(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Last week, PA President Mahmoud Abbas expelled five "unruly" officials from Fatah due to their close links to ousted Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan. Abbas has accused Dahlan, a former security commander of Gaza, of being responsible for the murder of six Palestinians and involvement in the "poisoning" of former PLO leader Yasser Arafat. Abbas' move is seen in the context of his efforts to "cleanse" Fatah of officials who pose a direct challenge to his autocratic leadership. In response, Dahlan, who has been living in the UAE, said: "We won't allow Mahmoud [Abbas] and [his sons] Tarek and Yasser to steal Fatah from us." The split in Fatah, of course, will play into the hands of Hamas and improve its chances of winning the next elections, if and when they are held.
2014-06-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive