Fatah Says Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Has Been Dismantled

Palestinian Interior Minister ‘Adb A-Razzak Al-Yahya said on Saturday that the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the terrorist arm of Fatah, has been dismantled. The Media Line’s correspondent Bassem Roomie reports from Ramallah that according to Al-Yahya, "The operation is underway to dismantle all other militias connected to Islamic and other organizations." He said that weapons will be confiscated forcibly if the groups do not cooperate. Analysts at The Media Line caution that this report portends serious consequences for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process because Israel has predicated its refusal to undertake its obligations under the Road Map peace plan on the failure of the Palestinians to begin to rein in anti-Israel violence. If the Palestinian Authority is, indeed, moving against terror organizations, the obligation to suspend all building on post-1967 lands – even for the purpose of expanding existing communities pursuant to natural growth – would unambiguously fall to the Israelis. Recent announcements of new Israeli construction are seen as the current obstacles to movement in the process.