PAN 47th MEDITATION FOCUS

4. Peace Watch for the Middle East

Here are some of the latest developments in the Middle East. Please also
keep this situation in mind during your meditations in the coming two weeks
to help ensure that peace prevail there as well.

From:
http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010914/wl/israel_palestinians_1579.html

Bush Pushes for Mideast Truce Talks
(Friday September 14)

JERUSALEM (AP) - The United States has told Israel it wants Mideast truce
talks held soon as part of a U.S. effort to build a broad coalition against
Islamic militants - one that would also include Arab countries, Israeli
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Friday.

President Bush called Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Friday to urge
Israel to back the coalition, U.S. officials said. However, Sharon does not
want Peres to meet with Yasser Arafat just now, Sharon adviser Raanan
Gissin said.

Sharon believes the Palestinian leader has done nothing to rein in Islamic
militants and that some of his security forces have participated in attacks
on Israelis, Gissin said.

CLIP

A Peres-Arafat meeting has been tentatively set for Sunday at the Gaza
International Airport. Palestinian officials said Friday they assumed it
would take place.

Peres, a veteran peacemaker, has pushed for talks with Arafat, but Sharon -
who distrusts Arafat's intentions - has been reluctant to give his
approval.

Peres said he received two phone calls Thursday from Secretary of State
Colin Powell, who he said ``attaches great importance to the holding of the
meeting.''

``The United States is trying to establish a coalition against terrorism
and wants Muslim elements to be in that coalition, also Arab elements,''
Peres said.

``If it is possible to push the Palestinian issue aside or to solve it in a
positive way, that is important to them because it (the Palestinian issue)
can hinder the establishment of that coalition.''

U.N. Mideast Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen warned that Israelis and Palestinians
risked losing what might be a last chance to restart peace talks.

``A failed meeting would probably make the situation worse,'' Roed-Larsen
said. ``It might also be the last chance for a very long time to bring the
peace process back.''

CLIP

Full Coverage on the Middle East Peace process at
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/World/Middle_East_Peace_Process


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