People
DAHLAN, Mohammed -- PA security head
Gaza Fatah strongman, former head of the Preventive Security, former Palestinian Minister of State for Security, former Minister for Civil Affairs, former negotiator, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Mohammed Dahlan is the appointed head of the National Security Council under Palestinian president Abbas.
Dahlan was a founding member of Shabiba, the youth association of Fatah. In 1994, he headed the notorious Preventive Security Forces in Gaza. He is known to have good connections with the Egyptian leadership and the US administration, through his connections with the CIA. Dahlan built up a force of at least 20,000 men and received help from CIA officials to train them. Dahlan was in command when his Preventive Security Forces arbitrary arrest hundreds of Palestinians. The first violent clashes between his forces and demonstrators erupted on 18 November 1994.
In 2000, Dahlan participated in the Camp David negotiations and Israeli leaders saw him as someone they could do business with. As head of one of the main Palestinian security organisations, Mr Dahlan also negotiated with Israeli officials to try to arrange a ceasefire several times after the most recent intifada erupted in September 2000.
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| A Palestinian worker printing a poster of Mohammad Dahlan in his print shop in Gaza City, 22 October 2005. (Wesam Saleh/MaanImages) |
Some have called Mohammad Dahlan the Palestinian Ahmad Chalabi, because he reportedly negotiated with the US and Israel about taking control of Gaza after the August 2005 disengagement plan. Today, Dahlan has become the face of one side of Fatah as violence increases between Hamas and Fatah.
Analysis
Palestinian Pinochet Making His Move?, Tony Karon (21 May 2007)
As Gaza Burns, Laila El-Haddad (16 May 2007)
The American proxy war in Gaza, Ali Abunimah (3 February 2007)
Who is Mohammad Dahlan?, Arjan El Fassed (20 December 2006)
Fatah-Hamas Armed Clashes Continue, PCHR (27 June 2006)
The (Anti-) Palestinian Authority, Joseph Massad (18 June 2006)
The End of a Political Fiction?, Adam Hanieh (2 February 2006)
What's wrong with the PA?, Arjan El Fassed (18 July 2004)
The men who are selling Palestine, Ali Abunimah (23 April 2003)
Websites
Dahlan's personal website
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