U.S. official doubts ability of PA to police West Bank - Haaretz

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Fri., October 26, 2007 Cheshvan 14, 5768

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Last update - 13:10 25/10/2007

U.S. official doubts ability of PA to police West Bank

By Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents

The United States security coordinator in the Palestinian Authority said he does not believe Palestinian security forces in the West Bank are capable of enforcing security needs in cities there, according to statements made recently in private talks.

General Keith Dayton's views are seconded by the PA, which recently informed Israel that it lacks the necessary infrastructure to deploy police officers in Nablus.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during talks in Washington last week that Israel is interested in furthering a process to enable Palestinian security forces to deploy in the West Bank. Barak added that Israel lifted 25 roadblocks in the West Bank recently.

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During a meeting with Israeli officials, Dayton expressed his deep appreciation for Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad and his efforts to rebuild the security forces. However, Dayton's assessments about the capabilities of the Palestinian security forces are a great deal more pessimistic than his earlier statements.

Prior to the collapse of Fatah in the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of the PA's security forces from there by Hamas forces in June, Dayton had expressed greater confidence in the forces affiliated with the PA and Fatah. Nonetheless, Dayton says these forces may be ready for operational deployment after they complete more training during the next six months.

Dayton's pessimism is shared by Israeli intelligence officials. The Military Intelligence Research Division has predicted, in a document presented to the political leadership, that the PA will not be able to assert security control over the West Bank cities in the near future.

During the summer the Palestinian prime minister also said that the PA's forces are not ready for assuming such responsibility at this time.

However, Israel is continuing with its plans to allow the PA to deploy police officers whose role will be law and order and not anti-terrorist activities. Last week in Washington, Barak informed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley that Israel is considering allowing the PA to deploy hundreds of policemen in another West Bank city, in addition to Nablus.

However, Israel also informed the Americans that even though it had authorized the deployment of 500 policemen in Nablus, the PA informed the defense establishment that it is not ready to carry this out.

Palestinian sources explained that the Interior Ministry of the PA would like to first have in place the necessary infrastructure - such as housing and vehicles - that can support the policemen in their task.

During the summer, the Palestinian National Security organization sent selected soldiers from various units for two months of training at a camp near Jericho. This was done in anticipation of having to deploy in Nablus. Now, the force is waiting for deployment.

According to various estimates, in the coming weeks the PA will complete the preparations of the necessary infrastructure for the deployment of the 500-strong force.

The Palestinian Interior Ministry and senior officials in the PA security forces in Nablus plan to initiate a major operation immediately upon their arrival to the city in an effort to check criminal activity, which is common place in Nablus. Among the more common crimes that they intend to tackle are car theft, drug trafficking, extortion and robbery.

Israeli security sources believe the PA is concerned it may find it difficult to meet the task of gaining control over Nablus, especially when they will be asked to confront armed gangs, some of them affiliated with Fatah.

There are also concerns in the PA that IDF soldiers, who will continue operating in the city in an anti-terrorist capacity, will also target the armed policemen.

Barak also told American officials during his meetings that Israel has lifted 24 dirt roadblocks and one permanent obstacle on West Bank roads in an effort to make it easier for Palestinian civilians to move in the area.

The roadblock changes are being made without publicity, as was common in the past.

Most of the roadblocks lifted are in the area of Bethlehem and Hebron, and are meant to prevent vehicles from exiting or entering the villages in the area. Some others are in the areas of Ramallah and Qalqilyah.

Barak told American officials Israel is also weighing a series of measures that would make it easier for Palestinian businessmen and traders to conduct business.

Also, recently, senior PA officials announced they intend to withdraw their request to allow the Badr Brigade, a Palestinian force in the Jordanian army, to deploy in the West Bank.

