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Palestinians Scorn Their Leaders as Territories Tumble into Factional Fighting

[Guardian-UK] Rory McCarthy - Zuhair Abu Latifa, 51, of Kalandia in the West Bank, who was a lifetime Fatah supporter, voted for Hamas, the hardline Islamic movement that won the last elections. It was his way of punishing Fatah for its many failings. "They were crooks, thieves, and warlords," he said. "They still haven't cleaned themselves up." "Each of our leaders has his own gang and every one of them tries to impose his own agenda," said Abu Latifa. "That makes it hard to have real democracy, where the decision of the people is respected. They have let us down." Ayad Awad, 34, a committed Fatah loyalist, said, "We know it is we the people who are paying the price of this fighting between factions.... Our ultimate loyalty is not for the country but for one particular faction. If we were truly loyal to our country, none of this would happen."
2006-12-26 01:00:00
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