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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: goldsnow who wrote (15645)	6/29/2002 2:39:23 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 23908

Powell Aiming at Freezing Out Arafat Fri Jun 28, 2:58 PM ET By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell ( news - web sites) held firm Friday on excluding Yasser Arafat ( news - web sites) from Mideast peacemaking and turning to other Palestinian leaders instead. "There's a a price to be paid for inaction against terrorism, inaction against reform," Powell said in an Associated Press interview. Powell said he had had "the most direct conversations" with Arafat to try to sway him "but we've not seen change or improvement." In fact, Powell said, an attempt to smuggle in Iranian weapons and evidence Arafat authorized payment to a group that carried out a suicide bombing against Israel had hardened the Bush administration's resolve to turn to other leaders. "There are others in the Palestinian movement who can help transform it," Powell said. While President Bush ( news - web sites)'s call for Arafat's ouster as a condition for U.S. support for Palestinian statehood has not met with unanimous approval around the world, Powell said, "it is universally recognized" among Arab and other leaders that the current leadership of the Palestinian people has failed. Looking ahead, Powell said the administration would focus on reform of Palestinian institutions. "Clearly, we are anxious to work with responsible leaders in the Palestinian movement," he said, "and we are ready to mobilize the international community." He spoke softly and evenly in a 15-minute conversation in a State Department conference room. Powell did not single out any potential replacements for Arafat, and he said elections were up to the Palestinian people to conduct. "Hopefully, they will be free and fair and under international supervision," he said. U.S. officials frequently mention four moderates as possible successors. They are Ahmed Qureia, the parliament speaker; Mahmoud Abbas, Arafat's deputy, and security ( news - external web site) chiefs Jibril Rajoub and Mohammed Dahlan. Powell said Assistant Secretary of State William Burns would meet in London next week with U.N., European Union ( news - web sites) and Russian officials "and explore with them how to move forward." Diplomatic officials said Burns might then go on to the Middle East for talks with Israeli and Arab leaders. On other subjects, Powell said: _ He was pleased that the Islamic government of Iran had agreed to accept a U.S. offer of humanitarian assistance in response to an earthquake ( news - web sites) last weekend. "I'm not prepared to say it's the beginning of a new policy with Iran or a rapprochement. But I'm glad to see that they recognize that the aid we were offering came with no strings attached," Powell said. _ The administration was proposing specific dates and locations to North Korea ( news - web sites) for a resumption of long-stalled security talks. Other sources said the administration at a meeting on Thursday in New York proposed that the talks be resumed in mid-July in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, and that Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly probably would lead the U.S. delegation. _ It was a "major step forward" for Russia to agree to a $20 billion U.S.-European Union plan to dismantle dangerous weapons over 10 years. He said the program should diminish the possibility of leakage of such weaponry to pariah states. _ It would not serve the interests of Cuban President Fidel Castro ( news - web sites) to expel U.S. diplomats from Cuba. Castro has accused the American diplomatic mission in Havana of promoting anti-government conspiracies and violating Cuban sovereignty. On the Arab-Israeli conflict, Powell refrained from suggesting Israel consider terminating its latest military foray into Palestinian-held positions on the West Bank. "People have to defend themselves against terrorism," he said. Still, he called on Israel to loosen its restraints on Palestinian workers so they could get to their jobs. "The current Israeli activity makes things more difficult," he said. Powell acknowledged that Bush's prescription for Palestinian statehood within three years without Arafat "may have jarred some nerves, upset some people." But, he said, the speech last Monday reflected reality. "He made it clear the current leadership, the leadership of Chairman Arafat, has not matched at this time the needs of the Palestinian people," Powell said. He said he had no plans to get in touch with Arafat or to see him "although I don't know what the future holds." And Ronald Schlicher, who heads the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem that is in regular contact with the Palestinian Authority ( news - web sites), "has had no occasion to speak with Mr. Arafat in recent days," Powell said. story.news.yahoo.com.