Abbas, Haniyeh to meet over crisis in unity government deal

[Behind the Aegis]

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh were to try Thursday to resolve disputes over the powerful security forces that have touched off a critical first challenge to their rival factions' power-sharing agreement.

Efforts to implement the agreement brokered in Saudi Arabia ran into trouble Wednesday when Haniyeh's Islamist Hamas group presented several conditions for forming the government, said an aide to Abbas, Nimer Hamad.

With Hamas refusing to resign from the government until Abbas' Fatah movement meets the conditions, the deal could not be finalized.

On Wednesday night, Abbas canceled a speech scheduled for Thursday in which he was expected to officially appoint Haniyeh to form the unity government.


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[Eugene]

1. Palestinian unity deal under way (BBC)

Last Updated: Thursday, 15 February 2007, 20:47 GMT

Palestinian unity deal under way

Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya has resigned his post and has been asked
by President Mahmoud Abbas to form a new national unity government.

The move came after the pair ironed out last-minute problems from the
power-sharing deal sealed last week.

-snip-

Doubts remain as to whether the US will end its boycott of the government.

A ban on Western financial aid has crippled the Palestinian Authority
since Hamas, which has refused to recognise Israel, won elections in
January last year.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6366367.stm


(Reuters)

U.S. to shun all members of Palestinian unity govt

By Adam Entous and Wafa Amr

Thu Feb 15, 10:30 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States will boycott all Palestinian unity
government ministers, including non-Hamas members, unless international
demands on policy toward Israel are met, a Palestinian official and diplomats
said on Thursday.

Some U.S. officials had been advocating a shift in Washington's position that
would allow limited diplomatic contacts with cabinet ministers from moderate
President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction and other parties.

But a senior Palestinian official said: "The Americans have informed us that
they will be boycotting the new government headed by Hamas. The Fatah and
independent ministers will be treated the same way that Hamas ministers are
treated."

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070215/ts_nm/palestinians_dc_4