The dismissal of the Dahlan-aligned officers marked the latest measure
by Abbas against the former Fatah security chief. Since November 2010, Abbas
has removed most of the security detail from Dahlan's home and shut down his
satellite channel.
The sources said the Dahlan-aligned officers were in such agencies as
the General Intelligence Services and Preventive Security Apparatus. They
said many of the officers were exiled Gazans who had been in Dahlan's
Preventive Security Apparatus until the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in
2007.
One alleged Dahlan agent was identified as Yusef Issa Yacoub, deputy
commander of the Preventative Security Force. The sources Yacoub was
dismissed by the PA leadership in late 2010.
The 50-year-old Dahlan was said to have lobbied and won the loyalty of
PA security officers and commanders. The Fatah official, responsible for the
information portfolio, has been accused by Abbas of trying to engineer a
coup.
A key ally of Dahlan was identified as Rashid Abu Shback, a former PSA
commander in the Gaza Strip and now in exile in Egypt. The sources said Abu
Shback was lobbying for Dahlan in the Egyptian leadership.
The sources said Dahlan was believed to have organized and financed
factions in PA security agencies. They said Dahlan had tried to organize the
factions into a militia that could take over the PA. The factions were also
said to have accumulated weapons caches.
Dahlan did not intend to directly succeed Abbas, the sources said.
Instead, Dahlan was believed to have groomed former Palestinian ambassador
Nasser Qidwa for the post of PA chairman.
For more than a month, Dahlan left the West Bank amid threats that he
could be arrested on charges of plotting a coup. He returned in late
December with what was said to have been Abbas's consent.
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