DATE=10-04-2000
TYPE=Correspondent Report
NUMBER=267476
TITLE=Mideast-agreement (L-only)
BYLINE=Paul Miller
DATELINE=Paris
CONTENT=
/// Re-running w/correct in first sentence, third graph from text ///
INTRO: Israeli prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have reached a tentative agreement intended to end the violence in the West Bank and Gaza strip. The agreement was reached in Paris after a long day of talks mediated by U-S secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Paul Miller reports from Paris that the agreement is limited and the talks will continue.
TEXT: Under the agreement Israel will pull back its heavy weapons in the West bank and Gaza to positions they held eight days ago- meaning before the outbreak of violence following a right-wing Israeli politician's visit to a Jerusalem site that is holy to both Jews and Muslims.
This is a first step in making the transition that secretary Alright said is required from a psychology of confrontation to one of cooperation. There will be more negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders Thursday in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.
The negotiations are expected to address Palestinian demands that there be an international commission of inquiry into the reasons for the violence, which has killed more than 60 people. Israel is opposed to the Palestinian proposal to include French and Egyptian investigators-it proposes separate Israeli and Palestinian inquiries with U-S mediation.
The limited agreement took an entire day to produce and almost didn't happen. Chairman Arafat agreed to three way talks with Prime Minister Barak and Secretary Albright only after lengthy bilateral negotiations- and then at one point stormed out of the meeting, only to be talked into returning by the american secretary.(SIGNED)
NEB/PT
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