|
Khaled Abu Toameh
|
Gatestoneinstitute.org
|
Wed Jun 20 2012
|
The security crackdown in the West
Bank has nothing to do with combating terrorism. The arrests and confiscations
of weapons are part of an effort by the Palestinian Authority to fight crime
and dissension within its own ranks.
The security crackdown in the West
Bank has nothing to do with combating terrorism. The arrests and confiscations
of weapons are part of an effort by the Palestinian Authority to fight crime
and dissension within its own ranks.
|
In
recent weeks, the Palestinian Authority security forces have been launching a
massive crackdown on anarchy and lawlessness in various parts of the West
Bank.
The
crackdown was ordered by Abbas after he discovered what many Palestinians
have known for a long time: that his security forces and Fatah loyalists are
responsible for the chaos and anarchy.
Palestinians
say this is the biggest operation to be carried out by the Western-funded
security forces since Mahmoud Abbas was elected to succeed Yasser Arafat as
president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005,
Dozens
of Palestinian security officers, some of them holding very high ranks, have
thus far been rounded up and transferred to a Palestinian prison in Jericho.
The
officers, who were trained and armed by US and EU security experts over the
past years, are suspected of involvement in various types of crime, including
extortion, armed robbery, kidnappings, physical assaults and fraud. Some of
them, according to Palestinian sources in the West Bank, are also suspected
of involvement in trafficking weapons and drugs, The clampdown was ordered by
Abbas following a series of incidents in Jenin, which reached their peak when
unidentified gunmen opened tried to assassinate the Palestinian governor of
the city, Kadoura Musa, who was not hurt in the assassination bid, but died a
few hours later of a massive heart attack.
Jenin
residents said that the assassination attempt provided further evidence that
the Palestinian Authority has lost control over their city. They said that
for the past few years, Jenin has been under the control of local gangs whose
members consisted mostly of former Fatah militiamen and security officers.
The
ongoing security crackdown has also resulted in the arrest of scores of Fatah
gunmen who were part of the faction's armed wing, Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
These
security officers and Fatah gunmen have been imposing a reign of terror and
intimidation on Palestinians not only in Jenin, but in other parts of the
West Bank, including Nablus, the largest Palestinian city, and its nearby
Balatta refugee camp.
Palestinian
security sources say that the crackdown has also resulted in the confiscation
of dozens of rifles and pistols, as well as large amounts of ammunition, that
were found in the possession of clans, armed gangs and unruly security
officers.
But
while many Palestinians have expressed satisfaction with the decision to
restore law and order, others have, meanwhile, criticized Abbas for acting in
a "hysterical" manner.
Abbas's
critics complain that the weapons that his security forces have confiscated
were being kept for use against Israel.
In
Balatta refugee camp last week, dozens of Palestinians took to the streets,
chanting slogans against Abbas and his security forces. The protest drew a
harsh response from Abbas, who instructed his security personnel to expand
the crackdown inside the camp.
In
the short term, the Palestinian Authority may succeed in restoring law and
order to areas under its control in the West Bank. But in the long term, the
clampdown will increase bitterness and frustration among a large number of
Fatah gunmen and security officers who feel betrayed by Abbas.
Abbas
loyalists argue that their president if facing an "international
conspiracy" aimed at undermining and isolating him because of his
refusal to resume peace talks with Israel. According to these loyalists,
Abbas's enemies have been arming and funding disillusioned Fatah gunmen and
security officers in a bid to spread anarchy and lawlessness in the West
Bank.
Sources
close to Abbas have identified the primary enemies as Mohammed Rashid, a
former aide to Yasser Arafat, and Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah security
chief. Both Rashid and Dahlan are currently waging a smear campaign against
Abbas and his two businessmen sons, Tarek and Yasser, accusing them of
financial corruption and abuse of power.
The
security crackdown in the West Bank has nothing to do with combating
terrorism. The arrests and confiscation of weapons are part of an effort by
the Palestinian Authority to fight crime and dissension within its own ranks.
The
clampdown could last for weeks or months. Abbas is fighting to regain control
over refugee camps and other Palestinian communities that have fallen into
the hands of gangsters and thugs.
In
the last week, Abbas has renewed his threat to go back to the UN to ask for
recognition of a Palestinian state if Israel does not comply with his demand for
a freeze of settlement construction and acceptance of the pre-1967 lines as
the future borders of the state. But before he heads back to New York, Abbas
will have to prove that he has not lost control over certain parts of the
territories which are supposed to be under his jurisdiction.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment