The top Palestinian security official in the West Bank, Jibril Rjoub, denied reports that he sought to open a secret channel for talks with Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon using the CIA as a go-between, reported Al-Quds newspaper Thursday.
“My visit to Washington was officially assigned by President Yasser Arafat to report to the US administration the tragic condition of the Palestinian people,” Rjoub told the daily, adding that “the visit angered the Israelis who alleged that I sought the CIA’s help for secret channel with Israel.”
Reports said that Rjoub met CIA chief in Washington, George Tenet, and told him of his hopes for contact with Sharon aides regarding a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation.
“These are baseless reports,” the Palestinian official said.
“Conditions for resuming the security contacts with the Sharon’s government are not available now,” he told the paper, adding that “our conditions include putting an end to the Israeli violence and resuming the negotiates from the point where they ended.” – Albawaba.com
