"Low Dwarf" not low enough to dodge a bullet

You may recall if you’re ever flipped through the archives of vintage Ike that we’ve talked about a man named Moussa Arafat before. Moussa, alternately identified as Yassir Arafat’s cousin and nephew (I bet familial relationships would be easier to sort out if cousin-marrying wasn’t common practice in the Arab world), gained notoriety for being one of the most breathtakingly corrupt officials in a government not noted for fiscal responsibility - in fact, a government whose general financial policy was not “we’ll get taxpayer money and redistribute it as needed” so much as “I can’t believe the UN keeps pouring all this money into our Swiss bank accounts.”

Anyway, last July Yassir appointed cuz/nephew Moussa as commander of Palestinian security forces, then rescinded the appointment following the ensuing storm of controversy, and by controversy I mean heavy gunfire. The commander of the Palestinian Navy (they have a Navy?) went on record calling Moussa a “low dwarf,” which I imagine was a lot more stinging in Arabic. Moussa was appointed Gaza security chief as a consolation prize, but was recently fired by Abbas.

Oh yeah, and he got shot and killed today when his house was stormed by a huge mob of unknown assailants bearing RPGs who may or may not have also kidnapped his son. So whodunit? And why? Hamas? Rival members of Fatah? Islamic Jihad? Was it payback for his corruption? A tactic at destabilizing the PA in Gaza? Or did Moussa just annoy the neighbors by playing Umm Kulthum way too loud?

Well, nobody knows right now. Apparently huge mobs of masked, heavy weapon-bearing men are so common in Gaza that nobody even notices. And pictures are not allowed.

An Associated Press Television News cameraman saw Moussa Arafat’s body being taken from the house to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, but angry bodyguards prevented him from taking pictures.

To which our departed friend the Low Dwarf would probably say: “Good job on keeping the photographers away, boys. Next time, maybe you should try that on the masked gunmen.”

We’ll miss you, Moussa. I’m sure that mean navy commander didn’t mean it anyway.