Abbas to be Discharged in 2 Days; President is Better but National Prognosis Remains Grave

A doctor treating Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for a lung infection said on Wednesday that his patient should be released on Friday. But the prognosis for the PA is far less promising to West Bankers who see no apparent successor to the 82-year-old Abbas and a potential blood-bath to find one. One-time Gaza security chief for the Gaza Strip Mohammed Dahlan continues to lead in the street corner debate division, but others, including Marwan Barghouti – jailed by Israel for five murders – is somehow right up there as are several others who lack institutional support. Complicating planning is the house speaker who would be in line to succeed Abbas in case the incumbent dies in office, but as a Shiite, it’s unlikely the opportunity will arise.