Military

DATE=11-6-2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-268892

TITLE=CLINTON-MIDEAST (S)

BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST

DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The Clinton administration is appealing to the Middle East parties to restore calm in advance of the Washington visits in the next few days by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. V-O-A's David Gollust reports from the White House.

TEXT: Administration officials are disappointed that clashes have continued, despite President Clinton's decision to resume personal diplomacy in the Middle East with his separate meetings with Chairman Arafat and Mr. Barak.

At a briefing, spokesman Jake Siewert urged greater efforts to end violence and said Mr. Clinton will press both leaders to implement the truce pledges they made to him at last month's Sharm El-Sheikh summit in Egypt:

/// SIEWERT ACT ///

There is too much violence, still, in the streets. And that is part of the reason why we are trying to gather both parties here to try to implement the security measures that were anticipated by the agreement at Sharm El-Sheikh and to begin to restore calm and lower the level of violence.

/// END ACT ///

The President will meet Thursday with Mr. Arafat and with Prime Minister Barak next Sunday, setting back by a day his planned departure on a trip that will take him to the Pacific-rim summit in Brunei and to Vietnam. (SIGNED)

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