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Challenges Facing a New Palestinian President

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Ehud Ya'ari - At the very least, Abu Mazen must ensure that the Palestinian police and security forces reduce the violence and establish a sense of order by getting arms off the street and out of the hands of criminals. In order to change the structure of the Palestinian security forces, Abu Mazen must create a solution that is acceptable to Bashir Nafa, Jibril Rajoub, and Muhammad Dahlan, three leaders within the current security structure who each know the limits of their authority within the territories and are willing to be part of a security compromise. Complemented by the integration of other effective security leaders (e.g., Usama Abu Bakr, a Fatah member from Nablus), Abu Mazen will be able to create a legitimate security organ for his new government. Hamas, which poses the greatest threat to security in general, and to Fatah in particular, has experienced a decline in public support since Arafat's death. It is losing its cohesion, both politically and militarily.
2004-12-17 00:00:00
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