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The first class of recruits was scheduled to begin patrols in Jenin on the West Bank this weekend, The Washington Post reported.

"If we come under fire, we will have to take the bullets with our chests without any kind of protection", said Lt. Col. Nidal Abu Dukhan, who heads the battalion to be sent to Jenin. "We don't have helmets and body armor because the Israelis are against these things."

The supplies were described as non-lethal items, including first-aid equipment, uniforms and body armor.

Congress approved $28 million last year to train 1,000 officers. But officials say the training, in Jordan, has fallen short, partly because equipment like two-way radios arrived late.

The Palestinian security force is a key part of the Bush administration's plans for a two-state solution in the Middle East. But Israel fears Palestinian officers are likely to become its enemies.

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