 Ramallah, Paleostine (Rantburg News Service):The Fatah party, ably led by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, says it will stay out of a government being formed by the Islamist movement Hamas. "We're not in charge anymore," pointed out Paleostinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. "They're going to hose it. When the hummus hits the fan, we'd rather be out of range."Fatah says it has exhausted all means to try to reach an agreement over Hamas's political program, the BBC has reported. "We tried," Erekat said. "Allen knows we tried, but you just can't talk to them. Those people are crazy!" Fatah, the party founded by Yasser Arafat, dominated Palestinian politics for decades but a spokesman has confirmed that it will now go into opposition. "We've already got plans in place for an intifadeh against them," a Fatah spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Fatah had said it would only join the new government if Hamas accepted all the past agreements that Fatah leaders have made with Israel but Hamas refuses to recognise Israel, saying that would constitute acceptance of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. "We tried to explain to them," Erekat said, "that accepting the agreements doesn't mean you've got to abide by them. We never did. But they just wouldn't listen." |