American officials are asking Congress to restore $27 million in aid that was cut earlier this year in an aid package for the Presidential Guard militia of Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the State Department said. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch made the request at the end of recent Congressional hearings.
The original aid package was cut after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she could not guarantee that Hamas would not end up with some of the equipment supplied by the United States and weapons that have been shipped from Egypt and Jordan, who receive military aid from the U.S.
More than $50 million was approved to help train the Fatah forces under the supervision of America military envoy Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton. His role now is being questioned after Hamas virtually wiped out Fatah in the Gaza region and confiscated thousands of weapons along with American armored personnel vehicles.
The original aid package was cut after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she could not guarantee that Hamas would not end up with some of the equipment supplied by the United States and weapons that have been shipped from Egypt and Jordan, who receive military aid from the U.S.
More than $50 million was approved to help train the Fatah forces under the supervision of America military envoy Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton. His role now is being questioned after Hamas virtually wiped out Fatah in the Gaza region and confiscated thousands of weapons along with American armored personnel vehicles.