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G8 Leaders Reject Bush’s Call for Arafat Ouster
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| Chretien
stopped short of endorsing Bush’s call for Arafat's ouster,
saying: "I don't have a specific point of view on
that."
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KANANASKIS,
Canada, June 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The United States
and Europe sparred over the destiny of Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat Thursday, June 27, as sharp divisions over President George W.
Bush's Middle East policy burst into the open at the Group of Eight
summit.
The
controversy, exacerbated by Bush's call on Palestinians to ditch
Arafat on Monday, confounded a bid by G8 host
Canada
to showcase a new action plan at the summit in a Canadian Rockies
hideaway designed to lift millions of Africans out of poverty.
Bush,
beset by a rising tide of European criticism, downplayed the rifts
over the
Middle East
, insisting that the feedback to his plans had been favorable, and
said European leaders had responded well to his strategy for ending
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"The
response has been very positive. And for that, I'm grateful,"
Bush said, referring to his calls for reform of the Palestinian
Authority, as he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The
reason why is most European leaders understand something has to change
in order for there to be peace, and that starts with free elections, a
new constitution, transparency, rule of law among the Palestinians.
And that's the hopeful way to get to where we need to get, which is
two states living side-by-side in peace," Bush added.
"What
Palestinians need is leadership - elected leadership," Bush said.
While
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien supported Bush's push for
democratic elections, he stopped short of endorsing the call for
Arafat's ouster. Noting Bush wanted Arafat gone, Chretien said:
"I don't have a specific point of view on that."
European
officials begged to differ on the issue of Arafat.
"There
is a need to reform the Palestinian Authority but that does not mean
that Arafat has to go," a European official said on condition of
anonymity.
"We
are not going to tell Arafat to go."
German
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder bluntly made clear that Arafat was still
in the picture.
"As
long as he is the President ... he remains our interlocutor,"
Schroeder told German television, the morning after Arafat's fate
preoccupied G8 leaders at a working dinner.
Italian
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, however, backed Bush: "Many
people are convinced that Arafat, a winner of the Nobel peace prize,
should make a generous gesture and move aside… If I were President
Arafat, I would make a grand gesture that would enable him to go down
forever in history as the man who gave everything for the freedom of
his country."
Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also supports Bush’s initiative.
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| "As
long as he is the President,... he remains our
interlocutor," Schroeder said in a clear message Arafat
was still in the picture.
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Bush
stepped up pressure on the Palestinians to remove Arafat after
receiving Israeli intelligence reports that the Palestinian President
allegedly authorized a $20,000 payment to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades, the military wing of his Fatah movement, which claimed
responsibility for a martyr operation against
Israel
that killed six people and wounded 35.
But
Arafat threw down a challenge to the
U.S.
leader, pledging to test his power base in elections he has called for
January.
While
they were divided on the
Middle East
, Group of Eight leaders put new muscle into their anti-terror
campaign, pledging to stump up $20 billion to secure
Russia
's excess nuclear stocks from preying terrorists.
"The
attacks of September 11 demonstrated that terrorists are prepared to
use any means to cause terror and inflict appalling casualties on
innocent people," said the statement.
"We
commit ourselves to prevent terrorists or those that harbor them from
acquiring or developing nuclear, chemical, radiological and biological
weapons, missiles and related materials, equipment and
technology."
"We
call on all countries to join us in adopting the set of
non-proliferation principles we have announced today."
Washington
has committed to providing $10 billion over 10 years while other Group
of Seven nations, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and Japan
are asked to come up with another $10 billion under the plan, which
has become known as "10 plus 10 over 10."
Canada
, which has enthusiastically steered a drive to focus on the plight of
Africa
, had hoped new approaches to the continent's development would grab
the limelight.
Brandishing
their humanitarian credentials from behind a wall of security in this
isolated Canadian Rockies resort, G8 heads unveiled a new action plan
for
Africa
.
Leaders
of four African nations including South African President Thabo Mbeki
met Group of Eight chiefs, selling their "Marshall Plan,"
the so-called New Partnership for
Africa
's Development.
African
leaders are promising clean government and strong economic policies in
return for rich nations' renewed investment and extra state aid to
battle HIV/AIDS, fight poverty and provide basic education for all.
Thousands
of police and troops were patrolling around the secluded Kananaskis
resort to protect G8 leaders, tucked 100 kilometers (62 miles) away
from protesters in the oil boom town
Calgary
, from the threat of terror attacks or violent demonstrations.
Equipped
with surface-to-air missiles and radar, troops enforced a no-fly zone
and sealed off a wide security perimeter amid warnings of new terror
attacks.
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