Subsequent to receiving the above responses, the Winnipeg Jewish Review sent further inquiries on August 22 to Malawi regarding the reported misuse of PA security forces by PA President Mahmpoud Abbas to clamp down onm a political rival within Fatah that appears to be bolstering the popularity of Hamas in the West Bank.
Here is the content of an email sent to Malawi:
Q. Khaled Abu Toemeh, a prize winning Palestinian journalist, wrote recently in the Jerusalem Post that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is using the PA security forces ( which Canada is training ) improperly to squelch a political rival, Mohammed Dahlan, who has accused Abbas and his sons of corruption. [Abbas-Dahlan Spat Undermining Fatah, Bolstering Hamas,, http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=233792] ]
According to the report, PA forces are being used in a fashion that is inconsistent with " the rule of law" and a democratic justice system.
According to the report there are people (supporters of Dahlan) being held without trial, and the report indicates that the clampdown on Dahlan "without the rule of law" is going to serve to undermine the PA and bolster Hamas in the West Bank.
My questions are:
1. Has Canada, as a country that has invested heavily in training PA security forces and in the PA justice system expressed any concern about the apparently improper use of the PA security forces? If not, why not?
2. Can Canada confirm whether as this report says Dahlan supporters are being held without trial, and if so, whether Canada has voiced its objection?
3. Will Canada be conducting an investigation to see if PA security forces it is training and equipping (under U.S. Security Co-Ordinator General Moeller where Canada has 19 officers training PA security forces) are acting in a manner that is contrary to the rule of law? Or has an investigation into this already occurred, and if so, what are the findings?
4. To what extent,if any, is Canada monitoring or supervising the way in which the PA security forces are being used by PA President Abbas, and does Canada have concerns that they are being used improperly to clamp down on a political rival?
I look forward to your answers and hope you can send me something by next Tuesday [August 29, 2011]. If you will need more time, please let me know as I will certainly wait for your answers.
As always, thanks for all of your assistance,
Rhonda Spivak, editor, Winnipeg Jewish Review
We will update readers once we have received answers to our inquiries.