Israel Matzav

Tenet's training

Earlier today, I claimed that CIA director George Tenet missed the boat on 9/11 because he was too busy trying to help the 'Palestinians.' Much of the 'help' consisted of providing CIA training to 'Palestinian' policemen terrorists who went on to murder Jews as part of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. As I reported two and a half months ago, in an inexplicable move, the Bush Administration wants to give more 'Palestinians' that kind of training.

Today's New York Sun includes an interview with 'Palestinian' terrorist Abu Yousuf, who has been living in the Mukata (Arafat's former headquarters) in Ramallah since he murdered Binyamin and Talia Kahane HY"D in December 2000. In the interview in the Sun, Yousuf describes Tenet's training and why the 'Palestinian' terrorists found it so valuable.

Abu Yousuf, the Force 17 officer, received American training in Jericho in 1999 as a member of the Preventative Security Services. He is a chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Ramallah, where he is accused of participating in anti- Israel terrorism, including recent shootings, attacks against Israeli forces operating in the city, and a shooting attack in northern Samaria in December 2000 that killed the leader of the ultranationalist Kahane Chai organization, Benyamin Kahane.

After the Kahane murder, Mr. Yousuf was extended refuge by Yasser Arafat to live in the late Palestine Liberation Organization leader's Ramallah compound, widely known as the Muqata. Mr. Yousuf still lives in the compound.

Prime Minister Olmert last month granted Mr. Yousuf amnesty along with 178 other Brigades leaders reportedly in a gesture to Mr. Abbas.

Speaking during an interview for the upcoming book "Schmoozing with Terrorists," Mr. Yousuf said his American trainings were instrumental in attacks on Israelis. "All the methods and techniques that we studied in these trainings, we applied them against the Israelis," he said.

"We sniped at Israeli settlers and soldiers. We broke into settlements and Israeli army bases and posts. We collected information on the movements of soldiers and settlers. We collected information about the best timing to infiltrate our bombers inside Israel. We used weapons and we produced explosives, and of course the trainings we received from the Americans and the Europeans were a great help to the resistance."

Mr. Yousuf said the training included both intelligence and military tactics.

"In the intelligence part, we learned collection of information regarding suspected persons, how to follow suspected guys, how to infiltrate organizations and penetrate cells of groups that we were working on and how to prevent attacks and to steal in places," he said.

"On the military level, we received trainings on the use of weapons, all kind of weapons and explosives. We received sniping trainings, work of special units especially as part as what they call the fight against terror. We learned how to put siege, how to break into places where our enemies closed themselves in, how to oppress protest movements, demonstrations, and other activities of opposition."

Mr. Yousuf seemed to anticipate criticism for speaking publicly about the training. He's not "talking about U.S. training in order to irritate the Americans or the Israelis and not in order to create provocations," he said. "I'm just telling you the truth."

This is what George Tenet was busy doing in the run-up to 9/11 instead of pursuing Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

Daniel Doron tells one story of how that training has been put to use (Hat Tip: Soccer Dad):

The saga began one night not long ago, when thieves picked two fairly sophisticated locks on our house and came in without a rustle while we were still awake. They took car keys, credit cards, cell phones, and other valuables. We later learned that operatives from Arafat’s personal security guard, Force 17, were seen driving our car and had been involved in the theft. They’d reportedly been trained in sterile break-in techniques, sniper shooting, and other such skills by the CIA. The idea was to make Arafat’s forces better able to fight terrorism, but the Palestinians are putting their know-how to other purposes.

In one 2002 terror attack by a single CIA-trained 'Palestinian,' nine Israelis were murdered.

All of which was apparently more important to Mr. Tenet than saving 3000 American lives.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:13 PM