Palestinian Fatah militants show their skills during a graduation ceremony near the Gaza Strip refugee camp of Bureij. The Fatah Militant Training Course is grueling enough by itself, but the graduation ceremony's Demonstration of Essential Skills Event is even tougher -- less than half the entering class of candidates successfully completes graduation. Normally the Fatah Militant Graduation Ceremony is scheduled to coincide with the Fatah Medic and Emergency Trauma Unit Graduation Ceremony on the adjoining parade ground, but unfortunately this year there was a scheduling conflict with the Gaza Strip's Semi-Annual Trained Poodle Exhibition, which forced a delay of the Medics' graduation until the following day. As several owners of the adjacent canine competitors pointed out, while the absence of the medics was an unfortunate inconvenience to many of the graduating militants, the poodles nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed joining in on the militant fun. It has also been confirmed that all untended burn victims will still enjoy full martyr's benefits in the world to come. (AFP/Mahmud Hams)
(for original photo and caption, click on the image)
