Abbas scrambles to heal split in Fatah

Abbas might resign?


http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=20784

Abbas scrambles to heal split in Fatah
Marwan Barghouti determined to run on separate list in election


Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, December 16, 2005


RAMALLAH, West Bank: Young activists in the ruling Fatah Party broke off to form their own faction, dealing a bitter blow to President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of January parliamentary elections and possibly boosting the electoral prospects of Hamas. Fatah officials were negotiating feverishly with the new faction's leader, jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, and his associates Thursday in an effort to keep them in the party.

Abbas hinted in a closed-door meeting with some of the rebels he might resign and call early presidential elections if the split is not reversed, participants said.

Abbas did not comment on the upheaval in his party, saying only that "whatever results come out of the ballot box will be accepted and legitimate."

snip

Palestinian militants fired five homemade rockets from Gaza toward Israel, the military said. One rocket exploded next to a beer warehouse outside the Israeli city of Ashkelon. No one was hurt. Israel hit back with an artillery barrage at the area in northern Gaza where the rockets were launched.

snip

I remember someone talking about Palestine become "Hamasitan" or something of the sort.

deposits in the Persian Gulf. And leave us not forget New Kurdistan up North. It is notable that the various attempts to "weaken" Hamas, Hiz'bullah, and Iran don't seem to be panning out, but the PA seems much weakened since the demise of Arafat.