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Last update - 12:08 26/03/2008
U.S. road map monitors: PA failing in fight against terror
By Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay , Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, PA, road map, U.S.

The American officers responsible for monitoring Israeli and Palestinian compliance with the road map peace plan recently criticized the Palestinian Authority's counterterrorism efforts.

However, they have also demanded clarifications from Israel about its failure to carry out its road map obligations, which include a freeze on settlement construction and the dismantling of illegal West Bank outposts.

Specifically, the Americans are concerned that the PA does not engage in the full spectrum of counterterrorism activities, including arrests, interrogation and trial, as it would if it were trying to eradicate the armed wings of Islamic terrorist organizations. Instead, it makes do with trying to "contain" terror - to prevent specific attacks, and to keep Hamas from growing strong enough to threaten Fatah's rule in the West Bank.
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The PA security services do occasionally arrest members of Islamic organizations, but they do not then follow up with the other steps in the "chain of prevention": interrogations, arrests of additional operatives, indictments and trials. Trials generally take place only if the PA is under external pressure, as in the case of the Palestinians who killed two off-duty soldiers out on a hike near Hebron three months ago. And when they do take place, they are generally hasty affairs.

Israel has been complaining about the lack of a "chain of prevention" for years, ever since the second intifada broke out in 2000. Now, it seems that the American monitoring team, headed by General William Fraser, has adopted Jerusalem's position on this issue.

Security coordination between Israel and the PA has deteriorated since the terror attack on Jerusalem's Mercaz Harav Yeshiva three weeks ago. Palestinian security officials are angry over what they view as Israel's lack of faith in them, as reflected in its recent decision to go after four wanted terrorists in Bethlehem itself, rather than informing the Palestinians and letting them try to arrest the men. And while the PA has recently arrested several members of Islamic organizations in the northern West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service question the significance of these arrests.

With regard to Israel's obligations, the Americans recently gave both the government and the defense establishment a list of 10 questions concerning outposts, settlement construction and other issues. Associates of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have been harshly critical of Jerusalem's failure to evacuate outposts, remove roadblocks and take other measures to improve the PA's economy, such as establishing industrial parks along the seam between Israel and the West Bank.

That may be what prompted Defense Minister Ehud Barak to declare, on three separate occasions over the last two days, that Israel would work to improve Palestinian life and promote economic projects, and would also consider removing certain roadblocks.

Barak, who will meet on Wednesday with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, announced on Tuesday that he has approved the entry of 600 Palestinian policemen into Jenin, where they will engage in routine law enforcement. The policemen are currently undergoing training in Jordan.

Meanwhile, another senior American envoy, retired general James Jones, has begun a dialogue with Israel on its security demands of the Palestinians under a final-status agreement. The IDF's Plans and Policy Directorate is doing the staff work on this issue.

