Known terrorist on Abbas' presidential guard

JERUSALEM – A well known terrorist has been discovered today working for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Force 17 presidential guard unit, WND has learned.

Abbas long has claimed his presidential guard unit, which receives large sums of U.S. aid and weapons, is not infiltrated by terror organizations.

Hamas today ambushed a Force 17 convoy the terror group claims was transporting American weapons delivered last night to militias associated with Abbas' Fatah party. A battle raged between Hamas gunmen and Force 17 guards accompanying the convoy. Four Force 17 officers were killed.

The Islamic Jihad terror group told WND among those killed serving with Force 17 was Nidal Tlaa, the chief commander of Islamic Jihad's so-called military wing.

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"Our commander Nidal Tlaa was serving with Force 17. He was killed when Hamas ambushed the Fatah convoy today," Abu Muhammad, Islamic Jihad's spokesman told WND.

Islamic Jihad sources said Tlaa was wearing a Force 17 uniform when he was shot by Hamas gunmen while protecting Fatah convoys.

Together with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization, Islamic Jihad has taken responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the last two years, including this week's bombing in Eilat and an attack in Tel Aviv last April that killed eight Israelis and American teenager Daniel Wultz.

The U.S. has been providing Abbas' forces, particularly the presidential guards, with aid and weapons.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier this month told reporters the U.S. is working with Fatah to create a unified Palestinian security force. The Bush administration reportedly will grant $86.4 million to strengthen the Fatah forces, including Force 17.

WND earlier this month quoted a top Palestinian intelligence official stating some Fatah intelligence and security organizations have been infiltrated by the Hamas terror organization.

"We are leading a large number of investigations and some of the results prove that such an infiltration by Hamas (of Fatah's security and intelligence forces) exists," the Palestinian intelligence official told WND.

The official oversees intelligence for Fatah's police forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The official, however, denied Abbas' presidential guard units were infiltrated by terror groups.

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WND reported the U.S. in recent weeks transferred 7,000 assault rifles and more than 1 million rounds of ammunition to Fatah militias, including Force 17.

The last confirmed American arms shipment to Fatah took place in May. At first, the shipment, consisting of 3,000 rifles, was denied by the U.S. and Israel, but Olmert in June admitted the transfer took place, telling reporters, "I needed to approve the shipment to help bolster Abbas."

At the time, Abu Yousuf, a Fatah militant from Abba's Force 17 security forces, told WND while some of the weapons may be used in confrontations against Hamas, the bulk of the American arms would be utilized to "hit the Zionists."

He said if there is a major conflict with Israel, U.S. weapons provided to Fatah may be shared with other "Palestinian resistance organizations."

"The first place of these U.S. weapons will be to defend the Palestinian national project, which is reflected by the foundation of the Palestinian Authority. If Hamas or any other group under the influence of Iran and Syria wants to make a coup de tat against our institution, these weapons are there to defend the PA," said Abu Yousuf.

"We don't want to go to civil war with Hamas, because this is what both the U.S. and Israel want. This is our last option. We hope our brothers in Hamas won't oblige us to find ourselves in confrontation," Abu Yousuf said.

But the Fatah militant said the new American weapons may also be used to target Israelis. He admitted previous American arms supplied to Fatah were used in "resistance operations" against the Jewish state.

"If Israel will deliver what it promised to Abu Mazen (Abbas), [meaning a] withdrawal from Palestinian lands, including east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, remove all the checkpoints in the West Bank, release our prisoners, and find a clear solution for our refugees, we'll control our forces and the distribution of weapons.

"But if Israel doesn't deliver, and we find ourselves manipulated by Israel, we cannot guarantee members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Force 17 will not use these weapons against Israel. Our goal is to change the occupation," said Abu Yousuf.

"Its unnatural to think these American weapons won't be used against the Israelis," he said.

Like some other Force 17 members, Abu Yousuf is openly also a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

All Brigades leaders are also members of Fatah. Abbas last June appointed senior Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader Mahmoud Damra as commander of Force 17. Damra, who was arrested by Israel in November, was on the Jewish state's most-wanted list of terrorists.

Abu Yousuf said the American weapons shipments may be shared with other Palestinian terror groups. He said that during large confrontations with Israel, such as the Jewish state's 2002 anti-terror raid in Jenin, Fatah distributed weapons to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

"We don't look where this piece or that piece of weapon came from when fighting the Israelis," Abu Yousuf said.

He also pointed to what he said was Hamas' infiltration of some of Fatah's security forces as a possible mechanism Hamas can use to obtain Fatah's American-supplied weapons.

During a WND interview last week, Hamas spokesman Abu Oubaida told WND his terror group will obtain any American weapons transferred to Fatah militias or purchased by Fatah using the incoming $86.4 million in U.S. aid.

"I am sure that like in the past, this $86 million from America will find its way to the Hamas resistance via the honorable persons in the Fatah security organizations, including in Force 17. I can confirm 100 percent that this money and purchased weapons will find its way to Hamas," said Abu Oubaida.

Today's related story:

Hamas: We seized American weapons

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