Since at least 2006, the U.S. has been funding and training -to the tune of 161 million American tax dollars so far- a huge, and professional “Palestinian” army to take over when if they get another state. The individual heading this future debacle is Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, U.S. security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Lt. Gen Dayton has lived and worked in Jerusalem and across the West Bank, overseeing the creation of three “Palestinian” battalions of troops, hand-picked in the West Bank, trained at an academy in Jordan, and then deployed in the Judea and Samaria. These three 500-man battalions are intended to grow, to as many as ten battalions. During a speak to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (“WINEP”) Dayton stated that their mission is to “create a Palestinian state.“
Frighteningly, the training which has already occurred is only the beginning. While speaking in Tukarm (In Judea/Samaria) Lt. Gen Dayton stated that “If it goes the way the administration has asked for, we will accelerate dramatically what we are doing here in terms of training and equipment, and filling in the gaps in between.”
The additional training program requires approval from Congress for more funding that would allow the construction for more “Palestinian” military bases in Judea and Samaria. Without defining the cost of the additional training and construction, Dayton stated it will entail “more financial support than we have ever had before.” That is quite a statement about a group that has received more than 1 billions dollars per year from the U.S. alone.
Both the past Bush administration and the current Obama government declared the training helps the standing and security of PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, who they foolishly consider a moderate peace partner for Israel, despite his refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and his “government’s” policy of killing people who sell land to Jews.
This brilliant idea was born of the naive belief that these troops would primarily be deployed against two targets in Judea & Samaria: criminal gangs, and Hamas. Lt. Gen. Dayton is no dummy. He fully recognizes that by organizing and training thousands of highly organized “Palestinians”, professionally led, he is creating in effect a nationalist army that like all other attempts to train, fund, and outfit “Palestinians” will be used against Israel. From his comments to WINEP, you would think that this was actually his intent.
Responding to a question from Paul Wolfowitz, Dayton responded to these concerns by issuing a not-so vailed threat to Israel stating that: “the troops can only be strung along for just so long…there is perhaps a two-year shelf life on being told that you’re creating a state, when you’re not.”
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‘PA Army May Rebel’ if Israel Does not Agree to Peace Demands
His comments were tantamount to a warning that a rebellion is around the corner if Israel does not agree to PA demands, according to investigative journalist Robert Dreyfuss, writing in The Nation magazine.
“To my ears, at least, his subtle warning is that if concrete progress isn’t made toward a Palestinian state, the very troops Dayton is assembling could rebel,” wrote Dreyfuss, who also has authored a book blaming the United States and Israel for having allegedly encouraged the existence of Hamas as a way to weaken former Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat.
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In his speech, Dayton did not detail methods used by the PA security forces, but Human Watch Rights has accused the PA and Hamas of resorting torture to as well as summary executions. One PA Arab is on death row for the stated crime of selling property to Jews.
He focused on the “national security interest of the United States to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute” and his re-shaping the PA forces. He said that his position as U.S. Security Coordinator was created “to allay Israeli fears about the nature and capabilities of the Palestinian security forces,” a term used instead of “soldiers” in order not to conjure up an image of a military force in the PA.
However, his comment on the consequences of the failure to establish a new PA state indicated that the PA army – or special force – might use its counterterrorist training to attack Israel as well as possibly rebel against the PA.
Several terrorist attacks and attempted attacks the past two years have involved PA security forces. In January, 2008, a PA security officer, a PA clerk and a third terrorist were involved in the murders of Ahikam Amihai and David Rubin who were hiking near Hevron. One of the victims managed to kill one of the attackers before succumbing to his own wounds. A third youth escaped unharmed.
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Beyond the obvious problems with this scenario (the cost to the American tax payer, the threat to Israel) the training of these troops actually directly conflicts with the “Palestinian” responsibilities per the Oslo Accords -signed by them in 1993 -which limit “Palestinian” military activities. So, once again, while the U.S. is insisting that Israel follow past agreements, they are allowing (and in this case directly assisting) the Arabs flaunt their obligations.
This isn’t the first time that the U.S., or Israel has tried the “let’s train them, and arm them; what could go wrong” tactic towards Arab-Israel peace. If it were, I just might give it the benefit of the doubt -because I want peace as much, if not more, than the next person.
In only 2006, after the U.S. transferred weapons, money, and training to Abu Mazen’s (Mahmood Abbas) personal “Force 17”, the “Palestinians” stated that they would never use any force against their own people, or Hamas, but instead would us all weapons transferred from the U.S. against Israel. True to their word, not too long thereafter the weapons were used in a terrorist attack against Israel.
In 2007, (after numerous weapon transfers from the U.S. and Israel) while Hamas was squabbling with Fatah, Palestinian Authority President, Abu Mazen, called on Palestinian factions to put an end to weeks of infighting and instead “raise rifles against the Israeli occupation.”
When will we ever learn?
