MI chief: W. Bank, Gaza could become Fatahstan, Hamastan

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Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash) warned the government during its meeting yesterday that there is an increasingly high chance that next year will see what he called the "Hamastan" brigade ruling the Gaza Strip, while the "Fatahstan" brigade will control the West Bank.

Ze'evi, who took his leave of the government yesterday at the end of his term as director of MI, said Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is in a difficult position and has limited maneuverability.

Ze'evi also cautioned against the increased strength of Islamic groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Shi'ites in Lebanon, the Sunnis in Syria and Istiqlal in Morocco. Al-Qaida, he noted, is beginning to operate in the Middle East, signaling the rise of a dangerous trend.

Shin Bet security service head Yuval Diskin also warned of Al-Qaida's increasing strength in the region, saying it could be seen in Jordan and Egypt. He said the Shin Bet had also identified some evidence of Al-Qaida ideology in the West Bank and Gaza, and warned against the disintegration of the PA.

Haaretz

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1. what can one say other than: not good

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2. No, not good at all. nt

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3. What's his problem with Fatah?

Is there any party running in the election that this guy does like?

Violet...

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4. He doesn't seem to be a happy person.

I think his point WRT Fatah etc. is more about the fragmentation of Palestinian leadership than that Fatah is bad, although I don't suppose that given his employment he likes Fatah. And that is really about the point I make here from time to time that there is nobody that you can negotiate a settlement with, should you be of a mind to do that rather than the current policy of posturing hysterically about how none of this is your fault. And about the fact, as I said, that Abbas does not command an organization that can order "the Palestinians" to do much of anything, since there is no longer any such organization.