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Palestinians urge CIA to resume security aid

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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