(New York Post) Editorial - Over the weekend, Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa - Arafat's nephew - said the PA has no intention of disarming terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as required under the U.S.-sponsored "road map" peace plan. The PA, under Mahmoud Abbas, continues to finesse its way around its road-map obligations. In the past few months, Abbas has shuffled the Palestinian security hierarchy. But he refuses to crack down, even as gangs foment violence against their fellow Palestinians in cities like Ramallah. Even the much-vaunted "ceasefire" announced four months ago by Abbas and Hamas appears to be an essentially tactical ploy, meant to last only until Israel disengages from Gaza in August. The Palestinians have got to understand that, absent the dismantling of Hamas, Israel won't be obligated to undertake any further moves. Terrorism and democracy can't exist side-by-side, no matter what kind of faustian deals are cut. In the end, the terrorist menace is as great a menace to Palestinian moderation as it is to Israel.
2005-06-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive