Bitter guerrilla rivals unite to avert clash

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 8

Bitter guerrilla rivals unite to avert clash

j NZPA Beiruti Palestinians who normally I are bitter rivals worked to-) gether yesterday to prevent, violent reprisals to a spec-1 tacular bomb blast that killed scores of guerrillas! and civilians — possibly as I many as 100 people. A huge explosion that made the sky glow red and tossed huge chunks of concrete like pebbles early on Sunday toppled a nine-storey) apartment building that held' offices of both moderate and radical guerrilla groups — Yasser Arafat’s mainstream Fatah faction and the pro-1 Iraqi Palestine Liberation Front.

Police sources and a Fatah official said the explosion was caused by a large bomb that ignited ammunition! stores and a basement paint: thinner factory. An adjacent! building partly collapsed and two others nearby were: badly damaged. The radical P.L.F. trying to play down rivalries with other guerrillas, publicly blamed Israel for the explosion. But in private, P.L.F. officials blamed a rival, pro-Syrian guerrilla leader, Ahmed Jibril, who is known as an explosives expert. The P.L.F. leader, Abul Abbas, issued a statement exonerating any Palestinian group from blame in the attack and said it appeared that Israel or its supporters was the culprit. “Good for him,” was the relieved reaction of one Fatah official, clearly concerned that the P.L.F would blame moderate Palestinians and spark another bloody cycle of Palestinian feuding. Abul Abbas said that 30 people, including women and children, were known dead

but the eventual toll would be much higher. Some police and Palestinian sources feared it could top 100. There were 98 injured. Initial reports had mentioned only the P.L.F. offices and speculated the explosion — the worst such incident involving Palestinians since the birth of Israel 30 years ago — was the latest attack in a violent feud pitting Mr Arafat and Fatah against both Iraq and pro-Baghdad guerrillas. The two groups joined in attempts to restore calm after the blast. Mr Arafat and radical factions cancelled competing rallies in the coastal town ot Damour, south of Beirut, in what guerrilla sources saw as a move to avoid possible violence. Fatah and the P.L.F. had battled several times in recent weeks after Mr Arafat’s charge that Iraq was behind the assassination of officials of his Palestine Liberation: Organisation. Mr Arafat and the rest of the P.L.O. executive com-, mitee met on Sunday with' the P.L.F. and other guerrilla factions and agreed on se-i curity measures to prevent; more bombings.