Fatah's war on the media

Hani Al-Hassan, former palestinian presidential advisor has confirmed to Al-Jazeera that the recent 'coup' was actually Hamas against elements of Fatah who were openly collaborating with the Israeli occupation and the USA. Fatah gunmen attacked Al-Hassan's home after the interview and the Fatah heirarchy have also condemned Al-Jazeera as being supporters of 'terrorists', Hamas. Whether they like it or not, this episode rather severely dents the propaganda issued by Fatah. Meanwhile the Jerusalem Post reports that a palestinian journalist, Seif al-Din Shahin, a correspondent for the Al-Arabiya, is seeking asylum in Norway, after his family were threatened by Fatah groups including the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade:

Shahin's decision to seek political asylum in Norway comes amid a campaign that is being waged by Fatah against Al-Arabiya's rival, Al-Jazeera.

Fatah leaders have even called for closing down the Al-Jazeera offices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, accusing the Qatari-owned TV station of serving as a mouthpiece for Hamas and other radical Islamic groups.

"Al-Jazeera is openly biased in favor of Hamas," said a senior Fatah leader. "This station must be banned from working in the Palestinian territories."

Muhammad Dahlan, the former Fatah security commander in the Gaza Strip, is said to be spearheading calls for banning Al-Jazeera. Last week he told Palestinian journalists that Al- Jazeera had been doing everything to drive a wedge and encourage schism among Palestinians. "This station has become an organ for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood," he said.

The article also reveals that Shahin has been beaten by Fatah men twice for his reporting. It seems that if any network decides to report any element of truth regarding what happened in Gaza, they are elevated to the status of 'terrorism supporters' by Fatah. This appears to be yet another sign of the disintegration of the Western trojan horse policy in occupied Palestine. Dahlan's people have fled or given up in Gaza, but the latest actions of Fatah gunmen show that the zionists have not finished with the strategy of divide and conquer. Lives don't matter, as long as it is only Palestinians doing the dying. Abbas has become a willing puppet and has condemned Hamas for "crimes, murder and agression". His men of course have committed no murders, crimes or torture against Hamas. In a rather comical statement, Iraqi president Talabani appearing alongside Abbas, declared that Iraq's democratic government is making neighboring countries fearful because it could:

"inspire the people of the Middle East to ask for the democracy that they are deprived of."

I personally doubt whether any other neighbouring country would enjoy the type of 'democracy' that the Iraqi people are 'enjoying' at the moment. Perhaps they should start asking for democracy in Cairo, but I doubt whether Mubarak would be sympathetic to this democratic model.