http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10094816.html
US gives Abbas $86m to 'destroy terror network' Reuters Occupied Jerusalem: The Bush administration will provide $86 million (about Dh315 million) to strengthen security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expanding US involvement in his struggle with Hamas, according to documents seen on Friday. Fighting between Abbas's Fatah faction and Hamas, the ruling Islamist group, has surged since talks on forming a unity government collapsed and Abbas called for early parliamentary and presidential elections. The US money would be used to "assist the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) presidency in fulfilling PNA commitments under the road map [peace plan] to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and establish law and order in the West Bank and Gaza", according to a US government document obtained by Reuters. It said Lieutenant-General Keith Dayton, the US security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinians, would implement the programme "to strengthen and reform elements of the Palestinian security sector controlled by the PNA presidency". Hamas lawmaker Mushir Al Masri accused Washington of helping to mount a "coup" against the Hamas-led government. "We demand that President Abbas reject this American policy, which feeds the culture of divisions among the Palestinian people." Asked about the US money, senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said: "I have no knowledge of this." The money, subject to congressional approval, would provide Abbas's presidential guard with training and non-lethal equipment, including vehicles and uniforms, people familiar with the plan said. Israeli officials said Washington had already helped to organise shipments of guns and ammunition to the guard from Egypt and Jordan, and that the latest was made last week. The money for the presidential guard was initially earmarked for US aid programmes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank but those programmes were "cancelled or suspended after Hamas took power", the US document said. Officials said the money would not be used to pay salaries of members of the guard. Abbas's presidential guard has about 3,700 members. With aid from the United States and its allies, Abbas hopes to expand it to 4,700 members in 12 to 18 months to may be 10,000 members. Hamas said its own 'Executive Force' has nearly 6,000 members and would be expanded. It receives funds from Iran and other Islamist allies. +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
