APPROVED FOR RELEASE

‘ DATE: MAY 2007

D I R E C T O R A T E OF I
I
INTELLIGENCE

FEDAYEEN -- “ M E N OF SACRIFICE”

Reference Title -- ESAU XLV6IH

- . .
I- - .. . . . . . ._
.. - __
1 -
 i
I
,
I
No D i s s e m Abroad/Controlled D i s s e m ~

WARNING
contain3 c1assific.d ii~tormationaff wtmg the
States \vithin thc nicaning of tlw cspionagr
793. 794. and T9S.

ROUP 1
ATIC
 FEDAYEEN -- "MEN OF SACRIFICE"
I
I

PREFACE I

T h i s e s s a y a d d r e s s e s itself e s p e c i a l l y t o t h e ~

o u t l o o k f o r u n i t y among t h e v a r i o u s f e d a y e e n g r o u p s I

and t o t h e i r i n d i v i d u a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h Arab, S o v i e t ,
and C h i n e s e s u p p o r t . The e s s a y c o n c l u d e s t h a t effec-
t i v e o r l a s t i n g u n i t y among t h e f e d a y e e n -- w h e t h e r
s u b v e r s i v e , m i l i t a r y , o r p o l i t i c a l -- f a c e s a myriad o i
d i v i s i v e forces, b u t t h a t a s i n d i v i d u a l g r o u p s o r i n ~

t e m p o r a r y a l l i a n c e s t h e f e d a y e e n w i l l n o n e t h e l e s s con-,
t i n u e t o r e p r e s e n t a s e r i o u s l y d i s r u p t i v e element i n
Middle E a s t p o l i t i c s . I
I
C o n s t r u c t i v e comment on t h i s e s s a y h a s been I
r e c e i v e d from t h e O f f i c e j o f N a t i o n a l E s t i m a t e s , The ~

O f f i c e of C u r r e n t I n t e l l i g e n c e , and The C l a n d e s t i n e
Service. I n v i e w , however, of t h e c o m p l e x i t i e s of t h e
f e d a y e e n q u e s t i o n , t h e q u i c k l y - c h a n g i n g s c e n e , and t h e
uneven q u a l i t y of a v a i l a b l e i n t e l l i g e n c e , t h e judgment
of t h i s i n i t i a l s t u d y of t h e s u b j e c t s h o u l d be c o n s i d e
p r o v i s i o n a l . Any comments on its d a t a o r judgments
s h o u l d be a d d r e s s e d t o t h e e s s a y ' s a u t h o r , C a r o l y n
M c G i f f e r t E k e d a h l , and t o t h i s S t a f f . ,
~

S i m i l a r l y , a companion SRS Annex i s b e i n g pub- i

l i s h e d s e p a r a t e l y , d i s c u s s i n g t h e many f e d a y e e n

and t h e i r t i e s t o Arab s o u r c e s of s u p p o r t .
This present essay -- and t h e Annex -- c o n t a i n
l4,
o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n some d e t a i l : t h e i r o r i g i n s , i d e o l o g i a 1
l e a n i n g s , s t r a t e g y and t a c t i c s , o r g a n i z a t i o n and f u n d i g ,

i n f o r m a t i o n a v a i l a b l e t h r o u g h 1 November 1970. I

I
H a l Ford
C h i e f , DD/I S p e c i a l R e s e a r c h staff^
 FEDAYEEN -- "MEN OF SACRIFICE"

Con t e n t s

-
Page

SUMMARY. .................... .ii

I. THE FEDAYEEN MOVEMENT

T h e O r i g i n s of t h e F e d a y e e n . . . . . . . .1
-
F a t a h S t r e n g t h a n d PLO R e s p e c t a b i l i t y .
3
Fedayeen Groups Multiply.. . . . . . . . .7
A r t i f i c i a l Fedayeen C r e a t i o n s . . . . . . . 9
Fedayeen T a c t i c s -- T h e U s e of
International Terror . . . . . . . . . . 11
Arab A i d t o t h e Fedayeen . . . . . . . . .15
The Fedayeen T h r e a t to J o r d a n and
Lebanon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -18

1 1 . THE QUESTTON OF FEDAYEEN UNITY

T h e Fatah/PLO Merger . . . . . ...... -20

C r e a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e Armed
S t r u g g l e Command . . . . . . . . . . . .21
T h e C h a l l e n g e of t h e U n i f i e d
F e d a y e e n Command . . . . . . . . . . . .22
C o m p r o m i s e -- t h e PLO C e n t r a l
Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
111. COMMUNIST DEALINGS WITH THE FEDAYEEN

S o v i e t P o l i c y Toward t h e Fedayeen
From F I O s t i l i t y t o T o l e r a n c e . . . . . . . 29
S h i f t to S t r o n g e r Pro-Fedayeen Line. . .32
P r a c t i c a l E f f e c t s of P r o p a g a n d a S h i f t . . 34
R e l a t i o n s in F l u x . .......... -36
Al-Ansar (The P a r t i s a n F o r c e s ) ,
S u p p o r t of Arab C o m m u n i s t s for
Fedayeen ............... .38
..
E s t a b l i s h m e n t of P a r t i s a n Forces ,40
C h i n e s e P o l i c y Toward t h e F e d a y e e n ... -42
 SUMMARY

Of t h e many e x p l o s i v e Middle E a s t

h a s h e i g h t e n e d t h e r o m a n t i c c a u s e of
t i o n " and t h e p r e s t i g e of its p r o t a g o n i s t s , t h e f e d a y d e n .
The s u b s e q u e n t p o l i t i c a l p o t e n c y of t h e f e d a y e e n move
ment, d e s p i t e i t s u n i m p r e s s i v e m i l i t a r y c a p a b i l i t i e s
performance, is t h u s based l a r g e l y on t h e e m o t i o n a l i s
of t h e P a l e s t i n e i s s u e among Arab p o p u l a t i o n s , t h e f a q t
t h a t s u c h a n t i - I s r a e l i s e n t i m e n t is a b o u t t h e o n l y unqfy-
i n g force i n t h e Arab w o r l d , and t h e r e s u l t i n g r e l u c t q n c e
of Arab regimes t o move a g a i n s t t h i s force. I
I
A c c o r d i n g l y , s i n c e t h e 1967 war t h e P a P e s t i n i a d
Arab r e s i s t a n c e movement h a s r i s e n from t h e s t a t u s of ( a n
u n i m p o r t a n t and somewhat p a t h e t i c movement, t o t a l l y
s u b s e r v i e n t t o a few Arab s t a t e s , t o become a l a r g e l y 1
i n d e p e n d e n t , if h e t e r o g e n o u s , force c a p a b l e of s i g n i - 1

I
f i c a n t l y a f f e c t i n g Middle E a s t p o l i t i c s . The fedayee
movement has won t r e a t m e n t as a n e a r - e q u a l by many A r b
s t a t e s and h a s compelled t h e rest of t h e w o r l d t o t a k
its g r i e v a n c e s and c l a i m s s e r i o u s l y . Fedayeen p r o s p e ts
w i l l t o some d e g r e e depend on t h e e x t e n t t o which t h l
e m o t i o n a l b a c k i n g p e r s i s t s i n a war-weary Arab world nd
c o n t i n u e s t o be m a n i p u l a t e d s u c c e s s f u l l y by Yasir Ara a t ,
c h i e f o f : F a t a h , t h e most s i g n i f i c a n t group, and by o t e r ,
lesser f e d a y e e n l e a d e r s . N o n e t h e l e s s , i n d i v i d u a l

T h i s p a p e r r e l i e s p r i m a r i l y on c l
p a r t i c u l a r l y for the i n t e r n a l s t r u c t
t h e v a r i o u s fedayeen o r g a n i z a t i o n s .
1p o l i t i c a l a s p e c r s 01: Gnu 1s uThe repor
b j e c t SUC
of t h e f e d a y e e n g r o u p s , t h e i r i n t e r n
i d e o l o g i c a l and t a c t i c a l views. How
is more s c a n t y on s u c h i m p o r t a n t mat
armed men i n each g r o u p , t h e s o u r c e s and m e c h a n i c s of
f u n d i n g , and d e t a i l s of t h e sources and m e t h o d s o f
d e l i v e r y of arms s h i p m e n t s t o t h e f e d a y e e n .
 I I

a t t e m p t s t o impose its w i l l on its smaller c o m p e t i t o r s .

To a c o n s i d e r a b l e e x t e n t w h a t p r o s p e c t s e x i s t f o r S U C C ~ S S
are l i n k e d t o A r a f a t ’ s t a l e n t s , and h i s f a l l o r d e m i s e
would be a s e r i o u s blow i n d e e d t o F a t a h . B u t i n any
c a s e , t h e P a l e s t i n e r e s i s t a n c e movement is s i m p l y d i v i i e d
on so many scores -- d i f f e r i n g compositions, ideologies,
personal ambitions, s t r a t e g i c views, tactics, t i e s w i t 1
t h i s a n d t h a t e l e m e n t w i t h i n t h i s and t h a t Arab s t a t e ,
s t a n d s v i s - a - v i s Communist r e v o l u t i o n a r y aims, and

iii I
advance t h e i r own i n t e r e s t s . But s u c h promises have
g e n e r a l l y exceeded a c t u a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s f o r a number
of r e a s o n s . P e r h a p s most i m p o r t a n t l y , t h e i n a b i l i t y
of t h e s e s t a t e s t o c o n t r o l t h e f e d a y e e n h a s made t h e m
r e l u c t a n t t o donate generously. Financing t h e Pales-
t i n i a n r e s i s t a n c e is n o t of immediate p r a c t i c a l
a d v a n t a g e t o many of t h e m , p a r t i c u l a r l y t h o s e more
r e m o t e g e o g r a p h i c a l l y and l e s s i n v o l v e d p o l i t i c a l l y .
The v a r i o u s f e d a y e e n g r o u p s have a l s o l o o k e d t o 1
t h e Communist w o r l d f o r b o t h m a t e r i a l s u p p o r t and
p o l i t i c a l r e c o g n i t i o n , each g e n e r a l l y s e e k i n g t o enhan
i t s own s t a t u r e a t t h e e x p e n s e of i t s c o m p e t i t o r s , a l b
w i t h i n a g e n e r a l desire f o r i n t e r n a t i o n a l s u p p o r t of
t h e broad f e d a y e e n c a u s e . S i n c e 1969 t h e S o v i e t Union1
h a s become more r e c e p t i v e t h a n p r e v i o u s l y t o d e a l i n g I
w i t h t h e f e d a y e e n , b o t h because t h e Sedayeen have I

become a s t r o n g e r and more i m p o r t a n t e l e m e n t i n t h e

Middle E a s t , and b e c a u s e t h e S o v i e t s are a n x i o u s t o I
p r e v e n t t h e C h i n e s e from g a i n i n g i n f l u e n c e . The OSSR ~

I'
is h i n d e r e d i n i t s a b i l i t y f u l l y t o embrace t h e
P a l e s t i n i a n c a u s e , however, by t h e p r a c t i c a l c o n s i d e r a
t i o n t h a t t h e f e d a y e e n g r o u p s are n o t amenable t o
S o v i e t c o n t r o l . The USSR is a l s o h i n d e r e d by i t s
r e c o g n i t i o n of I s r a e l ' s r i g h t t o e x i s t , and its sup-
p o r t f o r t h e 1967 UN r e s o l u t i o n . and by M O S C O W ~ S
commitment t o t h e i n t e r e s t s of t h e UAR, w h i c h a r e
t h e m s e l v e s o f t e n i n c o n f l i c t w i t h those of t h e f e d a y e e n .
As of t h e autumn of 1970, r e l a t i o n s between t h e ~

S o v i e t s and t h e f e d a y e e n a r e n o t so close a s might be

expected, i n s p i t e of S o v i e t promises of m a t e r i a l s u p p r t
and propaganda c o n c e s s i o d - - i n c l u d i n g some v a g u e S o v i t
movement toward a c c e p t a n c e of t h e P a l e s t i n i a n Arab r i g t
t o e s t a b l i s h a n a t i o n a l s t a t e on some u n s p e c i f i e d p o r t on
of P a l e s t i n i a n t e r r i t o r y , The f e d a y e e n a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y
ii
d i s p l e a s e d a t p r e s e n t by t h e d e g r e e t o w h i c h t h e USSR
seems s t i l l i n t e r e s t e d i n e x p l o r i n g a g e n e r a l n e g o t i a t d
s e t t l e m e n t , and by t h e f a i l u r e of t h e S o v i e t s t o f o l l o
t h r o u g h on p r i v a t e i n d i c a t i o n s t h a t t h e y , w o u l d s u p p l y 1
m a t e r i a l l a i d d i r e c t l y t o t h e f e d a y e e n . While s e v e r a l
P a l e s t i n i a n g r o u p s have f o r two y e a r s p u r c h a s e d S o v i e t - ,
4
made arms from E a s t European . c o u n t r i e s and r e c e i v e d t h e
from Arab army s t o c k s , t h e y a r e a n x i o u s for t h e increa e d
s u p p l i e s and r e c o g n i t i o n which d i r e c t , publicly-acknow edged
d e a l s w i t h t h e USSR w o u l d e n t a i l . The S o v i e t s , f o r t h i r
p a r t , want t o i n c r e a s e t h e i r i n f l u e n c e w i t h t h e f e d a y e n
b u t a r e r e l u c t a n t t o be t i e d t o o c l o s e l y t o t h e m .

o u t c o m m i t t i n g t h e m s e l v e s t o p o s i t i o n s i n c o m p a t i b l e wi h
broader Soviet interests.
The C h i n e s e have n o t been f e t t e r e d by s u c h
b a r r i e r s , c e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , and c o n f l i c t i n g commitment$
and have t h u s been much f r e e r t o embrace t h e P a l e s t i n i n
c a u s e . This s u p p o k t h a s been u n l i m i t e d o n l y i n t h e
realm of p r o p a g a n d a , C h i n e s e m a t e r i a l a i d b e i n g l a r g e 1
c o n f i n e d t o p r o v i d i n g t r a i n i n g a s s i s t a n c e and l i m i t e d
1
Mos ow's
a t t i t u d e w i l l p r o b a b l y r e t a i n t h i s a m b i v a l e n c e , t h e So i e t s
t r y i n g t o m a i n t a i n good r e l a t i o n s w i t h t h e s e g r o u p s si h-

1 ~

q u a n t i t i e s of s m a l l arms. P e k i n g ' s main i n t e r e s t is i d

d o i n g * h a t i t c a n , t h r o u g h encouragement of t h e f e d a y e q n ,
t o h e l p m a i n t a i n enough t e n s i o n i n t h e a r e a t o e m b a r r a q s

