despite the Palestinian failure to halt anti-Israel violence, the Bush Administration is pressing Israel to allow the transfer of still more weapons, ammunition and accessories to the Palestinian security forces
Well, here is a news-flash that you probably won't be reading all that much about in the Western press.

Guess what? The Palestinian Authority is not living up to its obligations to fight terrorism against Israel.

So concluded the American officials responsible for monitoring Palestinian compliance with the Road Map peace plan, according to the Ha'aretz newspaper.

The paper reports that, "Specifically, the Americans are concerned that the PA does not engage in the full spectrum of counterterrorism activities, including arrests, interrogation and trial, as it would if it were trying to eradicate the armed wings of Islamic terrorist organizations. Instead, it makes do with trying to "contain" terror - to prevent specific attacks, and to keep Hamas from growing strong enough to threaten Fatah's rule in the West Bank."

Nonetheless, despite the Palestinian failure to halt anti-Israel violence, the Bush Administration is pressing Israel to allow the transfer of still more weapons, ammunition and accessories to the Palestinian security forces!

Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton, the US security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinians, is reportedly set to submit a formal request to this effect to Defense Minister Ehud Barak in the coming days, and Barak is said to be ready to agree to it.

Sound absurd? Well - it most definitely is. The Palestinians are allowing terror against Israel to continue - so how do the US and Israel respond? By giving them still more weapons.