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| By Associated Press October 23, 2005 |
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The Palestinians plan to begin disarming the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the coming weeks by setting up training camps and incorporating its members into the Palestinian security forces, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia announced Sunday.
Dismantling the Al-Aqsa Brigades, a violent group linked to the ruling Fatah party, would mark a significant step toward restoring law and order in the chaotic Palestinian territories.
But previous attempts by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to control militants have had little success, and it was unclear whether the latest effort would work.
Abbas is under Israeli and international pressure to disarm militant groups, which have killed hundreds of Israelis in the past five years. Abbas refuses to confront the groups, fearing civil war, and instead has sought to co-opt the gunmen with promises of jobs and political participation.
Qureia announced the new plan after a meeting of his top security chiefs Sunday.
"We have agreed today to establish five new camps for training and hosting 'stragglers,'" he said, referring to the Al-Aqsa members. He said the disarmament efforts would begin in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Nablus, and then move into other areas.
Interior Minister Nasser Yousef, the top Palestinian security commander, said the camps would be operational "within weeks."
Al-Aqsa spokesmen in the West Bank and Gaza Strip said they were confident the movement would join the new plan. "In principle there are no problems," said Abu Ahmed, an Al-Aqsa official in Gaza.
Israeli officials received the announcement with skepticism. "There have been a lot of declarations before. The most important thing is to see what kind of action we have," said Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Although Al-Aqsa is linked to Fatah, its thousands of members have fragmented loyalties, and it is unclear whether militants would agree to give up their autonomy. The disarmament plan also does not affect Hamas, which has thousands of gunmen and has rejected Abbas' calls to lay down its weapons.
With Palestinian security forces weakened by years of fighting with Israel, armed groups operate with virtual impunity in the Palestinian areas. The chaos has only heightened since Israel withdrew from Gaza last month, as gunmen vie for power in the wake of the pullout.
Qureia said his security chiefs will next week visit Nablus, one of the most volatile West Bank cities, to evaluate the security situation there and provide the government with its recommendations.
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