WEST BANK: Hundreds of Palestinian policemen deploy in the West Bank city of Jenin

Record ID: 561881

  • Title: WEST BANK: Hundreds of Palestinian policemen deploy in the West Bank city of Jenin
  • Date: 3rd May 2008
  • Summary: MORE OF CONVOY INSIDE CITY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMED ALABED, JENIN RESIDENT, SAYING: "We support the deployment of these forces and we strongly support it in what it will represent as a performance. Through it it will end all sorts of corruption and those who commit it and lawlessness in the district." VARIOUS OF POLICE AND SOLDIERS CONVOY ARRIVING AT HEADQUARTERS OF FORCES, LOCATED IN PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS EXITING VEHICLE TWO POLICEMEN GREETING EACH OTHER WIDE OF SLIMAN OMRAN, COMMANDER OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES IN THE NORTHERN WEST BANK, WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SLIMAN OMRAN, COMMANDER OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES IN THE NORTHERN WEST BANK, SAYING: "The number of arriving forces are around 500 men from the Palestinian forces, consisting of national security forces and presidential guard and police. These forces are here to support and help the existing national forces in the Jenin district to complete the security plan that have been drafted before and to carry out the mission of enforcing law and order as well as achieving security and hope for our people and fighting lawlessness." WIDE OF OMRAN WALKING INSIDE BUILDING WIDE OF POLICEMEN RUNNING INSIDE PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND WIDE OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARD UNIT IN SECURITY DRILLS VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARD, POLICEMEN, AND SOLDIERS PERFORMING DRILLS WIDE OF NEW SECURITY FORCES INSIDE PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA5TLB6AMW3UVI0KWGDDZIELBBZ
  • Story Text: Palestinian forces deploy around the West Bank city of Jenin, in an effort to bolster security and fight crime.
    Hundreds of forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas deployed to the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday (May 3) for a law-and-order campaign meant to show the government is laying the ground for statehood.
    In a campaign dubbed "Operation Smile and Hope", jeeps and cars which commanders said carried more than 500 security men arrived in the city, long a militant bastion, in co-ordination with Israel. Another 150 men already in Jenin will join them.
    Washington, whose efforts for a deal on a Palestinian state this year have shown little sign of progress, sees the Jenin push as a chance for Abbas to prove he can rein in militants -- Israel's main condition for implementing a peace agreement.

    "We support the deployment of these forces...it will end all sorts of corruption and those who commit it and lawlessness in the district,"
    said Jenin resident Mohammed Alabed.
    The deployment of the forces, some of whom receive U.S.-funded training in Jordan, coincides with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's arrival in the region on Saturday (May 3).

    "These forces are here to support and help the existing national forces in the Jenin district to complete the security plan that have been drafted before and to carry out the mission of enforcing law and order as well as achieving security and hope for our people," Sliman Omran, commander of Palestinian security forces in the northern West Bank, told reporters in Jenin.
    A similar security push launched last year in Nablus was marred by Israeli army raids and travel restrictions, and, while Western officials hope the Jewish state will be more co-operative in Jenin, Ali said he had received no assurances from Israel.
    The Jewish state has emphasised that "ultimate security responsibility will remain in Israel's hands".
    A senior Palestinian security official said the forces would target criminals such as car thieves and had orders to confiscate illegal weapons, but stopped short of explicitly saying the campaign would target militants.
    Security men distributed leaflets to local residents on Saturday asking for tips on troublemakers and saying only they had the right to carry guns.
    U.S.-backed peace talks were launched in November with the goal of reaching a deal before Bush leaves office in January, but Washington says neither side is doing enough to meet their obligations under a 2003 peace "road map."
    The Jenin forces are expected to take up positions on Sunday (May 4).
    The campaign is supposed to last three months.
    Israel reoccupied West Bank cities -- seven of which had been under Palestinian control after the 1993 Oslo peace accords -- after the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in 2000.
    One Palestinian security source in Jenin said Abbas's forces would be authorised to enter Jenin's volatile refugee camp and other areas that have been off-limits to Palestinian forces.
    Security has improved in Jenin over the last six months as militants from Abbas's Fatah faction turned in weapons as part of an amnesty programme co-ordinated with Israel.
    ENDS.
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