| Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has endorsed a plan to overhaul the Fatah movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials in Ramallah disclosed Thursday. They said the changes are aimed at reorganizing Fatah and replacing many of its veteran operatives. The move is seen by some officials as an attempt by Arafat to tighten his grip on Fatah and flush out activists who appear to have shifted their loyalty to PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and his Minister of State for Security, Muhammed Dahlan. According to one official, Arafat has allocated $1.5 million for the plan. He said former Minister of Interior Hani al-Hassan, who is a senior Fatah leader, has been entrusted with the mission of overseeing the changes. Earlier this week, Arafat named Hassan as "general commissioner" of Fatah in the West Bank and asked him to cancel a number of bodies belonging to the movement, especially the Higher Committee Movement, which consists of representatives representing the young generation in Fatah. Some of these activists are among the harshest critics of Arafat and the PA leadership. |