Abbas consolidates PA security forces
Palestinian Authority chairman implements long-awaited reform demanded by Israel, U.S.
The United States and Israel have long demanded the unification of Palestinian security forces as a condition for renewing peace talks, a move by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Security reorganization
All Palestinian security forces will now be placed under the authority of the National Security Forces, the Interior Security Ministry, and the General Intelligence Agency.
The National Security Forces will be responsible for various police and civil defense forces, while the Interior Security Ministry will be tasked with thwarting terror attacks.
Abbas' latest order broadens the authority of Interior Minister Nasser Yousef, who was named by Abbas as his security chief earlier this year.
Yousef will be responsible for all contacts between Palestinian security agencies and foreign bodies, such as Israel and the U.S., cutting off long-standing ties between Israel and veteran strongmen such as Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub.
Meanwhile, the General Intelligence Agency will be tasked with handling intelligence matters.
No agreement on disarmament
Earlier, Fatah, al-Aqsa and Popular Resistance Committees members met with Information Minister Nabil Shaath, who attempted to persuade the armed organizations to disarm and end all attacks on Israel.
Shaath asked Palestinian group leaders to collect weapons held by their members, so that the PA can later purchase them.
Shaath also said the Authority is willing to integrate wanted terror suspects into the Authority’s newly formed security agencies
The Palestinian minister demanded factions end all armed activity and said they are all obligated to abide by PA policies.
Authority officials hope the security reform, together with control over arms and the inclusion of wanted terror suspects in PA institutions, will help prevent intra-Palestinian confrontation.
Ongoing discussions between the two sides are presently taking place and Authority officials have said more than 200 wanted suspects have already agreed to join the security forces and express full commitment to the PA's policies.
'Our weapons are legitimate'
However, Popular Resistance Committees Spokesman Abu Abir told Ynet his organization firmly rejected Shaath’s request to disarm and said his group strongly believes the weapons it holds are legitimate.
“We clarified to Shaath that as long as there are violations by Israel, we will respond to those violations,” he said. “We will ensure Israelis enjoy no security.”
However, Abir said his group would not object to Shaath’s proposal to include wanted terror suspects and armed Palestinians in the Authority’s security forces.
“We have clarified that the Palestinian Authority and its forces are not monopolized by one factor or political force…they belong to all of the Palestinian nation,” he said
- AP also contributed to this report
