President Bush’s assumed risk

From the Washington Post Friday,

“With President Bush coming so soon, one would hope to see positive steps toward the Palestinian people, but instead we see the opposite,” said Jamal al-Muhaisen, governor of Nablus. While Nablus has long been considered a stronghold of militant groups launching attacks on Israel, the Palestinian Authority has intensified policing efforts there in recent months.”I regard this incursion as an attempt to destroy our security plan, which was working,” Muhaisen said.

The IDF reports on the results of its raids on Shechem/Nablus:

The operations, which began Wednesday night, included the participation of ISA forces, the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Battalion, the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv Battalion, the Golani Brigade’s Gideon Battalion and Combat Engineering and Border Police special forces.Amongst the weapons discovered were rocket prepping materials, explosives belts, two handguns and explosive materials. The forces also uncovered bombs, missile launchers, nine bullet magazines and different military equipment. The entire weapons cache was detonated in a controlled manner by the special engineering forces.

In addition Israel arrested 23 suspects. Apparently the PA’s “policing efforts” were not as comprehensive as they might have been. Methinks that Mr. Muhaisen doth protest too much.

Israel Matzav asks rhetorically:

If this is what goes on with the IDF still raiding Shchem from time to time, imagine if the ‘Palestinian police’ were in charge all the time, and the IDF was not going in there. I don’t have to imagine it: I lived here from September 2000 to March 2002. I don’t want to go through that again.

(via memeorandum)

Of course this doesn’t occur in a vacuum of Israeli/Palestinian relations, it occurs on the eve of President Bush’s diplomatic trip to the Middle East that is scheduled to include PA controlled Ramallah. In other words President Bush’s safety is dependent, at least in part, on the ability of the PA to control hostile elements in Ramallah where the president is scheduled to visit. (Remember that the Palestinian media portrays the United States as an enemy of the Palestinians.)

I have no doubt that one of the reasons the president would never visit Sderot is because the qassams would be cited as security risks to his safety. Fair enough, but would he really be any safer under the protection of a “security” force that has overseen the murders of Americans in the past?

You have to wonder what the real impediments to peace are?

UPDATE: from today’s New York Times

In response to the Palestinian criticism, Mark Regev, a spokesman for Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said, “We would hope these sorts of operations were no longer necessary, but the sad reality is that the Palestinian security apparatuses are not yet ready to meet the challenge.”The Palestinians’ “lack of capability” could lead to a vacuum that could “play into the hands of extremists,” Mr. Regev said.

He added that the Palestinian police had been seen taking “positive action” in Nablus on policing operations, but “so far, we haven’t seen them willing to take on the entrenched terrorist infrastructure.”

Israel is likely to raise what it says are the shortcomings of Palestinian security during the Bush visit, while the Palestinians have said they will press the issue of continued settlement building.

Again which is the real impediment to peace?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.