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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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RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Palestinian gunmen battled forces loyal to Yasser Arafat's new security chief in southern Gaza on Sunday in a fresh spate of internal violence that signaled a growing breakdown of law and order.
Hundreds of gunmen, many of them masked, exchanged heavy fire with forces loyal to Arafat's cousin Moussa Arafat, whom he appointed as Gaza's new security chief following a series of high-profile abductions in the strip over the weekend.
The standoff stepped up pressure on Arafat to wipe out alleged widespread corruption that sparked the crisis which was deepened by the resignation of his prime minister Ahmed Qurie.
Arafat has not seen such turmoil since his Palestinian Authority took control over most of the Gaza Stripin 1994 under interim peace accords with Israel.
"Where are the reforms you promised, Arafat," shouted gunmen who in the nearby town of Khan Younis. They later set fire to a car belonging to a security officer loyal to Arafat.
In a show of force, thousands of gunmen marched across the Gaza Strip on Sunday night demanding that Arafat fire Moussa Arafat, a member of an old guard widely viewed as corrupt.
"This corruption is like a cancer," gunmen shouted in a rally at the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. "We are against corruption, against corrupt government and for reform."
At a meeting on Sunday of the Palestinian National Security Council, Arafat told Qurie he "strongly rejects" his decision to quit, cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said.
Calls for reform have multiplied amid a brewing factional power struggle in the Gaza Strip in anticipation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon 's planned withdrawal of troops and settlers from the occupied territory by the end of 2005.
Sharon said Palestinian in-fighting showed he was right to take unilateral action rather than negotiate with Arafat.
"What is happening in the Palestinian Authority proves that all the contrived efforts to show that there is someone to talk to on the Palestinian side are motivated by personal interests and are unrealistic," Sharon was quoted as telling his cabinet.
MILITANTS BURN DOWN POLICE STATION
Earlier in the nearby town of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, gunmen attacked and burned down a post manned by members of a security service already controlled by Moussa Arafat, sending officers fleeing into the night.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group within Arafat's Fatah faction, said it destroyed the facility to protest Moussa Arafat's appointment. At a news conference after the attack, Moussa Arafat said he had no intention of stepping down.
In a new blow to the Palestinian president's prestige, the commander of the Palestinian coast guard, Juma Ghali, tendered his resignation. Security sources said Ghali was protesting against Moussa Arafat's appointment and instability in Gaza.
Submitting his resignation, Qurie complained about "unprecedented chaos" in Gaza triggered by the brief abduction on Friday of four French aid workers, the police chief and another official by gunmen demanding reforms.
"Things have changed in the last two days. There are no more sacred cows. People are simply fed up," Sufian Abu Zaideh, a Palestinian deputy minister, told Israeli Army Radio.
Arafat ordered a security shake-up in Gaza, merging 12 competing armed forces into three. After Arafat rejected his resignation, Qurie suggested his decision was on hold at least until a Palestinian Authority cabinet meeting on Monday.
In the past, Arafat has paid little more than lip-service to reforms likely to diminish his influence.
A warning to Arafat from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades added to fears that violence could spiral.
It urged Arafat to try officials accused of corruption and said trouble could spread to the West Bank, home to 2.3 million Palestinians as well as Arafat and most of his Authority's institutions. Some 1.3 million Palestinians live in Gaza.
Palestinian officials say Arafat's ability to carry out reforms or rein in militants has been hampered by constant Israeli raids. Israel and the United States accuse Arafat of fomenting violence, which he denies. (Additional reporting by Cynthia Johnston and Shahdi al-Kashif in Gaza and Wafa Amr in Ramallah)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20040718/ts_nm/mideast_dc
Hundreds of gunmen, many of them masked, exchanged heavy fire with forces loyal to Arafat's cousin Moussa Arafat, whom he appointed as Gaza's new security chief following a series of high-profile abductions in the strip over the weekend.
The standoff stepped up pressure on Arafat to wipe out alleged widespread corruption that sparked the crisis which was deepened by the resignation of his prime minister Ahmed Qurie.
Arafat has not seen such turmoil since his Palestinian Authority took control over most of the Gaza Stripin 1994 under interim peace accords with Israel.
