Fatah leaders and activists have decided to establish a Palestinian "popular army" to help the Palestinian Authority enforce law and order in the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuates the area. PA officials in Ramallah expressed concern over the decision, saying there was no need for "another militia" and that the Palestinian security forces are capable of taking control over the areas that will be evacuated by Israel. "This is the last thing we need now," one official told The Jerusalem Post. "We already have too many armed militias out there. The Palestinian people want one authority and one security force."
Sources in the Gaza Strip said the decision to establish a "popular army" was made by top PLO official Farouk Kaddoumi, who is based in Tunis and also serves as chairman of the ruling Fatah party's central committee. A staunch opponent of the Oslo Accords, Kaddoumi was one of the few PLO leaders who refused to return to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1994.
Kaddoumni, who is planning to move to the Gaza Strip after disengagement, recently opened an office in Khan Yunis. The office is run by dozens of Fatah activists and gunmen who are unhappy with the policies of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. On Monday, Kaddoumi's office launched a training program for dozens of recruits wishing to join the "popular army." The new "soldiers" are expected to undergo military training for several days before being officially drafted into the new army.
Kaddoumi told his supporters that the new force would be entrusted with helping the PA security forces enforce law and order and "protect the property of the Palestinians after the Israeli withdrawal. We will seek full coordination with all Palestinian factions to achieve our goal." The decision to establish a Fatah "popular army" comes in the wake of reports that Hamas was also setting up a similar force in the Gaza Strip.
It does not take a rocket science to know that Kaddoumi is positioning himself to challenge President Abbas although I did not expect this move until after the August 15th Israeli pull-out from Gaza and I suspect that unless Abbas leaves the disputed territories he will not live past six months from Kaddoumi’s arrival in Gaza.
It is also prudent to note that Kaddoumi has the support base not only within Fatah but has a positive working relationship with the leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The extent of that working relationship could also go a long way in establishing a rational for Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade openly sniping at Palestinian Authority security forces in Gaza in the last few weeks.
Furthermore, this puts Kaddoumi’s meeting with the leadership of Hezbollah in Beirut last week in perspective. Since this announcement was made on Monday concerning Chairman Kaddoumi establishing a Fatah “popular” army for Gaza I suspect Kaddoumi’s discussions with Hezbollah were quite productive and fruitful for both his short and long term aspirations.
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