The United States will expand assistance to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to include about 8,500 members of his national security forces and possibly 1,000 Fatah fighters based in Jordan, US documents show.
Providing non-lethal equipment and training to units of Abbas's National Security Forces, and possibly the Jordan-based Badr Brigade could increase Washington's role in the power struggle between Abbas's Fatah faction and the governing Hamas movement.
US assistance has largely been limited until now to around 4,000 members of Mr Abbas's presidential guard. But documents obtained by the Reuters news agency today showed that the US government's $86.4 million security assistance programme could cover at least 13,500 troops loyal to Mr Abbas.
The National Security Forces (NSF) is the largest security force under Mr Abbas's control and is viewed by many Palestinians to be the equivalent of an army, though it is poorly trained and equipped compared to the smaller presidential guard.
Under the US security programme, $76.4 million will fund "projects to transform and strengthen elements of the Palestinian Authority's security structure, specifically the National Security Forces and Presidential Guard in an effort to improve public order and fight terror in the West Bank and Gaza," the documents said.
"These projects have been developed in co-ordination with the office of the PA president, and the overall plan enjoys the support of the government of Israel," said the documents, marked "sensitive but unclassified".
Another $10 million would fund security improvements at the Karni commercial crossing between Israel and Gaza. Western officials involved in the programme said security service members who participate in the US-funded programme will undergo a vetting process to ensure they are qualified and have no ties to militant groups.
Hamas has denounced US security assistance as part of a coup against its government. Hamas gunmen yesterday attached a truck convey in Gaza that it said was meant to resupply Mr Abbas's presidential guard, triggering a wave of fighting.
US officials say they will only provide training and non-lethal equipment to forces loyal to Abbas. Guns and ammunition are being supplied by key US allies Jordan and Egypt, with Israeli approval, Israeli officials say.
Under the $86.4 million US programme, $35.5 million will be used to provide non-lethal equipment, including riot gear and communications equipment, to about 8,500 members of Abbas's National Security Forces. Another $15 million in US funds would provide at least one NSF unit, estimated to have 668 members, with an initial six months of training to counter "civil disorder", most likely at a facility in Jordan, the documents say.