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Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Abbas' Fatah movement, hold weapons during conference in support of the government of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the Old City in Nablus, West Bank, June 24, 2007. Photo by Wagdi Ashtiyeh /Flash90.
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| By Israel Insider staff June 27, 2007 |
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Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas took steps Tuesday against factional fighting by outlawing armed groups outside the official PA security forces, and ruling that the government will confiscate all arms from these groups.
"On the basis of the declaration of a state of emergency in the Palestinian territories, and by virtue of my authority, all armed militias, groups and brigades that do not belong in practice to the security services shall be treated as illegal organizations," stated the decree.
"The government must halt the phenomenon of armed groups, prevent the bearing of arms and confiscate guns, explosives and any type of weaponry purchased illegally, since they endanger the public order," the decree continued.
The order stated that it would investigate any person suspected of participating in such a group.
The order also said that Gaza Strip residents will be exempt from paying taxes.
Some members of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have already agreed to give up their weapons if the government will ensure that Israeli forces don't arrest of kill them, said new PA Information Minister, Riyad al-Maliki. Al-Aqsa, however, has denied this.
Zakariye Zubeydi, a leader of Al Aqsa in the West Bank, said he supported Abbas' efforts to disarm Hamas and other armed groups -- but said his group would not give up its weapons.
Despite the forcefulness of the decree, it remains unclear how Abbas intends to enforce these new rules, considering the large number of armed militants in the area.
During Monday's summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Abbas asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to allow the PLO's Badr Brigade, stationed in Jordan, to enter the West Bank to help with security issues.
According to a top Israeli official, the request was neither approved nor denied.
"We didn't say no, but we also didn't say yes. In the past, the request came up regarding the brigade's entry into Gaza, and now Abbas is making another request, and we have to consider it," said the source.
The Badr Brigade, comprised of some 1,500 soldiers, is connected to the Jordanian army, but paid by the PLO. Due to the international community's economic boycott of the PA, the soldiers haven't been paid in 10 months, and it is reported that 400 have deserted for this reason.
During the summit, Abbas also asked Olmert to release top Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti. Barghouti is currently serving five life sentences for the deaths of five Israelis. According to Haaretz, Barghouti has influence over the militias, so perhaps Abbas could take advantage of this to improve the security situation. |
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