Palestinians might demand release of terrorist founder

Marwan Barghouti

JERUSALEM – Palestinian officials are considering asking the U.S. to petition Israel to release convicted murderer, terror group founder and alleged planner of the second Palestinian intifada Marwan Barghouti, WND has learned.

TRENDING: These girls are hurt by transgender competition

The officials believe Barghouti can strengthen Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement in both the West Bank and the Hamas-seized Gaza Strip.

A number of major Fatah militias are loyal to Barghouti, who was a founder and main commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared military wing. The Brigades, labeled a terror group by the State Department, is responsible for scores of deadly anti-Israel shootings, and, together with the Islamic Jihad terror group, every suicide bombing in the Jewish state the past two years.

Staging a major coup, Hamas last week took control of every Fatah compound and security station in the Gaza Strip, assuming near complete rule of the territory. Fatah fighters are said to be furious at Abbas and the top Fatah brass for what they said was a failure of Fatah militia leaders to command them during the Hamas coup.

Fatah's Gaza strongman Mahmoud Dahlan fled the territory prior to Hamas' siege, and the PA's Preventative Security Services chief, Rashid Abu Shabak, the No. 2 Fatah strongman in Gaza, resigned earlier this month after Hamas attacked his house, leaving Fatah forces essentially leaderless in Gaza.

According to top Fatah sources, there is a debate within the Fatah Executive Committee, the main leadership of the party, regarding whether to ask the U.S. to petition Israel to release Barghouti.

Some of the older leaders of the Executive Committee, who were part of late PLO leader Yasser Arafat's rule, oppose the prisoner release, Fatah sources said. Barghouti's main powerbase in Fatah is among the younger leaders.

But in a sign he may approve of asking for Barghouti's freedom, Abbas last week axed Dahlan as head of Fatah's militias. Dahlan is Barghouti's main rival for the loyalty of Fatah security forces.

Speaking from Israeli prison today, Barghouti strongly criticized Dahlan and Fatah security commanders. Barghouti called for the dismissal of all PA security force commanders and Fatah leaders responsible for the Gaza defeat to Hamas – a clear reference to Dahlan.

Barghouti, the Brigades terror group founder and a member of the Palestinian parliament, is serving multiple life terms for his role in killing five Israeli civilians. Barghouti has boasted of being one of the main architects of the Palestinian intifada that began in 2000, killing 993 Israelis and 3,777 Palestinians. He successfully ran in Palestinian elections last year, stressing as part of his election platform his efforts in planning the intifada.

RELATED: U.S. partner might deny Israel's right to exist

Aside from asking for the release of Barghouti, Fatah sources said Abbas already petitioned the U.S. to "pressure" Israel into a slew of concessions purportedly aimed at propping up Fatah.

President Bush meets with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tomorrow.

The Fatah sources said the concessions include the release of hundreds of Palestinians prisoners from Israeli jails, the easing of West Bank checkpoints the Israeli army maintains prevents terrorists from infiltrating Jewish population centers, and the transfer of over $500 million in tax revenue Israel froze after Hamas came to power, fearing the money would be used to fund terror.

Are you a representative of the media who would like to interview the author of this story? Let us know.

Definitive work on Mideast – available only here!

Related story:

Previous stories: