Posted 6/16/2003 11:56:00 AM by Ocean Guy
A hint of what's to come?

Every once in a while we get a glimpse of what's likely to come with any new palestinian state. Today's Jerusalem Post does just that with an article by Khaled Abu Toameh.

Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas official, said the PA "bears the blame for the growing phenomenon of collaborators. Hamas is unable to arrest these collaborators because the families of some of them would turn against us. Some of these collaborators are also supported by elements in the Palestinian Authority."

Criticizing the PA security forces for failing to crack down on the alleged collaborators, Zahar said death sentences handed down against several suspects have yet to be carried out. He said Hamas succeeded in capturing a number of Palestinians suspected of working for the Shin Bet in Rafah, but the PA failed to take any action against them after they were handed over to the Preventive Security Service in the Gaza Strip.

Some seem to think that by creating a new palestinian state these factions will magically come together and exercise their monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. But I am more in line with the Armed Liberal in thinking that it's putting the cart before the horse to create a second palestinian state before the Arabs have some sort of unified voice/force to speak for the new nation.