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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| PA officials accuse Iran, Syria of promoting civil war |
| 2007-01-29 |
| Palestinian Authority officials on Sunday accused Iran and Syria of pushing the Palestinians toward civil war, saying Hamas is acting on orders from Teheran and Damascus. The allegation came as the number of Palestinians killed in internecine fighting rose to 27. Six more Palestinians were killed Sunday in armed clashes between Hamas and Fatah gunmen in various locations in the Gaza Strip. In a related development, Hamas and Fatah officials welcomed a Saudi invitation to hold reconciliation talks in Mecca. The invitation, which was issued by King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz, is the first of its kind and signals the Saudi government's concern over the growing involvement of Iran and Syria in Palestinian affairs. In Nablus, the largest West Bank city, Fatah gunmen kidnapped 10 Hamas members and demanded the resignation of PA Interior Minister Said Siam of Hamas and the dismantlement of Hamas's "Executive Force" in the Gaza Strip. "Iran and Syria are encouraging Hamas to continue fighting against Fatah," said a senior official in PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's office. "They want to deliver a message to the Americans that there will be no stability in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon as long as Washington continues to ignore Syria and Iran." Another PA official said the leaders of Iran and Syria were also responsible for the failure of talks between Fatah and Hamas over the formation of a Palestinian unity government. "They are putting heavy pressure on Hamas not to make any concessions that would facilitate the formation of a unity government," he said. "They are trying to undermine US allies in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon." Members of Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, kidnapped 10 Hamas activists in Nablus, including Sheikh Fayyad al-Aghbar, a member of the city's municipal council. Eyewitnesses said Aghbar was snatched by dozens of Fatah gunmen as he waited in line inside the local branch of the Arab-Islamic Bank. The Fatah gunmen also raided the local offices of the Hamas-run Education Ministry and kidnapped five employees affiliated with Hamas. The attackers destroyed furniture and equipment inside the offices, the eyewitnesses said. A man who tried to prevent the gunmen from kidnapping his relative, who is also a Hamas member, was shot in the legs, they said. The gunmen issued a statement demanding the resignation of Siam and the dismantlement of Hamas's security force in the Gaza Strip. They accused Aghbar of issuing orders to Hamas gunmen in the West Bank to shoot Fatah members. The statement said the hostages were senior Hamas leaders in Nablus. During an emergency meeting of the Hamas-led government in Gaza City, PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh urged Palestinians to abandon violence and endorse dialogue as the only means for solving differences. He appealed to Abbas to order all militiamen to withdraw from the streets and to remove security checkpoints set up in many areas in the Gaza Strip. "Palestinian society does not need to be further militarized," Haniyeh said. "The Interior Ministry alone is responsible for restoring law and order." Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior Abbas aide, responded by holding Haniyeh's government responsible for the latest deterioration because of its failure to respect the law and democracy. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 In other related news The United States said"no thanks" |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-01-29 16:22 |
| #3 In related news, Fatah has decided that it's an ally of the United States... |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2007-01-29 12:56 |
| #2 Ahmed Abdel Rahman:"failure to respect the law and democracy" Law and democracy in Paleostan? He is either a few marbles short of the full set, or his lips fell off after he uttered it. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-01-29 01:52 |
| #1 No SH*^? |
| Posted by: newc 2007-01-29 00:21 |