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Abbas begins consolidating security forces
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| 09 May 2005 |
By Alon Ben David JDW Correspondent
Tel Aviv
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has started to consolidate his security organisations and reshuffle veteran security chiefs.
According to Abbas, the 12 competing and overlapping security organisations operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be unified into three major services. These will be subordinated to Abbas' recently appointed Interior Minister, General Nasser Yousef. However, Abbas had to compromise with his political rival, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurea, and the two will share power over the Interior Minister and the consolidated three services, which are:
The National Security: this military-like service is the largest and will be responsible for perimeter security. Suleiman Kheeles will head the service, commanding forces both in Gaza and the West Bank. The Military Intelligence service will become a unit of the National Security. The ousted commander of the National Security, Major General Moussa Arafat, nephew of the late Palestinian leader, has been appointed a presidential adviser with ministerial rank.
The General Intelligence: formerly one of the two major intelligence services, this will become the central Palestinian intelligence organisation, mainly responsible for political intelligence. Brigadier General Tarek Abu Rajab, formerly deputy commander of the General Intelligence in Gaza, has been appointed commander of the service both in Gaza and the West Bank. He has replaced Major General Amin Al-Hindi, who headed the organisation since 1994 and who also received a nomination as a presidential adviser.
The General Security: a newly created organisation incorporating both the Palestinian police and the Preventive Intelligence. This second Palestinian intelligence apparatus will be responsible for dealing with militants and terrorists as well as tracking collaborators with Israel. The Palestinian police will be headed by Alaa Hosni and the Preventive Intelligence by Rashid Abu-Shbak. The commander of the General Security is yet to be announced.
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