Said al-Muragha

Said al-Muragha
Native name سعيد مُراغة
Nickname(s) Abu Musa
Born 1927
Silwan, Mandatory Palestine
Died 29 January 2013
Damascus, Syria
Buried at Damascus, Syria
Allegiance Jordan (1948-1970)
PLO (1970-1983)
Fatah al-Intifada (1983-2013)
Service/branch Jordanian Army
Rank Colonel
Battles/wars

Lebanon Civil War

Other work Secretary-General of Fatah al-Intifada

Col. Sa'eed Musa al-Muragha (Arabic: سعيد مُراغة or سعيد موسى) (born 1927 in Silwan[1] – 29 January 2013)[2] was a Palestinian militant better known as Abu Musa.

Early years

A Palestinian, Abu Musa joined the Jordanian Army in 1948 and rose to become commander of an artillery battalion in 1969.[1] During this period he was sent to receive a military education at the prestigious British Sandhurst Military Academy.[3] In October 1970, after the Black September fighting, Musa left the Jordanian army to join the PLO and relocated with most of the Palestinian Resistance to Lebanon.[1] Here Musa rose to command an alliance between the PLO and Lebanese militias, which fought the Syrians when Syria intervened in the Lebanese Civil War in 1976.[4] In 1978 the Syrian government unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate him.[1]

Split with Arafat

Musa became deputy chief of operations for the PLO[4] and led the PLO's defense of Beirut in 1982 from the Israelis.[1] However Musa fell out with Yassir Arafat, head of Fatah and PLO, in May 1983.[1] Musa publicly complained over corrupt practices within the PLO, especially the promotion of political appointees loyal to Arafat to important military posts.[1] He was also known for hardline views on Israel, and outspoken in his opposition to what he saw as Arafat's attempt to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict (see Rejectionist Front).[3]

In November 1983 Musa was expelled from the PLO's military[1] and he formed Fatah Uprising (or Fatah al-Intifada in Arabic) in opposition to Arafat.[1] With the backing of Syria, who opposed any negotiations with Israel, Musa led his followers to drive Arafat's PLO from northern Lebanon.[4]

In 1984 Musa led Fatah Uprising to join the Palestinian National Alliance in Damascus in opposition to the PLO but failed to get a majority of Palestinian support.[4] He would join the Palestinian National Salvation Front in 1985 and oppose the Oslo Accords in 1993.[1] Abu Musa retreated from his leadership role in the 1990s and would no longer be active from then on.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Musa Muragha, Saeid (Abu Musa)". Dictionary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. 2005-01-01. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  2. Pro-Syria Palestinian commander dies
  3. 1 2 Rubin, Barry M. (1994). Revolution until victory?: the politics and history of the PLO. Harvard University Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-674-76803-5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Abu Musa". Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
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