Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
99JERUSALEM1970
1999-07-02 11:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:  

"ABU SAOOD:" (ONE OF) ARAFAT'S REVILED

Tags:  PREL PGOV KPAL KDEM PINR 
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R 021150Z JUL 99
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7865
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001970 

SMEC FOR ROSS/MILLER; NEA FOR VERSTANDIG/INDYK; NSC FOR
RIEDEL/MALLEY; INR/B

E.O. 12958: DNG: 06/25/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL KDEM PINR
SUBJECT: "ABU SAOOD:" (ONE OF) ARAFAT'S REVILED
GATEKEEPERS

REF: A) JERUSALEM 1927

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001970

SMEC FOR ROSS/MILLER; NEA FOR VERSTANDIG/INDYK; NSC FOR
RIEDEL/MALLEY; INR/B

E.O. 12958: DNG: 06/25/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL KDEM PINR
SUBJECT: "ABU SAOOD:" (ONE OF) ARAFAT'S REVILED
GATEKEEPERS

REF: A) JERUSALEM 1927


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY CONSUL GENERAL JOHN E. HERBST,
REASON 1.5(B).

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SUMMARY
--------------


2. (C) PALESTINIANS INCREASINGLY COMPLAIN THAT
ARAFAT'S COTERIE OF "GATEKEEPERS" ARE EXERCISING A
DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF POWER AND PREVENTING PEOPLE
WHO HAVE LEGITIMATE BUSINESS WITH ARAFAT FROM GETTING
AN AUDIENCE. MANY PALESTINIANS BELIEVE THIS GROUP IS
PREVENTING ARAFAT FROM HEARING FROM KEY CONSTITUENTS
WHO COULD GIVE HIM A SENSE OF THE DEEP LEVEL OF
MISTRUST AND ALIENATION THAT MANY PALESTINIANS FEEL
TOWARD THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA). ONE GATEKEEPER
-- "ABU SAOOD" -- PULLS A PARTICULARLY NEGATIVE
REACTION. HE IS A THIRD GRADE DROP OUT WHO STARTED AS
A COFFEE BOY WITH FATAH IN AMMAN THIRTY YEARS AGO AND
HAS NOW RISEN TO A POSITION OF CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE.
ABU SAOOD'S RECENT CONFRONTATION WITH FATAH WEST BANK
HIGHER COMMITTEE HEAD MARWAN BARGHOUTI AND THE
POLITICAL BATTLE IT HAS HELPED KICKED OFF IS ONLY THE
LATEST EXAMPLE OF THIS GROUP'S INFLUENCE. THE
FOLLOWING PIECE PROFILES ABU SAOOD. IT IS GLEANED FROM
THE COMMENTS AND INFORMATION GATHERED BY CONGEN FSN.

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WHO IS ABU SAOOD?
--------------


3. (C) SA'ED ZAHRAN ALLAAN, KNOWN COMMONLY BY HIS NOM
DE GUERRE "ABU SAOOD," WAS BORN AROUND 1949 INTO A
FAMILY OF NINE IN THE WEST BANK VILLAGE OF DEIR ABU
MASH'AL, LOCATED NORTHWEST OF RAMALLAH NEAR THE GREEN
LINE. HIS FATHER, A PEASANT, WANTED HIM TO GET A GOOD
EDUCATION AND SENT HIM TO SCHOOL IN THE NEIGHBORING
VILLAGE OF ABOUD. AFTER FAILING TWICE TO PASS THE
THIRD GRADE, HE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL AND JOINED HIS
FATHER IN WORKING THE LAND.


4. (C) WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 20, ABU SAOOD MOVED TO AMMAN
ON THE ADVICE OF A RELATIVE WHO TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD
FIND HIM A JOB IN SAUDI ARABIA OR KUWAIT. THE PROMISED
JOB NEVER MATERIALIZED AND THE DESTITUTE ABU SAOOD WAS
FORCED TO WORK AT DAILY LABOR JOBS IN AMMAN'S VEGETABLE
MARKET TO SUPPORT HIMSELF. THROUGH A RELATIVE, HE
MANAGED TO LAND A JOB WITH FATAH IN THE LATE 60'S AS
THE COFFEE SERVER IN THE OFFICE OF THE LATE FATAH
LEADER SALAH KHALAF (ABU IYAD). (NOTE: COFFEE AND TEA
SERVERS ARE FOUND IN VIRTUALLY ALL PALESTINIANS OFFICES

IN DEFERENCE TO THE ARAB CUSTOM OF SERVING VISITORS
REFRESHMENT. COFFEE SERVERS CAN BE AGING MEMBERS OF
THE OFFICE WHO STILL NEED A STIPEND OR AMBITIOUS YOUNG
OPERATORS SEEKING UPWARD MOBILITY THROUGH DAILY CONTACT
WITH THEIR BOSSES. END NOTE.)

