U.S. Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni's meeting with top Israeli and Palestinian security officials ended early Thursday with no apparent sign of progress despite hopes for a cease-fire deal. However, it was decided that further meetings would be held in the coming days.
On the ground, Israel resumed its military actions in the Palestinian areas. Israeli troops entered Area A in the northern West Bank late Wednesday night and arrested a number of Palestinians, Israel Radio reported.
The troops, who have already pulled back, focused their search in the village of Tubas.
Israeli troops also entered the villages of El Yamoun and Silat al Hartiya near Jenin. Palestinian sources said some 20 people were arrested in the operation, including a member of Yasser Arafat's Force 17 presidential guard.
Security Talks
The meeting was overshadowed by a suicide bombing on Wednesday in which seven Israelis, including four soldiers, were killed.
During the meeting, the two sides aimed at reaching an agree on a timetable for a cease-fire and for the implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans.
Taking part in the meeting for the Israeli side were Shin Bet Security Service chief Avi Dichter, and Major General Giora Eiland. Representing the Palestinians were Jibril Rajoub, head of West Bank Preventive Security, and his Gaza counterpart Mohammed Dahlan. The meeting was also attended by U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni.
U.S.
The United States demanded that PA leader Yasser Arafat take more steps to rein in anti-Israeli violence but held out the possibility of a meeting next week between the Palestinian leader and US Vice President Dick Cheney, AFP reported.
President George W. Bush and the State Department told Arafat he had to do more to stop the violence.
"I am frustrated by the violence in the Middle East," Bush told reporters as he toured a school in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia, adding that Arafat had to do a "better job" in thwarting attacks on Israelis.
"We expect him to be diligent and firm and consistent in his efforts to rein in those who would likely disrupt any progress towards peace and rein in those who would harm our friends, the Israelis," Bush said.
But he said Zinni was "making some progress" towards forging an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire and vowed: "We will continue to work the issue and work it hard."
At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher condemned "in the strongest terms" the suicide attack, saying it underscored "the importance of immediate, maximum Palestinian actions against terror."
"What we expect from Chairman Arafat and the Palestinians is a 100-percent effort to do everything (they) can to control the violence and prevent it," Boucher told reporters.
"We further expect Chairman Arafat to begin immediate and serious steps to get a ceasefire started and the implementation of the Tenet security work plan."
Those steps include a public commitment to the ceasefire deal, named after CIA chief George Tenet who proposed it last year, unambiguous orders to the Palestinian security services to enforce the ceasefire and serious efforts to stop attacks, Boucher said.
But even as Bush and his aides hammered Arafat, top US officials confirmed they were considering a meeting between Arafat and Cheney as early as next week, likely in Egypt.
One top official said Cheney would be going to Egypt for a possible meeting with Arafat in the near future but that the timing of the trip was unclear and would depend on Zinni's recommendation. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
