Fatah training new force in Egypt for renewed infighting

"Fatah has established a new security apparatus in the Gaza Strip and is recruiting thousands of militants in preparation for another round of violent clashes with Hamas. So far the organization - known as the Special Force - has recruited 1,400 combatants, a thousand of which have undergone military training.

Fatah intends to recruit an addition of at least 1,000 men to the organization, loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The organization is headed by Sami Abu Samhadana, a notable operative in the first intifada.

Palestinian sources told Haaretz that the new recruitment effort was initiated some six weeks ago. According to the sources, officers from Palestinian General Intelligence service and the National Security Force were assigned to the ranks of the new organization......

Abu Samhadana was appointed commander of the Special Force several years ago, but it was only recently decided to transform his relatively insignificant organization into a new major apparatus loyal only to Fatah and Abbas. Abu Samhadana is nonetheless considered an ally of Mohammed Dahlan, head of the Palestinian National Security Council and aide to Abbas.....

Palestinian sources say some 350 combatants from the Special Force were sent to Egypt at the beginning of March to participate in a training course under the tutelage of officers from the Palestinian Authority and Egyptian army.

The combatants of the Special Force training in Egypt were joined by several hundred soldiers of the Presidential Guard. Other soldiers of the Guard are currently training within the PA, in Gaza and in Jericho, where 500 new Presidential Guard recruits have only recently completed their training program......

Sources add that Hamas is well aware of the mass recruiting and training in organizations loyal to Fatah, and that senior Hamas figures are pressing to militarily engage Fatah as soon as possible. They fear Dahlan and Abbas' military force would greatly surpass Hamas' forces in several months' time, the sources explain.....

During the visit to the region of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Middle East envoy, David Welsh, Abbas demanded that Israel allow the transfer of weapons to Fatah forces. The request was made both to Israel and to the Americans, but was rejected by both parties....."