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Wednesday, October 19, 2005
PA has no intent to disarm terror groups

PA has no intent to disarm terror groups
Khaled Abu Toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST Oct. 18, 2005
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1129540558412&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

On the eve of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's visit to
Washington, the PA announced that it has no intention of disarming Hamas or
other armed groups.

Abbas is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Thursday for talks with US
President George W. Bush on the latest developments in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli disengagement. Sources close to
Abbas said earlier this week that he would brief Bush on the PA's plan to
confiscate "illegal" weapons that are in the hands of various factions and
militias, including Hamas.

However, Abbas's national security advisor, Jibril Rajoub, denied on Tuesday
that the PA was planning to disarm Hamas or any other armed group. "We
haven't called for disarming anyone," Rajoub said. "There is no decision to
collect [illegal] weapons and we haven't taken any steps in this direction."

The weapons of the "resistance" groups, Rajoub added, should remain intact
and should not be used on the streets or to terrorize the PA and civilians.
He admitted that the PA and its security forces had failed to deal with the
state of anarchy that has swept the Gaza Strip after the Israeli withdrawal.

Rajoub's remarks came as 12 Palestinian factions signed a "code of honor" in
which they vowed to respect the results of next January's parliamentary
elections and refrain from using weapons during the election campaign.

Hamas was the only group that refused to sign onto the understandings
because they included a demand to refrain from using mosques as a platform
for the election campaign.

The leaders of factions stressed the importance of holding the legislative
elections on time and pledged to honor the results and to cooperate with the
PA's Central Election Committee. In addition, they said that no weapons
would be displayed or used during the pre-election campaign.

In a separate development, the Palestinian Legislative Council agreed on
Tuesday to delay a vote of no-confidence in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Ahmed Qurei until Abbas returns from the US.

The decision to postpone the vote came at the request of Abbas, who asked in
a letter to the legislators that he be given the opportunity to address the
council next week.

"The issue of the government is of such importance that it requires a
meeting between me and members of the parliament immediately after my return
from aboard," Abbas wrote.

Earlier this month the council voted in favor of a calling on Abbas to
appoint within two weeks a new cabinet because of its failure to put an end
to lawlessness and chaos in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The council also
urged Abbas to form a transitional cabinet that would govern until the
parliamentary elections.

The call, according to sources in Ramallah, has sparked off a sharp dispute
between Abbas and Qurei, who has made it clear that he has no intention of
stepping down. In an attempt to appease Qurei, Abbas announced this week
that he won't have enough time to form a new cabinet before registration for
the parliamentary elections starts in late November.

Tuesday's session was briefly delayed after hundreds of unemployed workers
occupied the council chamber in Gaza City to demand jobs and money. The
protesters accused the PA leadership of failing to address the plight of
unemployed workers and demanded financial assistance to pay their
electricity and water bills.

In Khan Yunis, Fatah gunmen kidnapped two Palestinians suspected of
"collaboration" with Israel. The kidnappers announced that they belong to a
Fatah-affiliated group calling itself Knights of the Storm. They claimed
that the two, whose identities were not revealed, were suspected of
assisting Israel in tracking down and killing wanted gunmen in the Gaza
Strip.

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