EGYPT BECOMES LEADING SOURCE OF FATAH WEAPONS
GAZA CITY — Egypt has become a leading source of weapons for the
Fatah movement headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Egyptian security sources said the regime of President Hosni Mubarak has
offered to send thousands of light weapons, ammunition and communications
equipment to forces loyal to Abbas. The sources said the weapons, along with
training, would be deployed for an estimated 30,000 loyalist troops in the
Gaza Strip.
On Dec. 27, Egypt sent 2,000 rifles, 20,000 magazines and two million
rounds of ammunition to Abbas forces. The sources said the Fatah-aligned
troops received Soviet-origin AK-47 assault weapons from Egyptian Army
surplus.
"This demonstrates the Egyptian commitment to law and order in the PA,"
a security source said. "We expect Egypt to send more weapons and equipment
as well as trainers."
At the urging of the United States, Israel has agreed to the Egyptian
weapons supply. For the last 18 months, Israel rejected weapons shipments
from abroad until the PA demonstrates it willingness to end missile strikes
from the Gaza Strip.
Egypt was also expected to send trainers and supervisors to build a
credible force loyal to Abbas. The sources said about 2,000 Fatah fighters
from the Badr Corps would arrive in the Gaza Strip from Jordan over the next
few weeks.
The sources said that over the last six months Hamas has overpowered
Fatah in the Gaza Strip. They said Hamas wrested control from Fatah of the
weapons tunnels that link Egypt's Sinai Peninsula with the Gaza Strip.
"Right now, Fatah remains strong only in northern Gaza," the source
said. "Everywhere else, they have either lost power or their interests are
seriously threatened."
