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Hamas Wonât Join Truce Talks With Abbas
EFLA senior Hamas official said Friday the militant group is breaking off talks with the Palestinian prime minister on halting attacks on Israelis, a surprise reversal that throws into doubt a key component of a U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan. Surprise? We were counting on it. As part of the U.S.-backed "road map" to Palestinian statehood, the Palestinians have to rein in militants who have killed hundreds of Israelis in shootings and bombings during 32 months of fighting. The Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has been trying to negotiate with the militias rather than use force, saying he wants to avoid civil war. It was not clear whether a refusal by Hamas to negotiate a truce would set the stage for a crackdown by Palestinian security forces. This should be fun. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader and hardliner, told reporters on Friday that efforts to reach a truce were off. He said Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, made too many concessions in his speech at a Mideast summit earlier this week in Jordan. "I believe that Abu Mazen himself ... closed the door in front of Hamas because he committed himself in front of Bush and Sharon (to) what Palestinians refused," Rantissi told The Associated Press. "So, (there is) no way now ... to open dialogue with Abu Mazen, because he will come to a dialogue with cuffed hands." Palestinian Cabinet Minister Ziad Abu Amr, Abbas' liaison to Hamas, said he had not received official word from the group that talks were finished, but blamed Israel's killing of two Hamas militants overnight in the West Bank town of Tulkarm for hampering the effort. There have been conflicting statements from Hamas about cease-fire efforts, and Rantissi is known as a hardliner in the group. Despite his statements, contacts between the Palestinian leadership and Hamas leaders abroad were continuing, Abu Amr said. And in other news from paleostine: Meanwhile, efforts to clear the streets of gunmen from a militia linked to Abbas' own Fatah movement continued. Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian security chief, And we know how well gun buyback programs have worked here. There were conflicting reports on the amount of money promised. A leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militia linked to Fatah, said Dahlan is offering $6,000 for each rifle, while officials gave lower figures. $6000 for turning in a old rifle? Hell, they busted a guy in Saudi the other day selling AK's w/ammo for under $500. I'd turn in my old gun, buy a brand new model and pocket the change. Posted by: Steve 2003-06-06 |
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