ABU MAZEN AND GOVERNMENT AT ODDS ABOUT "NEW"

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001672

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG MCAP MOPS
SUBJECT: ABU MAZEN AND GOVERNMENT AT ODDS ABOUT "NEW"
SECURITY FORCE

REF: A. JERUSALEM 1622


B. JERUSALEM 1644

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) The ongoing dispute between the PA President and
government regarding the formation of a "new" security force
sheds light on tensions regarding security relationships and
attempts by Hamas to promote law and order in Gaza. Hamas
appears to be looking for a way to use its military wing, the
Izzidine al-Qassam Brigades, in an internal security role
apart from their regular "resistance" duties. Hamas and
Fatah continue to battle about the force in the media. The
attack (reportedly by Fatah supporters) on the Health
Ministry in Gaza on April 23, which was reportedly broken up
by Hamas militiamen who helped turn over the attackers to the
Palestinian police, could rebound in the favor of Hamas.

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Status of the Force
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2. (C) Damascus-based Hamas political bureau chief Khalid
Meshaal took issue with the decision by President Mahmoud
Abbas (Abu Mazen) to oppose the creation of a new security
force in a significant speech delivered in a Palestinian
refugee camp outside Damascus on April 21 (Abu Mazen decision
ref (a)/Meshaal speech ref (b)). Meshaal said that Abu
Mazen's cancellation of Interior Minister Sa'ed Siyyam's
decision to stand up the force was "a decision that is
intended to further security chaos," implicitly blaming the
President.


3. (C) Interior Minister Siyyam told "al-Jazeera" on April 22
that the creation of a new security force is within the
Interior Minister's powers. He described the force as "part
of the Palestinian security force, and not a new force. This
force falls automatically under the Palestinian police
force."


4. (C) Interior Minister spokesman Khalid Abu Hilal told
Dubai media sources that the Ministry had yet to receive a
cancellation decree from Abu Mazen, that the MOI had not
really formed a new service, and that all such matters are
within the purview of the Interior Minister. Hamas
government spokesman Ghazi Hamad similarly defended the unit,
claimed it was formed in accordance with the law, and linked
it to a previous "popular army" formed in the past (Note:
presumably referring to the additional security forces stood
up in 2005 by then-Interior Minister Nasser Youssef. End
note.),saying that "no objections were made against that
army by the leaders of the Palestinian Authority."


5. (C) The President's office continued its hard line against
the new force, with Presidential Advisor Ahmad Abd al-Rahman
calling the force's creation illegal. Fatah West Bank leader
Husayn al-Sheikh emphasized to a local news agency the
creation of the "Special Force" was against the law and is an
attempt to legalize "certain phenomena in the Palestinian
street," presumably referring to Hamas attempts to bring the
Izzidine al-Qassam Brigades into a governmental role.

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Attack on the Health Ministry
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6. (C) On April 23, in the midst of ongoing discussions
regarding a ratcheting down of recent tensions (ref (b)),a
group of gunmen broke into the Gaza office of (Hamas) Health
Minister Basim Na'im. The gunmen were reportedly reacting to
statements Na'im made on April 22, that - as an austerity
measure - the Hamas government would cease providing payments
for medical patients seeking treatment outside Palestinian
areas. Gunmen related to medical patients reacted by
besieging the governmental office, seeking assurances that
the Ministry or the PA would somehow compensate them. In
this incident, Na'im and his security staff called for
support from Hamas militiamen - the type of forces who would
presumably participate in the new security force. The Hamas
gunmen reportedly took control of the situation and turned
over the attackers to the Palestinian police.


7. (C) The incident, and its resolution, appear to be playing
directly into the hands of Hamas. Interior Ministry
spokesman Abu Hilal quickly reached out to the media, saying

that the MOI was declaring an "intifada against lawlessness."
He clearly connected the new security force with these types
of incidents, and declared "the days of the weapons chaos are
over ... any villain that would attack PA institutions will
be shot at and apprehended for being a criminal."

WALLES