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08/01/2004: "Foretaste of the future"

The future Democratic People's Islamic Republic of Palestine showed off what its political culture is likely to be Sunday:

Gunmen loyal to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat opened fire Sunday at a conference of Arafat's Fatah movement, in the latest sign of factional infighting among the Palestinian leadership.

The Fatah conference was convened to discuss reform in the Palestinian Authority and to call for elections to the Fatah leadership committees, which have not been held for 15 years.

The meeting of about 70 legislators and senior Fatah officials followed weeks of demonstrations against the disarray in the security services and corruption in the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

About 20 armed men broke into the conference on the first day of the weeklong event, firing into the air and above the stage where speakers were seated.

No one was injured, but the meeting broke up. Several delegates met with the gunmen to discuss whether the conference could continue.

With neighbors like this, I can certainly see why Israel should tear down the security fence.