[A-List] PLO Proxy Army Starting To Replace Israeli Troops In Jenin

[Leigh Meyers <the.buffalo.in.the.midst@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hundreds of Palestinian troops take up positions in Jenin

By ALI DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 35 minutes ago

Hundreds of flag-waving Palestinian troops took up positions in the 
former militant stronghold of Jenin on Saturday, part of President 
Mahmoud Abbas' attempt to assert control over once lawless West Bank 
towns and encourage an Israeli withdrawal.

The Israeli military and Abbas sharply disagree over whether the 
Palestinian forces are ready to replace Israeli troops in the West Bank, 
the only area Abbas controls following the June 2007 violent takeover of 
the Gaza Strip by Hamas militants.

The West Bank city of Nablus, which several months ago became the test 
case for Abbas' forces, is still raided regularly by Israeli troops 
searching for fugitives. Palestinian officials say such raids undermine 
their security forces, but Israel says Palestinian troops too often 
co-opt, rather than confront militants.

Jenin is the second town in which newly trained Palestinian troops were 
deployed in large numbers, and the city of Hebron is next.

"I hope this will be a step in the direction of restoring full 
(Palestinian) security jurisdiction in these areas," said Palestinian 
negotiator Saeb Erekat. "So far this has not been done, and if the 
Israelis continue coming ... to Nablus and Jenin, this would undermine 
our effort."

About 480 officers from the National Security and the Presidential 
Guard, dressed in black and khaki uniforms, marched into Jenin. 
Thousands flocked to the town's center to cheer on the forces, which 
will beef up the area's existing force of 1,500 officers.

The deployment of the security forces is part of Palestinian commitments 
under the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan. Abbas is to rein in and 
disarm militants, while Israel must freeze settlement expansion and 
remove dozens of illegal settlement outposts.

In violation of its commitment, Israel has issued construction bids for 
hundreds more homes in settlements since the relaunch of 
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in November. It also has failed to 
remove the outposts. On Friday in London, the "Quartet" of Mideast 
mediators â the U.S., Russia, the European Union and the United Nations 
â again demanded that Israel halt construction.

In Gaza, Ayman Taha, a spokesman for the Islamic militant group Hamas, 
said Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is expected to arrive in 
Israel in coming days for truce talks.

Egypt is trying to broker a cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas 
rulers of Gaza. Palestinian militants routinely fire rockets from Gaza 
toward Israeli border towns, and Israel often responds with deadly 
incursions into Gaza, and kills militants in targeted attacks.

Hamas demands that Gaza's borders, virtually closed for more than a 
year, be opened as part of a cease-fire. Israel has been cool to the 
proposal, fearing that such an arrangement will extend Hamas rule and 
allow the militants to build up their military arsenal.

There was no immediate Egyptian confirmation on Suleiman's arrival date, 
but Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Friday that he 
expected Suleiman to visit Israel, where he would meet with Israeli 
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Also on Saturday, a Palestinian man died of injures sustained after 
Israeli forces shot him close to a checkpoint, Palestinian police said.

Israel's army said the 30-year-old man approached the checkpoint 
carrying a knife and attempted to stab a soldier. The army said Israeli 
troops opened fire and wounded the man.

___

Associated Press writers Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City, Nasser Shiyoukhi 
in Hebron and Maggie Michael in Cairo, Egypt contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080503/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians