DEBKAfile Exclusive
Al Qaeda’s No. 2, Ayman Zawahri issued a declaration of war on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in a videotape aired by the Arabic TV Al Jazeera.
An hour later, the Islamic Brotherhood of Justice (another name for al Qaeda’s operational branch in the Gaza Strip) announced the launching of its Operation White Land, targeting the political and military leaders of Fatah and Hamas.
DEBKAfile’s military sources also reveal that a rebellion has sprung up against the top Hamas leadership.
Olmert and Abbas nonetheless continue to act out a Pan-Arab diplomatic process at Washington’s behest (see separate item on this page), which has as much chance of getting off the ground in Gaza as Fatah’s Abbas’ assurance that the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilead Shalit, would be freed very soon.
The Zuwahri statement assailed the legitimacy Saudi Arabia extended to moves for a Palestinian unity government at the Mecca peace conference as recently as Feb. 8. Negotiations between the two factions are bogged down anyway.
“The leadership of Hamas government has committed an aggression against the rights of the Islamic nation by respecting international agreements,†thundered Ayman Zawahri Sunday. “I am sorry to have to offer the Islamic nation my condolences for the Hamas leadership as it has fallen into the quagmire of surrender.â€
The Gaza al Qaeda cell then defined the four missions of Operation White Land:
1. Targeting the most senior figures of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders.
2. Focusing on group abductions rather than individuals, especially symbols of political corruption.
3. Beheading is ordained for members of these groups. Their executions and confessions will be videotaped and aired as they are in Iraq.
4. Blowing up Internet cafes and businesses selling alcohol; putting prostitutes to death to cleanse the streets of Gaza of prostitution.
Announcing these missions have won the sanction of Palestinian religious scholars, the communiqué ends with the words: “Operation White Land has begun.â€
As for the revolt in Hamas, its Executive Force chief Jemal Jarah and his deputy, Yusouf a-Zahar (brother of Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud a-Zahar), accuse prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of being too soft with Abbas and Fatah and failing to follow through to victory on the battles they fought for weeks against Fatah. Determined to finish the job, Hamas rebels were back on the streets of Gaza this week, shooting and abducting their rivals, the Mecca Reconciliation Accords already a dead letter.
DEBKAfile adds: Shalit, who was abducted in June 2006 has become a counter in internecine Palestinian rivalries. He is guarded by two of the groups which kidnapped him, including members of al Qaeda. With the control of affairs in the Gaza Strip slipping out of the hands of prime minister Haniyeh, it is hard to see how any progress can be achieved towards gaining his freedom.
If Al Qaeda does carry out its agenda to unseat the Palestinian unity government, it offers nothing to replace that government. The methods of al Qaeda are to sow chaos.
One concern is that if Al qaeda does foment civil war between its adherents and both Fatah and Hamas, there is a danger that the West might see the Fatah and Hamas unity government in a more moderate image comparatively speaking then al Qaeda.
Hopefully that does not occur and the West will not lose sight of the fact that regardless of how badly they want to view Abbas and Fatah as moderate, so long as Fatah and Abbas are joined at the hip to Hamas in the unity Palestinian government, no matter what they want to think, that unity government flies in the face of any such wishful thinking.
To broaden a Palestinian civil war from Fatah vs. Hamas to al Qaeda vs. Fatah and Hamas would surely mean that while such war waged, it would be impossible for Olmert to meet with Abbas and further that any unilateral gesture by Olmert to appease the Palestinians, would not even be noticed.
As I said before, the Palestinians more than successive Israeli administrations including the current one have done more to save Israel from herself then the Israelis have.
Now that Al Qaeda may step boldly into the mix, the political landscape will once again substantially change. With that Al Qaeda will in effect be joining the Palestinians to sow salt into the land they want for themselves and will water that land with more blood. Land salted is barren land. Nothing will grow, not even peace.
There are but minor differences between Fatah, Hamas and Al Qaeda. They employ the same violent methods, they are all morally degenerate, they all hate humanity, education, culture, art, human rights, freedom, democracy and all else that makes life worth living. They are all the progenitors of the cult of death, Fatah being the grandfather of most Middle Eastern terror movements. Now, in a grand Oedipal display of bloodlust, the grandson wants to kill the father and grandfather – and who could possibly be surprised? The sewer of terrorism is becoming more fetid, more crowded and competitive. Once they finish their downward spiral/race to Hades and hopefully kill each other off then we should flush the toilet and rid the world of dangerous vermin.