Fatah Launches New West Bank Militia
Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer Jenin, West Bank (AHN) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has unleashed a new militia, loyal to his Fatah party, in his ongoing struggle with the newly-elected leaders of Hamas. The move is the latest in an escalating series, as Hamas already fields a 3,000-man militia in Palestinian territory. The new Fatah unit is supposedly 2,500 strong, with reports of over 2,000 men marching in Jenin on Sunday. However, in a situation that is constantly moving closer to a Palestinian civil war, Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Shaer of Hamas declares, "It is unacceptable for any faction to field a militia." According to Shaer, Hamas' militia was merged into the police force, in a claim that they are no longer the private army of a group widely believed to be a terrorist organization. Yet, at a rally for Fatah's new "Special Protection Unit," local Fatah leader Ata Abu Rmeileh says, "You are here to protect your people and the Palestinian Authority institutions." "We are loyal to our people, not like those who have sold themselves to Arab and non-Arab capitals."
Article © All Headline News - All Rights Reserved
|
