PALESTINIAN DISCUSS SUCCESSOR TO ARAFAT

JERUSALEM [MENL] -- Leading Palestinians are quietly discussing a successorto Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Israeli and Palestinian sources said a growing number of Palestiniansregard Arafat as having ceded much of his authority to insurgency groups inthe West Bank and Gaza Strip. The sources said Arafat routinely passes overhis security commanders to deal directly with the heads of new militias.