Saturday 19 March 2011

Security official: Fatah used anti-split movement to restore chaos to Gaza

[ 18/03/2011 - 10:42 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Part of the anti-split marches organized in Palestine was exploited by Fatah within a broader scheme to revive chaos in the Gaza Strip, a Gazan security official told Quds Press.

He said forces from the left aided Fatah activists by providing a “cover” for the scheme.

The official detailed the nature of the plot and how the Gaza government handled it ”with the least possible impacts.”

”The security apparatuses in Gaza knew about the Fatah faction’s intention to create problems and unrest in the Gaza strip, especially in light of the freedoms and movement allowed for its cadres, but it was not expected it was possible to exploit the calls for ending the division to implement such scheme,” the official said.

”From the first moment of announcing popular moves to end the split on March 15, it was clear that leaders and elements from Fatah faction and also from the old security services were behind it. That was through the rubric from the Palestinian left that formed a cover for them.”

Creating the climate

The official said the security forces in Gaza turned a blind eye to many issues in response to the government's calls for tolerance towards the anti-split movement. He said large sums of money had been placed in several accounts and distributed before the turn of events, and military equipment was stored in and transported to several regions. There were also preparations made for tents and food storage.

He added that those funds recently wired to Fatah leaders will soon be revealed in public backed by documents detailing names, numbers and receipts.

”The Fatah faction had been trying since day one to circumvent and distort unity calls and did so by creating clearly partisan groups led by known organizational leaders in order to achieve political objectives from the youth movement. After the interior made reassurances and announced its approval for the events, Fatah tried to employ what was happening to create chaos and lawlessness in the Gaza Strip.”

Factions agreed on Monday that activities would end on Tuesday, but the activities began a day in advance with participation by known organizational leaders and slogans not reflecting the desire for unity, the official said.

When Hamas supporters arrived, Fatah activists and the leftists immediately began provoking and assaulting some of them, he said.

Provoking security services

”The plans included provoking security services in Gaza to open fire in order to broaden problems...But security's vigilance and orders to desist from opening fire foiled that.”

They planned to spark tension in universities, but security services disrupted their plans and “put them back to point zero”.

The worst move Fatah made during the activities was rumoring that several of its protesters at Al-Katiba square and inside universities had been killed, the official said, denying such incidents.

The left's role

The security official went on to say that Fatah had promised forces from the left to close the cases of hundreds of their elements whose salaries had been discontinued by the Palestinian authority in exchange for aid to carry out the plan.

The Palestinian left then agreed to back and stand by Fatah and provide a necessary media, political and field cover by facilitating their movement and subjecting left organizations to be used to carry out the plan.

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