A step in the right direction, finally?

From The Economist, a story so unexpected that I checked the URL to make sure it wasn't somehow from the Onion. My fingers are crossed on this one; hope Abbas can make Yasser spin in his grave.

Abbas sends in his men

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has sent his security forces to police the Gaza strip, in the hope of curbing militant groups’ attacks on Israeli targets. If successful—a big if—this could pave the way for a broader ceasefire and a revival of the Middle East peace process.

SEVERAL thousand Palestinian paramilitary policemen, in green uniforms and red berets and carrying assault rifles, began taking up positions across the northern Gaza strip on Friday January 21st. They were sent in by Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), to try to deter Islamist militant groups from launching attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the strip. Among the officers’ first actions was to search vehicles heading for the Erez crossing into Israel—a frequent target for suicide bombers. The PA’s forces also took up positions in northern Gaza’s fields, from where militants have regularly launched volleys of rockets, both at the strip’s Jewish settlements and at towns across the border in southern Israel.

The deployment of Palestinian forces is the first such operation since militants launched their intifada (uprising) over four years ago, which prompted Israel to reoccupy areas that it had handed over to the PA under the Oslo peace accords. If the Palestinian security presence succeeds in deterring militants’ attacks, and if Israel responds with concessions, it could pave the way for a broader ceasefire by the various militant groups and, eventually, to a revival of the internationally backed “road map” peace plan. Mr Abbas’s officials agreed the planned deployment with Israeli officials in a meeting on Wednesday—such co-ordination was crucial, so that Israeli troops would not mistakenly open fire on the PA’s forces. On Friday, the launch of the operation was welcomed by Israel’s deputy prime minister, Shimon Peres. Speaking on Israel Radio, he said Mr Abbas’s first steps were “very impressive”.

In search of suicide bombers