I
t h e S o v i e t s and u n d e r c u t them i n t h e T h i r d World, and o
p r e v e n t a s e t t l e m e n t and a U,S.-Soviet Middle E a s t a g r e-
ment. The scope of i n c r e a s e d C h i n e s e s u p p o r t is l i k e 1
t o remain l i m i t e d , b u t t h e C h i n e s e w i l l d o u b t l e s s c o n t nue
t o g e t a l o t f o r t h e i r money, i n t h e way o f p r e s e n c e a d
disruption.
For t h e i r p a r t , t h e f e d a y e e n a p p r e c i a t e t h e b r a s
moral s u p p o r t g i v e n t h e m b y t h e C h i n e s e , and some -- p
t i c u l a r l y Arafat:-- have s o u g h t t o p l a y t h e S o v i e t s of
a g a i n s t t h e C h i n e s e . Most f e d a y e e n l e a d e r s r e c o g n i z e ,
however, t h a t i n t h e long r u n t h e a t t i t u d e of t h e S o v i
Union is much more i m p o r t a n t t o t h e m t h a n t h a t of Chin
F o r u n l i k e C h i n a , t h e S o v i e t Union is a s u p e r power wh
m i l i t a r y f o r c e s a r e d i r e c t l y a t hand, and t h e USSR w i l
i n e v i t a b l y be i n v o l v e d i n any n e g o t i a t i o n s a f f e c t i n g t
f u t u r e of t h e area. I

I I I
I
 I. THE FEDAYEEN MOVEMENT

I
The O r i g i n s of t h e Fedayeen I

The f e d a y e e n -- l i t e r a l l y , men of s a c r i f i c e --
Arabs t o t h e i r homeland. They r e p r e s e n t many d i f f e r e n t
p o l i t i c a l p h i l o s o p h i e s , s t r a t e g i e s , and t a c t i c s . Some

war, t h e f e d a y e e n have emerged s i n c e t h e n a s a m a r k e d l y

i n s t a b l e e l e m e n t i n a p a r t i c u l a r l y e x p l o s i v e p a r t of t h e
world. T h e i r s u c c e s s h a s been p r i m a r i l y p o l i t i c a l , a 1
r e s u l t of t h e i r p s y c h o l o g i c a l i m p a c t i n t h e Arab world. 1
The f e d a y e e n r e c e i v e some degree of s u p p o r t from ~

e v e r y Arab s t a t e , s i n c e a n t i - I s r a e l s e n t i m e n t p r o v i d e s
o n e of t h e f e w u n i f y i n g i s s u e s i n t h e d i v i d e d Arab worl
T h i s s e n t i m e n t is m a g n i f i e d by t h e p l i g h t of t h e 7 0 0 , O O
P a l e s t i n i a n s * who were d i s p l a c e d by t h e 1948 A r a b - I s r a e
war and r e s e t t l e d i n i m p r o v e r i s h e d UN r e f u g e e camps,
m o s t l y i n J o r d a n , t h e Gaza S t r i p , and Lebanon. T h e i r 1
f e l l o w Arabs h a v e made l i t t l e e f f o r t o v e r t h e y e a r s t o
a b s o r b t h e r e f u g e e s , b u t have p r e f e r r e d t o u s e t h e m ~

i n s t e a d t o d r a m a t i z e I s r a e l ' s " i l l e g i t i m a c y " a n d "inhu-

.
mani t y ''
The d i s p e r s a l of t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s was reflected qn
t h e i n i t i a l f r a g m e n t a t i o n of t h e i r l e a d e r s h i p and t h e
weakness of t h e i r o r g a n i z a t i o n s . B e f o r e t h e J u n e 1967 a r ,
t h e i r two main p o l i t i c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s were t h e Arab
N a t i o n a l i s t Movement (AM) a n d t h e P a l e s t i n e L i b a i o n
W ~

O r g a n i z a t i o n (PLO). T E A N M was founded bv P a l e s t i n i a n I

*This f i g u r e h a s s i n c e grown t o a l m o s t o n e a n d a h a l f
m i l l i o n now r e g i s t e r e d w i t h t h e UN Relief and Works Agen y. c
 i
ISRAEL
Adjacent Occupied Territories
Occupied Territory
L UNRWA camp, May 1967

.
I NEWrelugellencum camp
Isrsdl settlement. March 1970
AddIHWWlrmrp.
*" nry rhcnw.
In L&nonand SMa

M E'L T E R R A N E A N
rutd

d 80qoo
&JLI

t sh

.A2
A Zarqa
-

U ITED
\
\
\
\
\
\
i
' :

p 8.g
$ 2

rlAB I
\
RE UBLlC
1
\
\
\ 19. Ddklim

-
\
3D-

\. I I
\ i
\

-
.OUWO.""

M 7-70
".I
NO, N.CC.111

TOP NCRET
1 1
AI Aaabah
UNCLASSIFIED
36
i n t e l l e c t u a l s i n t h e l a t e 19AOs, d e d i c a t e d t o a pan-Arab1
p h i l o s o p h y a i m i n g a t l i q u i d a t i o n o f t h e s t a t e of 1 s r a e l . l
I t e s t a b l i s h e d b r a n c h e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e M i d d l e E a s t , each1
of w h i c h a d a p t e d t o l o c a l c o n d i t i o n s and became e s s e n t i a T l y

I
n o n - P a l e s t i n i a n l o c a l p a r t i e s . The i n t e r n a t i o n a l ANM
i t s e l f n e v e r a c h i e v e d a n y r e a l d e g r e e of c o h e s i o n o r pow r
and by t h e l a t e 1960's had c e a s e d t o f u n c t i o n . The PLO,
on t h e o t h e r hand, was o f f i c i a l l y e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e 196
Summit C o n f e r e n c e of t h e Arab s t a t e s and f o r t h e n e x t
f i v e y e a r s w a s l a r g e l y a UAR p u p p e t , o p e r a t i n g r a t h e r
i n e f f e c t u a l l y b e h i n d a f a c a d e of m i l i t a n c y . The o n l y 1
a c t i v e l y m i l i t a n t g r o u p of any c o n s e q u e n c e i n t h e immedizhte
pre-1967 war was F a t a h , which depended a t t h e t i m e p r i - I
m a r i l y on S y r i a n f a v o r s f o r i t s e x i s t e n c e . * ' I
I

The 1967 war g a v e t h e f e d a y e e n t h e i m p e t u s t h e y h g d

l a c k e d . The t h o u s a n d s of P a l e s t i n i a n s who now f l e d from1
t h e West t o t h e E a s t Bank of t h e J o r d a n p r o v i d e d a f e r t i j e
source of b o t h new r e c r u i t s and l o g i s t i c s u p p o r t , The
f a c t t h a t S y r i a , J o r d a n , and t h e UAFt had now a l s o l o s t
t e r r i t o r y t o I s r a e l r e s u l t e d i n i n c r e a s e d world-wide
d i p l o m a t i c s u p p o r t f o r a change i n t h e M i d d l e E a s t s t a t u
q u o and a r e c t i f i c a t i o n o f e x i s t i n g b o u n d a r i e s . In addi 4
t i o n , t h e Arab s t a t e s had l o s t face once more a s a r e s u l l
of t h e i r h u m i l i a t i n g d e f e a t , and t h e Arab w o r l d was i n 1
s e a r c h of a n heroic image t o b o l s t e r its damaged p r i d e . 1

F a t a h S t r e n g t h --
and PLO R e s p e c t a b i l i t y
Y a s i r A r a f a t , who r o s e t o prominance a f t e r t h e wa
a s t h e chief spokesman f o r F a t a h , was q u i c k t o see and s ize
t h e o p p o r t u n i t y . A s t h e only group w h i c h h a s conducted
commando o p e r a t i o n s i n t o I s r a e l w i t h even a minor d e g r e e
of success,** F a t a h was i n a p o s i t i o n t o c a p i t a l i z e on t
I
*A number of s m a l l P a l e s t i n i a n f e d a y e e n g r o u p s d i d
i n e f f e c t u a l l y , d u r i n g t h e 1 9 5 0 ' s , some w i t h E g y p t i a n
**Fatah commandos, o p e r a t i n g from b a s e s i n S y r i a ,
f i l t r a t e d f i r s t i n t o J o r d a n ; t h e n teams of' f o u r o r
had c r o s s e d t h e b o r d e r i n t o I s r a e l w h e r e t h e y c o n d u c t e d
s m a l l - s c a l e ambushes and bombings.

- 3- I
I
A r a b y e a r n i n g f o r m i l i t a r y a c t i o n a n d victories. The
o r g a n i z a t i o n s t e p p e d u p its r a i d s i n t o o c c u p i e d t e r r i t o r y ,
a n d when I s r a e l r e t a l i a t e d w i t h l a r g e - m a t e a t t a c k s 1
a c r o s s t h e b o r d e r , F a t a h r e a p e d t h e b e n e f i t s of i n c r e a $ e d
p r e s t i g e a n d more r e c r u i t s . Although F a t a h is a m i l i t q r y
o r g a n i z a t i o n , i t a p p e a r s t o h a v e a l a r g e number of " , I
" c i v i l i a n " m e m b e r s who a s s i s t i n i t s f u n d - c o l l e c t i n g , ~

p r o p a g a n d a , l o g i s t i c s u p p o r t , a n d so f o r t h . Thus i t 1
h a s made g o o d u s e o f i t s s y m p a t h i z e r s i n t h e P a l e s t i n i a n
community. I

F a t a h i t s e l f had b e e n f o u n d e d p r i m a r i l y b y c o n - I
s e r v a t i v e P a l e s t i n i a n s , i n c l u d i n g some m e m b e r s of t h e i
M u s l i m B r o t h e r h o o d , * a n d h a d a l w a y s r e c e i v e d some f i n a q -
c i a 1 s u p p o r t from w e a l t h y P a l e s t i n i a n s t h r o u g h o u t t h e I
A r a b w o r l d , y e t i t r e l i e d a t first p r i m a r i l y on S y P i a I
for material a i d , a s only t h e r a d i c a l l y m i l i t a n t S y r i a
were w i l l i n g b e f o r e t h e 1 9 6 7 war t o b a c k g u e r r i l l a ope
tions.** After t h e war, Arafat a s k e d f o r a n d r e c e i v e d
a d d i t i o n a l f i n a n c i a l a i d from o t h e r Arab states, p a r t i
l a r l y t h e c o n s e r v a t i v e , o i l - r i c h k i n g d o m s of S a u d i Ara
a n d K u w a i t , b u t a l s o t h e more r a d i c a l A l g e r i a , I r a q , a
t o a lesser e x t e n t t h e UAR. A l l of t h e s e s t a t e s were
a n x i o u s t o c a p i t a l i z e on F a t a h ' s i n c r a a s i n g p r e s t i g e a
hoped i n t h e p r o c e s s t o g a i n c o n t r o l o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i

*The M u s l i m B r o t h e r h o o d is a n o r g a n i z a t i o n d e d i c a t e q
t o u n i t y based on Islam. I d e o l o g i c a l l y , i t has a l w a y s

much of t h e i n i t i a l o p p o s i t i o n , f o r e x a m p l e , t o t h e n e
E g y p t i a n r e v o l u t i o n a r y regime i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s . T h e B r o t h r-
i
been h i g h l y c o n s e r v a t i v e , i f n o t r e a c t i o n a r y , and f u r n i hed

ho6d h a s a c c o r d i n g l y r e c e i v e d f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r t from t e
c o n s e r v a t i v e Arab w o r l d ( e s p e c i a l l y S a u d i A r a b i a and
Kuwait).
**The S y r i a n s h a d a l s o p u t F a t a h i n c o n t a c t w i t h C h i a ,
C u b a , a n d N o r t h V i e t n a m ; some s m a l l arms a n d t r a i n i n g j
a s s i s t a n c e was a c c o r d i n g l y p r o v i d e d by t h e C h i n e s e b e f q r e
t h e war.
I
I
 T h e P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n O r g a n i z a t i o n (PLO) is
most t r a d i t i o n a l of t h e P a l e s t i n i a n v o l i t i c a l / m i l i t a r y
grouDs. C o m p l e t e l y t h e c r e a t u r e of t h e UAR,
f o r m a l l y e s t a b l i s h e d b y t h e A r a b Summit C o n f e r e n c e of
1 9 6 4 . T h i s g a v e i t a s t a m p of l e g i t i m a c y a n d o o l i t i c a
r e s p e c t a b i l i t y n o t a c h i e v e d by a n y of t h e
T h e u n i t s of i t s m i l i t a r y
Army (w), have s e r v e d a s
t h e armies of S y r i a , I r a q .
m i l i t a n t b e f o r e t h e J u n e 1 9 6 7 w a r , t h e PLO h a d d o n e
n o t h i n g t o f i g h t I s r a e l a c t i v e l y e x c e p t t o c r e a t e i t s c+wn
1
-
g u e r r i l l a w i n g -- t h e P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n F o r c e s (PLF].
When PLA u n i t s d i s i n t e g r a t e d d u r i n g t h e w a r , PLO p r e s t i g e
s a n k . The o r g a n i z a t i o n t r i e d to vu11 i t s e l f t o g e t h e r
d u r i n g 1968, b u t i t was d i v i d e d i n t o f a c t i o n s and no 1
e f f e c t i v e l e a d e r s h i p emerged. T h e g u e r r i l l a w i n g w a s I1
s t i l l n o t o p e r a t i n g e f f e c t i v e l y and e v e n t h e PLO's
m e n t o r . t h e U A R ' s N a s i r , b e g a n t o l o o k i n c r e a s i n g l y to1
F a t a h a s t h e r e a l P a l e s t i n i a n power. I
I n F e b r u a r y 1969 t h e PLO,
a n x i o u s t o s u r v i v e , came t o terms w i t h
F a t a h , which was e a g e r t o a c q u i r e
p o l i t i c a l legitimacy. Fatah essen-
t i a l l y t o o k c o n t r o l of t h e PLO's
p o l i t i c a l apparatus.* Since then,
a s s p o k e s m a n for b o t h t h e m o s t

Y a i r Arafat
Chairman PLO Centra
Committee and Fatah1
I
-* F a t a h h a s h a d more t r o u b l e , h o w e v e r , i n i t s a t t e m p
d o m i n a t e t h e PLA. T h i s m i l i t a r y o r g a n i z a t i o n h a s c l u n
s t u b b o r n l y t o i t s a u t o n o m y a n d r e c e i v e s s u p p o r t n o t on
from t h e F a t a h - c o n t r o l l e d PLO b u t f r o m t h e c o u n t r i e s i
w h o s e a r m i e s PLA u n i t s s e r v e .

