Hamas to join U.S. funded militias?

TEL AVIV – A unity government deal signed today by leaders of the rival Fatah and Hamas factions includes a clause calling for the integration of Hamas militias into security forces controlled by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party, WND has learned.

The U.S. has armed, trained and funded Fatah militias.

The agreement does not call for the new Palestinian unity government to recognize Israel and does not commit Hamas to abide by previous peace deals with Israel, only to "respect" the previous peace deals.

"There is a huge difference between 'respect' and 'committed to keep' peace deals," an adviser to Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar told WND, speaking from Mecca.

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"This new unity government is a major victory for Hamas," the adviser said.

The U.S. and European Union had asked that the unity deal text state Hamas is "committed" to previous peace agreements with Israel and not that the terror group would simply respect the previous agreements, Hamas sources said.

Today's deal on a unity government is the culmination of two days of intensive negotiations between Fatah and Hamas in the Muslim city of Mecca. It follows months of deadly clashes after Abbas called for new Palestinian elections in a move widely seen as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas-led PA.

The Qatari satellite channel Al-Jazeera aired images from the signing ceremony, attended by Abbas, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal.

The deal sets out the principles of the unity government, including an end to internal Palestinian fighting; a respect for old peace deals with Israel; and negotiations for Hamas to become a partner in all aspects of the Palestinian government.

It wasn't immediately clear if the agreement would translate to an end to clashes in Gaza, but Meshaal, speaking at the ceremony, vowed Hamas would not break the agreement, and that all factions would respect the deal.

Meshaal asked the international community to recognize the new government.

Fatah and Hamas sources told WND one of the clauses of the agreement calls for the integration of Hamas' 20,000-member Special Forces unit into the Palestinian government's main militias, which are controlled by Fatah.

The sources said a special committee will convene Sunday to create an apparatus for the integration of the security forces and to determine how many Hamas members will join the new force.

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The U.S. has been reportedly providing Abbas' forces with aid and weapons the past few months.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last 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, Abbas' security detail, which also serves as de facto police units in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

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

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.

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