"This is a street fight. The more street corners you control, the more you show you have the upper hand." That was one senior administration official's description of the ongoing power struggle between Hamas and Fatah, the two main factions in Palestinian politics.
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The current dysfunctional nature of Palestinian governance in the West Bank and Gaza is clear for all to see. Khaled al-Yazji says "the Palestinian Authority doesn't exist anymore. It just exists in our minds. There are no services. No salaries. ... Everyone should realize it. There is no Authority."
That's one way of looking at it. Zaki Chehab, taking note that Hamas' leader, Kahled Meshaal, lives in Syria, puts it another way: "The money is in Damascus — and the power is where the money is."
The senior administration official who has watched this scenario play out before simply says the power struggle will continue. "At the end of the day, it's all about guns and bullets. And whoever has the most will end up on top."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/18/opinion/diplomatic/main2825725.shtml
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