Fatah Gunmen Storm West Bank Buildings

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Fatah Gunmen Storm West Bank Buildings

Saturday, June 16, 2007

(06-16) 02:58 PDT RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) --

Hundreds of Fatah gunmen on Saturday stormed Hamas-
controlled institutions in the West Bank, including
parliament and government ministries, and told staffers
that those with ties to Hamas will not be allowed to
return.

At the parliament, the Fatah supporters chanted, "Hamas
Out," climbed on the roof of the building and fired in
the air. They planted Fatah and Palestinian flags on the
building, and also tried to seize the deputy speaker but
were stopped by employees.

Many government employees tied to Hamas had not
showed up for work on Saturday, the start of the work
week in the West Bank, after Hamas took control of
Gaza in a military campaign. Apparently, the staffers
feared reprisals.

A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent
offshoot of Fatah, said his group planned to take
control of all Hamas institutions, in response to Hamas'
takeover of Gaza.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/16/international/i025818D15.DTL

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Alternate AP headline: Fatah Storms Hamas-Controlled Buildings

[Eugene]

1. Fatah fighters exact revenge in West Bank rampage

Source: Agence France-Presse

Fatah fighters exact revenge in West Bank rampage

by Nasser Abu Bakr
14 minutes ago

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) - Fatah fighters went on the
rampage against Hamas targets in the West Bank on Saturday,
stoking fears deadly factional violence could spread as the
Islamists tightened their grip on power in the Gaza Strip.

Militants from a group linked to president Mahmud Abbas's
secular Fatah faction ransacked dozens of offices linked to
Hamas including charities, a school and television and radio
stations in the city of Nablus, witnesses said.

Gunmen from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades also stormed the
parliament building in Ramallah in search of Hamas members,
while a top commander ordered Hamas militants to turn over
their weapons.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070616/ts_afp/mideast_070616110921

[janx]

2. Here's hoping Fatah doesn't get too crazy.

As of now, they have the sympathies of much of the international community. They'd better not waste that.