Frogman
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Egypt to train PA Presidential Guard to perform border security mission
Mohammed Najib, Ramallah - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
26 August 2014
Egypt has agreed to train the Presidential Guard (PG) of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in border security duties, PA sources have confirmed.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart, President Lieutenant General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, on 23 August in Cairo. Abbas said that about 1,000 PG personnel would be trained for one to two months on controlling the PA's ground crossing points with Egypt and Israel as well as protecting the border between Gaza and Egypt along the 14 km Philadelphi route.
"We need to re-qualify our PG's 1,000 personnel in Gaza, who have not practised this job officially for the last seven years," Brigadier General Ali Qaisi, commander of the PG's Gaza branch, told IHS Jane's on 26 August.
"The crossing terminal management and border protection job requires different training to VIP protection," he added.
The PG is an elite special operation and counter-terrorism force of 2,800 personnel that was trained under US sponsorship and is considered the elite VIP protection force of the PA.
The PG was given control of the Rafeh crossing terminal with Egypt as a result of the PA-Israeli European agreement signed in 2005 and remained on those duties until the military subjugation of Gaza by Hamas in mid-June 2007.
"We are ready to move our forces to Egypt as soon as we get instructions from the political leadership," Brig Gen Qaisi said, although he added that it was currently unclear where the vehicles, arms, and equipment required for the mission would come from.
Hamas security forces seized the weapons, vehicles, and headquarters of the PA security forces when they took control of Gaza.
Brig Gen Qaisi said that if 1,000 PG personnel were not enough to cover the border security mission, he would either consider using personnel drawn from the PA national security and police forces under PG control, or call upon PG units operating in the West Bank to boost the border security force.
Egypt to train PA Presidential Guard to perform border security mission - IHS Jane's 360
Mohammed Najib, Ramallah - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
26 August 2014
Egypt has agreed to train the Presidential Guard (PG) of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in border security duties, PA sources have confirmed.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart, President Lieutenant General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, on 23 August in Cairo. Abbas said that about 1,000 PG personnel would be trained for one to two months on controlling the PA's ground crossing points with Egypt and Israel as well as protecting the border between Gaza and Egypt along the 14 km Philadelphi route.
"We need to re-qualify our PG's 1,000 personnel in Gaza, who have not practised this job officially for the last seven years," Brigadier General Ali Qaisi, commander of the PG's Gaza branch, told IHS Jane's on 26 August.
"The crossing terminal management and border protection job requires different training to VIP protection," he added.
The PG is an elite special operation and counter-terrorism force of 2,800 personnel that was trained under US sponsorship and is considered the elite VIP protection force of the PA.
The PG was given control of the Rafeh crossing terminal with Egypt as a result of the PA-Israeli European agreement signed in 2005 and remained on those duties until the military subjugation of Gaza by Hamas in mid-June 2007.
"We are ready to move our forces to Egypt as soon as we get instructions from the political leadership," Brig Gen Qaisi said, although he added that it was currently unclear where the vehicles, arms, and equipment required for the mission would come from.
Hamas security forces seized the weapons, vehicles, and headquarters of the PA security forces when they took control of Gaza.
Brig Gen Qaisi said that if 1,000 PG personnel were not enough to cover the border security mission, he would either consider using personnel drawn from the PA national security and police forces under PG control, or call upon PG units operating in the West Bank to boost the border security force.
Egypt to train PA Presidential Guard to perform border security mission - IHS Jane's 360