PA, gunmen to cooperate

From Ynet News, 21/4/06, by Ronny Sofer and AP ...

The beginning of a beautiful friendship? A top fugitive appointed to a top Palestinian security post says he intends to closely cooperate with gunmen and 'resistance groups,' according to Palestinian news agency Ramtan.

"The (Interior) Ministry will be investing great efforts in guiding the resistance," Popular Resistance Committees Commander Jamal Abu Samhadana said in a talk with Ramtan. "The Ministry will be cooperating with resistance organizations in order to prepare for defending the entire Palestinian people and mitigate its suffering."

Earlier Thursday, Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyam announced Samhadana's appointment as the Ministry's director-general, in charge of oversees Palestinian security forces. Samhadana said the Interior Minister will be undertaking efforts to end the security anarchy in the PA.

..."Our participation in the government stems from a belief this is a combative government that comes to safeguard the resistance and support it, rather than fight it," he said. Sanhadana added the Palestinian government did not ask him or his group to curb rocket attacks at Israeli targets....

U.S. slams appointment
The United States blasted Thursday evening the appointment of Popular Resistance Committees Commander Jamal Abu Samhadana to the post of director-general of the Interior and National Security Ministry. In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack denounced the move, saying it showed "The true nature and the true tactics of this particular Hamas-led government."

... Meanwhile, political sources in Jerusalem also condemned the appointment, noting it constitutes "an ongoing trend by the Hamas government to appoint terror figures to key posts in their government."

..."With the rise of the Hamas government, every appointment of a person whose name is tied to terrorism doesn't constitute a surprise," a security source told Ynet. The official refused to elaborate about Israel's attitude to Abu Samhadana, but noted that "anyone who carries out terror or plans or funds it may be hurt, regardless of the position he fills."