-5- I
p o w e r f u l f e d a y e e n g r o u p ( F a t a h ) * and t h e o n l y
r e s p e c t a b l e O r g a n i z a t i o n (PLO), A r a f a t h a s
t h e foremost P a l e s t i n i a n l e a d e r and is
Arab world a s t h e v i r t u a l e q u i v a l e n t of a c h i e f of stlate.
H i s l e a d e r s h i p of F a t a h h a s n o t been u n c h a l l e n g e d , h
e v e r , and be w i l l presumably c o n t i n u e t o be p r e s s e d ,
p a r t i c u l a r l y by l e f t - w i n g e l e m e n t s i n t h a t
The PLO/Fatah o r g a n i z a t i o n is on
p o r t i n g e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a s e c u l a r , d e m o c r a t i c P a l e s i n i a n
s t a t e i n which a l l -- Jews, Moslems, C h r i s t i a n s -- w 11
I
p a r t i c i p a t e e q u a l l y . F a t a h s t a t e m e n t s have a l s o p r o i s e d
t h a t anyone c u r r e n t l y l i v i n g i n P a l e s t i n e a s w e l l a s
t h o s e e x i l e d from i t w i l l be e n t i t l e d t o P a l e s t i n i a n 1
c i t i z e n s h i p , t h u s r e j e c t i n g t h e c o n t e n t i o n s of some
f e d a y e e n t h a t o n l y t h o s e t h e r e b e f o r e e i t h e r t h e 1944
war or t h e i n f l u x of J e w i s h i m m i g r a n t s b e g i n n i n g i n
1918 would b e a c c e p t a b l e . * * A r a f a t h a s s a i d t h a t prd-

* F a t a h had a n - e s t f m a t e d 7,000 armed commandos i n t h e

f a l l o f . 1 9 7 0 , p l u s many t h o u s a n d s of s u p p o r t e r s and t : r a i n e e s
upon whom i t c o u l d draw. The PLF, which employs s i m i l a r
t a c t i c s and o f t e n c o o p e r a t e s w i t h F a t a h , had an e s t i m a t e d
1,000,
**In c o n f l i c t w i t h t h i s p u b l i c p o s i t i o n , however, was
t h e p r i v a t e c o n s e n s u s a r r i v e d a t by t h e , September 1969
P a l e s t i n e N a t i o n a l Council ( t h e l e g i s l a t i v e body f o r t h e
PLO): t h e f i g u r e f o r a J e w i s h p o p u l a t i o n m u s t be basled
on t h e 1948 J e w i s h p o p u l a k i o n of P a l e s t i n e .

-6- I
Fedayeen Groups M u l t i p l y

f e d a y e e n g r o u p s r e f l e c t i n g a w i d e s p e c t r u m of p o l i t i c a l
beliefs and m i l i t a r y strategies. A l l t h e groups ( w i t h
P
A f t e r 1 9 6 7 , o t h e r P a l e s t i n i a n g r o u p s q u i c k l y jum e d
o n t h e b a n d w a g o n , a n d t h e r e was a m u s h r o o m i n g of lesser

t h e e x c e p t i o n of t h e Communist P a r t i s a n F o r c e s ) agree o
the basic goal:
a n d e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a new s t a t e i n P a l e s t i n e .
,"
l i q u i d a t i o n of I s r a e l a s a J e w i s h s t a t
They alho
a g r e e o n t h e n e e d t o o p p o s e a n y s e l l - o u t peace p r o p o s a l 1
w h i c h d o e s n o t s a t i s f y t h e i r d e m a n d s for t h e " l i b e r a t i o n 1 '
of P a l e s t i n e . T h e y d i f f e r , h o w e v e r , o n t h e n o t - s o - m i n o S
m a t t e r s of how l i b e r a t i o n s h o u l d b e a c h i e v e d , w h a t otheq.
r e v o l u t i o n a r y e v e n t s s h o u l d accompany i t , w h a t form t h e 1
new s t a t e s h o u l d t a k e , w i t h whom t h e y s h o u l d b e a l i g n e d , I
a n d who t h e l e a d e r of t h e movement s h o u l d b e . I

F o l l o w i n g t h e 1967 war, t$e

Arab N a t i o n a l i s t Movement (ANM)
sponsored a fedayeen group, the 1
Popular Front for t h e Liberation
-of P a l e s t i n e (FLP), As indicat
a b o v e , t h e ANM h a d a d v a n c e d a pa
Arab p h i l o s o p h y , and o v e r t o n e s o
t h i s have been p a s s e d o n t o its
militant offshoots. Both t h e
PFLP. w h i c h t e r m s i t s e l f a r e v o l
tionary Marxist-Leninist group,
and t h e s p l i n t e r o r g a n i z a t i o n
w h i c h s e D a r a t e d from i t i n e a r l v
1 9 6 9 , t h e P o p u l a r Democratic
f o r t h e L i b e r a t i o n of'
- ,-t--a
(PDFm) revolution 1
must o c c u r t h r o u g h o u t t h e Arab
w o r l d , and t h a t t h e b a t t l e for ~

t h e l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e is
p a r t of t h i s . H o w e v e r , t h e PFLP
George Habbash l e a d e r , George H a b b a s h , p l a c e s
Leader PFLP more e m p h a s i s o n p u s h i n g now for1

i
I
t h e l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , w h i l e t h e
PDFLP c h i e f , Naif' H a w a t m a h . c o n s i d e r e d a
Maoist, sees t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s t r u g g l e
a s i n s e p a r a b l e from t h a t for w o r l d -
wide " l i b e r a t i o n " a n d c a l l s for
a l l - o u t , p r o t r a c t e d " p e o p l e ' s war."
B o t h g r o u p s c a l l for t h e e v e n t u a l
o v e r t h r o w of "bourgeois r e a c t i o n -
a r y " Arab g o v e r n m e n t s w h i c h t h e y
list a s p r a c t i c a l l y a l l M i d d l e E a s t
governments, i n c l u d i n g those gener-
a l l y considered r a d i c a l , b u t Lebanon
and J o r d a n i n p a r t i c u l a r . But, i n
s p i t e of t h e s i m i l a r i t y of t h e i r
ideological positions, these two
f e d a y e e n g r o u p s and t h e i r leaders
are b i t t e r rivals.
Naif Hawat ma(
A n o t h e r PFLP s p l i n t e r , t h e Leader PDFLPI
PFLP G e n e r a l Command, w h i c h b r o k e

1
w i t h t h e PFLP i n l a t e 1968, c o n s i d e r s i t s e l f a p o l i t i c 1
a n d h a s d i s a v o w e d a n y d e s i r e t o o v e r t h r o w Arab g o v e r n
ments or u n d e r m i n e t h e i r a u t h o r i t y . T h i s g r o u p , howe e r ,
was among t h e most i n t r a n s i g e a n t a b o u t a c c e p t i n g a ce se-
f i r e d u r i n g t h e J o r d a n c i v i l w a r of S e p t e m b e r 1970,
p o s s i b l y b e c a u s e i t f e a r e d i t would be e l i m i n a t e d by 1
J o r d a n i a n a u t h o r i t i e s . and p o s s i b l y a l s o because its '
l e a d e r , Ahmad J a b r i l , who is f a n a t i c a l l y committed t o t h e
l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , now s a w J o r d a n a s o b s t r u c t i n
t h i s goal.* I
4
* I n t h e f a l l of 1970 t h e PFLP h a d a n e s t i m a t e d 1 . 0 0
armed members, t h e PDFLP h a d a b o u t 700, t h e PFLP G e n e a 1
Command p r o b a b l y n o more t h a n o n e o r two h u n d r e d . Thi
PFLP a n d PDFLP b o t h h a v e p o l i t i c a l t i e s t o p o l i t i c a l
groups d e r i v e d from t h e o l d ANM o r g a n i z a t i o n and t h u s l
h a v e a n u m b e r of p o l i t i c a l s u p p o r t e r s , e s p e c i a l l y i n
Lebanon.

-8- I
 A h o s t of s m a l l e r * f e d a y e e n
groups espouse a v a r i e t y of i d e o l o g i e s
1. The Arab P a l e s t i n e O r g a n i z a t i o n
- T G l f a s p l i n t e r of t h e PFLP
(APO),
General Command, was p r o - N a s i r and
m e s u m a b l y is s t i l l pro-UAR. 2. The
A c t i v e O r g a n i z a t i o n for t h e L i b e r a -
t i o n of P a l e s t i n e (AmP),hich
--
s e p a r a t e d from F a t a h i n e a r l y 1969, is
l e d by Isam S a r t a w i and is f i e r c e l y
d e f e n s i v e of i t s independence.
Although i t c o n s i d e r s i t s e l f pro-Baath
and s u p p o r t s t h e pan-Arab, s o c i a l i s t
views of t h e B a a t h P a r t y , i t is n o t
t i e d to t h e B a a t h i s t r u l e r s of e i t h e r
I r a q or S y r i a . 3. The P o p u l a r S t r u g - Leader AOLP 1
--
g l e F r o n t ( E )began a s a n indepen- I
d e n t g r o u p , merged b r i e f l y w i t h F a t a h ,
t h e n s p l i t a g a i n i n l a t e 1968; t h e
g r o u p ' s l e a d e r , B a h j a t Abu-Char )iya,
h a s been termed a M a r x i s t , b u t :he
i d e o l o g i c a l l e a n i n g s of t h e o r g iniza-
t i o n a r e n o t c l e a r . 4 . The Pec
-O r g a n i z a t i o n for t h e L i b e r a t i o n -
jles'
P a l e s t i n e ( P O m i s r a b i d l y Mar
-Of
:ist-
Leninist butnumerically insign .f i-
cant.

A r t i f i c i a l Fedayeen C r e a t i o n s
I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e s e inde )en-
dent, e s s e n t i a l l y spontaneous
P a l e s t i n i a n f e d a y e e n g r o u p s , t h !re
a r e s e v e r a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s c r e a t !d by
outside forces w i t h ulterior
Bahjat Abu-Charbiya
Leader PSF

*None numbers more t h a n s e v e r a l hundTed members; s Irn e

p r o b a b l y have w e l l under a hundred.
m o t i v e s . The largest of these is S a i q a , * t h e c r e a t u r b of

I
t h e S y r i a n Baath.** S a i q a has p a r m a t e d i n some
m i l i t a r y o p e r a t i o n s a g a i n s t I s r a e l , b u t its p r i n c i p a l r o l e
h a s been a s a s u b v e r s i v e f o r c e i n t h e n e i g h b o r i n g h a
c o u n t r i e s of J o r d a n and Lebanon, p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e l a t er.
T o t a l l y c o n t r o l l e d from Damascus, i t h a s a p p a r e n t l y b e n
responsive to a S y r i a n Baath f a c t i o n a t odds w i t h Syr an
s t r o n g m a n Asad and a t times h a s been g i v e n orders no
approved by Asad. #sad is s a i d t o have feared t h a t S i q a
m i g h t be u s e d a g a i n s t him by h i s Damascus e n e m i e s , a n
when a f t e r t h e J o r d a n i a n c f v i l w a r Asad s t a g e d a c o u p l t o
seize f u l l power from those e n e m i e s he is r e p o r t e d to1

ii
have u s e d r e g u l a r troops t o d i s a r m t h e i r S a i q a g u a r d s
I n t h e wake of t h i s November 1970 c o u p t h e r e were i n d ca-
t i o n s t h a t Asad p l a n n e d t o crack down on S a i q a and
p o s s i b l y e v e n t o e l i m i n a t e i t a s a s e m i - i n d e p e n d e n t o gan-
i z a t i o n by f o r c i n g i t t o s u b o r d i n a t e i t s e l f t o F a t a h , If
Asad h o l d s o n t o power and carries t h r o u g h w i t h t h i s nten-
t i o n (both h i g h l y u n c e r t a i n ) , F a t a h ' s r e l a t i v e p o s i t i n
would b e c o n s i d e r a b l y s t r e n g t h e n e d , s i n c e S a i q a c o n t a n s
some two t o three t h o u s a n d commandos, is t h e s e c o n d 1 rgest
f e d a y e e n g r o u p , and t h u s is t h e c h i e f n u m e r i c a l c o u n t r-
b a l a n c e t o Fatah.
L e s s is known a b o u t t h e f e d a y e e n o r g a n i z a t i o n reated
by t h e r i v a l Baath r e g i m e i n Iraq. However, t h i s gro p,
t h e Arab L i b e r a t i o n F r o n t (ALF), is f a r smaller t h a n aiqa
and =probably d e s i m e s E t i a l l y t o c o u n t e r Saiqa and

* E s t i m a t e d t o have some 2,000 armed men i n t h e f a 1

1970.
** The B a a t h P a r t y is a pan-Arab o r g a q i z a t i o n whose
t i c a l p h i l o s o p h y is r a b i d l y Arab n a t i o n a l i s t and s o c i
I t h a s e s t a b l i s h e d r e g i o n a l b r a n c h e s i n many Arab c o u
Its m u t u a l l y a n t a g o n i s t i c b r a n c h e s i n Syria. and ,Iraq
g a i n e d power and are i n c o m p e t i t i o n for l e a d e r s h i p of
t h e w h o l e B a a t h movement.
advance I r a q ' s i n t e r e s t s . P a l e s t i n i a n s s e r v e i n
S a i q a and t h e A L F , and l i p s e r v i c e is p a i d by t h e two1
both^
o r g a n i z a t i o n s t o t h e g o a l of l i b e r a t i n g P a l e s t i n e ; bu
b o t h g r o u p s e x i s t p r i m a r i l y t o advance t h e Arab n a t i o
a l i s t , s o c i a l i s t , pan-Arab views and p r i v a t e i n t e r e s t
of t h e i r m e n t o r s .

from t h e other f e d a y e e n g r o u p s on a number of issues.1

T i e d t o t h e formal p o s i t i o n s of t h e Communist p a r t i e s

i
which created them, t h e y have been forced t o f i n e s s e heir
p o s i t i o n on t h e l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e and e l i m i n a t i n
of Israel a s a J e w i s h s t a t e , inasmuch as t h e S o v i e t U ion
and t h e Arab Communist p a r t i e s r e c o g n i z e I s r a e l ' s r i g t
t o e x i s t . The P a r t i s a n s a r e a l s o d e f e n s i v e on t h e q u s-
t i o n s of a p e a c e f u l s e t t l e m e n t and s u p p o r t of t h e UN

i
S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l r e s o l u t i o n of 1967, b o t h of w h i c h t h
S o v i e t s o s t e n s i b l y s u p p o r t . The P a r t i s a n s p r o b a b l y n m-
ber no more t h a n s e v e r a l hundred, have n o t p a r t i c i p a t d
i n m i l i t a r y a c t i o n s a g a i n s t I s r a e l , and e x i s t p r i m a r i y
t o advance t h e i n t e r e s t s of t h e Arab Communist p a r t i e .
Fedayeen T a c t i c s -- ---
The U s e of International Terror
The f e d a y e e n have r e l i e d t r a d i t i o n a l l y on t h e
of commando-type r a i d s across t h e I s r a e l i b o r d e r by s
teams of men, aimed p r i m a r i l y a t m i l i t a r y t a r g e t s (ou
posts, m i l i t a r y vehicles, p a t r o l s ) , but a l s o , i n terr
f a s h i o n , a t I s r a e l i c i v i l i a n t a r g e t s . T h i s is still
approach a d v o c a t e d b y t h e larger, less r a d i c a l g r o u p s
( p a r t i c u l a r l y F a t a h ) , b u t i t h a s been a s i n g u l a r f a i l
The I s r a e l i s have k i l l e d and c a p t u r e d l'arge numbers o
 PFLP terrorists and Jordanian ioldiers pose in
front of hijacked plane-Sep ,mber 1970.

