Bush claims ‘progress’ in Quartet peace
talks
‘Peaceful palestinian
state’ is ‘crucial element’
US President George W. Bush said in Washington on Wednesday that “progress” is
being made toward bringing peace to Palestinians and Israelis, pointing to the successful
conversations a day earlier among members of the international “Quartet” in New
York.
“We are making progress” towards peace, he said during an appearance with his
Polish counterpart Aleksander Kwasniewski. Putting institutions in place for a
“peaceful Palestinian state” to emerge is a “crucial element” to
building the “confidence necessary among all parties, to achieve the vision of two
states living side-by-side in peace.”
Bush continued to hammer at Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, though he said that the
issues that lead to peace are “bigger than a single person.”
“Arafat failed to deliver, I still feel that way,” said Bush, who in a June
policy speech called on the Palestinians to vote out a leadership that was
“compromised by terror.”
“He has failed the Palestinian people. He just has. That is the reality,” the US
president said.
The US has insisted that Arafat be replaced, but in the New York talks, the other members
of the Quartet disagreed with the demand.
The Palestinian Authority hailed Russia, the EU and the UN on Wednesday for not backing
America’s stand on Arafat.
“It’s an encouraging and balanced statement,” Nabil Abu Rudeina, an aide to
Arafat, said in Ramallah. “We consider the positions of the Europeans, the Russians
and Secretary-General Kofi Annan as positive … We urge the Quartet to continue the
work for an immediate Israeli withdrawal to pave the way for progress in the peace
process.”
Arafat denounced Bush’s call for a leadership change, saying in an interview on
Egyptian television that he would run in January elections if the PLO leadership agreed.
“They (the United States) have to understand that this is not Afghanistan and that
they can’t change things as they want,” he said.
It was the first time Arafat had said that he intended to run in the Palestinian
presidential elections slated for January.
Separately, a top Palestinian official said that Arafat was considering the appointment of
a prime minister to share the running of day-to-day government affairs once a Palestinian
state is declared after a planned January election.
Palestinian Cabinet Minister Nabil Shaath said Arafat had signed a decree asking him to
convene a team of legal experts to come up with proposals on creating a prime ministerial
post and on other constitutional issues.
Shifting at least some executive powers to a prime minister could provide a way out of the
impasse created by the refusal of both Israel and the United States to deal with Arafat
directly.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministers Ahmed Maher of Egypt and Marwan Moasher of Jordan said it was
important to overlook differences about Arafat and focus on ending the Israeli occupation
of the West Bank and on the creation of a Palestinian state. They gave strong backing
Tuesday to the Quartet’s efforts to restore peace in the Middle East.
“Maybe we do not agree on all the details, but we are determined to work together for
peace, and I think we will succeed to bring peace to this area under the banner of
legitimacy, democracy and prosperity for all,” Maher said.
Moasher said the two Arab ministers, Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Fawzi Shobokshi,
and top UN, US, EU and Russian officials had made “good progress” at a Tuesday
meeting.
While diplomatic developments advanced in earnest, Israel mounted a massive manhunt
Wednesday in the West Bank for militants who ambushed a bus near a Jewish settlement,
killing eight Israelis. One Israeli soldier and a Palestinian gunman were killed during
the search.
The toll of Tuesday’s attack reached eight Wednesday after a premature baby delivered
by Caesarean section after the attack died, doctors said.
The boy, whose mother remained in a serious condition, was believed to be the youngest
victim of more than 21 months of fighting.
Heavy exchanges of fire continued between Israeli Army forces and Palestinian gunmen in
the area of the Jewish settlement of Emmanuel where the attack occurred.
Tuesday’s attack was the second at the entrance to Emmanuel. On Dec. 12, 11 people
were killed in a similar Palestinian operation.
Settlers had complained then about inadequate security, and on Wednesday Defense Minister
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met with them and promised to build a fence around Emmanuel as well
as a new access road, settlers said.
They also said the government had promised $20 million to increase security at
settlements. Ben-Eliezer’s office said in a statement that $240,000 would be
allocated to build a security fence and a new access road for Emmanuel.
Israel called off a high-level meeting with Palestinians scheduled for Wednesday after the
ambush, whose victims included an 8-month-old baby girl, her father and grandmother.
With agencies
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