Al-Ahram Weekly Online   27 January - 2 February 2005 Issue No.
727 Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875  Samir
Ghattas  Armed struggle: a context  Discerning the successes and
failures of the Palestinian armed struggle requires a
dispassionate analysis of background, writes Samir Ghattas*
During New Year celebrations 40 years ago Israel, along with
many Arab countries, was stunned by the first statement issued
by Fatah. The Palestinian paramilitary organisation had just
declared responsibility for its first freedom fighting operation
and its determination to continue the armed struggle whatever
the obstacles.  The fedaayin had blown up an Israeli
installation intended to divert the Jordan River into Israel. It
was a modest and relatively harmless operation by today's
standards and it caused no loss of life. But it triggered angry
and nervous reactions. Israel accused the Arabs of complicity
and threatened retaliation. Ahmed Al-Shaqiri, then head of the
PLO, which had been founded only a year e