WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has found safe haven for beseiged
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.U.S. officials said the Bush administration has obtained approval from
Morocco to provide asylum to Arafat. The officials said that over the past
few days U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell contacted Arab and Islamic
countries in an effort to end the Israeli takeover of Arafat's headquarters
in Ramallah."We have found a place for Arafat," a U.S. official said. "The problem
is that Arafat doesn't want to leave just yet."Officials said that one of the obstacles to Arafat's exile is his
insistence that he bring with him scores of aides and Palestinian insurgents
wanted by Israel. The insurgents include up to 70 Fatah and Hamas agents
accused of being responsible for the wave of suicide bombings in Israeli
cities.
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