Terrorists deny Abbas' disarm claims

'No one from Abbas' office asked us to turn in our weapons,' say leaders of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades

Aaron Klein, WND|Published: 06.27.07 , 19:19

Members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' declared military wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, today denied claims by Abbas he asked the terror group to turn in their weapons, stating Abbas' officials instead have encouraged the Brigades to continue their "resistance" activities.

Abbas pledged during a summit with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday he would immediately dismantle all militias in the West Bank not connected to security forces of his Fatah party. Abbas deputies have been telling the international media the Al Aqsa Brigades agreed to turn in their weapons in exchange for guarantees that Israel not try to arrest or kill them.

"No one from Abbas' office ever asked us to disarm," Nasser Abu Aziz, the deputy commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank, told WND. "We will never disarm until all issues are settled, including a complete Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Jerusalem and the right of return for all Palestinian refugees."

'Message meant for Israelis'

Abu Yousuf, a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Ramallah, told WND Abbas' claims the Brigades will disarm "are more of a message meant for the Israelis, the Americans and the international community. No one (from Abbas' office) addressed a single member of the Brigades and asked us to turn in our weapons."

Zacharias Zubeidi, leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, told WND the decree from Abbas' office for armed groups to be dismantled "has nothing to do with the Brigades. It's meant for Hamas. Abbas recognizes the Brigades as a legitimate source of resistance."

Together with the Islamic Jihad terror group, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the past two years. The Brigades regularly carries out shooting attacks and has taken credit for firing hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip aimed at nearby Jewish population centers.

Many members of the Brigades openly serve in Fatah militias, including Force 17, Abbas' presidential guard units which serve as de facto police officers in the West Bank.