PA BOOTS MILITANT ZUBAYDAH OUT OF JENIN SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000626 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2018 TAGS: KWBG PTER IS PGOV SUBJECT: PA BOOTS MILITANT ZUBAYDAH OUT OF JENIN SECURITY HQ; 19 MILITANTS FOLLOW HIM TO JENIN CAMP Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Jenin PLC contacts report that PA President Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) ordered al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant Zakariya Zubaydah's expulsion from the Jenin Muqata'a (security headquarters) on April 8 in response to a press interview in which Zubaydah called the PA's leadership "whores" and "garbage." 19 wanted militants, who also had been given shelter at the Muqata'a, joined Zubaydah in Jenin Refugee Camp. Negotiations are underway to allow Zubaydah back to the Muqata'a pending PA-GOI discussions about amnesty for these men. End summary. Abu Mazen Peeved at Zubaydah Interview; Orders NSF to Boot Zubaydah -------------- ¶2. (C) Jenin PLC members Shami Shami and Jamal Abu al-Rub (Fatah) told POL FSN that President Abbas ordered Jenin National Security Forces commander BG Sulayman Imran to expel al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade leader Zakariya Zubaydah from the Jenin Muqata'a after calling PA politicians "whores" and "garbage." In the interview, published April 8, Zubaydah also attacked Abbas associate and Fatah leader Rawhi Fattuh for allegedly smuggling cell phones, said the PA follows the dictates of LTG Dayton ("Today the President of the Palestinian people is General Dayton") and said the PA has backtracked on pledges to wanted fugitives. 19 Fugitives Follow Zubaydah to Jenin Camp; Fatah Leaders Negotiating for Their Return -------------- ¶3. (C) The PLC members and Jenin Fatah leader Amr Sa'adi report that 18-19 fugitives left the Muqata'a with Zubaydah as a "show of solidarity." (Note: This group consists of fugitives the PA has sheltered/monitored for several months in the hopes of gaining GOI approval for their inclusion in the disarmament/amnesty deal. Most are al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants, but 3-4 of these fugitives are PIJ. End note). The PLC members said they discouraged Zubaydah from requesting assistance from the ICRC in Jenin and drawing media attention pending resolution of negotiations to get Zubaydah and the fugitives permission to return to the Muqata'a. Shami and Abu al-Rub said they will meet with President Abbas on April 10 to discuss this issue. Regardless of Outcome, Zubaydah "Retired," Second Intifadah an "Entire Failure" -------------- ¶4. (C) Local contacts who regularly meet with Zubaydah told PolOff that Zubaydah's biting criticism of the PA is not accompanied by an intention to resume terror operations or fight against PA security forces. Contacts say Zubaydah seems disillusioned and exhausted, and truly believes, as he told "Haaretz" in his interview, that the second Intifadah was a failure and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades are "dead." WALLES