|
|
|||||||||
Document seized (November 2002) in the Palestinian Authority Preventive Security compound in Gaza: A transcript of a secret meeting held by Alistair Crooke, then a senior EU representative, with a Hamas delegation headed by (the late) Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and a meeting he held with members of the Fatah Tanzim, mediated by Preventive Security seniors (June 2002) |
|||||||||
Abstract |
|||||||||
 |
A spokeswoman on behalf of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana issued a statement (November 25, 2004) denying Solana or his office staff had met or held “direct contacts” with Hamas or other terrorist organizations on the EU list of banned terrorist organizations. Yet, in an interview given to the BBC soon afterwards (November 25, 2004), Solana mentioned that he had “had direct contact with Hamas, but not in the last few days.” | ||||||||
|
Keeping the above in mind, it should be noted that among the documents seized (November 2002) by the IDF in the Palestinian Authority Preventive Security compound in the Gaza Strip (November 2002) was a transcript of a secret meeting held by Alistair Crooke, the security advisor of Miguel Moratinos, then the EU special envoy for promoting the peace process in the Middle East (who serves now as Spain’s foreign minister), with a Hamas delegation headed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. | ||||||||
|
The seized documents, dated June 2002, describe two meetings: One was held with members of the Fatah Tanzim, and the other with a Hamas delegation headed by Sheikh Yassin. These two meetings were held under the mediation of Preventive Security seniors in the Gaza Strip. Alistair Crooke especially requested that no word of the meeting with Hamas be made public (to prevent, as he put it, Israel and the US from taking advantage of such information) and expressed his desire to continue the dialogue (i.e., in secret) with Hamas. | ||||||||
|
In the course of the meeting held with members of the Fatah Tanzim, Crooke understood from his partners in dialogue that with no political horizon in sight, it was impossible to talk about calming down the situation and bringing the escalation (at the time) to a halt. He also heard their “anger” over the European decision to include the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Fatah’s operative terrorist wing) in the list of terrorist organizations. He translated the viewpoints expressed in the meeting into messages, which he then proceeded to read back to the Fatah Tanzim members and promised to deliver them to EU seniors. One may conclude from the transcript that the messages, as they were understood by Crooke, were “softened up” and phrased positively, attempting, in our understanding, to “smooth out the rough edges” and imbue the messages with Crooke’s own insights, reflecting, in his view, the interests of the European community. | ||||||||
|
In the secret meeting with Hamas seniors, Crooke expressed his appreciation of Hamas for its welfare programs, connecting it to people on the ground, and for being an “important political factor”. “The main problem is the Israeli occupation”, Crooke told Sheikh Yassin and his fellow Hamas seniors who attended the meeting, and stated that it was impossible to lower the level of violence without a political horizon. To that end, he added, it was necessary to initiate trust-building measures and a mutual lowering of the level of violence. Crooke assured Sheikh Yassin and the Hamas seniors that the Europeans were unequivocally opposed to the Israeli settlement activities. As for terrorism, Crooke added: “I hate that word. I’ve spent some time in my life with freedom fighters like in Colombia…” [i.e., one may conclude that, in his view, members of Hamas are implicitly freedom fighters rather than terrorists]. | ||||||||
|
Sheikh Yassin expressed his satisfaction over Crooke’s ruling that the root of the problem was the Israeli occupation. However, in the course of the conversation, Sheikh Yassin and his men clarified their position with regard to that Israeli occupation: the occupation, as Sheikh Yassin put it, extends over the territories of 1948,not just 1967 [meaning the liberation of the entire territory of Palestine, not just the post-1967 “occupied territories”]. Sheikh Yassin expressed his discontent over the Europeans’ decision to include Hamas in the list of terrorist organizations, and asked that the Europeans support him and resist the American policy. In response, Crooke stated: “We do not consider Hamas’ political wing to be a terrorist organization”. As the conversation came to an end, Sheikh Yassin brought up before Crooke (who, according to the document, did not comment) the conspiracy theory regarding the September 11 terrorist attacks: it was Israel and global Zionism who were to blame for the September 11 terrorist attacks “so that war would be declared on the Islamic world [as well as on Hamas]…” | ||||||||
The key issues that were raised in Crooke’s meetings according to the documents |
|||||||||
Background information |
|||||||||
|
IDF forces seized (November 18, 2002) a transcript of two meetings held (separately) between members of the Tanzim (Fatah’s military wing) and Hamas, and Alistair Crooke, the security advisor of Miguel Moratinos, the EU special envoy for promoting the peace process in the Middle East. The transcript was accompanied by cover letters written by the Preventive Security personnel in Gaza. The entire correspondence is dated late June 2002. | ||||||||
