West Bank, December 23, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he banned a third intifada from breaking out during Israel's deadly offensive against Gaza Strip in January.

"I will not allow a new intifada. As long as I'm in office, I will not allow anybody to start a new intifada. Never never." Abbas said.

In an interview with New York's Wall Street Journal published on Tuesday, Abbas stressed that he would not permit another uprising to take place as long as he stays in office.

Abbas, the Fatah leader who earlier said he would not run in the next Palestinian election, warned that he could not make any guarantees another intifada would not explode once he left office.

"If I leave, it's no longer my responsibility and I can't make any guarantees. It could happen," he added.

"It's not my business to follow up. I promise and I can do. And I already promised and I did during the invasion of Gaza. At that time everybody asked me to go to a third intifada, but I prevented anybody from doing it."

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)'s Central Council last week extended the mandate for the Abbas, whose term as the Palestinian Authority chief expired in early December 23, 2009.

The Islamic Resistance Movement -Hamas called the decision illegal and a "political bribe to cover up for the fact that Abbas's term in office expired a long time ago."

The PLO's Central Council also endorsed Abbas' earlier decision to call off the January 24 presidential and legislative elections due to a Hamas-called boycott of the vote in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas' popularity has dipped meaningfully following senior Israeli military officials revealing the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority had called Israel to eradicate the rival Hamas and supported Tel Aviv forces with intelligence.

In the interview, Abbas denied reports that US intelligence is working closely with PA security forces who torture detainees, but acknowledged that Americans are training Fatah forces.

Last Thursday, Guardian quoted Western officials as saying that Palestinian security agents have been torturing supporters of the Hamas movement in their detention in West Bank in cooperation with the US Central Intelligence Agency.

Agencies