Wednesday, September 15, 1999

RAMALLAH -- The Palestinian Authority has recruited into its security force all of the nearly 200 prisoners released by Israel last week, officials said on Tuesday.

Palestinian sources said all of the 199 released Palestinian prisoner on Thursday were absorbed in PA security forces and were handed "in order to protect themselves" a PA source said.

On Tuesday, PA radio confirmed the report.

The source said some of the released prisoners were involved in killing collaborators with Israel during the Palestine uprising that began in 1987. The source said the PA is concerned that the families of the victims will take revenge.

"We have not received any threats but we can't be for sure," a Palestinian security source said.

PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan warned that security forces would respond with an "iron hand" to any attempt to hurt the released detainees.

The recruitment of the released detainees took place as demonstrations continued for the release of all Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel. On Monday, a PA-organized demonstration took place in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza.

A poll released on Monday said 85 percent of Palestinians want any final status agreement with Israel to be approved by a referendum. The poll, taken by the Center of Palestinian Research and Studies in Nablus also showed a drop in support for Arafat.

The survey of 1,500 Palestinians said Arafat's approval rating in the West Bank is 40 percent. Sixty-two percent of those polled said the PA was rife with corruption.