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By Shoshana Bryen
 WASHINGTON, D.C.—Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been working diligently to reunify Hamas and Fatah factions to restart Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and, presumably, get Egypt off the hook for border security around Gaza. Thus far, he has failed, but not for lack of creativity. A sometimes-reliable Middle Eastern source brings us the following:
"The Egyptian plan - as presented to Israel, Syria and the Palestinian Authority - was to form two security commissions to supervise Palestinian security and intelligence forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively and represent the Palestinians in diplomacy with the Americans and the Israelis. The West Bank commission would have three Fatah members and one Hamas member, while the Gaza commission would have 3 Hamas and one Fatah member, representing their respective strength in the two entities."
In addition, a 3,000 man "security service" comprised half of Fatah and half of Hamas operatives would be responsible for the Gaza border crossings. According to the source, Abu Mazen hated the idea, accusing Mubarak of "perpetuating the Ismail Haniyeh regime" in Gaza. "Don't even think of presenting this plan to President Obama," he said.
We're with Abu Mazen.
The United States has spent tens of millions of dollars, and plans to spend more than $200 million more over the next two years to train Fatah forces as a way to "strengthen Abu Mazen" so the Israeli government can withdraw from the West Bank (some things didn't change in the transition from Bush to Obama). The American general in charge of the program
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assures skeptics that Fatah forces will be loyal to the Palestinian "state." Which will be exactly where, governed by exactly who and with exactly what constitution? And, he says proudly, they are already fighting Hamas so Israel doesn't have to.
No, General. Fatah is fighting Hamas because both want to control the Palestinian enterprise and the money the world is pouring into it. Now Mubarak suggests we combine U.S.-trained Fatah forces with Iranian-backed Hamas forces. Against whom would they fight? The one thing they agree on is that the continued existence of Israel is a mistake that needs correcting.
The United States is simply funding one side of the Palestinian civil war that began when Hamas won a plurality over Fatah in legislative elections, and then ousted Fatah from Gaza in a putsch. We have chosen Abu Mazen, whose party the voters rejected and who canceled the election scheduled for the end of his term January, and we prop him up like a Central American dictator. Wait - that's not fair. Honduras actually has a democratic government that defends its constitution and the rule of law against the would-be dictator who doesn't want to leave office.
Israel ended the so-called "second intifada" by reestablishing Israeli security control of the West Bank, and since then has maintained calm and provided room for economic growth. For the United States to have created a Palestinian police force to manage day-to-day criminal problems was one thing. For us to have elevated it to a Fatah army run by a dictator in the belief/hope that it would defend Israel from Hamas was a dangerous fantasy. To expect that army to work with Hamas on behalf of a peaceful evolution in Gaza is a bizarre flight of fancy, whether it is promoted by Mubarak or by the American administration.
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