Triumphant terrorists atop wreckage of hijacked plane

All that remains-September 1970.

 I

g u e r r i l l a s and t h e l a t t e r have c o n d u c t e d few s u c c e s s j u l

o p e r a t i o n s of a n y s i g n i f i c a n c e . * I

I
A number of t h e s m a l l e r f e d a y e e n g r o u p s have ot
h a d t h e manpower t o t h r o w i n t o s u c h a d o u b t f u l v e n t u e
and have t u r n e d i n s t e a d t o the u s e of t e r r o r a g a i n s t
targets o t h e r t h a n I s r a e l . W h i l e Hawatmah of t h e PD LP
is t h e o r e t i c a l l y more r a d i c a l t h a n Habbash, s i n c e h e c a l l s
f o r a n immediate M a o i s t peoples' war, i t is Habbash of
t h e PFLP who h a s a c t u a l l y employed t h e most r a d i c a l
t i c s t o d a t e of any f e d a y e e n l e a d e r . F o r i t is t h e
i
w h i c h h a s c o n d u c t e d most of t h e f e d a y e e n i n t e r n a t i o n
terrorist o p e r a t i o n s , t h e most s p e c t a c u l a r one b e i n g i t h e
s u c c e s s f u l h i j a c k i n g s of f o u r a i r p l a n e s i n September I
1970. Habbash's p r i n c i p a l o b j e c t i v e s i n t h i s respec

t o I s r a e l , and t o b o l s t e r t h e p r e s t i g e of t h e PFLP
and h i m s e l f .

need t o wait u n t i l i t is s t r o n g enough t o c a r r y o u t

s u s t a i n e d o p e r a t i o n s ( i . e . p r o t r a c t e d w a r ) . The PFL

t i o n of P a l e s t i n e have a l s o e n d o r s e d t h e u s e of t e r r o

i
* S i n c e t h e J o r d a n c r i s i s of September 1970, t h e f e ayeen
have been t o o immobilized and t o o c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e i own
s u r v i v a l and r e o r g a n i z a t i o n t o c o n d u c t much i n t h e wa of
o p e r a t i o n s . J o r d a n i a n army l e a d e r s have a l s o i n d i c a t d
t h a t t h e y would seek t o p r e v e n t any s u c h o p e r a t i o n s w i l e
t h e c e a s e f i r e w i t h Israel c o n t i n u e s .

I
TOP- -ET I
I
and have been r e s p o n s i b l e f o r o n e or two bombings eaclh;
a l l u n d o u b t e d l y hope t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e i r own r e p u t a t i l o n s
through such spectacular operations.

But t h e u s e of s u c h t a c t i c s is i n a s e n s e a s i g n
of weakness, i n d i c a t i n g t h a t t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n i n v o l v e d is

t h e t a s k of c h a n g i n g t h e s t a t u s quo.
t h e PLO's f e d a y e e n wing ( t h e PLF) h a s i n d u l g e d i n t h i s
k i n d of t e r r o r t o d a t e . * A r a f a t h a s c o n s i s t e n t l y c o n
demned its u s e a s b e i n g c o u n t e r p r o d u c t i v e and damaginig
t o t h e Arab image, and i n a n y e v e n t h e h a s been too cpn-
1
u n a b l e t o m u s t e r more d i r e c t , t r a d i t i o n a l t e c h n i q u e s t o
Neither Fatah n r

g
cerned t o d a t e w i t h g a i n i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l l e g i t i m a c y and
s u p p o r t and w i t h r e t a i n i n g h i s e x i s t i n g b a c k i n g t o a d p t
t h i s t a c t i c . O r g a n i z a t i o n s backed by s t a t e s v u l n e r a b l e
t o I s r a e l i r e t a l i a t i o n or t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r e s s u r e , u c h
a s S a i q a , t h e ALF, and t h e P a r t i s a n F o r c e s , have a l s o
s h i e d away t h u s f a r from i n t e r n a t i o n a l terrorism.

t o view t h e w o r l d i n b l a c k and w h i t e terms -- l i f e w i l l

be p e r f e c t when t h e d u a l g o a l s of w o r l d r e v o l u t i o n and
t h e l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e a r e a c h i e v e d . Ahmad J a b r i l ,
l e a d e r of t h e PFLP G e n e r a l Command, is f a n a t i c a l l y
consumed b y t h e s i n g l e g o a l df l i b e r a t i n g P a l e s t i n e , 8s
is Ahmad Z a r u r , l e a d e r of t h e pro-Nasir Arab P a l e s t i n e
O r g a n i z a t i o n w h i c h broke w i t h J a b r i l ' s g r o u p Isam
S a r t a w i , l e a d e r of t h e pro-Baath A c t i v e O r g a n i z a t i o n .
f o r t h e L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , a l s o seems t o have
fanatic characteristics.

i
* T h e r e have been r e c u r r i n g r e p o r t s t h a t F a t a h was
c o n s i d e r i n g terrorist o p e r a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g a s s a s s i n a i o n s ,
b u t no s u c h a c t i o n h a s y e t m a t e r i a l i z e d . A 1968 h i j a k i n g
of a n I s r a e l i a i r l i n e r , a t t r i b u t e d by some r u m o r s t o
F a t a h , is b e l i e v e d t o have been c a r r i e d o u t by t h e PF P.

-14-
 I 1 I

In contrast, Arafat operates i n t h e r e a l polikical

ii
world and d e a l s i n compromise. H e is committed t o n
p a r t i c u l a r p o l i t i c a l p h i l o s o p h y and is w i l l i n g t o d i c u s s
a l t e r n a t e a p p r o a c h e s , e v e n t o t h e b a s i c i s s u e s of' t h
n a t u r e and b o r d e r s of t h e f u t u r e s t a t e of P a l e s t i n e . H e
c a n t a l k t o b o t h t h e S a u d i A r a b i a n s and t h e C h i n e s e ,
t a k i n g w h a t e v e r h e c a n from e a c h and c o n v i n c i n g e a c h
t h a t h e is t h e i r c o u n t r y ' s b e s t hope f o r f u t u r e i n f l e n c e
o v e r t h e f e d a y e e n . T h i s m e t h o d of o p e r a t i o n t e n d s t
make A r a f a t a l e s s s p e c t a c u l a r f i g u r e t h a n t h e more i
e x p l o s i v e Habbash and a t t i m e s h e h a s l o s t h e a d l i n e s l t o
h i s competitdr. I t is A r a f a t , however, n o t Habbash,iwho
h a s b u i l t a large, f a i r l y well-funded organization,
gained s h a r p l y increased i n t e r n a t i o n a l i n f l u e n c e i n
p a s t t h r e e y e a r s , and comes t h e n e a r e s t t o predomina
w i t h i n t h e f e d a y e e n worlds,

Arab
- -Aid
-- to t h e Fedayeen

A l l of t h e Arab s t a t e s s u p p o r t t h e f e d a y e e
e x t e n t . They a r e of c o u r s e v i r t u a l l y c o m p e l l e d t
by t h e e m o t i o n a l i s m of t h e i s s u e , a l t h o u g h t h e d e
n a t u r e of t h e i r s u p p o r t v a r i e s c o n s i d e r a b l y , some
c o n s e r v a t i v e and d i s t a n t s t a t e s ( s u c h a s Morocco
T u n i s i a ) f e e l i n g l i t t l e c o m p u l s i o n . t o become d i r e c t
involved, Other conservative s t a t e s , , p a e t i c u l a r l y
A r a b i a and Kuwait, have made s i z a b l e c o n t r i b u t i o n
F a t a h , * r e f l e c t i n g b o t h t h e p r e s e n c e i n these cou
of large P a l e s t i n i a n communities and t h e hope of
s t a t e s t h a t F a t a h , more c o n s e r v a t i v e a t l e a s t i h i
w i l l e x e r t a m o d e r a t i n g i n f l u e n c e on t h e f e d a y e e n
movement. I n l a t e 1970 there were i n d i c a t i o n s t h
Arabia was becoming d i s e n c h a n t e d w i t h F a t a h and w
t i n g back a t l e a s t t e m p o r a r i l y o n f u n d - r a i s i n g ef

* I n d i v i d u a l P a l e s t i n i a n s i n t h e s e c o u n t r i e s have c In-
t r i b u t e d t o o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s a s well b u t w i t h o u t
government b a c k l n g .

I
 I I
I I I

The r a d i c a l Arab s t a t e s have s u p p o r t e d t h e f e d a d e e n

e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y , i f not always generously, s e e i n g t h e 1
movement a s a p o t e n t i a l force f o r c h a n g e i n t h e a r e a a d
h o p i n g t o s u b v e r t t h i s force t o t h e i r own p a r t i c u l a r 7
44
interests. SyrYa, c o n s i s t e n t l y t h e most m i l i t a n t of t e
Arab n a t i o n s , WAS t h e first i n t h e immediate prewar
y e a r s * t o g i v e m e a n i n g f u l s u p p o r t t o t h e f e d a y e e n move-
ment, s u p p l y i n g F a t a h w i t h arms, t r a i n i n g , and equipme t
e v e n before t h e 1967 w a r . When F a t a h began to e x e r c i s
some i n d e p e n d e n c e , t h e S y r i a n s s h i f t e d t h e i r e m p h a s i s
t o t h e i r own o r g a n i z a t i o n , S a i q a . They have n o n e t h e l e s
c o n t i n u e d t o s u p p l y F a t a h w i t h some a i d and t r a i n i n g .
and t o a c t a s a c o n d u i t f o r arms a i d from China.** I

S y r i a a l s o s u p p o r t s t h e H i t t i n F o r c e s , t h e PLA b r i g a d e
to t h e P a l e s t i n e Liberation Forces i n n o r t h Jordan.
S y r i a n s have f l i k t e d somewhat w i t h Hawatmah and t h e PD P, 4
a t t a c h e d t o t h e S y r i a n army w h i c h i n t u r n s u p p l i e s s u p o r t

i
p r o b a b l y b e c a u s e of t h e PFLP's c o u r t s h i p of S y r i a v s
r i v a l , I r a q ; and f o l l o w i n g t h e September 1970 J o r d a n i a
crisis, Hawatmah and o t h e r PDFLP l e a d e r s were s a i d t o
have f l e d to S y r i a and t o have begun r u n n i n g t h e o r g a n i a-
t i o n from t h e r e .
I r a q h a s s u p p o r t e d a number of g r o u p s ; i t
c o n s t a n t l y tries t o g a i n c o n t r o l o f t h e m and f r e q u e n t l y
d r o p s them when t h e y do n o t p r o v e m a l l e a b l e . I t
v i d e d i n t e r m i t t e n t a s s i s t a n c e to F a t a h and is p r o b a b l y
r e l u c t a n t t o c u t a l l t i e s w i t h t h i s powerful o r g a n i z a t i
i n s p i t e of F a t a h ' s independence. F o l l o w i n g t h e e s c a p e
of George Habbash from a S y r i a n p r i s o n i n l a t e 1968,
I r a q r e p o r t e d l y r e c e i v e d him warmly and
p o n s ; o n l y s m a l l q u a n t i t i e s of arms have been

*The UAR had p r o v i d e d some a s s i s t a n c e t o s m a l l f e d a y

g r o u p s a s e a r l y a s t h e mid-1950's.
**In r e t u r n , F a t a h r e p o r t e d l y s u p p l i e s S y r i a , a s w e l l
a s I r a q and J o r d a n , w i t h i n t e l l i g e n c e d a t a from i n s i d e
t h e occupied t e r r i t o r i e s .
I

-16- ~
 I
CRET
I

S i n c e j o i n i n g t h e r a n k s of t h e r a d i c a l Arab s t a t e s
i n 1969, L i b y a h a s stepped u p i t s promises of a s s i s t a n c e
t o v a r i o u s f e d a y e e n g r o u p s , b u t i t , Coo, h a s c o n c e n t r a t e d
o n Fatah. I 1

I I
I n any e v e n t , i bYa Y
a s t r o n g s u p p o r t e r of E g y p t i a n p o l i c y , is s a i d t o have '
s t o p p e d a l l payments t o t h e PFLP i n J u l y 2970; on 4
August, t h e L i b y a n R e v o l u t i o n a r y Command C o u n c i l i n d i c a
t h a t i t would c o n t i n u e t o g i v e arms a n d ' f u n d s t o t h e
l i b e r ' a t i o n movement l e d by F a t a h .
The UAR's p o s i t i o n w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e f e d a y e e n
h a s been somewhat a m b i v a l e n t . N a s i r saw t h e f e d a y e e n a
a p o t e n t i a l t h r e a t t o h i s own l e a d e r s h i p i n t h e Arab
w o r l d and also realized t h a t t h e y were a d i s r u p t i v e f o r e,
o v e r w h i c h h e had almost n b c o n t r o l . However, h e a l s o 4
r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e movement was t o o p o p u l a r t o s q u e l c h
and was useful as a n o u t l e t for t h e A r a b d e s i r e f o r m i l
t a r y a c t i o n . A l t h o u g h t h e UAR s u p p o r t e d t h e Arab
N a t i o n a l i s t Movement (ANM) f o r many y e a r s , i t h a s n o t
s u p p o r t e d t h e ANM's fedayeen offshoots t o any e x t e n t .
i1
I
-

I n e a r l y 1969 i t r e p o r t e d l y g a v e Habbash some s m a l l arm4

and medical s u p p l i e s , b u t was s o o n d i s e n c h a n t e d by t h e 1
PFLP's use of terror and s t o p p e d t h i s s u p p o r t . The P L O ~
was created i n 1 9 6 4 , l a r g e l y t o p r o v i d e a f a c a d e of

1
m i l i t a n c y a g a i n s t I s r a e l , a n d as n o t e d a b o v e , was v i r t u a l l y
an E g y p t i a n p u p p e t u n t i l F a t a h g a i n e d c o n t r o l of i t i n
e a r l y 1969. Nasir was n o t p l e a s e d w i t h t h i s developmen
o r w i t h A r a f a t ' s r i s e b u t a c c e p t e d b o t h f a i r l y grace-
f u l l y , a n d t h e UAR h a s c o n t i n u e d t o s u p p l y some a i d t o
b o t h t h e PLO and F a t a h , p a r t i c u l a r l y t r a i n i n g a s s i s t a n c .
I n t h e summer of 1970, however, when t h e f e d a y e e n
v i g o r o u s l y condemned Nasir's a c c e p t a n c e of t h e cease-fi e
p r o p o s a l , Nasir r e t a l i a t e d by d e n y i n g t h e m t h e u s e of
r a d i o f a c i l i t i e s , h a l t i n g f e d a y e e n f u n d - r a i s i n g a c t i v i t es,
and depoP,ting some P a l e s t i n i a n "extremists." He a l s o
i n d i c a t e d t h a t he would s u s p e n d a l l a i d t o t h e f e d a y e e n .
So f a r a s is known, t h e UAR's p o s i t i o n w i t h respect t o
t h e f e d a y e e n r e m a i n e d e s s e n t i a l l y unchanged i n t h e firs
s i x weeks a f t e r N a s i r ' s d e a t h .

