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Last update - 05:44 06/01/2008 PA forces loyal to Abbas detain two Hamas leaders in Ramallah By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Staff, and Reuters Tags: explosives lab, Nablus, PA  RAMALLAH - A Palestinian security force loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas detained two Hamas leaders for seven hours on Saturday after one of them said publicly the Palestinian Authority was behaving like Israel. Faraj Rummana told Reuters that he and Hussein Abu Kwaik were held in separate cells and questioned by the Preventive Security Service (PSS) in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Abbas's Fatah faction holds sway. A Palestinian security official confirmed the two men had been summoned to PSS headquarters. Advertisement Earlier in the day, Abu Kwaik said on Al-Jazeera television that Palestinian forces in the Ramallah area had arrested dozens of Hamas activists recently and were acting like Israeli occupation forces. Both Rummana and Abu Kwaik are prominent West Bank leaders of Hamas. In the television interview, Abu Kwaik called on Abbas to dismiss the West Bank-based government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in order to stop the arrests of Hamas supporters. Rummana said he and Abu Dweik were held for seven hours and questioned about the comments made to Al-Jazeera. A security official told the two men before they were released to ensure that Hamas "did not make trouble" during U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to the West Bank and Israel next week, Rummana said. Fatah has said many of its supporters have been questioned or jailed in the Gaza Strip since Hamas took over the territory. Hamas has denied the arrests are politically motivated and said jailed Fatah activists had broken the law. Abbas to meet with Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh Abbas traveled to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to meet with King Abdullah on the possibility of renewing talks between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas. Riyadh has been actively urging Abbas to renew contacts with the radical Islamist organization that took over the Gaza Strip following a brief battlewith Fatah in June. For his part, Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshal called on Abbas to renew the dialogue with his group without preconditions. "We are ready for dialogue without conditions," Meshal said. "Our hand is extended out and all the issues in dispute can be put on the table," he added. But Meshal also demanded that Fayyad's government resign and called on the Palestinians to undermine its efforts to govern. He said its behavior is detrimental to the interests of the Palestinian people. PA forces uncover Hamas explosives lab in Nablus Palestinian security forces uncovered a Hamas bomb-making laboratory in Nablus a week ago, where 33 kilograms of mercury and other materials used to make bombs were found, Palestinian sources said Thursday. The bombs were to be used against Israel but also against Palestinian Authority targets, the sources said. The hazardous materials were found in a building Palestinian intelligence believed was serving as a Hamas arms cache. Mercury is often used to complete the electrical circuit in bombs - basically an "on" switch for detonation. In recent weeks the Palestinian security forces carried out a broad security operation in Nablus against Hamas networks. Several dozen Hamas activists were arrested, and most were released after they agreed to turn in their weapons and avoid any activities against Israel or the PA. The governor of Nablus, Jamal Muhaisen, said the PA has confiscated 120 weapons held by Hamas, mostly M-16s but also sniper rifles, Uzi submachine guns and others. The head of General Intelligence in the city, Abdullah Kamil, told Haaretz that during the operation his soldiers uncovered "extremely dangerous material." But he declined to give details. Kamil maintains that the PA security forces destroyed the Hamas network in Nablus, saying that they uncovered sleeper groups affiliated with that radical Islamic organization Kamil believes is preparing to overthrow the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. He also said the PA security services in recent months have foiled dozens of planned attacks against Israeli targets that were initiated in the Hamas network in Nablus. Muhaisen said the PA has managed to strike a blow at Hamas' financial network and has taken over the group's welfare organizations, a common conduit for transferring funds. Related articles: Israel to freeze settlement construction ahead of summit PA Police seize 40 bombs in militant stronghold in Nablus U.S. to give Nablus $1M in aid in pre-summit boost for Abbas Bookmark to del.icio.us   Remembering Anne Replica of Anne Frank annex opens in Liverpool church. After Iowa Is there room for both McCain and Giuliani's campaigns?   1.   questioned about the comments 06:00  |  vik 06/01/08   2.   Undeserved compliment 10:28  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/01/08

Today Online Bush says U.S. would defend Israel in event of Iranian strike Responses: 122 Har Homa homes slated for 'absentee' Palestinian land Responses: 24 Israel and PA to form panel to negotiate core issues Responses: 15 Gideon Levy: Bush's policies are not friendly toward Israel Responses: 5 Percent of world Jewry living in Israel climbed to 41% in 2007 Responses: 11 Editorial: The right to smoke outside without affronting others Send response Rosner's Domain Biden & Dodd: Expertise in foreign policy can only take you so far Is there room for both McCain and Giuliani? New poll: Obama, Huckabee, who's better for Israel? The Judaism of Alicia Silverstone (WTR) Rosner's Guest: How to raise Jewish children More Headlines 09:08 Israel, PA to form panel to negotiate core issues 08:14 Har Homa neighborhood slated for 'absentee' Palestinian land 10:11 Report: Israeli agents in U.S. gathering nuclear intelligence 09:57 IAF kills two Palestinian militants in response to Qassam barrage 04:56 Percent of world Jewry living in Israel climbed to 41% in 2007 08:06 Bush: We'd defend Israel in event of Iranian strike 08:03 Report finds unfair judicial procedures in military courts 05:58 ANALYSIS: Olmert gets by with a little help from Bush 04:43 Police investigate drive-by shooting death of man in Taibeh 05:44 PA forces loyal to Abbas detain two Hamas leaders in Ramallah Previous Editions Select Day 04 jan 03 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 28 dec 27 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec

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