|
The purpose of these meetings (in Alistair Crooke’s view), as specified in the transcript, was to hear the concepts of the Fatah Tanzim and Hamas members on the situation on the ground and act to promote opportunities for a solution in the near future, once the state of violence and escalation comes to an end. | ||||||||
|
The two meetings were organized by the then deputy chief of the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Rashid Abu Shbak (with Muhammad Dahlan probably being in the know as well), with the assistance of the head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Muhammad al-Najjar. According to the letters accompanying the transcript, Alistair Crooke was interested in continuing the dialogue with Hamas through the Preventive Security. | ||||||||
|
Alistair Crooke specifically asked his partners in dialogue to keep the meeting a secret, for “there are people who would take advantage of such information, particularly Americans and Israelis”. Hamas complied with his request regarding the meeting that had already been held; however, the movement noted it would consider its position regarding future meetings. | ||||||||
The meeting with the Fatah Tanzim members |
|||||||||
|
Senior members of Fatah and the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, whose names are listed in the transcript, took part in the meeting with Alistair Crooke. That meeting is described in brief (as opposed to the extensively-detailed meeting with Hamas). The key issues discussed in the meeting: | ||||||||
 |
The members of the Fatah Tanzim stressed that without a political horizon that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the borders of 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, “it is going to be impossible to talk about calming down the situation or stopping the escalation, particularly in view of the continuing Israeli escalation [at the time]”. | ||||||||
|
The members of the Fatah Tanzim expressed their angerover the decision made by the Europeans to include the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Fatah’s operative terrorist wing) in the list of terrorist organizations, along with other Palestinian organizations that “fight for freedom” [i.e. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad]. | ||||||||
|
Alistair Crooke conveyed to the Fatah Tanzim members a message, stating that they must take the initiative into their own hands, seek ways out of the current predicament, “and not expect the solution to fall down from the sky or come from the US”. He promised to deliver to European seniors the message he heard from the Fatah Tanzim members, which, in his understanding, included the following: | ||||||||
|
Europe needs to embrace a neutral, impartial stand with regard to Israel and the US and must be a fair mediator. | ||||||||
|
There can be no talk of calming down the situation without a political horizon. | ||||||||
|
Europe has to adopt an independent policy, separate from that of the US, which would serve the European interests in the region. | ||||||||
|
The Fatah movement is ready to fulfill its obligations should there be a political horizon based on the realization of the Palestinians’ rights. | ||||||||
|
It should be noted that the position of the Fatah Tanzim, as emerges from the transcript, is not completely identical to the messages of the Tanzim as they were understood by Alistair Crooke. If the transcript is accurate, Crooke tried, in our understanding, to “smooth out the rough edges” and “translate” the statements he heard from the Fatah Tanzim members into positive terms. In the process—according to the document—he probably left out some of the statements he heard (the “anger” over the inclusion of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the list of terrorist organizations) and reiterated some of his own insights (Europe must embrace a neutral, independent position regarding Israel and the US). | ||||||||
The meeting with Hamas members |
|||||||||
|
The meeting with Alistair Crooke was attended by the (then) Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and three additional senior Hamas figures in the Gaza Strip. Crooke expressed his desire to hear Hamas’ position, noting that: | ||||||||
|
The Hamas movement is close to people [i.e., Palestinians] on the ground, particularly owing to its social welfare programs. | ||||||||
|
The Hamas movement is an important political factor. | ||||||||
|
“We are all entering a difficult time right now… The main problem is the Israeli occupation.” | ||||||||
|
In response, Sheikh Yassin expressed his satisfaction over Crooke’s ruling that the source of the problem was the [Israeli] occupation, and noted that “the Israeli army conquered the land in 1948, and followed in our footsteps in 1967. It kills civilians, the elderly, women and children and prevents us from earning livelihood. What are we to do? Are we to raise a white flag and surrender?” Therefore, Palestinians must rise up against the occupation and the international community cannot ask the Palestinian people not to defend themselves. Sheikh Yassin expressed his discontent over the inclusion of Hamas in the EU list of terrorist organizations, and suggested that the Europeans support him “the way you supported the [Muslim] fighters in Afghanistan”. Crooke responded that Europe sympathized with the Palestinian people, adding, “I explained to Solana and Blair that the status of Europe in the eyes of the Palestinians has started to decline”. Sheikh Yassin responded that the Europeans must stand against the American policy. Crooke promised to deliver that message; however, he noted [complaining] that time and again the Palestinians [that is, the Palestinian Authority] tend to work with Washington [rather than with the Europeans]. | ||||||||
