It's Almost Supernatural

Exercising for the Media?

Masked Palestinians, members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militia linked to Fatah movement exercise for the media in Gaza City, Thursday April 7, 2005. Palestinian militant groups, including Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said they would call off a temporary cease-fire if the pullout opponents enter the mosque compounds and said they would retaliate against Israelis. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

They said they would "call off a temporary cease fire if Jews enter the Temple Mount". Haven't they already called it off?

Loosening the Fatah-Al Aksa Links

A while back Honest Reporting requested to be inform if their readers came across news stories describing the links between Al Aksa and Fatah as merely loose.

Today a SAPA-AFP and SAPA AP report in the Star newspaper has done just that.

Also yesterday, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up near a crowded bus stop in Jerusalem, killing two people and wounding at least 14 others, Israeli authorities said. The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent group loosely linked to Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the attack. - Sapa-AFP and Sapa-AP

As Honest Reporting points out

The evidence, however, clearly indicates that the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade is not some "loose offshoot," but rather has a direct and ongoing bond to the Fatah party, which holds a majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament. The Palestinian government, therefore, bears direct responsibility for the group's heinous terrorist acts: The Jerusalem Post reports that a disagreement between the two groups has led Fatah to publically recognize its obligations to the AAMB. For their part, the AAMB is feeling abandoned by their sponsor: "Thanks to us, Fatah restored its dignity and power during the intifada," [an AAMB leader] added. "But now the members of the Fatah Central Council are putting pressure on us to disband. We don't trust them any more and we tell them that they are the ones who must go." The leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Tulkarm told USA Today on March 14, 2002: "The truth is, we are Fatah, but we didn't operate under the name of Fatah...We are the armed wing of the organization. We receive our instructions from Fatah. Our commander is Yasser Arafat himself." In November, 2003 a BBC investigation found that up to $50,000 a month was funneled by Fatah directly to the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

Palestinian Censorship

In another display of unapologetic thugocracy, Former Palestinian cabinet minister Nabil Amr has been shot and injured by gunmen in Ramallah in the West Bank.

Mr Qurei condemned the shooting of Mr Amr as a "cowardly attack" and said it was a manifestation of the "deep security crisis that rages among our people and leadership".

Mr Amr, 47, has often complained about corruption and cronyism in Mr Arafat's administration

This is not the first time this critic of Arafat has been targeted.

A year ago, Mr Amr's house was shot at after he severely criticised Mr Arafat's leadership.

The Citizen quotes Mr Amr, recovering in hospital, as saying that he would not be silenced by his opponents after what he called an "assassination" attempt. "If the reason for this attempt on my life was to force me to keep silent, I want everyone to know that I will continue to say what I believe."

The Fatah-Al Aqsa Brigade

Honest Reporting highlightes more evidence of the direct link between Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Brigade.

The Jerusalem Post reports that a disagreement between the two groups has led Fatah to publically recognize its obligations to the AAMB. For their part, the AAMB is feeling abandoned by their sponsor:

"Thanks to us, Fatah restored its dignity and power during the intifada," [an AAMB leader] added. "But now the members of the Fatah Central Council are putting pressure on us to disband. We don't trust them any more and we tell them that they are the ones who must go."

Given this acknowledgement, there is now even less justification for media distortions of the ties between Arafat's dominant party and this terrorist gang. As we noted in February:

This is not merely a semantic matter. The close ties that bond the Fatah-led PA to terrorist groups are the fundamental problem that prevents progress toward peaceful reconciliation. The dominant political party in the PA remains a direct sponsor of ongoing terrorism ― the ruling politicians and the terrorists are one and the same.

If you come across any news articles that continue to describe mere "loose links" between Fatah and the AAMB then please notify Honest Reporting at [email protected]