Former security chief tells Fatah not to join Hamas

Former Gaza security chief Muhammad Dahlan said during a confidential meeting held recently in Gaza that he would "rough up and humiliate" Fatah members or supporters who might be tempted to join the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

Speaking during a "closed meeting" at the Gaza radio station al- Hurriya, Dahlan also said that "Fatah has been 'out of order' since 1972."

"Fatah has been broken, destroyed and thriving only on the blood of the martyrs and suffering of the prisoners as well as the personal and individual initiatives." The former chief of the Preventive Security Force in Gaza warned opponents within Fatah, saying "The march will go on and if our brothers sought to stop it, they will be roughed up." In the audio tape Dahlan was heard railing against Hamas, often using derogatory language.

"And I swear, whoever within Fatah says 'we should join the government', I will humiliate them." Finally, Dahlan is heard telling the owner of the station that he would be willing to help him and provide armed men to protect the station in exchange for the station adopting a sympathetic line.