Related articles:

U.S. preparing Abbas guard to take on Hamas

Israel thwarting Hamas effort to set up West Bank security force

PA presses for arms shipments said needed to stave off Hamas

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1.	PA unable to be independent	03:31	\|	Eytan Leibovitz	25/10/07

2.	Absolutely insane	04:48	\|	David G	25/10/07

3.	Is Hamas taking over the West Bank?	04:48	\|	Al Mathes	25/10/07

4.	Why negote with PA, if they don`t control their own territory?	05:26	\|	Mike	25/10/07

5.	the U.S.A	05:30	\|	MOHAMMAD	25/10/07

6.	AT LEAST THE TRUE	05:37	\|	Commonsense	25/10/07

7.	25 Roadblocks opened?	06:27	\|	Palestinian Brit	25/10/07

8.	Mike - Why Negotiate?	06:33	\|	Mark of Lewiston	25/10/07

9.	Terrorists Should Not Rule ANY Part Of Our Land	07:19	\|	Yishai Kohen	25/10/07

10.	To David G # 7 - Ridiculous!to trust Palestinians....	08:21	\|	Dagma	25/10/07

11.	Probably because Israel bombed the crap out of it	08:24	\|	Clickfool	25/10/07

12.	Probably because Israel bombed the crap out of it	08:24	\|	Clickfool	25/10/07

13.	How can they police with the IDF constantly underfoot?	08:24	\|	Natallie Durson	25/10/07

14.	palestinains can neither police nor stop committing terror	08:39	\|	matt	25/10/07

15.	Palestinian Brit	08:41	\|	Mark of Lewiston	25/10/07

16.	Israeli Logic	09:03	\|	Anton	25/10/07

17.	7Mark of Lewiston Confusing Order ofCause and Effect	09:05	\|	Rob	25/10/07

18.	one sided view	09:10	\|	fed up	25/10/07

19.	Barak is a liar, not a single roadblock has been	09:35	\|	Hebronite	25/10/07

20.	Dead wrong, Mohammad	09:36	\|	Jason, Ph.D	25/10/07

21.	#10, Rob	10:14	\|	Anton	25/10/07

22.	David G. - EVERYTHING IS INSANE WHEN SO DISTORTED	10:32	\|	Stephen Connor	25/10/07

23.	A simple solution	10:53	\|	Chris Linthwaite	25/10/07

24.	Toothless, clawless ,sick PA	11:59	\|	Nora	25/10/07

25.	As presently envisaged the 1 and 2 states solutions are dead!	12:15	\|	redmike	25/10/07

26.	Clickfool: have you asked why...	12:21	\|	Stan	25/10/07

27.	So what? Israel couldn`t police Gaza...	12:30	\|	John	25/10/07

28.	Indeed, one of the main concerns of the Israeli public is the	12:37	\|	Avshalom Haviv	25/10/07

29.	For Stan # 26	12:54	\|	Clickfool	25/10/07

30.	An agreement with Chris Linthwaite!!!!!	13:07	\|	Stan	25/10/07

31.	Clickfool: probably just as well....	13:18	\|	Stan	25/10/07

32.	#13 Nutalie	13:31	\|	Petra	25/10/07

33.	Headline forged out from Al Qaida school of thought style	13:32	\|	Joseph E .	25/10/07

34.	#12 fool	13:33	\|	Petra	25/10/07

35.	#29 C fool re: Stan	13:36	\|	Petra	25/10/07

36.	Two Levels here	13:36	\|	Danite	25/10/07

37.	Avshalom Haviv, 28, I want to add to your idea:	13:40	\|	Michael Yaroni	25/10/07

38.	To Clickfool, Durson and Linthwaite	13:42	\|	Ehud	25/10/07

39.	#27 - he he he - time for a reality check ..	13:45	\|	redmike	25/10/07

40.	"25Roadblocks lifted recently"-Thats why yesterday Driveby worked	14:16	\|	Alan	25/10/07

41.	Is Abbas serious on fighting terror?	14:39	\|	Tosefta	25/10/07

42.	# 23 Chris Linthwaite	14:46	\|	Lynn	25/10/07

43.	Police what?	15:45	\|	El-birawi	25/10/07

44.	#22 Stephen Connor: What are you talking about?	15:48	\|	Alicia	25/10/07

45.	Stan, on the Palestinians # 31	15:49	\|	Clickfool	25/10/07

46.	@5, muhammad	16:41	\|	vladimir	25/10/07

47.	Stephen Connor - Counterinsurgency	17:53	\|	Mark of Lewiston	25/10/07

48.	Linthwaite - Are You Nuts?	18:05	\|	Mark of Lewiston	25/10/07

49.	36 Danite - Good Start	18:17	\|	Mark of Lewiston	25/10/07

50.	#9 expel the terrorists?	07:00	\|	a.syd	26/10/07

51.	RETAKE GAZA, SINAI, DON`T WAIT FOR CONDI TO CHECK,SHE IS BUSY))))	18:29	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	26/10/07

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