Aristide says he backs delegation's proposals

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide met the prime minister of the Bahamas yesterday and agreed to several proposals by Caribbean leaders for easing his country's political crisis. Prime Minister Perry Christie of the Bahamas led a small delegation from the 15-member Caribbean Community on a one-day visit in an effort to break an impasse that has plunged Haiti into turmoil. Aristide said he "shared" the major points put forward by Christie, including the need to build a "consensus" government, set up an electoral council, schedule legislative elections soon, and disarm politically affiliated gangs. Aristide said he would support forming a new governing council including members of his party, the opposition, and civil society leaders. (AP)

COLOMBIA

OAS agrees to monitor troop disarmament

BOGOTA -- The Organization of American States has agreed to monitor the disarmament of Colombia's paramilitary forces, lending significant international support to a peace process that has proved highly divisive at home. The OAS secretary general, Cesar Gaviria, a former Colombian president, agreed in weekend talks with President Alvaro Uribe to send representatives here to verify a paramilitary cease-fire and help disarm the group following a negotiated agreement between the government and the militia. Gaviria likened the endeavor to the OAS mission in Nicaragua that oversaw the disarmament of 22,000 US-backed contra insurgents in the 1990s. Gaviria's decision, made without consulting the 35 nations that make up the OAS, has angered some diplomats and human rights officials here who say it bestows international legitimacy on a process that remains a work in progress. (Washington Post)

ALGERIA

US diplomat presses for free, fair elections

ALGIERS -- A senior US diplomat urged Algeria yesterday to hold free and fair presidential elections in April, hinting that US-Algerian relations were at stake. Lorne Craner, US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, ending a three-day visit, said he received assurances the election itself would be conducted fairly, but had concerns about the run-up to the vote. "I come to the end of my visit with some concerns remaining," largely because of crackdowns on Algeria's print media, said Craner. In the upcoming elections, "we will be following events closely in the hopes that we can fully realize all the opportunities for expanded bilateral cooperation," Craner said. Algeria is emerging from a 12-year extremist Islamic insurgency that has left an estimated 120,000 dead. The rebellion erupted after the army canceled legislative elections that an Islamic party was set to win. (AP)

FRANCE

Blast damages school once led by Muslim

NANTES -- An explosion early yesterday damaged a business school formerly headed by a Muslim who was recently appointed a top administrator in France. The man's car was bombed a week ago. Police cordoned off the area around the Audencia school and opened an investigation. The explosion damaged a door and some windows of the school. Prosecutor Jean-Marie Huet said on LCI television that authorities were looking into whether the two blasts were linked. Aissa Dermouche, 57, born in Algeria, was named to the post of prefect, the state's highest representative of a region, on Jan. 14 by President Jacques Chirac. (AP)

SYRIA

Government welcomes Turkey mediation offer

DAMASCUS -- Syria welcomed an offer from Turkey's prime minister yesterday to mediate between Israel and Syria in a bid to revive peace negotiations. Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the offer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying his country was prepared to "take up the duty [of mediator] between both Israel and the Palestinians and between Syria and Israel." Turkey, a US ally, has close military and economic ties with Israel and has sought recently to improve relations with Syria. (AP)