An Arab American citizen arrested here last January has been named in an indictment as the world commander of the military arm of the Islamic fundamentalist Hamas movement.
Mohammed Salah had been detained briefly by Israeli authorities in January on charges of distributing money to Hamas activists in the territories.
According to the charges, the money was to go to the purchase of weapons and the strength ening of the terrorist organization in the wake of the deportation to southern Lebanon last December of 415 of its leaders.
But, according to reports here, a recently revised indictment submitted to the military court in Ramallah now names Salah as Hamas’ military commander.
Salah allegedly organized training sessions in the United States for young Hamas activists. The sessions included classes on Israeli intelligence, the fundamentals of Islam and the art of making explosives.
Salah, who goes by the name of Abu Ahmed, is charged with establishing the military infrastructure of Hamas during his first visit here in 1987.
The indictment also claims that Salah was responsible for helping plan an assassination plot against Sari Nusseibeh, a Palestinian philosopher and key supporter of the peace process.
The plot was never carried out.
The new charges in the indictment against Salah came as a result of interviews with Hamas activists who were recently arrested.
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