Ending a 10-day Middle East tour with no progress, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that Israel had promised to withdraw troops from Palestinian towns and villages within a few days. He admonished Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that "terrorism must end."
In a news conference before departing Israel, Powell said he would return to the region "to move ahead" with efforts to get peace negotiations on track. He said other U.S. diplomats will remain behind to follow up on his talks and that President Bush is prepared to send CIA Director George Tenet "in the near future" to promote security cooperation between Israeli and the Palestinians.
Powell was unable to get both sides to agree to a cease-fire, which he said is impossible to achieve while the Israeli military remains in the West Bank.
"Cease-fire is not a relevant term at the moment," Powell said, adding that conditions may allow for that later "so one can have not just the statement of a cease-fire but the reality."
Powell said that while the Israeli pullback "wasn't as quickly as we would have liked, it is under way."
"I take the prime minister at his word that he is going to conclude it in the next few days or week or so," Powell said. He called the Israeli offensive the obstacle "that keeps us from moving" into a framework for peace negotiations.
Powell said he made it clear to Arafat that the world is looking for him to move beyond condemnations of "terrorism".
"It's time for him to make a strategic choice and lead his people down the path of peace," said Powell.
"Statements as we all know now are not enough. It's not what I believe or don't believe. It's what we see him do that will be the important measurement as we move forward."
After their meeting, Arafat focused on Israel's siege of his Ramallah compound and appealed for international help.
"I have to ask the Bush administration, the international community, is this acceptable that I cannot go out the door," he said. Just next door, Israeli gunners peeked through half-opened windows and Israeli tanks ensured the confinement of the Palestinian leader, AP reported.
"Who can accept this?" Arafat asked. "They are returning back," he said, referring to Israel's latest surge into Palestinian areas, after Sharon had said he would withdraw Israeli troops within a week from all towns and villages except Ramallah and Bethlehem.
Powell said he urged Israel to ease its confinement of Arafat at his Ramallah headquarters, and allow the Palestinian leader the ability to communicate with the outside world and his people.
"It also seems a better course of action to allow him a better opportunity to communicate with the rest of the world," Powell said.
The secretary of state said any progress is difficult because confidence between Israel and the Palestinians is gone.
"Both sides will have to shift from long-held positions ... but we will never get to negotiations and we will never be able to move forward until we bring the violence down," Powell said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
