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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/01/05/world/middleeast/AP-ML-Palestinians-Dahlans-Downfall.html
Fall of Palestinian Leader Shows President's Power
(AP-New York Times) Not long ago, Mohammed Dahlan was a rising political star, a Gaza security chief and darling of the West. But after a falling out with President Mahmoud Abbas, Dahlan has been essentially banished from the political scene. The campaign against him casts an unflattering light on the Palestinian president's low tolerance for dissent and reveals the extent to which the West seems inclined to look the other way as Abbas uses largely unchecked powers to dress down political rivals. "Abbas is extremely sensitive, exceptionally thin-skinned and has an exceptionally high opinion of himself, so the mere act of making personal criticism of him puts you beyond the pale," said political analyst Mouin Rabbani, a senior fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies.