Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is prepared to bring down Hamas' incoming government if its militant policies harm Palestinian interests, a senior aide hinted on Saturday. In a letter to Hamas' designated prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, Abbas said that if the new government, which is to be sworn in Thursday, "adopts positions that would be detrimental to Palestinian interests, then the president will use his authority according to the Basic Law," the aide, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, told reporters. Abdel Rahim did not elaborate, but the Basic Law, which is the Palestinians' de facto constitution, empowers the president to disband the government.