Love of the Land: The Folly of America Training the Palestinian Army

The Folly of America Training the Palestinian Army

JINSA Report #: 974
19 March '10

Fairly authoritative sources have noted that Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, the U.S. Army general responsible for training Abu Mazen's Palestinian security force/army, has become increasingly marginalized by the Fatah government. Last summer his staff was reportedly no longer directly involved in training or planning and had been "expelled" from the Palestinian Authority (PA) "Strategic Planning Department." Then came news that American DynCorp International's contract for training and mentoring Palestinian forces had not been renewed. Now, another shoe has dropped.

According to Janes' Defence Weekly as reported by wire services, the PA has drafted a plan to end American training and supervision of the force entirely. "Dayton's role would be limited to bringing money and equipment for the security forces. He would not deal with PA operations or deployment," a Palestinian official was reported to have said. "Officials said the PA leadership...determined that U.S. intervention was hampering security force development and undermining the legitimacy of the regime."

We suspect that Lt. Gen. Dayton would retire rather than be in that position, but that would suit the PA as well. He has already done the job they wanted done. He's built their army and now they want to use it as they see fit.

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Related: America's Shiny New Palestinian Militia

Love of the Land: The Folly of America Training the Palestinian Army

Love of the Land: America's Shiny New Palestinian Militia

America's Shiny New Palestinian Militia

Daniel Pipes
National Review Online
March 16, 2010

"The stupidest program the U.S. government has ever undertaken" – last year that's what I called American efforts to improve the Palestinian Authority (PA) military force. Slightly hyperbolic, yes, but the description fits because those efforts enhance the fighting power of enemies of the United States and its Israeli ally.

First, a primer about the program, drawing on a recent Center of Near East Policy Research by David Bedein and Arlene Kushner:

Shortly after Yasir Arafat died in late 2004, the U.S. government established the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator to reform, recruit, train, and equip the PA militia (called the National Security Forces or Quwwat al-Amn al-Watani) and make them politically accountable. For nearly all of its existence, the office has been headed by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton. Since 2007, American taxpayers have funded it to the tune of US$100 million a year. Many agencies of the U.S. government have been involved in the program, including the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the Secret Service, and branches of the military.

The PA militia has in total about 30,000 troops, of which four battalions comprising 2,100 troops have passed scrutiny for lack of criminal or terrorist ties and undergone 1,400 hours of training at an American facility in Jordan. There they study subjects ranging from small-unit tactics and crime-scene investigations to first aid and human rights law.

With Israeli permission, these troops have deployed in areas of Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus. So far, this experiment has gone well, prompting widespread praise. Senator John Kerry (Democrat of Massachusetts) calls the program "extremely encouraging" and Thomas Friedman of the New York Times discerns in the U.S.-trained troops a possible "Palestinian peace partner for Israel" taking shape.

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Love of the Land: America's Shiny New Palestinian Militia

Love of the Land: Washington, not J'lem, needs to issue clarifications

Washington, not J'lem, needs to issue clarifications

Dan Diker
Opinion/JPost
28 December 09

The United States' recent request for a public clarification from National Security Adviser Uzi Arad following the IDF's killing of three wanted Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades terrorists in Nablus is unusual and raises questions.

Arad's reported need to explain to his US counterparts the defensive nature of the IDF operation several days after the Iranian-backed terror cell's murder of Rabbi Meir Chai, a father of seven, seems exceptional. This IDF operation was no different than hundreds of other actions against Palestinian terror groups that have murdered well over 1,000 Israeli civilians since the Palestinian Authority launched the Aksa war of terror in 2000.

As a rule, the US has not asked Israel for public clarifications on antiterror operations. Clearly, close communications are important. There are multiple security and intelligence channels between Israel and its closest ally that have been and should be used to handle these types of security queries. The Israeli Embassy in Washington, the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, the US consulate in Jerusalem, military attaches and representatives of respective intelligence agencies are appropriate addresses.

But in this extraordinary case, the US demanded a public clarification on behalf of the PA. This clearly represents heightened US sensitivity to Palestinian protests over the IDF's "unjust" incursion into Area A of Judea and Samaria/the West Bank, where the PA has overall security responsibility, to net the Fatah-associated terror cell that resulted in its elimination.

THIS IS where it seems more appropriate that the US issue clarifications to Israel. At least one of the Aksa Brigades commanders - Annan Sabuh, who was found with two M16 automatic rifles and two other firearms - had been part of the amnesty program for former Fatah-affiliated terror group commanders and operatives that was predicated on turning in all weapons. The amnesty program was implemented in no small part at the behest of the United States and its security reform program, which began under Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton in 2005.

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The writer is director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs and a senior policy analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Love of the Land: Washington, not J'lem, needs to issue clarifications

Love of the Land: Double Edged

Double Edged

Marc Prowisor
Yesha Views
27 December 09

The US government has asked Israel to detail its operation in which Israeli Special Forces killed three terrorists who were responsible for the Thursday killing of a Jew near the community of Shavei Shomron in the Shomron region. This because the Arabs claim the terrorists killed were unarmed and of course, needless to say, completely innocent.

