Key members of the U.S. Congress are stepping up pressure against the Bush administration's plan to give $86 million to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for training and equipping forces loyal to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
They argue that the plan may violate the law forbidding the US government to use tax revenues to finance outlawed terrorist organizations. The list of illegal terror groups includes Hamas, with which Abbas's Fatah party has agreed in principle to form a coalition government.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, "Our intention is to move forward with the program. Now whether or not that includes the full $86 million will depend upon the answers to the questions that we have and... that the Congress has."
New York Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who chairs the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees the State Department budget, has placed a hold on providing the money.
California Democrat Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehthien, a senior member of the committee, wrote U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, "The fact that Fatah will now join a government led by Hamas terrorists - and will do so with Abbas's blessing - raises serious questions about the commitments and loyalties of the Palestinian security forces we have undertaken to assist...
Questions arise as to whether these forces will be strictly under Abbas's control and whether Abbas, in line with our long-time belief, is truly committed to peace and non-violence."
'The fact that Fatah will now join a government led by Hamas terrorists... raises serious questions'
The funds in question were put up by the Bush administration in an effort to strengthen Abbas against the Hamas militia. They include $35.5 million for riot gear and communications equipment for PA security forces and $25.9 million for Abbas's Presidential Guard.
The PA unity government still has not been formed, and it is not yet clear who will oversee the security forces.
PA security forces have on numerous occasions attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians with guns Israel itself provided them, ever since Israel embarked on the policy of arming the PA, in the early 1990s. Often, PA "policemen" turn out to be affiliated with a terror organization as well. Many of the worst terror attacks against Israel have been carried out by Fatah, the organization headed by Mahmoud Abbas.
In response to reports that hundreds of thousands of US foreign-aid dollars have reached organizations with explicit ties to Hamas, Congressmen expressed outrage, but the State Department has concluded that none of the recipient organizations are engaged in terror activities.
They argue that the plan may violate the law forbidding the US government to use tax revenues to finance outlawed terrorist organizations. The list of illegal terror groups includes Hamas, with which Abbas's Fatah party has agreed in principle to form a coalition government.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, "Our intention is to move forward with the program. Now whether or not that includes the full $86 million will depend upon the answers to the questions that we have and... that the Congress has."
New York Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who chairs the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees the State Department budget, has placed a hold on providing the money.
California Democrat Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehthien, a senior member of the committee, wrote U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, "The fact that Fatah will now join a government led by Hamas terrorists - and will do so with Abbas's blessing - raises serious questions about the commitments and loyalties of the Palestinian security forces we have undertaken to assist...
Questions arise as to whether these forces will be strictly under Abbas's control and whether Abbas, in line with our long-time belief, is truly committed to peace and non-violence."
'The fact that Fatah will now join a government led by Hamas terrorists... raises serious questions'
The funds in question were put up by the Bush administration in an effort to strengthen Abbas against the Hamas militia. They include $35.5 million for riot gear and communications equipment for PA security forces and $25.9 million for Abbas's Presidential Guard.
The PA unity government still has not been formed, and it is not yet clear who will oversee the security forces.
PA security forces have on numerous occasions attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians with guns Israel itself provided them, ever since Israel embarked on the policy of arming the PA, in the early 1990s. Often, PA "policemen" turn out to be affiliated with a terror organization as well. Many of the worst terror attacks against Israel have been carried out by Fatah, the organization headed by Mahmoud Abbas.
In response to reports that hundreds of thousands of US foreign-aid dollars have reached organizations with explicit ties to Hamas, Congressmen expressed outrage, but the State Department has concluded that none of the recipient organizations are engaged in terror activities.