Crisis in the Middle East: European Union Security Chief Javier Solana Meets with Barak and Arafat
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to news from overseas, this morning, a number of voices being heard there in the crisis in the Middle East. More intensive efforts now under way to end nearly two weeks of deadly clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians there. Let's go live, now, to Jerusalem. CNN's Ben Wedeman once again with us where again the situation continues today. Ben, more violence or less than what we've seen in the past few weeks?</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, there is not quite the level we have seen in the last two weeks, roughly. But there still is violence. We are hearing from the Palestinian village -- town of Tulcaram (ph) that one man has been killed and two wounded in clashes there. And there reports, also reports of other clashes elsewhere. This is usually the time of day when these things happen. Usually mid-afternoon, local time, of course, is when the clashes break out. One piece of information that we have received from Palestinian officials, not yet confirmed by Israeli sources, is that the Israeli army at the moment has placed cement blocks on many of the roads leading from the areas under exclusive Palestinian security and civil control to the areas under joint control where the Israelis have security presence and the Palestinians are in charge of the civil authority. Now this, of course, has not, as I said, been confirmed by Israeli officials, but the Palestinian official, senior Palestinian official, I spoke to was very angry about this development. He says that this will complicate the situation at a time when many people, diplomats and others, are trying to calm down the situation. He described this as a move that is contrary to all the efforts being made by Kofi Annan and other international diplomats. Now, today, we have seen intense activity on the ground. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak as well as Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestinian Authority. Both of those meetings, in fact, unscheduled, very much a surprise. So, there may be some movement forward on that. Also, in the region, is the European Union Security Chief Javier Solana, who met with, also, Arafat and Barak, And before leaving to Egypt, he made the following statement.</s>JAVIER SOLANA, EUROPEAN UNION ENVOY: We are trying to do our best. And the visit that I'm doing to the region is for that purpose. We are trying to see how we can help to scale down the violence. And therefore, that the situation of tension and, therefore, to return to what is the dream of everybody, to try to negotiate a permanent peace. That is what we want. And with that we want to help.</s>WEDEMAN: So, diplomacy is still alive and well and kicking. But, with news of more clashes, there is some question now, on the horizon. I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting live from Jerusalem.