PALI MILITIAS WON'T HAND OVER GUNS

Palestinian Militias Firm Against Handing Over Guns - Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
Several Palestinian armed groups on Sunday rejected attempts by the PA to confiscate their weapons, vowing to thwart such moves.  The groups also threatened to launch attacks on Israel to embarrass the PA leadership on the eve of the U.S.-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis. Hamas also expressed its strong opposition to the disarmament of any group.

PA Interior Minister Abdel Razzak Yahya confirmed that the PA leadership had promised Israel to dismantle all militias and armed groups in the West Bank ahead of the Annapolis peace conference. "They are making many arrests, but it's mostly of suspects involved in petty crime," said a prominent Nablus businessman. "The latest security operation, which has nevertheless been welcomed by many here, is apparently aimed at appeasing the Americans and Israelis on the eve of the peace conference."