The Palestinian Authority, now operating without any parliamentary mandate, stands accused of torture by Human Rights Watch. The organisation says aid to the PA ought to be suspended.
"On January 25, 2011, a US State Department spokesman acknowledged to journalists that the US had "documented over 100 complaints of prisoner torture that often targeted political detainees [by PA security forces] over the past year." But he claimed that, "There have been no reports of U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces engaging in torture," apparently referring to the NSF, and that, "The Palestinian security forces have come a long way. Their professionalism has increased."
Reports by the International Crisis Group and the Guardian, as well as by Yezid Sayigh, a former Palestinian negotiator and an academic specialist in PA security affairs, say that the US and UK have provided direct support to the General Intelligence Service and other PA security agencies since the 1990s. According to leaked documents recently published by Al Jazeera, the UK and US participated in formulating the PA's security strategy to counter Hamas in the West Bank. One document states that the UK provided $90,000 to the General Intelligence Service offices in Hebron in 2005.
In another document, United States Security Coordinator General Keith Dayton was reported as telling PA officials on June 24, 2009 that "the [Palestinian] intelligence guys are good [...] but they are causing some problems for international donors because they are torturing people."
"On January 25, 2011, a US State Department spokesman acknowledged to journalists that the US had "documented over 100 complaints of prisoner torture that often targeted political detainees [by PA security forces] over the past year." But he claimed that, "There have been no reports of U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces engaging in torture," apparently referring to the NSF, and that, "The Palestinian security forces have come a long way. Their professionalism has increased."
Reports by the International Crisis Group and the Guardian, as well as by Yezid Sayigh, a former Palestinian negotiator and an academic specialist in PA security affairs, say that the US and UK have provided direct support to the General Intelligence Service and other PA security agencies since the 1990s. According to leaked documents recently published by Al Jazeera, the UK and US participated in formulating the PA's security strategy to counter Hamas in the West Bank. One document states that the UK provided $90,000 to the General Intelligence Service offices in Hebron in 2005.
In another document, United States Security Coordinator General Keith Dayton was reported as telling PA officials on June 24, 2009 that "the [Palestinian] intelligence guys are good [...] but they are causing some problems for international donors because they are torturing people."
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