Jordan to host Abbas, Haniyeh to try to mend ties (Reuters)

[Eugene]

Jordan to host Abbas, Haniyeh to try to mend ties
25 Dec 2006 20:19:35 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Jordan will host talks between Palestinian
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas of
Fatah after a surge in factional violence, a Hamas official said on Monday.

Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government, said
Haniyeh had accepted an invitation from Jordan's King Abdullah to attend
talks in Amman. Palestinian officials confirmed Abbas arrived in Jordan
on Monday.

-snip-

"This is a follow-on his Majesty's initiative to exert all efforts to
reinvigorate the peace process and solidify Palestinian national unity ...
and explore all options, including hosting a meeting (between Abbas and
Haniyeh) when the situation is right," a Jordanian government spokesman
said.

Haniyeh's visit, which a Palestinian source said could take place this week,
would be the first by a Hamas leader to Jordan since 1999, when the kingdom
closed the group's Amman offices and expelled its top leaders for alleged
illegal activities.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L25281473.htm

[ShortnFiery]

1. A meeting of figureheads? IMO, less than impressive. n/t

[oberliner]

2. Who are the figureheads?

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah?

They are both figureheads?