ANGRY FATAH TURNS ON ABBAS

THAT'S "TURNS UPON HIM," NOT "TURNS HIM ON."

Angry Fatah turns on Abbas (JPost)

Following violent protests by Fatah activists over the weekend throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has called off a planned visit to Gaza out of fear for his life, PA officials said on Saturday. Abbas, under growing pressure to resign following his party's humiliating defeat in last week's parliamentary election, was scheduled to travel from Ramallah to the Gaza Strip for talks with Hamas leaders on the formation of a new cabinet, but decided to cancel the visit for security reasons, one official told The Jerusalem Post.

The Fatah demonstrators, who set fire to scores of cars and stormed public institutions, demanded the resignation of Abbas and veteran Fatah leaders, holding them responsible for Hamas's landslide victory. On Friday night, arsonists torched the car of Burhan Jarar, one of the Fatah officials who ran as an independent in the election. Other candidates said they had received death threats from Fatah militiamen, who accused them of aiding Hamas in its election campaign.  The turmoil in Fatah reached its peak on Friday afternoon when thousands of angry activists went on the rampage in the streets of Gaza City and Khan Yunis, setting fire to dozens of cars and attacking public buildings. ...

In Ramallah, several hundred Fatah activists entered the "presidential" Mukata compound, where they prayed at the grave of Arafat. Outside the compound, some of the gunmen shot in the air and chanted: "We came to you Abu Amar [Arafat's nickname] to forgive us for what happened." Another group of Fath gunmen also stormed the parliamentary building in the city, firing into the air and threatening workers and passersby. ...The Aksa Martyrs Brigades later issued a statement threatening to "liquidate" the Fatah leaders if they changed their minds and joined a Hamas-led cabinet.