PA PREPARES BETHLEHEM SECURITY PLAN TO SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002154

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, IPA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL/RAMCHAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2018
TAGS: KWBG IS PGOV PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: PA PREPARES BETHLEHEM SECURITY PLAN TO SUPPORT
CHRISTMAS TOURISM

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


1. (C) PA National Security Forces (NSF) commander MG Thiab
Mustafa Ali (Abu al-Fatah) told PolOff/PolFSN November 26
that PA security forces will begin a Christmas-period
deployment in early December that will continue through early

2009. He said the operation will rotate 800-1000 NSF,
police, and Presidential Guard troops into the Bethlehem
Governorate, but not all will stay in Bethlehem for the whole
Christmas period. MG Ali said the security situation in
Bethlehem does not require a large-scale effort, and the
scale of PASF operations will be much smaller than in Nablus,
Jenin and Hebron. He said the main focus of operations will
be on facilitating tourism and preventing crime or attacks
against tourists.


2. (C) MG Ali said the operation will be similar to last
year, except that more police will be required to handle an
expected increase in tourists. Increased forces in Bethlehem
will also allow progress on the PA's secondary goal of
conducting quick arrest raids in Area B towns outside
Bethlehem as specific intelligence on wanted persons
develops. He said several wanted criminals are hiding in
Taqu'a and other villages where IDF restrictions make it hard
for the NSF to operate.


3. (SBU) NSF staff officers said PASF returned an Israeli
citizen, who had entered Bethlehem surreptitiously, to the
IDF DCL on November 26. These officers said they frequently
find Israelis in Bethlehem. When this occurs, they detain
the person, notify the IDF, and immediately transport the
Israeli to the DCL for handover.
WALLES