[AP/Washington Post] Mohammed Daraghmeh - Hamas leaders in the West Bank have been driven underground by a Fatah campaign of kidnappings and arrests, but the Islamic militants warn they'll eventually come out of hiding to try to destabilize the rule of Mahmoud Abbas with car bombings and assassinations. Iranian funding for Hamas, Abbas' political weakness and Fatah infighting could one day change the balance, Fatah leaders, Hamas militants and Israeli analysts say. A top Palestinian security official in Ramallah said Hamas has recruited hundreds who are organized in sleeper cells, outfitted with guns and uniforms, and ready to move. A senior Hamas leader wanted by Israel said the group has recruited about 4,000 gunmen in Nablus and Hebron, and has thousands of weapons. Hillel Frisch, an Israeli analyst, said Iranian money could buy off Fatah security officers who haven't been fully paid for months.
2007-06-20 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive