll just make a donut run." and 400 yards from Abbas' Gaza residence, where he was spending the night. Palestinian officials said they viewed the killing as an attack on the government. "This is a very dangerous act," said Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia. I wonder if it took him all night to figure out that gunning prominent public figures down in the streets is a "dangerous act." Abbas met with top security officials, placed his forces on high alert and said he would track down the killers. "This crime does not stop his efforts to maintain law and order," said a statement issued by Abbas' office. Doesn't help them much, though...

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Israel-Palestine

Moussa Arafat visits Himmler

2005-09-07

Gunmen in Gaza shot dead former Palestinian security chief and local strongman Moussa Arafat, a cousin to late leader Yasser Arafat, after storming his home on Wednesday, police and medics said. The killing of Arafat, who remained an adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas, came as another sign of the factional turmoil in the territory, from which Israeli troops are due to withdraw this month following the evacuation of settlers. Yeah. Y'gotta look pretty hard, but those signs are there to the discerning... Police at Arafat’s home said he had been dragged from his home by gunmen and then executed on the street outside. Blood spattered the street. Doctors said Arafat was dead on arrival at Gaza’s main al-Quds hospital. Even the RAB couldn't have done it this well! Arafat, a major-general, had been head of the powerful military intelligence, but he was fired in April as President Abbas cleaned out Yasser Arafat’s old guard under pressure to clean up corrupt and ineffective forces. "Moussa, yer fired!" To contain Arafat’s fury at being sidelined, Abbas retained him in the position of pre-cadaver special security adviser. "Youse can't do dat to me! I got minions, y'know!" "Really, Moussa, you'll like Paris!" "I ain't goin' to no damned Paris!" "Mustapha, I tried to reason with him. He wouldn't listen." "I'll call the goon squad, boss!" Arafat had been at odds with many in the Palestinian security forces and armed factions. He had survived several assassination attempts. Only takes one. U-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu .....

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Israel-Palestine

Abbas names new security leaders

2005-04-24

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has named three new leaders for the security forces and forced hundreds of their men into retirement, pushing aside top commanders in Yasser Arafat's old guard. The shake-up on Saturday brings Abbas closer to meeting Israeli and US demands for reform of corruption-plagued security forces, also criticised by ordinary Palestinians for failing to maintain law and order. Brigadier General Suleiman Helles was named national security forces commander to replace Moussa Arafat, a Gaza strongman who is a cousin of the late Palestinian leader. Abbas replaced Palestinian intelligence chief Amin al-Hindi with his deputy, Tareq Abu Rajab. Ala Hosni was named as the new police chief. Hundreds of other security personnel were forced out under a new law requiring staff to retire at 60, including dozens of senior officers, among them 11 with the rank of major general. "Today they are giving a wonderful new example by the smooth and civilised transfer of responsibility and authority," said senior Abbas aide Tayeb Abdel-Rahim in a statement.