-
The Fedayeen Threat -
t o J o r d a, n -and. Lebanon
The i s s u e of s t a t e / f e d a y e e n r e l a t i o n s i n h o s t Ara
n a t i o n s h i n g e s o n what t h e c o u n t r y i n v o l v e d w i s h e s t o d o
f o r or t o t h e f e d a y e e n . However, f o r Lebanon and J o r d a n

-18- i
and p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e l a t t e r , t h e q u e s t i o n is more corn+-

i
p l e x . Both c o u n t r i e s have l a r g e P a l e s t i n i a n p o p u l a t i ns,*
c o n c e n t r a t e d i n r q f u g e e camps, and s i z a b l e c o n t i n g e n t
of f e d a y e e n who operate o u t s i d e t h e l a w and a r e c a p a b e
of m u s t e r i n g c o n s i d e r a b l e c i v i l i a n backing.** Furthe -
more, f e d a y e e n o p e r a t i o n s across t h e b o r d e r s of t h e s e

i
c o u n t r i e s i n t o I s r a e l have b r o u g h t r e p r i s a l a t t a c k s
w h i c h t h e Lebanese and J o r d a n i a n a r m i e s have been un-
able t o contain. The problem is f u r t h e r compounded b
t h e p o t e n t i a l and i n c l i n a t i o n of t h e r a d i c a l s t a t e s 0'
I r a q and S y r i a t o u s e t h e s i t u a t i o n t o s u b v e r t t h e
Lebanese and J o r d a n i a n governments and t o t h r e a t e n i n b e r -
v e n t i o n , a t h r e a t f u l f i l l e d by t h e S y r i a n s d u r i n g thei
September 1970 J o r d a n i a n crisis. I
I
I

*About h a l f of JordanOs p o p u l a t i o n of s l i g h t l y ovek

two m i l l i o n is P a l e s t i n i a n . T h e r e are a b o u t - 2 5 0 , 0 0 0
P a l e s t i n i a n s i n Lebanon, o u t of a p o p u l a t i o n of 2,75( , 0 0 0 .
**In t h e f a l l of 1970, of a n e s t i m a t e d 1 2 , 0 0 0 arrnec 9
combat-ready f e d a y e e n , o v e r 9,000 were s a i d , t o be
s t a t i o n e d i n Jordan, i n c l u d i n g almost a l l t h e Fatah,
PLF, PFLP, and PDFLP f o r c e s . Saiqa h a d many commandc !3
in Lebanon and many more s t i l l i n S y r i a . The a c t u a l
numbers are e l u s i v e and v a r y c o n s i d e r a b l y d e p e n d i n g c n
s o u r c e and t i m e . A r a f a t ' s estimate i n t h e f a l l of 1 8 70
was t h a t there w m e 30,000 f e d a y e e n m i l i t i a i n Jordan t
t h e J o r d a n i a n estimate was 25,000. Both f i g u r e s a r e
p r o b a b l y i n f l a t e d , b u t may i n c l u d e b o t h commandos
a c t i v a t e d d u r i n g t h e crisis and those s t i l l i n t r a i n -
i n g , as opposed t o o t h e r , lower estimate8,which i n c h 9e
o n l y f u l l - t i m e fedayeen.

-19-

II

[ I
 I I
TOP XCRET
1

11. THE QUESTION OF FEDAYEEN UNITY

The Fatah/PLO
- Merger

P r e s s u r e f o r u n i f i c a t i o n of t h e f e d a y e e n move-
ment h a s come from a number of s o u r c e s : large fedayeen

framework of t h e PLO and has t e n d e d t o i n c r e a s e t h e i n -

f l u e n c e and a u t h o r i t y of Arafat. T h e main c h a l l e n g e to
A r a f a t f o r l e a d e r s h i p of t h e f e d a y e e n movement h a s been
George Habbash, who f o r a l o n g t i m e r e f u s e d t o p a r t i c i p a t e
i n t h e j o i n t f e d a y e e n o r g a n i z a t i o n s created u n d e r F a t a h
and PLO s p o n s o r s h i p . I n s t e a d h e called f o r a " t r u l y
u n i f i e d , " broad n a t i o n a l f r o n t , i n other words, f o r a n
o r g a n i z a t i o n n o t c o n t r o l l e d by F a t a h , a n d p o s s i b l y
r e c e p t i v e t o h i s own more charismatic s t y l e of leader-
ship.

-20-

TOPL S E TI
f o r c i n g a c c e p t a n c e of i t B own s l a t e of delegates t o
t h e P a l e s t i n e N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l * s c h e d u l e d t o meet i n
F e b r u a r y . F a t a h had b e e n assisted by t h e PFLP's
r e l u s a l t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n s for the

C r e a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e A r m e d S t r u g g l e Command
W h i l e t h e p o l i t i c a l a s p e c t s of f e d a y e e n u n i t y
are i m p o r t a n t i n terms of t h e movement's l e a d e r s h i p and
i t s d e a l i n g s w i t h v a r i o u s states, t h e main e m p h a s i s i n
t h e d r i v e f o r u n i t y h a s been on c r e a t i n g a j o i n t m i l i -
t a r y c o o r d i n a t i n g body. T h i s seems l o g i c a l b e c a u s e t a e
o s t e n s i b l e r a i s o n d ' e t r e of a l l f e d a y e e n g r o u p s is a
m i l i t a r y one: t o r e g a i n t h e P a l e s t i n i a n homeland through
t h e u s e of force. I n f a c t , however, t h e main p u r p o s e
of s u c h j o i n t m i l i t a r y b o d i e s h a s been t o p r o t e c t t h e i r
members from l i q u i d a t i o n by J o r d a n i a n a u t h o r i t i e s . T h e
l a r g e r f e d a y e e n g r o u p s h a v e backed s u c h o r g a n i z a t i o n s
t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t t h e y c o u l d d o m i n a t e them. The smaller
g r o u p s have p a r t i c i p a t e d i n them f o r t h e i r own p r o t e c t i o n .

*The P a l e s t i n e N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l was t h e supreme bo

t h e PLO as e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e summit c o n f e r e n c e of t h
s t a t e s i n 1964; i t was t h e l e g a l l y c o n s t i t u t e d and r e
P a l e s t i n i a n l e g i s l a t i v e body. It dispersed after the
1967 war and was r e s u r r e c t e d by a g r e e m e n t of t h e PLO,
F a t a h , and t h e PFLP.

I
-21- I
of t h e Pu) E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e , A r a f a t a l s o became
Commander-in-Chief of t h e PASC.* The f u n c t i o n s of t h e

The C h a l l e n g e of t h e U n i f i e d F e d a y e e n Command I
I
The PFLP f r e q u e n t l y c r i t i c i z e d t h e P a l e s t i n e 1
Armed S t r u g g l e Command i n t h e months f o l l o w i n g i t s I
c r e a t i o n and c a l l e d for t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a "broaderi"
n a t i o n a l f r o n t . The P o p u l a r Democratic F r o n t f o r t h e 1
L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e (PDFLP) was a l s o unhabpy w i t h 1
t h e Command, a s c o n s t i t u & e d , a n d i n December 1969
announced t h a t it w a s " f r e e z i n g " i t s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h
t h e organization. I t s t a t e d , however, t h a t i t s t i l l
c o n s i d e r e d i t s e l f a member of a l l " j o i n t a c t i o n f o r m u l
i n o t h e r w o r d s , i t s t i l l c o n s i d e r e d i t s e l f protected
from King Husayn by t h e Command b u t n o t bound by i t s
internal relations.

i
*The o r g a n i z a t i o n ' s C h i e f of S t a f f was Abd-al-Razza
Yahya, s o o n a l s o t o be commander of t h e P a l e s t i n e L i b e a-
t i o n Army (PLA). Appointed as M a f a t ' s man t o b o t h PO ts,
Yahya s o o n d e m o n s t r a t e d h i s own i n d e p e n d e n c e , and he a d
Arafat have s i n c e had a s e r i e s of d i s p u t e s .
**Nor had t h e A c t i v e O r g a n i z a t i o n f o r t h e L i b e r a t i o n of
P a l e s t i n e , whose l e a d e r Isam S a r t a w i feared F a t a h ' s doJin-
a t i o n more t h a n J o r d a n i a n r e p r e s s i o n . T h o s e who had j
i n c l u d e d F a t a h , The P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n Forces (PLF),
Saiqa, t h e Arab L i b e r a t i o n F r o n t ' ( A L F ) , € h e P o p u l a r S t
F r o n t (PSF), t h e Arab P a l e s t i n e O r g a n i z a t i o n (APO), t h
PFLP G e n e r a l Command, and t h e P o p u l a r D e m o c r a t i c Front
f o r t h e L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e (PDFLP).

I .
 I

I n F e b r u a r y 1970 a n attempt, p r o b a b l y s p e a r - 1
headed by t h e PFLP, was made t o undermine t h e F a t a h -
dominated PASC by e s t a b l i s h i n g a new g r o u p o u t s i d e t h f
PLO framework, t o be c a l l e d t h e U n i f i e d Fedayeen I
Command (UFC). F o r m a t i o n of t h e U n i f i e d Command was I
prompted by J o r d a n ' s 1 0 F e b r u a r y 1970 i s s u a n c e of a
new law-and-order d e c r e e , d e s i g n e d t o t i g h t e n c o n t r o l
o v e r t h e f e d a y e e n . On t h e same day t h a t J o r d a n i s s u e
t h e s e r e g u l a t i o n s , t e n fedayeen groups issued a s t a t e
ment i n t h e name of t h e U n i f i e d F e d a y e e n Command,* '
a s s e r t i n g t h e i r u n i t y and r e j e c t i n g t h e decree. Faced
w i t h a u n i t e d f e d a y e e n movement w h i c h was i n e f f e c t 1
t h r e a t e n W g y c i v i 1 w a r , King Husayn backed down and 1
s u s p e n d e d e n f o r c e m e n t of t h e r e g u l a t i o n s . I
T h i s crisis had begun w h i l e A r a f a t was i n Mosc
and t h e U n i f i e d Command was e s t a b l i s h e d w i t h o u t h i s
p a r t i c i p a t i o n . P a T t l y_ _ b e c a u s e of t h i s , F a t a h ' s p o s i t
i n t h e new, more b r o a d l y - b a s e d o r g a n i z a t i o n was l e s s
dominant t h a n i t was i n t h e P a l e s t i n e Armed S t r u g g l e
CommBnd. Arafat had c l e a r l y been outmaneuvered. Be-
c a u s e t h e U n i f i e d Command was w i d e l y c r e d i t e d w i t h ha ling
f o r c e d Husayn t o r e t r e a t , A r a f a t c o u l d h a r d l y d i s p u t e
its existence. I n s t e a d , h e a c c e p t e d i t s f o r m a t i o n ,
s t a t i n g t h a t i t would complement t h e PASC.
Having g a i n e d t h e i r first v i c t o r y , t h e g r o u p s
w i s h i n g t o undermine Fatah's predominanf p o s i t i o n
i m m e d i a t e l y began a campaign t o have t h e U n i f i e d Feda: 'een

*The membership was t h e same as t h a t of t h e P a l e s t : ne

Armed S t r u g g l e Colqmand b u t a l s o i n c l u d e d t h e PFLP, A01 I P,
a n d e v e n t u a l l y t h e Peoples O r g a n i z a t i o n for t h e Liberr -
t i o n of P a l e s t i n e (POLP).
**This was p r o b a b l y n o t a c o i n c i d e n c e . It is l i k e 1 1
t h a t King Husayn took a d v a n t a g e of A r a f a t ' s a b s e n c e tc
t r y t o impose t h e new c o n t r o l s .

-23-

7
 1
Command s u p e r s e d e t h e PASC. The PFLP went e v e n f u r t h e ,
u r g i n g t h a t t h e PLO i t s e l f be e l i m i n a t e d , p r e s u m a b l y t
be r e p l a c e d by a more f o r m a l i z e d v e r s i o n of t h e U n i f i e
Fedayeen Command, The proposal t o a b o l i s h t h e PLO m e t
heavy o p p o s i t i o n n o t o n l y from F a t a h , b u t a l s o from t h
P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n Army, whose e x i s t e n c e a f t e r a l l i
d e p e n d e n t o n t h a t of t h e PLO. The PLA is s a i d t o have
threatened t o e l i m i n a t e t h e groups causing d i s r u o t i o n
if t h e y d i d n o t d e s i s t .

a C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e w h i c h would be r e s p o n s i b l e t o t h e
P a l e s t i n e N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l a n d would r e p l a c e t h e U n i f i e d
Fedayeen Command. The C o u n c i l approved t h i s p r o p o s a l
when i t m e t i n J u n e . While t h e new PLO C e n t r a l Commit*:ee
was e s t a b l i s h e d w i t h i n t h e PLQ framework and A r a f a t wat3
named its c h a i r m a n , t h i s o r g a n i z a t i o n had a f a r broade:?
membership t h a n had t h e PLO E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e , and
F a t a h ’ s a b i l i t y t o impose i t s c o n t r o l was c u r t a i l e d . “he
E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e was not a b o l i s h e d , however, and
c o n s i d e r a b l e a m b i g u i t y r e m a i n e d on t h e q u e s t i o n of which
o r g a n i z a t i o n w a s supreme. A s i m i l a r problem e x i s t e d in
t h e m i l i t a r y realm. The P a l e s t i n e N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l a t
its J u n e m e e t i n g a l s o approved t h e c r e a t i o n of a S u p r e n e
M i l i t a r y Command, a g a i n headed by Arafat b u t w i t h a
more d i f f u s e d l e a d e r s h i p t h a n t h a t of t h e P a l e s t i n e
Armed S t r u g g l e Command and d e s i g n e d t o replace t h e l a t t e r .
However, t h e PASC a p p a r e n t l y c o n t i n u e d t o f u n c t i o n .
Thus i n mid-1970 a m u l t i t u d e of j o i n t f e d a y e e n
o r g a n i z a t i o n s e x i s t e d and n o o n e was p a r t i c u l a r l y happ
had been weakened somewhat, b u t F a t a h , a s t h e most power-
f u l g r o u p by f a r , was s t i l l dominant. The PFLP had
s u c c e e d e d i n w h i t t l i n g away a t F a t a h , b u t was n o more
w i l l i n g t h a n before t o s u b m i t t o c o n t r o l , from a n o t h e r

\ 1
body. The PFLP i m m e d i a t e l y made i t clear t h a t d e s p i
membership i n t h e new g r o u p s it r e t a i n e d t h e r i g h t t
c a r r y o u t independent operations. I n September 1970 i t
t h u s ignored C e n t r a l Committee o r d e r s n o t t o d e s t r p y ~

t h e three p l a n e s i t had h i j a c k e d and t o release t h e

t a g e s i t h e l d . The C e n t r a l Committee exerted i t s a u
b r i e f l y , s u s p e n d i n g t h e PFLP from membership. Howev
i t r e a d m i t t e d t h e g r o u p a f t e r s e v e r a l d a y s , t h u s dem
s t r a t i n g t h a t i t d i d n o t have t h e power, or p o s s i b l y
w i l l , t o e n f o r c e its own r e g u l a t i o n s .
I

1
D u r i n g t h e J o r d a n c i v i l war of September 1970 the
PLO C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e was r e c o g n i z e d a s t h e o n l y l e g ti-
mate f e d a y e e n b a r g a i n i n g body, and A r a f a t c l e a r l y e m rged
a s its spokesman. What e f f e c t t h e J o r d a n crisis wou d
have on t h e s t r u c t u r e of t h e f e d a y e e n movement was n t
immediately a p p a r e n t , although i t appeared t h a t t h e ore
r a d i c a l g r o u p s had s u f f e r e d t h e most a n d t h a t : F a t a h ad
emerged r e l a t i v e l y s t r o n g e r . Several r e p o r t s soon a ter
t h e crisis i n d i c a t e d t h a t F a t a h was t r y i n g t o e s t a b l sh
c o n t r o l o v e r t h e e n t i r e movement. A c c o r d i n g t o Isam

.j
Sartawi, leader of t h e A c t i v e O r g a n i z a t i o n f o r t h e L bera-
t i o n of P a l e s t i n e (AOLP) and a l o n g - t i m e F a t a h oppon nt,
by t h e e n d of October 1970, Arafat was i s s u i n g o r d e r for
t h e w h o l e movement i n c o m p l e t e d i s r e g a r d f o r w h a t a n one
e l s e t h o u g h t . Sartawi s a i d t h a t t h e PLO C e n t r a l Co ittee
a t t h a t p o i n t had n o t m e t f o r weeks.

I n mid-November, however, t h e C e n t r a l C o m m i t t q e
announced t h a t t h e f e d a y e e n g r o u p s p l a n n e d a f o r m a l

a g a i n t o predominate.

-25- i
 I
\- I I

b o t h i n t e r n a l and e x t e r n a l , on t h e movement and t h e 'I

i n d i v i d u a l a s s e s s m e n t s of t h e v a r i o u s g r o u p s of t h e i r own
best i n t e r e s t s . When t h r e a t e n e d $ e i t h e r i n d i r e c t l y a s
w i t h t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s p e a c e p r o p o s a l of J u l y 1 9 7 0 or
d i r e c t l y w i t h m i l i t a r y f o r c e , t h e f e d a y e e n have t r i e d tqo
p r e s e n t a u n i t e d . ' f r o n t . T h e i r r e a c t i o n t o t h e US p l a n
was t o i s s u e a j o i n t r e s o l u t i o n of d e n u n c i a t i o n . T h e i r
r e a c t i o n t o t h r e a t s t o t h e i r s u r v i v a l h a s been t o form
j o i n t m i l i t a r y b o d i e s d e s i g n e d t o protect t h e m t h r o u g h
combined s t r e n g t h .
Such t h r e a t s , t e n d t o be t r a n s i t o r y , however, a n d
when t h e y p a s s and t h e fedayeentlno l o n g e r f e e l t h r e a t e n e d ,
t h e d i f f e r e n c e s among them t e n d t o come t o t h e fore and
t h e q u e s t i o n r e v e k t s t o o n e of power p o l i t i c s . F a t a h
h a s for t h e most p a r t u s e d t h e p e r i o d s of crisis t o i t s
own a d v a n t a g e , s k i l l f u l l y m a n i p u l a t i n g t h e forces worki:ig
f o r u n i t y i n o r d e r t o i n c r e a s e i t s , o w n predominance w i t i i n
t h e movement. T h i s s u c c e s s is l a r g e l y a t t r i b u t a b l e t o ';he
d i p l o m a t i c s k i l l o f Yasir Arafat and t h e p r o s p e c t s f o r
u n i t y would.?undoubtedly s u f f e r were h e t o be removed frym .

-26- I
 1:
t h e s c e n e , A r a f a t ' s a b i l i t y ( n o t u n l i k e t h a t of Nas r )
t o t a l k s y m p a t h e t i c a l l y and p e r s u a s i v e l y t o w i d e l y v r i e d
g r o u p s and c o u n t r i e s as w e l l a s t h e p r e s t i g e he has u i l t
u p i n t h e , p a ; s t s e v e r a l y e a r s have been i n s t r u m e n t a l n
h e l p i n g t o forge t h e weak t i e s of u n i t y t h a t have t h s
f a r been c r e a t e d . P r e s u m a b l y , if Arafat now f e e l s t a t
h e c a n best e n h a n c e F a t a h ' s c o n t r o l o v e r t h e o t h e r
f e d a y e e n groups by d i s c a r d i n g t h e mechanisms h e h a s $ 0
l a b o r i o u s l y c o n s t r u c t e d a n d by b u i l d i n g new o n e s , h e
w i l l do so. B u t u n l e s s F a t a h grows s t r o n g enough
f o r c i b l y t o impose a n d t h e n m a i n t a i n its own c o n t r o l ~

o v e r t h e o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s , t h e long-term p r o s p e c t
of m e a n i n g f u l f e d a y e e n u n i t y a r e m o d e s t . si

-27-
8053 7-10
 . .

S o l i e t P o l i c y Towards t h e Fedayeen

From H o s t i l i t y t o T o l e r a n c e .

The b a s i c impediment t o closer S o v i e t - f e d a y e e

r e l a t i o n s h a s been t h e USSR's c o n t i n u i n g r e c o g n i t i o n of
I s r a e l ' s r i g h t t o e x i s t . T h i s r e c o g n i t i o n is o b v i o
n
i n c o m p a t i b l e w i t h t h e claims of t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s t h a
t h e l a n d is t h e i r s a n d t h a t f s r a e l a s a J e w i s h s t a t e
must go. W h i l e S o v i e t commentators have a t times s
t h a t I s r a e l took more l a n d t h a n was s t i p u l a t e d i n t
U n i t e d N a t i o n s P a l e s t i n e P a r t i t i o n P l a n of November
t h u s i m p l y i n g t h a t some r e a d j u s t m e n t of t h e 1948 bo
m i g h t be c a l l e d f o r , t h e y have more commonly t r e a t e
as an academic i s s u e , n o t t o be t a k e n s e r i o u s l y . T
S o v i e t s have c o n c e n t r a t e d t h e i r demands f o r r e c t i f i
on t h e t e r r i t o r i e s o c c u p i e d i n 1967; i n s o d o i n g t h e
have c o n s i s t e n t l y s u p p o r t e d t h e UN S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l
r e s o l u t i o n of November 1967, w h i c h t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s
n o t a c c e p t . T h u s , both S o v i e t r e c o g n i t i o n of t h e s
of I s r a e l a n d S o v i e t s u p p o r t for a p e a c e f u l s o l u t i o n
based on t h e UN r e s o l u t i o n s t a n d i n t h e way of a com
plete Soviet-fedayeen a l l i a n c e . I n a d d i t i o n , more
practical considerations, e s p e c i a l l y Soviet i n a b i l i t
t o c o n t r o l t h i s v e r y d i s r u p t i v e force, have worked
against such an alliance.
I n t h e immediate a f te r ma th of t h e J u n e 1967 w
t h e S o v i e t p o s i t i o n t o w a r d s t h e f e d a y e e n w a s o n e of
hostility. Soviet commentators f r e q u e n t l y condemned
Arab 'textremistst' and t h e i r t t d e s t r o y - I s r a e l l ' s l o g a n s ,
and t h e S o v i e t s g e n e r a l l y viewed g u e r r i l l a r a i d s i n t
I s r a e l i - o c c u p i e d t e r r i t o r y as b e i n g c o u n t e r p r o d u c t i v
I n t h e spring of 1968, however, t h e S o v i e t s began t o
modify t h e i r l i n e . T h i s r e f l e c t e d t h e g r o w i n g
and p o p u l a r a p p e a l of t h e
E a s t , as well a s S o v i e t c o n c e r n
 i n f l u e n c e w i t h t h i s p o t e n t i a l l y i m p o r t a n t force, T&&
may also h a v e r e a s o n e d t h a t t h e immediate p r a s , p e c t s of 9" 'i;ets
g a i n i n g a n acceptable s o l u t i o n t o t h e Middle g a s t situ -
t i o n were s l i g h t , a n d t h a t some m i l i t a r y p r e s s u r e on t e
I s r a e l i s m i g h t p u s h t h e l a t t e r toward compromise.
however, t o o p e r a t i o n s i n t h e o c c u p i e d t e r r i t o r i e s . T e
P a l e s t i n i a n s ' r i g h t t o repel t h e Israeli invaders f r o m I
Sov e t
r e p o r t i n g on f e d a y e e n a c t i v i t i e s was c a r e f u l l y l i m i t e d ,

t h e s e l a n d s was r e c o g n i z e d , b u t n o t t h e i r r i g h t t o r e g g i n
a l l of Palestine. I
I

t i t i e s ( n e v e r more t h a n f i v e p e r c e n t of F a t a h ' s t o t a l ) of
Soviet-made l i g h t arms, a s t h e S y r i a n s had been d o i n g
s i n c e 1965. Although a CPSU o f f i c i a l l a t e r implied t h J $ t
t h e S o v i e t s r e p l e n i s h e d these s t o c k s , t h e r e is n o way of
k n o y i d g * i f t h i s was r e a l l y i n t e n d e d as d i r e c t c o m p e n s a t i o n
f o r E g y p t i a n a n d S y r i a n a i d t o t h e Palestinian,;guerril:Las.

is s t a t e -
'ment c a s t s d o u b t on t h e e x i s t e n c e of such a
S o v i e t-UAR-f e d a y e e n deal.
Whatever t h e case, a f t e r t h e summer of 1968,
t h e S o v i e t s seem t o have become more w i l l i n g t o allow
t h e E a s t E u r o p e a n s t o s e l l weapons -- f o r h a r d c a s h --
t o F a t a h a n d t h e P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n Forces, B u l g a r i a
C z e.(c h o s l o v a k i a were f i r s t r e p o r t e d making s u c h s a l e s
a n d ....
. .. ,.
-.I -'
..' ..

-30-
 T
c

t h e y r e m a i n e d c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n ' s Mus1
B r o t h e r h o o d c o n n e c t i o n s and its close t i e s t o conservda-
t i v e Arab c o u n t r i e s . T h i s d i s t r u s t was and still is
r e c i p r o c a t e d by many F a t a h l e a d e r s ( i n c l u d i n g Arafat), who
d i s a p p r o v e of S o v i e t s u p p o r t for a p e a c e f u l s o l u t i o n
and d o u b t S o v i e t w i l l i n g n e s s t o h e l p them. I n l a t e Miarch
1969 Arafat is s a i d t o have m e t i n A l g i e r s w i t h S o v i e , t
P r e s i d e n t Podgornyy. \

Because of t h i s m u t u a l d i s t r u s t , t h e S o v i e t s ktept
open o t h e r c h a n n e l s of communication, p r i m a r i l y w i t h t h e
UAR-backed P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n O r g a n i z a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e

g r o u p s weapons d i r e c t l y , s h i p p i n g them t o L a t a k i a , wh
t h e y were t h e n r o u t e d t o J o r d a n and Lebanon.

-31-

' I
 PLO's B e i r u t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e S h a f i q
Al-Hut. This dialogue continued
t h r o u g h o u t 1968 a n d e a r l y 1969 a n d may
h a v e b e e n p a r t l y r e s p o n s i b l e for t h e
S o v i e t d e c i s i o n t o permit E a s t European
c o u n t r i e s t o sell weapons t o F a t a h and
t h e PLO's f e d a y e e n w i n g , t h e P a l e s t i n e
I L- i b e r a t i o n Forces.

The S h i f t t o a S t r o n g e r Pro-Fedayeen
Line

The Soviets s e e m t o have r e s p o n -

ded f a v o r a b l y b o t h t o t h e PLA/Fatah- Shafiq AI-Hut
merger a n d t o t h e c r e a t i o n of t h e P a l -
e s t i n e Armed S t r u g g l e Command i n e a r l y in Beirut
1969, s e e i n g s u c h u n i f y i n g s t e p s a s
s i m p l i f y i n g t h e q u e s t i o n of w i t h whom t o
age of o p e r a t i o n s i n t o t h e o c c u p i e d
fit t h e s a m e t i m e a g r e a t e r d i s t i n c t i o n b e g a n t o be d r a w
b e t w e e n t h e "moderate" f e d a y e e n ( p r e s u m a b l y
t h e " e x t r e m i s t s " ( p r o b a b l y t h e more
f o r t h e L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , w h i c h h a d r e f u s e d t o
e n t e r e i t h e r of t h e new u n i f i e d o r g a n i z a t i o n s ) . *

I n t h e e a r l y f a l l of 1969.
had r e c e n t i y a e c i a e a
to increase c o o P e r a = l o n w t h t h e f e d a y e e n , p r o b a b l y f o r
t h e same r e a s o n s t h a t t h e S o v i e t s h a d d e c i d e d t o t a l k
w i t h t h e m i n t h e first p l a c e : h o p e t h a t t h i s would p u t
p r e s s u r e on I s r a e l , the g r o w i n g s t r e n g t h of t h e f e d a y e e n
m o v e m e n t , a n d f e a r of b e i n g o u t m a n e u v e r e d b y t h e C h i n e s e .
T h e S o v i e t s may a l s o h a v e b e e n i n f l u e n c e d by t h e new

*The S o v i e t s i d e n t i f i e d t h e " e x t r e m i s t s " a s t h o s e w

use t h e s l o g a n " t h e worse t h e b e t t e r , " t h u s t r y i n g t o
them to t h e C h i n e s e . I n f a c t , t h e C h i n e s e were a i d i n g
F a t a h a n d t h e PLO, n o t t h e PFLP.

-32-
 T

had t o p u t t h e i r s u p p o r t f o r the P a l e s t i n i a n c a u s e i n
terms s t r o n g e n o u g h t o j u s t i f y armed s t r u g g l e .

Additional evidence soon confirmed t h a t t h e use

of t h e new f o r m u l a t i o n was a c o n s c i o u s , j o i n t d e c i s i o n

\ -33-
i s s u e of what t o do w i t h whatever t e r r i t o r y I s r a e l wo I d
be a s k e d t o r e l i n q u i s h --
w h e t h e r t o hand i t o v e r t o t h e

b u t by and l a r g e S o v i e t p u b l i c comment h a s d e a l t . dep::e-

c a t i n g l y w i t h what is viewed a s a n I s r a e l i d e s i r e f o r
s u c h a b u f f e r s t a t e . However, t h e r e h a s been a t leas.:
one r e c e n t . ' i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e S o v i e t s would be r e c e p t i v e
t o n e g o t i a t i o n s concerning a p o s s i b l e P a l e s t i n i a n sta'ke
on t h e West Bank. I n Cairo i n O c t o b e r Kosygin is s a i j t o
onFy power c a p a b l e of r e g a i n i n g t h e West Bank and (&dh,
Arafat r e j e c t e d t h e a d v i c e .

Practical Effects of Propaganda S h i f t

medical s u p p l i e s . The remarks of t h e S o v i e t l e a d e r s

-34- I
 4
s u g g e s t e d c o n t i n u i n g c o n c e r n , however, t h a t t h e USSR
m i g h t be l i n k e d t o f e d a y e e n t e r r o r i s t a c t i v i t i e s i f
t h e S o v i e t Union were p u b l i c l y i d e n t i f i e d a s s u p p j y i g
arms d i r e c t l y t o t h e f e d a y e e n . Ponomarev a l s o d e c l e d
t h a t t h e S o v i e t s would hot e s t a b l i s h d i r e c t r e l a t i o n
between t h e CPSU a n d f e d a y e e n , b u t would u s e s u c h
S o v i e t "mass o r g a n i z a t i o n s " as t h e Komsomol,, trade
unioqs,, and t h e Afro-Asian Peoples S o l i d a r i t y C o m m i t ee
a s i n t e r m e d i a r i e s t o make p u b l i c c o n t a c t w i t h them. I
J,
A l m o s t a l l s u b s e q u e n t o f f i c i a l d e a l i n g s between t h e
S o v i e t s and t h e f e d a y e e n have i n f a c t been h a n d l e d 1
through t h e S o l i d a r i t y Committee. I

i
I n t h e f a l l of 1969, t h i s committee i n v i t e d t e
PLO t o s e n d a d e l e g a t i o n t o t h e USSR. When o r i g i n a l l y
i s s u e d , t h e i n v i t a t i o n r e p o r t e d l y was e x t e n d e d o n l y
t o P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n Army r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , b u t b y
December Arafat was added. Arafat h i m s e l f was s a i d t o
b e r e l u c t a n t t o go, p r o b a b l y b e c a u s e h e was s k e p t i c 1
a b o u t S o v i e t w i l l i n g n e s s t o p r o v i d e m e a n i n g f u l a i d , and
p o s s i b l y aEso b e c a u s e h e d i d n o t w i s h t o a n t a g o n i z e 1
e i t h e r t h e S a u d i s o r t h e C h i n e s e . However, other
b e r s of t h e PLO E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e f i n a l l y p e r s u
h i m t h a t t h e mere f a c t of t h e v i s i t would be a d i
v i c t o r y for t h e fedayeen.
The c o n c r e t e r e s u l t s of t h e d e l e g a t i o n ' s t
v i s i t i n F e b r u a r y were u n c l e a r . The communique i
after t h e v i s i t included t h e apparently standard
t i o n t h a t t h e S o v i e t people s u p p o r t t h e " n a t i o n a l
l i b e r a t i o n and a n t i - i m p e r i a l i s t s t r u g g l e " of t h e
The S o v i e k s seem t o have made a d d i t i o n a l vague p r
of m a t e r i a l s u p p o r t b u t may h a v e l i n k e d them t o t
of f u r t h e r u n i f i c a t i o n of t h e f e d a y e e n movement.
i n d e f i n i t e , t h e i r comments l e d to some wishful t h
on t h e p a r t of t h e f e d a y e e n . One member of t h e d
s a i d t h a t t h e whole d e l e g a t i o n came away c o n v i n c e
S o v i e t s kould suppZy achs d i r e c t l y t o t h e resista
movement a n d assist w i t h t r a i n i n g . However, he a
t h a t t h e S o v i e t s had i n d i c a t e d t h e y would d e a l on
t h e P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n Army b e c a u s e , t h e i r arms w e
" c o n v e n t i o n a l weapons f o r a c o n v e n t i o n a l army." ,
h i m s e l f a d m i t t e d t h a t n o a g r e e m e n t on a i d had bee
b u t p r o f e s s e d n o t t o be d i s a p p o i n t e d b e c a u s e , h e
had e x p e c t e d no more t h a n h e got.

-35-
~
R e l a t i o n s --
In Flux
I n t h e wake of t h i s v i s i t , s e v e r a l remarks
made p u b l i c l y by l o w - l e v e l Soviet o f f i c i a l s i n t h e
s p r i n g of 1970 w e n t w e l l beyond a n y . p r e v i o u s S o v i e t
s t a t e m e n t s on t h e P a 1 e s t i n i a q : i s s u e . On 18 A p r i l ,
t h e S o v i e t c h a r g e i n Baghdad t o l d Arab newsmen t h a t
t h e S o v i e t people s u p p o r t e d t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s t r u g g l e
to " l i b e r a t e " t h e o c c u p i e d t e r r i t o r y and to e s t a b l i s h
a " d e m o c r a t i c P a l e s t i n i a n s t a t e . " Two d a y s l a t e r , t h e
S o v i e t p r e s s a t t a c h e i n Amman went Bven f u r t h e r , s a y i n r
t h a t t h e S o v i e t Union

s u p p o r t s t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a
democratic P a l e s t i n i a n state:
and. . .supports every s t r u g g l e
aimed a t t o p p l i n g a l l r e g i m e s
b a s e d on r a c i s t f a n a t i c i s m
s u c h a s t h e p r e s e n t regime i n
Israel.
Although these s t a t e m e n t s were s u b s e q u e n t l y
disavowed, t h e y r e v e a l t h e t h i n k i n g of some S o v i e t
o f f i c i a l s and s u g g e s t t h a t t h e q u e s t i o n of how f a r t o
s u p p o r t P a l e s t i n i a n " n a t i o n a l " r i g h t s was b e i n g d e b a t e d
i n t h e Soviet Union..
I n any e v e n t , by t h e summer of 1970 t h e S o v i e t s
seem t o have p u l l e d back somewhat from s u p p o r t of t h e
P a l e s t i n i a n cause. I n h i s 12 J u n e e l e c t i o n s p e e c h , Brezh-
n e y r e a f f i r m e d t h e r i g h t of I s r a e l t o e x i s t , c a l l i n g
s i m p l y f o r a s s u r a n c e s of t h e "legitimate r i g h t s of t h e
Arab people of P a l e s t i n e . " T h i s marked a r e t u r n t o t h e
o l d f o r m u l a on P a l e s t i n i a n r i g h t s w h i c h had been u s e d
before S h e l e p i n and Kosygin i n l a t e 1969 i m p l i e d t h a t
t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s t r u g g l e was on0 fQr ;'tta&%'i~naI".ti.ghts.

T h i s s t a t e m e n t was accompanied by o t h e r i n d i c a t i o n s
t h a t t h e S o v i e t s were d r a g g i n g t h e i r f e e t on t h e f e d a g e e n
i s s u e . A t t h i s t i m e . (see p . 3 9 ) ) t h e y seemed to p u l l dlack
from t h e i r p r e v i o u s p o s i t i o n of s u p p o r t 'for t h e P a r t i s a n
F o r c e s , the.'Xedayeen g r o u p e s t a b l i s h e d by f o u r Arab
 Communist P a r t i e s w i t h S o v i e t a p p r o v a l i n l a t e 1969.. I n
a d d i t i o n , there was no i n d i c a t i o n a s of t h e f a l l of 1,9?0
t h a t t h e S o v i e t s were y e t s u p p l y i n g a n y d l r e c t m a t e r i a l
s u p p o r t to t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s . V a r i o u s f e d a y e e n 1eade:rs
s i n g i n c r e a s e d d i s p l e a s u r e w i t h t h e Soviets; t h e s e h,ave
i n c l u d e d Arafat a n d e v e n s u c h a n o r m a l l y p r o - S o v i e t
f e d a y e e n leader a s PLO B e i r u t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e S h a f i q Al-Hut.

-37-

I T hET
 When t h e S o v i e t s t o o k a s t i l l s t r o n g e r pro-
f e d a y e e n t a c k i n mid-1969, t h e LCP d e c i d e d t o f u r t h e : r
modify its own p o s i t i o n from v e r b a l a n d l o g i s t i c s u p p o r t
of t h e armed s t r u g g l e to a c t u a l p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h a t
s t r u g g l e . I n September 1969, t h e LCP p r o p o s e d t o thle
Commun2:St P a r t i e s o f J o r d a n , S y r i a , and I r a q t h e e s t a b l i s h -
ment of a c o o r d i n a t i n g committee to d i s c u s s some fern of
j o i n t p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n P a l e s t i n i a n g u e r r i l l a activities.
B o t h t h e p r o p o s a l and t h e s u b s e q u e n t a g r e e m e n t of thle
t h r e e o t h e r p a r t i e s probaibly had S o v i e t a p p r o v a l . I n
November r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e f o u r p a r t i e s m e t and
a g r e e d t h a t t h e y would e s t a b l i s h a j o i n t p a r t i s a n o r g a n i -
z a t i o n . b u t d e c i d e d n o t t o f o r m a l i z e s u c h a body u n t $ l
t h e s p r i n g of 1970.*

* I n t h e meantime t h e i n d i v i d u a l

The LCP began

i n g u e r r i l l a tactics.

-39-

L
 I n l a t e December 1969, r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e s e
P a r t i e s m e t i n Moscow w i t h CPSU Secretaries S u s l o v and
Ponomarev 2 n d were r e p o r t e d l y promised s u p p o r t . The
t i m i n g of these p r e l i m i n a r i e s to s e k t i n g u p a Communist
f e d a y e e n group c o i n c i d e d w i t h t h e p u b l i c s t a t e m e n t s
b e i n g made by S h e l e p i n and Kosygin, c a l l i n g f o r s u p p o r t
of t h e " n a t i o n a l l i b e r a t i o n s t r u g g l e v 1 of t h e P a l e s t i n i a i
as w e l l 2 s w i t h S o v b t i s s u a n c e of an i n v i t a t i o n t o t h e
P a l e s t i n e Liberation Organization t o send a delegation
t o Moscow.

E s t a b l i s h m e n t of P a r t i s a n F o r c e s
I n March 1970 t h e Communist P a r t y of J o r d a n (CPJ)
s u r p r i s e d t h e LCP, and p r o b a b l y t h e o t h e r Communist
P a r t i e s a s w e l l , by jumping t h e gun on e a r l i e r a r r a n g e -
m e n t s and u n i l a t e r a l l y announcing i t s e s t a b l i s h m e n t of
Quwat Al-Ansar ( P a r t i s a n F o r c e s ) . The CPJ p r o c l a i m e d
t h a t i t was j o i n i n g t h e armed s t r u g g l e and moreover
d e f e n d e d , c o n t r a r y t o S o v i e t p o l i c y , t h e r i g h t of t h e
P a l e s t i n i a n s t o s t r i v e f o r what i t termed t h e s u p r e m e
g o a l of t h e r e s i s t a n c e movement, " t h e l i b e r a t i o n of
P a l e s t i n e . " The C P J ' s a c t i o n was a p p a r e n t l y prompted
by p a n i c , accompanied by i n t e r n a l d i s s e n s i o n , and
p r e c i p i t a t e d by t h e F e b r u a r y 1970 crisis: i n J o r d a n
between t h e government and t h e f e d a y e e n . I n t h e wake
of t h a t crisis, dominant forces i n t h e CPJ r e p o r t e d l y
f e l t t h a t t h e p a r t y must e i t h e r t a k e a s t r o n g p o s i t i o n
i n s u p p o r t of t h e P a l e s t i n i a n r e s i s t a n c e o r lose s t i l l
more local p r e s t i g e . Because of t h e C P J ' s u n i l a t e r a l
a c t i o n , t h e P a r t i o a n F o r c e s a p p e a r e d f o r some t i m e t o
be 2 c r e a t u r e cbf i'l%'ksI . P a ~ ~ j r . ~ a l o n e j ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a ~ ~ ~ ~
v e n t u r e of t h e f o u r p a r t i e s .
E a r l y i n t h e f o l l o w i n g month, r e p r e s e p t a t i v e s of
t h e f o u r p a r t i c i p a t i n g Communist p a r t i e s m e t ' a g a i n i n
I r a q and a g r e e d on v a r i o u s p r a c t i c a l s t e p s ( s u c h a s
f u n d r a i s i n g 2nd e s t a b l i s h i n g o f f i c e s and bases) t o
be t a k e n j o i n t l y i n s e t t i n g u p t h e P a r t i s a n F o r c e s .
T h e r e was c o n s i d e r a b l e debake o v e r t h e p o l i t i c a l l i n e t o
. b e t a k e n , and t h e y - a g r e e d t o meet a g a i n t o d i s c u s s t h i s .

I
-40- I

; C
I
 When t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
delegate offered a d r a f t
t h e " l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , " and
of t h e f o u r p a r t i e s a d o p t e d i t . It
ever, that
Neither the
P a r t i e s have d i r e c t l y x ' n d
l i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e ,
episode. *
F o l l o w i n g p a s s a g e of t h i s r e s o l u t i o n , t h e S o v i e t
a t t i t u d e toward t h e P a r t i s a n s grew n o t a b l y - c o o l e r . $ n
t h e summer of 1970 t h e S o v i e t s i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e y d d
n o t w i s h t o r e c e i v e a d e l e g a t i o n of t h e P a r t i s a n FOE"e6 i

I
w h i c h was o b v i o u s l y i n s e a r c h of a i d . W h i l e i t is p s-
s i b l e t h a t t h i s s i m p l y reflected t h e i n c r e a s e d Sovie
c a u t i o n about t h e P a l e s t i n i a n c a u s e v i s i b l e a t t h e t m e ,
i t may a l s o have i n d i c a t e d some r e l u c t a n c e t o b e i i d n t i -
f i e d w i t h a c l e a r - c u t endorsement of th6 " l i b e r a t i o n of
Palestine." I t was n o t u n t i l September 1970 that a 1
S o v i e t j o u r n a l (N4w -- Times) f i r s t - acknowledged t h e g r 4 u p ' s
existence. I

I n a n y e v e n t , t h e S o v i e t s have t h u s far seeme

r e l u c t a n t t o s u p p l y a i d d i r e c t l y e v e n t o t h e s e Commu
P a r t i s a n F o r c e s , a l t h o u g h t h e S o v i e t s have ' a p p a r e n t 1
n o t o b j e c t e d t o s u c h d e a l i n g s b e i n g h a n d l e d by t h e E
Europeans. I n t h e summer and f a l l of 1970 t h e P a r t i
F o r c e s were a p p a r e n t l y r e c e i v i n g some m a t e r i a l s u p p o
from B u l g a r i a , P o l a n d , and p o s s i b l y E a s t Germany.