The fact is that in one of the places 2 M-16s were found and that these guns have been proven to be the weapons involved in the murder, means nothing, after all we are talking about upstanding citizens of the “Palestinian Authority”, and security personnel also, who may have been trained and equipped by the US, you know Dayton’s Boys.

Using a double edge sword in dealing with problems has its advantages and disadvantages. Yes, if used properly, it is a far more efficient weapon, however, if used sloppily and carelessly, it will often hurt and injure the one who is wielding it. The US is “checking Israel’s Tzitzit”, or sticking their nose a bit too far in Israel’s personal business, regarding its protection of its citizens and how Israel deals with not just enemies in words, but enemies in actions. I haven’t heard a US reaction to the murder yet that “blasts” the PLO regarding the involvement of its own arm in this heinous crime.

We read how the “Palestinian” Security or Army arrested over 120 suspects in this murder, much to the praise of the IDF, yet of course released them shortly after. It is quite obvious and understood that the new Arab Army would never arrest one of its own over the mere killing of a Jew. I really do understand this and agree with them, this would cause a major rift and dismay among the Arab population of Judea and Samaria. Imagine it to be considered a crime to kill Jews, this would go against everything they have learned, and are still learning in grammar school.

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Marc served as the Chief Army Security Coordinator for the Shilo Region in Israel from 1996 through 2006.

Love of the Land: Double Edged

Love of the Land: It's Really Hamas versus Fatah

It's Really Hamas versus Fatah

JINSA Report #948
17 December 09

While the Europeans were busy recasting Jerusalem in the image of Cold War Berlin complete with a wall and two governments-one free and one not-the Palestinians were busy revealing what their presumed state would look like. Follow the threads.

In June, Fatah reaffirmed "the right of armed resistance" (terrorism) in "Palestine." Last month, Abu Mazen said he would not run in the planned January election. This week, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) "indefinitely" extended his term and that of the Palestinian parliament, which has not met since 2007. To celebrate, Abu Mazen announced, "We will renew negotiations [with Israel only] if the settlements are completely halted and the 1967 borders recognized as the borders of the Palestinian state."

That was just to throw you off the trail. Israel is not his problem; Hamas is his problem and it is getting bigger. And the United States is heavily invested in the run up to a potential Palestinian civil war.

Hamas described the extension of Abu Mazen's term a "coup against the Palestinian constitution." Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said, "This is an illegal decision and a political bribe to cover up for the fact that Abbas' term in office had expired a long time ago." Hamas celebrated its 20th anniversary with huge demonstrations and an announcement that it will "liberate all of Palestine." Starting with the West Bank.

According to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz, the Hamas websites contain a 61-page document entitled, "Exclusive and Unique Research: The Detention Philosophy of the Abbas-Dayton Security Apparatuses and Methods of Dealing with Them," authored by people identifying themselves as "Hamas prisoners in Israel."

The phrase "Abbas-Dayton security apparatuses" should worry Americans. The United States and Israel have been touting the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces trained by American Lieutenant General Keith Dayton as key to a future peace between Israel and "the Palestinians." Five battalions have been trained and a sixth will start in January, including 2,500 officers trained since 2008-all with American tax dollars. The Obama Administration is planning to finish off ten PA battalions and has allocated another $100 million for the coming year.

The PA security forces have restored a semblance of law and order to the West Bank, permitting increased economic activity and growth, and the removal of dozens of Israeli "checkpoints." But who are "the Palestinians"? To whom do those forces belong-and to whom will they be loyal under and what circumstances? (Questions with which JINSA readers are familiar.)

(Read full report)

Love of the Land: It's Really Hamas versus Fatah

Love of the Land: Think Tank “U.S. Aids Terror Group At War With Israel”

Think Tank “U.S. Aids Terror Group At War With Israel”

Samuel Sokol
5 Towns Jewish Times
12 November 09

A new report releaed by the Center for Near East Policy Research, a Jerusalem based think-tank, discusses the possible connection between American military aid and Palestinian terrorism. The report, Implications of US Military Training of Palestinian Security Forces, was authored by center chairman David Bedein and deals with the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC), run by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton.

This report is especially relevant following remarks by a senior Fatah official last week, stating that the Palestinian Arabs may revert to “popular warfare.”

According to World Net Daily correspondent Aaron Klein, Palestinian fighters have made use of American training to engage in violent attacks against Israeli civilians.

Established in 2005, the USSC manages a multi-national team of advisors, whose role is to restructure the PA security forces and train personnel.

American tax dollars pay for advanced military and constabulary training for the Palestinian security forces at bases in Jericho in Israel and Giftlik in Jordan. The cost of training an entire battalion of National Security Forces (NSF) troops in Jordan is $11 million.

Since 2008 approximately 2,100 troops, enough to make four battalions, have been trained by Americans in Jordan. The American government utilizes advisors from the DynCorp International Corporation for training Palestinian forces.

(Read full article)

Love of the Land: Think Tank “U.S. Aids Terror Group At War With Israel”