Posted on 06/15/2007 9:15:27 AM PDT by SJackson
WASHINGTON
The Bush administration is telling a skeptical U.S. Congress that training moderate Palestinian troops is key to Israel"s security and its hopes for peace.
Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, the top U.S. security envoy to the region, made the case to Congress late last month why the administration is working to enhance security forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the relatively moderate Palestinian Authority president, as he struggles with the Hamas-led Cabinet for control of the Palestinian areas. Rep. Gary Ackerman
At the same time, members of the U.S. House of Representatives Middle East subcommittee wondered whether the $59 million Dayton was spending was wise given the emerging civil war in the Palestinian areas. They also noted past difficulties of monitoring P.A. expenditures of humanitarian assistance to ensure they do not reach Hamas coffers.
Dayton's testimony marked the first time that administration officials openly outlined security programs aimed at helping Abbas face down Hamas' bloody challenge to his leadership.
Security assistance for forces loyal to Abbas' Fatah Party is "truly important to advance America's national interest to deliver security to the Palestinians and, in the process, preserve and protect the interests of the State of Israel," Dayton said May 23 in testimony to the subcommittee. "We're providing a security horizon that frankly has never existed before."
Dayton outlined how his U.S. Security Coordinator office was spending the $59 million allocated by Congress earlier this year: $16 million for infrastructure improvements at crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel, which presumably help stop terrorist attacks and ease strictures on the Palestinian economy; $40 million for nonlethal equipment and training for forces loyal to Abbas; and $3 million for a program aimed at making the forces more efficient and sensitive to human rights.
None of the money directly goes to arms. However, the security assistance reportedly is part of a broader initiative that enables Egypt and Jordan to provide Abbas' forces with weapons.
Israel Backs Plan Israel is cooperating, although it is making clear it has reservations.
"We are supporting the amended Dayton plan, trying to support the security forces that are loyal to Abu Mazen," Sallai Meridor, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, said earlier this month at an Israel Project event, using Abbas' nickname. "It is not a risk-free enterprise for Israel."
Congress had allocated the funds reluctantly, and only after Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, had reduced her request from $85 million. That skepticism remained in place at last week's hearing.
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the subcommittee's ranking member, wondered whether it was possible to distinguish between "moderates" and "extremists," given the popular election of Hamas in 2006 and Abbas' governance agreement with Hamas, which is deteriorating amid intra-Palestinian fighting.
"Are there Palestinian moderates, and if there are some, how do we get more of them?" Pence asked David Welch, the top State Department envoy to the region, who was testifying with Dayton.
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), the subcommittee's chairman, raised the difficulties of assisting the Palestinians while a terrorist group governed them.
"Most Palestinians had more narrow objectives in their votes, but elections have consequences no less for Palestinians than for ourselves in the United States," he said. "A legitimate election doesn't absolve candidates of their crimes, and there is more to democracy than a fair counting of ballots. Elected terrorists are still terrorists."
Ackerman also wondered about the Bush administration's ability to follow through on making the sides adhere to security agreements, noting the failure of a promising 2005 effort to secure the crossings.
"The plan is heavy on administrative details and light on political reality," Ackerman complained, referring to Dayton's explanations. "The benchmarks overwhelmingly focus on specific and often risky action items for Israel, and on fuzzy notional aspirations for the forces under the control of President Abbas. Yet again, I'm afraid we have slaughtered more trees to print paper that will fill the graveyard of stillborn American security plans."
Ackerman also worried that the Palestinians were becoming overly dependent on foreign assistance.
"Today, instead of an economy, the Palestinians have a tin cup," he said. "Yet who do they blame? The United States, Bush, Olmert, Abu Mazen, the P.A., the Arabs, the Quartet, the weather, the New York Yankees -- anyone and everyone except Hamas."
Dayton said that the training was already paying off, pointing to Fatah forces' successful defense in recent weeks of two attempted Hamas assaults -- one on the Karni crossing into Israel, the other on the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
"They knew how to work in a coordinated fashion; training does pay off," he insisted. "The Rafah crossing is totally under the control of the Palestinian Presidential Guard today."
Dayton also told the lawmakers that there were signs that Hamas' popularity was plunging.
"There have been numerous reports about the Friday prayer services that occurred across Gaza," he stated, "and how the Hamas-affiliated imams tried to stir up the Palestinian people against Fatah and were greeted with people who walked out of the sermons or, in a few cases, actually chased the imams out of the mosque."
A ton of weapons we supplied Fatah in Gaza are now owned by Hamas.
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A week old but now relevant. I won't be surprised GWB is in for another battle with Congress, including Republicans. Previous legislation barring aid to the palestinians has included a Presidential waiver for US national security. There's been speculation it won't be included in future legislation.
Exactly why stopping aid to the palestinians places US national security at risk is beyond me.
Why do we have a dog in this fight?
Nobody will ever win.
No such thing Mr. President.
L
Let’s send billions over there that will be thrown away while we cannot get our border fence built here.
Stop spending my money.
Doesn't this need to be moved to the "FRIDAY SILLINESS THREAD"?
JUST SAY NO!
Exactly. Why don’t we just tell all taxpayers that we work for the rest of the world, no matter how stupid the rest of the world is.
This President has killed any respect I have ever had for him. At this point I truly believe he’s delusional if he thinks arming Fatah or any so-called “moderate” Muslim will make a difference.
President Bush has totally lost his mind.
Memories of Jimmy Carter....unnnngggh
$59 million of our tax money. We need to cut our taxes in this country so our government can’t send this kind of money to other countrys. Who gives them the right to do this?
The James Baker boys are back running the show....J-Dams for Saudi Arabia and relentless heat on Israel for more unilateral concessions. All part of the secret war against the Jews being run by bureaucrats. Sometimes it moderates and at other times it rears it’s ugly transparent head.
Nothing short of changing the rules of engagement and adopting the battle plans of Wm. T. Sherman and Joshua is going to change the status quo.
Oh...
never mind
How long before he retires to Crawford?
Open borders. $25 Million to Kim Jong Il. Money to Palestiniants.
Stop the Insanity!
Outside of the war, Bush in his second term has been terrible. Today he blathered spanish at a hispanic breakfast while pushing his amnesty program. Next week, he’ll probably babble in Arabic and admonish those troublemakers on the right.
I voted for him twice, but now am looking for him to step aside. Heck, at this point I would consider one of those bumper stickers with the date of his last day in office.
Simply awful. And the sad part is that they have absolutely no clue how out of touch they are with most people.
For the love of peace, why?
The moral and spiritual credibility of Islam as either a faith or a theocracy is hemorrhaging daily and almost hourly. Just let it bleed!!!
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