Abbas tells US lawmakers: NATO role in Palestinian state

US Congressman Steny Hoyer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, August 11, 2011

From Ma’an:  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told visiting US Congressmen on Thursday that the security of the future Palestinian state will be handed to NATO under US command, his adviser said Friday. . . .

Abbas reiterated the Palestinian Authority’s well-known positions on these matters, Hammad added, and specified that security responsibility for the Palestinian Authority would be handled by a third party, suggesting the US-Europe military alliance NATO.

In September 2010, Abbas had outlined the government’s acceptance of international forces from NATO or similar to the UNIFIL force operating in southern Lebanon playing a role in Palestinian security, as long as forces did not include one single Israeli, whether from the civilian population or the military.  (photo: Reuters)

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