Dayton said the most likely area for the expansion of PA security
control would be the northern West Bank. He said the Israel Army has been
impressed with the performance of the PA National Security Forces around
Jenin.
"There has been progress already — I want to make sure you know that —
as far as the IDF efforts to present a reduced Israeli security presence,
especially in the north," Dayton said.
Officials said the U.S. plans also include the enhancement of the PA
Civil Defense Agency. They said a British team under Dayton has been working
with PA emergency services, including firefighters and ambulances.
"We also have something in our pocket called the West Bank Training
Initiative where we have plans to continue a series of courses in the West
Bank on logistics, leadership, first aid, maintenance, English language,
battalion staff training, and driver education," Dayton said. "These are led
by our British and Turkish officers with an eye to eventually turning this
over to the Palestinians themselves."
Dayton said the three newly-trained PA security battalions have
demonstrated effectiveness in the southern West Bank, particularly Hebron.
He said both Israeli military commanders as well as the major clans in Hebron
were expressing satisfaction with the bolstered PA security presence.
"Across the West Bank, these security campaigns have featured clamping
down on armed gangs amid a visible police presence, dismantling illegal
militias, working against illegal Hamas activities, and focusing on the
safety and security of Palestinian citizens," Dayton said.
Still, the general said PA security forces continued to face a
significant threat from Hamas. Dayton said PA forces would require help in
counter-insurgency, border security and crisis management.
"Very serious work needs to be done on terrorism, and we are actively
exploring options with the Palestinians, with the Jordanians and with the
Israelis," Dayton said.
Michael Herzog, chief of staff to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
agreed that PA security forces have improved significantly over the last
year. But he said PA security forces were far from ready from assuming full
security responsibility in the West Bank.
"Those three [PA] battalions that have already finished their training
and deployed in the West Bank are doing a good job," Herzog said. "It's not
that they can assume full security responsibility in the West Bank, but we are
on the right way. And for the first time, I see some sense of professional
pride there that we've never seen in these forces."
