Posted on 07/31/2005 7:18:10 AM PDT by SJackson
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's top adviser Dov Weisglass left Saturday night for a meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice where he will argue against supplying the Palestinian Authority with weapons it says it needs to fight terrorism.
Rice, who was here just over a week ago and is expected to return to Israel on August 15 to "chaperone" the disengagement process, has been pressing Israel to allow the resupply of arms and ammunition to the PA.
In recent weeks the Palestinians have argued that they lack necessary arms, ammunition, vehicles and communications equipment to fight terrorism or effectively take control of Gaza once Israel leaves.
Israel disputes this, saying that what Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has shown is not a lack of weaponry, but rather a lack of will to confront Hamas. Israel has argued that an infusion of arms and ammunition won't make a difference for Abbas until he takes the strategic decision to frontally take on his extremists.
To buttress its argument about the danger of transferring arms and ammunition to the PA, Israel has recently provided the US with intelligence information indicating that a PA policeman was involved in last Saturday night's murder of Dov and Rachel Kol in Gush Katif.
Another issue expected to come up in the Washington talks is the type of military response to be expected if there are attacks on Israel during and after the disengagement. The US has recently expressed concern to Israel about a large scale military action in Gaza, saying that such a move could seriously damage Abbas's standing.
"The US is worried about Abbas, and wants to ensure we don't do anything that could hurt his position," one senior diplomatic official said.
Sharon's foreign policy adviser Shalom Turjeman accompanied Weisglass to Washington, where talks are also expected to focus on enhancing Israeli-Palestinian disengagement coordination.
This coordination received a boost over the weekend, with James Wolfensohn, the Quartet's disengagement envoy, saying in Gaza Saturday that an agreement on the fate of the rubble from homes to be destroyed in Gush Katif was expected within days.
Speaking to reporters before a meeting with Abbas, Wolfensohn said the rubble from homes could be used in future housing projects by the Palestinians.
"Much of the rubble, the cement and the bricks, can be reused in Gaza. It's not something that hurts Gaza or the private sector. It's something that's an opportunity for the Palestinians," Wolfensohn said.
An Israeli official said that a firm had been located that could turn the rubble into material that could be used for future construction.
Muhammad Dahlan, the Palestinian cabinet minister in charge of coordinating Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, said the Palestinians were willing to assist Israel in removing the rubble, but would not allow any of it to be buried in their land.
"We are looking into how to make use of this rubble. If there is a use for some it, we will use it, and if there is no use for it, we will get rid of it, remove it from the Gaza Strip. The important thing is for it not to remain or be buried in Palestinian lands," Dahlan said after talks with Wolfensohn.
According to Wolfensohn, Palestinian and Israeli coordination on the withdrawal was improving.
"I do honestly believe... that the last two months gives us an increasing atmosphere of hope and practically, you're getting a better exchange of information, you're getting technical committees working together, you're having open discussions on the tough issues," said Wolfensohn.
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Guess they'll have to settle for American arms.
WHY do WE want to supply Palentine with weapons?????
I thought we were with Iseral?????
Did I miss something here?????
We've been supplying them with arms for years. The CIA trains their police, including sniper training.
Not too bright.
We never gave self-defense arms to targets of genocide.
Why give arms to those who would perpetrate genocide?
Forrest Gump's momma was a brilliant woman.......
stupid is as stupid does
The Bush Admin is wanting Isreal to help provide weapons to PA.
Isn't that about as stupid as wanting the West to help provide weapons to al-Qaeda?
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Again GWB and Co policies and procedures leave a bad taste.
The US obsession with a Palestinian state can only be called that--an irrational obsession.
There is no logical reason for our policy, yet we pursue it with fanaticism.
And in other news, an unexplainable rash of arson has struck!
Kill A Commie For Mommie
Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes
All it has accomplished is a Corrupted PA (thanks' Arafat) who is really controlled by Terror Groups who have there own agenda- AND it's not having the Palestinians co-exist in PEACE with the Israelis !!!
GIVE the Palestinians more weapons to fight so-called Terror ???? IF ISLAMIC/ARAB TERRORISM IS WITH THEM, WHO IN THE NAME OF GOD IS AGAINST THEM ???
The PA Has Enough Weapons Already .....
BTTT
sorry, i do not like what the USA is doing--making someone pay to kill themselves??thats NUTS
Barbara Streisand...They (PaliArabs) don't need "Logical Support", What they need is (political) "Backbone".
I did not know this....this is STUPID.....since when do we supply arms to a terrorist country?????
Boy talk about talking out of both sides of your mouth....Bush says your either with the terrorist or your not and here we are supplying arms and training their terrorist ....I don't know what to say....I'm finally speechless, which is very hard to do...
The Arabs could fight terrorism the way we fight drugs in school.
Just say No.
They can't, it's what they are.
In the past Israel has supplied the PA with arms as well, but not training. Israel appears to have stopped. It's all part of the mirage of a peaceful state.
Arms but not training? Is there a distinction there?
I have an idea -- collect all the weapons from the terrorists and give them to the police. Oh that's right, your police are the terrorists.
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