Abbas's nat'l security adviser Dahlan quits

A leader of Fatah's vanquished forces in the Gaza Strip announced he would resign his position in the Palestinian government on Thursday, a month and a half after his men were routed by their rivals from Hamas. Mohammed Dahlan, an ally of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said he was stepping down as Abbas's national security adviser in a statement sent to reporters, citing health reasons. Abbas accepted Dahlan's resignation.