U.S., European officials visit Fatah base in Jordan

[maddezmom]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. and European officials have visited a base in Jordan where Fatah is training troops to reinforce Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in any showdown with Hamas, sources familiar with the visits said on Monday.

Up to 1,000 members of the Jordan-based Badr Brigade would initially be deployed in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank as part of U.S.-backed efforts to strengthen the moderate Palestinian leader's hold on power.

The Bush administration is seeking congressional support to provide up to $100 million to bolster Abbas's presidential guard and expand his control over strategic border crossings.

Sources familiar with the plan said U.S. money would not be used to provide the presidential guard with "lethal" equipment.

But Israeli officials say Washington has been instrumental in helping organize shipments of guns and ammunition to the presidential guard from Egypt and Jordan. It is unclear whether any of the U.S. money would go directly to the Badr Brigade.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061225/ts_nm/palestinians_forces_dc