Fatah has repeatedly claimed that Arafat was killed, probably poisoned,
when he died in a French hospital nearly seven years ago. Several leading
Fatah members aligned with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Dahlan helped
Israel in the alleged assassination.
But in an interview with the Saudi-owned Al Hayat daily, Tirawi
dismissed reports that Dahlan was linked to Arafat's death, Middle East Newsline reported. He said the
results of the Fatah investigation would be announced as soon as the probe
was concluded.
In July, Dahlan's home was raided by PA security forces and he was
expelled from the West Bank. Fatah leaders said the movement has linked
Dahlan with the killing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as well as massive
corruption.
Tirawi, regarded as a critic of Abbas, played down the PA chairman's
efforts to
reconcile Fatah with Hamas. The former security chief, citing a
reconciliation accord in May, asserted that Hamas has no interest to
disband its regime in the Gaza Strip, established in 2007.
"The Muslim Brotherhood now has a foothold in Gaza that it has waited
for more than 60 years, and there is no indication that they want to leave,
especially in light of what is happening in the Arab countries," Tirawi
said. "The Muslim Brotherhood believes that the time is on its side."