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Israel-Palestine

Palestinian Police to Deploy on Border

2005-01-21

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The planned deployment of Palestinian forces on the Gaza-Israel frontier could be a first step toward a wider return of Palestinians' insecurity control in their areas of Gaza and the West Bank - the situation before fighting broke out with Israel in 2000, the Palestinian foreign minister said Thursday. Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath made the assessment after Israel and the Palestinians resumed security coordination, agreeing on a Palestinian plan aimed at preventing rocket from Gaza into Israel. Palestinian officials said about 1,000 police would be positioned, starting Friday, in the areas of northern Gaza where militants have fired dozens of rockets at Israeli communities just beyond the fence. Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz approved the deployment. "Hey Mahmoud, look at that! Another rocket launch towards the evil Zionists!" "Yep, Ahmed, it's a glorious day, ain't it?" Maj. Gen. Moussa Arafat, a Palestinian security chief, outlined the deployment to The Associated Press. ``In the first stage, it will be in the north, and then we will move into the south,'' he said. Arafat presented the plan to his Israeli counterpart in a late-night meeting on Wednesday, signaling renewal of security cooperation. And if you can't trust a man named Arafat, who can you trust? The prospect of Palestinian police taking action to rein in militants quelled calls in Israel for immediate military action to stop the rocket fire. A period of calm could lead to peace negotiations, starting with coordination of Israel's planned pullout from Gaza in the summer - but renewed violence would likely trigger an Israeli military offensive, already approved by Israeli leaders. More cause ---> effect training. Greeting Gaza worshippers after morning prayers for the Feast of the Sacrifice holiday, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said, ``We believe in peace, and we believe in negotiations, and we want to reach peace through negotiations.'' Abbas also met Thursday with his security chiefs to work out the final details of the plan to prevent rocket fire and other attacks on Israeli towns. The deployment agreement could be the ``beginning of the process of trying to coordinate so that Palestinian Authority can redeploy its forces in all Palestinian areas, at least in Gaza, and then in the West Bank,'' Shaath said. Such a redeployment could restore the situation that preceded the outbreak of fighting in September 2000. In its response to the violence, Israel sent troops into the West Bank and Gaza, retaking areas handed over to the Palestinians under interim peace deals. In further signs of easing tensions, the army reopened the Gaza checkpoint targeted in a suicide bombing on Tuesday. Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border would be opened to incoming traffic on Friday. The crossing has been closed since a Dec. 12 attack on the Israeli military post there killed five soldiers.

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Israel-Palestine

Iran seeking to whack Abbas

2004-11-16

The defense establishment is worried that extremist Palestinians under Iranian influence might in the near future try to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas, the new head of the PLO. Defense officials do not believe that Sunday's incident, in which armed Palestinians fired at Abbas's entourage, killing two guards, was aimed at Abbas himself. Rather, said one senior defense official, it was meant as a warning: that Abbas should not leave armed Fatah activists from Gaza, who are identified with Moussa Arafat and Tanzim leader Ahmed Hilas, out of the circle of power. "This will not be the last incident of this type," he added. But the chances of a genuine assassination attempt will increase the closer the new Palestinian leadership comes to an agreement to end the terror and resume diplomatic negotiations with Israel, the official said. Abbas, he noted, has openly opposed terrorism and the anarchy in the territories ever since the intifada began in September 2000, and he tried to implement this approach during his half-year stint as Palestinian prime minister, under Yasser Arafat, in 2003. Now, Abbas wants to arrange a new cease-fire, and if he is elected as the Palestinian Authority's new chairman this January, he is also expected to strive for some kind of agreement, even if only partial, with Israel. Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, however, are vehemently opposed to even a temporary Palestinian reconciliation with Israel, and they are therefore pressing terrorist organizations in the territories to step up attacks against Israel. The Israel Defense Forces are bracing for a spate of such attacks in the coming days, after the Id al-Fitr holiday. The first sally in this expected wave of attacks may already have occurred, in the form of a Katyusha rocket fired at the Western Galilee from Lebanon Monday afternoon the second such incident in the last three weeks. The drone that Hezbollah sent over Israel last week is another sign that the Iranian-backed organization is interested in heating up the northern border. Iran's first move, defense officials said, will be to try to foil Abbas's plans for a cease-fire. But, they added, Iran views Abbas as a threat, and would therefore not hesitate to target him personally, along with his close associate, Mohammed Dahlan, if his efforts to reach a truce seem likely to succeed.

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Israel-Palestine

Arabs vs. Arabs: Arafat's Cousin Targeted

2004-10-14

Internal Arab warfare reignited last night when Yassar Arafat's cousin Moussa Arafat narrowly escaped death in an assassination attempt. A car bomb exploded near his convoy in Gaza City in what was at least the second attempt on his life. Last year, Moussa Arafat accused his enemies of firing a rocket in his office, when he also survived without injury. One of his main enemies is Palestinian minister Mohammed Dahlan although Arafat did not name him as being behind last night's assassination attempt. I'm rather getting the idea that it won't be healthy to be standing near Moussa. PLO leader Yassar Arafat last July was forced to cancel the appointment of his embattled cousin as head of security in Gaza after civil war broke out between opposing groups, including kidnappings, gun battles and a mob attack on Moussa Arafat's security headquarters. He is widely considered one of the most corrupt Palestinian officials. Last night's attempt on Moussa Arafat was the first time a remote control device has been used in a car bomb blast on Gaza for a decade.

