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In Gaza, Rule by the Gun Draws Many Competitors

[New York Times] Steven Erlanger - Prominent Palestinian official Nabil Shaath had his green BMW carjacked at gunpoint the other day as battling between gunmen affiliated with Fatah and those of Hamas continues. The fighting is part of a struggle for power in the one part of the Palestinian territories that Israel has largely abandoned. The rivalry has been visible in the murders of prominent officials, in clashes on street corners, and in the creation, against the express orders of PA Chairman Abbas, of a Hamas-run "Executive Force," a separate police force dressed in camouflage pants, black shirts, and, invariably, beards. Such clashes are compounded by the criminal activities of various gangs and clans that engage in racketeering, carjacking, and kidnapping. Hamdi Shaqqura, a director at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, said: "The main issue in Gaza is the security chaos - the attacks on people, on internationals, on journalists. Crime is everywhere, and 90 percent of the attacks come from those in the security forces, with no punishment."
2006-09-22 01:00:00
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