The Palestinian Presidential Guard (PPG; Arabic: الحرس الرئاسي الفلسطيني) is a branch of the Palestinian Security Services under the direct control of the President of the State of Palestine. Its primary role is protection of the President and other VIPs, as well as performing ceremonial functions. The force may also perform special combat functions.
| Palestinian Presidential Guard | |
|---|---|
| الحرس الرئاسي الفلسطيني | |
 Emblem of the Palestinian Presidential Guard | |
| Active | 1994–present |
| Country |  Palestine |
| Allegiance | Palestine |
| Role | Presidential Guard |
| Size | ~3,000[1] |
| Part of | Palestinian Security Services |
| Garrison/HQ | Ramallah, Palestine |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major General Mounir Al-Zoubi |
Establishment
editThe predecessor of the Presidential Guard was the "Presidential Security", established in 1994 by then President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Yasser Arafat and largely composed of members from Force 17.[2]
In 2006, the Presidential Security was established as a separate force and renamed "Presidential Guard".[3] The Presidential Guard was made up entirely of Fatah activists loyal to Abbas.[4] The US was highly involved with the training of officers, coordinated by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton. The training was part of a systematic effort to bolster Abbas and his Fatah loyalists to counter the political success of Hamas, who had won the 2006 legislative election and formed the new PA government. Hamas had formed its own security service within the Palestinian Authority, the Executive Force.[4][5]
As of 2006, the estimated strength of the PPG was some 3,500 men, while a considerable increase was planned.[3][5]
Gallery
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See also
edit
References
edit- ^ The Military Balance, 2018, Vol. 118, No. 1, February 2018. Routledge. February 14, 2018. ISBN 9781857439557.
- ^ The Palestinian Security Services: Past and Present. MIFTAH, 30 May 2006.
"Presidential Security: What was Yasser Arafat’s former personal-security force comprised of a highly trained group of some 3,000 officers, now guards Mahmoud Abbas. Most of these men were members of Force 17, an armed unit whose duties included guarding VIPs and securing important locations such the presidential compound in Ramallah." - ^ a b Entry-points to Palestinian Security Sector Reform, Appendix A, p. 161. Roland Friedrich and Arnold Luethold, DCAF, 2007
- ^ a b Kalman, Matthew (December 14, 2006). "U.S. training Fatah in anti-terror tactics". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ a b Erlanger, Steven (October 4, 2006). "U.S. Plan Would Expand Palestinian Leader's Security Force". The New York Times.
