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Following are excerpts from an interview with Munir Al-Maqdah, head of the "Armed Struggle" Fatah militia in Lebanon, which aired on Al-Quds TV (Lebanon) on August 17, 2009.
Munir Al-Maqdah: The Fatah convention ratified the unwavering Palestinian principles, upon which all the Palestinian forces agreed during the Al-Aqsa Intifada. The convention did not deviate from these principles, and President [Abbas] talked about them yesterday at his press conference. He made these principles perfectly clear. He talked about an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, and stressed Resolution 194, pertaining to the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their lands and to their homes.
During the convention, he talked about the resistance as well. We heard the word "resistance," and we interpreted it as armed struggle and armed resistance, although others might interpret it as political resistance and so on. I would like to say that the resistance is in trusted hands. The Fatah resistance will continue to be the spearhead of the struggle, and Fatah will remain in a constant state of revolution, serving as the flame of the armed struggle, until Palestine is liberated and the refugees return to their lands and their homes.
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The political platform and constitution of Fatah do not recognize the so-called State of Israel, let alone the Jewishness of this state. We do not recognize that artificial entity, the state of Israel, which sooner or later will be removed from the land of Palestine, Allah willing.
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Set the time frame for us, and we guarantee that just like the settlements in the Gaza Strip were wiped out, the settlements in the West Bank will be wiped out through resistance.
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Interviewer: You have ties with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, even within Palestine.
Munir Al-Maqdah: Definitely. During the Al-Aqsa Intifada, it was me who provided the Brigades with money and weapons. I was among the founders of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Palestine.
Interviewer: Do you still have ties with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades?
Munir Al-Maqdah: I have good relations with all the cadres of Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Brigades in Palestine, and I am in constant contact with them.
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I have no relations whatsoever with Hizbullah. I respect Hizbullah and its resistance, but I have no political or organizational relations with them.
Interviewer: Perhaps these days, the relations with Hizubllah are maintained by General Sultan Abu Al-Einein? There were almost weekly meetings that were made public by the media.
Munir Al-Maqdah: He has positive relations with Hizbullah, and they hold constant meetings. I haven't had any meetings with Hizbullah for a long time now, but I respect this resistance, and I always say that whenever there is aggression against Lebanon, our weapons will be at the service of the resistance and of the Lebanese army in defense of Lebanon. As Palestinians, we must be on the frontline whenever there is aggression against sister Lebanon.
Interviewer: That is why you have your weapon right next to you. You have an RPG-7 there, but without the grenade. When will you load the grenade?
Munir Al-Maqdah: I consider this weapon to be the ornament of our houses. As long as a Palestinian refugee is not on his land and in his home... We should keep this weapon until the Palestinian people return to their lands and homes, and in the event of any aggression against Lebanon, we will be on the frontline, like we always have.
Interviewer: The commander of the Armed Struggle in Lebanon, the Fatah leader, General Munir Al-Maqdah, the No. 1 terrorist in Lebanon... You are proud of this title, which you were given by the Israeli government, and I am proud to have interviewed you. Thank you.
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