Mahmoud Abbas

The shooting, in which two security guards died and six other people were wounded, raised grave concerns about a violent power struggle in the post-Arafat era. Some of the gunmen shouted slogans calling Abbas an agent of the United States.

The violence came just hours after Palestinian officials set Jan. 9 as the date for elections to choose a new leader -- the first vote in nine years.

Abbas' temporary Palestinian leadership has been trying to send a message of unity since Arafat's Nov. 11 death. Arafat's responsibilities have been divided among several leaders, and officials held talks with rival factions in Arafat's Fatah movement and the militant opposition groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 20, 2004
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