"The Palestinian police say they cannot impose order because the IDF does not permit its people to patrol the city with weapons. But this argument ignores the symbiotic and personal affiliation between the terror-spreading gunmen and security services, and between the gunmen and parts of Fatah. The affiliation is an old one, but is cause for greater concern now. How can Fatah reassert its authority over Palestinians in the territories? It cannot even protect the public from those who present themselves as Fatah men, and reap political and financial gain from the chaos they themselves sow."