PALESTINE - Sept. 6 - Abbas Quits.

PM Abbas resigns as Arafat has refused to give him control over security forces. On Sept. 7 Palestinian leaders held emergency talks to choose a successor, while Arafat nominated Speaker Ahmad Qurei for PM. The PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah's leadership immediately approved the nomination. US Secretary of State Powell said Washington remained committed to the "road map" to peace despite the setback. Powell also welcomed the European Union's Sept. 6 decision to classify the political wing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation. (Diplomats say a future PM could only succeed if he were given political and security powers that were denied to Abbas. Abbas blamed Israel and the US for the failure of his short-lived premiership. He says Washington had not put enough pressure on Israel to fulfil its obligations under the road map. Faced with the possible collapse of the road map, launched by Pres. Bush in early June, Washington blamed the plan's problems on obstruction by the Palestinian side). White House national security adviser Rice says: "The leadership of the Palestinian Authority, the PM and his team, have been hamstrung by internal bickering" (referring to the Abbas-Arafat struggle over control of security forces, which the US and Israel wants to see used to crack down on militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad). Powell insists a new PM must be allowed full control over security forces and a mandate to root out terrorist groups. But he rejects Israeli calls for Arafat to be expelled from the region. (Powell's comments came amid increasingly strident calls from Israeli ministers for Arafat to be exiled - see Arab-Israel).