Leaders meet to discuss diplomacy

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers met for two hours Sunday, kicking off 10 days of international diplomacy aimed at solidifying a fragile Mideast cease-fire and advancing the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.\nThe leaders met as the Palestinian Authority outlawed groups that incite violence and agitate for change through force, moving to meet a requirement of the "road map" peace plan -- and an Israeli demand -- that they disarm militant groups.\nThe decree is the same as one issued in 1998 but was effectively rendered invalid during the 33 months of violence that followed the collapse of U.S. efforts to broker a permanent peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.\nPalestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas left Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Jerusalem residence after a meeting expected to focus on the release of Palestinian prisoners, which Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan told The Associated Press was at the top of the agenda for the Palestinians.\nThe two sides made no immediate statement after the meeting, the first between Sharon and Abbas since July 1.\nIsrael has indicated it may partly back off its previous refusal to free any members of the two Islamic militant groups that have waged a campaign of suicide bombings against Israelis.\n"I think it is possible to free people from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with the obvious provision that they don't have blood on their hands," said Cabinet minister Gideon Ezra, using a phrase for direct involvement in deadly attacks.\nOn June 29 the two groups declared a three-month halt to attacks on Israelis and were joined by Yasser Arafat's Fatah, which declared a six-month moratorium. But, although violence that has killed more than 3,000 people since September 2000 is markedly down, other progress has been slowed by disagreements.\nImplementing the road map -- a blueprint for ending three years of violence and establishing a Palestinian state by 2005 -- will be the focus of twin summits in Washington, with President Bush meeting Abbas on July 25 and Sharon four days later.