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Wednesday, October 28, 2009     GET REAL

Palestinian Authority to crack down on crime
in apparent bid for political traction

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has drafted plans for an anti-crime campaign throughout the West Bank, as it faces a sharp drop in political support.   

Officials said Prime Minister Salam Fayad has ordered a law and order campaign throughout the West Bank that would demonstrate the utility of the newly-trained and -equipped PA security forces. They said the campaign, launched as the PA set elections for Jan. 24, 2010, would include a crackdown on drug traffickers, car thieves, violent crime and the establishment of a tourist police.

"There is a need to show the people that the security forces are working in their interests," an official said.


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The law and order campaign was said to have begun in late October in the Bethlehem district. Police and the National Security Forces cooperated in a series of raids of suspected chop shops and seized nearly 100 unregistered vehicles. Six people were arrested in the Bethlehem-area town of Beit Fajar.

PA security forces have also intervened to stop violence by Palestinian clans. Officials said police and NSF units, which arrested 34 people, conducted operations to stop clan battles in the West Bank cities of Hebron and Kalkilya.

In Jericho, authorities raided businesses said to have imported foul meat from neighboring Jordan. On Oct. 21, 300 kilograms of unfit meat was reported to have been seized and several importers were arrested.

For its part, NSF has been training to identity and defuse bombs. Officials said NSF bomb squads were operating in towns in the northern West Bank, deemed as containing a large presence of opposition Hamas and Islamic Jihad agents.

Officials said the campaign has been overseen by the European Union and the United States, responsible for training the police and security forces. In October, the EU COPPS program concluded training of PA officers and prosecutors in crime scene investigation, particularly forensics.

"The EU engagement will remain intense and focused in order to achieve the goals of the Palestinian Authority in the security area, in cooperation and coordination with the other donors and in full partnership with the Palestinian Authority," EU special representative Marc Otte said during a visit to Bethlehem on Oct. 10.



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