Associated Press: Middle East News
Technicalities Hold Up Prisoner Deal
The Associated Press Web Posted : 05/01/2002 7:40 AM news://newsclip.ap.org/JRL120043017@news.ap.org RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) _ Minor technical details regarding the transfer of six Palestinian prisoners from Yasser Arafat's besieged compound still need to be worked out, but the men are expected to be moved later Wednesday, Palestinian officials said. The prisoner transfer would pave the way for the Palestinian leader's release from months of Israeli confinement at his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat told The Associated Press the transfer arrangements were largely in place, but that some details concerning the safety of the prisoners and other issues were still unresolved. Erekat said it was "possible" the prisoners would be transferred later Wednesday, while another Palestinian official said the transfer would take place by nightfall. The prisoners are to be held in the West Bank town of Jericho, under British and U.S. supervision. The six wanted men have been holed up with Arafat and about 300 people since Israel's invasion March 29. In a lightning trial at the compound with Palestinian police as judges, four were convicted of killing Israeli Cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi in October. The other two are Ahmed Saadat, leader of the radical PLO faction that carried out the assassination, and Fuad Shobaki, alleged mastermind of a Palestinian arms shipment intercepted by the Israeli navy in January. |