Israel Captures Leader in Arafat's
Fatah Movement
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 11:10 a.m. ET
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) --
Israeli forces on Monday
captured Marwan Barghouti, a
close aide to Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat and a leader of the
current uprising, Israeli and
Palestinian officials said.
Barghouti, 41, was arrested at the
house of a member of Arafat's
Fatah group in Ramallah, said
Jibril Rajoub, the Palestinian
West Bank security chief. He
warned against harming
Barghouti.
Raanan Gissin, spokesman for
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
confirmed Barghouti's arrest in
Ramallah, together with a cousin
and aide, Ahmed Barghouti.
Palestinian security officials,
who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said the Israeli army
detained one of Barghouti's body
guards and Fatah official Ziad
Abu Ain.
Barghouti, sometimes mentioned
as a possible Arafat successor, is
on Israel's wanted list for
allegedly masterminding terror
attacks. He is a top militant
leader in Arafat's Fatah
movement and is an outspoken
advocate of continued attacks on
Israelis.
Barghouti, who picked up fluent Hebrew in Israeli jails, is
a leading figure -- some say the leader -- in the Al Aqsa
Brigades. The militia has claimed dozens of shooting
attacks against Israelis and -- in recent months -- has
begun staging suicide bombings as well.
Barghouti was arrested by Israel at age 18 for membership
in an armed Fatah squad, served six years in prison and
was deported in 1987. In 1994, he was among the first
exiles to return home, following an interim peace deal
with Israel.
Barghouti was known as a supporter of the peace process,
and many Israelis had been puzzled by Barghouti's
transformation into one of the most radical Palestinian
figures.
He had not left the Palestinian-controlled town of
Ramallah for 19 months, for fear of being arrested by
Israel or being killed. Since fighting broke out in
September 2000, Israel has killed dozens of Palestinians
accused of carrying out attacks on its civilians in
``targeted killings'' that the Palestinians have termed a
policy of assassinations.
nytimes.com |
