Palestinians 'are learning' from Iraq

A leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization, said the suicide car bombing that killed nine US soldiers in Iraq on Monday bolstered his belief that the US would soon be defeated and retreat from "Muslim lands."

"It was a very happy day for us Palestinians to hear nine American dogs were killed in Iraq. We feel encouraged and we feel great solidarity with our brothers in Iraq, and we consider this heroic operation, which aims to humiliate the Americans, as proof that the will of our resistance is more powerful than any (big) American war airplanes," Abu Ahmed, the northern Gaza commander of the Brigades terror group, said in a WND interview Thursday.

Abu Ahmed said Palestinians were learning from the Iraq insurgency for their own war against Israel.

"The coming victory in Iraq proves the next step is to release Palestine if we speak in one voice," he said. "We the Palestinians are learning both on the political and military level from our brothers, the heroes in Iraq. They are a model for us. We can be inspired from them because the challenge the Americans are putting in the Green Zone is similar to the challenge the Zionists are putting on us. And in spite of Israeli pilotless drones, we are succeeding to shoot rockets and winning."

No outside help

Asked if his group or other Palestinian organizations received help from Iraqi insurgent elements, Abu Ahmed replied, "Thanks to Allah the Palestinian people have enough fighting capacity and don't need outside help, but it is our full right to get assistance from anyone for our fight against Israel. The Palestinian revolution throughout history witnessed participation of different nationalities, but for the moment we don't need help."

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has taken responsibility together with the Islamic Jihad terror group for every suicide bombing in Israel the past two years.

The US regularly provides weapons and funds to Fatah militias. Congress earlier this month approved a $59 million aid package to bolster Fatah forces. Many members of the Fatah militias, including dozens recently arrested by Israel, are openly members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Trained by America

Abbas last June appointed senior Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader Mahmoud Damra as commander of Force 17, Fatah's presidential guard units, which are trained by America. Damra, who was arrested by Israel in November, was on the Jewish state's most-wanted list of terrorists.

This past January, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the Al Aqsa Brigades members firing the missiles from Gaza are not affiliated with Fatah and don't take orders from Abbas. She said the militants are directed by the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

But in a WND interview following the spokeman's remarks, Abu Ahmed said his group, including the militants launching rockets, was loyal to Abbas and coordinated "resistance operations" with the Fatah party.

"The Al Aqsa Brigades is the military wing of the Fatah and the President Abu Mazen (Abbas) is the chairman of the movement," Abu Ahmed said. "We are committed to our leadership, to Abu Mazen. All our activity is in accordance with the political line of Fatah, which consists of fighting the occupation until the creation of a Palestinian state. The rocket-shooting is part of this vision."

Asked why Abbas distances himself from Al Aqsa's rocket firing, Abu Ahmed told WND, "Listen, we are aware of our president's (Abbas) declarations, but we are also aware of the international political system that brings the president to adopt this position."

Reprinted with permission of WorldNetDaily