The United States said Tuesday it was "encouraged" by steps taken by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to rein in Islamic militants in the West Bank and Gaza, but urged restraint in dealing with peaceful protesters, according to AFP.
At the same time, Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to renew US calls for Israel to cease "provocative" incursions into the Palestinian territories, according to US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
"We're encouraged by the recent security steps that have been taken by the Palestinian Authority to honor its commitments to achieve a ceasefire and we believe those measures should continue," Boucher said.
However, he stressed that Palestinian police should avoid using unnecessary force in enforcing the law after two Palestinians died and at least 200 were injured amid protests against US strikes on Afghanistan.
"The Palestinian Authority does have a responsibility to maintain order and to confront those who are advocating and engaging in violence," Boucher told reporters.
"On the one hand, we think it's important to take security steps, while at the same time it's important to exercise this responsibility with maximum restraint and with discipline," he added.
Tuesday's violence was the bloodiest between Palestinians since the Intifada, or uprising against Israel, erupted a year ago. Two protesters were shot dead in Gaza City when police tried to disperse anti-American demonstrations at the Islamic University.
A PA probe was opened to name those behind the bloodshed among the Palestinians, who have suffered nearly 700 deaths in their struggle against 34 years of Israeli military occupation.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has tried to limit damage to the PA's reputation by banning most protests against the US-led airstrikes on Afghanistan and sealing off the Gaza Strip to foreign journalists.
The Palestinian leadership also tried to ban all filming of Palestinians to avoid being seen as supporting Afghanistan-based militant Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Analysts saw the tough moves as part of a PR campaign by the PA to prevent the media from depicting Palestinians as a violent people.
Few Palestinians showed joy over the attacks on the US attacks, but footage of a street celebration by those few has been recycled by Israel's anti-Palestinian media crusade.
Bin Laden said Sunday he was championing the Palestinian cause against Israel, which “congratulated” the authority for what they did to quell the protest.
In the meantime, however, Israeli occupation tanks and bulldozers made a new incursion into the Gaza Strip and bulldozed Palestinian farmland – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