|
As he proceeded, Alistair Crooke reiterated that it was important to end the occupation and noted that the Mitchell Report (2001), parts of which were composed with his assistance, determined that it was impossible to lower the level of violence without a political horizon. For that purpose it was necessary to embark upon a process of negotiations and discussions within the right framework: “That is why it is necessary to initiate trust-building measures and a mutual lowering of the [level of] violence”. He asked the Hamas seniors whether the Palestinians would agree to accept the terms they were offered in the Taba peace talks (2001), granted the opportunity once again. The Hamas seniors replied that they had not seen what has been achieved at [the] Taba [talks] and asked Crooke to send them [the relevant information]. Crooke promised to do so through the Preventive Security. | ||||||||
|
The key statements made by the Hamas seniors who accompanied Sheikh Yassin: | ||||||||
|
The Hamas movement took initiatives, among which it declared it would stop terrorist attacks in Israel; however the Israelis continued their aggression. | ||||||||
|
The problem is the [Israeli] occupation: “We are talking about Palestine that was conquered in 1948 as well as in 1967, while everyone is talking about dismantling the [post-1967] settlements”. | ||||||||
|
Hamas seeks to unite the Palestinian people, establish a “true state” [on the entire territory of Palestine], based upon Arab and Islamic elements, and distance itself from the corruption that has its source in Israel and the West. | ||||||||
|
Alistair Crooke avoided addressing the statements made by the Hamas seniors on the “liberation” of the territories of 1948, preferring to make statements his partners in dialogue would find favorable. He stated that the Europeans objected to settlements, and that their position on that issue was not vague: “There must be a total halt of the settlement [activity]”. As for terrorism, Crooke added, “I hate that word. I’ve spent some time in my life with freedom fighters like in Colombia.We in Europe were affected by the September 11 events… and that triggers an emotional response…” [That is, in his view, members of Hamas are implicitly not terrorists but rather freedom fighters]. | ||||||||
|
At the end of the conversation, and in response to the mention of the September 11 events by Crooke, Sheikh Yassin explained to his partner in dialogue his opinion on the culprit behind the September 11 events: “Time will tell that Israel knew [in advance] what happened in America, and that it was global Zionism that paralyzed the American security, so that war could be declared on the Islamic world and [on] Hamas. Approximately 100-120 American Zionist agents [knew about it] and did not report it. I do not rule out the possibility that they attempted to induce Hamas [operatives] and other Islamic operatives [to do it]. [According to the document, Alistair Crooke did not attempt to argue with the anti-Semitic-flavored conspiracy theory (“global Zionism”) as described by Sheikh Yassin; rather, he commented that “we do not consider the political wing of Hamas to be a terrorist organization…”]. Furthermore, at the end of the meeting, Crooke expressed his wish that the dialogue with Hamas would continue, preferably through the mediation of Palestinian Authority representatives, in order “not to cause embarrassment to any side. | ||||||||
| Appendix A |
|||||||||
Translation of the original documents |
|||||||||
In the name of Allah, the compassionate and the merciful The Palestinian National Authority Signature June 26, 2002 Alistair asked me to ask you to talk with our brothers in Hamas in order to convince them to carry on with the dialogue and to do this with your assistance, so that neither side is embarrassed. In addition, he [Alistair Crooke] would like to know, if possible, their impression—that is, if the brothers from Hamas or Tanzim have spoken to you. Your instructions, please. Your brother, Muhammad al-Najjar [Head of the department of Foreign Relations in the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip] |
|||||||||
Appendix B |
|||||||||
In the name of Allah, the compassionate and the merciful The Palestinian National Authority To the Brother, the Director, [deputy chief of the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Rashid Abu Shbak], may Allah keep him Greeting of the Homeland, Please find attached the transcript of the meeting held by our brothers in Fatah and Hamas with Alistair Crooke [the security advisor of Miguel Moratinos, then EU special envoy for promoting the peace process in the Middle East and currently Spain’s foreign minister]. Alistair thanks you for organizing the two meetings. Regarding what was presented in Taba, Alistair sent it to brother Muhammad [possibly Muhammad Dahlan, former chief of the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip]. I believe it can be given to Hamas. What is your impression from both sides, if they should address you regarding what Alistair asked? As for the continuation of the dialogue in the future, I believe that depends on Hamas’ standpoint. For your attention. Your instructions, please. Respectfully, Your brother, |
