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Gaza storm over new security boss
The new Palestinian security chief has taken command, vowing to face down fierce protests against his nomination.
Musa Arafat was appointed on Saturday by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat - his uncle - sparking charges of corruption and nepotism.
The militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attacked a security post in the Gaza Strip overnight in protest.
The security crisis has triggered political turmoil and a resignation offer by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.
Musa Arafat took command of the Palestinian security forces at a ceremony in Gaza City on Sunday.
Afterwards he said he was prepared to fight all "potential enemies" and would ignore the protests.
"I take my orders from His Excellency President Arafat," he said.
"The one who appointed me is the only one who can ask me to quit my job."
The appointment was part of an effort to reform the security services.
But the move angered many Palestinians - including members of Mr Arafat's own Fatah movement.
Threat
The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - a Fatah offshoot - are violently opposed to Musa Arafat.
They accuse him of symbolising what they say is the cronyism and corruption of the Palestinian Authority.
On Sunday more than 30 members of the group stormed the offices of the Authority's intelligence service in the Khan Yunis refugee camp.
Those inside were briefly detained, but no one was hurt.
In a statement the group said it would take "tougher action" if Musa Arafat did not step down.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza City says the violence and the tone of the statement are a sign of how grave the security crisis has become.
They are also a sign of the bitterness of the division within Mr Arafat's Fatah movement, our correspondent adds.
Mr Arafat is also facing a leadership crisis sparked by the security situation in the Gaza Strip.
His prime minister tendered his resignation after a string of high-profile kidnappings on Friday. Those abducted and then released included the Gaza police chief Ghazi Jabali and four French aid workers.
Going, gone?
Mr Qurei described the security situation in Gaza as "a real disaster, a real catastrophe, and an unprecedented lawlessness".
Mr Arafat rejected his offer to stand down.
But after four hours of talks between the two men on Sunday, Mr Qurei insisted he intended to go.
Mr Arafat also responded by announcing an overhaul of security, cutting the number of services from eight to three - a long-standing demand of international mediators.
The Palestinian cabinet is to meet on Monday and a state of emergency is in force in Gaza.
The BBC's David Chazan in Jerusalem says the crisis poses a serious challenge for Mr Arafat and many Palestinian officials fear they may be facing a period of prolonged political instability.
On Saturday more than 2,000 Palestinians gathered in front of the Legislative Council headquarters in Gaza City and shouted slogans denouncing the new appointments, particularly that of Musa Arafat.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3904799.stm
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has tried to persuade his premier to reverse a decision to quit amid widespread protests against the appointment of his nephew as head of the main security service.
Arafat and prime minister Ahmed Quraya held four hours of talks on Sunday at the veteran leader's headquarters in this West Bank city in a bid to resolve a damaging political crisis sparked when the premier tendered his resignation on Saturday after an unprecedented spate of kidnappings in the Gaza Strip.
Arafat did not emerge from his offices while Quraya made no comment to reporters.
But negotiations minister Saeb Erakat, who attended the talks, confirmed that Quraya was still in his position but the two men had not reached agreement.
"We had very in-depth discussions about all issues, how to limit the damage and what measures were needed to restore the rule of law," he told AFP.
"President Arafat rejected completely the resignation of Abu Alaa (Quraya) and, according to the law, if the Palestinian leader rejects the resignation, the resignation is not effective."
"Replace Arafat" demands
Earlier in the day thousands took to the streets throughout Gaza City demanding accountability and reforms, including the replacement of Palestinian President Yasir Arafat.
The majority of demonstrators are thought to be activists from offshoots of Arafat's Fatah movement.
"Even it means we will behead people, we are not afraid," shouted demonstrators, referring to the tactics employed by various Iraqi factions in trying to have their demands met for a pullout of occupation forces.
On Friday, members of the Janin Martyrs' Brigade briefly kidnapped the police chief in the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank, Ghazi al-Jabali.
He was released only after securing assurances he would be replaced.
Resignations, cabinet reshuffled
Amid the political instability, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya submitted his resignation on Saturday, but it was rejected by Arafat.
"There is a crisis. There is a state of chaos in the security situation," said a frustrated Quraya. The Palestinian premier, who has been in office for ten months, told his cabinet he would not withdraw his resignation.
Cabinet deliberations are expected to continue on Monday.
Quraya was the third Palestinian leader to submit his resignation within 24 hours.
The head of the Palestinian Intelligence Service, Major General Amin al-Hindi, and the head of Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Rashid Abu Shabak - both well-known figures in the Palestinian hierarchy - quit on Friday.
Their resignations were also not immediately accepted.
Arafat reshuffled the security apparatus in response to the demands outlined by al-Jabali's kidnappers and appointed the relatively unknown Saib al-Ajaz as the new police chief.
Musa Arafat, a first cousin of the Palestinian leader, was appointed as the new head of public security. He replaced Abd Al-Razzaq al-Majaidah, who was moved to the role of security adviser on Saturday.
Changes rejected
"The current changes are not a solution to the rampant corruption," said Abu Iyad, a spokesperson for the Janin Martyrs Brigade.
"It's replacing a corrupt person with one that is even more corrupt. And this is a solution that cannot possibly satisfy any Palestinian, not just our brigade, because the Palestinian people are the ones who have suffered at their hands," he told Aljazeera.net on Saturday.
Asked whether there would be more kidnappings, Abu Iyad said his group would do whatever was necessary to force the Palestinian Authority to reform.
"We will not allow corruption to return ever again. The Palestinian street will assume responsibility for prosecuting the authority, and we count ourselves at the top of the list," he said.
Aljazeera + Agencies
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1EE01F1B-56A6-44AB-8DB1-3D5372A833C3.htm
The militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attacked a security post in the Gaza Strip overnight in protest.
