Birth: NULL/NULL/1929 Death:NULL/NULL/NULL
Born in Tantura, near Haifa, in 1929; received secondary education from the Arab College in Jerusalem, graduating in 1947; joined the Palestinian resistance against British mandatory and Zionist forces in Haifa from 1947-48; served with the Arab Palestine Rescue Army during 1948-49; enlisted with the Syrian Army from 1949-58; received a Diploma in Military Science from the Syrian Army in Damascus in 1949 and a BSc in Military Science from the Syrian Military College, Hums, in 1952; worked as Deputy Dir.-Gen. in the General Directorate of Palestinian Refugees in Syria from 1961-64; continued his studies and received a degree in Geography, Business Administration and Statistics from Damascus University (1963-67) and an MSc in Military Science from Damascus College for Command (1965); joined the PLA in 1964; was Commander of the Hitteen Forces (PLA Brigades) from 1967-68; served as military advisor to the PLO Executive Committee in 1968; became Commander in Chief of the PLA in 1968 (until 1971); also worked as Military Advisor for the Palestinian Planning Center in 1968-69; elected PNC member and member of the PLO Central Council since 1968; became Chief of Staff of the Palestine Armed Struggle Command in 1969 and Deputy Commander General of the Palestine Revolution Forces in 1970; worked as Dir.-Gen. in the PLO Political Dept. from 1972-84; also served as PLO Exec. Committee Representative to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 1979-91; was independent member of the PLO Executive Committee from 1984-91; Supervisor General of the PLO Planning and Research Centers from 1991-93; Chairman of the Higher Security Committee since 1994; participated in the Oslo peace talks between the PLO and Israel, the Wye River and Hebron Protocols, and headed the delegation of the Operation of the Gaza Sea Port and the Operation of the Safe Passage between the West Bank and Gaza Strip; was named Chairman of the Committee of Security and Borders in the Framework of the Permanent Status Talks with Israel in 1999; appointed head coordinator of the Palestinian security forces on 3 June 2002 by Pres. Yasser Arafat as part of reform measures within the PA, and PA Interior Min. on 9 June 2002 (until Oct. 2002); led the Palestinian team that negotiated the “Gaza-Bethlehem first” deal in Tel Aviv in Aug. 2002, under which Israeli forces were to withdraw from Bethlehem and parts of Gaza and the PA to prevent attacks on Israelis.
