Ethnic Divisiveness - What's In a Name? - Reprise

An addendum to yesterday's posting:

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Brazen Fatah gangs may seal Abbas' fate

Inability of Palestinian leader to control gunmen and anarchy is driving voters into Hamas camp.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip -- They have turned into one of Mahmoud Abbas' biggest headaches -- thousands of disgruntled gunmen linked to the Palestinian leader's own Fatah Party.

The brazen gangs, born during the Palestinian uprising, are blamed for a surge of kidnappings and violence in the Gaza Strip that is driving many voters into the arms of the more disciplined Islamic militants of Hamas heading into the Palestinian election Wednesday.

Coupled with disgruntlement over Fatah's long problems with corruption, voter anger over the anarchy has party leaders bracing for a drubbing that could end its four decades of dominating Palestinian politics.

All sorts of homilies or platitudes come to mind, including:

• Live by the sword; die by the sword
• As you reap; so shall you sow

Perhaps this is a predictor of what will happen to those anti-freedom fighters elsewhere.