India: India makes conditional offer to have talks with Pakistan

India’s Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee conditionally offered Saturday to negotiate with Pakistan over Kashmir and other key issues dividing the two nuclear-armed rivals.

Vajpayee’s comments came at a news conference concluding a two-day visit to the state of Jammu-Kashmir, the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

“If Pakistan says tomorrow that it will close down the terrorist camps in Pakistan, if it says this today, I will send a top Foreign Ministry official to Islamabad tomorrow to draw up a schedule for the talks,” Vajpayee said.

India says Islamic separatists are crossing into Jammu-Kashmir from Pakistan’s portion of the Himalayan region to attack Indian troops.

The two countries nearly went to war after an attack on India’s parliament in December 2001. While tensions have since eased, there has been no resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue.

Gaza Strip: Israel invades refugee camp; five Palestinians killed

Dozens of Israeli tanks backed by attack helicopters pushed into the Rafah refugee camp Saturday, one of the largest military incursions into the Gaza Strip in 30 months of fighting, Palestinians said.

At least five Palestinians were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, doctors said. Witnesses said at least 40 people were wounded.

The incursion came as Palestinian leaders raced to meet a self-imposed deadline for a new Palestinian government — a key requirement toward unveiling a U.S.-backed peace plan.

The incursion appeared to have targeted the Yibna neighborhood, one of two known militant strongholds in Rafah.

Jerusalem: Prime minister-designate angered at Arafat meeting

The Palestinian prime minister-designate stormed out of a meeting Saturday with Yasser Arafat and top aides trying to meet a self-imposed deadline for a new Palestinian government, officials said.

President Bush has said a new Palestinian government must be in place before the unveiling of a U.S.-backed peace plan. The Palestinians have given themselves a Wednesday deadline.

But the designated prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and Arafat have been at odds over the role of former Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, tapped by Abbas as minister of state for internal affairs, a role that would have some control over security matters.

Tensions erupted Saturday when leaders of Fatah, Arafat’s political movement, said Dahlan could have any job not dealing with security, according to a senior Palestinian official who was present and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Abbas also has proposed appointing himself to the top security position of interior minister, but Arafat suggested retaining incumbent Hani al-Hassan, a longtime aide to the Palestinian leader, the official said. Abbas threatened to resign unless his choices were accepted.