Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., January 24, 2008 Shvat 17, 5768 | | Israel Time: 18:23 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

U.S. General Keith Dayton. (U.S. Department of Defense) Last update - 17:35 31/10/2006 U.S. preparing Abbas guard to take on Hamas By Aluf Benn and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent The Bush administration has undertaken efforts to arm and train the Presidential Guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in order to prepare it for a potential violent confrontation with Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. According to information received in Jerusalem, the American security coordinator in the territories, General Keith Dayton, appeared before representatives of the Quartet in London last week and presented them with a program for bolstering the Palestinian presidential guard. The program calls for Egyptian, British and perhaps even Jordanian instructors to train the force loyal to Abbas. However, Palestinian sources say that the training of a "Special Presidential Guard" started already a month ago, under the guidance of an American military instructor. Advertisement The training is taking place in Jericho, at a compound near the InterContinental Hotel, and involves men from Force 17, an elite Fatah force traditionally assigned the protection of the Palestinian Authority Chairman. According to reports, 400 Force 17 troops have been involved in the training since August. The Palestinian Authority Chairman's office has recently barred the access of reporters to the compound. Palestinian sources say that the training program is part of Dayton's recommended initiative for the reinforcement of Abbas' forces, and which involves the transfer of $2 million to set up the necessary training facilities. According to foreign press reports, the United States would like to see the number of men in Force 17 grow from approximately 3,500 to 6,000. Conscripts in the force range from 18 to 22, and undergo basic training for three months. Some are then selected for the Presidential Guard. In the past, Dayton had proposed that the Presidential Guard, bolstered by international inspectors, be deployed at the Karni crossing in the northern Gaza Strip in order to expand the transit of goods between Gaza and Israel. Israeli sources say that the United States is interested in the fall of the Hamas government currently in power in the Palestinian Authority. During the Quartet meeting in London, the Americans expressed their satisfaction with the results of the boycott of Hamas' government, which has undermined its standing among the Palestinians. However, the U.S. administration is also certain that the sanctions against Hamas will inevitably result in a violent confrontation between Hamas and Fatah, and in such a scenario, they would prefer to strengthen the "good guys" headed by Abbas. It is unclear whether the European and Russian representatives of the Quartet support this position. Senior administration officials David Welch and Elliott Abrams, who participated in the Quartet meeting, will arrive here Monday as part of preparations for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to Washington in two weeks. Olmert is scheduled to depart for the U.S. on November 12, and will meet that same evening with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, in anticipation of a meeting with President George W. Bush the following day. Olmert will also meet with Vice President Dick Cheney. He will then depart for Los Angeles, where he will address the annual General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities of North America. Abbas meets Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in Ramallah Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met with private delegations of religious Jewish and Muslim leaders in Ramallah on Tuesday. Among the delegates to the meeting was Rabbi Menachem Fruman, chief rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Tekoa, known for his coexistence work with Palestinian leaders over the years. No further information was given about the meeting Bookmark to del.icio.us   The father of the victim Father of terror victim slams Olmert for letting PA try the killers. And you're out German hip-hop artist thrown off reality show over Hitler salute.   1.   arming 02:36  |  matt 31/10/06   2.   Force 17 training 03:15  |  MI Quacker 31/10/06   3.   Hamas can`t last much longer 03:33  |  Dave 31/10/06   4.   So that Pal infighting is not a Pal internal affair 03:55  |  Lebanese in Canada 31/10/06   5.   This is why Olmert is a disaster 03:56  |  Sam 31/10/06   6.   