#1 DEBKAfile Exclusive: Olmert greets Rice with further concessions for Abbas despite discovery of Palestinian fraud over Israel amnesty
It has come to light, according to our military sources, that the weapons handed in two weeks ago by 168 Fatah-al Aqsa Brigade terrorists in return for immunity from Israel military pursuit were World War I vintage Italian carbines left behind by Turkish troops when they quit the country in 1917 and Mauser rifles from the 1930s. None of the terrorists surrendered their personal side-arms according to their pledge.
The furious demand from Israeli commanders that the government tell the public how it was conned was turned down by prime minister Ehud Olmert and defense minister Ehud Barak. They were deaf to the arguments that the amnestied Palestinian terrorists remain fully armed and able to resume attacks at any time and that Palestinian leaders, who refuse to admit to the fraud, have nothing but contempt for their agreements with Israel.
Nonetheless, DEBKAfileÂ’s Jerusalem sources reveal that Olmert plans to inform US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice when they meet Wednesday, Aug. 1, of two new concessions for AbbasÂ’ Fatah regime.
1. Israel will for the first time permit officers of the Palestinian Badr force, which is part of the Jordanian army, to enter the Was Bank. Each entrant must be personally cleared by President BushÂ’s security coordinator Gen. Keith Dayton. Olmert refused AbbasÂ’ request to admit the entire Badr force.
2. Israel will waive special permits for Palestinian officers and men traveling to Egypt and Jordan for military training. DEBKAfileÂ’s sources report that the IDF and Shin Bet are against this concession because it denies them the resource for keeping track of the travelers and leaves them free to build contacts with outside terrorist agents.
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More than 300 West Bank gunmen have so far surrendered their weapons as part of an amnesty deal with Israel, a senior Palestinian security official said on Sunday. The gunmen included in the deal are members of the Al Aqsa MartyrsÂ’ Brigades, a violent offshoot of moderate President Mahmoud AbbasÂ’ Fatah movement. Al Aqsa was founded at the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in 2000, and its members carried out scores of shooting attacks. The Palestinian official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to discuss the issue with reporters.