Palestinian President Yasser Arafat during a meeting with Israeli Arab
delegation in the West Bank City of Ramallah February 9, 2002. Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said March 10, 2002 that he favours ending
a siege on President Yasser Arafat which has confined the Palestinian
leader to the West Bank city of Ramallah since mid-December. Lifting
the siege would enable Arafat to attend an Arab League summit in Beirut
at the end of the month that is due to debate a Saudi proposal for an
Arab-Israeli peace deal. REUTERS/Osama Silwadi

OS/CLH/