[Washington Times] Editorial - The results of earlier failed efforts to work with Abbas are on vivid display right now in Gaza - where Israel withdrew its civilians and soldiers well over a year ago in the hope that the PA chairman would fight terrorism and manage a transition to an independent Palestinian state. But Abbas refused to fight terror, and the thuggishness and corruption that has long characterized his Fatah organization led to the victory of Hamas at the polls in January. Terrorist gangs, some affiliated with Abbas' Fatah organization, others with Hamas, have turned Gaza into an updated version of Afghanistan under the Taliban. Today, a who's who of terrorists roam the streets of Gaza, stockpiling arms and staging shootouts with one another. They burrow into refugee camps and densely populated areas like Beit Hanoun, from where they fire rockets into neighboring Israeli towns like Ashkelon and Sderot - making it impossible for Israeli civilians to live normal lives. Make no mistake about it: The terrorists using Palestinian civilians as human shields bear the ultimate responsibility for last week's tragedy at Beit Hanoun. We commend the Bush administration for its decision Saturday to veto a badly flawed UN Security Council resolution that equated defensive Israeli military operations with the firing of rockets at Israeli civilians. But aside from its willingness to use the veto power, the Bush administration seems focused on pressuring Olmert into propping up Abbas, who does not merit such support. Washington does Olmert no favors by pressing him for more dubious giveaways to Abbas.
2006-11-13 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive