BARAK DELAYS SETTING DEFENSE BUDGET

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- The government of Prime Minister Ehud Barak has decidedto wait until tempers in the military cool down until both sides discuss thedefense budget. Officials said the defense budget was to have been decided in a meetingbetween Barak, who also serves as defense minister, and Finance MinisterAvraham Shohat. Shohat has opposed a military request of a 1.5 billionshekel [$375 million] increase in the budget for the Israel Defense Forces.