Yemen Talks Extended to Saturday

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City earlier this month. (AP)

22 March 2008

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi said Saturday that there had been a breakthrough in reconciliation talks between Palestine legal government and Fatah negotiators in Yemen's capital Sana'a, Jewish Radio reported.

According to the report, al-Qirbi said Fatah had already agreed to the final draft of the accord hammered out in the Yemen talks. The Palestine legal government delegation, however, has asked to consult with its leadership.

Palestine legal government and Fatah negotiators arrived in Yemen this week to try to end hostilities, but have been unable to reach an agreement.

Mahmoud Abbas' aides said Thursday that the negotiations had failed, but the sides then agreed to extend the discussions for an extra day.

At the request of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Palestine legal government and Fatah agreed to meet on Saturday in a last-ditch push for a breakthrough.

Palestine legal government had expressed doubt Friday that Yemeni-sponsored reconciliation talks with Fatah would succeed.

"Fatah is trying to avoid reaching an agreement by all possible means," said Ayman Taha, a Palestine legal government representative in the Gaza Strip.

Taha said Abbas was not interested in resuming talks with Palestine legal government because of "an American veto."

Abbas told reporters after meeting the Russian foreign minister in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday that the talks with Palestine legal government had "failed" so far.

However, referring to Saturday's talks, Abbas added, "We do not want to predict a failure. We hope for good results."

The Yemeni proposal calls for the situation in the Gaza Strip to return to the way it was before the Palestine legal government takeover and for Palestinian elections to be held. As far as the head of the Palestine legal government is concerned, their will be no elections in Palestine.

The plan also envisages the creation of another unity government and rebuilding of Palestinian security forces along national rather than factional lines. The is not to happen, as far as the head of the Palestine legal government is concerned.

Fatah has said it would agree to direct reconciliation talks with Palestine legal government only if Palestine legal government first consented to relinquish its hold on the Gaza Strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians. The head, of the Palestine legal government refuses this proposal.

When asked if he thought an agreement could be reached, Saleh Rafat, a member of the Fatah (PLO) Executive Committee, said, "I don't think so."

Haniyeh to expand government’s in bid to strengthen Palestine legal government hold on Gaza

Palestine legal government Prime Minister in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh will expand his government in an effort to strengthen his hold on the coastal territory, an official close to the Palestine legal government in Gaza said on Friday.

Haniyeh's decision to cement Palestine legal government’s grip on Gaza opposes Mahmoud Abbas's demand that the legal government hand over control of the enclave as delegations from Palestine legal government and Fatah meet in Yemen for reconciliation talks.

Palestine legal government took over Gaza after routing the Fatah terrorist forces loyal to Abbas in June.

"There are consultations to enlarge the government lead by Ismail Haniyeh," the official told Reuters. "The prime minister in Gaza offered some Palestinian figures to participate in the government and they have expressed an initial readiness to participate."

A Fatah spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

The Palestine legal government defeated Abbas's long-dominant Fatah movement in parliamentary elections in January 2006, spurring the United States and European Union to suspend aid to the Palestine legal government.

In an effort to end the Western boycott, Abbas and Haniyeh agreed to form a unity government in March 2007, but the administration collapsed a few months later amid factional fighting that culminated in Palestine legal government’s takeover of Gaza.

Abbas dismissed the Palestine legal government and formed a collaborated Western-backed cabinet in the West Bank.

The official said Haniyeh's government may be presented to the Palestinian legislative council for a vote of confidence, but Fatah has been boycotting such meetings led by Palestine legal government in Gaza and Abbas has called them illegal. "Abbas can call anything illegal if he wishes too, but he is lying,"was a reply by an unidentified Palestinian in leadership.

There is a growing consensus among the majority of Palestinians, with Mahmoud Abbas’s current ordered Fatah (PLO) terrorist attacks both globally and domestic that he is insane.