U.S. offers nearly $60 mln to prepare Abbas's forces
Source: Reuters
JERUSALEM, March 27 (Reuters) - The Bush administration plans to provide $59 million to strengthen security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and additional money to support any future elections, U.S. documents showed on Tuesday. The package was scaled back from an initial $86.4 million after Abbas of Fatah formed a coalition government with Hamas Islamists in a bid to end factional fighting between the groups and ease a Western aid boycott. The revised security package, totalling $59.36 million, will be used to provide Abbas's presidential guard with training and non-lethal equipment, upgrade the force's facilities and help fund the operations of Abbas's national security adviser, Mohammad Dahlan, one of Hamas's long-time foes. An additional $1.7 million will help "pre-position" the U.S. Agency for International Development "to respond with support for any future electoral events in the West Bank and Gaza, including the next round of municipal elections", according to U.S. government documents obtained by Reuters.
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