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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (38033)	4/5/2004 6:18:37 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793957

Newspaper: Arafat Agrees to New Palestinian Leadership Body to Include Hamas The Associated Press RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is prepared to include the militant Hamas group in a new Palestinian leadership organization that would function alongside the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian newspaper reported Monday. The Al Ayyam daily, which is close to Arafat's Fatah faction, said Arafat was willing to include Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant organization, in a unified leadership group, though it did not specify what the group's function would be. In the past Palestinian Authority officials have said they would be willing to cooperate with Hamas if it recognized the authority's leadership. Hamas has so far not responded to the proposals. Al Ayyam quoted Fatah Central Committee member Hani al-Hassan as saying the new leadership group could easily coexist alongside the existing leadership structure. "Forming a unified Palestinian leadership does not contradict the Palestinian Authority as it is an internal Palestinian factional issue," it quoted him as saying. Arafat's critics have accused him of being an autocratic leader, unwilling to share power with his prime minister and refusing to groom a successor. Over the past several days, the Palestinian Authority has been holding meetings with Palestinian militant groups on how to run the Gaza Strip after a possible Israeli withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party says he is committed to a complete withdrawal. Hamas has so far not agreed to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority in running Gaza. This story can be found at: ap.tbo.com