Gen. Dayton admits US is helping Fatah

[oberliner]

As violence raged this week in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Fatah, US officials stressed the importance of American efforts to bolster forces loyal to the latter and said further help was necessary.

"This chaotic situation is why the USSC is focused on the legal, legitimate security forces in our attempts to reestablish law and order," said Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton, the USCC working with the Palestinians, in testimony Wednesday before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East. But he added, "The legal security forces of the Palestinian president still lack what they need to achieve … law and order."

The State Department has in the past denied that America's non-lethal training of the presidential guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah - largely aimed at securing the Karni border crossing and protecting Abbas and other VIPs - amounted to the US taking sides in Fatah's fight with Hamas.

But at the hearing Dayton highlighted the US role in helping Fatah as it faces attacks from the Islamic radicals in Hamas.

"We are leading, through the acts of this Congress, the international effort to possibly affect this worrisome situation," he said. "The security assistance plan that you have authorized me to just begin to implement is pointing the way forward for all international and regional allies."

Congress recently allowed $59 million to be used to further Dayton's efforts at training the presidential guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1178708687359&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[msmcghee]

1. Hopefully, a consistent approach from the US . .

. . and others hoping for a peaceful resolution to the I/P conflict - by way of providing whatever support we can for moderate groups and withdrawal of all support for radical militant groups - even if elected to office - will eventually provide some pay-offs in the way of less violence and more stable society for the Palestinian people.

[oberliner]

2. Questions about Fatah

The relationship between Fatah and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is still unclear to me.

That terrorist group is regularly identified as being "closely linked" to Fatah. What does that mean exactly and how is it that Fatah is considered moderate when they have ties to such an organization?

[msmcghee]

3. "Moderate" is always a relative term . .

. . when discussing Arab attitudes towards Israel. I also expect that much of the dynamics are subject to various forces that change monthly, weekly, even daily. What they say at any one time may mean nothing a week later - or the opposite.

That necessarily creates much ambiguity as to their intentions in the minds of anyone who must deal with them. That ambiguity is why Israel often chooses to not base any decisions on any confidence in what they imagine the Palestinians actual intentions might be at particular time.

The Palestinians* have consistently chosen to deal with Israel with deception and refusing to honor previous agreements. Israel is probably wise to treat them the same way - or else end up feeling quite the fools. I think Israel would be mistaken to expect anything but rockets, suicide bombs and lies from the Palestinians.

* Palestinians in this context means those Arabs inhabiting the WB and Gaza who have enough influence to control whatever level of governance exists at the time and to determine actions external to the WB and Gaza - such as rocket attacks against Israel. I do not mean all Palestinians.