Abbas asks Rice for weapons from U.S.

Mahmoud Abbas

RAMALLAH – In his meeting today with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas requested a large shipment of weapons from the United States purportedly to arm his group against Hamas following recent intense clashes with the rival group, a senior Palestinian Authority official told WND.

The official said Rice, in private, expressed her support for Abbas' government and said the U.S. would review ways to bolster it, including possibly with weapons.

"Rice was very positive in her attitude toward steps needed to bolster Abbas," said the PA official. "She said an answer to our requests would likely be affirmative."

The U.S. government previously sent weapons to Abbas in May after the Palestinian leader requested the arms to bolster Fatah's Force 17 security forces against possible clashes with Hamas.

In June, WND broke the story about how assault rifles that were part of a cache of weapons transferred by the U.S. made its way to members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group, some of whom are also officers of Force 17. The weapons may have been used in a string of shootings, including an ambush against a busload of Israeli school girls here, Al Aqsa members told WND.

Following her meeting here today with Abbas, Rice told reporters the U.S. would find ways to help the PA president. She said she had "great admiration" for Abbas' leadership and for what she said was his "willingness" to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

"You have the strong commitment of the United States to that cause and the personal commitment of me and the personal commitment of the president," she told Abbas.

In Jerusalem, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Rice's meeting with Abbas was meant to strengthen him against Hamas.

"The secretary of state's visit is aimed at reviving dialogue with Abu Mazen (Abbas) and to bolster him," Peretz told Israel's leading Yediot Aharonot daily.

The statements follow clashes the past few days between Hamas and Fatah in which 11 Palestinians were killed and more than 130 were injured in Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The infighting broke out this past Sunday when a 3,500-strong Hamas militia confronted members of Fatah's security forces protesting the government's inability to pay their wages.

In a marked escalation of rhetoric, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the declared "military wing" of Fatah, threatened yesterday to kill Hamas leaders, including Damascus-based Hamas chieftain Khaled Meshal.

The Brigades, along with the Islamic Jihad terror group, are responsible for every suicide bombing in Israel the past two years. The group has also carried out scores of shooting and rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.

A senior Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WND Fatah security officials noted that in Sunday's firefights Hamas members used weaponry more advanced than what was known to have been in the Hamas arsenal, including newer styles of assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades.

The official said Abbas has enlisted senior Egyptian and Jordanian officials to help him petition the U.S. for more weapons to arm his group, particularly Fatah security forces in Gaza, against Hamas.

The U.S. considers Abbas to be a "moderate" and regularly supports his Fatah organization with money and weapons.

In May, Egypt, Jordan and Israel reportedly were involved in talks requesting weapons from the U.S., stating rifles and ammunition were needed to arm Fatah for possible clashes with Hamas. The U.S. reportedly agreed.

The weapons were transported in late May into Israel from the Jordanian border and were delivered to Force 17 by a convoy protected by the Israeli Defense Forces. The cache was driven to Ramallah and to the Gaza Strip border.

In Ramallah, the U.S. weapons were trucked to the main Fatah government building, used by both Force 17 and members of the Al Aqsa Brigades, Palestinian officials involved in the transfer told WND.

The U.S. weapons transfer reportedly included 3,000 American-made M-16 assault rifles and more than 1 million rounds of ammunition.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he had approved the shipment of weapons and ammunition, explaining the transfer was meant for Abbas' personal protection.

"I did this because we are running out of time and we need to help Abu Mazen," Olmert told reporters.

But following the transfer, Force 17 senior officer Abu Yousuf told WND in an exclusive interview the American weapons will be shared with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and utilized for attacks against Jews.

Abu Yousuf is also a member of the Al Aqsa Brigades. He hinted the weapons were used in shooting attacks in June that killed one Israeli civilian and wounded another.

Many Force 17 officers are also members of the Brigades. In June, Abbas appointed senior Brigades leader Mahmoud Damra to head Force 17. Damra is on Israel's most-wanted list of terrorists. He is accused of masterminding a string of attacks. Damra was arrested by Israel last month.

Abu Yousuf told WND the U.S. and Israel facilitated the May transfer of weapons to his Force 17 unit "for its own political purposes. We are not concerned with the reasons. The weapons will not be used against our brothers, only (against) Israelis."

Sources close to the Al Aqsa Brigades told WND the American assault rifles were used in three separate anti-Israel shooting attacks in June. One attack killed a 35-year-old Israeli Arab on a major West Bank highway on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israeli security officials say the shooters likely mistook the victim for a Jew. The second attack, which occurred June 13 on the same highway, lightly wounded an Israeli.

In the third attack, June 19, the Al Aqsa Brigades ambushed a bus carrying Israeli school girls on a West Bank highway. The bus was armored. The school girls escaped unharmed.

Abu Yousuf refused to confirm whether the American weapons were used in the spate of highway shootings, but he hinted the information was accurate.

"It is no coincidence that as soon as these American weapons arrived, we were able to carry out these accurate shootings," Abu Yousuf said.

Previous stories:

Abbas recognition of Israel 'political calculation'

Abbas to request more weapons from U.S.

U.S. weapons transferred to Palestinian terrorists

Israel's weapons used against Jews

Israeli army pushing for major Gaza assault

Officials: Hamas decided to end truce weeks ago

Israel braces for new terror war

Hamas amassing large stockpiles of weapons

Hamas missile would threaten most Israelis