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PLO describes series of steps to shun Fatah al-Islam
'We want to cut the grass under the feet of the islamists'
By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Monday, April 16, 2007



BEIRUT: The Palestine Liberation Organization has adopted measures to "isolate" Fatah al-Islam, an Islamist grouping blamed for deadly bombings in Lebanon, the PLO representative in Beirut said. "We are attempting to isolate Fatah al-Islam because we do not want the Palestinians to be perceived as an element of instability in Lebanon," Abbas Zaki told AFP in an interview over the weekend.

Last month, Lebanese Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa said detained members of Fatah al-Islam had admitted carrying out bus bombings in the Bekfaya village of Ain Alaq on February 13 that killed three people.

But Fatah al-Islam, a small grouping which first came to be known last November and which is based in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in Northern Lebanon, has denied any involvement in the attacks; Zaki said Lebanese authorities were holding 15 members of the Islamist grouping over the bus attacks.

Outlining the steps being taken, Zaki said the PLO military and political factions were determined to contain Fatah al-Islam, although without resorting to violence.

"We have named a new military command, created a joint intervention force and released funds," said Zaki.

He said the measures involve close PLO cooperation with the Lebanese armed forces which do not have access to the camps that are controlled by Palestinian armed factions.

Zaki said that the funds are "a financial assistance for the people of Nahr al-Bared and the reactivation of medical and social services" in a bid to counter the growing Islamist wave in the camp.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=81460