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Sharon may lift travel ban on Arafat
Yasser Arafat was offered major incentives on Tuesday to help stop fighting in the Mid-East fighting. US vice-president Dick Cheney said that he would meet with the Palestinian leader after a truce took hold and Israel said that it might lift a travel ban on Arafat in time for next week`s Arab summit.
Yasser Arafat was offered major incentives on Tuesday to help stop fighting in the Mid-East fighting. US vice-president Dick Cheney said that he would meet with the Palestinian leader after a truce took hold and Israel said that it might lift a travel ban on Arafat in time for next week's Arab summit.
A meeting with Cheney would mark Arafat's highest-level contact yet with the Bush administration. Attending the Arab summit would mean an end to Arafat's three-month confinement to the Palestinian areas by Israel.
Cheney said that the US would remain "very actively engaged" in truce efforts led by US envoy Anthony Zinni, who has reported some progress toward a cease-fire declaration.
Palestinian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a truce announcement could be made as early as Wednesday.
Cheney has drawn complaints from Palestinians for not meeting with Arafat during his 24-hour visit to Israel. The vice-president said that once a ceasefire had taken hold, he would meet with Arafat in a location yet to be determined.
Asked about his failure to meet with Arafat on this trip, Cheney said: "I don't think that justifies the charge that somehow we are ignoring the Palestinian people."
"We are working very hard... at trying to achieve an end to the conflict that has plagued Israelis and Palestinians," he said during a joint news conference with Sharon. "I am hopeful that the effort that we are making here today will result in giving Gen Zinni the support he needs to move forward."
Cheney put the onus in reaching and preserving a ceasefire on Arafat, saying the coming week would be crucial for the Palestinian leader. Cheney said that Arafat must do everything he could to prevent attacks on Israelis. "I would expect the 100 per cent effort (by Arafat) to begin immediately," Cheney said.
Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said that he welcomed Cheney's offer to meet with Arafat. Sharon, meanwhile, said that he would allow Arafat to leave the Palestinian territories once a truce was in place. He said that according to the emerging timetable for a ceasefire, "we can assume... that he (Arafat) can get to Beirut." Bureau Report
A meeting with Cheney would mark Arafat's highest-level contact yet with the Bush administration. Attending the Arab summit would mean an end to Arafat's three-month confinement to the Palestinian areas by Israel.
Cheney said that the US would remain "very actively engaged" in truce efforts led by US envoy Anthony Zinni, who has reported some progress toward a cease-fire declaration.
Palestinian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a truce announcement could be made as early as Wednesday.
Cheney has drawn complaints from Palestinians for not meeting with Arafat during his 24-hour visit to Israel. The vice-president said that once a ceasefire had taken hold, he would meet with Arafat in a location yet to be determined.
Asked about his failure to meet with Arafat on this trip, Cheney said: "I don't think that justifies the charge that somehow we are ignoring the Palestinian people."
"We are working very hard... at trying to achieve an end to the conflict that has plagued Israelis and Palestinians," he said during a joint news conference with Sharon. "I am hopeful that the effort that we are making here today will result in giving Gen Zinni the support he needs to move forward."
Cheney put the onus in reaching and preserving a ceasefire on Arafat, saying the coming week would be crucial for the Palestinian leader. Cheney said that Arafat must do everything he could to prevent attacks on Israelis. "I would expect the 100 per cent effort (by Arafat) to begin immediately," Cheney said.
Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said that he welcomed Cheney's offer to meet with Arafat. Sharon, meanwhile, said that he would allow Arafat to leave the Palestinian territories once a truce was in place. He said that according to the emerging timetable for a ceasefire, "we can assume... that he (Arafat) can get to Beirut." Bureau Report