Source: Associated Press
Oct 06, 2006
The Bush administration plans to spend $20 million in US taxpayers' dollars on additional training and arms for the personal security forces of PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas.
Washington also wants for Abbas' thousands of "presidential" guards to take over control of Gaza's primary crossing point with Israel in order to give him the credit for its reopening.
The Fatah "presidential" guard, otherwise known as Force 17, has over the past five years used its US-supplied arms and training to murder and main numerous Israeli Jews.
Nevertheless, the group is viewed by Washington as a "moderate" entity.