Abu Mazen may quit

Jane's ^ | 6-11-03

[hope]

Abu Mazen may quit

Two months after his appointment as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas - better known by his nom de guerre of Abu Mazen - faces difficulties that seem to him to be insuperable. Foreign Report has been told by a source close to the beleaguered leader that he is seriously considering quitting his job. This would be a major setback to a stumbling Middle East peace process.

Abdelaziz al-Rantisi, a spokesman for Hamas and a recent target of an Israeli assassination bid, said: "Abu Mazen's weakness is because his name is linked to the Oslo agreement [between Israel and the Palestinians] which collapsed." Rantisi added: "Abu Mazen's [conciliatory and moderate] policy is not supported by the man-in-the-street, who opposes it." Rantisi expected that Abu Mazen would not stay in office for long.

Rantisi has publicly rejected calls to cease attacks on Israelis under the terms of the latest peace project, the so-called 'road map'.

Another Hamas leader, Mohammed Nazal, said: "Abu Mazen represents a minority imposed on the Palestinian people by the USA and Israel." Nazal added that Abu Mazen's cabinet was isolated politically because the mainstream Palestinian faction, President Yasser Arafat's Fatah, was opposed to the cabinet's policy.

Amin Maqbul, a Fatah leader in Nablus, told Foreign Report: "Abu Mazen is not a professional politician. He was asked by Fatah to do this job [of prime minister] and would be obliged to step down if he found he could not do it without more help from Fatah and Hamas."

Early this week Abu Mazen informed a group of Fatah leaders in Ramallah about his intention to quit the job.

Abbas Zaki, a Fatah leader from Hebron, said: "The Israelis are not helping Abu Mazen because they do not want a man of peace". On the evidence available, the Palestinian leaders do not want a man of peace either.

If, however, Abu Mazen puts together a united Palestinian front to negotiate with Israel, his bargaining position would be infinitely stronger than it is now. He could hold the Israelis to their commitments under an amended 'road map'. The Palestinians would win back at the negotiating table much of the land that they lost on the battlefield. Is there any chance of this happening? Probably not.

[Mike Darancette]

Arafat must be eliminated for any movement to take place.

[ken5050]

Abbas went down to the PA's human resources department to pick up his benefits book...and was surpirsed to find that he wasn't getting any life insurance....

[cgk]

Abu Mazen is basically a puppet of the Fatah. I read an article yesterday describing a 3 hour meeting he had with 4 heads of Hamas where the outcome was said to be "positive" because nothing "controversial", like telling Hamas to stop the attacks, was discussed.

[stimpyone]

Hmmm, and Michael Jordon needs a job....do ya think?????

BTW, can anyone explain this "abu mazen" "abu abbas" thing - why is he known by two names?

[Bahbah]

One of them, Abu Mazen, is a "nom de guerre". He is such a twit.

[Grampa Dave]

No Life insurance from PA Islamofascist/Kazis LTD, and he has to live until he is 80 to collect any retirement.

[ken5050]

and he'll soon be a commentator on CNN

[Amelia]

BTW, can anyone explain this "abu mazen" "abu abbas" thing - why is he known by two names?

Mahmoud Abbas - better known by his nom de guerre of Abu Mazen

"Nom de guerre" means "name of war". "Abu" means "son of" in Arabic...but I don't know who or what Mazen is.

[Amelia]

Abbas Zaki, a Fatah leader from Hebron, said: "The Israelis are not helping Abu Mazen because they do not want a man of peace". On the evidence available, the Palestinian leaders do not want a man of peace either.

Pretty obvious.

[sam_paine]

Next!

[pabianice]

"... surprise, surprise..."

[Grampa Dave]

Also, he will be an oped writer for the NY Slimes. He will show the American People how evil GW and those from the middle east who control him.

He will fit right in at CNN and the NY Slimes.

[Cachelot]

Fearing for his life. He knows what they do to "collaborators", having played those games himself ;).

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Abu Mazen may quit

Scott Ritter has been rumored as his replacement.

[yonif]

I don't care who quits. The whole PA is a terrorist organization that must be destroyed. They are putting on a show.

[Z10N157]

Abu means "father of"...typically refering to a persons eldest son.

So Abu Mazen means "the father of Mazen". Mazen probably being his eldest son.

[a history buff]

Most Arabs, especially those in the more prominent families are interchangeably addressed by their name, as well as either as the father of their first born, as in Abu Mazen, or as the son of a their father, as in ibn-Saud, if the father was well-regarded.

While I lived in the Arab world, at times I'd hear my father referred to not by his American name, but as Abu Yusuf, by friends who knew both me and my brother Joseph.

The nom de guerre crap is the result of an ignorant journalist having a vivid imagination.

[bushfamfan]

Yes, they are all putting on a show while they are clearly encouraging their homicide bombers to murder in the callous and inhumane ways they do. They don't want peace and Arafat is continuing on with his power and that shouldn't be acceptable, but with people like Chirac in the world and others who excuse the Palestinians to no end it does nothing but condone their brutality and encourage them. There are too many excuses for the Palestinians. If Arafat stays it may as well be declared war because Arafat is no peacemaker and continues to show it. I'd say Arafat should be on the target list as this continues to happen with his knowledge and orders.

[Bahbah]

Very interesting. Thanks for clearing that up.