A person who has recently met with Abu Mazen tells me that he has a weird habit: that he extends his two fingers in the air, only as a signal for an aide to rush with a cigarette. He then extends the cigarette in the air, for the aide to pick it up from between his fingers. In meetings, Sa'ib `Urayqat always offers this: his excellency the president (Abu Mazen) does not want me to say this but i will say it anyway: he calls me very morning to check on the food needs of Gaza people.