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Article: Candidate Abbas confronts delicate balance on Hamas.(WORLD)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- January 3, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Joshua Mitnick, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - On a weekend campaign swing through the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Abbas alternately criticized Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and pledged not to forcefully disarm the militants who fired them.
The remarks, made amid new Israeli military incursions into the volatile strip, highlighted the delicate balancing act being played by the front-running presidential candidate as he lines up support a week before the Jan. 9 vote.
On Saturday, gun-toting militants carried Mr. Abbas on their shoulders through the southern border town of Rafah. Yesterday, he was in the northern Gaza Strip - an ...