Syria opens up to Fatah, shuns Hamas
Many see the visit by a high-level PLO delegation to Syria as an attempt to thwart any reconciliation between Hamas and Syria.
The PLO and Fatah sent top representatives to Syria recently in what some observers say was a move to repair their ties with Damascus at the expense of Fatah's rival, Hamas. The high-level delegation arrived in Syria on Jan. 15 and participated in a Jan. 17 ceremony Fatah organized in Damascus to commemorate the party's 55th anniversary.
The delegation was headed by Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of both the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee. He was accompanied by a number of senior Palestinian officials including fellow Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Youssef, Fatah Central Committee member Samir al-Rifai, head of the PLO’s political department in Syria Anwar Abdul Hadi and Palestine’s ambassador to Syria, Mahmoud al-Khalidi.
During the trip, the delegation discussed with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad the situations in Palestine and Syria. Mikdad thanked the Palestinian leadership for its stance against US pressure on Syria.
Abdul Hadi briefed former Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Miro on the developments of the Palestinian cause. They both denounced the US peace plan. Abdul Hadi also discussed conditions at Palestinian camps in Syria with Syrian Minister of Social Affairs Rima Al-Qadri.
