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Israel, U.S., PA discuss PA security control in W. Bank By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff The United States, Israel and the Palestinian Authority are discussing extending the writ of Palestinian forces in the West Bank. Since May, the PA has been enforcing law and order in and around Jenin, in what all sides view as a pilot program. The program's objective was to tighten the PA's grip on the West Bank while reducing friction with the Israel Defense Forces. Advertisement Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the U.S. special envoy for Middle East security, General James Jones, have both rejected Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's proposal to expand the program to Hebron. However, they are considering expanding it to Tul Karm. The PA would like to take over law enforcement in Hebron because it is both a major West Bank economic hub and a Hamas bastion, meaning that improving law and order there could weaken Hamas. However, Israel and the U.S. vetoed the idea for two reasons. First, they fear the PA might fail in Hebron. Second, there is a risk of clashes between Palestinian policemen and settlers. Barak, Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin and other senior defense officials have all recently praised the PA's performance in Jenin, where hundreds of Palestinian policemen, including some trained by the Americans in Jordan, were posted to enforce law and order. The IDF, for its part, cut back on operations, eased traffic obstacles and permitted Israeli Arabs to enter Jenin. Palestinian forces were also allowed to operate in rural areas around the city in coordination with Israel. Yesterday, Palestinian forces were visible throughout Jenin, while armed street gangs had completely disappeared. Even in the Jenin refugee camp, which PA policemen could not enter a few years ago, no gunmen could be seen. "Today, we can say that all the plan's objectives in Jenin have been achieved," Jenin's Palestinian commander, Colonel Sliman Amran, told Haaretz. "We've stopped the anarchy in the streets. Both the Israelis and the Americans think so. But what is more important is that the city's residents feel safe." Amran said that in recent months, his men have confiscated about 100 illegal weapons in the city. He admitted, however, that the PA releases some people shortly after their arrest, saying the city's small jails are too crowded. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Saddam in Tel Aviv Israel's Igal Naor 'never wanted to play Hamlet, only Saddam.' The preacher Archbishop Tutu to UN: Israel may have committed war crime.

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