|||||||||
Appendix C |
|||||||||
In the name of Allah, the compassionate and the merciful The Palestinian National Authority Greetings, Subject: The Meeting of Alistair Crooke with the brothers in the Tanzim and Hamas The aim of the meetings: To attempt to find opportunities and solutions in the near future, once the stage of violence and escalation [comes to an end]. The meeting with the brothers in the Tanzim The brothers in the Tanzim described the situation of tragedy and suffering in which the Palestinian people currently live, which prompts a [violent] reaction by all the layers of society, including the Fatah movement, when no political horizon is in sight. The brothers in the Tanzim stressed that without an acceptable political horizon, which would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the borders of 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, it will be impossible to talk about calming down [the situation] or stopping the escalation [at the time], particularly in light of the continuing Israeli escalation. In addition, they accurately presented their standpoint with regard to Europe, and particularly their anger overEurope’s latest decision to include the Al-Aqsa [Martyrs] Brigades [Fatah’s operative terrorist wing] in the list of terrorism, in addition to other Palestinian organizations that fight for freedom. Crooke promised to deliver the European seniors the message of the Tanzim, as follows: There can be no talk of calming down the situation without a political horizon. Europe must embrace a neutral, impartial stand with regard to Israel and the US; in addition, it must be a fair mediator. Europe must embrace an independent policy, separate from that of the US, in such a manner as to serve the European interests in the region. The Fatah movement is willing to fulfill its obligations if the [proper] conditions are met; that is, if there is a real political horizon that would be based on the restoration of the Palestinians’ rights. Crooke’s message to the Tanzim brothers was that they must take upon themselves any initiative that would serve the Palestinian people, and think of ways out of the current predicament without expecting a solution to fall from the sky or come from the US. In addition, he asked them to inform the leadership of what happens on the ground in an honest, truthful manner. Furthermore, he added, if they had something they believe Europe should know, or any message they would like to deliver the Europeans, he was willing to deliver that message to the relevant parties. Alistair [Crooke] expressed his willingness to carry on with the dialogue with the Fatah brothers. It was agreed that the contacts would be held through brother Muhammad al-Najjar [head of the International Relations department in the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip]. This is a synopsis of what transpired in the meeting with the Fatah brothers. The meeting with the Hamas brothers: At the start of the meeting, Crooke spoke about the purpose of the meeting, saying: “We are currently in an extremely grave situation. Europe doesn’t know what President Bush is going to say in his speech to the Middle East. So far there are about 27 drafts of that speech, and there are disagreements in the American administration over that issue. Blair [Prime Minister of the UK] and Solana [Secretary-General of the European Council and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) in the European Union] talked with Powell [the US Secretary of State] and with other [senior] figures in the American administration, but so far the position is not clear. There are people in the American administration, like Powell, Armitage [Powell’s deputy] and George Tenet [then director of CIA], who believe that progress is impossible without a political horizon, and there are people in the Pentagon opposed to any serious American involvement.” In addition, he [Crooke] said: “I would like to hear your opinion and position, for a number of reasons”:
Sheikh Yassin commented that he was happy to hear that Crooke diagnosed the [Israeli] occupation as the problem, and said: “Our job is to provide the world with a clear view of reality so that it can make the right decisions and judge the situation wisely. The reality is one of deprivation and brutality, and that serves to escalate the violence and the disagreements. The dispossessed can do nothing but to take vengeance and repel the subjugator. Our people and our nation have the peace and the good of the world in mind; we do not seek blood or war. However, what would you do instead of us if you were driven out from your home, your land and your birthplace, and if the occupation followed you and conquered the land that was left, besieged you, killed you and stuck settlements in your land?! The Israeli army conquered the land in the year 1948 and followed in