Arafat Fires His S. Lebanon Chief
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SIDON, Lebanon — Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat sacked his top military commander in southern Lebanon on Thursday for defying the PLO’s peace accord with Israel.
Lt. Col. Munir Makdah, who headed Arafat’s 3,000-member mainstream Fatah group in the area, told reporters that he received his dismissal order from Arafat’s headquarters in Tunis by fax.
Arafat appointed Lt. Col. Badih Krayyem to replace Makdah, who had held the post since June, 1992, when his predecessor, Col. Anwar Madi, was murdered by guerrillas of the terrorist mastermind Abu Nidal.
Makdah said he rejected the dismissal order and was asking the militia’s senior officers and other factions in southern Lebanon to rally behind him.
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