Clinton May Leave G-8 Summit Early
O K I N A W A C I T Y, Japan, July 22 -- President Clinton went for a solitary walk along the tropical beach outside his Okinawa hotel this morning, strolling barefoot as the sun came up over day two of the Group of Eight economic summit.
But his mind may have been thousands of miles away at Camp David, Md., where Israeli and Palestinian leaders were wrangling over the contested capital of Jerusalem. Even before touching down in Japan, Clinton started compressing his weekend schedule in Okinawa so he could leave five or six hours early, White House officials said Friday night. This could let him return to the Camp David peace talks in rural Maryland late Sunday, if he chooses.
Compressing the Schedule
The White House has already rescheduled a few social events and some of the bilateral meetings Clinton is holding with other world leaders. He’s already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.
His meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been moved back from Sunday afternoon to Sunday morning. A barbecue with U.S. troops, originally scheduled for Sunday, will take place tonight.
World leaders at the G-8 summit have shown some readiness to help underwrite anyIsraeli-Palestinian peace agreement. By some estimates, the cost could be upwards of $ 40 billion.
There has been moral support as well, with French President Jacques Chirac praising Clinton’s “courage and determination” to convene the summit.
This afternoon, Clinton told Mori that a recent attack on alocal girl by a U.S. Marine “hurt me in the heart,” a Japaneseofficial told The Associated Press.
Expresses Regret
Clinton expressed regret over the incident when the two leadersmet, according to a spokesmanfor the Japanese delegation who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The spokesman said the Japanese considered Clinton’s comments anapology for the incident.
While the American military presence has helped the economy,Okinawans angrily blame U.S. troops for crimes ranging from theftsand assaults to rapes and killings. Local ire flared anew after anunidentified 19-year-old Marine was arrested July 3 for entering aprivate home, crawling into a 14-year-old girl’s bed and fondlingher in her sleep.
