Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Saturday expressed his "deep condemnation" of terrorism and a Jerusalem suicide bombing the day before, in a statement apparently intended to satisfy U.S. demands.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is visiting Israel, has said he would not meet Arafat until the Palestinian leader condemns terrorism and Friday's bombing, which killed six people in a crowded outdoor market.
"We are condemning strongly all the attacks which are targeting civilians from both sides and especially the attack that took place against Israeli citizens yesterday in Jerusalem," the statement, in Arabic, said.
The statement was released on the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA. A senior Palestinian official, Saeb Erekat, read the statement to The Associated Press.
A senior U.S. official said the Bush administration was reviewing Arafat's statement.
"He made the statement and we are looking at it," the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We expected him to condemn terrorism. We expected him to do so. Now he has made a statement, and we are looking at it."
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said that the statement issued by Arafat "contains a number of interesting and positive elements."
"The secretary will work with Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian leadership to show leadership and to help make these statements a reality, with effective action to bring an end to terror and violence and an early resumption of a political process," Boucher added.
Powell consulted by telephone with King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and European officials before deciding to go ahead with the meeting.
In the statement, Arafat also criticized Israel's two-week offensive in the West Bank, which has involved fierce battles with Palestinians in the northern cities of Jenin and Nablus.
"We on our side have condemned all forms of attacks against civilians, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis," Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said earlier Saturday.
He complained, however, that the United States was applying a double standard by denouncing violence against Israelis but ignoring what he called "massacres" by the Israeli army during its offensive.
Palestinian cabinet minister Azzam al-Ahmad, when asked why Powell had cancelled the meeting, said it was "to give [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon more time to finish his attacks."
According to Palestinian sources, Powell and Arafat will meet Sunday morning in Ramallah.
Powell
Powell met Saturday with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to discuss the humanitarian problems in Palestinian areas, as a result of the Israeli attack on Palestinian towns and cities, which began on March 29.
After the meeting, Powell called on Israel to allow the international bodies to operate within the territories. He also said that the United States would donate a further $30 million to $80 million it donates annually to UNWRA.
In the meantime, Powell issued a statement calling on Israeli troops operating in the West Bank to "exercise the utmost restraint and discipline and refrain from the excessive use of force." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
