Abbas quits
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has tendered his resignation, according to his chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
According to reports, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat accepted the resignation.
The reformist leader, backed by Washington, appears to have resigned over the Mr Arafat’s unwillingness to hand over control of security forces.
Mr Abbas has been in the job four months.
Mr Abbas called Thursday for Palestinian parliamentarians “to back him or sack him” and was preparing to confront a no-confidence vote next week.
The Bush administration refuses to play ball with President Arafat.
Mr Bush considers him a terrorist.
