MEET THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS

PA refuses to condemn tunnel attack
Palestinian Authority and Fatah officials have refused to condemn Sunday's tunnel attack near Rafah, saying it was a "legitimate operation" against a military target.

However, some officials in Ramallah admitted that the attack is a serious blow to PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas's efforts to achieve calm, at least in the period preceding the January 9 election for the chairmanship of the PA. The PA has in the past condemned suicide bombings through terse statements calling for an end to attacks "on all civilians, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis." Such condemnations, nevertheless, don't apply to cases where IDF soldiers or settlers are targeted.

The PA-controlled media on Monday hailed the perpetrators as "martyrs" and described the attack as a "martyrdom operation against Israeli occupation forces."