US offers mn to prepare Abbas's forces

Jerusalem, Mar 27: The Bush administration plans to provide 59 million dollars to strengthen security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and additional money to support any future elections, US documents showed today.

The security programme, which still requires US congressional approval, was scaled back from an initial 86.4 million dollars after Abbas of Fatah formed a coalition government with Hamas Islamists in a bid to end factional fighting between the groups and ease a Western aid boycott.

The revised security package, totalling 59.36 million dollars, will be used to provide Abbas's presidential guard with training and non-lethal equipment, upgrade the force's facilities and help fund the operations of Abbas's national security adviser, Mohammad Dahlan, one of Hamas's long-time foes.

An additional 1.7 million dollars will help ''pre-position'' the US Agency for International Development ''to respond with support for any future electoral events in the West Bank and Gaza, including the next round of municipal elections'', according to US government documents obtained by Reuters.

Abbas's long-running threat to call new elections faded after the unity government was formed.

But the new government, just 10 days old, is already showing signs of internal strain. Factional fighting has flared up in the Gaza Strip and Abbas's appointment of Dahlan as national security adviser has stoked tensions.

An update to the voter rolls by the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, an independent body whose members are appointed by Abbas, and increased US funding for security and political ''party strengthening'' programmes have stoked suspicions within Hamas ranks.

The US government documents said the 1.7 million dollars in elections assistance will ''focus on ensuring that the current framework of electoral institutions and laws, including the independent CEC (Central Elections Commission), is enhanced and institutionalised''.

The US security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinians, US Lieutenant-General Keith Dayton, warned US lawmakers in closed-door briefings earlier this month that Hamas forces are expanding fast and getting more sophisticated weapons and training than those under Abbas's control.

Over Fatah objections, Hamas is pushing ahead with plans to double the size of its Executive Force to 12,000 members. The force is built mostly from members of Hamas's armed wing.

The bulk of the revised security package -- 43.4 million --dollars will be used to ''transform and strengthen the Palestinian Authority presidential guard''.

That includes 14.5 million dollars for ''basic and advanced training'', 23 million dollars for non-lethal equipment, 2.9 million dollars to upgrade training facilities and 3 million dollars for Dahlan's office.

The training will not be conducted directly by US government personnel and US officials said candidates will undergo background checks in advance. The non-lethal equipment will include uniforms and communications gear.

The security package also includes 16 million dollars to bolster security at the Karni crossing, an increase from the administration's previous request.

In addition to the electoral funds, 4.5 million dollars will help the Palestinian Monetary Authority set up a financial intelligence unit to ''counter terrorist financing and money laundering'', the documents said.

Reuters