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Israel-Palestine

Explosion near Gaza City terrorist convoy

2004-10-12

A large explosion has gone off near the convoy of a Palestinian security chief, Moussa Arafat, reports from Gaza City on Tuesday evening say. The blast happened as the security convoy was leaving a Palestinian security building. There was no immediate word on whether Moussa Arafat, a relative of the Palestinian leader, was injured. His appointment as overall commander of Gaza security several weeks ago was greeted by protests.

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Israel-Palestine

Palestinians Say Can't Arrest Americans' Killers

2004-09-22

"Nope. Nope. Can't do it." Palestinian security forces know who was behind the killing of three Americans in Gaza nearly a year ago but cannot act against the factions while fighting with Israel continues, a top Palestinian security official said. "We gotta wait until the Zionists give up." Describing the killers as "some Palestinian factions," the head of Military Intelligence, Moussa Arafat, told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States also knew who was to blame. Washington's anger at the failure to catch the killers has worsened relations that were already soured over U.S. accusations that the Palestinians had not done in enough to rein in anti-Israel militants. "They know that we are in a very critical position and that clashing with any Palestinian party under the presence of the (Israeli) occupation is an issue that will present many problems for us," said the spy chief, a cousin of veteran leader Yasser Arafat. "The Americans have started recently to understand our position and I expect that this crisis will also be resolved," he said. "I think the actual words were 'Yeah, yeah. We know all about it. Tell us another one.' So I did." The three American security guards were killed in an ambush in October when a bomb planted on a main road leading to Gaza City exploded under their vehicle in a diplomatic convoy. As a result, U.S. officials have been banned from visiting Gaza and U.S. aid programs have been hampered. Palestinian factions denied connection to the bombing but four gunmen of the militant coalition group, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), were held in jail for several months before being put on trial. The four PRC men were acquitted by a Palestinian court but Arafat overruled the judge's decision. Militants from the group stormed the prison in April and freed three of their captives. That worked well, didn't it? The security situation in Gaza has been further complicated by a power struggle among armed groups of snuffies ahead of Israel's pullout from the territory it has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war. Moussa Arafat's appointment in July enraged groups that have challenged the Palestinian old guard in the name of anti-corruption reforms, accusing the current leadership of incompetence and failing to win an independent state. Moussa Arafat, who has a reputation as a strongman, said that he was [too] busy reorganizing the security forces to be able to end an unprecedented upsurge of internal turmoil. He's too busy rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic... "I am sure we will be able to control... It is a question of time," he said. "How much time?" "60 years oughta do it."

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Israel-Palestine

Arafat denies he is facing death crisis

2004-07-25

Yasser Arafat has insisted there is no power struggle among the Palestinian leadership, in the wake of another armed protest against him. "No never! Just another massive show of support for my progressive Palestinian policies that have brought us forward into another era of maximum ::cough:: foreign aid ::cough:: prosperity." He said there was "no problem" between him and Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, who wants more say over security services. "He's a wonderful chap. Used ta send his mother flowers and all that." Mr Arafat spoke hours after masked guerrillas briefly took over a Palestinian Authority building in Gaza. "Just some of my poker pals dropping by for another friendly little card game." It was the latest protest demanding reforms in the security services, which opponents say are rife with corruption. "Look, my nephew is one of the least corrupt individuals I know!" Power struggle The BBC's Barbara Plett says Gaza has been shaken by clashes between rival sections of the security forces staffed by Mr Arafat's Fatah movement. The protests are widely seen as a power struggle ahead of Israel's promised pullout from Gaza next year, our correspondent says, but she adds that Mr Arafat has yet to lose a faction fight in more than 40 years at the top. There's always a first time. "No, no, there is no crisis," Mr Arafat said after meeting Arab diplomats at his offices in the West Bank town of Ramallah. "What, me worry?" The protests began earlier this month when Mr Arafat nominated a close relative, Moussa Arafat, as head of the Palestinian security services. Opponents demanded Mr Arafat reform the security services and eradicate cronyism. "R E F O R M, what is this strange word you speak?" The unrest prompted Prime Minister Qurei to submit his resignation. But this was rejected by Mr Arafat and Mr Qurei agreed to stay on for the time being. "It took one of my last spare suitcases full of cash, but I managed to persuade him!" Mr Arafat also withdrew the controversial nomination but the militants say this is still not enough, as Moussa Arafat continues to head the general security branch in the Gaza Strip. Nepotism's all right, so long as you keep it in the family. Offices stormed Militants from al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade - linked to Fatah - torched a police station in Zwaida, near Gaza City on Saturday. "It was only a campfire sing-along, honest." In Khan Yunis, dozens of masked men stormed the office of the regional governor before dawn, demanding that Mr Arafat fire Moussa Arafat. "Disgruntled ex-employees, that's all!" The group left peacefully at about noon (0900 GMT) after receiving assurances that comrades who had been dismissed from jobs with the security forces by Moussa Arafat would be reinstated. "Everyone will be paid off given their jobs back!" Meanwhile the Israeli army said it destroyed or damaged a number of abandoned buildings in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza as part of a hunt to find tunnels used for smuggling weapons to Palestinian militant groups. "Those were our mushroom growing chambers and wine storage caverns. The losses were enormous. My five course dinners will never be the same!" Palestinians say six houses were demolished, leaving 50,000 people homeless. All in a days work for the IDF.

