Israel agrees to halt Arafat seige

JERUSALEM -- Israel and the Palestinians agreed Sunday to accept a U.S. proposal that would place six wanted men in a Palestinian jail under the watchful eyes of American and British guards -- a deal that would end the month-old Israeli siege of Yasser Arafat's West Bank headquarters and enable the Palestinian leader to travel freely for the first time since December. \nIsrael's Cabinet adopted President Bush's proposal in a 17-9 vote. Senior Arafat aides said the Palestinian leader also accepted the plan, which ultimately would free him from the sights of Israeli snipers crouched in the buildings around him. \n"We expect the siege imposed on President Arafat's office to be lifted the day after tomorrow," said Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo. The deal would allow Arafat to travel in the Palestinian territories or abroad. \nAccepting the plan, according to an Israeli Cabinet minister, was important to avoid angering the United States over another Cabinet decision: Ministers decided to bar a U.N. fact-finding mission from investigating allegations surrounding Israeli army actions in a West Bank refugee camp. \nAfter seven hours of Cabinet discussion, Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin briefed reporters, saying the United Nations had reneged on agreements with Israel. The team's composition and intentions, he said, made it inevitable that Israel would be unjustly blamed. \n"This awful United Nations committee is out to get us and is likely to smear Israel and to force us to do things which Israel is not prepared even to hear about, such as interrogating soldiers and officers who took part in the fighting," he said. "No country in the world would agree to such a thing." \nUntil Bush's compromise plan, Israel had said it would not allow Arafat out of his shell-shattered West Bank compound until it had custody of the six wanted men inside with him. Five of the six were wanted in connection with the October assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi. The sixth was accused of trafficking arms from Iran to the Palestinian territories. \nBush's proposal, according to Israeli officials, would have Israel standing by its "legitimate demand" that the six wanted men be handed over to Israel. But as long as British jailers and American representatives ensure they remain imprisoned, they apparently could stay in an isolated jail in Palestinian territory. \nAsked how long they would remain jailed, Sharon spokesman Arnon Perlman responded: "I think they will remain in prison unless they are extradited to Israel." \nFour of the six were convicted last week in a hastily convened, one-session Palestinian court and received sentences of one to 18 years; the two others have yet to stand trial in any court. The Palestinians had arrested the six and were holding them at a prison in Arafat's compound before the Israeli incursion. They were moved into Arafat's offices to keep them out of Israeli hands. \nBush called Sharon on Saturday to propose that U.S. and British nonmilitary personnel guard the six, U.S. officials said. \nBush, who was at his Texas ranch, praised the Israeli Cabinet's acceptance of the proposal, calling it "helpful and constructive," the White House said in a statement. There was no comment after the Palestinian acceptance. \nLater Sunday, U.S. and British consular officials met with Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters to directly convey the U.S. proposal. Afterward, Abu Rdeneh told The Associated Press that Arafat had accepted it. Mohammed Rashid, another senior Arafat adviser, earlier had called the proposal "a big step in the right direction." \nThere was no indication about when the plan would go into effect -- and it appeared that Israel's siege of Arafat's compound would continue until then. \nIsrael has kept Arafat confined to the compound since early December, aside from a few brief trips into the city of Ramallah.