Israel: July 27, 2001

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Palestinians continue to call on the introduction of outside monitors to maintain any ceasefire. The CIA has been mentioned as one organization, acceptable to both sides, to run such a monitoring effort. This is mainly because CIA director George Tenet has proved a trusted mediator by both sides. Also, the CIA is one US organization that has a lot of people with experience operating on the street in foreign nations and surviving. But now the Palestinians, perhaps realizing that savvy CIA monitors would see through Palestinian attempts to use the monitors as cover for additional terrorism. Now Palestinian wants other foreign monitors, less astute than CIA staff, and more likely to allow Palestinians to manipulate the situation to their advantage.