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Bush
Says Occupation Must End, But Not Ready to Meet Arafat
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Israel continues siege on Church of Nativity as Bush calls for occupation to end.
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WASHINGTON,
May 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Declaring that Israel must
negotiate an end to its occupation of Palestinian areas in the West
Bank, U.S. President George W. Bush still as yet has no plans to meet
with Yasser Arafat because the just-freed Palestinian leader has yet
to earn his trust, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Thursday.
"Yasser
Arafat has not yet earned his trust," Fleischer told reporters a
day after the Israeli army lifted its siege of the Palestinian's
Ramallah headquarters.
Although
Bush said he saw "some signs of progress" in the Middle East
and that the end of Israel's siege, brokered by the U.S., of Arafat's
compound left the Palestinian leader "free to show
leadership" towards peace, he said at a joint press conference
with top European leaders at the annual U.S.-EU summit.
"I'm
optimistic we're making good progress," he said. "After all
a week ago, Yasser Arafat was boarded up in this building in Ramallah.
... He's now free to show leadership."
"The
president will continue to meet with [hardline Israeli Prime Minister]
Ariel Sharon as well as numerous Arab leaders," the spokesman
added days ahead of separate visits here by the Israeli leader and by
Jordan's King Abdullah.
His
comments came in response to the question of why Bush has never met
with Arafat since taking office in January of last year but has met
several times with Sharon, who is expected here early next week.
Asked
about a possible ministerial-level international conference on efforts
to end violence in the Middle East, Fleischer said: "to do
something like that requires a lot of work on the ground. It's still
is in the idea stage."
Asked
whether the administration could send U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Powell back to the region, the spokesman also said there had been
"no decision yet" on whether to do so.
On
the creation of a Palestinian state, Bush, speaking after meetings
with European leaders and continuing on the theme that the
Palestinians are primarily responsible for the violence in the Middle
East, said the Palestinian nation the international community wants to
help them build "cannot be based on a foundation of terror or
corruption," news agencies reported.
Bush
added though, "Of course, that places responsibilities on Israel
as well."
Concerning
the efforts of Arab nations in the region, he said he was encouraged
by recent meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, and said,
"I'm absolutely convinced it's going to require the efforts of
the Saudis and Jordanians and Egyptians to try to cement a lasting
peace," and said that Arab states had to help restrain Arafat.
The
comment comes after the White House earlier Thursday criticized Arafat
statements after his release in which the Palestinian leader condemned
the Israeli’s as "terrorists, Nazis and racists."
But
Bush has not embraced all the details of the Saudi "vision",
several of which could prove to be deal-breakers, reports news
agencies.
News
agencies also report that Sharon, who will see Bush on Tuesday, will
face pressure to follow up the Ramallah pullout by moving forward on
the Saudi peace proposal. However, although Sharon has agreed with
Bush on statehood for the Palestinians, he is conditioning the offer
on a long, interim period of security and an end to “terror.”
Jordan's
Abdullah, due to meet Monday with Powell and Bush on Wednesday, is
pushing a plan similar to that of the Saudis. Like the Saudis, Jordan
wants Israel to give up the West Bank, Gaza and part of Jerusalem,
territory it captured in the Six-Day War of 1967, in exchange for
promises of peace and recognition, news agencies report.
One
U.S. State Department official quoted by the Washington Post
said, "We think, and the State Department thinks . . . we
probably have to raise both the level and the pace of U.S. diplomacy
in the region, maybe with the assistance of others."
The
State Department and officials within Defense have been battling over
U.S. policy approaches in the Middle East, with Defense supporting
Israel’s aggressive military policy.
The
Post reports, however, that following meetings with Saudi’s
Abdullah, Bush has emphasized a more balanced approach.
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