NCJ Number
63575
Date Published
1975
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF YASSER ARAFAT AS THE PALESTINIAN REPRESENTATIVE AND HIS RISE TO LEADERSHIP OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) ARE DESCRIBED IN THE CONTEXT OF TERRORISM.
Abstract
THE SITUATION IN THE WEST BANK IN 1974, SAW ARAFAT'S INABILITY TO ESTABLISH A BASE OF OPERATIONS AMONG THE 600,000 PALESTINIANS THERE. THE MAJORITY OF WEST BANKERS PREFERRED TO END ISRAEL'S OCCUPATION BY ISRAEL, REJECTED RULE BY KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN AND WISHED TO SEND THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVES TO GENEVA. THEY CHOSE TO LET ARAFAT REPRESENT THE PALESTINIANS OUTSIDE THE WEST BANK AND JORDAN. RECENT BLOWS TO ARAFAT'S LEADERSHIP OCCURRED, HOWEVER, INCLUDING HIS CRUSHING DEFEAT OF ARAFAT'S FATAH AND OTHER GUERILLA GROUPS BY THE JORDANIAN ARMY IN SEPTEMBER 1970, ARAFAT'S INITIAL LOSS OF OFFICE DURING A SECRET VOTE OF FATAH'S 40-MEMBER REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL IN JANUARY 1971, AND HIS IMPRISONMENT IN SYRIA. OVERVIEWS OF ARAFAT'S BACKGROUND AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND TO THE FORMER GRAND MUFTI OF JERUSALEM POINT TO A RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN THE DISUNITED AND SPLINTERED TERRORIST GROUPS OF THE PLO AND THE MUFTI OF 40 YEARS AGO. THE PLO AND TERRORIST GROUPS ARE AGENCIES WHICH HAVE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY AT THEIR DISPOSAL, WHICH DEVOTE MUCH OF THEIR EXISTENCE TO PUBLIC RELATIONS AND FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS TO TERRORIST ATTACKS, AND WHICH PROVIDE CHANNELS FOR CONSERVATIVE REGIMES TO BUY OFF TERRORISM AND SECURE THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS AGAINST THE 'REVOLUTIONARY' IMPULSES OF THE ARAB WORLD. (AOP)