Military

DATE=05/03/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-289404

TITLE=MIDEAST CONFERENCE / ARAB REACT (L ONLY)

BYLINE=JAMES MARTONE

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has endorsed a U-S proposal for a peace conference this summer to resolve the Middle East crisis. But as James Martone reports from Cairo, other Arab officials have some reservations.

TEXT: The official Palestinian news agency says Mr. Arafat is ready for full talks on all the issues confronting Israelis and Palestinians, but other Arab leaders have reacted more coolly. Senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath says the conference must be international, and also be based on the plan, put forward earlier this year by Saudi Arabia, that calls recognition of Israel by Arab countries if Israel withdraws from land it occupied in 1967.

/// SHAATH ACT ///

The important thing is that it is properly attended by the parties, the international and regional parties, and that it bases itself on the terms of reference of the Arab Saudi plan and relevant resolutions and sets clear timetables for modalities and implementation.

/// END ACT ///

Arab League spokesman Hisham Youssef declined to comment directly on the conference, saying the league is waiting for more details about what exactly the United States is proposing.

El Sayed Yassin is a professor of political sociology at Cairo's National Center of Social Research. He says selling the idea of yet another Middle East peace conference will be hard as long as Israel continues to carry out raids into Palestinian towns.

/// YASSIN ACT ///

It depends upon the Israeli behavior from this time, from now until the summer. What will Israel do? Will they withdraw or not, will they stop their aggression on the Palestinian people or not, this is the crucial point.

/// END ACT ///

Only when Arabs see calm restored to Palestinian areas, says Mr. Yassin, can Arab anger turn into hope for peace. (Signed)

NEB/JM/KL/MEM