News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Fatah security forces were on high alert Thursday morning as they prepared for the arrival later in the day of US President George W. Bush. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Bush in his Ramallah headquarters at the Muqa’ata, once the stronghold of former PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat.

A senior Fatah official was quoted by Ynet as saying the PA expects Bush to pressure Israel into coming through with the security concessions promised by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during talks in Annapolis and moving ahead to final status negotiations.

A quiet threat was added as well: “Without a serious diplomatic agreement with Israel, the Palestinian leadership will have to reconsider its moves in the domestic Palestinian arena, including the renewal of dialogue with Hamas. Abbas has received millions of dollars in renewed funding, thousands of new weapons and other equipment for his “PA security police” and military training for them from the US, based on his promise not to enter into unity talks with Hamas.