Terrorist: We'll use U.S. weapons if Israel retaliates

Terrorist: We'll use U.S. weapons if Israel retaliates
Abbas-related group vows 'to use all tools at our disposal'

By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

TEL AVIV – If Israel retaliates for yesterday's suicide bombing with a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian groups will use "all tools" at their disposal to attack the Jewish state, including American weapons recently transferred to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization, a leader of Fatah's declared military wing told WND today.

"If Israel dares any major atrocities in Gaza in response to yesterday's martyrdom operation, we vow to use all tools at our disposal to attack Israel and prove to the Zionists the heavy price of entering Gaza," said Abu Ahmed, a northern Gaza leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization. "This means also the American weapons sent to Fatah as part of an American-Zionist conspiracy to generate internal fighting between us (Fatah) and Hamas."

The Brigades, the declared military wing of Fatah, took responsibility along with the Islamic Jihad terror group for yesterday's attack, which killed three people when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a bakery in the southern resort city of Eilat.

Many members of the Brigades also openly serve in Fatah's security organizations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier this month told reporters the U.S. is working with Fatah to create a unified Palestinian security force. The Bush administration reportedly will grant $86.4 million to strengthen the Fatah forces, including Force 17, Abbas' security detail, which also serves as de facto police units in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The U.S. aid is meant to bolster Fatah, which the U.S. considers moderate, against Hamas. Fatah and Hamas have engaged in nearly two months of deadly factional clashes after Abbas called for new Palestinian elections in a move widely seen as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas-led PA.

WND reported the U.S. in recent weeks transferred 7,000 assault rifles and more than 1 million rounds of ammunition to Fatah militias.

The last confirmed American arms shipment to Fatah took place in May. At first, the shipment, consisting of 3,000 rifles, was denied by the U.S. and Israel, but Olmert in June admitted the transfer took place, telling reporters, "I needed to approve the shipment to help bolster Abbas."

At the time, Abu Yousuf, a Fatah militant from Abba's Force 17 security forces, told WND while some of the weapons may be used in confrontations against Hamas, the bulk of the American arms would be utilized to "hit the Zionists."

He said if there is a major conflict with Israel, U.S. weapons provided to Fatah may be shared with other "Palestinian resistance organizations."

"The first place of these U.S. weapons will be to defend the Palestinian national project, which is reflected by the foundation of the Palestinian Authority. If Hamas or any other group under the influence of Iran and Syria wants to make a coup de tat against our institution, these weapons are there to defend the PA," said Abu Yousuf.

"We don't want to go to civil war with Hamas, because this is what both the U.S. and Israel want. This is our last option. We hope our brothers in Hamas won't oblige us to find ourselves in confrontation," Abu Yousuf said.

But the Fatah militant said the new American weapons may also be used to target Israelis. He admitted previous American arms supplied to Fatah were used in "resistance operations" against the Jewish state.

Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)