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Qurei's Challenges
(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Ahmed Qurei, the 66-year-old longtime associate of Yasser Arafat, has suffered a series of heart attacks in recent years and his health remains shaky. One of Qurei's top aides commented this week: "This is a high-stress job for someone who needs to relax and take it easy." Ironically, the biggest challenge Qurei faces is not from Israel or Hamas, but from the ruling Fatah organization and disgruntled officials vying for positions in the new cabinet. Yet unlike Abbas, Qurei does not have Arafat breathing down his neck, letting Arafat and the Fatah leadership decide who joins the cabinet, unlike Abbas who insisted on picking his own ministers. Qurei has made it clear he has no intention of ordering a massive crackdown on Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or other radical groups responsible for the continued violence. Even if he wanted to take such measures, it's not certain that the security forces would listen to him.