Agence France Presse
 Palestinian security officials said yesterday they were dismantling a notorious militia squad, known as "the death group", in what appeared to be the first concrete move toward reforming the sprawling security forces. "We have decided to dismantle the protection and security department, which is known by the public as the 'death group' because we want to protect all the people," said Rashid Abu Shbak, head of preventative security in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "We respect the law and we will implement the reforms (of the security forces) and provide security for all people," he told a Gaza news conference.
| "We do now that Yasser's dead. If we get somebody like him come the elections, we'll fire 'em back up again." |
The Gaza-based group, which was set up before the four-year Palestinian uprising, or intifada, broke out in September 2000, was originally tasked with protecting VIPs visiting the territory. But over the last few years — the 70-member group, which falls under the remit of the Palestinian preventative security forces — has run increasingly wild, conducting raids, kidnappings and armed attacks. As the intifada rumbled on and security increasingly spiralled out of control, members of the group began running protection and extortion rackets, often involved in gunbattles through the streets of Gaza. Known to everyone and widely feared, this "armed-wing of the preventative security forces" would mete out justice to individuals, politicians or journalists it deemed worthy of punishment. |