[Ha'aretz] Amos Harel - PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas reportedly views the Annapolis conference as the last opportunity to resuscitate the peace process. If he steps down in the wake of a failure of the talks, without a successor acceptable to Fatah, Abbas' departure would increase Hamas influence. According to Military Intelligence, Abbas' inner circle is cut off from the Fatah rank and file, and has difficulty exerting its authority over the various military wings of Fatah (the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the various West Bank cities) and its political activists. This lack of full control at the grass-roots level might make it difficult for the PA to fulfill its obligations as part of a diplomatic process. As Ha'aretz reported a few weeks ago, Military Intelligence believes the chances for success at Annapolis are "close to nil."
2007-11-07 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive