PA: Arrested Hamas activists planned to assassinate Abbas
By Avi Issacharoff Haaretz Last update - 03:21 03/07/2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1097504.html

Hamas activists arrested by the Palestinian Authority have admitted to
tracking the movements of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and to
gathering intelligence on his security, PA sources told Haaretz.

Their motive clearly was to assassinate Abbas, the sources said.

"Hamas' intention was to scuttle the reconciliation talks [between Hamas and
Fatah] in Cairo and to create chaos in the West Bank, in contrast to the
sense of security that has characterized the territory for the past two
years," Fatah spokesman Fahmi Zarir told Haaretz.

Palestinian Authority Secretary Taib Abd-Arahim had said Monday amid the
Cairo talks that Palestinian security forces had arrested 10 Hamas members
planning to attack PA institutions. The detainees admitted they were
planning to assassinate several senior Palestinian Authority officials on
July 1, in order to halt the conciliation talks, he said.

Now, new details have now emerged about the plot: The Hamas activists were
caught with weapons, maps and photos of senior Palestinian officers. The
photos and maps indicated the cell was conducting surveillance on Abbas
himself.

Sources say Palestinian security forces have detailed confessions in which
the suspects acknowledged planning to assassinate several PA officials and
stated they were observing Abbas' movements. PA sources say their motive was
clear: to assassinate Abbas. The cell had three to five members, between the
ages of 25 and 30.

A spokesman for Hamas' military wing has denied the allegations. However, if
they are true, this is evidence not only of Hamas' intention to scuttle
reconciliation with Fatah, but also to stage a coup of sorts against the
Palestinian Authority. Reports suggest Hamas' military wing has an extremist
agenda, but Hamas' political leadership in the west bank is thought not to
have been aware of the plot.