Clinton Considers Separate Meetings with Arafat, Barak

US President Bill Clinton suggested Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat meet him separately at the White House to find out ways to end weeks of conflicts in Mideast region, the White House said.

Clinton made the suggestion in a telephone conversation with Arafat, urging the Palestinian leader to adhere to an agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh a week ago, which was aimed at ceasing fire, according to P.J. Crowley, the spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

"If we see progress in those areas, then you open the door to the possibility of moving back towards the political process, and in that context, the president raised the possibility of having the chairman (Arafat) and the prime minister (Barak) come separately to Washington," Crowley said.

"At this point, it's only a possibility," he noted.

Clinton had not spoken with Barak Tuesday, said Crowley.



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