Hamas Had to Act and it Did

A Comment by Tony Sayegh

This is a very short statement, but I will elaborate later.

Time was running out and the confrontation by the Palestinian Contras was coming. I had no doubt about it and I repeatedly expressed this view; two days ago I said this:

"I think that Dahlan and his Contras are trying to meet Condoleezza's "Benchmark" by June 21. This time, I think it is very serious; it could be an all out attempt by Elliott Abrams and his Palestinian Contras."

If there was any surprise it was that Hamas waited this long. Make no mistake about it: this is not a fight between Hamas and Fatah. Those who started this latest offensive were the mercenaries of Condoleezza Rice and Elliott Abrams. They used the structures of the PA for cover and to obtain arms and financing from the U.S., Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Condoleezza was waiting in the wings for Dahlan's Contras to eradicate Hamas, just as she is planning and hoping to eradicate Hizbullah in Lebanon.

But mercenaries, even though they are often well armed and financed, usually do not put up much of a fight. While Dahlan and some other Mafia bosses were hiding in Egypt, their paid foot soldiers and death squads were abandoning their positions to Hamas without much of a fight. They realized that Dahlan was not worth dying for.

Hamas should consolidate its position in Gaza and work with the patriotic and clean elements within Fatah to rebuild the security structures and use this opportunity to make them less visible and less vulnerable; in other words do not forget that you are still a guerrilla movement.

The situation in the West Bank is more fluid and complex and requires a different approach; more on that later.