ABBAS APPOINTS NEW WEST BANK COMMANDER OF FORCE-17

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002273

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG KPAL KDEM IS
SUBJECT: ABBAS APPOINTS NEW WEST BANK COMMANDER OF FORCE-17

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Embassy Tel Aviv has cleared this cable.


1. (C) Summary. Palestinian President Abbas (Abu Mazen)
appointed Mahmud Damra to head the West Bank contingent of
Force-17, a security force under the president's exclusive
authority. Damra is suspected by the GOI of involvement in
several lethal attacks against Israelis, including one that
resulted in the deaths of Amcits Binyamin Kahane and his wife
Talia in 2000. Advisers to Abu Mazen told USSC LTG Dayton
that Abu Mazen appointed Damra because he considers him to be
loyal and effective, and that the GOI had not objected to the
appointment. End summary.

Abu Mazen Picks Damra
--------------


2. (C) During the week of May 29, Abu Mazen appointed
Mahmud Damra to head Force-17 in the West Bank. Force-17 is
an approx. 3,000-man security force in the WB/G established
by Arafat in the 1970s that remains under the exclusive
control of the president. At the same time, Abu Mazen
removed Faisal Abu Sharkh -- an Arafat crony who had poor
relations with Abu Mazen -- as overall head of Force-17.
According to advisers in Abu Mazen's office, Abu Mazen
considers Damra, who would lead the approx. 1,500 individuals
who comprise Force-17 in the West Bank, effective and loyal
and wants to use him to build up the force for possible use
in connection with the planned referendum.


3. (C) While Israeli press reports characterized Force-17
as part of the Presidential Guard (PG),PG Commanding Officer
for the West Bank COL Yusef Munir told USSC representatives
in late April that the PG and the Force-17 have always been
two distinct entities, each reporting directly to the
president.

Damra's Past
--------------


4. (C) Damra comes from the ranks of Force-17. As
commander of the Ramallah branch of Force-17, Damra went into
hiding following Israel's re-occupation of the West Bank in

2002. Along with other PA security officials such as West
Bank Mukhabarat Chief Tawfiq Tirawi, Damra sought refuge from
the IDF in Chairman Arafat's Ramallah compound. (Note:
According to the Jerusalem Post, the GOI had linked Damra to
terrorist attacks, including the December 2000 killing of
Amcits Binyamin Kahane -- son of Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder
of the Jewish Defense League and the Israeli extremist group
"Kach," who was assassinated in 1990 in New York City -- and
his wife Talia as they traveled by car in the West Bank. End
note.)


5. (C) According to sources in the president's office, Abu
Mazen obtained assurances in February 2005 from then-Israeli
Defense Minister Mofaz that Damra could resume his role as
Ramallah commander of Force-17, provided that Damra remained
in Ramallah and did not attempt to travel to Gaza or abroad.
Damra has since operated openly in Ramallah, and has
undertaken a number of missions on behalf of the PA
president. For example, Damra reportedly intervened on
behalf of Abu Mazen earlier this year when al-Aqsa Martyrs'
Brigades gunmen attempted to take over the PLC building in
Ramallah.

GOI Acquiescence?
--------------


6. (C) Given the allegations against Damra, LTG Dayton
raised U.S. concerns regarding Damra's appointment in a June
1 meeting with presidential adviser on security matters Abu
Hisham. Abu Hisham voiced surprise, claiming that the
appointment had been cleared by the GOI in advance, and that
the GOI fully understood the rationale for the appointment.
According to Abu Hisham, Abu Mazen has asked the GOI to
remove the prohibitions against Damra's movement outside of
Ramallah.

WALLES