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ABU SAOOD'S CLIMB
--------------


5. (C) FOLLOWING THE PLO'S EXPULSION FROM JORDAN IN
1970, ABU IYAD AND ABU SAOOD RELOCATED TO BEIRUT. HE
WAS PROMOTED TO MESSENGER BOY, WHICH REQUIRED HIM TO
DELIVER MESSAGES AND LETTERS FROM ABU IYAD TO THE
DIFFERENT PLO OFFICES, INCLUDING ARAFAT'S. FATAH
CONTACTS AND MEMBERS OF ARAFAT'S OFFICE SAY THAT
WHENEVER THE OUT-GOING ABU SAOOD WENT TO ARAFAT'S
OFFICE HE SPENT EXTRA TIME BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS WITH
THE CHAIRMAN'S STAFF AND BODY GUARDS. HE ALSO REPORTED
THE GOINGS-ON AT THE ARAFAT OFFICE TO ABU IYAD. IT IS
SAID THAT DR. RAMZI KHOURY, A KEY FIGURE AT THE
CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE AND LONG-TIME CONFIDANT ARAFAT,
BECAME AWARE OF ABU SAOOD'S REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES.
KHOURY DECLINED TO TURN ABU SAOOD IN TO ARAFAT, AND
INSTEAD OFFERED HIM A GOOD JOB IN ARAFAT'S OFFICE IN
THE FUTURE IF HE BEGAN REPORTING ON ABU IYAD'S OFFICE.
ABU SAOOD ACCEPTED AND BEGAN INFORMING ON ABU IYAD TO
KHOURY.


6. (C) IN THE LATE 1970'S, ABU SAOOD MOVED TO
ARAFAT'S OFFICE, AS KHOURY HAD PROMISED. DURING HIS
INITIAL STINT, HE ANSWERED TELEPHONE CALLS, RECEIVED
GUESTS AND SHOWED THEM TO THE CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE. HE
WAS NOT GIVEN ANY OFFICIAL TITLE. ACCORDING TO
MOHAMMED ADWAN, THE HEAD OF FOREIGN MEDIA RELATIONS FOR
ARAFAT'S OFFICE, ABU SAOOD PROVED HIMSELF USEFUL TO
ARAFAT THROUGH HIS ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BETWEEN
PLO FIGHTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN PHALANGIST
MILITIA, MANY OF WHOM HE HUNG OUT WITH IN BEIRUT'S BARS
AND BROTHELS.


7. (C) THE MOST FAMOUS (AND COLORFUL) STORY ABOUT
THIS PERIOD IN ABU SAOOD'S LIFE ALSO LED TO HIS NEXT
"PROMOTION." ACCORDING TO THE STORY/LEGEND, DURING THE
PLO'S BEIRUT DAYS ARAFAT BECAME VERY AGITATED WITH
SA'AD SALAAM, THE EDITOR OF A MAJOR CHRISTIAN NEWSPAPER
WHO CONSTANTLY WROTE DISPARAGING STORIES ABOUT HIM.
DURING A DINNER WITH HIS AIDES, THE CHAIRMAN COMPLAINED
ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN EDITOR AND ASKED WHAT SHOULD BE
DONE WITH HIM. WHILE SOME OF THE CHAIRMAN'S AIDES
HELPFULLY VOLUNTEERED TO ASSASSINATE THE EDITOR, ABU
SAOOD SOUGHT THE CHAIRMAN OUT WITH ANOTHER IDEA IN
MIND. HE SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD OF ARAFAT'S DISPUTE
WITH QLAAM QOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HE TOLD A
DISBELIEVING ARAFAT THAT HE WOULD BRING THE EDITOR, IN
PERSON, TO THE HIS OFFICE AND HAVE HIM APOLOGIZE TO HIM
AND PROMISE NEVER TO WRITE ANYTHING INSULTING AGAINST
THE CHAIRMAN AGAIN. THE CHAIRMAN IS SAID TO HAVE
LAUGHED AT ABU SAOOD.


8. (C) THE NEXT DAY, HOWEVER, ABU SAOOD SHOWED UP AT
THE CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE ACCOMPANIED BY THE EDITOR. TRUE
TO ABU SAOOD'S PLEDGE, THE EDITOR APOLOGIZED TO ARAFAT
AND PROMISED NOT TO WRITE ANYTHING INSULTING ABOUT HIM
AGAIN. AFTER THE EDITOR LEFT ARAFAT'S OFFICE, THE
CHAIRMAN DEMANDED THAT ABU SAOOD REVEAL HOW HE MANAGED
TO INDUCE THE EDITOR TO APOLOGIZE. ABU SAOOD REPORTEDLY
REVEALED THAT HE HAD BLACKMAILED THE EDITOR OVER A
SEXUAL INDISCRETION.


