Arrest a blow to Palestinian secular camp

THE MIDDLE EAST: The arrest yesterday by Israeli forces of the secretary general of the Fateh movement, Mr Marwan Barghouti, was a major blow to the Palestinian secular nationalist camp.

Mr. Barghouti (43), a confidant of the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, was detained in the Ramallah district. He had been in hiding since Israel launched its West Bank offensive on March 29th.

Mr Barghouti, a leading figure in the grassroots Tanzim organisation, was named by Israel as the chief of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, which has been deeply involved in attacks against Israeli settlers and soldiers and, of late, has sponsored suicide bombers targeting Israeli civilians. He has repeatedly denied the connection with the Brigades, although he has hailed its operations.

A former political prisoner and deportee who speaks fluent Hebrew, Mr Barghouti rose to prominence during the first Palestinian uprising, from 1987-93, as a local organiser for Mr Arafat's mainstream Fateh organisation. Once the Oslo process was launched he leant his considerable political weight to peacemaking.

But discouraged and disillusioned with the unproductive negotiations he returned to militancy in September 2000 when the second rising erupted. He began by leading mass protests but later became involved in the committees organising the Intifada.

He is seen as the only man capable of co-ordinating Fateh's campaign against the Israeli occupation with the Islamist movements, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.