BIOGRAPHICAL REPORT: NEW POLICE CHIEF KAMAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001024 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2017 TAGS: KWBG KPAL IS PINR SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHICAL REPORT: NEW POLICE CHIEF KAMAL AL-SHAYKH CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) BRIGADIER GENERAL (BG) KAMAL AL-SHAYKH (ALSO SPELLED "SHEIKH" IN SOME PAST REPORTING) IS THE NEW COMMANDER OF THE PALESTINIAN POLICE (APPOINTED IN MAY 2007). PERSONAL DATA AND BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOLLOWS. ¶2. (C) PERSONAL. AL-SHAYKH COMES FROM MAZRA AL-QIBLIYA, A VILLAGE NORTHWEST OF RAMALLAH. HE RESIDES IN RAMALLAH AND IS A MEMBER OF THE FATAH MOVEMENT. ¶3. (C) EDUCATION. UNKNOWN. ¶4. (C) PROFESSIONAL. AL-SHAYKH JOINED FATAH AS A PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ARMY (PLA) MEMBER IN THE 1970S IN LEBANON AND SERVED AS FATAHS MILITIA COMMANDER FOR SIDON UNTIL 1982. HE LEFT LEBANON FOR SYRIA IN 1982 BEFORE ISRAELI'S INVASION BECAUSE OF DISPUTES WITH FATAH LEADERS. HE MOVED FROM SYRIA TO JORDAN IN 1990 AND RECONNECTED WITH FATAH CHAIRMAN YASSER ARAFAT AND THE SECURITY LEADERSHIP. HE CAME TO THE WEST BANK FOLLOWING THE GAZA-JERICHO AGREEMENT IN ¶1994. HE WAS POLICE CHIEF OF HEBRON AND BETHLEHEM IN THE 1990S, AND RAMALLAH POLICE CHIEF WHEN THE SECOND INTIFADAH BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER 2000. AL-SHAYKH WAS POLICE CHIEF IN RAMALLAH WHEN 2 IDF SOLIDERS WERE LYNCHED THERE IN 2001, BUT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT. HE FAILED TO RESTORE ORDER DURING RECURRING INTIFADAH VIOLENCE IN THE CITY INVOLVING THE AL-AQSA MARTYRS BRIGADES. AL-SHAYKH SUBSEQUENTLY SERVED AS POLICE INSPECTOR-GENERAL, AND RETIRED IN 2004. PRESIDENT MAHMUD ABBAS (ABU MAZEN) APPOINTED AL-SHAYKH AS GOVERNOR OF NABLUS IN EARLY 2006. ¶5. (C) PALESTINIAN PRESS REPORTED THAT PRESIDENT ABBAS APPOINTED KAMAL AL-SHAYKH TO REPLACE MG ALAA HUSNI RABAYHA AS CIVIL POLICE CHIEF IN EARLY MAY 2007. THIS DECISION WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED UNTIL MAY 30, 2007, WHEN PRIME MINISTER (AND ACTING INTERIOR MINISTER) ISMAYIL HANIYAH AGREED TO THE APPOINTMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF HANIYAH-ABBAS DISCUSSIONS ON MOI/SECURITY MATTERS. WALLES