our footsteps in 1967. It kills civilians, the elderly, women and children, and prevents us from earning our livelihood. What are we to do? Are we to raise a white flag and surrender? Is there a people who would not rise up against the [Israeli] occupation? The problem is the occupation. Is it conceivable that the international community should ask us not to resist the occupation, provide the occupation with security and not to defend ourselves?! We demand [he continued] that the occupation be driven off from our land, and instead of supporting my position of self defense, Europe includes me in the list of terrorist [organizations]. Just as you supported the fighters in Afghanistan, you had better support me too [while] America is supporting Israel with money and weapons. Alistair replied: “I completely understand what you are saying. At the beginning of the tenure of the [current] American administration, Europe tried to work with Powell so that it could gain influence, but did not succeed. There is an understanding not only on the government level but also on the popular level, and there is sympathy with the Palestinian people. I explained to Blair and Solana that the status of Europe in the eyes of the Palestinians has started to deteriorate. Sheikh Yassin: “We place great hope in Europe, since it has weight, power and presence. Instead of being dragged behind the American policy, it must at the very least say ‘no’ and refuse to accept that policy”. Alistair promised to deliver that message and said: “We are trying to implement an independent policy, but whenever we want to work with the Palestinians on one matter or another—and I’m not trying to pass criticism on the Palestinian Authority here—we notice a Palestinian tendency to work with Washington”. Sheikh Yassin: “Any policy dictated by the Palestinian Authority that does not serve the interests of the Palestinian people is bound to fail and will not be translated into action. The Palestinian people reject America and believe that Europe can help them achieve their goals”. Alistair: “I am trying to hear both from you and from the Tanzim. It is easy to escalate the violence, but it is going to be difficult to pull back in a few months or more, when opportunity presents itself and you are going to have to work together. There is a right-wing majority in Sharon’s government, and the Israelis are currently implementing Jabotinsky’s concept, saying that ‘if you bring the Palestinians to the point of despair, and if they feel they have no hope to succeed, they will get used to the settlers and will produce a pragmatic leadership capable enough of negotiating a solution [with the Israelis]’. I’ve spoken to high-ranking Israeli seniors on their assessment of Operation Defensive Shield [April 2002]. They said there was a temporary success in lowering [the level of] violence, but that success increases the Palestinians’ motivation to attack the Israelis”. Sheikh Yassin: “The error is the Israeli mentality that relies on force and on imposing [the Israelis’] desires by force. In 1948, they [forcefully] took [international] legitimization [for the establishment of the state of Israel] and in 1967 they conquered [additional Palestinian] land, [and now] they want to get legitimacy [for that]. They want to confront the Palestinian people with tanks and airplanes. They have a nuclear and biological arsenal. Instead of the world standing up to the aggression, they ask us not to [actively] resist [the Israelis]. If the aggression and the occupation of the Palestinian people stop, the resistance will stop. It is not fair to ask the Palestinian people to stop defending themselves”. Alistair: “It is important to end the occupation. The Mitchell Report, parts of which I assisted in composing, [states that] there is nothing to be done without a political horizon and that only in that case the [level of] violence will subside. In order to lower the [level of] violence, it is necessary to embark on a process of negotiations and discussions within the right framework. That is why it is necessary to initiate trust-building measures and a mutual lowering of the [level of] violence. I would like to ask you: If the Palestinians are once again presented with the same offer they were made in Taba, will it be possible to accept it?” The Hamas brothers replied that they did not see what was achieved in Taba. They asked Alistair to send a copy of the relevant documents from the Taba peace talks. Alistair promised to do that through brother Muhammad al-Najjar. Abu Hassan: “The Hamas movement took initiatives and declared it would stop terrorist attacks inside Israel, but it was the Israelis who persisted with their aggression”. Al-Zahar: “We agree with you that the problem is the occupation. We are talking about Palestine that was occupied in 1948 and [then] in 1967, while everybody is talking about dismantling the settlements. The simplest thing is to liberate ourselves from the Israeli occupation and have Israel withdraw so that we can achieve our goals. The armed struggle is justified according to all criteria [including] the Geneva [Convention,] that justifies the right of self defense. We believe that Israel will withdraw sooner or later. The second point is once the age of violence is over, we seek to unite the Palestinian people in order to establish a true state. We know