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Documents captured by Israel detail Arafat's terror offensive
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Special to World Tribune.com
GEOSTRATEGY-DIRECT.OM
Wednesday, April 17, 2002
In the mid-1990s, Marwan Barghouti was hailed as a Palestinian reformer
brave enough to challenge Yasser Arafat's corrupt regime. He was regarded as
the hope of Palestinian democracy.
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The architect of the suicide attacks was once called hope of Palestinian democracy
Marwan Barghouti
Age: 43
Position: head of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
Whereabouts: Israeli prison in Jerusalem
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Will the real Marwan Barghouti stand up? How does a man change within a
brief two years from promoting peace with Israel to being a mass murderer of
civilians?
Palestinian sources who know Barghouti said the Fatah secretary-general
was merely taking care of business. In the early- and mid-1990s, Barghouti
rode on a crest of popularity that challenged Arafat and stressed democracy.
It was during a time when Arafat's regime, based on his aides brought from
such places as Iraq, Tunisia and Yemen, was seen as utterly corrupt and
failing to provide basic services to the people.
During the current Palestinian war against Israel, Barghouti needed to
stress his combatant nature Ñ again to challenge Arafat's half-hearted
calls for ceasefire or peace talks.
Palestinian Authority documents captured by Israel and confirmed as
authentic by Barghouti paint the war horse as a bumbler rather than the
smooth combatant he has sought to portray. Barghouti cared little for
discipline and urged all Palestinians to bomb and kill Israeli civilians.
Simply put, those who were most successful received the grand sum of $100.
Arafat signed on every terrorist purchasing order.
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In a still photo released by the Israel Defense Forces taken from an IDF video, Marwan Barghouti, center, is captured by Israeli soldiers at an undisclosed location on Monday, April 15.
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The results were increasingly violent. Barghouti ordered Jewish motorists
killed
outside Jerusalem and instead the victim was a Greek Orthodox monk. By early
this year, Barghouti simply ordered his men to crash wedding and bar mitzvah
celebrations in Israel and mow down revelers. Later, Barghouti organized
women suicide bombers to blow themselves up in Israeli cities.
Israeli officials said the documents have already been relayed to the
CIA and Defense Department. They said the documents were also discussed
with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who held talks in Israel
this week. The documents will also be discussed during Israeli-U.S.
strategic talks later this month in Tel Aviv.
A PA security memorandum blamed Barghouti for the chaotic nature of the
war against Israel. The memorandum by the General Intelligence Agency said
Barghouti's methods have led to divisions within Al Aqsa.
"Marwan Barghouti had a significant role in their situation reaching
this level since he assured everybody who contacted him, that the
responsibility of the brigades in [the West Bank city of] Tulkarm will be
his if he works and proves that he worthy of it," a PA memorandum released
by Israel said. "The recent activities [of the insurgents] was conducted in
this trend."
In some cases, the documents assert, several different groups claimed
credit for operations to obtain
money from Arafat. In one document, Arafat was asked to approve $2,500 for
three leading terrorists in the West Bank.
"Among the armed squads there are many parasites and people with narrow
interests who suddenly appeared in their ranks," a Fatah document said.
"These people have become a financial onus on the organization since they
demand financial allocations, ammunition needs."
Barghouti embraced Iraq, Iran and
sources of funding required to pay the Fatah-led Al Aqsa Brigades. As
Barghouti saw it, the more terrorist attacks, the greater the funding. Here,
Barghouti's competition came from the Islamic insurgents from Hamas and
Islamic Jihad.
Barghouti was required to account for every penny given by Arafat.
Documents show that he detailed membership and weapons of various terrorist
cells. The combatants were divided into those who operated in
Palestinian-controlled territory and those who entered Israeli areas,
including Hadera, where a Fatah suicide-bomber killed six and injured 25 in
a Jan. 17 attack of a Bat Mitzva celebration.
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