Annan, Arafat Meet on Mideast CrisisUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Tuesday met again on the current Middle East crisis and ways to revive the peace march.It was the second meeting between the two leaders in as many days since the United Nations chief arrived in the region Monday on a trip aimed at helping end the violent clashes between Israel and the Palestinians. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, visiting the region to lend Russian efforts in defusing the tension, joined the two briefly for photographers before Arafat left. In the meeting, Annan reportedly tabled proposals to Arafat which he would make to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in their meeting scheduled later in the day. Speaking after the meeting, Annan said he was optimistic about an end to the Palestinian-Israeli violence. "I think we can rein in the situation. I think we have a window of opportunity to do it," he said. In an overnight cabinet meeting, Barak announced to extend "for a few days" the 48-hour ultimatum he initially issued to Arafat, which expired Monday night, in order to let Arafat have more time to put an end to the violence in the territories. About 90 people, mostly Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, have been killed and more than 2,000 others wounded in the 12 days of violence triggered by Israeli opposition Likud leader Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to a Jerusalem site holy to both Muslims and Jews. |
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