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Meltdown: Rival Gangs Violently Vie For Control In PA
There have been at least three separate clashes between armed Arab factions in the Palestinian Authority (PA) just since the death of PLO leader Yasser Arafat last week. These may be the first signs that previously sporadic battles are set to take a much more violent turn. Last Thursday, for example, rival factions in PA-controlled Jericho were involved in street battles, with an unspecified number of persons taken to the hospital. Today, the PA city of Kalkilye was the scene of gun battles between rival terrorist groups. Preliminary reports indicated that a number of people were wounded in the clashes. Yesterday, PA officials announced that a general election will be held on January 9th. In addition, the Fatah council announced that Abu Mazen will be the only candidate, seeking to eliminate the threat of competing against Marwan Barghouti and others who are setting their sights on the PA leadership role. Barghouti is currently serving consecutive life sentences in Israeli prison for his involvement in terrorist attacks. Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-11-15 |
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