Word: fatah
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Palestinians may still be celebrating the Mecca accord reached between rival factions of Hamas and Fatah to form a national unity government, but there is no such sentiment coming out of Washington. "Peace is not at hand," a senior U.S. official said today. But while the Bush Administration may view the deal as a setback for the prospects of Middle East peace, many observers think it is really a setback for U.S. influence in the region - especially its goal of isolating Hamas...
...Everyone in Gaza seems to offer a different reason for what started the fighting last week between fighters loyal to the Hamas-controlled government and the various militias of President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party. But most agree that the fragile cease-fire put into place on Sunday has no chance unless the Palestinian leadership can pull off a near miracle in Saudi Arabia under the guidance of the Kingdom's last-ditch mediation effort...
...Each side's conduct upon the announcement of the cease-fire hints at the challenges ahead. Hamas moved its men off the streets of Gaza City, retreating to checkpoints in the Khan Yunis camp where it holds sway. But in Gaza City, militiamen under the command of Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan, whose nephew was kidnapped by Hamas fighters last week, fortified their positions at key intersections...
...effort to smear one another as agents of outside forces, many Hamas supporters imply that Dahlan and his men are being backed by the U.S. and Israel, while Fatah supporters have been heard shouting "Hamas is Shi'ite, Hamas is Persian" - there is no Shi'ite presence among the Palestinian Muslims, but the reference was designed to draw attention to Iran's backing for Hamas...
...fortification and rearming of Fatah forces from outside - most graphically visible in the form of four recently arrived armored personnel carriers -is a sign that Abbas and Dahlan are not counting on the Mecca talks succeeding...