"In a way, Suha managed to transfer the crisis from Paris to Ramallah. She is trying to rally the Palestinians behind her to score political points. She declared the beginning of the political grouping in public. It's no surprise that her remarks took the Palestinian leadership by surprise."
Although Palestinian officials in Ramallah and Gaza City were unanimous on Monday in condemning Suha as "evil" and a "madwoman," some noted that her allegations had caused extensive damage to Qurei and Abbas. "Suha is actually trying to bury the two alive," said a senior Fatah official in Ramallah. "I know many people who agree with her that Qurei and Abbas want to bury Arafat in order to inherit from him." He added: "Of course, her statements will have a serious impact on the two. Suha's message is that they are not loyal to Arafat and that they are in a hurry to bury him. Her remarks will be exploited by many people who are not happy with the current political leadership. She has supplied them with the ammunition."
Suha does not want to step into her husband's big shoes. Nor does she want to play any political role. Those who know her very well say she doesn't even have plans to leave Paris.
What Suha wants is revenge. She does not want to see people like Qurei, Abbas and Nabil Shaath in power. In her eyes, they are all hypocrites who have been anxiously waiting for Arafat's departure.
Suha's remarks are seen as an appeal to the Palestinians to revolt against the interim leadership and corrupt officials. What adds weight to her allegations is the fact that she is supported by the PLO's hard-line foreign minister Farouk Kaddoumi, who sees himself as the natural successor to Arafat, and many disgruntled Fatah activists and gunmen in the West Bank and Gaza Strip might agree.
This article suggests that Suha has aligned herself with Farouk Kaddoumi, one of the original 5 founders of Fatah, the PLO department that was responsible for the "armed struggle." He is an extreme PLO hardliner from the old school. He refused to endorse the Oslo Agreement and has never returned to the West Bank with Arafat and the PLO. He has maintained extensive ties with Syria and Hezbollah and it is rumoured that he has arranged insurgent units in Iraq. He is the head of Fatah Central Committee’s Politburo. Abu Mazen has been his replace in the territories.
To give you the full nuance of Farouk Kaddoumi, I found this Jerusalem Post article from April 2004:
Farouk Kaddoumi, the PLO's hard-line "foreign minister," said Thursday that when Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat talks about the need to pursue the struggle against Israel, he is referring to the armed struggle. Kaddoumi said the armed struggle was the only way to force Israel to accept the demands of the Palestinians.
Kaddoumi's remarks were made in an interview with the Jordanian newspaper Al-Arab. He admitted that the PLO charter, which denies Israel's right to exist, was never changed.
In response to a question what does Arafat mean when he talks about the continuation of the struggle, Kaddoumi, who is one of the few PLO leaders still living in Tunisia, said: "Yes, the national struggle must continue. I mean the armed struggle. In the past we abandoned our political parties in favor of the armed struggle.
"Fatah was established on the basis of the armed struggle and that this was the only way to leading to political negotiations that would force the enemy to accept our national aspirations. Therefore there is no struggle other than the armed military struggle."
Commenting on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, Kaddoumi said: "If Israel wants to leave the Gaza Strip, then it should do so. This means that the Palestinian resistance has forced it to leave. But the resistance will continue. Let the Gaza Strip be South Vietnam. We will use all available methods to liberate North Vietnam."
Kaddoumi revealed that the PLO leadership has entrusted him with being responsible for the "portfolio" of supporting the Iraqi resistance against the US-led coalition forces in Iraq. "There is no doubt that the Palestinian revolution supports the Iraqi resistance and we have seen demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories in backing the intifada and resistance in Iraq," he said. "I'm in charge of this issue and I condemn the American position."
Kaddoumi welcomed the establishment of an armed group in Iraq named after slain Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin, saying this would increase pressure on the US. He described the new anti-American group as an "excellent phenomenon."
Kaddoumi said that, contrary to what many people believe, the PLO charter was never changed so as to recognize Israel's right to exist. "The Palestinian national charter has not been amended until now," he explained. "It was said that some articles are no longer effective, but they were not changed. I'm one of those who didn't agree to any changes."
Asked about US and Israeli demands to halt terror attacks as a condition for resuming the peace process, Kaddoumi replied: "They can go to hell!"
Kaddoumi has been acting foreign minister abroad for PLO interests for years. He has remained a long-term hold out but that can all change with the passing of Arafat. Certainly, he is ruthless enough to be able to forge an alliance with the hardliners in the PA and has enough street credentials to be able to forge a working alliance with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. All he would need to seal the deal is the "Benjamins."
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