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
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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