Insane 04:31  |  Michael I 31/10/06   7.   Training Arab Muslims is a Terrible Idea 05:09  |  GenerX 31/10/06   8.   arming and training terrorists? 05:24  |  Rav Harley 31/10/06   9.   a big mistake!!!!!!!!!! 05:35  |  nmf 31/10/06   10.   OH yes Finally Palestinian troops will really have weapons 05:52  |  Mohammed (Abu Ali) 31/10/06   11.   That Sucking Sound You Hear Is.... 05:59  |  Klaudia 31/10/06   12.   Can`t US think anymore? 06:04  |  Benji 31/10/06   13.   # 5- Sam.. I agree 06:09  |  Klaudia 31/10/06   14.   The Ultimate Sysmbol of Betrayal 06:26  |  Timothy Stinson 31/10/06   15.   The Ultimate Symbol of Betrayal 06:31  |  Timothy Stinson 31/10/06   16.   Fatah`s enemy is Israel, not Hamas 06:44  |  Fatah memeber 31/10/06   17.   Dave, Hamas popularity not really affected by silence 06:46  |  observer 31/10/06   18.   The real culprit is injustice and occupation 07:04  |  Mark 31/10/06   19.   Here`s what I want to know 07:14  |  Johnboy 31/10/06   20.   U.S. TRAINING 07:16  |  * BEN JABO 31/10/06   21.   Man, these americans just bounce from one good idea to another. 07:22  |  Johnboy 31/10/06   22.   New Mid-East Good-Guys against Bad-Guys traitor-Guys 07:32  |  Abu Arab 31/10/06   23.   YOU WILL GOT MORE HATRED 08:03  |  indrajaya 31/10/06   24.   Did PA win democratic elections? 08:43  |  Petteri 31/10/06   25.   #16 Right from the horse`s mouth 08:46  |  Hastaroth 31/10/06   26.   Another failed US military policy 08:54  |  dave 31/10/06   27.   As IF..... 09:08  |  Raden 31/10/06   28.   US foments civil war to break elected govt. 09:40  |  raymond deane 31/10/06   29.   The issue is Iran; US not stupid 09:51  |  George Goldman 31/10/06   30.   Absolutely counterproductive 09:54  |  Fritz 31/10/06   31.   On strengthening the "good guys" headed by Abbas. 10:01  |  simon 31/10/06   32.   U.S. governement on the way to its next bloody nose !! 10:03  |  Swiss 31/10/06   33.   Stop the US warmongers 10:07  |  Michael 31/10/06   34.   UNBELIEVEABLE STUPIDITY.... 10:17  |  Zuriel 31/10/06   35.   not enough 10:20  |  B 31/10/06   36.   This is utterly wrong 10:24  |  Ben 31/10/06   37.   The "good guys" of Abbas # 31 10:33  |  Clickfool 31/10/06   38.   US HAS NEVER LEARNED FROM HISTORY 10:33  |  indrajaya 31/10/06   39.   lets help them help [kill] themselves 10:36  |  freddy 31/10/06   40.   #28 Hear, hear 10:37  |  Michael II 31/10/06   41.   Tell all the truth please 10:42  |  Ralph 31/10/06   42.   America`s plans will smash on the hard Palestinian rock 10:47  |  Mohammed 31/10/06   43.   CREATING THE NEXT ENEMY 10:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/10/06   44.   Same old conundrum 10:52  |  Stephen Connor 31/10/06   45.   #27 Raden 10:55  |  Lauren : ) 31/10/06   46.   These violent designs have violent ends 11:23  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/10/06   47.   Machiavellian 11:27  |  Paulo 31/10/06   48.   Johnboy & Indrajaya 11:30  |  Double Dutch 31/10/06   49.   `These violent delights have violent ends` 11:37  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/10/06   50.   #46, Margie 11:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/10/06   51.   US HAS NEVER LEARNED FROM HISTORY (2) 11:41  |  indrajaya 31/10/06   52.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:45  |  Gina 31/10/06   53.   Ralph the spy 11:50  |  not a poet 31/10/06   54.   Cipora 11:55  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/10/06   55.   No point in sending them A. Hass`s article on Fatah & control 12:01  |  sh 31/10/06   56.   clickfool "thieving and murdering" 12:16  |  harzion 31/10/06   57.   Margie in Tel Aviv 12:21  |  Gina 31/10/06   58.   #56 12:27  |  Scotty 31/10/06   59.   hey observer 12:27  |  Ahmed Uzufza 31/10/06   60.   U.S. Mid-East Policy is a Failure 12:29  |  Terry Brodsky 31/10/06   61.   Divide and Control... 12:29  |  Aaaron 31/10/06   62.   About the good guys of ClickFOOL #37 12:29  |  Jonathan S 31/10/06   63.   About Fritz and his flops #30 12:39  |  Jonathan S 31/10/06   64.   US HAS NEVER LEARNED FROM HISTORY (3) 12:58  |  indrajaya 31/10/06   65.   Margie and Cipora: Great Statesman 12:58  |  Ronnie Wolman 31/10/06   66.   To MARGIE re: Shalom-Salaam site 13:43  |  David James Vickery 31/10/06   67.   Question for Jonathan S # 62 13:44  |  Clickfool 31/10/06   68.   FORCE !7 turned its guns on Israel in the past. 13:44  |  PETER SM 31/10/06   69.   US and Israel want an all-out Palestinian civil war 13:45  |  Messaoud 31/10/06   70.   Bush is no friend of ours. 13:46  |  Avraham 31/10/06   71.   Ronnie: Pie in the sky 14:03  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/10/06   72.