My tagline applies especially to Arafart!
Posted on 09/19/2003 4:47:15 AM PDT by veronica
The US has warned the Palestinian Authority that it will not deal with a new cabinet controlled by Chairman Yasser Arafat and that is not committed to the implementation of the road map.
The warning was delivered by US special envoy John Wolf to PA Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala), who is expected to announce his cabinet sometime next week.
PA officials said Washington also made it clear that its policy on Arafat remains unchanged and that he is not a partner to any peace talks.
"The Americans insist on boycotting President Arafat," said a top PA official in Ramallah. "They are making a big mistake if they believe that things could move without the president."
Another official accused the US of succumbing to "Israeli and Jewish pressure" to maintain the boycott against Arafat.
"[President George W.] Bush should be a member of the Likud Party, not president of the US," he said. "It's clear now that Bush is backing [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon on every single decision he makes."
Hatem Abdel Kader, a senior Fatah official, said the new cabinet is being chosen in full coordination with Arafat. "We don't want a cabinet that would engage in a power struggle with President Arafat," he said. "It's not the job of the cabinet to undercut Arafat's authority."
Fatah scored a major victory on Thursday when Arafat and Qurei agreed to the appointment of 16 of its members as ministers in the 24-member cabinet. The two had given the Fatah central committee a free hand in selecting its own nominees for the posts.
One Fatah official boasted that this is the "first Fatah government."
He noted, however, that the new cabinet would be "under Arafat's full control... and this should be clear to all."
The remaining eight ministers represent different political factions, including the People's Party (communist), Fida (a breakaway faction of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine), and the Palestinian Struggle Front (A pro-Ba'ath faction).
Sources in Ramallah and Gaza City said Hamas and Islamic Jihad have turned down an offer to join the new cabinet. But, they added, Hamas has agreed to the appointment of Dr. Mussa Zabout of Gaza City, who is affiliated with the movement but holds no official position, as its unofficial representative in the cabinet.
Qurei said on Thursday that he hopes to form a "national unity" cabinet that would include representatives of all the political factions and organizations.
"The new cabinet will focus on the worries, aspirations, and goals of the Palestinians people," he said. "We welcome those who join us on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of the law and the agreements we have signed with other parties."
Qurei said that, as soon as he takes office, he plans to call on Israel to start negotiations in an attempt to reach a new cease-fire. "We want to pave the way for the implementation of the road map and the return to the negotiating table," he said.
Qurei met with most Fatah leaders, including members of the central committee, which is mainly made up of older Fatah leaders who came with Arafat from Tunis, the about 140-member revolutionary council, and Fatah legislators, at Arafat's Ramallah compound.
Qurei is now to visit the Gaza Strip and meet with Fatah leaders there, PA Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said.
Fatah leaders realize that they need to form a government acceptable to the international community if they want to retain international backing for the road map, a Fatah source said. But internal rivalries and different views of how to deal with the security issue make consensus difficult.
Israel has rejected the cease-fire unless the PA first dismantles the terrorist infrastructure. PA officials said the US has not rejected the proposal, but expects the PA to take measures to prevent terrorism, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, and punish those who carry out attacks.
Shaath, who is likely to retain his post in the new cabinet, said the PA is speaking about a full, unlimited cease-fire with Israel, not an internal Palestinian hudna. However, he stressed that the cease-fire must be mutual and refused to say if the PA is ready to crackdown on Hamas and other groups to maintain the cease-fire.
"How we do it is our business," he said.
Arafat wants to negotiate a truce with Hamas and has been in touch with Hamas leaders abroad, PA officials said. He has also sent envoys to Hizbullah spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Lamia Lahoud contributed to this report.
Hooray! Terrific President. Outstanding Administration.
Hooray! Terrific President. Outstanding Administration.
And yet this administration deals with Arafat's handpicked "Prime ministers"
the whole Palestinian Authority terror regime must go, no matter if Arafat is there or not. Any cabinet would be terrorist.
We wouldn't have dealt with the Baathist regime in Iraq if Saddam was gone would we?
My tagline applies especially to Arafart!
They are stating the exact reason why Arafat must be removed.
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