[iwar] [fc:US:.Palestinian.state.'always'.part.of.Mideast.vision]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-10-02 20:29:07


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Subject: [iwar] [fc:US:.Palestinian.state.'always'.part.of.Mideast.vision]
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Wednesday, October 3 6:35 AM SGT

US says Palestinian state 'always' part of Mideast vision

WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (AFP) -

In an apparent bid to cement Arab support for a US-led global war on
terrorism, President George W.  Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell
said Tuesday a Palestinian state had always been part of their vision
for the Middle East. 

"The idea of a Palestinian state has always been part of a vision, so
long as the right to Israel to exist is respected," Bush told reporters
in the White House Oval Office. 

Powell, speaking later after a meeting with his Indian counterpart,
echoed that statement. 

"There has always been a vision in our thinking, as well as in previous
administrations' thinking, that there would be a Palestinian state that
exists at the same time that the security of the state of Israel was
also recognized, guaranteed and accepted by all parties," Powell said. 

"That vision is alive and well and we hope that it will come about as a
result of negotiations between the two sides," he said, contradicting
reports that the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington had stalled US plans to unveil a major Middle East peace
initiative. 

"The events of September 11 don't really play into this," he said.  "We
were hard at work before the 11th of September on trying to help in the
region, and we are hard at work after the 11th of September."

However, Powell conceded that work had perhaps not been noticed in the
crush of events after the attacks. 

"I'm always considering what statements I can make in order to make sure
people understand the American position," he said. 

Although Powell denied any initiative had been stalled, senior officials
said the terror strikes had temporarily forced a postponement in more
active US engagement in the Middle East. 

Several officials said the postponement of the UN General Assembly in
the wake of the attacks had automatically squelched a proposal for Bush
to meet there with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for the first time. 

"We had been looking at the UN session not as time to unveil a plan but
to get some momentum," one official said.  "We haven't proceeded exactly
as we might have after the attacks but the basic outline is still in
play."

Ahead of the UN meeting, Powell and others had ratcheted up efforts to
produce a meeting between Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon
Peres aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire. 

That meeting did not occur until last week following renewed pressure
from Powell on Arafat and Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
based in part on the desire to enlist Arab and Muslim backing in the
anti-terror coalition. 

But a truce they reached is increasingly fragile and violence flared
again on Tuesday. 

Bush said Washington was "working diligently" to end a year-long cycle
of violence and reiterated his strong support for a roadmap to peace
crafted by an international panel headed by former US senator George
Mitchell. 

"First things first, when it comes to the Middle East, we've got to get
to Mitchell," he said, referring to the plan that calls for a ceasefire
followed by a cooling-off period confidence-building measures and a
return to peace negotiations. 

"I fully understand that progress is made in centimeters in the Middle
East and we believe we're making some progress," Bush added. 

In the Middle East, the endorsement of a Palestinian state was welcomed
by Arab countries but given a cool reception in Israel where officials
said they believed it could be perceived as a victory for Osama bin
Laden, the Saudi militant Washington says was behind the September 11
attacks. 

"Quite logically, the Palestinians could say 'Thank you bin Laden'," for
prompting Bush's backing of an independent state, said Sharon spokesman
Zalman Shoval. 

The Arab League meanwhile hailed the comments as a "step in the right
direction". 

"We welcome those developments, both the support by the United States of
a viable Palestinian state, and the meetings that will take place
between the president (Bush) and President Arafat," said Arab League
chief Amr Mussa. 

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