The driver denied knowing anything about the money or who gave it to him, so the trooper seized it, police said.

A spokesman for the FBI confirmed that the Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to the situation in conjunction with state police, but he said they don't think terrorism is involved. He would not give any other details.

The men, who are from Houston, said they picked up the bag in Chicago and had no knowledge of its contents, according to police.

Investigators think the cash may have a drug connection. A police dog picked up the scent of drugs in the sleeper cab of the truck where the bag was found, police said.

Both men were detained and later released. No charges have been filed.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas was to meet with his interior minister later Friday to weigh a response.

Siyam's decision Thursday to set up the new force and appoint Jamal Abu Samhadana as its commander was seen as a major provocation to Abbas, to Israel and to the international community.

Abu Samhadana, 43, was a founding member of a militant group suspected of a deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic convoy and served a year in Palestinian jails for involvement in militant activity.

The new force was to be made up of militants from various factions. Under the current arrangement, the interior minister controls three branches of the security forces, while the president has direct command over three other groups. However, Abbas is also overall commander of the security forces.

Abbas and Hamas have been wrangling over authorities since the Islamic militant group won January parliament elections. After the Hamas victory, Abbas took control of the state-run media, the Palestinian Investment Fund and the authority controlling borders.

Hamas has complained it was largely left with paying salaries for some 165,000 government employees - a task it cannot meet because the West has cut off financial aid.

In a letter to Haniyeh on Friday, Abbas wrote that "we have learned through the media that the interior minister issued decisions violating the law. "

"All the officers, soldiers and security personnel are asked not to abide by these decisions and to consider them non-existent," Abbas said in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.