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03/04/2005 | Analysis: The honeymoon is truly over for Abbas

Khaled Abu Toameh

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's decision to fire Haj Ismail Jaber, commander of the National Security Forces in the West Bank, has done little to allay the fears of this city's residents.

 

Jaber, a longtime ally of Yasser Arafat, was sacked after he refused carry out Abbas's order to arrest the Fatah gunmen who rioted in the city last week, shooting at the Mukata compound and damaging several restaurants and shops. During a meeting with Abbas, Jaber warned that were he to have intervened, this would have triggered street battles between his men and the gunmen, with many casualties.

Both Abbas and the ousted security chief are aware that the use of drastic measures against the gunmen, most of whom are wanted by Israel, would play into the hands of their rivals, who would depict them as "collaborators."

Jaber was not prepared to be seen as doing Israel's dirty work – a fact that led to his dismissal over the weekend.

Neither does Abbas want to be in a similar position. That's why, as of Saturday night, none of the Fatah gunmen who went on the rampage in the city last Wednesday had been arrested, although their identities and addresses were known to the PA security services.

The attackers were led by Jaber Barghouti, a local leader of Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, who is regarded as the de facto commander of Ramallah. He and his men, according to top security officials, are responsible for an upsurge in crime, including murder, extortion, kidnapping and robbery.

Barghouti has been on Israel's list of wanted terrorists for more than three years. That's precisely why Abbas is reluctant to stop him and some 70 gunmen roaming the streets of this city.
Shortly after he was elected as PA chairman, Abbas entrusted Fatah operative Abdel Fattah Hamayel and former security minister Muhammad Dahlan with the task of negotiating a solution with Israel to the problem of these and other gunmen wanted by Israel.

One of the ideas raised by the PA was to transfer hundreds of them to Jericho for a limited period. In return, Israel would promise to stop pursuing them. The offer was dropped, however, after most of the fugitives rejected it, insisting that they be allowed to remain in their cities.

Abbas has also been trying to persuade the fugitives to surrender their weapons and join the security forces, but only a few of them have agreed to do so. Most had actually been serving in the security forces before they joined the Aksa Martyrs Brigades during the second intifada.
Barghouti and his men say they are prepared to return to their old jobs only if they receive higher salaries and senior positions.

Like the issue of the security prisoners held in Israeli jails, the case of the wanted gunmen is extremely sensitive. Most Palestinians regard them as heroes who fought against Israel over the past four-and-a-half years while the PA security forces sat on the sidelines.

Now Abbas is planning a major shake-up in his security forces – a move that many Palestinians believe will only add to his woes. Most of the security commanders, who were appointed by Arafat, have turned their services into private fiefdoms. As such, these security chiefs are expected to create a lot of trouble for Abbas once they are removed from their jobs.

In his election platform, Abbas emphasized the need to end lawlessness and chaos and pledged to provide security for all Palestinians. He also pledged to wage a relentless war against corruption and to put the right people in the right jobs. Three months later, it's difficult to find any ordinary Palestinians who are satisfied with Abbas's performance.

Referring to Wednesday night's shoot-up by Barghouti and his cohorts, Bassem Abu Sumayah, director of the Voice of Palestine radio station, said: "They say that these men violated the law. But the truth is that there is no law. Even when the law sometimes does exist, it does not apply to all. The reason for this is the state of anarchy which the government has done nothing to stop."

Abu Sumayah noted that PA policemen should not be expected to carry out their duties with a monthly salary of $200. "This sum is not enough to buy cigarettes," he said. "And this at a time when money is being poured on senior officials."
The consensus here is that Abbas is now facing one of his toughest tests. The Palestinian public is clearly growing impatient with his failure to bring about real change.

Aware of the growing discontent, Abbas last week threatened to resign unless his ruling Fatah faction supported his efforts to implement major reforms. It was the first time since his election that Abbas had issued such a threat, and his aides said it reflected his deep concern at the failure to fulfill his pre-election promises.

"Abbas's 100 days of grace are over," said a prominent Ramallah businessman. "If he can't deliver, he should pack his bags and leave."

Jerusalem Post (Israel)

 



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