Israel Matzav

Olmert allows Fatah to take delivery of 25 armored vehicles

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was here yesterday, and after he attacked Israel for its 'siege' of Gaza and urged the Olmert-Barak-Livni government to allow the 'Palestinians' in Gaza to live a 'normal' life, Israel rewarded him by permitting the Russian government to deliver 25 armored vehicles to 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's 'good terrorists' from Fatah.

Russia had proposed shipping the armored vehicles to Palestinian security forces two years ago, but Israel initially balked, fearing the cars would fall into Hamas's hands. Later, the deal was bogged down by Palestinian plans to mount the vehicles with guns - something Israel refused to approve.

Defense Ministry spokesman Ronen Moshe said the shipment of unarmed vehicles was authorized this week during the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Palestinian officials weren't immediately available for comment.

For those who have forgotten, both the IDF and the GSS (General Security Service - like the FBI and the Secret Service in the US rolled into one) oppose the delivery of these armored vehicles.

The IDF and the GSS are opposed because they are afraid that the armored vehicles will ultimately fall into Hamas' hands, as happened with all of the weapons that the US and Israel provided to the 'Palestinians' in Gaza. I have a different concern: that Fatah itself will one day use those armored vehicles against Israelis as Arafat did with much of the weaponry he was given during the heyday of Oslo.

The security establishment questioned the judgment of such a move, citing Monday's shooting attack near Kedumim that emanated from the Nablus area, which the PA was supposed to be controlling with its newly-deployed police force, Israel Radio reported Wednesday morning. Security officials said this proved that PA forces were not capable of reining in terror groups. [And if this week the PA is 'fighting terror' that means that they'll also fight it next week? Look at the record!!! CiJ]

Government officials responded to the criticism by saying that the Palestinian Authority needed appropriate tools if it was expected to fight terrorism. The officials downplayed the significance of armored vehicles as a threat to the IDF should they be turned against Israeli forces. [Fortunately for Olmert, he won't be Prime Minister when this decision comes back to hit us in the face. He'll probably be living in France by then, and therefore he won't have to answer to the families of the IDF soldiers and revenants who will be endangered by this move. Just like his Defense Minister - Barak - wasn't Prime Minister by the time the flight from Lebanon came back and hit us in the face last summer. CiJ]

When Hamas overran Gaza in June, expelling Fatah forces loyal to Abbas, the Islamist group captured large quantities of weapons supplied to Fatah by the US and others.

Russia proposed shipping the armored vehicles to Palestinian security forces two years ago, but the deal was stalled because of Israeli opposition. Now that approval has been given, the deal is set to go through. No time frame was given for arrival of the vehicles.

But why worry about such little problems when we have to appease the Russians because Olmert was at least smart enough to decline their invitation to another peace conference gang rape.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:12 PM