Said al-Muragha

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Saeed Muragha
Fatah-al-intifada-abu-musa.jpg
Native name
سعيد مُراغة
Nickname(s)Abu Musa
Born1927
Silwan, Mandatory Palestine
Died29 January 2013
Damascus, Syria
Buried
Damascus, Syria
AllegianceJordan (1948-1970)
PLO (1970-1983)
Fatah al-Intifada (1983-2013)
Service/branchJordanian Army
RankColonel
Battles/warsLebanon Civil War
Other workSecretary-General of Fatah al-Intifada

Col. Saeed Musa Muragha (Arabic: سعيد مُراغة or سعيد موسى ) (1927[1] – 29 January 2013)[2] was a former captain in the Jordanian army until he defected and joined the PLO in 1970. He is well known among Palestinians as Abu Musa.

Early years[]

Abu Musa was born in Silwan. As 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, Abu Musa left the Jordanian army to join the PLO and relocated with most of the Palestinian Resistance to Lebanon.[1] Here Abu 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[]

Abu 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 Abu Musa fell out with Yassir Arafat, head of Fatah and PLO, in May 1983.[1] Abu 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 Abu 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, Abu Musa led his followers to drive Arafat's PLO from northern Lebanon.[4]

In 1984 Abu 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Musa Muragha, Saeid (Abu Musa)". Dictionary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. 2005-01-01. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  2. ^ Pro-Syria Palestinian commander dies
  3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d "Abu Musa". Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2010-07-31.[dead link]
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