Arafat could stop terror attacks

By Zvi Harel and Moshe Reinfeld, Haaretz, April 8, 2003

"When [Palestinian Authority Chairman] Yasser Arafat wanted a cease-fire, he would say so, and when he remained silent, it was understood as a green light to continue terror attacks," according to statements by Marwan Barghouti that were made public Monday.

The Tanzim leader also said Arafat never asked him directly to carry out attacks.

The comments came from a transcript of Barghouti's April 29, 2002 Shin Bet interrogation, portions of which were released for publication Monday by the Tel Aviv District Court.

According to Barghouti's remarks during the interrogation, he had ties with Nasser Awis, the senior Fatah military activist in Nablus, who was responsible for dispatching cells that carried out attacks against Israelis.
According to Barghouti, Awis asked him for financial assistance for terror activities. Barghouti said during the interrogation that on a number of occasions, he gave Awis close to NIS 20,000. Barghouti obtained the money through requests to Arafat. He went on to say that the money was transferred to Awis through a go-between.

According to the transcripts, when asking Arafat for money, Barghouti did not say for what purposes the money would be used, but wrote the name of the militant, the desired amount, and wrote that his opinion was that the money should be approved.

Barghouti also said in his interrogation that in the past two years, he felt that only armed resistance that caused pain to Israel would advance the peace.

One interrogator noted that, "Barghouti explained that only through the agony of terror attacks would Israelis understand what they have to lose, which would lead them to relinquish their tough stance."

As he has done previously in the courtroom, Barghouti announced at the beginning of the evidence phase that he does not recognize the court, called the trial a "show," and said, "Occupation is terror."

Barghouti is charged with violating seven provisions of the penal law, including membership in a terrorist organization, activity in a terrorist organization, murder, complicity to murder, solicitation to murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit a felony.