DATE=10/21/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240523
TITLE=PALESTINIAN MILITANTS (LONG)
BYLINE=AL PESSIN
DATELINE=JERUSALEM
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE PALESTINIAN POLICE HAVE CARRIED OUT TWO SERIES OF
ARRESTS IN RECENT WEEKS AIMED AT WEAKENING THE MILITANT
PALESTINIAN GROUP HAMAS IN ONE OF ITS STRONGHOLDS -- THE WEST
BANK TOWN OF HEBRON. NEWS OF THE ARRESTS COMES AS ISRAEL
CONTINUES TO DEMAND A BROADER CRACKDOWN ON MILITANTS BY THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY IN THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS AT THE WYE
PLANTATION, STILL UNDERWAY IN THE UNITED STATES. V-O-A'S AL
PESSIN REPORTS FROM JERUSALEM.
TEXT: THE NEW PALESTINIAN MOVES AGAINST HAMAS IN HEBRON BEGAN
THREE WEEKS AGO, WHEN POLICE RAIDED A HOUSE WHICH HAMAS ALLEGEDLY
USED TO BUILD AND STORE EXPLOSIVES. THE PALESTINIAN GOVERNOR OF
HEBRON, AZIZ AMR, CONFIRMS THAT THE ARREST OF THE OWNER OF THAT
HOUSE, MOHAMED JAMAL NATCHE, LED TO THE ARRESTS OF 10-TO-15 MORE
ALLEGED HAMAS ACTIVISTS DURING THE FOLLOWING WEEKS.
///AMR ACTUALITY///
I KNOW THAT AT THE BEGINNING THEY ARRESTED MOHAMED JAMAL
NATCHE AND AFTER THAT THEY ARRESTED MANY OTHER PERSONS
FROM HEBRON DISTRICT. THEY ARE NOW IN THE JAIL OF THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.
///END ACTUALITY///
MOHAMED JAMAL NATCHE IS NOW BEING DESCRIBED IN LOCAL NEWS REPORTS
AS A TOP LEADER OF THE HAMAS MILITARY WING IN HEBRON.
//OPT// ACCORDING TO ONE REPORT BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, MR.
NATCHE WAS ARRESTED WITH A LETTER FROM A MORE SENIOR HAMAS LEADER
WHICH IDENTIFIED THE OTHER HAMAS ACTIVISTS WHO WERE ARRESTED
LATER. THE LETTER IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY SENIOR
HAMAS OFFICIAL KHALED MASHAAL, WHO LIVES IN JORDAN. AN ISRAELI
ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE MR. MASHAAL FAILED LAST YEAR, AND RESULTED
IN AN EMBARRASSING SCANDAL IN WHICH ISRAEL WAS FORCED TO RELEASE
DOZENS OF HAMAS PRISONERS AND THE GROUP'S SPIRITUAL LEADER TO
GAIN THE SAFE RETURN OF ITS SECRET AGENTS. //END OPT//
THE PALESTINIAN POLICE ALSO SAY THEY HAVE ROUNDED UP
APPROXIMATELY 15 MORE ALLEGED HAMAS ACTIVISTS WHO ARE BELIEVED TO
BE LINKED TO THE MAN ARRESTED IN ISRAEL ON MONDAY FOR THROWING
TWO HAND GRENADES AT A CROWD AT A BUS STATION. HAMAS CLAIMED
RESPONSIBILITY, AND ISRAEL SAYS THE MAN CONFESSED TO THAT ATTACK,
AND TWO OTHERS IN HEBRON IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
THE MAN, SALIM SARSOUR, IS REPORTED TO BE A LONG-TIME SUPPORTER
OF HAMAS WHO ONLY RECENTLY BECAME ACTIVE IN ITS MILITARY WING.
AFTER ONE OF THE ATTACKS HE CLAIMS TO HAVE CARRIED OUT --
THROWING HAND GRENADES AT ISRAELI TROOPS IN HEBRON -- THE HEBRON
GOVERNOR VOWED TO FIND AND PROSECUTE THE PERPETRATOR. BUT THREE
WEEKS LATER SALIM SARSOUR WAS 35 KILOMETERS AWAY, IN THE BUS
STATION IN THE SOUTHERN ISRAEL TOWN OF BEERSHEBA, THROWING MORE
GRENADES.
GOVERNOR AMR SAYS THE ARRESTS IN HEBRON IN RECENT WEEKS PROVE THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY IS SERIOUS ABOUT CRACKING DOWN ON WHAT HE
CALLS "TERRORISTS" WHO HURT PALESTINIAN INTERESTS. BUT FOR
ISRAEL, THE LESSON IS THE OPPOSITE, ILLUSTRATING INSUFFICIENT
PALESTINIAN EFFORTS IF THE SAME MAN, LIVING IN HEBRON AND WORKING
FOR HAMAS, REALLY CARRIED OUT THREE ATTACKS IN LESS THAN TWO
MONTHS.
THESE ISSUES ARE PROMINENT IN THE WYE PLANTATION TALKS.
OFFICIALS THERE CONTINUE TO WRESTLE WITH QUESTIONS OF HOW
ARRESTED MILITANTS WILL BE TREATED AND HOW TO JUDGE THE EXTENT OF
THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY'S CRACKDOWN TO DETERMINE IF IT IS
ENOUGH TO TRIGGER RECIPROCAL ISRAELI TROOP WITHDRAWALS. (SIGNED)
NEB/AWP/PCF
21-Oct-98 11:29 AM EDT (1529 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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