U.S. general says training of Palestinian security 'the most popular thing we do'
Thursday, May 21, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
WASHINGTON Ñ The United States plans to expand the security infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority.
Officials said U.S. security coordinator Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton has drafted a plan that would construct PA security facilities over the next year. They said the project would begin under the $161 million allocation requested by the administration of President Barack Obama.
In a May 7 address to the Washington Institute, Dayton said the United States has focused on training and equipment for PA security forces. He said a four-month training course was taking place at the Jordan International Police Training Center outside Amman. So far, three battalions, or about 1,500 cadets have graduated the course, with another battalion in training.
"It's the most popular thing we do," Dayton said.
A key element was the enhancement of the National Security Forces, the largest security unit in the PA. Officials said NSF would be transformed into a so-called gendarmerie similar to the paramilitary force in France and Italy.
"Although we work closely with the Presidential Guard even now, we have focused on transforming the Palestinian National Security Forces into a Palestinian gendarmerie Ñ an organized police force or police units, as it were Ñ to reinforce the work being done by the civilian police advised by the European Union," Dayton said.
[On May 21, PA and Israeli forces clashed during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Kalkilya. At least two Israeli soldiers and a PA police officer were reported to have been injured.]
Officials said the security infrastructure program began in late 2007 and included the construction of a Presidential Guard college in Jericho as well as a base for NSF outside the city. They said the next stage would be the construction of bases in Jenin in cooperation with the Israel Army.
"We are also in the midst of rebuilding a major Palestinian police gendarmerie training center, also in Jericho," Dayton said.
"Now, upon the return of these new men of Palestine, they have shown motivation, discipline and professionalism, and they have made such a difference Ñ and I am not making this up Ñ that senior IDF commanders ask me frequently, 'How many more of these new Palestinians can you generate, and how quickly, because they are our way to leave the West Bank," Dayton said.
Officials said the United States intends to train another three NSF battalions over the next year, depending on congressional funding. They said the training would be accompanied by the construction of two operational bases.
Dayton said the United States has sponsored training of senior commanders. He said two classes have been graduated from an eight-week course that focused on managment and coordination. Each class contained 36 students from the rank of major and above. He said the course would be expanded to include mid-level officers.