DEADLIER NEXT TIME?

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The fallout from September's miniwar between Israelis and Palestinians continues. Israeli intelligence reports that Yasser Arafat's security forces, worried about another armed confrontation, are working around the clock to obtain an arsenal of antitank and antiaircraft missiles--weapons they are forbidden to have under the Oslo accords. The arms would give Palestinian forces a more credible response to the tanks and attack helicopters that the Israeli army deployed last time. Palestinian security officials deny any official involvement in weapons smuggling but acknowledge that their forces already possess dozens of LAW antitank missiles confiscated from or donated by local Islamic militants. Use of the arms, however, could lead to a Palestinian debacle if it triggers a fiery Israeli response.

--Reported by Lisa Beyer and Aharon Klein/Jerusalem