Faisal Husseini

(1940 - 2001)

Born in 1940 in Baghdad; studied in Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus; founding member of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) in 1959; worked for the PLO after its initial establishment in Jerusalem as deputy manager of the Public Organisation Dept. (1964-65); received military training at a Syrian officer's academy and joined the Palestinian Liberation Army in 1967; graduate from Damascus Military College 1967; founder and chairman of the Arab Studies Society, since 1979; in the 1980s placed repeatedly under house and city arrest; several times imprisoned; member of the Supreme Muslim Council, Jerusalem, since 1982; Palestinian spokesperson; head of the Jerusalem National Council/Palestine; head of Palestinian delegation to the Middle East Peace Conference; head of Fatah-faction in the West Bank; Arafat's chief representative in the disputed territories; active in developing and promoting Israeli-Palestinian dialogue; Palestinian national movement's local mediator for peace.

Sources: PASSIA