HAMAS FORMS IT'S OWN S.S.

Militants on New Palestinian Security Wing. (A.P.)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The new Palestinian interior minister named a renowned militant as his top aide on Thursday and announced the formation of a new security branch to be composed of militants.

The moves were part of an ongoing power struggle between the new Hamas-led Cabinet and moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Interior Minister Said Siyam issued a decree appointing Jamal Abu Samhadana, the head of the Popular Resistance Committees, as director general of the Interior Ministry. Samhadana’s group is responsible for many of the homemade rockets launched at Israel in recent weeks....

Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal said Siyam also was forming a new security branch that would be answerable only to him to bring law and order to the Palestinian streets.

"This force is going to include the elite of our sons from the freedom fighters and the holy warriors and the best men we have," he said. "It's going to include members of all the resistance branches."

The Interior Ministry said it was not clear how many people would be in the force but most of them would be from militant groups.