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Israel-Palestine

Palestinians demand Arafat cousin's sacking, push to end crisis

2004-07-25

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat faced new challenges in the Gaza Strip after gunmen took over a governor's office demanding he sack his cousin Moussa as Gaza security chief and activists called for people's congresses to end the latest unrest. A militant of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade told AFP by telephone from the governor's office that the gunmen were demanding the departure of Moussa Arafat and the reinstatement of more than 50 security officers. Militants in the Brigades have associated themselves with the violent protests in Gaza for the past two weeks against Arafat's appointment of Moussa, accused of being corrupt, as the territory's security chief. But on Saturday, the West Bank faction of the Brigades dissociated the group from the protests in the Strip and accused unnamed elements of "knowingly fomenting a crisis in Gaza in order to make the American-Zionist plan succeed", implying that their group was being framed for the violence. The Brigades are divided into dozens of smaller armed groups scattered across the West Bank and Gaza, answering to local chiefs. Saturday's statement, which runs counter to Brigades statements from Gaza, was authenticated by top officials of the group in the north of the West Bank contacted by AFP. It said the Brigades have "nothing to do, from either up close or afar, with these suspicious acts" in Gaza. Meanwhile in a twist on the political manoeuvring which saw Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei offer his resignation last week, Arafat on Saturday denied that there was any power struggle between him and his premier. Qorei "has my entire confidence and there is no problem over prerogatives," the Palestinian leader said. He added: "I will accept everything that Qorei asks, but up to now he has not presented any specific demands to me." Qorei has been seeking more control over the security services, over which Arafat has insisted on maintaining an iron grip. At the governor's office, witnesses earlier said some 20 armed and masked men forced everyone out of the building early Saturday morning and took control of it. Palestinian security sources said the gunmen ended their five-hour siege at about noon after an agreement was reached for the security officers to return to work. Earlier, the Brigades' militant, who identified himself as Abu Ahmed, listed their demands as "the reforms demanded by the Palestinian people, (that) corrupt officials be fired and (that) the nomination of Musa Arafat to be cancelled." Palestinian negotiations minister Saeb Erakat had warned Friday that the Palestinian territories were sliding into "chaos." Palestinian activists called Saturday for people's congresses to be held in all areas of the Gaza Strip to end the unrest. "People's congresses should be set up with the aim of democratic reform of institutions in order to fight corruption and enforce respect for the law," said the Committee of Nationalist and Islamist Forces, which links Arafat's Fatah and the radical Hamas group. The congresses would "put an end to the absurd conflict between the forces and relevant services of the Palestinian Authority," said a committee statement. The committee also appealed for free and democratic elections, which would be the first since 1995, with the prospect of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza next year. Last week the committee called for sweeping democratic reforms, an end to anarchy and corruption and for corrupt officials to be prosecuted.

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