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| By Associated Press December 17, 2006 |
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Dozens of gunmen attacked a training base of Mahmoud Abbas' presidential guard before dawn on Sunday, just hours after the Palestinian leader announced he would end nine months of Hamas rule by calling early elections.
The assault blamed on Hamas touched off a fierce 20-minute battle, killed a guardsman and marked a new stage in escalating fighting between Hamas and Abbas-allied security forces: the attackers carefully planned it, cutting power to the camp first, and chose a highly symbolic target.
The gunmen set fire to trailers and tents. Only about a dozen guardsmen were in the camp, located about 700 meters (yards) from Abbas' office and residence. Abbas was in the West Bank at the time of the attack. The assailants fled after reinforcements were sent to the base from other Presidential Guard camps.
Hamas denied involvement, but security officials said the attackers were from the Islamic militant group. The assault came several days after Hamas accused a top Abbas ally, Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, of being behind a shooting attack on the entourage of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.
Dahlan, who has denied involvement, was to return to Gaza from the West Bank on Sunday, but postponed the trip without reason.
In response to Abbas' call for early elections, Hamas had urged its supporters to take to the streets in protest. On Saturday evening, thousands of Hamas loyalists marched across Gaza and 18 Palestinians were wounded in clashes between the two political camps.
In seeking early elections, Abbas took a bold gamble that could end up driving the Palestinians toward all-out civil war, strengthen Hamas and further put off peace efforts with Israel.
Hamas accused Abbas of trying to topple its government and promised to block the elections. "This is a real coup," said Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas hard-liner.
Hamas' landslide election in January parliamentary elections split the Palestinian leadership into two camps. One, led by Abbas, seeks peace with Israel; the other, led by Hamas, is sworn to the Jewish state's destruction. The infighting has often degenerated into violence, and last week, tensions reached their highest peak in years.
Abbas tried to end the power struggle by bringing Hamas into a more moderate coalition with his Fatah Party, but Hamas refused to pay the price he demanded -- recognizing Israel and renouncing violence.
"We have a crisis. We have an authority with two heads. So what do we do? Bullets or ballots?" asked Saeb Erekat, an aide to Abbas. "Abu Mazen said ballots," he said, using Abbas' nickname.
Across the West Bank and Gaza, streets were largely deserted Saturday as everyone watched Abbas' 90-minute address, peppered with criticism of Hamas.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged the international community to support Abbas, while State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez said it was "an issue for the Palestinian people to decide through a peaceful political process." Russia asked the Palestinians to try to maintain unity.
Abbas said a unity government was still the best option, but that he had despaired of persuading Hamas to enter into a coalition with Fatah. The Hamas government has drawn crushing international sanctions over its militantly anti-Israel stand, but has refused to recognize Israel, the West's condition for resuming aid.
"I ... decided to call for early presidential and parliament elections," Abbas said from his West Bank headquarters, after outlining months of failed coalition talks. "Let us return to the people, to hear their word, and let them be the judge."
His aides said they expected the vote to be held by the summer. In coming days, Abbas is to meet with the Central Election Commission to hear how much time it will need to prepare.
Once he issues a formal decree calling for elections, the balloting must take place within three months.
In an immediate step toward parliamentary and presidential elections, Abbas announced he has appointed new Fatah leaders. Fatah officials said the party's younger leaders, who had long clamored for a role in decision-making, would now be given a chance. Fatah's old guard had refused to step aside, a key reason the movement remained in disarray after its election defeat.
Abbas also said he has revived the Palestine Liberation Organization negotiating department, signaling he would pursue peace talks with Israel.
However, his decision to call elections is fraught with risks.
It immediately hardened the lines between the rival camps, at a time when factional fighting threatens to escalate into civil war.
In his speech, Abbas said Hamas was ignoring reality. At one point, he warned Hamas not to try to "terrorize" him by claiming its rule was God's will.
Hamas leaders said the speech's confrontational tone made it clear Abbas was no longer a partner. "Abu Mazen is not part of the solution anymore. He is part of the problem now," said Ahmed Yousef, senior adviser to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.
Elections could be stripped of legitimacy if boycotted by Hamas and other political factions.
Several exiled leaders of Palestinian factions -- Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- rejected Abbas' decision, speaking at a joint news conference in Damascus, Syria.
Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah dismissed Abbas' decision as lawless. "We believe that such a call will regrettably take us to the unknown," Shallah told the Al-Jazeera satellite station.
Abbas, 71, was elected president in 2005. If he does not run again -- he has said he would not seek another four-year term -- Palestinian moderates would not have a strong candidate.
Hamas, if it decided to participate, could field Haniyeh, the prime minister, according to polls the most popular politician after Abbas.
During times of political turmoil, any efforts to resume peace talks with Israel would likely be frozen. In recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he was willing to give up large parts of the West Bank in a peace deal, and that he was ready to talk peace.
Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said Olmert "respects Abu Mazen and hopes that he will have the capability to assert his leadership over the Palestinian people, and to bring about a government that will comply with the international community's principles." |
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