The Military Mission in “Palestine”
In February 2005, the Administration named Lt. Gen. William Ward, USA, “American security coordinator” in the Palestinian Authority territories and tasked him with consolidating and improving Palestinian “security forces.” The mission, in our view, was flawed (JINSA Reports 467, 468 and 521) and the result of American intervention was simply better trained terrorists.
In February 2005, the Administration named Lt. Gen. William Ward, USA, “American security coordinator” in the Palestinian Authority territories and tasked him with consolidating and improving Palestinian “security forces.” The mission, in our view, was flawed (JINSA Reports 467, 468 and 521) and the result of American intervention was simply better trained terrorists.
Lt. Gen. Ward’s successor is Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, USA. His job is complicated by the fact that the U.S. no longer recognizes the Hamas-led PA government. But according to Ha’aretz, Lt. Gen. Dayton is arming and training “the Presidential Guard of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to prepare it for a potential violent confrontation with Hamas forces in Gaza. Palestinian sources say the training of 400 Force 17 troops…started a month ago in Jericho under the guidance of an American military instructor.” Force 17 was Arafat’s praetorian guard, attacking recalcitrant Palestinians as well as Israelis. Abu Mazen inherited it.
Messing with Force 17 suggests that the U.S. is entering the nascent Palestinian civil war on the side of Abu Mazen – the less offensive terrorist – hoping he will use our help to put down Hamas rather than using it to kill ever more Israelis. We’re not sure.
The Administration, staunchly pro-Israel and anti-terrorist, still believes “Palestine” is a social problem, not an existential threat to Israel. The President said he “weeps” for the Palestinian people. Secretary Rice said, “The great majority of the people just want a better life. I just don’t believe mothers want their children to grow up to be suicide bombers… (They) want their children to grow up to go to university.” We find serious evidence that the Palestinians have other priorities.
Note: Palestinian polling data in September shows 67 percent of Palestinians do not believe Hamas should recognize Israel; 75 percent believe Gaza withdrawal was a victory for “armed struggle”; 57 percent support armed attacks against Israeli civilians inside Israel; and 63 percent agree that Palestinians should use the same methods as Hezbollah such as launching rockets at Israeli cities.
Note: WorldNetDaily reports, “Palestinian preachers in several major mosques in the West Bank and Gaza are celebrating the anti-American violence (in Iraq) as a gift from Allah bestowed upon Muslims through prayer during the holy month of Ramadan, according to congregants.”
Note: MENL reports, “Israel has determined that the Hamas-led PA has received advanced, Russian-made, AT-14 Kornet anti-tank missiles with a range of 5.5 km. and a high level of accuracy… capable of changing the strategic balance in the region… threaten Israeli military operations… (and) target civilian and military sites inside Israel.”
Dr. Rice did say of the Palestinians, “If human beings don’t want a better future, don’t want their children to grow up in peace and have opportunities, then none of this is going to work anyway.” That dark possibility should be kept front and center as Lt. Gen. Dayton carries out his rather dubious mission.