A senior U.S. official, launching talks on a peace "road map," said on Sunday Israel should ease a harsh military clampdown on Palestinians to encourage them to reject violence.
Assistant Secretary of State William Burns was preparing the ground for a planned visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is due in the region later this week for the first time in 13 months.
Burns said President Bush and Powell envisaged steps that "Israel can consider in its own self-interest to reinforce important steps on the Palestinian side to act decisively against terror and violence.
"Obviously the humanitarian situation for Palestinians is a very difficult one, and we very much hope that concrete steps can be taken to ease that," Burns told reporters after talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
"...this is going to require steps on both sides, if we are going to realize the moment of opportunity which we believe exists now," Burns added.
Powell is due in Israel Saturday night for talks about how to implement the Road Map peace plan, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official said Sunday.
Israel, meanwhile, made clear that a ceasefire with armed groups being sought by the Palestinian Authority was not enough to meet Israel's demands for a restart peace talks.
Shalom criticized a reported attempt by the new Palestinian Premier Mahmud Abbas to arrange a ceasefire with Hamas and Islamic Jihad to trying to treated an infested wound "with a Band-Aid."
"We won't accept an artificial ceasefire," Shalom told Burns. "We made it clear that we expect the Palestinians to fight terrorism, destroy terrorist infrastructure, and not just achieve a ceasefire as they are trying to arrange between the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist organizations," Shalom told reporters. "It must be clear that the war aginst terror is essential to moving forward with the pece process. No other way is acceptable to us."
Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is likely to postpone plans to meet with Abu Mazen, until after Powell's visit, news reports said. Sharon, meanwhile, told the Israeli cabinet Sunday he would personally oversee all the contacts involved in implementing the US-backed Road Map plans which calls for achievement of Palestinian statehood and a cessation of "terrorism." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
