| Our murky tale continues. Did he do it? Why would he suddenly do such a thing, instead of remaining comfortably ensconced in the bosom of his adoring family? |
Former Fatah security commander Muhammad Dahlan announced on Wednesday he plans to return to the West Bank this week to answer allegations that he plotted a coup against the Palestinian Authority leadership.
Dahlan's announcement came one day after the Fatah Central Committee, in an unprecedented move, voted unanimously to suspend his membership in the committee pending the end of the inquiry.
The decision means that Dahlan, who is currently residing in Cairo, will not be able to attend meetings of the Fatah committee.
He said he had reservations about the way the committee chose to publish its measures against him, and that he was prepared to answer all questions presented to him by members of the inquiry commission.
Dahlan said that to date, the Fatah Central Committee had not notified him of the measures against him.
He added that it was "inappropriate" for Fatah to discuss its internal affairs in the media.
He also hinted that the dispute between him and Abbas was personal.
"Some in Fatah have been trying for the past two months to make this look as if it's a political crisis related to the divisions [with Hamas] and the conflict with the Israeli government," he said without elaborating.
Dahlan said he did not want to be responsible for weakening Fatah and therefore agreed to cooperate with the first commission of inquiry Abbas had established to look into the charges against him.
"I went to the first commission of inquiry and answered all their questions," he said. "But President Mahmoud Abbas did not like the findings of that commission and decided to establish a new one."
Dahlan, who founded and headed the PA's Preventive Security Force in the Gaza Strip after the signing of the Oslo Accords, strongly denied allegations that he and his supporters had been stockpiling weapons and ammunition in preparation for toppling the PA leadership in the West Bank.
"These false claims and fabrications are aimed at defaming Fatah," Dahlan said. "I only have a few guards and light weapons.
The guards were taken away before the commission of inquiry began its work."