Hamas: We'll obtain emergency U.S. aid

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

JAFFA, Israel – The Hamas terror group will obtain emergency aid the U.S. announced it will provide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization, a top Hamas military leader told WND today.

"Like the American weapons in Gaza we told you will come to Hamas, also the weapons and aid the Americans are giving to Abu Mazen (Abbas) as part of their conspiracy against us in the West Bank will find its way to the Palestinian resistance and Hamas," said Abu Abdullah, a senior operational member in Gaza of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' so-called "military wing."

Abu Abdullah would not say whether Hamas was planning a coup in the West Bank similar to the complete takeover last week of all Fatah positions and U.S.-backed security compounds in the Gaza Strip, but he told WND he "hopes" the U.S. provides large quantities of weaponry to Fatah in the West Bank so Hamas can obtain them.

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The terror leader, speaking from the Gaza Strip, said Hamas was "swimming" in American weapons it seized last week when it gained control of Fatah bases, including Fatah's major Ansar complex – where American-provided weapons were delivered and stored – and Abbas' presidential guard complex.

The U.S. in recent years reportedly transferred large quantities of weaponry to build up Fatah forces against rival Hamas. Hamas officials told WND in multiple interviews they would seize the American weapons.

Abu Abdullah today was responding directly to an announcement yesterday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice the U.S. will resume "full assistance to the Palestinian government," lifting an economic and political embargo against the Palestinian government enacted after Hamas came to power in March 2006.

Rice said she will ask Congress to rework a previous $86 million aid package to Abbas that was lowered following concerns by some lawmakers that some of the money would end up financing terrorism. Congress in April only approved about $59 million of the aid package and stipulated the money cannot be used to purchase weapons. Rice intends to request Congress now grant the full $86 million.

Rice also said the U.S. would contribute an additional $40 million to the United Nations to help Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip, which is now controlled by Hamas.

According to Palestinian and Israeli diplomatic sources, the bulk of the $86 million is slated to be used to fund Force 17, which serve as de facto police units in the West Bank and previously patrolled the Hamas-seized Gaza Strip.

Many members of Force 17 are also openly members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group, which took responsibility together with Islamic Jihad for every suicide bombing in Israel the last two years.

A Palestinian diplomatic source told WND the PA wants to use some of the money "to purchase equipment to help secure the Palestinian Authority against coups by other competing groups attempting to hijack our government."

The source would not specify whether the equipment the PA wants to purchase includes weapons, which would be in breach of the previous ruling from Congress that Rice has now asked to be reworked.

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A number of American officials yesterday and today said the U.S. and international community must work to build up Abbas' forces in the West Bank.

But a top Fatah commander today admitted Hamas may overrun Fatah in the West Bank, leaving open the possibility the Hamas terror group may again obtaining large quantities of U.S. weaponry.

In an interview today with Reuters, Fatah strongman Mahmoud Dahlan warned the West Bank is at risk of being overrun by Hamas.

"If serious reforms are not undertaken in the security forces it would be easy for Hamas to take over the West Bank," Dahlan said.

Hamas: We seized U.S. weapons, CIA docs

Hamas claimed it would obtain U.S. aid to Fatah after it took complete control of Fatah security compounds in Gaza containing American weapons and, according to Hamas members, U.S. intelligence documents.

Hamas' Al Aqsa Television last week broadcast footage of Hamas gunmen brandishing American assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, rocket launchers and ammunition the U.S. reportedly provided to Fatah over the past few months. Hamas fighters also showed what they said were 10 American-provided armored personnel carriers the terror group said it seized from U.S.-backed Fatah security compounds it took over Tuesday.

Abu Abdullah last week commented, "We informed you many times we would obtain all American arms brought to Gaza."

"We have no worries about running out of weapons or ammunition thanks to your American government," said Abdullah.

Besides obtaining American weapons, last week WND broke the story that terrorist groups, including Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees, claim they seized large quantities of CIA security files stored at major Fatah compounds.

Terror leaders speaking to WND claimed the files contain, among other information, details of CIA networks in the Middle East.

"The CIA files we seized, which include documents, CDs, taped conversations and videos, are more important than all the American weapons we obtained the last two days as we took over the traitor Fatah's positions," said Muhammad Abdel-El, spokesman for the Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees terror group.

The Committees has been accused of carrying out anti-U.S. attacks, including a 2003 bombing of an American convoy in Gaza that killed three U.S. contractors.

Hamas and Popular Resistance Committees leaders told WND upon taking over Gaza City's Fatah compounds, particularly the Preventative Security Services building and intelligence compound, they seized the purported CIA files and that prior to Hamas' advances, Fatah officials attempted to destroy the CIA files but only succeeded in eliminating some.

U.S. security coordinators the past few years maintained a presence at Fatah's Gaza headquarters.

Hamas' Abu Abdullah said, "Now our job is to study these files, which are already showing that they are crucial for our fight against the Zionists and anyone who collaborates with them, including the Americans."

Abdullah said the CIA documents they browsed so far contain "information about the collaboration between Fatah and the Israeli and American security organizations; CIA methods on how to prevent attacks, chase and follow after cells of Hamas and the Committees; plans about Fatah assassinations of members of Hamas and other organizations; and American studies on the security situation in Gaza."

Abdullah claimed the documents also detailed CIA networks in other Arab countries and "how to help beat Islamic allies of Hamas in other Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan."

"We will use these documents and make portions public to prove the collaboration between America and traitor Arab countries," Abdullah said.

Committees spokesman Abdel El told WND he was sitting in a Gaza mosque pouring through some of the files on the Committees when he found his name mentioned in the documents four times.

"I am amazed by the material and the context of the documents," he said.

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