Israelis may soon have a real-life "Palestinian" terror state seething on their border. Within hours of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Friday revealing his intention to fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO came together in Gaza City.
| Talk about your target rich environment. |
Throwing off the differences that have ostensibly divided them, the three organizations openly discussed merging into a single leadership movement to control the Strip when Israel leaves. An agreement between them would see the US-backed Palestinian Authority (which is under Fatah's control) snuggled up in bed between two groups that feature at the very top of the State Department's list of terrorist organizations.
| It's almost like we planned it that way. |
Reports in Israel on Tuesday - the first day of Passover - disclosed that Arafat himself had brazenly confessed his desire to have Hamas "back" alongside his PLO.
| Of course, Yasser thinks he'll be in charge. Hamas may have other ideas. |
While Washington has warned the PA not to invite Hamas into its ranks, reports out of the US indicate that President George W. Bush has decided to come out in support of Sharon's plan to unilaterally abandon Gaza.
| Gee, you don't think that might be part of the plan, do you? Nah, Bush ain't that smart, just ask Saddam. |
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