The Palestinian Authority (PA) forces that Americans are outfitting and training are "faking it," using cigarette lighters as pistols in exercises because of the lack of equipment, the Washington Post reported. The Bush administration has a heavy political investment in training the forces, arguing that their deployment will put an end to terrorism, restore law and order in Judea and Samaria and allow the withdrawal of the IDF. The next step, according to the American plan, would be the destruction of most Jewish communities in the area and the expulsion of their residents.
The American program suffered a serious blow last June when Hamas overthrew the PA forces in Gaza. Congressional doubts about the reliability of the policemen fighting terrorists have delayed funding, and Israel has objected to allowing the PA police to become an army and use light armored vehicles. Israeli officials fear that like thousands of rifles that previously have been handed over to the PA, Arab security forces will use the vehicles in terrorist attacks against Israel. "You never know when these things are going to be used against you," said Shlomo Dror, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry.
"Under-funded, under-equipped, under-everything," the quoted an American who is close to the program. "It is grossly negligent in what it needs." The newspaper report, based on unnamed sources, added "that the Jordanian instructors bought cigarette lighters resembling pistols at local markets for $6 each. A shortage of practice batons forced 20 to 30 recruits at a time to take turns swinging a single baton... Weeks into the training, Jordanian instructors made up for the shortage by wrapping PVC pipes in electrical tape."