-News for Thur. 04 April & Fri. 05
April 2002 Zinni Meets Arafat in Ramallah
VOA
News 5
Apr 2002 14:16 UTC

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| Yasser Arafat talks with Anthony Zinni,
center |
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Israel has
allowed U.S. Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni to meet with besieged Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat - as Israeli forces press their week-long offensive into
Palestinian towns and cities.
A spokesman for
Mr. Arafat says the 90 minute talks in Ramallah covered ways to implement a
ceasefire plan. He says Mr. Zinni and the Palestinian leader agreed to expand
U.S. - Palestinian meetings in the coming hours.
Earlier this
week, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refused to allow Mr. Zinni to visit
Mr. Arafat as Israel sought to isolate the Palestinian leader. Mr. Sharon
relented as President Bush announced deeper U.S. invovlement in ending the
Middle East crisis - declaring "enough is enough."
The president
called on Israel to withdraw from recently occupied Palestinian towns and cease
all settlement activity in the occupied territories. Mr. Bush called Mr. Arafat
a failed leader, criticizing him sharply for not putting a halt to Palestinian
terror attacks on Israelis. The president said he is sending Secretary of State
Colin Powell to the Middle East next week in a fresh bid to end the fighting
and revive ceasefire talks.
The United
Nations Security Council Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution welcoming
Mr. Powell's mission to the region, and called for the withdrawal of Israeli
forces without delay.
Some information
for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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