it is impossible to secure our land against the occupation, unless it is by holding elections “inside” [the Palestinian Authority controlled territories] as well as abroad and establish a sovereign [Palestinian] state rather than an autonomy. We will not settle for anything less than an independent state. We will build our foundations with the Arab and Muslim nation and draw away from the corruption that has its source in Israel and the West. Everyone understands that our [i.e., Hamas’] interest is to be talking with Europe while the [Fatah-dominated Palestinian] Authority prefers America. It is a mistake to consider Islam an enemy. There is not a single word in Islam or in the Quran calling for discrimination. The Jews had their golden age under Islamic [rule]. We treat Jews and Christians as human beings. They believe in the return of the Messiah and that Jerusalem should be under Jewish rule. This is the foundation [of their faith] and it is well-known. We are talking about paving the way toward [a connection] between Palestinians and Arabs and between Europe and America. That is why we are willing to discuss all the aspects and explain our ideas. No member of Hamas is thirsting for blood. We want our babies to live away from arrest and deportation. How long can we suffer?! We are not satisfied with the British government. We are not terrorists and nobody accepts that. We are defending ourselves. We want to liberate ourselves from the [Israeli] occupation and return to the embrace of the Arab [world] and rebuild [sic] our state”. Sheikh Yassin: “ Israel does not want peace. Ever since Oslo, the Israelis have not opened the way toward peace. Israel does not want to give the Palestinians a future in their homeland and it will continue its arrogant [policy]. I believe that the fact that the role of the UN is non-existent [i.e. that the UN is not involved in the solution of the problem] is the reason for that. They even turned down the Jenin Committee [for investigating the false allegations brought up by the Palestinians during Operation Defensive Shield]. Israel attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Tunis and Egypt, and that is how it defends itself [i.e. Israel claims that attacking Arab countries is an act of self defense]. What is more, it continues to build settlements”. Alistair: “We believe that the settlements are illegal. The European position on this matter is not vague. It was mentioned in the Mitchell Report. The building of settlements must be brought to a complete halt. As for terrorism, I hate that word. I have spent some time in my life with freedom fighters like in Colombia. We were affected by the events of September 11. People cannot tolerate the sight of babies being killed, and that triggers an emotional response. When America reacted to the September 11 events [by its massive attack about a month later], the Afghan people should not have paid the price for that”. Sheikh Yassin: “Time will tell that Israel knew [in advance] about what happened in America and that it was global Zionism that paralyzed the American security, so that war could be declared on the Islamic world and on Hamas. About 100-120 Zionist-American agents [knew about it] and did not report it. I do not rule out the possibility that they attempted to seduce Hamas [operatives] and other Islamic operatives [to do it]”. Alistair: “What Europe has done… [Changing the subject:] We do not consider the political wing of Hamas to be a terrorist organization, and the same complaints were made regarding Fatah” As for Dr. Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, he said: “If the occupation is brought to an end, the resistance will come to an end [as well]”. Likewise, he gave statements similar to those given earlier by the [other senior] Hamas members. Crooke personally asked Hamas not to announce the meeting [i.e., keep it a secret], fearing there are people, particularly Americans and Israelis, who might take advantage of such information. Hamas hesitated about Crooke’s request, as they did not want to jeopardize [their relations with] the [Palestinian] Authority, and wished to avoid the impression that Hamas was engaged in [secret] dialogues or that it might be forming an alternate leadership. Therefore, Hamas wanted to make the meeting known. It was agreed that this time the meeting would be kept a secret and the [Palestinian] Authority was informed of that decision: brother Abu Hatem [Rashid Abu Shbak, then deputy chief of the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip] and brother Abu Fadi [Muhammad Dahlan, former chief of the Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip]. They said they would discuss the issue among themselves [only] and come to a decision regarding future meetings. They notified Alistair that they were willing to hold a dialogue. Mr. Alistair [Crooke] asked [me] to ask you to talk with the brothers in Hamas in order to convince them to continue the dialogue, so that it would be carried out by you, in order not to embarrass any side. Also, he [Alistair Crooke] would like to hear your impression if you have indeed been approached either by the brothers in the [Fatah] Tanzim or by Hamas, if possible. End. [Awaiting] your instructions |
|||||||||
| Appendix D |
|||||||||
The original documents |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|
