TODAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 108 TO 113.
Jul. 8, 2002
Palestinian Authority in disarray as sacking of Tirawi in doubt
By LAMIA LAHOUD AND GIL HOFFMAN
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat reportedly fired Tawfiq Tirawi, head of the West Bank Intelligence Service, yesterday.
Israel has accused Tirawi of organizing terrorist attacks. The same reports say Arafat appointed Brig.-Gen. Sameh Abdel Majib, one of Tirawi's deputies, to replace him.
Senior Fatah leader Abbas Zaki denied that Tirawi has been dismissed. Speaking in Hebron, Zaki said the reports were, "absolutely untrue."
Arafat reportedly issued the order after meeting with Egyptian Intelligence chief Gen. Omar Suleiman at his Ramallah office yesterday. PA sources said Suleiman urged Arafat to implement reforms as quickly as possible and establish calm, so the political process can resume.
"The Egyptians are carrying important messages for both sides concerning ways to the resume the political process and implement future security arrangements their ideas are close to the Mitchell Report and the Tenet plan," a PA source said. "The idea is to start a new page, especially now that [IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen.] Shaul Mofaz is on the way out," the PA source added.
Suleiman is very worried that anarchy in the PA could cause regional instability, Israeli officials said yesterday.
The officials said Egypt is concerned about recent appointments and firings in the PA, most notably the dismissal of West Bank Preventive Security Service chief Jibril Rajoub. Suleiman tried to defend Arafat with Israeli officials, but to no avail.
Sharon agreed with Suleiman that conditions of ordinary Palestinians not involved in terror must be improved, but he said Arafat would only get in the way.
"Israel insisted that the reforms include removing Arafat," a source close to Sharon said. "We are willing to work with the Egyptians to help the Palestinians, but the PA's reforms must be more than just cosmetic. Real reforms cannot include Arafat in his current position, and the Egyptians understand this. [Sharon and the Egyptians] agreed on the principles, but not necessarily the implementation."
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Suleiman there is a consensus around the ideas of US President George W. Bush's Middle East vision, which has been accepted by the quartet of the US, European Union, United Nations, and Russia. He said that for negotiations to begin, the Palestinians must fight Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met with Suleiman yesterday morning and told him the reforms Arafat has taken are "insignificant."
Ben-Eliezer told him the PA has to stop financing terrorist attacks and abandon terrorism. Officials at the meeting said the two spoke of the steps needed to bring improved security to the region.
A senior source said Arafat would probably approve meetings between senior PA officials and Powell, but PA officials said that no one would meet with Powell unless he meets with Arafat first. Since the Americans will not agree to such a meeting, it is unlikely that Powell will come to the region, a PA source added.
Leaders of the Fatah Tanzim militia have threatened any Palestinian perceived as too close to the Americans. They warn they will not accept a replacement to Arafat, as demanded by the US and Israel. It will be difficult for PA officials to meet with US representatives without being perceived as American puppets, a Fatah source said.
Meanwhile, members of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service said yesterday that Arafat agreed during a meeting with leaders of the service on Saturday night to freeze the appointment of ex-Jenin governor Zuhair Manasreh as head of security in the West Bank, replacing Rajoub, and promised to appoint one of the service leaders instead. One source in the service said Arafat had said he would let Rajoub and Interior Minister Abdel Razak al-Yahya decide whom to appoint.
But another PA source said Arafat had made no promises, and said only that he would consider freezing Manasreh's appointment. Hussein a-Sheikh, a Fatah leader in the West Bank, told Army Radio that Fatah would not hold protests in support of Rajoub, but, "if we have something to say, we can relay it to Arafat."
Sheikh, who was appointed by Arafat in 1997 to replace Rajoub, but had his appointment withdrawn after fierce opposition from Rajoub's men, said Rajoub should not have been fired and that he hopes his replacement will come from within the Preventive Security Service. "There was no need for this change while tanks are inside our cities and outside our homes," Sheikh said.
'Rajoub is a leader of the Palestinian people. He sat in jail for 17 years, and his replacement [by Arafat] was not part of PA reforms or because he is corrupt," he said.
Rajoub said earlier yesterday that he had agreed with Arafat regarding his replacement.
A senior PA source said Rajoub was in the meeting with Suleiman, and later met personally with Arafat. "Rajoub will remain in the PA leadership and will continue to deal with security issues," the source added.
Rajoub may become a security adviser issues to Arafat, he said.
Rajoub told Army Radio that the reasons for transferring a commander from one post to another are unimportant. 'What is it to you," he asked his interviewer.
Palestinian sources said that because of Egyptian pressure, Arafat has decided to dismiss 12 heads of the various Palestinian security forces immediately. In addition to Rajoub and Tirawi, the sources said that Arafat is set to fire Maj.-Gen. Haj Ismail Jaber, head of the National Security Forces; Maj.-Gen Amin Hindi, head of the General Intelligence apparatus in Gaza; and Brig.-Gen. Mus Arafat, head of Military Intelligence. Brig.-Gen. Faisel Abu Sharkh is also set to be fired in the near future. Hindi denied that Tirawi had been fired.
Arieh O'Sullivan and Mohammed Najib contributed to this report. |
