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Iran Seeks to Replace Fatah in Lebanon

(Maariv International) Jonathan Ariel - On August 29, two Palestinians were killed in a firefight in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein Hilweh near Sidon in Lebanon, the end result of a botched assassination campaign by Iran intended to allow its proxies to replace Arafat's Fatah movement as the most important armed Palestinian force in Lebanon. According to Western intelligence sources, the attackers were Iranian Revolutionary Guards, a military force answerable only to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who targeted Col. Abdul Jaafar, a senior Fatah officer in charge of internal security in the camp. Ein Hilweh is the last Palestinian autonomous stronghold in Lebanon and Arafat's most important base there, home to some 60,000 Palestinians, with a well-armed militia of 5,000 men, with another 5,000 reserves. A few weeks ago Col. Sultan Abu Einan, the Fatah commander in the camp, warned Arafat that his erstwhile Hizballah and Iranian allies were planning to take over the camp, offering Fatah troops $500 a month for their allegiance. Hizballah has already succeeded in building a 300-man force in Gaza. The base in Lebanon is needed as a logistic and supply center to support this force.
2004-09-07 00:00:00
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