US to continue training Abbas' guard

[Scurrilous]

State Department spokesperson confirms that US will continue program to train PA's presidential guard, although training would likely move from Gaza to West Bank

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3413190,00.html

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"The United States will continue financing the Palestinian Authority's presidential guard, which is loyal to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, despite the force's disappointing performance in the Gaza Strip, officials in Washington said.

According to a US State Department spokesperson, General Keith Dayton, who is responsible for training the Palestinian forces, will continue his work after a reassessment of the situation. The training will likely be transferred from Gaza to the West Bank, the spokesperson said.

Dayton heads the training program for Abbas' security staff, which protects the Palestinian top brass as well as strategic sites in Gaza and various border crossings.

Although Dayton praised the performance of the forces just a few weeks ago, the troops failed to stand up to Hamas forces in the past few days as they seized control in Gaza."

[bemildred]

1. Maybe it will work next time.

It seems to me that it is at least as likely that the Fatah forces folded like a house of cards as that Hamas did anything special. Haniyeh looked pretty deer in the headlights to me, and the other Hamas bigshots too, and clearly everybody else was just clubbed up side the head by events.