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How Long Can the Palestinian Unity Government Last?

[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Mohammad Yaghi - The faction headed by Muhammad Dahlan and backed by many members of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, including Saeb Erekat, Nabil Amr, and Azzam al-Ahmad, as well as the leaders of the Preventive Security and Intelligence services, eventually backed the unity agreement because Hamas' better-organized forces defeated Fatah during armed clashes in Gaza. This group views the accord with Hamas as a temporary truce to be abandoned when Fatah regains confidence, strength, and resources. Abbas appointed Dahlan secretary of the National Security Council, empowering him to reform the security forces and strengthen the presidential guard. Four of Fatah's six ministers are Dahlan allies. Hamas aspires to ultimately replace Fatah in each of its traditional sources of power: the security forces, the institutions of the PA, and the PLO. Hamas wants the security forces to be part of the military resistance. For example, on March 25, Hamas demanded that an Abbas advisor be prosecuted for treason after he advocated security coordination with Israel during an interview on Israeli radio. In the end, the unity government is just a tactical truce - to be undone when one party believes unity no longer serves its interests.
2007-04-05 01:00:00
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