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Outrage over Mahmoud Abbas choice of Abu Awad
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Outrage in Israel over Mahmoud Abbas choice of Mahmoud Dimra Abu Awad to lead his new private US-UK-funded militia. DEBKAfiles counter-terror sources report that Abu Awad is number 5 on the Shin Bets list of most wanted terrorists from the 2000-2005 Palestinian terror war against Israel. Dimra served as Yasser Arafats undercover coordinator for the suicide terror campaign waged by the Fatah-al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and which is still operating unchecked by the Fatah leader, the same Mahmoud Abbas. After the Israeli government made the gesture of allowing his force to take delivery of 200 rifles, security leaders say Abu Mazen has pulled a fast one. He has arranged for those guns to come under the responsibility of a known arch-terrorist, breaking his personal word to Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert that the weapons would be used exclusively for his own protection and not be allowed to reach terrorist hands. Abu Mazen this week promoted Abu Awad, who had been lying low in the Palestinian security service as a major, to brigadier general. DEBKAfiles counter-terror sources touch on some high points of Mahmoud Dimras blood-stained career. When the Palestinian suicide war was declared in Sept. 2000, Dimra became top man at Arafats Ramallah HQ for the planning, execution and dispatch of suicide massacres, shooting attacks and bombings which Fatahs Force 17 and al Aqsa Brigades were assigned to carry out against Israeli civilians. Arafat used him for the distribution of cash and orders for those attacks. When the Palestinian war gathered tempo in 2002 and 2003, Dimra went into hiding in Arafats private quarters in Ramallah along with a large group of terrorist chiefs. But he continued his job as organizer and arms provider for Fatah terrorists from this save haven for terrorists, which was able to carry on thanks to the international protection extended to Arafats center of operations against Israeli attack. A senior security officer told DEBKAfile: By rehabilitating a prominent master terrorist and putting him in charge of his own presidential guard, Abbas has turned the clock back to 1996 and 2000. In those years, US and Israeli secret services, still under the illusion they were promoting peaceful relations, provided Arafats Force 17 specialized training in sophisticated combat techniques and also guns. Those techniques and guns were later turned against Israeli targets. Has nothing been learned from those bitter experiences? asked the Israeli officer. Posted by: Steve 2006-05-31 |
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