(Los Angeles Times) Dennis Ross - Whether Mahmoud Abbas will ultimately become the first prime minister of a new, independent Palestinian state will depend on whether he can, in his words, stop the "armed chaos." He faces several obstacles. Arafat will continue to resist any efforts that erode his power and build Abbas'. He will seek to block efforts to confront Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade - and, indeed, has already opposed disarming the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual head of Hamas in Gaza, has already rejected the idea that Hamas will give up its arms or its violent struggle. Abbas must be able to stop or at least profoundly curtail the violence. He must reach concrete understandings with the Israelis on security - what he will do, when he will do it, how and where he will do it.
2003-05-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive