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Palestinians hire hundreds of insurgents for security posts

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, October 24, 2005

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has absorbed hundreds of Fatah insurgents into the security forces in a scheme it says meets with U.S. approval.

PA officials said most of the nearly 700 members of Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have been recruited for the 13 security agencies.

Officials said the PA has received funding from Western donors to establish five training camps, Middle East Newsline reported.

Under the plan, Al Aqsa fighters would agree to surrender their weapons to the PA. Officials said they would then receive PA-issued firearms as well as a salary of at least $2,200 shekels, or $500, per month.

Officials said the PA absorption of Fatah insurgents was meant to end their armed campaign against PA security commanders and other representatives. During 2005, insurgents frequently attacked officials and installations as part of Fatah's demand for jobs and funding from the PA.

Under the plan, Al Aqsa would help collect illegal weapons in Palestinian cities. Qurei said the effort would begin in the West Bank, particularly in Ramallah and Nablus.

[Over the weekend, Israel reported a string of attacks against civilians and soldiers in the West Bank. In most of the attacks, Al Aqsa was said to have been involved.]

The officials said many of the Al Aqsa fighters would first undergo a three-week training course before assuming their duties. They said training would take place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by December 2005.

"We have been planning this for a long time," an official said. "We have permission from both the Americans and Israel."

"We have agreed today to establish five new camps for training and hosting stragglers," PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, referring to Al Aqsa fighters, said on Sunday.

[On Monday, Israeli troops killed a leading Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank city of Tulkarm. The commander was identified as Lua A-Saidi a Hizbullah-financed insurgent and responsible for the killing of 12 Israelis.]

Officials acknowledged that not all Al Aqsa fighters have agreed to join the PA security forces. They said more than 100 of them receive financing from Iran and Hizbullah to maintain attacks against Israel.


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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