9. (C) ABU SAOOD OBTAINED HIS CURRENT TITLE AND A NEW
LEVEL OF INFLUENCE IN 1992 IN AN EQUALLY DRAMATIC
FASHION -- HE LITERALLY PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LINE FOR
THE CHAIRMAN. ABU SAOOD WAS TRAVELING WITH ARAFAT WHEN
HIS PLANE CRASHED IN THE LIBYAN DESERT. REALIZING THAT
A CRASH WAS IMMINENT, ABU SAOOD REPORTEDLY RUSHED THE
CHAIRMAN TO THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRPLANE AND
MOBILIZED ARAFAT'S BODYGUARDS TO SURROUND THE CHAIRMAN,
ACTING ESSENTIALLY AS "HUMAN PILLOWS." ABU SAOOD
HIMSELF EMBRACED ARAFAT TO HELP ABSORB THE SHOCK OF
IMPACT. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS ARAFAT DID AFTER HIS
RECOVERY WAS AWARD ABU SAOOD THE OFFICIAL TITLE OF
"HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PROTOCOL" AT HIS OFFICE.

-------------- --------------
REACHING THE PINNACLE, OR THIS IS NOT A MERITOCRACY
-------------- --------------


10. (C) ABU SAOOD, A SHORT, PORTLY MAN WITH A GRUFF
DEMEANOR, IS NOW WELL-KNOWN TO ANYONE WHO VISITS
ARAFAT'S OFFICE. HE DETERMINES -- FOR MOST VISITORS --
WHETHER THEY GET AN AUDIENCE WITH THE CHAIRMAN. AS HIS
POWER HAS GROWN, HE HAS ALSO BEGUN TO BE DISPATCHED TO
EVENTS TO "REPRESENT" ARAFAT'S OFFICE. WHEN HE ATTENDS
AN EVENT IT IS UNIVERSALLY INTERPRETED AS A NOT-SO-
SUBTLE MEANS OF INTIMIDATION. FOR EXAMPLE, HE APPEARED
AT THE PALESTINIAN COUNCIL SESSIONS LAST SUMMER WHEN
THE COUNCIL WAS BALKING AT APPROVING ARAFAT'S NEW
CABINET. WHEN HEATED DEBATES ERUPTED, ABU SAOOD WOULD
SHOW UP TO "LOBBY" QUARRELING COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCIL
MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY SAW ABU SAOOD'S PRESENCE AS BOTH A
SIGN OF HOW SERIOUSLY ARAFAT WAS ABOUT SECURING
APPROVAL FOR HIS CABINET AND A CLEAR INDICATION THAT
VOTING THE WRONG WAY WOULD CARRY A HIGH POLITICAL
PRICE.


11. (C) MORE RECENTLY, ABU SAOOD WAS INVOLVED IN A
CONFRONTATION WITH FATAH WEST BANK HIGHER COMMITTEE
HEAD MARWAN BARGHOUTI (REF). THE EVENT HELPED UNLEASH
THE CURRENT ROUND OF INTENSE POLITICAL WRANGLING THAT
IS SEEING ELEMENTS IN ARAFAT'S OLD GUARD TRY TO
MANEUVER GRASSROOTS FATAH ACTIVISTS OUT OF POSITIONS OF
POWER. IN A SIGN OF THE DISTRUST WITH WHICH ABU SAOOD
IS VIEWED, MANY PALESTINIANS SEE HIM AS ACTING
INDEPENDENTLY AGAINST BARGHOUTI IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE
SELF-APPOINTED OVERSEER OF THE PALESTINIAN DOMESTIC
POLITICAL SCENE.


12. (C) THE FACT THAT ABU SAOOD EITHER WIELDS THIS
KIND OF POWER, OR IS ONLY PERCEIVED TO, PROVOKES A
CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FEAR AND LOATHING AMONG MANY
POLITICALLY ACTIVE PALESTINIANS. A NUMBER OF
PALESTINIANS HAVE RECENTLY INSISTED THAT EVEN MOHAMMED
RASHID, ARAFAT'S POWERFUL ECONOMIC ADVISOR, HAS HAD
TROUBLE GETTING PAST ABU SAOOD. WHILE THIS IS HARD FOR
US TO BELIEVE, IT DOES UNDERSCORE THE EPIC NATURE OF
ABU SAOOD'S REPUTATION AMONG PALESTINIANS.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


13. (C) ABU SAOOD'S RISE FROM UNEDUCATED MANUAL
LABORER AND COFFEE BOY TO ONE OF ARAFAT'S MOST TRUSTED
AIDES OFFERS A SNAPSHOT OF THE HIGHLY PERSONALIZED WAY
THAT ARAFAT DOES BUSINESS AND THE DIVIDENDS THAT
LOYALTY CAN PAY. ABU SAOOD IS A FREQUENT
TARGET OF CRITICISM FROM PALESTINIANS WHO BELIEVE THIS
IS A POOR WAY TO CONDUCT AFFAIRS. THE CRITICISM ALSO
STEMS FROM PALESTINIANS' PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH HIM
AS A NASTY INDIVIDUAL WHO IS MOST COMMONLY DESCRIBED BY
CONSULATE CONTACTS AS A "THUG." (BIONOTE: ABU SAOOD IS
MARRIED AND HAS ONE OR TWO DAUGHTERS. HE DOES NOT
SPEAK ENGLISH.)


HERBST