PA MOI AL-YAHYA DISCUSSES SECURITY TRAINING, JENIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000778 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018 TAGS: KWBG PINS IS PGOV SUBJECT: PA MOI AL-YAHYA DISCUSSES SECURITY TRAINING, JENIN OPERATION Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PA Minister of Interior (MOI) Abd al-Raziq Al-Yahya told USSC LTG Dayton on May 7 that he intends to station the National Security Forces (NSF) battalion currently training at JIPTC in Jericho upon its return, and employ it as a reserve force. Al-Yahya said discussion of stationing an additional NSF battalion is premature, since the new battalion has not yet been funded or generated. However, he said the PA's preliminary thinking is to send this future unit to Jericho or Hebron. Jenin: Goal is Demonstration of Palestinian Security Competence -------------- ¶2. (C) Al-Yahya said the PA's goal in the Jenin operation is less to create a model city than to demonstrate that even PA forces that have not been trained in Jordan are capable of carrying out successful law and order operations. (Note: Most of the Presidential Guard (PG) component of the Jenin force was trained at JIPTC in a USG-funded program. The NSF and police components were not. End note). Al-Yahya said after the Jenin operation there may be a wider northern West Bank security campaign, including a return to Nablus, to ensure armed groups do not reassert themselves there. MoI Welcomes DCO Contacts, Says Consolidation Plans Underway -------------- ¶3. (C) Al-Yahya said he welcomes engagement by USSC officers with PA and Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO) directors to compare differing accounts of events. He added that he is pressing for approval from the President and PM for the MOI's proposed consolidation of the PA's Preventive Security and General Intelligence organizations. WALLES