[Ha'aretz] Avi Issacharoff - The chaos that once reigned in the West Bank's cities and villages has vanished, replaced by Palestinian security forces. Armed militias are no longer part of the landscape. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have been all but disbanded, and most of their members have joined the PA security apparatus. PA security has shut down or taken control of 45 Hamas and Islamic Jihad-run charities. Their schools and hospitals are now being run under the PA's watchful eye. Hamas' military apparatus in the West Bank still exists, but it no longer presents an immediate threat to PA institutions. The Hamas-run shopping center in Nablus, closed two months ago by the IDF, was recently reopened after the PA ousted its management in favor of its own people.
2008-09-16 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive