|
Name |
Description |
Political Wing |
Size |
|
Israeli Defense Forces |
Israeli Government's Military which consists of Army, Navy, and Air Force units, as well as several covert and special forces teams focused on the Palestinian infrastructures in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. (Chart comparing Israelis vs Palestinian Preventive Security Force assets) |
Several political parties including the Israeli Labor Party led by Erk Barak and the the Likud, a more right leaning alliance of right-of-center groups, formerly led by Benjamin Netanyahu and now in power under the leadership of Airel Sharon a tough right wing anti-Palestinian former military commander. The third way is a pro-Palestinian group enjoying worldwide liberal support for their calls for appeasement and resolution of the Palestinian problems through mediation and grants of Palestinian rights and land. One key point to the Third Way's position is the retaining rights of Israel to Jerusalem |
Active: 173,000+ Reserves: 430,000 |
|
Palestinian Preventive Security Force |
Security Forces in the Palestinian Territories led by Mohammed Dahlan (Gaza Strip) and Jibril Rajoub (West Bank) - condoned by the 1993 Oslo accords to provide public security and enforcement instead of Israelis in the territories. Rajoub is a former Fatah leader and the United National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU) |
- |
Gaza: 18,000 West Bank: 12,000 |
|
Military wing of Hamas led by Mohammed Deff - Known for bombing attacks, typically a car parked outside of a popular Israeli meeting place. Various members have been jailed by Arafat's Fatah and the police force, only to be later released, making it clear the arrests were shams. Placed bombs on school buses, commute buses, car bombs, shot into crowds with automatic weapons. |
Hamas - Led by Sheik Ahmed Yassin - committed to interfering, dramatically with the Middle East peace process, opposses Oslo peace accords (1993). Hamas only recently (supposedly) has become a political and non-action oriented organization. The supposed change occurred as Arafat moved for legitimization of the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords in 1993. |
?10,000 |
|
| Kach and Kahane Chai | Led by xxx - founded by radical Israeli-American rabbi Meir Kahane, the organization is dedicated to support of Dr. Baruch Goldstein's terrorist attack in February 1994 on the al-Ibrahimi Mosque of which Goldstein was affiliated. The group claims to harass and threaten Palestinians in Hebron and the West Bank. Groups have threatened to attack Arabs, Palestinians, and Israeli Government officials. They also claimed responsibility for several shooting attacks on West Bank Palestinians in which four persons were killed and two were wounded in 1993 | - |
?50-100 |
|
Tanzim |
Led by Marwan Barghouti - originally a political organization is now the militia force used by Arafat to bring the intifada - uprising to the streets. Tanzim is directly linked to transfer of weapons and explosives to other groups and suicide bombers. Tanzim has been killing Israeli informants at an amazing rate starting in June of 2001. |
Al-Fatah - Arafat's "ruling" party over the Palestinians and organizer of the so called Palestinian infrastructure such as the police force. Since June of 2001, Arafat has shown less and less control of these sub-organizations. |
6,000 - 8,000 |
|
Hisballah (Party of God), a.k.a. Hezbollah, a.k.a. The Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine |
Radical Shia group formed in Lebanon which operates mostly in in the [Al Biqa'] (Bekaa valley), the southern suburbs of Beirut, and southern Lebanon. Publicly claimed responsibility for the car-bombing of Israel's Embassy in Buenos Aires in March 1992. Receives funding, weapons, explosives, and recruits from Iran |
- |
2000+ |
|
Led by Ayman al-Zawahiri - more than 30 years old, this is a well known anti-Semitic terrorist organization that has placed bombs on aircraft, planted bombs on school buses, taken hostages, planted bombs in various civilian buildings, rarely has attacked any military targets. Has attacked and killed Arabs, in and out of government who work with Israelis toward peace. U.S. officials believe the Islamic Jihad played important planning, funding, and execution of the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Some believe these were also used as training exercises for more important attacks to come in the future. The original group was responsible for the assassination of Egyptian President Sadat in 1981. |
- |
?2000 members |
|
|
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) |
Originated in the Gaza Strip in the 1970s and consists of loosely affiliated factions receiving funding and weapons from Iran and Syria on an irregular basis. Operates in Egypt as well as the Palestinian territories but is not part of the organizations welcomed by Arafat's Palestinian Authority. Known for suicide bombings in West Bank and Gaza Strip |
- |
? |
|
Led by Yassar Arafat, extremely violent anti-Semitic organization. Supposedly ceased violence in September of 1993 as part of Arafat's credidation as the leader of the Palestinian Movement and legitimization of the Palestinian Authority. The Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) split off from the PLO in protest. |
- |
? |
|
|
Formed by George Habash in 1967 and was the place where dissident PLO members moved when Arafat signed the Oslo accords - declaring their violent opposition to the accord's Declaration of Principles. Wadi Haddad, the principle terrorist planner was killed in 1978, ending a decade of extremely heinous attacks. Since then the group has been responsible for various car bombs and planted bombs in buildings against Israeil or moderate Arab targets. |
- |
800 |
|
|
Led by Dr. Samir Ghosheh, this group is particilarly violent against moderate Arabs espeically in the more affluent sector. Once was closely tied to the Palestinian National Salvation Front, a Syrian led Palestinian terrorist group. |
- |
<300 |
|
|
Headed by Nayif Hawatmah, this former PLO membership group split with the PLO in 1993 and continued violence. In 1974 this group responsible for the massacre in Malalot in which 27 Israelies were killed and 100 wounded. Headquarted in either Syria or Lebanon, with training camps in Syria. Thought to receive aid from Syria and Libya |
- |
? 250 |
|
|
Fatah Revolutionary Council (FRC)a.k.a Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) |
Led (through 1997) by Abu Nidal and Sabri al-Banna. This terrorist group split from the PLO in 1974 accounting for 90 attacks in 20 countries and kill over 900 people. |
- |
200+ |
|
Led by Abu Abbas (pro PLO faction). Abbas led group attacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro and killed disabled U.S. passenger Leon Klinghoffer. Widely publicized by Col. Oliver North during U.S. Senate Hearings. The PLF has since left the PLO structure and openly supported Iraq during the Gulf War and is now has its headquarters there. Openly receives funding from the PLO, Libya and Iraq. |
- |
50+ |
|
|
Led by Fasel Sharakh. Also known as Force 17, this is Yassar Arafat's personal security force that from time to time is suspected of taking out targets pointed out by Arafat or his inner circle. |
- |
? (50-200) |
|
|
Military Intelligence |
Led by Moussa Arafat, additional Security Force reporting to Fatah leadership |
- |
? |
Source: MSNBC summary online on August 11, 2001, and the MILNET Terrorist Group Profiles.