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Last update - 03:21 03/07/2009
PA: Arrested Hamas activists planned to assassinate Abbas
By Avi Issacharoff
Tags: Palestinians, hamas 

Hamas activists arrested by the Palestinian Authority have admitted to tracking the movements of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and to gathering intelligence on his security, PA sources told Haaretz.

Their motive clearly was to assassinate Abbas, the sources said.

"Hamas' intention was to scuttle the reconciliation talks [between Hamas and Fatah] in Cairo and to create chaos in the West Bank, in contrast to the sense of security that has characterized the territory for the past two years," Fatah spokesman Fahmi Zarir told Haaretz.
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Palestinian Authority Secretary Taib Abd-Arahim had said Monday amid the Cairo talks that Palestinian security forces had arrested 10 Hamas members planning to attack PA institutions. The detainees admitted they were planning to assassinate several senior Palestinian Authority officials on July 1, in order to halt the conciliation talks, he said.

Now, new details have now emerged about the plot: The Hamas activists were caught with weapons, maps and photos of senior Palestinian officers. The photos and maps indicated the cell was conducting surveillance on Abbas himself.

Sources say Palestinian security forces have detailed confessions in which the suspects acknowledged planning to assassinate several PA officials and stated they were observing Abbas' movements. PA sources say their motive was clear: to assassinate Abbas. The cell had three to five members, between the ages of 25 and 30.

A spokesman for Hamas' military wing has denied the allegations. However, if they are true, this is evidence not only of Hamas' intention to scuttle reconciliation with Fatah, but also to stage a coup of sorts against the Palestinian Authority. Reports suggest Hamas' military wing has an extremist agenda, but Hamas' political leadership in the west bank is thought not to have been aware of the plot.

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      1.   OBAMA AND ARAB ISRAELI PEACE 03:49  |  Brant 03/07/09
      2.   How is Israel expected to live in peace 04:06  |  Arnold 03/07/09
      3.   More propaganda - really quite laughable 04:27  |  A Sceptic 03/07/09
      4.   Hamas also sought to derail peace talks 05:05  |  Gina 03/07/09
      5.   There Goes The Reconciliation Talks In Cairo 05:05  |  Jeff Northridge 03/07/09
      6.   Hamas planned to assasinate Abbas... 05:45  |  DT 03/07/09
      7.   but hamas is nothing but a peaceful wouldnt harm a fly group 05:48  |  vik 03/07/09
      8.   This is not shocking 06:15  |  Lia D`Elana 03/07/09
      9.   Fatah propaganda 07:41  |  As`ad - Angry Arab 03/07/09
      10.   The removal of the Hamas regime. 08:29  |  Jean Van Daem 03/07/09
      11.   Nobody is fooled by such nonsense 10:38  |  Natallie Durson 03/07/09
      12.   Hardly surprising. 10:48  |  Iain 03/07/09
      13.   This is what the Palestinian elected 11:14  |  Conroy 03/07/09
      14.   Abbas whose presidency ended in January is lying 11:48  |  another sceptic 03/07/09
      15.   hamas 11:56  |  patriot 03/07/09
      16.   lies 12:03  |  oz 03/07/09
      17.   my brother and my enemy 12:15  |  oz 03/07/09
      18.   #3 A Sceptic (really original) 12:41  |  Mike B 03/07/09
      19.   MUSLIMS ALLOW TERRORISTS TO BECOME HEADS OF STATE. 12:52  |  Petra 03/07/09
      20.   Wrong yet again Natallie Durson 12:54  |  Peter Williams 03/07/09
      21.   Natallie Durson # 11 What`s So Hard To Believe? 13:19  |  Jeff Northridge 03/07/09
      22.   `...Hamas`s political leadership...not to be aware of the plot?` 13:37  |  Danny 03/07/09
      23.   Durson 14:02  |  oz 03/07/09
      24.   Natalie Dragson "Nobody is fooled by such nonsense" 15:27  |  H 03/07/09
      25.   AbbAss the liar 15:28  |  As`ad Abukhalil 03/07/09
      26.   Natallie 15:43  |  Nano 03/07/09
      27.   Jeff Northridge #21 wrong on the first line 20:03  |  Roo 03/07/09
      28.   Always the same 21:28  |  RfaelMoshe 03/07/09
      29.   Roo # 27 Oh, Excuse Me 23:34  |  Jeff Northridge 03/07/09
      30.   Abbas 00:45  |  patriot 04/07/09
      31.   Another post from Roo that goes nowhere 02:45  |  Peter Williams 04/07/09
      32.   Peter Dullard Williams 02:05  |  Roo 05/07/09
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