WASHINGTON — The Palestinian Authority does not have security forces
capable of imposing order in the Gaza Strip, a report said.
The Washington-based Strategic Assessments Initiative said PA police and
security forces remain in disarray and lack weapons, ammunition and basic
equipment. The independent group, in a report financed by Canada and the
Netherlands, said Palestinian insurgency groups have been better armed than
PA forces.
"They lacked the capacity and capability to fulfil core functions," the
83-page report, entitled "Palestinian Security Assessment," said.
The report, conducted in cooperation with U.S. security envoy Gen.
William Ward, said the 13 Palestinian security agencies have been riddled by
inefficiency and corruption. Despite a steady growth in manpower, police and
security forces were also said to have been undermined by rivalry between
commanders. In all, PA security forces number 58,000, Middle East Newsline reported.
Strategic Assessments Initiative said PA security forces faced
overwhelming challenges in plans to take over the 21 Israeli communities
scheduled for evacuation starting on Aug. 17. The report envisioned
infiltration by Palestinian insurgents, looters and those who claim
ownership of areas in the former settlements.
"Lack of clarity in relation to the future of settlement assets, land
allocation and property rights may present a threat to stability," the
report said.
The report also envisioned the prospect of a Palestinian insurgency
missile attack on Israel's military and police deployed to evict the nearly
10,000 Israeli residents and supporters in the Gaza Strip. The group
expressed doubts over whether PA security forces could foil such an
insurgency threat.
"The current ratio of personnel to weapons is 4 to 1," the report said.
"[Ammunition] is in very short supply, and much of what is available is in
poor condition and unreliable. Meanwhile, non-state factions are, by
contrast, relatively well armed."
PA security forces appear even weaker in the West Bank, the report said.
The report cited lack of command and control as well as intervention by the
ruling Fatah movement.
The report said the PA has failed in its pledge to restructure the
security forces. Many agencies, particularly General Intelligence, Military
Intelligence, Special Security, Special Forces and the Political Direction
Department, remain outside PA control.
"This creates a risk of divergent security objectives and a lack of
coordination and doctrine,"
the report said. "It also raises the risk of these forces resisting efforts
to bring them into the fold."
PA forces were also said to lack uniformity in equipment and training.
The report cited a shortage of all-terrain vehicles and radios.
Even agencies under Interior Ministry authority have not obeyed PA
officials. The report cited the Preventive Security Apparatus, nominally
under the control of Interior Minister Nasser Yusef, but loyal to his rival,
PA Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan, the longtime commander of the
PSA.
