Powell talks on the telephone with Arafat, Sharon

The US secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday evening made a telephone call with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat and reviewed with him current conditions in the Palestinian territories.

Arafat's advisor Abu Rudinah said in statements quoted by the Israeli radio on Tuesday that during the telephone call the two sides discussed efforts exerted to resume negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and to eliminate tension in the occupied territories.

Meantime, Powell made on Monday evening a telephone call with the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, which is his second call within 24 hours.

The Hebrew language Israeli radio said that Powell discussed with Sharon means of halting confrontations between the Israeli army and the Palestinians.

The radio added that Powell asked Sharon to permit politicians from two sides to take part in possible meetings of the joint security committee but Sharon refused that under the pretext that the security committees are composed of military men and not politicians.