<http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L05748913&WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_C4_Crises-4> U.S. to give Abbas forces $86 mln in power struggle Fri 5 Jan 2007 3:12 AM ET
(Adds details) By Adam Entous JERUSALEM, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Bush administration will provide $86.4 million to strengthen security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expanding U.S. involvement in Abbas's power struggle with Hamas, documents showed Friday. Fighting between Abbas's Fatah faction and the Hamas, the ruling Islamist group, has surged since talks on forming a unity government collapsed and Abbas called for early parliamentary and presidential elections. Hamas accused Abbas of mounting a coup. The U.S. money will be used to "assist the Palestinian Authority presidency in fulfilling PA commitments under the road map (peace plan) to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and establish law and order in the West Bank and Gaza," a U.S. government document said. The document said Lieutenant-General Keith Dayton, the U.S. security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinians, would implement the $86.362 million programme "to strengthen and reform elements of the Palestinian security sector controlled by the PA presidency." The U.S. money will 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 organise shipments of guns and ammunition to the presidential guard from Egypt and Jordan, and that the latest shipment was made last week. Clashes between armed units loyal to Hamas and Fatah have increased in recent days. Six people were killed in factional fighting on Thursday alone. The money for the presidential guard was initially earmarked for U.S. aid programmes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but those programmes were "cancelled or suspended after Hamas took power earlier this year," the U.S. document said. Officials familiar with the U.S. security plan said the money would not be used to pay the salaries of members of the presidential guard. Abbas's presidential guard currently 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. Palestinian sources said the guard could grow to 10,000 members. Hamas says its own "Executive Force" has nearly 6,000 members and will also be expanded. Hamas receives funding from Iran and other Islamist allies. -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>
