Aqsa Brigades to Abbas: fire Fayad, band with Hamas

Source: Al-Manar, 14-03-2008
Fatah's armed wing, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to fire Prime Minister Salam Fayad and open a "new page" with Hamas. "We renew our call to President Abbas to fire Salam Fayad and form a new government that would not abandon the armed struggle," the group said in a leaflet distributed in Ramallah.
It also called on Abbas to stop all contacts with "Israel", including security coordination. Earlier, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced that its members would resume attacks on occupied territories in response to the undercover "Israeli" occupation army killing of four Palestinian resistance fighters in Bethlehem on Wednesday night. Two of targets - Muhammad Shehadeh and Ahmed Balboul - were leaders of Islamic Jihad and the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the area.
On Thursday, thousands of Palestinians attended the funeral of the four martyrs. Many of the mourners raised Hizbullah flags and chanted slogans in which they called for increased attacks on occupied territories. Kamel Hmaid, the Fatah representative in Bethlehem, called for a crackdown on Palestinian "collaborators" who allegedly helped "Israel" track down the four resistance fighters.
A few months ago, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades called for the assassination of Fayad, accusing him of serving the interests of the US and "Israel". Several Fatah officials have issued an ultimatum to Abbas to fire Fayad or face a public revolt against his leadership.
The officials had asked Abbas to fire Fayad and his government of technocrats and establish a Fatah government. They accuse Fayad of refusing to give their representatives enough jobs and salaries in the PA government. They are also angry with Fayad because of the security coordination between PA security forces and "Israel".
Other Fatah officials have been talking about a behind-the-scenes power struggle that has been raging for some time between Fayad and Abbas. The conflict erupted following media reports that suggested that the US was planning to replace Abbas with Fayad.