The American training of the PA police force is usually described in glowing terms. It was commonly emphasized that the policemen recruited to serve the PA have committed no terrorist acts.
That myth was fractured when several US-trained policemen were arrested for terrorism, and it suffered another blow when the PA announced that it is hunting many rogue policemen who work for Hamas or engage in racketeering.
The current round of crackdowns, though much touted, cannot establish Abbas’ rule in the West Bank. On the contrary, by eschewing assassinations and summary executions, such as were common under Arafat, Abbas actually encourages the political groups that work against him.
