Hamas Versus Fatah
Hamas gunmen fought with units of the Palestinian police force in Gaza today. Fatah elements were involved as well. Things are getting ugly in the Palestinian territories.
A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said fighting subsided after contacts between the forces. He accused unidentified "suspicious gunmen" of opening fire to instigate the clash.
"There is no reason for the two forces to fight. There is no dispute of authority," said Khaled Abu Hilal. Police accused Hamas of starting the clashes by opening fire on the police station.
The 3,000-strong Hamas-backed force, formed under the authority of Interior Minister Saeed Seyam, was deployed in a challenge to the authority of Abbas, whose Fatah movement was defeated by Hamas in elections in January.
In response, Abbas ordered the deployment of a Fatah-loyal police unit. The decision marked the latest step in a deepening power struggle between Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose Hamas movement took power in March.
I'm not exactly sure what the Palestinians expected when they elected openly avowed terrorists for their government. I hope they can come to their senses before it comes to outright civil war, but it's looking pretty shaky right now.
War, World news | Gaius Thursday, 18 May , 2006
By Shawn, Thursday, 18 May , 2006 @ 10:44 pm
Gaius said: “I’m not exactly sure what the Palestinians expected when they elected openly avowed terrorists for their government. I hope they can come to their senses before it comes to outright civil war…”
Let them fight a civil war. If they are fighting each other that means two things, both of which are positive:
1. Dead terrorists and terrorism supporters
2. Their focus is upon the civil war, which means fewer attacks against Israel
This is a nation entirely dependant upon foreign aid, and much of that aid has dried up because of Hamas was voted into power. It sounds cold-hearted, but you reap what you sow, and the Palestinian voters sowed Hamas terrorists and all the baggage that comes with them. Here’s hoping they learn a hard lesson.
By Gaius, Friday, 19 May , 2006 @ 5:06 am
Yeah, Iran keeps stoking this whole thing, too.
By Shawn, Friday, 19 May , 2006 @ 6:21 am
Iran seems to have a finger in every pie. If they didn’t have a leader who appears to be mentally unhinged, or close to it, they would bother me far less. Nothing new about one nation trying to control, subvert or otherwise influence a region, but when their visible leader is a seemingly crazy guy with poor hygiene I squirm a bit.
By Gaius, Friday, 19 May , 2006 @ 6:42 am
Yeah, Iran is getting a little scary. Michael Totten wrote about what’s happening up on the border with Lebanon (that article is linked somewhere around here). It’s looking pretty ugly.