RAMALLAH Ñ Confusion has clouded efforts by the Palestinian Authority to reform its security forces.
The debate pits PA Chairman Yasser Arafat against his newly-appointed
interior minister, Abdul Razik Yehya. Yehya was appointed to oversee the
restructuring of the security forces.
Palestinian sources said Yehya has insisted on employing his authority
to replace police commanders. They said Yehya was told that his ministry
would oversee the police.
But Arafat has refused to consult with Yehya and has appointed at least
seven police commanders in various regions of the West Bank, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources
said that at one point the interior minister threatened that he would not
attend a meeting in Washington next week to discuss Palestinian reforms.
On Thursday, a communique by the Fatah-led Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade
warned Palestinian officials against cooperation with international efforts
to introduce reforms in the PA. The announcement, signed by Al Aqsa
commander Haj Abu Ahmed, said any official deemed as cooperating with the
United States and Arab countries in imposing reforms would be executed.
Another issue concerns Arab and U.S. proposals for a retraining of
Palestinian security forces. At first, the PA agreed that Egypt and Jordan
would send military personnel to train Palestinian commanders.
But the sources said Arafat has refused to allow the Egyptians and
Jordanians into PA areas. They said Arafat has instead offered to send
Palestinian commanders to Amman and Cairo for training.
"Arafat is concerned that the Egyptians and Jordanians would help foment
opposition in the security forces against him," a senior Palestinian source
said. "As Arafat sees it, Egypt and Jordan are no longer committed to the
continuation of his rule."
In Washington, U.S. President George Bush said his campaign for reforms
in the PA is meant to marginalize Arafat. He said Washington and its allies
want to develop a security force that is not under Arafat's direct control.
"A security force must be designed to fight off terror, not designed to
serve the whims and interests of one person," Bush said. "Secondly, we've
got to work together to develop a constitution so that the institutions of a
new state are bigger than any one person. And that's very important."
"Thirdly, that we've got to make sure that there is the capacity for the
Palestinian Authority to account for money in a transparent way that will
give us all confidence that when we try to help the Palestinian people, the
money goes to the people," Bush said.
