The meeting to arm the Palestinian police postponed

Palestinian negotiations affairs minister Saeb Oreikat announced the postponement of a security meeting with the Israelis, dedicated to draw a " coordination mechanism" for the deployment of the police in the West Bank which is presumed to be held yesterday ( Sunday) late evening, giving no details on reasons of the postponement.

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon preceded the security meeting by announcing that his government has not yet discussed the issue of permitting the Palestinian police to carry weapons, while senior Israeli officials set the conditions for the deployment of the police.

They indicated that a decision to this effect will not obstruct the move of the occupation forces in the West Bank and that it is always a changeable decision, besides that Israel is the side which will decide the identity of weapons holders and places where this process is permitted.

Earlier, the Israeli defense minister Shaoul Mofaz announced Israel's consent to permit certain number of Palestinian police to carry weapons in order to permit the Palestinian authority to fight what he called security disorder in the Palestinian territories.