CIA helps Abbas spying on his own people

ramallah - Mahmoud Abbas spies on his own rivals and allies with the help of the CIA. Thousands of Palestinians have been tapped for years by a special unit, for which there is no legal basis.

This is stated in a document by a former Palestinian intelligence officer, on the basis of which the head of the Bar Association and an ex-intelligence officer filed a complaint against the Palestinian Authority.

The revelation comes at a sensitive time for Abbas, on whom the criticism about his authoritarian action increases. In addition, he appears to be working closely behind the scenes with the United States, a country he criticizes publicly for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. That will be bad for the people, who are furious with America.

The 82-year-old Abbas is not very popular among the Palestinians anyway: more than two thirds want him to pick up his bags. But both America and Israel are charmed by him, particularly because he excludes violent resistance.

Abbas was elected for a term of four years in 2005, but is still in power. The parliament has not met for more than ten years and the free press is being muzzled. For example, a new, controversial cyber law has recently come into effect, with which the Palestinian Authority actually controls and censors the internet.

The recently surfaced document, 37 pages long, was compiled by a former intelligence officer who no longer says he wants to do the 'dirty work'. Not only would militants from Hamas and other organizations be followed closely, but also lawyers, judges and political rivals. That information is shared with the CIA.

Abbas, who suffers from health problems, disables all his rivals, without having arranged his own succession. Officially, the President of Parliament should take his place, but that is a member of Hamas. Many fear a bloody power struggle among the Palestinians after a possible death of the president.