Clinton thinks about visiting Middle East Summit

U.S. President Bill Clinton is considering a trip to the Middle East to help mediate an end to recent violence, news services reported. The second summit between U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials in two weeks isn't likely to take place before Wednesday or Thursday due to the visit of North Korean Vice Marshal Jo Myong- Rok to Washington, Agence France-Presse reported. Overnight, hundreds of Jewish residents of Nazareth insulted and threw stones at Israeli Arabs. Fighting broke out when the Arabs retaliated, and Israeli police intervened. The two Arabs died of injuries suffered in the clashes, but it wasn't clear how their injuries were caused, AFP said. ``The cycle of violence has to be stopped,'' U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said yesterday on NBC's Meet the Press. ``We have been in very close touch with both parties trying to get some disengagement.'' Albright last week mediated talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that failed to end the violence. More than 90 people have been killed since the clashes began Sept. 28, following a visit by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to Jerusalem's Temple Mount complex, known to Arabs as Haram al-Sharif. Clinton yesterday phoned Syrian President Bashar Assad to help try to secure the release of three Israeli soldiers captured Saturday near the border with Lebanon by Islamic Hezbollah guerrillas, White House spokesman P.J. Crowley said.Bloomberg reports.