Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday he could not impose law and order in the Palestinian areas until Israel hands over control of West Bank cities and urged Israel to return to talks on their transfer. "We have no control on the ground," Abbas told a news conference in Ramallah. Abbas said Palestinian forces would only be effective once Israeli troops leave. "Nobody can say we hold responsibility for the situation because we do not have a presence in the cities," he said. Israel had promised to hand over five cities following the Feb.8 cease-fire declaration but suspended talks after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed five Israelis at a Tel Aviv night club last weekend. Abbas said the two sides must move ahead with transferring control of the cities. "The Israelis have stopped the talks and we call on them to resume the dialogue as soon as possible," Abbas said.
