Posted on 09/08/2003 9:11:42 PM PDT by anotherview
Sep. 9, 2003
Israel and US to examine Qurei's commitment to peace
By JANINE ZACHARIA AND HERB KEINON
Both Israel and the US express reservations regarding the recent appointment of Ahmed Qurei as the new Palestinian prime minister, insisting that the former Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker must prove himself by action.
Senior Israeli officials, en route to India with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said Monday that the replacement of Mahmoud Abbas with Qurei is little more than "musical chairs" with Yasser Arafat in charge of turning on and off the music.
If Qurie, tabbed by Arafat to form the next PA government, dismantles the terror infrastructure, collects illegal arms, and makes arrest, he will be a partner, a senior official in Sharon's entourage said.
But, he added, "since he is an Arafat appointment, the chances are highly unlikely. He will have to prove himself before we talk to him, the onus of proof is on him."
The changes in PA leadership are expected to be among the issues Sharon will discuss today with India's leadership. In a busy first day of his three-day visit, Sharon is slated to meet India's president, foreign minister, interior minister, national security advisor and prime minister.
Education Minister Limor Livnat, one of three ministers accompanying Sharon, said as long as Arafat is in control, there is no reason to believe Qurie will fight terror any more effectively than Abbas did.
Asked if she already missed Abbas, Livnat chuckled and said, "he was nice enough, but could not deliver the goods." As long as Arafat anoints the Palestinian prime minister, Livnat said, "we will not have a partner."
Livnat said she is in favor of "getting rid of Arafat," although she would not spell out how she thinks this should be done. The removal of Arafat, she said, is a pre-requisite to moving forward with the Palestinians.
A senior official in the Prime Minister's office, however, said at this point Sharon does not feel it is the right time to deport Arafat. He said that the feeling in the Defense establishment is that Arafat would still cause more damage for Israel abroad than he is able to do from his compound in Ramallah.
The official said Israel is fully coordinated on this matter with the US, and will not act without consulting Washington. The US, the official said, is concerned about the disruptive effect expelling Arafat would have on the situation facing the US in Iraq.
The US withheld comment on the prospect of Qurei becoming the new Palestinian prime minister, insisting simply that the next leader should have the power to press for reforms and to fight terrorism.
"Whoever becomes the new Palestinian prime minister, we're looking to see if he has the commitment, the authority and the resources to move forward on the road map," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said "At this juncture that means principally to move forward on taking control of the security situation in acting against groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad."
US Secretary of State Colin Powell worked the phones Monday to keep abreast of developments and consult on how to proceed. He spoke to Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, EU envoy Javier Solana, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.
On Sunday, Powell spoke to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
US spokesman had no direct comment on Qurei's demand that Washington guarantee Israel will halt military strikes on Hamas leaders, as a precondition for him accepting the position. Abbas's resignation over the weekend has severely frustrated US Middle East peacemaking efforts.
Some analysts predicted a dramatic downshift in US engagement as the administration remains focused on an increasingly complicated situation in Iraq and as the election campaign for 2004 gets underway.
But perhaps most significantly, should Abu Ala be confirmed as prime minister, the Bush administration would be forced to make a stark acknowledgement - that despite its efforts over the past 15 months to sideline Arafat, the only peace partner they have is one sanctioned by him.
and Washington is fully coordinated on this matter with saudi arabia, and will not act without consulting Riyadh.
But, he added, "since he is an Arafat appointment, the chances are highly unlikely. He will have to prove himself before we talk to him, the onus of proof is on him."
What?(rubbing eyes) I can't believe I'm reading this, it makes too much sense. Please continue on in this manner.
Watched "DC 9/11" tonight on Showtime.
Wolfowitz position: The mission must define the coalition.
Powell position: The coalition defines the mission.
Powell won, to the detriment of all Americans. So the war on terror loses momentum daily, and we kowtow to terrorists like Arafat to avoid ruffling the feathers of those Powell considers our allies (but who really want to see us attacked again)
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