Palestinian Militant Groups, Once Rivals, Forge Alliances

(Washington Post) There is a growing trend toward cooperation among Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. "Since they're having problems carrying out terror operations, they're cooperating" with one another, said Maj. Gen. Yisrael Ziv, the Israeli military chief of operations. "One organization has the money; another has the guy that knows the area - the best guide; the third has the best suicide bomber." Since the start of this year, militant groups have asserted joint responsibility for three of the eight major attacks conducted against Israelis. Imad Falouji, a former top Hamas activist and now an independent member of the Palestinian legislature, said cooperation among the three main groups is temporary: "When there are problems and pressures, you can see all the parties working together."


2004-04-02 00:00:00

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