Related articles:
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  • Bush to push Israel, PA for progress before his May visit
  • Vice Premier: W. Bank outposts harm Israel's relations with U.S.
  • PM: Road map obligations don't nix 'other lawful activities' in W. Bank
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      1.   the US Administration has done more 04:37  |  mark Lincoln 26/03/08
      2.   PA fails in fight against terror...and a demand for Israel 06:40  |  Jon 26/03/08
      3.   to 1 the US Admin has done more 06:42  |  yaron 26/03/08
      4.   Purim was last week 07:04  |  Israeli 26/03/08
      5.   The spirit of Peace. 07:19  |  Jean Van Daem 26/03/08
      6.   Somewhat Fair Assessment 07:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/03/08
      7.   Lost in Translation? 08:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/03/08
      8.   How to end terrorism 08:29  |  Natallie Durson 26/03/08
      9.   if they turned this circus into amovie 08:29  |  v hardman 26/03/08
      10.   Once again, the wording in this article is very telling......... 09:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/03/08
      11.   #4, Mark of Lewiston 09:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/03/08
      12.   Army Officials in Politic ! WRONG WRONG WRONG 10:07  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 26/03/08
      13.   This is something new ! AN US OFFICIAL TALKS 10:09  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 26/03/08
      14.   SOLDIERS ARE LIKE DOCTORS ! THEY MUST FOLLOW THE WRITTEN RULES 10:12  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 26/03/08
      15.   The US is Changing ! WHO WANTED TO GET IN IRAQ ? 10:13  |  the soldiers ? 26/03/08
      16.   #9, Dino 10:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/03/08
      17.   "America adopts Jerusalem`s position". There`s a surprise. 10:21  |  Michael 26/03/08
      18.   The peace process: things the Palestinians have to do 10:23  |  Clickfool 26/03/08
      19.   #10, Dino 10:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/03/08
      20.   Mark Lewiston -Lost in translation 10:26  |  Elihu 26/03/08
      21.   Natalie Durson and "solutions" 10:34  |  Elihu 26/03/08
      22.   # 9 # 10 Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/03/08
      23.   Er...excuse me, US officials....something you may have missed 10:52  |  Clickfool 26/03/08
      24.   #18 boris the clucking fool and real politik 10:56  |  v hardman 26/03/08
      25.   Elihu -- You may have a good heart, but a weak argument 11:18  |  Natallie Durson 26/03/08
      26.   Natalie - you need to back up with facts 11:53  |  Elihu 26/03/08
      27.   Clickfool, Isn`t that the whole problem? 11:56  |  Dutch 26/03/08
      28.   Natalie - you need to back up with facts 12:05  |  Elihu 26/03/08
      29.   #27 doris cadigan discusses her right to be in the usa ? 12:17  |  v hardman 26/03/08
      30.   BUT PA IS TERROR!!!!! 12:19  |  AliciaYasmeen 26/03/08
      31.   America should leave running of the world to the experts 12:21  |  AliciaYasmeen 26/03/08
      32.   IS THAL ALL US MONITORS CAN DO? 12:32  |  indrajaya 26/03/08
      33.   The chain of prevention also includes torture to death,as happene 13:05  |  lakshmi 26/03/08
      34.   #1 Bush sells weapons to all sides! 13:14  |  Mark 26/03/08
      35.   Absurd Demands 13:33  |  Peter H 26/03/08
      36.   No Kidding!!!! 13:47  |  MiddleStanian 26/03/08
      37.   #1 you are ridiculous! 14:09  |  DR 26/03/08
      38.   To Clickfool 14:30  |  American Christian 26/03/08
      39.   What`s the real story (and an honest headline) here? 14:35  |  Kol ha-Nevi`im 26/03/08
      40.   empires which participated in destruction of 14:43  |  bozhidar bob balkas 26/03/08
      41.   Let`s be honest: the PA has done *nothing* 14:53  |  Gili 26/03/08
      42.   The PA can`t fail to fight terror. It is terror. 15:05  |  Chaim 26/03/08
      43.   FACTS CANNOT BE CHANGED WITH FALSE PROPAGANDA, HATRED & IGNORANCE 15:14  |  READ THE FACTS 26/03/08
      44.   Our ?partner in peace.? 15:19  |  Jean Van Daem 26/03/08
      45.   Translation 15:23  |  Gee 26/03/08
      46.   What "fails"? They`re not TRYING. 15:41  |  Global Citizen 26/03/08
      47.   Oy, it`s "American Christian" again # 38 15:43  |  Clickfool 26/03/08
      48.   Swiss (Dino) 16:08  |  christa 26/03/08
      49.   Wish the terrorists loved Allah more than violence 16:10  |  AliciaYasmeen 26/03/08
      50.   Tibet, Palestine = same fight ! 16:23  |  christa 26/03/08
      51.   #50 christa has a cloudy crystal ! shes looking for facts 17:35  |  v hardman 26/03/08
      52.   #8 Natallie Durson 17:47  |  Observer 26/03/08
      53.   Indrajaya and Lakshmi , greetings a word 17:54  |  Dutch 26/03/08
      54.   Natalie #25 18:02  |  Charles Ronen 26/03/08
      55.   #47 Clickfoool 18:04  |  christian #2 26/03/08
      56.   What BS from US monitors.... 18:34  |  Dutch 26/03/08
      57.   55. christian. list`n please. i do not want to 18:52  |  bozhidar bob balkas 26/03/08
      58.   # 48 christa 19:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/03/08
      59.   Bush and his in competence to run America 19:25  |  Rozz 26/03/08
      60.   11 Cipora - How It`s Done 19:28  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/03/08
      61.   20 Elihu - on Incitement 19:38  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/03/08
      62.   45 Gee - Translation 19:49  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/03/08
      63.   Natallie Durson #25 19:50  |  Charles Ronen 26/03/08
      64.   The US Official simply makes it official 19:59  |  TonyL 26/03/08
      65.   For Christian # 2 (# 55) 20:06  |  Clickfool 26/03/08
      66.   Oslo was a mistake and Tunisia bekons 20:54  |  Scharker Yid 26/03/08
      67.   # 22 Swiss...Shame, shame, shame 20:58  |  Lynn 26/03/08
      68.   # 19 Cipora JK...traded votes with other govs to get 21:08  |  Lynn 26/03/08
      69.   Dino you asked me about Ziegler 21:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/03/08
      70.   I don`t think so Dino