*Only t h e C P J , i n its March 1970 announcement estct-

b l i s h i n g t h e P a r t i s a n Forces, has recognized t h e r i g h t
i
of t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s t o s t r i v e f o r t h e l i b e r a t i o n of
P a l e s t i n e . The S o v i e t s t h e m s e l v e s have s u p p o r t e d what
l i b e r a t i o n " r i g h t s , b u t have d e l i b e r a t e l y f a i l e d t o ,Ief i n e
w h a t t h e y mean.

-41- I
 A s of t h e f a l l of 1970, t h e P a r t i s a n Forces
had n o t y e t engaged i n any a n t i - I s r a e l o p e r a t i o n s , and
a p p a r e n t l y d i d n o t c o n s i d e r t h e m s e l v e s s t r o n g enough t o
d o s o . They had s e v e r a l bases i n J o r d a n and p r o b a b l y
o n l y s e v e r a l hundred armed men. A t t h i s time t h e y were
s t i l l i n t h e process of o r g a n i z a t i o n and t r a i n i n g . The
P a r t i s a n s are r e p o r t e d t o have p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e Sep-
tember f i g h t i n g a g a i n s t King Husayn and t o have a c q u i t t t
themselves w e l l , although t h e i r e n t r y i n t o t h e f i g h t i n g
was b e l a t e d because of a d e l a y i n r e c e i v i n g p e r m i s s i o n
from t h e i r p a r e n t p a r t i e s 2nd t h e S o v i e t Union. Althoul
t h e y s u f f d r e d c o n s i d e r a b l e c a s u a l t i e s and r e p o r t e d l y
a f t e r w a r d r e t a i n e d o n l y a f e w bases i n n o r t h J o r d a n , thc
p o l i t i c a l p o s i t i o n r e l a t i v e t o t h e other f e d a y e e n group!
p r e v i o u s l y e x t r e m e l y weak, may have been somewhat
i n p r o v e d by t h e c i v i l war.

C h i n e s e P o l i c y Toward t h e Fedayeen
U n f e t t e r e d by l o n g - s t a n d i n g or i n v o l v e d r e l a t i o n -
s h i p s i n t h e M i d d l e E a s t , n o t v i t a l l y c o n c e r n e d by reasc 1
of p r o x i m i t y or economics, a n d a n x i o u s t o undermine bot1
U.S. and S o v i e t i n t e r e s t s wherever p o s s i b l e , t h e Chines4
have g i v e n b o t h v o c a l and material s u p p o r t t o t h e Pales.
t i n i a n f e d a y e e n . The C h i n e s e do n o t have d i p l o m a t i c
r e l a t i o n s w i t h I s r a e l and have r e f e r r e d t o I s r a e l as a n
" a r t i f i c i a l c r e a t i o n of U.S. imperialism:'!'. They a r e thur
not limited i n t h e i r a b i l i t y t o support t h e Palestinian
c a u s e and a r e f r e e t o a t t a c k t h e S o v i e t s b o t h f o r c a l -
l i n g Israel"!:an i n d e p e n d e n t n a t i o n a l s t a t e " and f or
s u p p o r t i n g t h e 1967 UN r e s o l u t i o n .

P a l e s t i n i a n s t r u g g l e p n e c i s e l y because i t is a " n a t i o n a l

-42-

-. . .... .-- ... ---- ...... .- ... . . . -. - - .- .. . ~

 I
I
TO& RET 1
1 I I 1I

o r g a n i z a t i o n r a t h e r than a class-based one.

bnce t h e P a l e s t i i a n v i c r o r y
I w u l ~ , a L L ~ J DD L L U ~ ~ L C W L ! Ie~n s u e w i t h i n F a t a h f o r ~ ~

t h e " f u r t h e r d e v e l o p m e n t " of t h e r e v o l u t i o n . I

As e a r l y a s M a r c h 1965 t h e C h i -
n e s e r e c e i v e d Ahmad S h u q a y r i , t h e n
h e a d of t h e P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n
O r g a n i z a t i o n (PLO); a n d Peking t h e r e -
a f t e r became t h e first non-Arab'
c a p i t a l t o a c c r e d i t a p e r m a n e n t PLO
representative. Ever s i n c e then, t h e
Soviets have denounced Shuqayri a s
" p r o - C h i n e s e . 'I P e k i n g a l s o b e g a n
d e a l i n g w i t h F a t a h a t a b o u t t h i s time,
a n d t h e r e a f t e r p r o v i d e d t r a i n i n g to
m e m b e r s of b o t h F a t a h a n d t h e PLO.
D u r i n g 1968 F a t a h r e p o r t e d l y a l s o b e -
gan r e c e i v i n g equipment. medical
s u p p l i e s , a n d some f i n a n c i a l a i d from
China. F a t a h may h a v e h a d t o p a y for
a t l e a s t some of w h a t i t r e c e i v e d ,
b e c a u s e i n F e b r u a r y 1970 A r a f a t Ahmad Shuqayri
s t a t e d t h a t F a t a h u s e d S a u d i Arabian First PLO Leader
m o n e y t o b u y a r m s from C h i n a .

I n t h e f i v e y e a r s s i n c e 1965. t h e C h i n e s e h a v e
f u r n i s h e d t r a i n i n g a s s i s t a n c e w i t h i n C h i n a t o a maximum of'
o n e or two h u n d r e d f e d a y e e n a n n u a l l y . a n d s i n c e 1968
Chinese i n s t r u c t o r s are r e p o r t e d to have t r a i n e d a d d i t i o n a l
guerrillas i n Syria. I n t h e s u m m e r a n d f a l l of 1 9 7 0 t h e r e
were s e v e r a l r e p o r t s t h a t a f e w C h i n e s e a d v i s o r s were
a c t u a l l y s e r v i n g w i t h f e d a y e e n u n i t s , a n d t h a t some were
e v e n c a p t u r e d i n t h e S e p t e m b e r Jordan c i v i l war.*

* W h i l e f u r t h e r c o n f i r m a t i o n of t h e s e r e p o r t s is n e e d
t h e i r c r e d i b i l i t y is s o m e w h a t e n h a n c e d b y t h e f a c t t h a t
C h i n e s e a d v i s o r s a t t h i s time were k n o w n t o be p a r t i c i p
i n g i n t h e D h u f a r r e b e l l i o n i n t h e S u l t a n a t e of Muscat
Oman. The C h i n e s e Communists have t h u s p r o v e n t h e m s e l v
w i l l i n g t o c o m m i t a s m a l l number of t h e i r n a t i o n a l s t o
a c t i v e r o l e i n an Arab "'national l i b e r a t i o n struggle."

I
' -43-
i

. - ,.... - .-- ......- .___

..
. -_- -
 I
F a t a h ' s Arafat h a s n o t been h e s i t a n t a b o u t p l a y
i n g t h e S o v i e t s a n d C h i n e s e off a g a i n s t e a c h o t h e r .
F o l l o w i n g h i s r e t u r n from Moscow i n F e b r u a r y 1 9 7 0 , h e
a c c e p t e d a n i n v i t a t i o n t o v i s i t C h i n a , W h i l e i t is no
known e x a c t 1 w h a t p r o m i s e s h e r e c e i v e d , A r a f a t h i m s e l
h a s e n s t a t e d t h a t t h e C h i n e s e p r o m i s e d him arm 9
and 1 une 70 a s h i p m e n t of r i f l e s a n d s p a r e p a r t s
r e p o r t e d l y d i d a r r i v e i n L a t a k i a f o r F a t a h from C h i n a .
A f t e r h i s v i s i t A r a f a t was e f f u s i v e i n h i s p r a i s e of t e
C h i n e s e -- i n m a r k e d c o n t r a s t t o h i s l u k e w a r m s t a t e -
ments concerning t h e Soviets.

During t h i s v i s i t , t h e C h i n e s e are s a i d t o have

pressed k r a f a t f o r f u r t h e r u n i f i c a t i o n of t h e f e d a y e e n
movement a n d t o h a v e u r g e d t h a t t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s b e g i n
t o c o n d u c t more o p e r a t i o n s i n s i d e I s r a e l p r o p e r a n d t o
o p e r a t e f r o m bases w i t h i n t h e o c c u p i e d t e r r i t o r y , i n
a c c o r d a n c e w i t h Mao's s t r a t e g y , They a l s o r e p o r t e d l y
e x p r e s s e d o p p o s i t i o n t o t e rro ri s t bombings and p l a n e
h i j a c k i n g s , c a l l i n g these "amateur" . t a c t i c s . None of
t h e s e p o i n t s , h o w e v e r , seems t o h a v e b e e n made a p r e -
c o n d i t i o n t o s u p p o r t for F a t a h .

F o l l o w i n g N a s i r s s a c c e p t a n c e of t h e U.S. oease-
f i r e p r o p o s a l i n J u l y 1 9 7 0 , t h e PLO s e n t a d e l e g a t i o n
t o Peking to d i s c u s s the s i t u a t i o n . This delegation
r e c e i v e d w h o l e - h e a r t e d s u p p o r t from t h e C h i n e s e f o r
t h e i r 4 r e j e c t i o n of t h e p r o p o s a l , w h i c h was n o t s u r p r i s ng
s i n c e P e k i n g had a l r e a d y r e p o r t e d l y u r g e d A r a f a t t o
a t t e m p t t o p e r s u a d e Nasir n o t t o a c c e p t a p e a c e f u l
settlement. h a s p l a u s i b l y reported t h a t a t
t h i s time t h f e r e d f u r t h e r f i n a n c i a l and
m i l i t a r y a i d t o t h e PLO, a p p a r e n t l y a d d i t i o n a l t o w h a t
had b e e n p r o m i s e d t o A r a f a t .

L a t o have a l s o l e d t o a d e c i s i o n in e
T h e C h i n e s e d e s i r e t o u n d e r m i n e a n c h a n c e of
s t a b i l i t y i n t h e M i d d l e E a s t is r e p o r t e d

some m i n i m a l a s s i s t a n c e t o t h e r a d i c a l P o p u l a r
F r o n t f o r t h e L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , d e s p i t e good
e v i d e n c e of C h i n e s e d i s p l e a s u r e w i t h t h e PFLP's t a c t i c
I n September, t h e C h i n e s e are s a i d t o h a v e t o l d t h e
PFLP's l e a d e r , Habbash, t h a t t h e y d i s a p p r o v e d of t h e

-44-

.. . - .. . .__,_- - - . ., -. . .
 \ - I I

s i b l y a s s i s t i t s c u r r e n t p u r p o s e s i n t h e Middle E a s
I n September 1970, K'ang Sheng, a member o f t h e S t a d i n g
.
Committee of t h e C h i n e s e P a r t y ' s P o l i t b u r o , summed p
t h e p r e s e n t C h i n e s e goal by s t a t i n g t h a t t h e C h i n e s e a r e
a i d i n g t h e f e d a y e e n i n order t o k e e p t e n s i o n h i g h i n t h e
a r e a and t o p r e v e n t a U.S.-Soviet agreement there.
D e s p i t e these v a r i o u s C h i n e s e t i e s w i t h ?sdayeen
g r o u p s , c e r t a i n key l i m i t a t i o n s exist. C h i n a ' s s u p 3 o r t
i n f a c t h a s been much more moral t h a n m a t e r i a l , con-
s i s t i n g f o r t h e most p a r t of o n l y some t r a i n i n g and some
l i g h t arms. The C h i n e s e d o g e t a l o t of p o l i t i c a l and
p r e s t i g e r e t u r n f o r t h e i r modest i n p u t , b u t C h i n e s e
power is d i s t a n t , Soviet power i s n o t . T h i s t h e v a r i o u s

t i n u a l l y e x p r e s s t h e i r t h a n k s for t h e s t r o n g s y m p a t i e t i c
s u p p o r t f u r n i s h e d by C h i n a , t h e y have been c a r e f u l t o
k e e p t h e i r o p t i o n s and c h a n n e l s of communication open t o
MOSCOW, know8bg ' t h a t t h e f u t u r e of t h e a r e a w i l l be f a r
more i n f l u e n c e d by S o v i e t m i l i t a r y and p o l i t i c a l moves
t h a n by C h i n e s e . *

*This b e l i e f h a s i n f a c t a t
t a n t f e d a y e e n l e a d e r s from p u b l i c d e a l i n g s w i t h t h e
I n e a r l y 1968, PLO B e i r u t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e S h a f i q A l -
r e p o r t e d l y rejected a n i n v i t a t i o n t o v i s i t C h i n a , a
t h e n f e a r e d t h i s m i g h t harm a n y c h a n o e of
a i d . More r e m a r k a b l y , Naif Hawatmah,
o s t e n s i b l y pro-Maoist P o p u l a r
L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e , a l s o r e j e c t e d
i n e a r l y 1970 f o r t h e same r e a s o n .
 ABBREVIATIONS I
c
Partisan Forces
.
,
AL ANSAR .'
ALF Arab L i b e r a t i o n F r o n t

ANM . Arab N a t i o n a l i s t Movement . 1 .

I '

AOLP A cLt ii vb ee r O
a trigoann iof
z a t Pi oanl efsot irn et h e i
CPI Communist P a r t y of I r a q .

CPJ Communist P a r t y of J o r d a n

CPS Communist P a r t y of S y r i a

LCP Communist P a r t y of Lebanon

PASC P a l e s t i n e Armed S t r u g g l e Command

PDFLP P o p u l a r Democratic F r o n t for t h e

L i b e r a t i o n of P a l e s t i n e .

PFLP Popular Front for t h e Liberation

of P a l e s t i n e

PLA P a l e s t i n e L i b e r a t i o n Army

PLF Palestine Liberation Forces

PLO Palestine Liberation Organization

PNC P a l e s t i n e National Council

-PSF Popular Struggle Front

I

Saiqa Vanguard O r g a n i z a t i o n f o r t h e Popu a r ,

L i b e r a t Ion War
I

UFC U n i f i e d Fedayeen Command

-46-
\
To ecret