- RAMALLAH (AP) -- A senior
adviser to Yasser Arafat has accused the United States of "blackmailing"
the Palestinians by withholding aid - unusually harsh criticism reflecting
exasperation with perceived US disengagement from the Mideast conflict.
-
- Israeli and Palestinian officials, meanwhile, failed
again today to reach agreement on a date for a meeting between their two
leaders. Such a summit is seen as vital for reviving the US-backed "road
map" peace plan.
-
- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said repeatedly
he would go ahead with unilateral measures, including dismantling some
settlements and imposing a boundary on the Palestinians, if there is no
progress in coming months.
-
- Earlier this week, he proposed dismantling virtually
all the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, a political bombshell that
is threatening his centre-right coalition.
-
- Sharon is facing mounting opposition, including from
within his Likud Party. Challenging his critics, Sharon said he would support
a referendum on the issue. Polls indicate a large majority of Israelis
support a Gaza pullout.
-
- US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher offered
a mixed response to Sharon's Gaza initiative. Boucher said that while removing
settlements is good, the United States is concerned about "any steps
that could attempt to unilaterally end the process or unilaterally impose
a settlement".
-
- In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Jibril Rajoub, a senior
security adviser to Arafat, charged that the United States is cutting aid
and scaling back involvement in Mideast diplomacy because the Palestinians
have failed to find those responsible for an attack on a US convoy in Gaza
in October. Three US security guards were killed in the roadside bombing.
-
- "I think this is blackmail," said Rajoub, who
enjoyed close relations with US agencies when he served as security chief
in the West Bank.
-
- US officials have complained about lack of progress in
the investigation of the attack. In December, US envoy William Burns said
the United States "cannot carry out our full range of assistance projects"
without progress in the probe.
-
- Boucher dismissed Rajoub's comments as "ridiculous".
He said Palestinians should improve their security, but added that the
United States remains engaged in peacemaking.
-
- The road map, meanwhile, suffered another setback today,
when aides for Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie failed
to agree on a summit agenda. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said he
hoped a summit could be arranged after the next meeting of aides, which
would take place "in a few days".
-
- Qurie has welcomed Sharon's proposal to dismantle Gaza
settlements, but Palestinian officials say a summit must yield immediate
results, such as an easing of travel restrictions on Palestinians.
-
- Sharon is coming under increasing pressure from hawkish
legislators to abandon the Gaza plan. Ten Likud legislators signed a letter
today, saying they opposed a removal of settlements.
-
- Others demanded he put the program to a referendum.
-
- A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said Sharon would welcome a referendum because the issue cuts across ideological
lines and "has overwhelming support among the public".
-
- Israel has never had such a referendum. A plebiscite
is required over any treaty that changes Israel's borders, but that would
not apply here.
-
- Sharon's centre-right coalition government was not likely
to survive removal of settlements, with two pro-settler parties poised
to resign. Sharon said he would call elections if necessary.
-
- Rajoub was suspicious of Sharon's intentions. "I
hope Mr. Sharon is not bluffing us or playing such a dirty game to ...
avoid the road map," he told reporters.
-
- Politicians and analysts questioned whether Sharon, the
historical champion of the settlements, actually planned to remove any
of them. Some said he might be trying to deflect attention from a widening
bribery scandal that could ensnare him.
-
- Sharon is to face police questioning tomorrow after a
real estate developer was indicted for allegedly bribing Sharon over a
business deal. If indicted, Sharon would probably have to suspend himself
from office. Sharon has denied wrongdoing.
-
- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
-
- http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8588896%255E1702,00.html
|
