THE MIDDLE EAST: Following three hours of talks with the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, in his besieged compound in Ramallah, the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, said the encounter was "useful and constructive".
Mr Powell stated that he and Mr Arafat had "exchanged a variety of ideas" and spoken about "steps on which we can move forward". But he did not indicate whether there had been progress towards a ceasefire. This could be discussed today when aides to the two men meet. There could be a second round of top level discussions tomorrow. An authoritative source inside the compound told me the issue of Israel's withdrawal from reoccupied Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps had not been discussed.
Mr Arafat did not emerge from his office to speak with reporters after the meeting for security reasons. An adjoining building is held by Israeli forces and snipers are all round. On Saturday Mr Arafat condemned and pledged to curb Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians, the US condition for the meeting with Mr Powell. To answer the concerns of his own people living under siege and curfew over the past 17 days, Mr Arafat condemned "very strongly the massacre that was committed by the Israeli occupation troops against our refugees in Jenin and against our people in Ramallah, Nablus and Tulkarem, and also the brutal aggression against the Church [of the Nativity] in Bethlehem".
Mr Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian negotiator, summed up the Palestinian position when he stated: "When the Israelis complete the full withdrawal, we will carry out our obligations." Mr Powell was to meet the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, later in the day and to make an unscheduled trip to Beirut to hold discussions about the rising tension along the Lebanese-Israel border due to attacks by Hizbullah against Israeli troops in the disputed Shebaa Farms area and Israeli responses which could escalate into a regional conflict.
The encounter between Mr Arafat and Mr Powell did not produce any positive benefits on the ground for West Bank residents. Israeli tanks moved into two more villages yesterday and Israeli troops tightened their grip on Ramallah, the site of the meeting. Tanks and armoured personnel carriers were on the move constantly throughout the night before and during the day of the meeting. Explosions were punctuated by the roar of patrolling armour.
Journalists were barred from entering the city, although two car loads and myself did manage to get in through the "back door" before an Israeli tank took up position opposite the not-so-secret spot. Only Israeli armoured vehicles, journalists, ambulances and peace activists were on the streets. I walked to the Mukata, Mr Arafat's battered headquarters, with a clutch of correspondents from Europe, Turkey and Japan.
About 150 metres from buildings surrounded by earthworks and barbed wire, two Israeli jeeps blocked our way and soldiers formed a line across the road.
One held up a paper in Hebrew on which he said was written, "This is closed military area. You can't be here. It is not safe for you," he stated, although Palestinian militants had been killed, captured or driven away two weeks ago. Mr Paul Patin, the US official in charge of press arrangements for the meeting, told me that only journalists accompanying Mr Powell would be travelling with him to Ramallah.
Ms Caoihme Butterly (23), the Irish woman, who has spent the last 10 days in Mr Arafat's compound told me by phone on Saturday night that their situation had improved. "We had water for showers and to clean up the place.Everybody is pitching in." Food was also brought into the compound, she said.