'Power map' of  Palestinian factions in Lebanon

Overview

Based on the variety and diversity of political influences within 23 different factions in Lebanon, a possible scenario for dialogue between Lebanese and Palestinian officials, could pass in four phases:

- Phase one: Disarm Palestinians outside the camps and subject every Palestinian who doesn’t reside there to laws that apply to any foreigner on Lebanese soil, whereby officials have the right to suppress any violation governing that relationship. Palestinian weapons might be restricted to within the camps’ perimeters or even moved to other countries, keeping in mind that out of 23 Palestinian factions in Lebanon, seven belong to the PLO under the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and control 70% of the camps, while other factions are pro-Syrian, four of which are outside the camps, especially in the western Biqaa and Naameh area.

- Phase two: organizing arms presence within the camps whereby heavy caliber weapons are removed and sent to the Palestinian territories or other countries, while some might be purchased by the Lebanese army. Light weapons would remain restricted within the camps to preserve the peace there.

- Phase three: Consists of creating committees to coordinate the factions’ activities within the camps, performing routine security checks in cooperation with Lebanese Security personnel, which might lead to introducing security officers within the Palestinian compounds.

- Phase four: Establishes confidence between Lebanese security and Palestinian factions inside the camps, and keeps a close watch on security issues there by giving a greater role for Lebanese officials in overseeing the camps’ security, while restricting the Palestinian committees to a role of “go-between” when needed.

Many Palestinians are voicing their concern and opposition to Lebanon’s government holding meetings with separate Palestinian factions’ representatives and are calling that meetings be held with a unified group from pro-PLO and Pro-Syrian sides. The concerns are that Lebanese officials are driving a wedge between the two groups in their attempt at isolating the issues of weapons to those who carry them outside the camps and those who carry arms within them.

Power Map

Palestinian forces in and outside Palestinian camps in Lebanon are divided into four separate groups:

1- Palestinian forces working in the framework of  the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

-  Fatah Movement and all its derivatives, including committees and unions. It is the most prominent Palestinian organization in Lebanon overseen by Sultan Abu AL Aynayn, with a heavy presence in Beirut camps and in the South, and affiliated branches in other camps. Abu Al Aynayn abides by the Palestinian authority, despite the fact that he often has independent views especially with regard to Palestinian weapons in Lebanon. There also exists a military division of Fatah under the supervision of Munir Maqdah who heads the militia in Lebanon and is the chief of the Popular Army and the Al-Aqsa Brigades. Despite being financially tied to Fatah, Maqdah has some independence and holds relations with other Palestinian factions who tend to refuse surrendering Palestinian weapons and support reinforcing the role of the PLO. He also close to Fatah's Secretary General Farouq Qaddoumi who rejects handing over Palestinian weapons and wants to activate the role of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and coordinates with the Coalition of Palestinian factions allied with Syria.

-  Palestinian Liberation Front (Abu Al Abbas wing) led by Nazem Youssef.

- Popular Struggle Front (Samir Ghawsha wing) led by Tamer Aziz in Rashidieh Camp (near the southern port city of Tyre).

- Arab Liberation Front (formerly affiliated with the Iraqi Baath Party) led by Secretary General Rakad Salem (held in Israeli prisons) and currently under the responsibility of Samir Sanounou in Lebanon.

- Arab Palestinian Front (an offshoot of the Arab Liberation Front) led by Abu Ayman in Rashidieh camp.

- The Fada Party (formerly led by Yasser Abed Rabbo) led by Saleh Raafat. It is a division of the Democratic Front for The Liberation of Palestine, with presence in Al Rashidieh and Ein Al Hilweh camps.

2- Coalition of Palestinian factions allied with Syria 

These factions exist outside the framework of the PLO with most of their leaders residing in Damascus, but still hold considerable influence within the Occupied Palestinian territories and in a number of camps in Syria and Lebanon and they are:

-  Hamas: The strongest of the factions because of its leadership role in Palestine. Its leadership in Lebanon is restricted to social, political and media related activities led by Osama Hamdan and political relations officer Ali Baraki, with representatives and activists in all Palestinian camps.

- Islamic Jihad: Playing an important role in Palestine on a military level and has some presence in Lebanon. It is led by Abu Imad Al Rifaii and by its political relations officer Ali Abu Shahine, with military, media and youth activities in a number of camps.

- PLO (Janah Talaat wing), a division of the main branch of the PLO, led by Abu Nidal Al Ashkar and Youssef Al Maqdah, as for Lebanon it is led by Mohammad Yassine who lives in Sidon.

- Fateh-Al Intifadah (a branch of Fateh born in the 1980’s and led by Abu Moussa with Syrian support). Led in Lebanon by Fadi Hamaad. The faction has presence in some camps and has military bases outside the camps in the Rashaya areas.

- AL Saiika (the lightening) a pro-Syrian Baath supporter led by Issam Al Qadi and in Lebanon by Abu Hasan Al Saiika (Ghazi Hasan), and has symbolic presence in some camps, but mostly widespread in Syria.

- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, led by Ahmad Jibril, with substantial military presence in Lebanon in two bases outside the camps, mainly in the Al-Naameh hills (where tunnels are dug) and East of Zahle on the Syrian-Lebanese border where tanks and gunmen exist in heavy numbers.

- The Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (Khaled Abdel Majeed wing): A division of the main faction led by Abu Khaled Al Shamal

- The Communist Revolutionary Palestinian Party led by Arabi Awwad living in Damascus, and has no significant presence in Lebanon.

3- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) - Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Coalition. These two factions are powerful in Lebanon and have substantial representation in the camps. Despite being official members of the PLO, they operate independently in Lebanon under Sultan Abu Al Aynayn. The PFLP is led by Marwan Abdel Aad and the DFLP is led by Ali Faysal, both of whom share the common philosophy that weapons should be restricted within the camps and the final solution is tied to the Palestinian‘s right of return. They are both demanding a formula that involves a solution to weaponry and dialogue with Lebanese officials.
 
4- Factions not belonging to any of the aforementioned groups
 
These groups tend to affiliate themselves with the following non-PLO factions:

- Fatah-Revolutionary Council (Abu Nidal wing), led by Ghanem Saleh in Lebanon. The faction role has retracted after the assassination in Iraq of its leader Abu Nidal in 2002. It played an important role in the assassination of a number of Fatah leaders.

- Osbat Al Ansar, an effective Islamic Palestinian group in Ein El Helweh camp, founded by Hisham Shreidi and then led by Abdel Karim AL Saadi (Abu Muhjin) who was accused of being behind some assassinations and bombings in Lebanon. The group is viewed as a Salafi faction and is currently led by Abu Mohjen's brother Tareq al Saadi. It has also been said that Abu Mohjen and number of his group have moved to Iraq.

- Ansar Allah, a small organization led by Jamal Suleiman, who split from Fatah and who lives between Syria and Lebanon.

- The Jihadist Islamic Movement, led by Sheikh Jamal Khattab and with a good presence in the Ein Al Helweh camp as well as others.

- Jund Al Sham, a division of Osbat Al Ansar led by Imad Yassine.

- The Islamic Liberation Party, a political party without any military role, with some presence in the camps.