Arafat merges the security department

The Palestinian national security advisor Jibril al-Rajjoub announced that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat signed a decision to merge the Palestinian security forces which toll 12 into three departments which are the general security, the national security and the intelligence.

Arafat, whose authority is facing the worst crisis of security loss, yesterday vowed to continue efforts for enhancing the Palestinian unity.

In a speech via telephone broadcast by loudspeakers to thousands of his supporters who gathered at al-Rashedeyah camp for the Palestinian refugees in south Lebanon, the Palestinian President said " we will continue working for strengthening our national unity and enhancing it." Some have expressed conviction that giving the prime minister of Palestine security authorities parallel to the authorities if Arafat will be the solution capable of ending the state of chaos in the Palestinian areas.

The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said yesterday that this will be capable of convincing Qurei' to give up his resignation. Egypt stressed via the spokesman for the Republic's presidency that it does not seek to isolate any one or giving authorities to one over the other.

The spokesman said "the confidence is entrusted in President Arafat, because he is the elected President, but the issue of taking decision or balances inside the Palestinian authority is another matter, which is negotiated upon between Arafat and the Palestinian prime minister." However, Egypt stressed its conviction that without Arafat there will be no solution for the Palestinian issue.