Palestine PM vows to crack down on gunmen

Ramallah, West Bank, July 5: Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad pledged today to crack down on militants in the West Bank but said success hinged on Israeli agreement to stop pursuing the gunmen.

In an interview, Fayyad, head of the emergency government that President Mahmoud Abbas established last month after Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip, said the push for law and order would not target the Islamist group alone.

''We need to be very serious about this, regardless of who they may be, which party they may belong to. If they choose not to cooperate in this effort, they are a foe, the party is over,'' Fayyad said.

''We just cannot be serious about building a state and at the same time accepting armed militias ... We have to bring matters under control. This may be our last chance.'' But Fayyad said Israel must pledge not to take advantage of a disarmament campaign by continuing to pursue militants as it has vowed to do.

''Otherwise, what kind of credibility would your security effort continue to have? Not much, I would say. It would crumble,'' he said.

He said his government was holding talks with Israel on the issue and was awaiting a response.

''But we hope we won't wait too long because it's essential for us to deliver on the promise of providing law and order. That's a key priority of this government and we have to succeed. We just simply cannot fail.''

Arrests

Palestinian security forces led by Abbas's Fatah faction are already pursuing Hamas officials believed to be involved in forming an ''Executive Force'' in the West Bank.

Dozens have been held but many were freed after questioning, Palestinian security sources and Hamas officials said.

Hamas's Executive Force played a key role in the fighting that routed Fatah in the Gaza Strip three weeks ago.

A Hamas official told the sources that Hamas leaders in the West Bank had gone into hiding after the Gaza fighting to avoid Fatah reprisals or arrest.

He said his group had well-armed sleeper cells in the West Bank but would not act in public ''yet'' as they were under threat by the Israeli military as well.

Fayyad said some gunmen in the West Bank had already handed over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority.

''I'm encouraged, actually, by the responsiveness of a good number of people with guns who actually expressed willingness to carry out this vision and to cooperate,'' he said.

''But there's a limit to how far we can go in this area without Israelis committing to a certain stance that's necessary to ensure that our effort is successful.'' Fayyad, an internationally respected economist, served as finance minister in the unity government that Fatah and Hamas established in March.

After Abbas named him to lead a new government, Western powers lifted their embargo of the Palestinian Authority but kept sanctions in place against Hamas in Gaza.

Reuters

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