Abbas posters take over Ramallah

Firas Press reports that suddenly, Ramallah and other West Bank towns are being covered in posters depicting Mahmoud Abbas/Abu Mazen. No one is taking credit for this proliferation, but it is irritating residents and prompting uncomplimentary graffiti.

Message boards are trying to guess at the reasons for this, some suggesting that since he spends so much time traveling, it is to remind people what he looks like.

Abbas' people deny being behind this.

One analyst is quoted as saying that this is an attempt to solidify Abbas' (perceived) leadership, not only of the PA but also of the PLO, which Hamas had recently threatened to subvert by creating an alternative.

Either way, some towns in Fatah-ruled territory are starting to look like Saddam Hussein's Iraq.