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Fatah on Shaky Ground in West Bank
[Los Angeles Times] Ken Ellingwood - Routed in the Gaza Strip, the Fatah party of Mahmoud Abbas is fractured and adrift at a moment when it is viewed by the outside world as the best hope for blunting the militant Hamas movement in the West Bank. Once dominant in Palestinian affairs, the organization long led by the late Yasser Arafat is beset by a weak and aging leadership, internal schisms and a widespread reputation among Palestinians as corrupt, ineffectual and out of touch. The crisis facing Fatah has deepened since Hamas crushed its forces in Gaza last month, leaving Fatah's authority limited to the West Bank. Hani Masri, a political analyst in the West Bank, said the Gaza defeat unmasked deep problems that bode ill for Fatah's lasting prospects in the West Bank. Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a Fatah spokesman, said the party was in shock after the bloody takeover in Gaza. "There is no vision for the future. There is no plan," said Kadoura Fares, a former Fatah lawmaker. Many Israelis believe it is only a matter of time until Abbas talks with Hamas to reach some form of accommodation.