Angry Arafat Appeals for U.S. Action

JERUSALEM (AP) - A bitter Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) wound up more than two hours of talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) on Wednesday by demanding that the Bush administration and the international community act together to break his isolation. He accused Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) of reoccupying the West Bank after promising to pull back.

"They are continuing their aggression against the Palestinian people," Arafat said in a darkened hallway of his battered headquarters after seeing Powell off.

Powell made no immediate statement, but planned to hold a news conference later in Jerusalem before heading for home via Cairo, Egypt.

Arafat said he was appealing to President Bush (news - web sites) and to the international community to break Israel's siege of his headquarters.

"I cannot go out the door," he said, his voice rising with apparent exasperation. Just next door, Israeli gunners peeked through half-opened windows and Israeli tanks maintained their confinement of the Palestinian leader.

"Who can accept this?" Arafat asked. "They are returning back," referring to Israel's latest surge into Palestinian areas, after Sharon had said he would withdraw Israeli troops within a week from all towns and villages except Ramallah and Bethlehem.