Fayyad: “Blackwater Is Not Operating In The West Bank”

Monday January 17, 2011 16:51 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salaam Faayyad, stated Sunday that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is not dealing with American security company, Blackwater, and that the United States hired Blackwater to provide protection for senior American figures visting the West Bank and Israel.

Dr. Salaam Fayya, PM - wikipedia

“We have nothing to do with that, and we do not interact with them”, Fayyad said, “Blackwater guards were hired by the US to protect US officials, our Palestinian security forces are not involved in this issue”.

He added that a contract between the US government and Blackwater is allowing the company to provide protection for U.S figures outside America.

Fayyad added that the US has contracts with three security companies, including the one that was known as Blackwater, and that Blackwater even has a branch in Israel.

Commenting on Blackwater presence in the West Bank, Fawzi Barhoum, spokesperson of the Hamas movement in Gaza, stated that this issue means that the Palestinians are under what he called “double attack”.

He added that this issue proves that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank became a “multinational Authority”, and confirms the Israeli-American security cooperation in the occupied territories.

Blackwater is believed to be involved in numerous violations and deadly attacks carried out against Iraqi civilians.

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