Progress Toward Israel's Endgame in Gaza

Israel's goals are supplanting Hamas and returning captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Day 21 of the conflict finds progress on both. It comes with huge amounts of American aid. General James L. Jones, President elect Obama's National Security Adviser, helped Fatah grow its security capability during his time as Special Middle East envoy for President Bush. The Jerusalem Post reported:

The war against Hamas is taking place not only in the Gaza Strip, but in the West Bank as well, Palestinians said on Thursday.

Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority security forces, they noted, had stepped up their crackdown on Hamas supporters and figures in the West Bank since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead.

The latest anti-Hamas measures in the West Bank, which are being carried out in coordination with the IDF and under the supervision of US security experts.

Officials praised PA President Mahmoud Abbas's forces for employing an "iron-fist" policy against Hamas since the beginning of the military offensive.

The British mastered divide and conquer. The U.S. and Israel practice a cruel game of imitation. The blather says Israel is the Middle East's shining democracy. Yet, it banned two Arab political parties from participating in upcoming elections. Israel brought back live .22 caliber fire to disperse protesters. The same article spoke to Fatah's handling of protesters.

Protesters are banned from expressing solidarity with Hamas by hoisting the movement's flag or chanting slogans in its favor.

The PA has also banned demonstrators from marching toward IDF checkpoints or settlements to avoid friction.

In the past three weeks, dozens of Hamas supporters have either been detained or summoned for investigation by the PA's much-feared Preventive Security Force and General Intelligence Service.

Hamas claims that the PA had already arrested more than 400 of its supporters in the West Bank prior to the IDF offensive in Gaza.

This has America's imprint, General Jones. Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair spilled the beans December 8th when he said a secret deal had been reached between Israeli PM Olmert and PA chair Abbas. Pay attention to the kind of democracy America and Israel conspire to build.

Several Palestinian journalists have also been targeted by the PA security forces in recent weeks. In Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah, policemen beat a number of Palestinian reporters and photographers who were covering protests against the IDF operation. Other journalists have been receiving threats almost on a daily basis from the PA security forces in the West Bank.

One journalist said he was told by PA security officers that they would break his arms and legs if he dared to report about pro-Hamas demonstrations. Another journalist complained that policemen confiscated his camera and assaulted him while he was covering a demonstration in Bethlehem.

In Ramallah last week, the PA deployed more than 1,000 policemen to stop a relatively small number of demonstrators from identifying with Hamas.

Palestinians said the PA policemen responsible for the massive crackdown received special training in Jordan and the West Bank as part of a security plan engineered by the US.

Shining isn't it? Combine it with Israel's banning of reporters in Gaza and shelling of building housing international media organizations. Israeli Defense officials praised Abbas for his "iron-fist" policy against Hamas since beginning of Cast Lead.

Palestinian on Palestinian violence. Imperial Britain would be proud, especially of U.S. Secretary Condoleezza Rice who said, “There is much that can be done to bring Gaza out of the dark of Hamas’s reign and into the light of the very good governance the Palestinian Authority can bring.” Yes very good, ole Chap!