As Sharon Meets With Bush, Israeli Forces Continue Ramallah Sweep
As Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel met with President Bush in Washington, Israeli troops and tanks continued the sweep of Ramallah, the de facto Palestinian capital in the West Bank, that began early this morning, making 27 arrests by nightfall.

In addition to surrounding the battered headquarters of Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, the Israeli troops surrounded the home of Muhammad Naife, a leading member of the Tanzim militia of Mr. Arafat's Fatah faction.

The army said two of those arrested were youths who had been preparing for suicide bombings. The troops also took over the Palestinian police station and placed the 30 officers inside in custody. One policeman, identified as Yasir Sawalha, was killed early in the morning in fighting in Al Amari refugee camp at the edge of the city.

Apache helicopters gunships firing machine guns flew overhead as the raid began about 4 o'clock this morning. The sprawling city was put under a total curfew before dawn. As darkness fell, Ramallah was still in a state of lockdown.

The timing of the renewed takeover, after a monthlong occupation this spring that Israel had said would root out the infrastructure for attacks on Israelis, seemed an indication of Mr. Sharon's confidence in dealing with Mr. Bush as well as his hatred of Mr. Arafat, whom he blames for a wave of suicide bombings.

…residents of the sealed city said by telephone that nothing had moved on the streets but Israeli soldiers searching house to house for wanted suspects. Explosions were heard as the soldiers used small charges to blow open locked doors and tanks to fire on buildings near Mr. Arafat's block-square headquarters.

…The army said it was surrounding the compound to prevent any fleeing gunmen from seeking sanctuary there.

But the troops in Ramallah were also in position to strike swiftly at Mr. Arafat if ordered. Mr. Sharon has made no secret in recent days of his desire to rid the scene of Mr. Arafat, possibly by seizing and expelling him.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/11/international/middleeast/11MIDE.html