Sunday, March 4, 2012

New Fatah militia counters Hamas; Group backing Abbas heightens threat of fighting between Palestinian groups.(Main)

Byline: MOHAMMED BALLAS Associated Press

JENIN, West Bank - The appearance Saturday of a new Fatah militia raised the stakes in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' power struggle with the anti-Israel Hamas government, nudging the rivals closer to a large-scale conflict.

More than 2,000 men in black T-shirts and white headbands marched through the West Bank town of Jenin in a signal to Hamas that it has a determined rival in Abbas, who hopes to lead Palestinians into a peace deal with Israel.

The new unit, which Fatah says has 2,500 members, is the group's answer to a 3,000-strong Hamas militia the government mobilized last month over Abbas' …

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