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Former Fatah official Samir Mashharawi - a leading supporter of PA President Mahmoud Abbas' rival Muhammad Dahlan - recently said, with regard to Abbas: "I'm not saying that you are directly behind the assassination of Yasser Arafat, but since you are spreading accusations, we can draw some conclusions." Mashharawi, an ally of former PA security chief Dahlan, said that Abbas was "leading Fatah to destruction" and labelled his conduct "inappropriate." His statements, made on the Egyptian Alghad TV channel on November 15, were in response to Abbas' revival of suspicions regarding the identity of Arafat's killer, with statements made during a ceremony in Ramallah marking the 12th anniversary of his death.
Following are excerpts
Samir Mashharawi: Unfortunately, there is only one man in charge - President [Mahmoud Abbas]. There is nobody else.
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Brother Mahmoud Abbas is leading Fatah to destruction, not unity. He has no moral values when it comes to rivalry.
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In the past, brother Muhammad Dahlan was Mahmoud Abbas' friend and ally, and today, [Abbas] wants to label him as someone who sold out Palestine. If the leaders and members of Fatah don't wake up, and if they continue to chase their personal whims and rivalries, I tell you, them, and our viewers that we are heading to disaster.
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I was hoping that President Abbas would not stoop to such a level, and would not use the blood of Yasser Arafat in internal and political rivalries. To put it simply, such conduct is inappropriate.
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Brother Mahmoud Abbas, you did not witness [Arafat's assassination]. You said: 'My testimony is not enough.' First of all, you are not a judge. There are judges, a judiciary system, and an investigative committee. What business is it of yours? Secondly, you are not a witness. You stand accused. As long as you insist on revisiting the issue and picking at the wounds - you stand accused. I'm not saying that you are directly behind the assassination of Yasser Arafat, but since you are spreading accusations, we can draw some conclusions. First of all, you never loved Yasser Arafat. Everybody around you knows this, even if you dare not say it. Everybody knows this. That's one thing. Secondly, you only went to visit Arafat when he was sick and on his deathbed. There were people who went to your home to mediate. Some Fatah Central Committee members told me about this. They forced you to come and visit him when he was ill. Third, who stood to gain from Arafat's disappearance from the scene? Who did the Quartet impose as Prime Minister?
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