The security crisis has triggered political turmoil and a resignation offer by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.
Musa Arafat took command of the Palestinian security forces at a ceremony in Gaza City on Sunday.
Afterwards he said he was prepared to fight all "potential enemies" and would ignore the protests.
"I take my orders from His Excellency President Arafat," he said.
"The one who appointed me is the only one who can ask me to quit my job."
The appointment was part of an effort to reform the security services.
But the move angered many Palestinians - including members of Mr Arafat's own Fatah movement.
Threat
The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - a Fatah offshoot - are violently opposed to Musa Arafat.
They accuse him of symbolising what they say is the cronyism and corruption of the Palestinian Authority.
On Sunday more than 30 members of the group stormed the offices of the Authority's intelligence service in the Khan Yunis refugee camp.
Those inside were briefly detained, but no one was hurt.
In a statement the group said it would take "tougher action" if Musa Arafat did not step down.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza City says the violence and the tone of the statement are a sign of how grave the security crisis has become.
They are also a sign of the bitterness of the division within Mr Arafat's Fatah movement, our correspondent adds.
Mr Arafat is also facing a leadership crisis sparked by the security situation in the Gaza Strip.
His prime minister tendered his resignation after a string of high-profile kidnappings on Friday. Those abducted and then released included the Gaza police chief Ghazi Jabali and four French aid workers.
Going, gone?
Mr Qurei described the security situation in Gaza as "a real disaster, a real catastrophe, and an unprecedented lawlessness".
Mr Arafat rejected his offer to stand down.
But after four hours of talks between the two men on Sunday, Mr Qurei insisted he intended to go.
Mr Arafat also responded by announcing an overhaul of security, cutting the number of services from eight to three - a long-standing demand of international mediators.
The Palestinian cabinet is to meet on Monday and a state of emergency is in force in Gaza.
The BBC's David Chazan in Jerusalem says the crisis poses a serious challenge for Mr Arafat and many Palestinian officials fear they may be facing a period of prolonged political instability.
On Saturday more than 2,000 Palestinians gathered in front of the Legislative Council headquarters in Gaza City and shouted slogans denouncing the new appointments, particularly that of Musa Arafat.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3904799.stm
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has tried to persuade his premier to reverse a decision to quit amid widespread protests against the appointment of his nephew as head of the main security service.
Arafat and prime minister Ahmed Quraya held four hours of talks on Sunday at the veteran leader's headquarters in this West Bank city in a bid to resolve a damaging political crisis sparked when the premier tendered his resignation on Saturday after an unprecedented spate of kidnappings in the Gaza Strip.
Arafat did not emerge from his offices while Quraya made no comment to reporters.
But negotiations minister Saeb Erakat, who attended the talks, confirmed that Quraya was still in his position but the two men had not reached agreement.
"We had very in-depth discussions about all issues, how to limit the damage and what measures were needed to restore the rule of law," he told AFP.
"President Arafat rejected completely the resignation of Abu Alaa (Quraya) and, according to the law, if the Palestinian leader rejects the resignation, the resignation is not effective."
"Replace Arafat" demands
Earlier in the day thousands took to the streets throughout Gaza City demanding accountability and reforms, including the replacement of Palestinian President Yasir Arafat.
The majority of demonstrators are thought to be activists from offshoots of Arafat's Fatah movement.
"Even it means we will behead people, we are not afraid," shouted demonstrators, referring to the tactics employed by various Iraqi factions in trying to have their demands met for a pullout of occupation forces.
On Friday, members of the Janin Martyrs' Brigade briefly kidnapped the police chief in the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank, Ghazi al-Jabali.
He was released only after securing assurances he would be replaced.
Resignations, cabinet reshuffled
Amid the political instability, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya submitted his resignation on Saturday, but it was rejected by Arafat.
"There is a crisis. There is a state of chaos in the security situation," said a frustrated Quraya. The Palestinian premier, who has been in office for ten months, told his cabinet he would not withdraw his resignation.
Cabinet deliberations are expected to continue on Monday.
Quraya was the third Palestinian leader to submit his resignation within 24 hours.
The head of the Palestinian Intelligence Service, Major General Amin al-Hindi, and the head of Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Rashid Abu Shabak - both well-known figures in the Palestinian hierarchy - quit on Friday.
Their resignations were also not immediately accepted.
Arafat reshuffled the security apparatus in response to the demands outlined by al-Jabali's kidnappers and appointed the relatively unknown Saib al-Ajaz as the new police chief.
Musa Arafat, a first cousin of the Palestinian leader, was appointed as the new head of public security. He replaced Abd Al-Razzaq al-Majaidah, who was moved to the role of security adviser on Saturday.
Changes rejected
"The current changes are not a solution to the rampant corruption," said Abu Iyad, a spokesperson for the Janin Martyrs Brigade.
"It's replacing a corrupt person with one that is even more corrupt. And this is a solution that cannot possibly satisfy any Palestinian, not just our brigade, because the Palestinian people are the ones who have suffered at their hands," he told Aljazeera.net on Saturday.
Asked whether there would be more kidnappings, Abu Iyad said his group would do whatever was necessary to force the Palestinian Authority to reform.
"We will not allow corruption to return ever again. The Palestinian street will assume responsibility for prosecuting the authority, and we count ourselves at the top of the list," he said.
Aljazeera + Agencies
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1EE01F1B-56A6-44AB-8DB1-3D5372A833C3.htm
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Analysis: Arafat backed into corner
Sun, Jul 18, 2004 10:00PM
Militants Burn Palestinian Offices
Sun, Jul 18, 2004 12:49PM
Palestinian Militants, Police in Gaza Shootout
Sun, Jul 18, 2004 12:48PM
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