Palestinians urge CIA to resume security aid
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Sunday, July 1, 2001
RAMALLAH Ñ The Palestinian Authority has urged the United States to
resume security aid and training.
PA officials have brought up the request in meetings over the last few
weeks with their U.S. counterparts. The officials said PA Chairman Yasser
Arafat's announcement of a ceasefire with Israel should be accompanied by a
resumption of help by the CIA to Palestinian security agencies.
Since 1994, the CIA has supplied advanced equipment to such PA agencies
as the Preventive Security Apparatus and General Intelligence. The equipment
included systems to monitor enemy communications as well as training to
improve surveillance.
The U.S. aid was halted soon after the outbreak of the Palestinian war
with Israel in September. Israeli officials complained to Washington that PA
agencies were using U.S. equipment in attacks against Israeli targets.
Officials said Washington has pledged to resume U.S. security aid to the
Palestinians once they end attacks on Israel. They said such a pledge was
elicited from PA security chiefs Col. Jibril Rajoub and Col. Tawfiq Tirawi.
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