Regarding the Hamas move to “kiss & make up” with Fatah, Ed writes this morning:

Khaled Mashaal has seriously miscalculated this time. In one fell swoop, he alleviated Abbas of all the baggage in the Palestinian Authority He no longer has the responsibility for dealing with the catastrophe in Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal. Hamas has to figure out how to feed 1.5 million people during an international embargo that only got worse this week. Even other Arab countries won’t help Hamas after their armed rebellion.

And now, Abbas can get all the international aid for himself and his organization. Free of Hamas, the West can now lift their sanctions; the US already has. That means that Abbas will start paying salaries again, bringing in food, and establishing (unfortunately) a patronage system that will only strengthen his political power. Anyone who wants to eat in the West Bank will eschew Hamas in favor of Fatah, or hopefully an even more moderate and rational organization.

Not to be a complete cynic (though that is where the abundance of my natural temperment lies), but couldn’t this be looked upon as the most elaborate “triangle offense” the Pals have pulled off yet?