'Hamas is not ready for any deal'

The vehicle stuck, its wheels continue to spin hopelessly in the sand but the driver continues to believe he is moving ahead

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat decided Saturday not to send his deputy, Mahmoud Abbas, to Cairo for talks with Hamas leaders on ending suicide bombings inside Israel. Abbas, also know as Abu Mazen, was supposed to head a high-level Fatah delegation to the talks, the first of their kind between the two parties since 1995.

Fatah officials expressed disappointment at Arafat's last-minute decision, saying it showed the PA chairman does not ascribe much importance to the meeting.

In response, Hamas announced it will send a low-level delegation to the Cairo talks, which are being held under the auspices of the European Union. Khaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas's politburo, was scheduled to lead the radical Islamic movement's delegation.
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