Chaos in the Palestinian Authority

Wide spread riots and violent protests by Fatah activists have occurred throughout the weekend in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was planning a visit to Gaza to discuss a new cabinet with Hamas but called it off for `security reasons'. Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World

Arafat 2 is outliving his usefulness very quickly. I give him 6 months at best.

What's behind the riots, of course is the probable termination of cash stipends and government subsidies and monopolies to Fatah loyalists. As I've said before. this is a turf war and the best way to understand the Palestinian Authority is in terms of mafia scenarios like `The Godfather'.

Case in point was the tiff between Hamas kingpin Khaled Mashaal and Fatah warlord and security chief Jibril Rajoub over Mashaal's remarks on creating a Palestinian `army and merging Hamas' armed terrorists into it."We are ready to unify the weapons of Palestinian factions, with Palestinian consensus and form an army like any independent state," he said. Hamas suggests creating Palestinian army with militants


Fatah loyalists, recipiants of years of patronage from Arafat and Abbas were furious over the thought of possibly losing their mealtickets. Armed gunbattles have already broken out between Fatah and Hamas loyalists.

"Hamas has no power to meddle with the security forces," said Jibril Rajoub.

Dozens of armed police officers briefly stormed the legislature building in Gaza City, calling for Hamas members who killed police in fighting in recent months to be brought to justice.

In Ramallah, hundreds of Fatah loyalists, including gunmen and security officers, marched into Abbas' compound and prayed at the grave of the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat.

"We came to you Abu Amar to forgive us for what happened," they chanted, referring to the Beast by his nickname.

You can tell a lot about people by what and whom they worship and adulate.

The mob moved toward Abbas'offices in the Mukhata but Abbas' body guards prevented them from approaching his office.

"We'll show them hell as an opposition and we will turn the Palestinian Authority security forces into armed militia led by Al Aqsa," Ramzi Obeidi, a leader of the Fatah-allied Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, told the crowd.

Sounds like a man who's paycheck is on the line....