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Powell Backs Palestinian Demand For Peace Deal Monitors
RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 28 (News Agencies) - Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday gave U.S. backing to Palestinian demands for international observers to monitor any future Israeli-Palestinian steps toward a peace accord.
Israel strongly opposes such a mission and the United States in the past had demurred on the issue, refusing to take a public stance until the Jewish state agreed to at least consider it.
But Powell said he believed an observation team would be an appropriate method to ensure both Israel and the Palestinians complied with any agreement they might reach on the timing of confidence-building steps aimed at bringing the parties back to the negotiating table.
Powell is in the region seeking to shore up a shaky U.S.-brokered June 13th truce as well as get the two sides to agree on a timeline for the cooling off period and the confidence building steps, which include a freeze of Jewish settlement-building and a Palestinian crackdown on suspected "terrorists".
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has pledged that the Palestinians would live up to their commitments to implement the ceasefire. But Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon insists on a total end to violence for at least 10 days before giving any commitment.
"I think if we get into the confidence-building measures, there will be a need for monitors and observers to see what's happening on the ground, to serve as interlocutors and to go to points of friction and make independent observations," Powell said.
"I think there is a clear understanding of the need for some kind of monitoring or observation function," he told reporters here after more than two hours of talks with Arafat.
Powell said the composition of the force was still being looked at but mentioned the United Nations and the European Union as possible sources. He did not raise possible U.S. participation.
During the meeting, the Palestinian leader said he had raised with Powell the importance of observers, noting that such missions had worked well in the past in other areas.
"I stressed the real need to provide monitoring for the implementation of the Mitchell report," Arafat said, referring to the recommendations of an internationally backed blueprint for getting the two sides back to peace talks.
That plan calls for the cessation of violence, a cooling off period and then confidence building measures to bring about the political dialogue.
Arafat, speaking in English on reasons for the need of confidence-building measures, lashed out at settlement construction, saying Palestinians were suffering at the hands of Jewish settlers who were being protected by Israel.
"Our people are suffering from the crimes of the settlers," Arafat said. "I am sorry to say that a part of these crimes are under the protection of some officials and Israeli soldiers."
Powell, who met with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres ahead of Arafat and was due to see Sharon later Thursday, did not address the settlement issue but repeated calls for both sides to adhere to the Mitchell commission recommendations.
"This is the only game in town," Powell said after meeting Peres in Jerusalem, "and we have to make sure that this game is played out."
Peres said Israel remained committed to the panel's report, though he allowed that "it is not an easy road or an automatic way" to peace.
Arafat also pledged his commitment to the report, speaking directly to Powell in front of reporters, and telling the secretary that the Palestinian people would fulfill their obligations.
"We will do all our best from now - I say this in front of you - to honor all our commitments," he said. "I'm sure our people will follow up what I am promising now."
Arafat also called for the immediate implementation of the cooling off period, combined with some confidence-building measures - a move that Sharon has refused to make until there is a total end to the violence.
Nine Palestinians and seven Israelis have died since the ceasefire went into effect.
Israeli military sources said Palestinian gunmen had shot dead an Israeli settler woman and wounded another in the northern West Bank near the Palestinian city of Jenin. It was the first death since Saturday and came after a relatively quiet period that had given rise to optimism at least on the part of Washington.
Powell said reaching agreement on the timeline for the next steps was crucial. Yet he also gave his support to the Israeli call for an end to the violence, saying the Mitchell "package" included a clear call for Arafat to stop Palestinian attacks.
"We can't start opening the package until we end the violence, until we have a period of quiet for a number of days ... [and] let the situation improve to the point where we can start the cooling-off period," he said.
Powell, standing next to Arafat, also appeared to take a swipe at Sharon, who recently described Arafat as a "murderer" and a "pathological liar."
"All sides need to lower their rhetoric and their unkind and difficult characterizations of the other side," he said when asked about the comments.
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