MAHMOUD ABBAS, also known as Abu Mazen, the new Palestinian President who set in his ways to bring peace to the Palestinian people and their cause and to put an end to over four years of violent bloodshed. This pragmatist is a long time Palestinian activist who is neither cynical of Palestinian's aspirations nor willing to betray the Palestinian cause. He sees coexistence with Israel as necessary to his people's interests and will stop it nothing to terminate the age-old conflict.

Abbas, during his exile in Qatar throughout the 1950s, was able to help recruit a small group of Palestinians loyal to the `cause' (restoring peace and glory to Palestine). The members formed the key figures of PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). He is one of the few surviving founding members of Fatah, a political faction affiliated with the PLO. All through these years Abbas became...