Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)

Special Information Bulletin August 2004
www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/8_04/iran.htm

Iranian money and Hezbollah are behind terrorism in the Palestinian
Authority-administered territories: high-ranking Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs'
Brigades members and Arafat himself publicly announce the receipt of funds
from Iran and Hezbollah. In the meantime, in Nablus, another group of
Fatah/Tanzim terrorists directed by Hezbollah to perpetrate suicide bombing
attacks was exposed.

Overview

1. Shortly after the death of Ghaleb Awaleh on July 19, 2004, Hassan
Nasrallah publicly admitted for the first time that there was a faction in
his organization active in providing operational support for Palestinian
operatives ( Al-Manar TV, July 19, 2004). His announcement was met with
scathing criticism within Lebanon.

2. Afterwards, local Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades leaders publicly
admitted that they had received support from Iran and Hezbollah, including
financial support . The first instance was at the memorial service for
Ghaleb Awaleh held in the Sheikh Radwan suburb of Gaza, organized by the
Popular Resistance Committees (PRC). Spokesmen of the various organizations
praised Hezbollah's support of the Palestinians. Prominent were the remarks
of the Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades representative, who said that "he
[Ghaleb Awaleh] was one of the few who had supported the Palestinian cause
and the jihad [holy war] of the Palestinian people throughout the
intifada ." (the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Internet site).

3. Other high-ranking Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades operatives have also
made public the support they receive from Iran and Hezbollah . Prominent
among them was " Abu Mujahid ," a nickname for a local senior operative in
Nablus Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. He gave an interview given to 'Ali Waqid
of Ynet on August 3, 2004, saying critically:-

a."We do not hide the fact that some active operatives of our organization
are financed and encouraged by interested parties, from senior Palestinians
who finance operations to inflame the situation to operatives who are
financed by Hezbollah and Iran ."

b." Both work to promote their own personal interests and those of their
supporters, interests contrary to the good of the Palestinian people . But
the Brigades, the real activists, are part of Fatah and are not an armed
band working for one group or another ."

4. In another interview, Zakaria Zubeidi , the commander of Fatah/Al-Aqsa
Martyrs' Brigades in Jenin, was asked: "It is claimed that Al-Aqsa Martyrs'
Brigades receive money from Hezbollah. What is your opinion?" He replied:
"That rumor is untrue, but for the sake of the argument, let us say that the
Brigades receive support from Hezbollah. What's wrong with that ? Hezbollah
is an Arab movement . It didn't come from the moon. It is not Israeli or
Jewish." The interviewer then said: "But this week didn't a Brigades
commander in Nablus [e.g., Abu Mujahid] say you received financial support
from Hezbollah?" Zubeidi replied: "We are in favor of every Arab element
supporting the Palestinian people " (www.Arab.48.com, August 4, 2004).

5. In addition, there were other expressions about external support:-

a.Arafat , meeting with activists from the Israeli Peace Block, spoke
about Iranian support of various terrorist elements in the PA-administered
territories in relation to a cease fire. A statement from the Peace Block
(as reported by Al-Khaleej of the UAE) quoted Arafat's ( spurious ) claim
that "the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades are not a part of Fatah." Rather, he
said, "there are some operatives in the Brigades who claim that I [Arafat]
am their commander, but they receive money from Iran through an officer
named Munir al-Maqdah who left the organization [Fatah] in Lebanon several
years ago " (Al-Khaleej, UAE, Internet site, August 9, 2004).

b.Arafat was joined by Jibril al-Rajoub , his adviser for national
security. In an interview with Al-Haqa'iq on August 13, 2004, he noted that
Hamas and the PIJ had executed a number of activities attributed to Al-Aqsa
Martyrs' Brigades. That had been done, he added, as a service to Syria and
Iran and served the programs of [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon.

In Nablus, another group of Fatah/Tanzim terrorists directed by Hezbollah to
perpetrate
suicide bombing attacks is exposed

6. On July 27, 2004, Israeli security forces arrested Khaled Bassal Suliman
Shashtari, a Fatah/Tanzim operative from Nablus, who, directed by Hezbollah
, was planning to perpetrate a suicide bombing attack against Israeli
soldiers at a road block.

7. The Fatah/Tanzim group to which Shashtari and his brother belonged had
failed in a previous attempt to send a suicide bomber with an explosive belt
to attack Israel : On July 17, 2004, Israeli security forces arrested the
potential suicide bomber and his guide, and safely detonated the belt. It
had been hidden in a truck and was supposed to reach the intended suicide
bomber the following day.