RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has provided Fatah insurgents
with special forces training.
The PA has been training 260 members of the Fatah-aligned Al Aqsa
Martyrs Brigades in special operations tactics. Palestinian sources said the
Al Aqsa operatives have been trained in a range of light weapons, including
AK-47 assault rifles and Glock pistols and submachine guns.
The 45-day training course has been taking place in the West Bank city
of Jericho. The sources said Palestinian fighters from Pakistan and Yemen
served as instructors in a course financed by the United States.
The Palestinian cadets, the largest batch ever trained in the 11-year
history of the PA, were said to be significantly short of light weapons and
uniforms. During training, the cadets employed dummy rifles.
But the sources said the cadets would receive equipment at a later
stage. They said the weapons would come from Egypt, the United States and
other Western countries.
[On Nov. 27, the PA launched a crackdown on crime in the Gaza Strip and
the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Officials said the crackdown has
focused on drug dealers and car thieves.]
PA trainers said the Al Aqsa cadets were more disciplined and capable
than other Palestinian recruits. They said the training included rappeling
buildings, ambushes, camouflage and border security.
Since October 2005, the PA has sought to absorb Al Aqsa operatives in
the security forces. Most of the 700 Al Aqsa members were said to have
accepted the offer of employment in the security forces.
The sources said salaries for the Al Aqsa fighters began at $225 per
month. They said the pay would soon be increased to $425 per month.
