Issued Jan 14, 2003
Our Palestinian and Arab Masses,
A year has passed on my arrest along with my comrades, and militant brother Fou`ad Shobaki. Without the need to expand on the ways, reasons, and the repercussions that resulted from the siege (siege of the Ramallah Compound), or the Palestinian and Arab efforts to end my imprisonment, this confinement that harms the Palestinian internal relationships in a time where six militants are in prison due to resisting the occupation!!
Also the blatant violation of the Palestinian law resulted in having the three of us confined illegally, after the Palestinian higher justice court had ruled in two separate decisions to release brother Fouad Showbaki and my self, along with the ending of the court sentence against comrade Ah`ed Abu Ghoulma (a member of the General Central Committee of the PFLP).
All of these issues became known to the public. However, I want to clarify for our people, through this communiquà©, the conditions of our arrest as a result of what is known as “Jericho Deal”. As well as the real reasons that enable the PA to heal this wound, especially when the American initiative (the Road Map) indicates in its essence the commitment of the PA towards reforms and fighting terrorism! The Road Map states that international monitoring would be an assurance to how the PA would implement these commitments. This is where our situation becomes a clear example for the future of the Palestinian situation, should the wheels of this initiative started turning as a reference to the negotiations!
First, we need to emphasize that the (Muqata`a Deal) did not save us (as prisoners wanted by the occupation forces) from the direct danger we lived under since the time of the siege. Choosing Jericho as a place for us with the presence of the Anglo-American monitors and Israel as a participant partner, monitors providing periodical reports to Israel on our movement outside of the prison walls, even when we need medical treatments, put us under the direct monitoring and did not provide any protection for us.
Second: The monitors, as the guaranteeing party, decides on all the procedures that needs to be implemented: searching visitors, registering their names, searching our cells, the direct monitoring, disrupting phone communication and maybe tapping the machines they control directly. It seems that they had the approval from the highest Palestinian authorities, exactly as Israel demanded. We are not excluding any Palestinian figures regardless of their place or rank.
Third: facing these facts, the claim by the PA that they are protecting us from Israel on one hand, and the claim of not being able to do so on the other hand, is a contradictory and illogical. It is an attempt from the PA to escape from its direct responsibilities, which harms the (PA) character. Today in Jericho and tomorrow in all of the homeland and in its institutions, especially when we speak of monitoring over security issues, finances, democratic process and all aspects of life. The struggle for independence and the rejection of these mandates will start to liberate us from such deal as a beginning to reject any commitment which turn fighters and people into prisoners to the American and Israeli good well !! The protection of the fighters starts with the protection of their right to resist with the masses and not confine their abilities. Otherwise, it would be true that Israel´s arrests of our heroes becomes a form of protection, and therefore the struggle to liberate the fighters becomes a jeopardy?!
Our Masses,
We did not abandon any opportunity for dialogue, wither through out Party, or through the national forces, and we were met with delays and escapement. Our demands were met with more complicated process that worsened our conditions. For this reason, we decided to appeal to you, the masses and its popular institutions to stand with us and support our struggle, to put an end to this mockery and the ending of our illegal detention, through the cancellation of Jericho Deal.
Today, we are warning our masses from the coming danger of the so called “Road Map”. We are declaring a strike for three days demanding an unconditional implementation of the Palestinian Higher Justice Court ruling, as well as the national laws which prohibits the political arrests on the bases of conscious or resisting the occupation.
Glory to the martyrs…… Freedom to all Prisoners
Victory for Our People
General Secretary of the PFLP
Ahmad Sa´adat
January 14, 2003
Jericho Prison.
Source: Marxist-Leninist Newswire
