Posted on 05/27/2007 7:58:51 AM PDT by SJackson
As violence raged this week in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Fatah, US officials stressed the importance of American efforts to bolster forces loyal to the latter and said further help was necessary.
"This chaotic situation is why the USSC [United States security coordinator] is focused on the legal, legitimate security forces in our attempts to reestablish law and order," said Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton, the USCC working with the Palestinians, in testimony Wednesday before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East. But he added, "The legal security forces of the Palestinian president still lack what they need to achieve … law and order."
The State Department has in the past denied that America's non-lethal training of the presidential guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah - largely aimed at securing the Karni border crossing and protecting Abbas and other VIPs - amounted to the US taking sides in Fatah's fight with Hamas.
But at the hearing Dayton highlighted the US role in helping Fatah as it faces attacks from the Islamic radicals in Hamas.
"We are leading, through the acts of this Congress, the international effort to possibly affect this worrisome situation," he said. "The security assistance plan that you have authorized me to just begin to implement is pointing the way forward for all international and regional allies."
Congress recently allowed $59 million to be used to further Dayton's efforts at training the presidential guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.
The money, however, didn't go through the normal appropriation process, as the White House took previously approved funds and simply reallocated them.
Dayton pushed the case for further US assistance to the Palestinian guard, despite months of efforts on the ground that have seemed to have little effect against the well-disciplined and well-supplied Hamas.
"We are entering a rough patch," Dayton acknowledged, "but all is not lost and our regional partners share that sentiment. However, it is critical that those who support the legitimate authority and forces represented by President Abbas receive the critical assistance they need."
Dayton is visiting the US from Israel, where he is based, and testified before the Middle East subcommittee at the behest of its chairman, Gary Ackerman (D-New York).
In response to a question about Israel's security raised by subcommittee ranking member Mike Pence (R-Indiana), Dayton assured the members, "Nothing we do to strengthen the Palestinian's security capability will be targeted against Israel … The presidential guard will not become a threat to Israel."
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Fatah's armed wing claims responsibility for attack near Jerusalem
http://english.people.com.cn/200705/27/eng20070527_378318.html
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, armed wing of Fatah of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, claimed responsibility on Saturday night for an earlier attack on Israeli troops in east Jerusalem.
Two Palestinian gunmen were killed after they opened fire at two Israeli security guards in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Saad, Israel Radio quoted local police sources as saying, adding that the two Israeli security guards were moderately wounded.
An anonymous spokesman of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades told several local reporters in the West Bank on telephone that two of its militants carried out the armed ambush against an Israeli border police force near the security fence that Israel builds outside the Sheikh Saad neighborhood.
The two militants of the group were killed after they wounded five Israeli border police officers, two of them are in serious conditions, said the spokesman.
Israeli police said that it had earlier received more than 10 warnings that Palestinian gunmen were planning armed attacks against Israel.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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Rather embarassing when it happens on the same day.
Nothing we do to strengthen the Palestinian's security capability will be targeted against IsraelFatah's armed wing claims responsibility for attack near Jerusalem
This is like when we sent arms to the Germans in 1939. Oh wait... that never happened because we weren’t INCREDIBLY STUPID back then.
Next, why don’t we send a dozen or so nuclear weapons to Iran.
No kidding.
It really must have been the fluoride in the water or something. Way too much brain damage going around to have occurred naturally.
The herd needs culling.
*****”We are entering a rough patch,”****
Rough patch? This “rough patch” has been going on since 5 Arab nations attacked Israel on the day it was born.
Things like this make you go Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
It’s going to be a long, hot summer.
We won’t support extremist governments except to support them against other extremist governments. /sarcasm
prey = pray, I presume.
Or Freudian slip?
Sorry
Too stupid to comment on.
“Yup prey for people of Israeli”
I think you meant “pray”
...but it may come to what you said.
Yeah i misspelled the worry it was mistake
“Yeah i misspelled the worry it was mistake”
I thought it was funny - that the terrorists will become “prey” for the Israelis.
Uh huh...put the road map down, General. It's full of dead end streets.
It actually made sense as “prey,” too.
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