"Where are the reforms you promised, Arafat," shouted gunmen who in the nearby town of Khan Younis. They later set fire to a car belonging to a security officer loyal to Arafat.
In a show of force, thousands of gunmen marched across the Gaza Strip on Sunday night demanding that Arafat fire Moussa Arafat, a member of an old guard widely viewed as corrupt.
"This corruption is like a cancer," gunmen shouted in a rally at the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. "We are against corruption, against corrupt government and for reform."
At a meeting on Sunday of the Palestinian National Security Council, Arafat told Qurie he "strongly rejects" his decision to quit, cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said.
Calls for reform have multiplied amid a brewing factional power struggle in the Gaza Strip in anticipation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon 's planned withdrawal of troops and settlers from the occupied territory by the end of 2005.
Sharon said Palestinian in-fighting showed he was right to take unilateral action rather than negotiate with Arafat.
"What is happening in the Palestinian Authority proves that all the contrived efforts to show that there is someone to talk to on the Palestinian side are motivated by personal interests and are unrealistic," Sharon was quoted as telling his cabinet.
MILITANTS BURN DOWN POLICE STATION
Earlier in the nearby town of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, gunmen attacked and burned down a post manned by members of a security service already controlled by Moussa Arafat, sending officers fleeing into the night.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group within Arafat's Fatah faction, said it destroyed the facility to protest Moussa Arafat's appointment. At a news conference after the attack, Moussa Arafat said he had no intention of stepping down.
In a new blow to the Palestinian president's prestige, the commander of the Palestinian coast guard, Juma Ghali, tendered his resignation. Security sources said Ghali was protesting against Moussa Arafat's appointment and instability in Gaza.
Submitting his resignation, Qurie complained about "unprecedented chaos" in Gaza triggered by the brief abduction on Friday of four French aid workers, the police chief and another official by gunmen demanding reforms.
"Things have changed in the last two days. There are no more sacred cows. People are simply fed up," Sufian Abu Zaideh, a Palestinian deputy minister, told Israeli Army Radio.
Arafat ordered a security shake-up in Gaza, merging 12 competing armed forces into three. After Arafat rejected his resignation, Qurie suggested his decision was on hold at least until a Palestinian Authority cabinet meeting on Monday.
In the past, Arafat has paid little more than lip-service to reforms likely to diminish his influence.
A warning to Arafat from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades added to fears that violence could spiral.
It urged Arafat to try officials accused of corruption and said trouble could spread to the West Bank, home to 2.3 million Palestinians as well as Arafat and most of his Authority's institutions. Some 1.3 million Palestinians live in Gaza.
Palestinian officials say Arafat's ability to carry out reforms or rein in militants has been hampered by constant Israeli raids. Israel and the United States accuse Arafat of fomenting violence, which he denies. (Additional reporting by Cynthia Johnston and Shahdi al-Kashif in Gaza and Wafa Amr in Ramallah)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20040718/ts_nm/mideast_dc
The tangled web of Palestinian politics looks, all of a sudden, so much more complicated and dangerous.
Key individuals and groups - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, senior Palestinian Authority officials, Islamic militant organisations, and so on - continue to vie for power and influence.
At the same time, new elements have appeared that could undermine the already delicate pattern of relationships in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Arafat went over his prime minister's head on security
The significance of the new elements is that they are drawn from within the ranks of Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian movement led by Mr Arafat.
The proposal of the Sharon government to withdraw the Israeli presence from Gaza has served to intensify the new and existing rivalries.
The coming weeks will show whether or not instinctive Palestinian cohesiveness at a time of common crisis can stop the current pattern of events descending into civil war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3904503.stm
Key individuals and groups - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, senior Palestinian Authority officials, Islamic militant organisations, and so on - continue to vie for power and influence.
At the same time, new elements have appeared that could undermine the already delicate pattern of relationships in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Arafat went over his prime minister's head on security
The significance of the new elements is that they are drawn from within the ranks of Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian movement led by Mr Arafat.
The proposal of the Sharon government to withdraw the Israeli presence from Gaza has served to intensify the new and existing rivalries.
The coming weeks will show whether or not instinctive Palestinian cohesiveness at a time of common crisis can stop the current pattern of events descending into civil war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3904503.stm
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