Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TELAVIV1888
2005-03-28 14:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

(C) MOFAZ ACCUSES PA MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OF

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C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001888

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2010
TAGS: IS KPAL PREL XF ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: (C) MOFAZ ACCUSES PA MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OF
SMUGGLING SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES

Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1, (C) Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz asked to see
the Ambassador and Lt. Gen. Ward on Sunday, March 27, in
anticipation of Mofaz's departure later that day to the
United States. Mofaz started the meeting by saying "bad"
things were happening in Gaza. While part of the Palestinian
Authority security service was trying to expose the tunnels
used for smuggling, Palestinian military intelligence, which
is under the authority of Moussa Arafat, has been involved in
smuggling "strella" surface-to-air missiles into Gaza. Mofaz
said that a few such missiles had been smuggled into Gaza
before the Sharm el-Sheik summit, but this latest activity by
elements of PA military intelligence crossed a "red line."
Mofaz said that he had sent a message to Palestinian
President Abbas and had dispatched the IDF Southern Commander
to tell Moussa Arafat directly that if the Palestinian
Authority does not arrest the smugglers and retrieve the
"strellas," the IDF will do it. In response to our question,
Mofaz said there is no evidence that Moussa Arafat is
personally involved in this activity.


2. (C) Responding to Mofaz's request for an update on his
mission, General Ward said that he has begun to see signs of
a "mental shift" among Palestinians who are beginning to
recognize the need to change the way they do business. They
have presented a plan to consolidate security organizations
into a cohesive number of organizations which would be
responsible to civilian authority. While there is still a
gap between the intellectual understanding of what needs to
be done and the reality on the ground, Ward said the mental
shift underway should not be discounted.


3. (C) Ward continued by describing his efforts to help
empower Minister of Interior Nassir Yousef as the focal point
for Palestinian security. Ward had impressed this message on
Palestinian Prime Minister Qureia and had asked that the
Prime Minister make this clear in public. Ward said he was
very disturbed that, in a meeting with Yousef to which Moussa
Arafat and Intelligence Chief Amin Al-Hindi had been invited,
Arafat and Al-Hindi had failed to show up. Yousef had told
Ward that he knows there is a problem and knows that it must
be fixed.


4. (C) Ward said that he has talked with Yousef and other
Palestinian officials about the urgent need to prepare and
coordinate disengagement so that there are no security gaps.
Yousef had responded that the PA needs vehicles, weapons and
equipment, and he argued that the PA's ability to provide
security in Gaza will depend largely on the help offered by
Israel. Yousef acknowledged that smuggling was a big problem
that needed to be fixed. Ward said he had given Yousef
feedback on the security consolidation plan, focusing on the
fact that there was too much redundancy and too many layers
which resulted in there being too many chiefs.


5. (C) Looking ahead, Ward said he will travel to Egypt
this week and Jordan next week to meet with the respective
leaderships. He hopes to convene a meeting with donors to
talk about donor coordination and to argue strongly for all
the donors to empower the Minister of Interior. He also
plans to attend an EU seminar focused on civilian police.


6. (C) In response to Ward's briefing, Mofaz said there are
a number of issues which need to be emphasized. Coordination
between Israel and PA on disengagement is critical. Mofaz
said he was disappointed that Qureia had said publicly that
there would be no coordination, but Mofaz said he intended to
reach out to Palestinians for discussions on disengagement
when he returned from the U.S. Mofaz also complained that
the PA has not fulfilled its part of the agreement regarding
the transfer of cities. Specifically, the PA has done
nothing to disarm and curb the activities of the fugitives in
Jericho and Tulkarm. As such, Mofaz said, planning for the
transfer of Qalqilyah will continue, but the city will not be
transferred until the PA carries out its responsibilities on
fugitives. Finally, Mofaz complained that the PA is not
taking active steps against terrorism, and that Hamas and PIJ
continue preparing to conduct terrorism. While conceding
that the main terror preparations are taking place in Nablus
and Jenin -- areas still under Israeli control -- Mofaz said
that terror cells are also active in Gaza and Tulkarm.

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