Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Saeed Musa Muragha ( ar, سعيد مُراغة or سعيد موسى ) (1927 – 29 January 2013)Pro-Syria Palestinian commander dies
/ref> was a former captain in the Jordanian army until he defected and joined the PLO in 1970. He is well known among Palestinians as Abu Musa.

Early years

Abu Musa was born in

Silwan Silwan or Siloam ( ar, سلوان, translit=Silwan; gr, Σιλωὰμ, translit=Siloam; he, כְּפַר הַשִּׁילוֹחַ, translit=''Kfar ha-Shiloaḥ'') is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, on the outskir ...

. As a

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

, Abu Musa joined the

Jordanian Army The Royal Jordanian Army (Arabic: القوّات البرية الاردنيّة; ) is the Army, ground force branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF). It draws its origins from units such as the Arab Legion, formed in the Emirate of Transjord ...

in 1948 and rose to become commander of an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

battalion in 1969. During this period he was sent to receive a military education at the prestigious

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Sandhurst Military Academy The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town o ...

. In October 1970, after the Black September fighting, Abu Musa left the Jordanian army to join the PLO and relocated with most of the Palestinian Resistance to

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. Here Abu Musa rose to command an alliance between the PLO and Lebanese militias, which fought the

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

ns when Syria intervened in the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...

in 1976. In 1978 the Syrian government unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate him.

Split with Arafat

Abu Musa became deputy chief of operations for the PLO and led the PLO's defense of Beirut in 1982 from the

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

is. However Abu Musa fell out with

Yassir Arafat Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (4 / 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat ( , ; ar, محمد ياسر عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني, Mu ...

, head of Fatah and PLO, in May 1983. Abu Musa publicly complained over corrupt practices within the PLO, especially the promotion of political appointees loyal to Arafat to important military posts. He was also known for hardline views on

, and outspoken in his opposition to what he saw as Arafat's attempt to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict (see

Rejectionist Front The Rejectionist Front (Arabic: جبهة الرفض) or Front of the Palestinian Forces Rejecting Solutions of Surrender (جبهة القوى الفلسطينية الرافضة للحلول الإستسلامية) was a political coalition formed ...

). In November 1983 Abu Musa was expelled from the PLO's military and he formed Fatah Uprising (or

Fatah al-Intifada Fatah al-Intifada ( ar, فتح الانتفاضة ''Fatah Uprising'') is a Palestinian militant faction founded by Col. Said al-Muragha, better known as Abu Musa. The group is often referred to as the Abu Musa Faction. Officially it refers to ...

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

) in opposition to Arafat. With the backing of Syria, who opposed any negotiations with Israel, Abu Musa led his followers to drive Arafat's PLO from northern Lebanon. In 1984 Abu Musa led Fatah Uprising to join the

Palestinian National Alliance The Palestinian National Alliance ( ar, التحالف الوطني الفلسطيني) was an alliance of Palestinian movements, founded in 1983. The Alliance consisted of the PFLP-GC, as-Saiqa, Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, Fatah al-Intif ...

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

in opposition to the PLO but failed to get a majority of Palestinian support. He would join the

Palestinian National Salvation Front The Palestinian National Salvation Front ( ar, جبهة الانقاذ الوطني الفلسطيني) (PNSF) was a coalition of Palestinian factions. The creation of the Palestinian National Salvation Front was announced on March 25, 1985, by Kh ...

in 1985 and oppose the

Oslo Accords The Oslo Accords are a pair of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993;

in 1993. Abu Musa retreated from his leadership role in the 1990s and would no longer be active from then on.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muragha, Said 1927 births 2013 deaths Palestinian militants Palestinian rebels People of the Lebanese Civil War