AQSA BRIGADE WANTS PERKS

The Al Aqsa Brigades are not happy with a recent decision of the Hamas led government that messes with perks and promotions.

The following brief report is from the International Middle East Media Center.

Aqsa Brigades fighters briefly take over Cabinet building in Ramallah
Saed Bannoura-IMEMC & Agencies - Thursday, 13 April 2006, 15:11

Palestinian fighters of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh movement, briefly briefly took over the Cabinet building in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Thursday, protesting the the decision of the new Hamas-led government to reject their perks and promotions in the security forces.

A group of twenty gunmen of the Brigades broke into and controlled the three-story cabinet building for about an hour until members of the Palestinian security forces managed to convince them to evacuate the building.

Many of those gunmen also work in the Palestinian security devices.

Earlier on Thursday, the fighters of the Al Aqsa Brigades also shut down the transportation ministry and forced to employees to leave the building.

Kamal Saffaka. a spokesman of the brigades reported that the fighters are upset over the refusal of Hamas government to meet their demands.

Saffaka added that the previous Fateh-led government had awarded them hundreds of taxi licenses as perks; each licence is worth thousands of US Dollars.