Almost every reference to the Al Aksa Martyrs’ Brigade in the mainstream media has been accompanied by caveats that the while the group is an offshoot of Fatah, the main Palestinian party run by Arafat, the group acts autonomously and neither Arafat nor the PA have any control over it. However, PA prime minister Qurei recently had this to say about Al Aksa, which has far and away been responsible for the most terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians: “We have clearly declared that the Aksa Martyrs Brigades are part of Fatah.” “We are committed to them and Fatah bears full responsibility for the group.”
I acknowledge that it’s possible that Qurei is claiming responsibility for the group despite a lack of Fatah control over it for political reasons. But let’s at least acknowledge that the presumption is now with those who have been saying all along that Al Aksa is part and parcel of Fatah, and has been used by Arafat as a terrorist weapon against Israel, one for which he could claim plausible deniability, but for which he bears ultimate responsibility.
Comments are closed.